Thursday 4 October 2007

Growing Up and Growing Old with Awang Goneng

SELAMAT HARI RAYA
MAAF ZAHIR & BATIN
DARIPADA KAK TEH SEKELUARGA


An update:
A special Hari Raya indeed! We have all received our presents. They came through the post from the publishers. Six copies of Growing Up in Trengganu!!!
All the sayang mamas got one each and are reading about their grandma, whom they had never met , about their grandfather they met very briefly and most important of course about the experiences and the environment that had helped shaped their father. What a wonderful present!


Congratulations my Awang Goneng from Mrs Awang Goneng.

I will never forget the morning I woke up as Mrs Awang Goneng. I was checking my emails when I read one that addressed me as Mrs Awang Goneng as opposed to the usual Mrs Wan, telling me to forward the email to Mr Awang Goneng as the sender had not been able to reach him.

The sender was indeed someone from the publisher of the book, Growing Up in Trengganu and since the AG in question was busy typing on his PC behind me, I just forwarded the email to him. Life during the last few months had been like that – we sat back to back, each facing our own PC, forwarding and replying each other’s mails.

When AG (as he is now known among blogger friends) said GUIT was very much a top secret project, I can assure you that he was telling the truth. I was literally in the dark until only quite recently. I’d wake up to find him sitting in semi darkness typing away. Writing comes to him quite effortlessly whereas for me, I’d toss and turn a few times before I could produce an intro.

GUIT has indeed given me a peek into the world that my husband lived in, a world I never knew existed before this. There is a good reason for this. Two weeks after getting hitched to this Awang from Trengganu, we left for this foreign shores. That was almost 28 years ago and by then I had only visited Trengganu twice; once as a cadet in Kesatria (those good old ITM days) and the second one as a young bride being introduced to hordes of relative-in-laws who spoke a strange kind of language to me, calling me names such as Mek Jarroh!

In fact, the week in Trengganu was almost like a crash course in Trengganuspeak that didn’t quite work. Before becoming his Mrs, I had never once heard him speak in his Trengganu dialect. In fact I had never heard him speak Malay! Our courtship was conducted in English entirely and it was such a cultural shock to the system when the morning of the night before, sitting at the breakfast table with my new in laws, I heard strange words coming out of this man who had become my husband.

I learned and remember a few such as bekeng, songo and se’eh. And now with the guide to Trengganu speak in GUIT, I hope to understand him more.


It was under the tree right in front of the big newspaper office in Jalan Riong that the question was asked.The question that was to change and map our life for this past 28 years. We were sitting in his old battered VW when he said, Do you want to go to
London or stay here? I didn't think twice and for selfish reasons, I said London. I wanted to smell the fresh spring flowers and experience the first drop of snow and various things that he talked about in his lovely long letters to me when he was the London correspondent. I wanted him to take me by the hand, like the words he sang to me from the song by Ralph MacTell, and lead me through the streets of London that I had become familiar with from days spent playing Monopoly. Yes, I wanted to come to London.

And London did something to him and to me. He yearned and talked about his Trengganu a lot. It takes being away for so long for someone to remember clearly how things were in those days.

For me, the words he paints of Trengganu make me want to go back and see it again, the stories that he tells of his Cik (mother) make me wish I had known her and had tasted the delicious food she used to prepare for him when he was small. She could have taught me a thing or two. I had seen her photographs, but I never knew her. It makes me wonder whether she would be proud to have me as a daughter in law. I guess I would never know.

Anyway, before I get too sentimental, I believe the book will hit the bookshops in Malaysia and Singapore soon. I think the publisher has also taken it to the Frankfurt Book Fair. So, to quote
AG in his entry here, “ go out and buy a copy or three, and recommend it to your teh tarik man, workmates, mother-in-law and the man/woman you exchange glances with at the traffic light. It will, if anything, keep an impoverished author in work.”

And if I may add, that will indeed help to buy an extra can of cat food for his loyal friends who kept him company when he was doing the book.


Please look at the write up by blooker central here.


