BERPETUALANG KE ACEH

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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, May 12, 2008

Around the mythical Bukit Marak in Kelantan...

Bukit (hill of) Marak in Kelantan is considered a mythical hill by some... For one, the legends say it used to be the place of residence for the legendary Kelantanese princess Puteri Saadong. And her adopted mother, the famous Kelantan female ruler Chik Siti Wan Kembang is also said to have resided there...

Both figures are associated with magical powers. In fact Bukit Marak is said to contain some "left-over" magic from the bygone presence of this two! Then some said both the princess and the female ruler still exist in a different dimension. Whatever, here are some pictures around Bukit Marak...

Around Pasir Puteh, Kelantan...

Views around the high bridge of Tok Bali, Kelantan

The story of my latest travel to the East Coast continues... Finally, from the state of Terengganu, we can move in to the state of Kelantan as I made my entry to the fishing area of Tok Bali on the 1st April 2008. As to continue my current mood of "silent" story-telling, let me just present the pictures ya... Here goes...

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Views from the bridge at Kuala Besut

Just some views from the bridge crossing the Besut river at the town of Kuala Besut, Terengganu...

Friday, May 02, 2008

A quick visit to the Terengganu state museum...

This picture of the Terengganu state museum is taken just before I went to the Taman Tamadun and the Masjid Kristal as potrayed in the articles Taman Tamadun Islam (The Islamic civilisation park) of Terengganu... and Masjid Kristal (The Crystal Mosque)... Built for genuine worship or just to impress? So I made it a point to visit the museum later...

However, right after visiting the Masjid Kristal, I got a lift straight to Kampung Paloh where I did my afternoon prayers at the mosque of Tokku Paloh, named after a deceased venerable religious scholar of saintly status... The mosque is actually sandwiched between lands belonging to the museum. Here is part of the museum complex seen from beside the Tokku Paloh mosque...

When I'm done at the mosque, it's time to enter the museum, through it's backyard entrance that is... There, once could see a few Malay traditional houses as part of the museum exhibits, transported from elsewhere such as this...

I have always admired this house which sits just beside the Tokku Paloh mosque but in my latest visit on the 30th March 2008 only did I bother to find out the history of the house...

Here is another Malay traditional house on display...

Pass one or two more houses and you could see the museum's main hall beckoning...

Time to enter...

Now, I just wanted to have a quick look especially of some of the new exhibits under the theme Jawi history or something... Then I saw these tombstones, Aceh-type tombstones and just couldn't resist...

What made me excited was this particular Aceh tombstone... I found out that the stone was originally used to mark the tomb of a certain woman whose tomb I happened to have just visited earlier the same day! Her name is Tengku Maimunah binti (daughter of) Sultan Ahmad and I have posted a picture of her tomb (with new tombstone) along with some others in the article Masjid Tokku Tuan Besar dan makam-makam di belakangnya (The mosque of Tokku Tuan Besar and the tombs behind it) made in the blogspot SENI LAMA MELAYU (MALAY OLDEN ART) last night...

Since I've started taking pictures, might as well took some of the other exhibits... This vest with Quranic verse woven on it looks interesting...

The notice below says it is a vest worn by warriors as a sort of talisman for protection in wars...

Hmm... I think a lot of readers recognise what this is...

The unique Malay dagger known as the keris and its many variations are quite famous all over the world at least among martial-arts enthusiasts.

Time to leave the museum...

This staircase and the buildings beside are also part of the complex. For the record, the Terengganu state museum is the biggest museum in Malaysia! And for the record too, this is my 191th posting in this blogspot. Good night! :]