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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, October 10, 2014

From manbirds to Ratu Balqis, the Queen of Sheba



The previous sections were at the eastern face of Borobudur. We continued walking counter-clockwise to the north face.



Upon reaching the staircase, we climbed to the next level. For the record the building has four faces, each facing a cardinal direction. Every face has stairs leading to the top.



Again we went counter clockwise.



At a section are figures of creatures half man half bird.


Doing the explanation is an assistant of KH Fahmi. He said such manbirds are also shown at ancient structures of far away ancient cultures such as pyramid of the Mayans in Central America, adding the creatures often help human cultures flourish. Thus he takes this as an evidence that Borobudur was built by a high civilisation that also employed other than human beings.



For the record Fahmi claimed Borobudur was built by genies or jin under command of Prophet Solomon or Sulaiman. The Quran says he had power of the jins and often used them to make great buildings.


Then comes one of the most interesting part...



We were shown what they claimed to be the figure of Ratu Balqis, known in the West as Queen of Sheba.


The Quran says Balqis visited Sulaiman's palace where she raised her skirt thinking polished floor was water. This relief is claimed to depict that...



Below right is relief of a ship.



Fahmi said this depicts the ark of Noah.



Nearby is a relief showing what is claimed as Balqis taking a bath.


Like the previous one said to be of her, this one also has the queen standing on a unique stone slab.



The 1-3-1-1 formation of Borobodur




About 2 hours later we finally arrived at Candi (temple of) Borobudur.


I have been once here before with the wife and kids mid 2012. Then we went on straight to the highest level before exploring it floor by floor downwards. Look at these old articles :-









The huge building can be described as a pyramid of 12 levels. The first 2 from the ground looks  empty, just a foundation of block of stones. We went on to the 3rd level which is actual the 1st of 5 levels with depiction of creatures. So let's call this the 1st level of creatures...


After a brief rest twe were asked to have a closer look at the depictions, or reliefs...


What is interesting is the reliefs seemed to show people from a wide variety or races.


What is more interesting is there is a 1-3-1-1 or formation. From the start of this level one can see a relief of a person followed by relief of three persons, then relief of one and another of one. This pattern seems to repeat as far as I can see.





We were told that this goes for the whole level.


The only exception is at a corner where there is a relief of two...


Batu Blencong, the place where Gog and Magog was subdued?

Another Friday of peaceful tidings for you all. After a lapse of one week let's continue the storytelling last left at From Malioboro to the Keraton - The ever festive Jogja....


Saturday 27th September 2014. From our lodging place we joined a group cutting the city of Jogjakarta westward before going up a rural highland. Then we stopped at this house where refreshment awaits...



The group is headed by an Indonesian write KH Fahmis Basya (left). In 2012 he has wrote a book claiming Candi (temple of Borobudur) near Jogja was built by Prophet Soloman. Since 2009 he has been taking groups up the temple to show sections to support his claim. Here he wants to show us a rock formation he believed has something to do with the legendary Gog and Magog.


I won't explain what Gog and Magog is. Please Google it yourself as it is actually a popular term referring to a fierce breed of people (some say creatures) mentioned in the Bible. In the Quran, the holy book of the Muslims it is known as Yakjuj and Makjuj. It is often said to have terrorised the Middle East or somewhere around it but this writer claimed the creatures brought terror in the Indonesian island of Java, originating somewhere around Jogja.



In fact he claimed the name Jogjakarta refers to Yakjuj and Makjuj. Yakjujkarta he said (Karta means city in old Javanese or so) becomes Jogjakarta. In the Quran it is said that a just and strong king known as Zulkarnain subdued the creatures by building an insurmountable barrier. 


He claimed this happened at a stone formation called Batu  (rock of) Blencong. The signboard mentions Batu as Watu.. I won't explain in detail the story anymore here as in general this blogspot is meant for articles supporting the main storytelling in CATATAN SI MERAH SILU, my main blogspot written in Malay. 





And so there we were climbing ever higher from a starting point which is already quite high up the hills.









Batu Blencong in view...


















I just can't resist climbing up to pose at the opening...



Thursday, October 09, 2014

The HIT Circle has really cometh



OK. About 3 hours ago a friend posted in Facebook alerting me to a new e-magazine, its 2nd edition. He said my article is featured in it but being busy with some new findings regarding a research on the Malay Archipelago's link to the Kaabah in Mecca I only noticed the alert a few minutes ago.




He gave the address to access the e-book. You can click here to enter...






And so I entered and began to read. That's when I noticed the title...




Really, it must nearly 2 years ago when I wrote this. I don't know if I have published it anywhere except giving to the friend after being asked. That's why I've forgotten about it. So it's great to see it featuring in a new but reputable magazine just after an article featuring the great Tun Dr. Mahathir. For a better read, again do click here.


Friday, October 03, 2014

From Malioboro to the Keraton - The ever festive Jogja...



 
After some two and a half-hour on flight we arrived at the Jogjakarta airport at almost dusk. After checking in at a nearby lodging house and refreshing ourselves we took a cab some 9 km to Jogja city centre.


We went to a street called Jalan Malioboro (not Marlboro ya) and started to have dinner. It is a famous tourist haunt.


The street is about 1.3 km long. You can find plenty of horse-carts lining up waiting for tourists and we decided to take one.


The cart made a round-trip down the street before returning to the exact spot where we started via and almost adjacent road.


Then we decided to walk.


All along the atmosphere is very festive with a lot of street activities. This picture shows some street performers playing drums. Sorry, it tilted sideways upon loading and I can't do much about it...


Plenty  of wares were also sold along the way. Oh, we were heading to a certain special place down south.


By the way this is my second time in Jogja. But the first time I was here middle of 2012, I went straight to the southern parts of Jalan Malioboro. Look at the old article Festive night at Jogja....


Then we came across a traditional theatre, the Wayang Kulit or shadow play.


We spent some time there before proceeding further south to an area called the Keraton, the old palace area and decided to stop by the main mosque, also the royal mosque.





Next we spent some time just outside the palace. For the record Jogjakarta still has a Sultan, the traditional ruler. But modern times has seen his powers limited to mostly ceremonial functions. It's just the fact that the Sultan is also governor of the special district of Jogja which makes him more relevant compared to some other ceremonial rulers...