Researcher at work







Proofreader sleeping on the job











Snowbell giving a helping hand











Researcher at work











Pix 4: Photo editor













Spellchecker








Praying together for GUIT to be a bestseller

131 comments:

Nazrah Leopolis said...

woo hoo yabedabedoooooo!!!

congratulations to u both!!

yipeeyayeaaaaa!!

Atok said...

up..up.. and away !!!
syabas to tuang aji.

Unknown said...

Hi Kak Teh,

SPLENDID! CONGRATULATIONS to Mr Awang Goneng and Mrs Awang Goneng too. Yes you should be over the moon and stars and all the rest of the planets Kak Teh..ha ha. What joy. Take care dear.

Honeytar said...

BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Awang Goneng !!! ..and to Mrs Goneng too!

Well... what can I say...he's already a big star and this will make him even bigger! :)

Mior Azhar said...

Kak Teh,
Tahniah to sang suami and you too. I didn't know he had a blog too. Now you have to excuse me, I've got a lot to catch up (or should I just wait for the book to hit the stores?)
tahniah sekali lagi,
er dah buat biskut raya?

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to Awang Goneng! A very proud Mrs Awang Goneng and rightly so!! Time to celebrate! :)

ps Been having trouble trying to get into your blog. First it was the commenting then it frozed. Seems to be alright tonight!

Typhoon Sue said...

Congratulation to Mr and Mrs Awang Goneng.

Anonymous said...

Tahniah, tahniah kepada Abgwan & Kakteh sekeluarga!!

wonda said...

Mr.& Mrs. Awang Goneng,
Congratulations! I am jumping high with joy for your both.

Mrs. Awang Goneng,
You better catch up with your other half!

Kak Teh said...

nazrah, thanks and thanks for the write up as well.

atok, hehe atok! bila nak jupo?

ruby, over the moon doesnt quite describe the feeling. But wait till we hold the books in our hands!

Kak Teh said...

honeytar, this time we balik will certainly go for nasi padang.

mior, ish takkan tak tau kut? Anyway, yes, wait for the book to come out laa.

judy, yes, i think there was a problem yesterday - but i hope it is okay now. Thanks.

Kak Teh said...

typhoon sue, thanks to you too (eh, it rhymes!!)

klmuk, ke manakah kau menghilangkan diri? lamanya tak bersua atau mendengar berita atau panggilan pada hari ahad untuk mengganggu eastenders??? Hope you are well and let us speak soon!

wonda oh wonda - i wonder when as well.

LifeBloom said...

Am a fan of Kecek-kecek...Congrats to both Mr & Mrs AG....!!!

Kak Teh said...

Thanks Lifebloom!

Anonymous said...

Love the cover, unmistakably Terengganu. And I'm sure between the covers is "A precious memory", to borrow the title of Awang Goneng's tribute to Allahyarham Azmi Khalid which appears in Human Rights Advocate.
aMiR

Pak Zawi said...

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Awang Goneng. All the nostalgia of old Terengganu coming alive. Thanks for bringing it back for all of us.

J.T. said...

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Awang Goneng.

Looking forward to a follow up on this post. :)

Kak Teh said...

aMiR, thank you and do come to the malaysian launch!

zawi, it has opened up a whole new world for me too!

jt, since we received the news, I have not had one minute to myself to write a proper entry. Will do, will do!

Anonymous said...

Kak Teh
Insya-Allah I wouldn't miss it for the world. Is the Malaysian launch towards the end of the year?
aMiR

Pak Zawi said...

Kak Teh,
Sorry I cant resist the temptation at making a second comment on GUIT. Looking at the cover, I could recall the many fishing villages that I used to pass by. In the 70's I working in Kulai Johor and the Terengganu coastal road was the only road linking Johor to Kelantan. How i wish those picturesque would remain as they were and be treated as a Heritage site.
I doubt that house on the cover of GUIT exists anymore.

D said...

oooh... can i get hold of the copy in England?(though I don't think this is the right time). Double congrats to the Gonengs!

Kak Elle said...

tahniah...tahniah...
so is our date still on?....hehe

Kak Teh said...

aMiR, yes, Insyaallah it will be in december. Insyallah!

zawi, if my memory serves me right, i remember scenes like that too on the way to Dungun. I can count the times I visited Trengganu and had not done so for the past 20 years perhaps.

