The Calovinia – A Book By Ahmad Ali Karim

This is the front cover of 'The Calovinia'. I designed the cover my self. Ahmad Ali JetPlane Books is a subsidiary of one of my imaginary companies, Ahmad Ali JetPlane group.

I love writing stories. I wrote my first story, entitled ‘The Pink Elephant’ when I was about 3 years old. It was actually a really, really short story  And on my ninth birthday (February 13, 2012), I finished writing my first storybook! The book has 26 chapters with about 5100 words. My mother and my big sister Aiman Amani love my book and said that it is fun, funny and really amazing. 

I am very, very, very happy and excited when my father printed a few copies of the book I gave the first copy to Pak Cik Amin and Ummi Yati. I am very happy because Pak Cik Amin, Abang Aiman and Abang Hatim like the way I wrote the story. I wish I can print this book in a real story book format and sell it like Uncle Awang Goneng

Below is the first chapter of my book:

CHAPTER 1: THE CALOVINIA

   Once upon a time, there was a nice beautiful place called Calovinia. But one day, Brotosh armies attacked the place and destroyed some of the beautiful buildings.

   The next day, the Calovinians make an alliance meeting with the Brotosh and the Brotosh became allies. Sir Adhavadejonge of Calovininia told the Brotosh not to let the Arguays know about the agreement. But unfortunately the Arguays had already heard about it.

   The Arguays rushed in to the Calovinian castle and attacked them using some magical swords and arrows. Sir Ali ordered his griffins to attack the Arguays. The griffins blew big blue fire from their mouth but the Arhuays managed to steal the special dagger from the Calovinian treasure box and put it into their own treasure box before taking it away.

   After the Arguays had gone, Sir Ali’s friend named Jolly said,”I want to get out dagger back from the Arguays all by myself”. Sir Ali said,”I don’t think that’s a good idea, Jolly”. Sir Adhavadejonge added,”You will be captured if you go there all alone”.

   Then Sir Layon of Calovinia took out his sword belt. The sword belt was a special belt where there would always be a new sword whenever it’s owner put it’s hand into the bet’s pocket. Sir Layon said,” No one should bring their own sword because the Arguays will steal your swords just like they stole our special dagger. I have enough swords for all of us

The back cover of 'The Calovinia'.

Visiting The ‘Bukit Puteri’

From left are my big sisters Kashah, Kafah, me and Kaman in front of the Bukit Puteri.

Bukit Puteri is a 208-metre hill facing the Terengganu River.

‘Bukit’ means hill and ‘puteri’ means princess.

It was formerly a fortress between 1831 and 1876.

It is a very beautiful place.

Uncle Hulaimi or Awang Goneng wrote a lot about Bukit Puteri  in his books, ‘Growing Up In Trengganu’ and ‘A Map Of Trengganu’.

Climbing up the stairs to the hill top.

On the way to the top of the hill.

First we reached the site of 'Meriam Beranak' or the 'Cannon That Give Birth'.

The 'Meriam Beranak'; the mother and the baby cannon.

Then we saw another cannon.

Next we visited the 'Pondok Genta' or the 'The Bell's Hut'. Inside the hut is the historic 'Genta' or 'The Bell'.

The Genta or the bell.

This is the large brass bell known as the ‘Genta’. It was struck during emergencies as well as during important festivals and royal events. Uncle Hulaimi wrote about the 'Genta' in his books.

Then we climbed up the stairs to the fortress.

The fortress.

My siblings and I in front of the fortress.

We saw the throne once we entered the fortress.

Behind the throne is the 'Gun Powder Hole'.

On the left is the throne and on the right is another cannon. This must be the place where the archers be during the wars.

The lighthouse.

The lighthouse is on the hill top.

Going down the hill.

Syair Awang Goneng

Bertahun merdeka di perantauan,

Segala kenangan tetap di ingatan,

Si Awang Goneng hasil nukilan,

Untuk semua jadi tatapan.

