Dari Jambu Rias ke Conakry reviews

1. I enjoyed reading the stories. The trip to the island in Senegal will always be with me. Terrible place. 

Malay stories rarely are contexted in Africa. Always in US, Europe, Japan , Korea or Mekkah. So your book is exceptional.

2.Dari penulis budayawan:    Cerita yang ditulis adalah mutiara kehidupan yang tidak pura-pura, ikhlas dan benar. Ceritanya menyentuh setiap detik hidup sang pengkelana, mendendang lagu kehidupan, yang runtun, yang rawan, yang indah, yang kesima.Kata penulis, kalau ke Jambu Rias, ingatlah Manaf, kalau ke Konya, ghazal Rumi, intailah gunung nan gah di Oman, bangun dan lantunkanlah puisi kulit hitam Leopold Senghor, raikan puisi  Marabi dalam sastera Gambianya, dan ingat pesan ini: mabuk puisilah semua dengan mabuk Omar Khayyam.

Prof. Emeritus Dr. Che Husna Azhari

Penulis dan Budayawan, Bangi

3. Rangsang sari Dr. Azhar Ibrahim dari National Universiti Singapore:     Kumpulan cerpen ini adalah sebuah ilham pena yang menggabung unsur realisme dan imaginasi. Narasinya disusun jelas, sebagaimana penegasan ini: “Di sini kami menjumpai kewanitaan kami” yang tercoret dalam salah satu cerpen.  Begitulah sebagai seorang ilmuan dan penulis kreatif, NF Abdul Manaf menulis dengan nada kesadaran dan paparan sejarah, terkukuh dengan pendirian sebagai wanita Muslim yang tahu akan hak dan peranannya. Cerpen-cerpennya terhembus angin segar, dengan penceritaan yang mengalir, dibubuh sikap empatis, terhidang sekelumit pengalaman, dibaluti sebingkis pengajaran dan dikibar seluas pandangan. Kesaksian sebegini wajar kita sama renungi.

Dr. Azhar Ibrahim

Jabatan Pengajian Melayu

Universiti Nasional Singapura

4.Dari Dato Seri Prof Salleh Yaapar: Sudah tiba koleksi cerpen yang istimewa -- Dari Jambu Rias ke Conakry! Koleksi ini bukan sekadar membawa pembaca melancong dari negara ke negara, dan kota ke kota. Lebih dari itu, ia mengundang pembaca mengenali tokoh-tokoh sejarah dan merenung beberapa karya pengarang agung. Melalui penceritaan menarik beberapa orang wanita, koleksi ini juga membangkitkan isu-isu politik, pendidikan, pembangunan bandar, dan pencemaran alam.

Sesungguhnya, ia tepat mencerminkan pengarangnya sebagai seorang tokoh akademik yang peka terhadap isu kesejahteraan manusia.

Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Seri Dr. Salleh Yaapar

Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang

5.Dari Prof Datin Dr Ruzy Suliza Hashim: Dari Jambu Rias ke Conakry menawarkan perjalanan pelbagai watak dengan konflik masing-masing. Setiap tempat mempunyai pengaruh psikologi, umpamanya Makkah dan Madinah membangkitkan pembinaan kehidupan baru selepas perceraian. Istanbul, Konya, dan Cappadocia menjelmakan ketegangan antara kemodenan dan kerohanian. Di Dubai dan Oman, persoalan nilai kekayaan duniawi diketengahkan. Di Senegal dan Gambia, protagonis menyerlahkan landskap trauma sejarah dan identiti pasca kolonial. Conakry, tempat terakhir koleksi cerpen menjadi metafora untuk konfrontasi peribadi dengan ketidakstabilan dan perubahan. Dalam istilah psikogeografi, tempat-tempat ini bukan sahaja persekitaran fizikal tetapi agen aktif dalam membentuk kehidupan dalaman watak, mencerminkan idea bahawa ruang dan tempat secara intrinsik terikat dengan psikologi dan identiti manusia. Sesungguhnya, NF Abdul Manaf mengolah dengan begitu baik sepuluh cerpen dengan lakaran setiap keunikan persekitaran untuk menunjukkan bagaimana manusia sentiasa bergelut dengan persoalan identiti, kepunyaan, kepercayaan dan tujuan kehidupan.

Dr. Datin Ruzy Suliza Hashim

University of Economics and Human Sciences

Warsaw, Poland.

Madras:The missing entry

Dr Amani and I went to Madras/Chennai in Feb 2019 (she said frm Feb 15-19). I'm surprised that the writeups and photos I thought I did were never published here.

We had a great time inspiring young South Indian Muslim girls as we made our rounds as keynote speakers. I was the Humanities lady. Amani the NASA scientist. Luckily Amani still keeps the photos. 

Indeed 2019 was my busy year. I was travelling overseas non stop. Then I got sick. Then covid. Wow. 

My fb entry 30/8/24

The year was 2019. The month was Feb. I had more photos but they were not documented in my blogspot entries as always. I hv to thank Dr Amani for these photos. We were invited as keynote speakers in a place not far from Madras. We met young Muslims at uni and school level.Amani took care of those in Stem, me in Humanities. Mcm celebrities bersalam dgn begitu ramai young fans. Haha. The men treated us with much respect.. Took us to their leather stores.. Pilih apa kita nak, kata owner tu. Kasut? Handbag? How many can we wear.. Amani and I bkn suka melaram mcm tu but we took wht we liked. Rezeki jgn ditolak, babe.