Kak elle, terima kasih.

D, I will let you know about the London launch. and D, my prayers are with you.

KopiSoh said...

Congrats to Awang Goneng. Eh how kam u go over the moon and the star never take me wit u? I oso wan 2 go mah.

Anonymous said...

kak arah,
send my regard to abang aweng

belum jumpa buku ini lagi

Kak Teh said...

firehorse, i thought being a firehorse you can go by yourself oredi!! Next trip I take you.

anonymous, Insyaallah! Buku akan sampai ke kedai buku, katanya, dua minggu lagi. Insyaallah!

Anonymous said...

Heartiest CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. & Mrs.AG, and to the proof reader and the spellchecker too...
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri kepada Kak Teh sekeluarga.

Anonymous said...

Kak Teh
Are they 5 different cats? Are you bringing Kissinger, Tabby, Snowbell et al. for the book launch? Is there going to be an ulik mayang at the launch, but knowing AG, his mouth is sealed, more often than not? I called my mum-in-law's stepmother Chik instead of Chek a few times and each time she gave me a stern stepmother look.
aMiR

Nazrah Leopolis said...

kakteh @ mek jarroh: i sungguh jeles dgn anak2 you tau! cuz daddy buat buku abt his kampung! sungguh jeles!!!there is no better harta pusaka, if u ask me!

but then , i am so happy for u n ur family, u have a gem under ur roof!

Kak Teh said...

mama irma, glad to see you here again. Thank you and selamat hari raya to you too!

aMiR, hehe - what can I say? i have to fight with the cats to get for my own space and attention! They totally manipulate him. Ulit mayang? I dont think so - perhaps a very low key one.

nazrah, that is sweet - yes, its something for the children.

HH said...

Tahniah!

I love the pics of your cats - what are their names? I especially like the tabby cat yg pandang you (the last one).

ubisetela said...

kak Jarroh, ;)
Is there any plan for 'Growing Up in Kedah'? I'd love to have that too!

Kak Teh said...

restless, We've got tabby, kissinger, moaner, gizmo and kissinger. We lost our dearest Jasper early this year.

ubi oi, Growingup in Kedah? How about Growing Old in London? Itis easier because its the here and now, hehe!

Anonymous said...

Salam Kak Teh,

MasyAllah! May your marriage last and the two of you are eternally paired in the life hereafter, insyAllah.

Kindly convery my congratulations to abang Awang, and off course, to you too. InsyAllah I will try to get the book.

Anonymous said...

ps...Shah Rir

Rockybru said...

Ah, it will be a bestseller. Launch it during the Monsoon Cup, give that event something pure for a change.

I'll get 3 copies and will look for a traffic light after that.

Who's translating it into Bahasa?

And do I have to pay to keep his blog on my roll after he becomes even more famous?

jaflam said...

KT, Wan is a great man, the book will make him greater. After all this years I have never forget his quiet kindness.

Rest assured I will get few copies of the book. Congratulations to Wan and of course to you the aspiration.

Kak Teh said...

shah rir, Thank you for your kind wishes. Insyaallah.

Rocky, hehe - why stop at three? Imagine the number of traffic lights there are in KL!

Jaflam, You are very kind with your words. Thank you. Look forward to meeting up with you again.

Hi&Lo said...

Mrs AG ala Aunty Choc,

I tumpang gembira with the unravelling of THE man behind Aunty Choc. I hope to find the making of AG.

More often than not, childhood has a great bearing on a person's character and personality. An extra bonus is that the setting is in Trengganu being unfamiliar with that part of the country.

I love your cute babes.

Fauziah Ismail said...

Salam Kak Teh
My salam and congratulations to AG and you too.
Selamat Hari Raya to you both and family.

Anonymous said...

Well done to AG!
Yes, I can imagine writing comes so naturally to him. Actually to you as well, Kak Teh.
Waiting for Growing up in Kedah....surely there's one or two chapters kicking about in the PC already!

Love your furry researchers!

Kak Teh said...