Bertahun-tahun di tanah Inggeris,

Bijak bermadah ilhamnya puitis,

Begitulah kisah seorang penulis,

Pengalaman diratah buku ditulis.

Suka duka tangis dan tawa,

Mok Mek dan Mok Nab semua dia cerita,

Cik Kaleh Teksi Pok Loh Standok juga,

Pok Ku Haji Ambak Serban Besar Bakul dia tak lupa.

Menyingkap kembali apa dirasa,

Sedari kecil ke zaman remaja,

Kerepok lekor rojak Pok Deh dia suka,

Itu dia Si Awang Goneng anak Trengganu kita.

Abang Dody recited this syair during the launch of Awang Goneng’s latest book, ‘A Map of Trengganu’ at the RA Fine Arts Gallery.

Please click here for, ‘The Book Launch of AMoT’.

To watch Abang Dody’s presentating the syair, please click here.

Syair is a traditional Malay poem.

To order ‘A Map of Trengganu’, please click here.

A Map of Trengganu Book Signing At Borders – In Pictures

I wish to write a wonderful book like Uncle Hulaimi and sign a copy of my book for him.

On Sunday, I went to the Borders at the Gardens for another ‘AMoT Book Signing’ event.

This is the last signing event as Uncle Hulaimi is going back to London in a few more days.

My mother says, this could be a start of a ‘ggocoh’ and even a ‘ggomo’ (AMoT page 250,251).

I met a lot of great writers and bloggers at the event.

Aunty Asma who was the chef for AMoT’s book launch at RA Fine Arts Gallery was also there with her family.

It is very nice to meet Pak Samad, the great writer again.

My photo with other bloggers, Aunty Emy(L), Kafah, Kaman, Kashah(R).

I was sitting with Pok Ku Bustaman who taught me the meaning of a Trengganuspeak word, ‘rang’.

Blogger Kak Zura and I at the event.

My mother(L) talking to Pak Samad(R), uncle Datuk Azman Ujang (a friend of Uncle Hulaimi from Bernama) and Pak Samad’s wife who is also a writer.

A lot of Uncle Hulaimi’s good friends and family members were there.

And everybody had a good time

Uncle Hulaimi, the great writer and her sister Aunty Asma, the great chef.

Waiting for our turn…

Uncle Hulaimi’s friends and family members at the event.

And thank you Borders for the very delicious Terengganu food from the ‘Wau Penyu’.

There were tasty pulut lepa, akok, beleda(jelly), jjepuk pisang (banana balls) and keropok lekor.

The akok was especially ordered from the palace!

I enjoyed kerepok lekor the best

Please click here for ‘Kerepok Lekor Recipe In Photos’.

A group of bloggers at the bloggers’ table enjoying the yummy food while discussing about our blogs. Uncle Hulaimi is also a blogger.

Everybody is busy enjoying the tasty Trengganu food; we really had a good time.

Yummy food. At the front row are kerepok lekor(L) and a tasty coconut milk jelly or ‘beleda’(R); at the back row are banana balls or jjepuk pisang(L) and akok(R).

My big sisters, Kafah(L), Kashah(mid) and Kaman(R) are enjoying their food.

It was a wonderful event and I am very happy to meet all the nice people and so many wonderful writers and bloggers.

To order ‘A Map of Trengganu’, please click here.

The Special, Delicious Terengganu Sweet Cakes

In Terengganu we have lots of delicious traditional sweet cakes.

Most of them are made of lots of eggs, coconut milk and sugar such as akok, jala mas and sekaya.

Yummy Terengganu food. On the right is 'akok', cream puff is on the left and the top is 'kasidah'.On the far right is 'sekaya'.

Anyway these tasty food are hard to get in Kuala Lumpur.

The tasty 'jala mas'.

So we were so happy to have them at the book launch of AMoT at the RA Fine Arts Gallery.

These delicious Terengganu cakes were cooked by Aunty Asma.