But what I enjoyed most was the trip to the orphanage. Prince Charles and Prime Minister Najib had visited this plc too. So kemas so clean so organised. We spoke thr too. Storage brg2 bdk2 dia mcm IKEA. Tht is how organised they are.

Our Indian friends dropped us at this sari shop. Punya byk we bought for friends and families that the owner kasi Amani and I bags free. . Sari murah banget tapi cantik ok?

+2

All reactions:

3Muhammad Adli Musa, Ezza Farah and 1 other

June Place girls' reunion

 We were neighbours at June Place in Hamilton, New Zealand - Anidah, Zurina, Kamsuri and me. Saniah was at another apartment not too far from us.

They had planned to visit me because I had been so unwell the last 7 months but could only make it after my surgery in June so August 25 it was. Anidah said we (she and Tall) would cook Maqlubah and a mutton dish. I prepared the dessert the night before. Had to do 2 takes. Custardnya berketul-ketul. Trifle akhirnya success, alhamdulillah.

Only Yon could not make it. Yogi is in town but in Penang. We gave gifts to each other, Anne gave us handmade purse (tempah from her other friend's daughter), I gave them batik coaster, Suri bawak sebakul durian from her orchard, Saniah bawak rempah O from Kedah. Ziad's samosas arrived late cos' he informed the sisters lewat. Tak sesedap biasa and masin but Zu loved them.

We celebrated an early merdeka day. It was fun, fun, fun. Saniah was the last to leave so was watching Netflix with her. The ending The Gentlemen is so, so disappointing

My return to creative writing

 It has been a while since Wanita Rawa Terakhir. Or writing short stories in Malay.

This is my latest https://www.utusan.com.my/gaya/sastera/2024/04/ria-raya/

It is about our lack of preparation in addressing an aged population. Old people live alone, die alone. Don't leave it to NGOs to clean up the dirt. The government should be championing the cause, have clear policies, great infrastructure, go high tech in old age security - both financially, physically, medically.

I wrote another one here on maids and maid agents

https://www.bharian.com.my/rencana/sastera/2024/06/1254691/cerpen-bh-ahad-ejen-dagang

On my road to recovery

 It has been over 4 months saya diuji dgn masalah kesihatan. Berkat doa everyone, the progress is good. I started going out again whn Z and R came to visit last Dec and left soon after my birthday. From thereon, I would make it a point to keluar at least once a week.

Yesterday it was with my NZ alums. Only 9 turned up becos the rest were either overseas, gone on umrah or too far to come. Zac said dia jaga mak dia. 

Met Salome in years. She pun struggling to get a good maid. Haha. All the best. Menteri Wanita sepatutnya proaktif dalam menangani keperluaan homecare ni. Not only for working women but also for an aging population. We do not want a tired, stressed out, angry nation because thr isnt enough support for work-life balance. 

Post retirement trip to The Netherlands

 Nik wanted me to join the trip. Tak seronok jalan sorang, he said. So we agreed to visit Z and R for 2 weeks July 16.

First week Josine and Jan took us to a seafood lunch in Rotterdam. Very nice catching up with our besan. Then we dropped by Faya's home. Leroy pandai pulak menghidang air and macaroons and cakes. Faya takut tengok kita dtg ramai sgt.

Selang beberapa hari Bertjan and Arlineke pulak took us to Amsterdam visit family museum mrk. Jan Six Museum. We enjoyed this. Rasa personalised sgt. We met Jan Six yg ke 10. Had coffee with him, saw his 17th century garden. Then we had a huge Indonesian lunch not far from the museum. 

Alhamdulillah then we took short trips to Lille in north France (slept 2 nights) then stopped by Ghent in Belgium. Cuaca dah mula sejuk. Patut summer. Rhodes was burning.

Another day another trip to an island north of The Netherlands called Texel. We loved this island. Had we knwn earlier how beautiful it was, we would hv put up a night. Go fishing, go boating, cycling, etc. 

Then we saw Barbie, heret reluctant Nik and Robert. Nik snored 3x.haha.Film mrk tak naik at tht cinema. Too bad la kan. 

Then we invited Uncle Joe, Mail and Nani pi Minang lunch downtown Den Haag. Pedas sgt for me.

We had a busy schedule daily tht by the time we boarded our flight home, I rasa lunyai. 

Still recovering now, 4 days later. But syukur everything went well and we enjoyed spending time with our family members. 

So I'm retired

This is rather belated but I retired from IIUM on Jan 11, 2023. The first week felt like liberation. Total freedom. Masuk Week 2, I started feeling lost. Rang up a few friends,  long time retirees. Is this normal? Im feeling down. Lost. They said it was normal. Just get into a routine and I will be ok.

So I found my routine. I still give talks, write papers. Then makan tidur makan tidur. I picked up pilates but now tht it is Ramadan, I stop dulu. Pilates is good. I hv a good personal coach.

Wht I love about being retired is tht I hv more time for friends and families. Priceless!

And I shld go bck to writing fiction. And painting. Sibuk juga persaraan ni sebenarnya.

Alhamdulillah masih bernyawa to do good things.