Hi&Lo, ya, i wonder how my growing up in Yan is telling on me now.
the cute babes? that's not the whole team. One sadly passed away early this year and I am still not over it. AG loves cats and all of us are totally manipulated by our cats.

Fauziah, thanks and selamat hari raya and maaf dzahir dan batin to u to. Hope to meet up soon.

h-h-doyle, aaah, the growing up in kedah wont be as exciting as growing old in london! I am living it now!

ps..cant wait to see yr book too. It'll be a sensation.

Anonymous said...

Salam Aunty Z,

Will definitely recommend this to my side of the Trengganu clan and all my Trengganu friends. Congrats to Uncle H!!!

Anonymous said...

Tahniah..tahniah..tahniah..to both of you!

-arena

Tunku Halim said...

Congratulations Kak Teh!

It's such an attractive cover too. I'm sure it'll do very well as we really need such books in Malaysia. I'll get my hands on one next time I'm back.

It's such a fine moment for both of you!

Kak Teh said...

ainun, yes the Trengganu clan must be informed!! Spread the word! and thanks.

arena, terima kasih.

Tunku, I love the cover too and we are certainly very excited. You must know the feeling very well.

NorAiniJ said...

Salam Kak Teh,

Congrats tu you and Bro AG!!! Looking forward to get a copy from MPH or Kino here.

Ehem... that "Growing Old in London" sounds like another bestseller in the making...

Bestnya!!!

ManaL said...

Tuanku Mizan needs to be invited for the "lowkey" launching, doncha think, kak teh? Talking about the right king for the rightly book storytelling mood and all?

Many congrats to both of u, abg wan and kak teh and may many more (books) to come, tak kisa la on growing up (ur kids stories included), growing old, fluffy relatives, old sailors, merdeka stories, and so on.

(am trying to think of any married people example who both successfully written and produced bestselling books...)

Kak Teh said...

NJ - the more I think of growing old in london, the more attractive it becomes!! aaah, as long as i am blog surfing and blogging - the more impossible it becomes.

Manal, Tuanku Mizan?? Suddenly I have to stand up typing this. Next year is visit Trengganu year and so i think it is going to be a good year for Growing Up in Trengganu - Insyaallah.

Mior Azhar said...

Kak Teh,
Tumpang lalu lagi... once I got a book nanti I expect AG to sign it, boleh ya? Will you guys be coming home soon? And my daughters, they want the photo editor... can? cute gileer

ilene said...

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Awang Goneng. I like your 'researcher/proof reader'! Is it for hire?!

Kak Teh said...

mior, Insyaallah we should be back in december. The picture editor? hehe! Boleh kalau sanggup layan kerenah dia. Dia ni sungguh manja and needs attention all the time.

ilene, thanks, yes, we can work out a deal to hireout the whole team - among friends can give discount! he he eh!

Anonymous said...

Kak Teh dear,

I'm happy for both of you. Yes, their language is a total alien pour moi. The X came from there.

On another note, it is so good to see you. You look great and your daughters are GORGEOUS!!!

Thank you for your kind words and hopefully my prayers are heard.

Take care dear sis!

Mama Rock said...

oh kak teh, congratulations to you both. will defintely get a copy once it hit the bookstores. bte, wehn is yours coming :) Cant wait to get an autographed copy too ;)

Daphne Ling said...

Hi Aunty Teh,

I am sure 'Cik' would have been happy and proud, if I may say so...

You know, if Snowbell is to be proof of the worth of GUIT, matilar...Dia asyik tidur aje...Macam boring sangat...

Haha! Kidding ler...

Congratulations to En Awang Goneng for the publication of his book...=)

Count Byron said...

Kak Teh and Sir AG, congratulations! I am extremely proud of this publication. We all look forward for the publication to reach our shore. Well done.
KT those were very sweet reminiscence. I love the waking up to Terengganuspeak. I'm sure it sounded like a dream..
Salam akhir Ramadhan to both of you and the family
CB

Anonymous said...

Ahh I see...heard abt Awang Goneng n now i know he s ur hubby!Interesting! N Terengganu is my adopted state,n I have a special place for it in my heart, will surely seek out the book!

AuntyN said...

