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This blogspot is a medium to share my thoughts and adventures apart from promoting my books. Below are the books which have been written or authored and published by myself.


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti".

ISBN 983-42031-0-1, Jun 2006


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal"

ISBN 983-42031-1-x, May 2007


"Berpetualang ke Aceh: Sirih Pulang ke Gagang?"

ISBN 978-983-42031-2-2, November 2007


It is interesting to note that while these books were written in Malay it has gained enough attention to merit being part of the collections of the American Library of Congress and National Library of Australia. Look here and here.


While the first three books were published by my own company, the fourth titled "Rumah Azan" was published in April 2009 by a company called Karnadya with the help of the Malaysian national literary body Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. It features beautiful pictures along with stories behind selected mosques which could be related to the history of Islam and the Malays alongside the formation of the Malaysian nation. Look at the article A collaboration of old collegemates - the book "Rumah Azan".


My fifth book "Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and Malay Sultanates", an English translation and adaptation of the Malay book "Ahlul Bait (Keluarga) Rasulullah SAW dan Kesultanan Melayu" authored by Hj Muzaffar Mohamad and Tun Suzana Othman was published early 2010. Look here... My 5th book is out! Ahlul Bait (Family) of Rasulullah SAW and the Malay Sultanates... . For more information check out my Malay blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU.



Like my fourth book "Rumah Azan", the sixth book "Kereta Api Menuju Destinasi" is also a coffee-table book which is published by the company Karnadya with the cooperation of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (the main Malay literary body in Malaysia). Coming out January 2011 it features pictures and stories on the adventure travelling by train to all of Peninsular Malaysia along with the interesting places which could be reached this way.


My seventh book "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" in turn is a coffee-table book which is written, editted, designed and has pictures taken by me. Coming out of the factory October 2011, this book which combines family history with history of places such as Singapura, Johor, Batu Pahat, Muar and in fact the history of the island of Java and England has been reviewed with me interviewed live in the program Selamat Pagi Malaysia at RTM1. Look at the article Siaran langsung ulasan buku "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah" dan temu ramah di Selamat Pagi Malaysia. Some selected contents have been featured in Sneak peek "Jejak keluarga Yakin : Satu sketsa sejarah".


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The "Berpetualang ke Aceh" series of novels could be obtained in e-book form. Enter http://www.e-sentral.com/, click general novel and go to page 4. You can also type the word "Aceh" at the search box. Or click straight Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3.


Friday, May 25, 2012

The 'real' Danau Tok Uban



From the Brunei Mosque we went to the other side of Danau Tok Uban.


This is the side which is formally known as Danau Tok Uban. This is the side people would point the way to if asked for that name.


This is the part of people often go for recreation.


For the lake called Danau Tok Uban is vast enought to be approached from many many parts.


But not all offer convenience for visitors.


See the white building which looks small in the middle? That's the Brunei mosque.


This side of Danau Tok Uban has a floating restaurant which offers nice vistas...














Danau Tok Uban from the Brunei mosque on a fine Friday afternoon



In the afternoon I brought the wife and kids to the mosque known as Masjid Brunei, at a rural part of the district of Pasir Mas. It is situated besides a vast lake called Danau Tok Uban.


Oh. I forgot to mention. After we entered Kelantan from Terengganu we took our two elder kids who are staying with their uncle in that state and brought them to stay together at a hotel in Kota Bahru. So that makes 6 of us altogether for this trip. There's me, the wife, the two elder kids and two youngest one we took all the way from home for this East Coast trip.


I have been to this place quite a number of times. But it was only last time  that I brought the kids. Then, the youngest one, Muhammad Alauddin Johan (now 3 months old) was not even conceived. It was raining and the sky rather gloomy. Look at the old article Masjid Brunei and Danau Tok Uban in the rain...


On this visit made Friday afternoon the sky looked just fine.


So we wasted no time to enjoy the sight from many different angles...












Now back to the mosque...




The Kelantan river near Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga



Going out of the Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga I decided to check out the nearby Kelantan river.




A look downriver. The estuary should be 40 km by water from here.


A look across.


A check with Google Earth shows the river here is close to 400 meters wide.


Turning further anti-clockwise to look upriver...


The Kelantan river stays about this wide for a further 60 km to the south.




The place called Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga on a fine sunny Friday morning

Peace be upon you all. After leaving this blogspot unattended for almost a month  let me start making new postings. Continuing the stories of my trip to the East Coast 26 March - 4 April...



In the last article on the trip, Crossing the Terengganu river to Pulau Sekati made 24th April I mentioned how me and family rushed to a part of Kuala Terengganu just to get to an island accesible by a pedestrian/motorcyclist wooden bridge. The night was then spent in Jertih near the Kelantan state border before we entered the state then spent the following night in its capital city, Kota Bahru. The next morning, Friday 30th March is when this new story starts... by making a visit to a certain rural place some 25 km outside of the city...



The place is called Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga which could be loosely translated as the lowlands flower garden. It is associated with two olden Kelantanese legendary personalities, the old Kelantan kingdom female ruler Cik Siti Wan Kembang and her adopted daughter, the princess known as Puteri Saadong.



Here's bit of story on Cik Siti Kembang and how/why she decided to open Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga after having ruled from a number of locations.


This signboard says it happened about 300 years ago. But I understand it was actually close to 400 years ago...



Now let's take a walk inside.


You can see a lake, a rather elongated one.


I was told the lake was actually part of the nearby Kelantan river. It was probably a bend which became separated from the main body of water due to silting and such.


Most probably it was still part of the Kelantan river during Cik Siti Wan Kembang's time. Now let's look at other parts of the garden.


There's this hut for visitors.


Tables and makeshift chairs made in modern time of course.


Actually I've featured this place in the article The place called Taman Serendah Sekebun Bunga made a year ago.


But it was based on a visit to the East Coast made during rainy season end of 2010.


Thus then I never went further than this gate.


For reasons unclear, the parts after are made off-limits to the public.


This time I decided to explore as far as I can.


But I didn't find anything peculiar except the lake stretched for almost 200 metres long.