Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Bicara buku UKM


 Terima kasih Prof. Madya Dr. Mawar Safei dan pelajar-pelajarnya kerana appreciate novella ini. Hanya Allah membalas kebaikan anda semua. 

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Post ZafgotRob wedding receptions

 Some of you were there on Aug 6 and 7, 2022. Alhamdullilah diizinkan Allah we held both receptions dgn selamat. About 700 guests (500 +200) were hosted.

Im happy tht some of my friends from USA, Vietnam, Qatar flew in to share our joy. Friends from my uni days, IIUM also came. It was as I had dreamt it to be. I loved the band which I had carefully identified 2 years ago. It lived to my expectation. Our guests enjoyed it too. 

Post all these, Im slowly recovering. The empty nest syndrome is definitely here. Z and R pulak semakin busy in their career. Sorang di Barat, sorang di Timur. R is in NY for 3-4 months. Z continues to travel on work. I feel so static. But alhamdullilah jobs keep coming sampai I rasa sesak nafas with deadlines. Makin nak pencen, makin byk itu ini. 

Sunday, June 05, 2022

Art exhibition and book launch


Done on May 25, 2022 at Dar al Hikmah Library, officiated by Tan Sri Rector.

We had fun because it was also a raya gathering with friends and colleagues. 



Wednesday, April 06, 2022

Sent to the publisher

 Alhamdulillah after much consideration, I decided to go with publisher X (you will know once the book is out). I learnt much about the book industry, met more people and I think it will be easier to publish again in the future, inshaAllah.

I'm just relieved it's happening in Ramadan. Semoga mendapat baraqah untuk saham akhirat.

Sunday, February 27, 2022

Novella, novelette, novel

 Finally it is done. You may want to see it as a novella. I'm  OK if you want to call it a novel. A short one.

But I hope I captured part of the Rawaness in a certain part of Pahang. I took what was mine.Some what was not mine (I read and used some of the materials I read. Or stories shared with me. Or stories I imagined happen)

10 people are reading it. I'm curious over what they have to say. The work is far from perfect. I went through a lot in the making of the book (since 2016? 2017?). Long delays here and there. I got sick. Loved ones died. Pandemic. Lockdown. Crazy work place which did a non stop micromanagement. I was demoralised. I got lazy. I had lots of excuses not to write. But I picked up the pen. Read. Wrote. Read.Wrote.

It was an amanah. 3 of my close friends died. One of covid. Two others of heart attack.

So when I concluded my work last Friday, I certainly felt relieved. Mahu tidak. This thing has been haunting me day and night. Lots of prayers too.

Soon I will hear from my reviewers and possibly critics (I'm OK).

I do not want to be a novelist ever again. It is hard work.

Monday, January 03, 2022

New Year 2022

 Before you know it, 2022 is pronounced 2020 too  (a joke a friend sent me just before new year). Kinda gloomy when you think about going through the routine of 2020 (and 2021). The covid scare, the test kit, the lockdown.

But others had it worse, yes. Death after death after death. Loss after loss after loss. I went through those too but the floods were worse: death and loss.

A lot to be grateful for no matter what. 

Let us remember that.

Happy Gregory New Year. May we be protected by Allah  all the time.