Congrats to AG and Mrs AG too (at least for the moral support). Will look it up when I visit the book shop. InsyaAllah.

So when is Kak Teh's manuscrip going to get published?

Anonymous said...

KT: ...being introduced to hordes of relative-in-laws who spoke a strange kind of language to me, calling me names such as Mek Jarroh!

LOL-Tergolek2 @ "Mek Jarroh". :D

Dear Kak Teh,

You and Awang Goneng are such cards. Even when you wax lyrical or tug at heartstrings, you can still make us readers chuckle. This time I lost it and cackled myself insane at that "Mek Jarroh" point.

Dunno why that struck me as so hilarious. Probably because I can just picture your face going "Huh, Mek Jarroh?!"

Ccerok Internet (i.e. his blog) AG has been a source of so much delight for me. I love languages and dialects, esp Malaysian dialects. I find trying to decipher his Gganungspeak and comments from his statemates as well as trying my hand (literally, I guess) at posting in the lingo very exciting and challenging.

GUIT will surely be an important part our cultural heritage. Those of us who have been entertained and educated by AG and you in the cceroks that are your blogs all these years will certainly hold it even dearer since this blog thang has made it possible for us to make "I KNOW the author personally, you!" not just an empty boast. ;D

P.S. Simply adore those pix of your research and edit crew at work! :D

Kak Teh said...

ms istanbul, thanks. It was lovely meeting up with you too. I couldnt make it last night.
your daughter is going to be a heartbreaker too!:)

mama rock, you will be among the first to know if and when mine comes out. Hehe - cant say much more than that.

daphne dear, thanks, Ya, we have to sack the proofreader - always sleeping on the job. I think its the trengganu lingo that was sending him to sleep, hehe!

Kak Teh said...

count, thanks for beautiful words. Selamathari raya to you and countess too.

ning, thanks for dropping by and do get the book.

auntyN - buku kak teh? hmmmm itu saja yang saya mampu kata.

Kak Teh said...

mekyam,
oh i thought you are from there as well! Anyway, when i was called mek jarroh, i did a double take - exactly as you described. As in, who, me???

I couldnt get used to being called mek. My husband writes in trengganu speak in emails to his friends and i tell you, it is so hard to decipher. When he meets up with trengganu people, we need subtitles!
Thanks for being such a support!

Typhoon Sue said...

oh-oh... another book to read. Yay!! Rest assured I'll get a copy, or three.

Kak Teh said...

sue, thanks for the support!

Kenny Mah said...

Oh I've been away from reading blogs for far too long! What a wonderful achievement! I can't wait to read it, Mrs. Awang Goneng... Love the spelling of Trengganu too... as it should be. :D

Ordinary Superhero said...

Congrats to AG and to you too. Mmm...hoping (and praying) your turn will come real soon. Shhhh, don't worry no pressure...

Kak Teh said...

kenny, welcome back. Got your email. you have a wonderful project there.

OSH, of course no pressure! Yikes....am feeling it.
Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

tahniah to Sir!

and to think that I stayed away from his blog because I thought its a dirty old man's blog! do you remember me asking you (without knowing that you are Mrs AG) why AG used a dirty word as his blog-name. oh tersangatlah malunya saya bila saya teringat peristiwa ini. till now I dont know what Goneng is. do you think i can find out if i read his book?

-atenah

p/s buku kak teh bila pula nak terbit?

Kak Teh said...

tenah, tenah, sampai harini kak teh tak tau apa maksud goneng. Iknow waht you mean..to our kedah ears sounds a bit funny, kan?

Buku kak teh?? hmmmmmm

Anonymous said...

Salam again Kak Teh,

Selamat Menyambut Aidil Fitri
kepada Kak Teh, Abang Awang dan keluarga.

Saya memohon maaf salahsilap dalam komunikasi antara kita.

Anonymous said...

ps - Shah Rir (asyik terlupa je letak nama kebelakangan ni).

Unknown said...

Congrats to AG & Kak Teh. I'll definitely get a copy..

Salam Aidil Fitri and wish to see you book coming sooner..

Unknown said...

Kak Teh,
Tahniah, tahniah buat KakTeh dan Pak Awang Goneng sekeluarga.