Aunty Asma is a very good cook.

Aunty Asma, the chef serving the delicious food at the event.

For the event, Aunty Asma cooked akok, sekaya, kasidah, jala mas, karipap, pulut lepa, cream puff, gopal and fried mee hoon.

My big sister Kaman (L), Kafah (middle) and I (R) are enjoying the tasty food.

I think the people in Terengganu uses lots of eggs in their sweet cakes because they want to be healthy since eggs are rich protein

Please click here to order A Map of Trengganu.

The Book Launch Of AMoT

This afternoon I attended the book launch of ‘A Map of Trengganu’ at the RA Fine Arts Gallery, Solaris Dutamas in Kuala Lumpur.

 The book is about the old days of Terengganu.

Please click here to read my post on ‘A Map of Trengganu‘. 

Here is the program of the event:

• Uncle Raja Ahmad Aminullah gave a welcome speech.

• A talk about AMoT by Uncle Hulaimi.

Listerning to Uncle Hulaimi’s speech. I sat at the last row on the left.

• Book reading by Uncle Hulaimi.

• Abang Dody recited the ‘Syair Awang Goneng’.

Abang Dody and me after his performance.

• A song performed by Andre Goh and followed by another song by Uncle Adnan Osman (Adnang Osmang in Trengganuspeak ).

I am very happy to meet Uncle Raja Ahmad Aminullah, Uncle Awang Goneng, Aunty Zaharah, Aunty Asma, Pok Ku Bustaman, Uncle Som, Kak Raja Nadia, Uncle Adnang Osmang, Pok Daud, Datuk Jimmy Choo and more

Uncle Hulaimi talking to the press.

By the way, I really enjoyed the delicious Terengganu food prepared by Aunty Asma who is Uncle Hulaimi’s sister.

And I am very happy to meet a nice blogger, Kak Raja Nadia who is Uncle Raja Ahmad’s daughter.

Uncle Raja Ahmad Aminullah's daughter Kak Nadia and I at the event.

Congratulations to Uncle Awang Goneng on the launch of AMoT and I want to thank Uncle Raja Ahmad for inviting us to the wonderful event.

Please click here to order ‘A Map of Trengganu’.

A Map of Trengganu Book Signing

 

Uncle Hulaimi's fans listening to his speech at the event. I was sitting third from right in the front row.

Just now I went to the book signing of  ‘A Map of Trengganu’ ( AMoT ).

It was held in the MPH Bookstore, Mid Valley, KL.

We met some bloggers and some of my parent’s Terengganu friends.

Uncle Hulaimi’s teacher, Mr. Soh Kim Yew was also there with Aunty Dinah Soh and Aunty Soh Lay Choo.

From right is my mother, Mr. Soh Kim Yew, Aunty Soh Lay Choo and Aunty Dinah Soh.

AMoT  was written by Wan Ahmad Hulaimi or Awang Goneng.

He gave a nice speech and he talked about how to write books.

His speech was in English and not in Trengganuspeak

I was listening to Uncle Hulaimi's speech. From the right is Pok Ku Bustaman (a popular Terengganu blogger), my big sister Kaman, Kafah, me, my mother and somebody from the press (I guess).

I am happy that he also mentioned my name to the audience as ‘his friend, Che Ali the blogger’.

Uncle Hulaimi is the only person who calls me ‘Che Ali’

Some people at the event thought my name is really Che Ali

Before we go home, we waited for Uncle Hulaimi to sign the books that we have to deliver.

My big sister Kashah(R), Kaman and me with Uncle Hulaimi who was busy signing the books.

I feel so happy that I met Uncle Hulaimi, Uncle A. Samad Said, Aunty Zaharah and other friends of my parent’s

Please >>> click here <<< to order ‘A Map of Trengganu’.

