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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.


Monday, October 15, 2018

Hill climbing with wife and kids in Janda Baik

On to happenings from last weekend...


Sunday 14th October 2018. After spending the night at a riverside place in Janda Baik me and family decided to climb a nearby hill.

As we walked up wider and wider vistas began to open up.


It was the first time I brought the wife and kids up this particular hill.


It is the tallest hwithin 600 metres radius or so from the riverside place.


A view from the top. A check with Google Earth shows while the surrounding flatland is situated at an average 1,450 feet above sea level this hilltop is situated 150 feet higher.  That is equivalent to climbung up a 15 floor building.


This is of course nothing to regular mountain-climbers. But it is something to my wife. In fact it is something to me too although I have climbed a number of mountains including the 13,455 feet high Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. You see I have been out of shape for years. Climbing small hills once in a while feels like a feat.

From the hilltop we found a route going down to a flat area to the south.  It's not that I haven't been here before. But it was like more than 10 years ago and there was no open route then, just a hillside full of trees I had to negotiate.


Next we decide to go on up a bigger and higher hill. We were surprised to find rows of terrace house being built.


You see Janda Baik mainly have bungalows or single units of kampung houses on kampung or agricultural lands.

Terrace houses is a new development which we learned was started to be built just over a year ago.


A check with Google Earth shows the highest terrace house is situated at 1,622 feet above sea level.


This is already more than 20 feet higher than the hilltop we previously climbed..


Still we went on climbing higher and higher.  At this juncture we have walked some 2.3 km after leaving our lodging place for breakfast. And that is without considering the gradients of climbs and descends. Google Earth shows this picture was taken at an elevation of 1,687 feet from sea level...


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