Anonymous said...

KakZ & AG:

Congratulations! Will look out for it in SG. Can get autograph tak?

Selamat Hari Raya KakZ serta keluarga, maaf zahir & batin.

Anonymous said...

KT: tenah, tenah, sampai harini kak teh tak tau apa maksud goneng. Iknow waht you mean..to our kedah ears sounds a bit funny, kan?

Dear Kak Teh & Atenah,

Allow me to present my thesis....

I think your sensitive Kedah ears did not deceive you. I may be off (if so, I'm sure AG will enlighten us all -- if not here, then ccerok blog dia) but I suspect "goneng" is the Trengganu version of "gondeng".

The word "gondeng" (bergondeng) is Kelantanspeak for 'bergayut' or 'bergantung'. Often referring to something swinging that's quite securely attached.

The connotation is quite obvious. Thus clever orang Trengganu diluted it when used as a sobriquet for sons and little boys by removing the 'd'. Cute, no?

P.S. KT, mekyam is of johor-kelantan extraction. Though I cannot keccek it as well as I'd like, the Kelatae part is a big plus in deciphering the cryptics of Gganungspeak.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, correction!

"...when used as a sobriquet for sons and little boys by removing the 'd'."

should read:

"...when attached to the sobriquet for sons and little boys by removing the 'd'."

Kak Teh said...

Shah Rir, kak teh pun begitu juga. Selamat hari raya dan minta ampun dan maaf sekiranya ada tersilap kata terkasar bahasa.

Jiwa, kak teh ingat jiwa tak dapat berita ini. Terima kasih.

anasalwa, thanks. You have been a constant support of his blog too.

Unknown said...

KakTeh...Congratulations to both of you, you for being Mrs Awang Goneng and Mr AG for the release of the book...

Selamat menyambut Eid Mubarak Kak Teh...Maafkan salah silap tutur kata budi bicara saya ye...

kina said...

Congratulations to both of you.

when I read your post I was like... ooooooooo, you are Mrs Goneng rupanya. Baru tahu cerita nya Kak Teh.

bahasa yang memukau jiwa, lenggoknya mempesona,
terkesima dgn kata,
betapa indahnya bahasa kita

I bet your love letters... perghhhh
will shoot me straight to the Mars and leave me there in the warmth of the lava,

Selamat Hari Raya Kak Teh and Have a blast!

Anonymous said...

Congrats to Awang Goneng!

Ganuspeak sounds foreign to me too. Make sure masa launch, pasang lagu Ganu Kita by Iklim.

Cute cats you have there, Mek Jarroh!

Kak Teh said...

Norabella, terima kasih. Nora boleh beli di singapore dan kalau kak teh sekeluarga pergi ke sana, insyaallah.

mekyam, what a plausible thesis you have there. It takes getting used to that name and now that we have seen the book, I will have to accept that that is the name that he wants to be known as, with or without the 'd'. But I must say that AG sounds a lot better!! hehe!

Kak Teh said...

raden, terima kasih dan kak tehjuga ucapkan selamat hari raya dan maaf zahir dan batin.

A KADIR JASIN said...

Terima kasih atas ucapan Aidilfitri Puan.

Saya kembalikan ucapan yang sama kepada Zaharah, Wan dan anak-anak di perantaun.

Moga-moga Aidilfitri Zaharah, Wan dan anak-anak meriah dan ceria.

And good luck to Wan on his book endeavour.

Terima kasih.

Kak Teh said...

Kina, yes, I must admit that his letters are something else but certainly not to be shared - heheh!
Thank you for kind words.

Mak andeh, nanti kita cari lagu 'Ganu kita!

Datuk, what an honour to have a visit from you here. Thank you.

tokasid said...

Salam kak teh:

Lama cek tak singgah sini. Tadi cgpd tipon bagi tau buku AG nak keluaq dah...tu yg buat cek teringat lama tak jengok rumah kak teh.

Tak sabaq nak beli buku ni...

Selamat Hari Raya 'Eidulfitri t Kak Teh, Ag dan family.

IBU said...