Please click here for my other posts on ‘A Map of Trengganu’:

1. A Map of  Trengganu. 

2. Cik Omar’s Barber’s Shop As In AMoT

 

 

  

How To Order ‘A Map of Trengganu’

A Map of Trengganu

‘A Map of Trengganu’ is the latest book written by Awang Goneng or his real name, Wan Ahmad Hulaimi.

Please click here for my post on ‘A Map of Trengganu’.

It is a sequel to the best seller, ‘Growing Up in Trengganu’.

Order ‘A Map of Trengganu’ now!

Please call or SMS: 019-3199-788

or

email: akarimomar@yahoo.com

Only RM35.90!

Delivery: RM6 (for the whole Malaysia)

You can also order ‘Growing Up in Trengganu’ at only RM39.90 

Delivery: RM6 (for the whole Malaysia)

Cik Omar’s Barber’s Shop As In AMoT

My mother told me that in ‘A Map of Trengganu (AMoT)‘, Uncle Awang Goneng wrote about Cik Omar’s barber’s shop near Uncle AG’s house in Tanjung.

Cik Omar is Pok Mang’s son (AMoT page 147).

I wrote about it in my blog entitled, ‘My Grandfather Had A Hair Cut’.

But that was Cik Omar’s second barber’s shop.

The barber’s shop that Uncle AG wrote is not there anymore.

He rented his first barber’s shop from my great grand uncle.

Anyway, Cik Omar had retired and it was somebody else who gave my grandfather his hair cut.

I do not know Cik Omar; we got these information from our relative in Tanjung, Kuala Terengganu.

Anyway they are still using Cik Omar’s antique barber’s chair.

I really like the antique barber’s chair.

Atuk sitting on Cik Omar's antique barber's chair.

It is a very old barber’s chair and it was from Cik Omar’s first barber’s shop.

So, Uncle AG can go to the barber’s shop and sit on the antique chair to have a hair cut the next time Uncle AG go back to Tanjung.

[to order A Map of Trengganu – Awang Goneng - click here]

A Map of Trengganu

Copies of AMoT. Please place your order now.

‘A Map of Trengganu’ (AMoT) is the latest book written by Uncle Awang Goneng.

It is a sequel to the best seller, ‘Growing Up in Trengganu’ (GUiT).

The book is about the old days in Terengganu, the beautiful town and the people living there long before I was born.

It also talks about the old and historical buildings that had been demolished like the the mosque near my mother’s house and the rows of shop houses in Kedai Payang.

GUiT was launched at Alam Akademik or Kedai Pok Loh Yunang in Kuala Terengganu.

Anyway the building had been demolished.

My father picked up the books from the distributor this morning and had delivered some to the costumers who had placed their order.

Orders had came in even before the book reached KL.

There was an order from New York, USA too.

I do not really understand the book as it has lots of hard words but my big sister is so excited about it and cannot stop reading it.

I am reading AMoT but there are too many hard words for me...

She was smiling and laughing by herself while reading

I want to keep one copy and wait until I grow up a bit older to enjoy it as my big sister and my parents.

May be Uncle Awang Goneng should write a simpler edition with  larger font for small kids like me

This book had just came in from Singapore and may not reach the bookstores in KL yet

Just now I sold a book to Uncle Wan Yusuf after the Friday prayer.

During the ‘Khalifah Dinner And Talk’, I helped to distrubute flyers.

I hope that I can help my father to sell a lot more copies of AMoT and that AMoT will be another best seller like GUiT

So, please >>>Click Here<<< for information on how to order ‘A Map of Trengganu’

I wish that one day I can write a book too, like Uncle Hulaimi.

This book is fun and very interesting, so please place your order now

A Map of Trengganu by Awang Goneng.

The sequel to Malaysian bestseller Growing Up in Trenaggnu looks at the terrain of Trengganu, the landmarks that are still standing and those that have fallen to rubble, the winds that bring chill and change to the inhabitants of his coastal town, and people who walked the streets and breathed the air that is laced with dried shrimps, the aroma of röjök, and salt coming in with the spray from the South China Sea.