Kak Teh,

congrats!! can't wait to get hold of a copy ( or three... ).

your furrrry workforce are adorable!

Salam Aidilfitri to Kak Teh & family.

J.T. said...

Hi Kak Teh

Love those pictures of AG's helper. Though he slept on the job at times, he deserves an extra can of food. :)

Congratulations once again and here's wishing you, AG and your family a blessed and joyous Hari Raya.

Kak Teh said...

tokasid, terima kasih kerana sudi melawat. Kak teh ucapkan selamat hari raya, maaf zahir dan batin.

ibu, yes, get three!! hehe! thanks.

jt - actually they need more than one extra can!

Pi Bani said...

Congrats to both Mr and Mrs Awang Goneng. The researcher, proofreader, photo editor and spellchecker tu semua dapat share royalty ke nanti? :)

Selamat Hari Raya to you and family!

Kak Teh said...

Pi Bani, they did it out of loyalty, not for royalty - hehe! Thanks for the visit.

zabs said...

Salam Eidulfitri untuk Kak Teh sekeluarga. Maaf jika ada terkasar bahasa dan segala kesilapan penulisan semasa berblog di alam maya ini.

HCI said...

Kak Teh, CUTEnya kucing2 you. Buku AG siapa published. Congratulation!!! Ada jual kat Amazon.com ker? He he he, but hope it be a reality. Yet to see orang kita jual buku kat situ.

HCI said...

He he he, next book by AG: "Living and growing old with a Kedahan" Kak Teh orang Kedah kan/

simah said...

congrats!.. salam aidilfitri maaf zahir dan batin kak teh! :0)

Blabarella said...

Again, congrats to AG and to Mrs AG too!!

LOVE the army of 4-legged assistants you have. I just have one, but he does everything!! :D

Salam Aidilfitri to you, AG and family!!!

Kak Teh said...

has, Growing Old with a Kedahan sounds very good indeed! I think for now it is available di mph online and you can get from the shops very2 soon. Published by monsoon books, Singapore.

simah, thanks and selamat hari raya dan maaf zahir batin dari kak teh juga.

Blabs, you have one who does everything? How lucky! Our five just laze around - so spoilt!

Unknown said...

Hi Kak Teh,

I had no idea the furry ones can be trained to be researcher, proofreader, photo editor and spellchecker!! WOW! Ha ha.

Anyway wishing you and family,

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI.

Take care.

Hi&Lo said...

Mrs AG ala Aunty Choc,

I join in wishing your loved ones, including your Ibu, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Maaf Zahir Batin.

May God grant us strength and wisdom in all that we do.

I echo the one and only Ruby Ahmad's admiration of your loved furries doing serious work.

I eagerly await to peek into Mr AG's world. And hopefully, in the fullness of time, you will allow us to have a glimpse of yours.

I thank you for being a friend.

IKHWANI said...

KAK TEH!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOUR AWANG GONENG AND OF COURSE TO MRS AG, CAN I CALL YOU KAK MEK? ..THE COVER OH SOOOO SENTIMENTAL..MENYENTUH JIWA, LAMBAIAN POKOK KELAPA TU SEAKAN MELAMBAI SAYA UNTUK MEMBELINYA!!!!!

this is a must have then!

and what a good way to celebrate eidul fitri!!!

please kak teh, you must write "growing old in landeng!!! :)

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT SYAWAL KAK TEH!!!

Kak Teh said...

Ruby , selamat hari raya to you too.

Hehehe - the furry ones are hopeless - they missed some typos!!

onde-onde, thank you for your support and confidence that i can even produce one - will see, will see.

hi&lo, i think i have given too many glimpses of me thru this blog. Thank you for kind words.

Anonymous said...

Erm Kak Teh. I think those cats of yours is overworked and underpaid. I'm calling those animal lover associations. ;P

Selamat Hari Raya

Anonymous said...

Kak Teh Al Londoniumi,

Salam Aidil Fitri to you and your family

BigDog
Damansarum Utamae

Theta said...

Congratulations dear Kak Teh and Awang Goneng!

Can't wait for it to hit our bookstores....

And what a boon for it to arrive near to Raya!

Here's wishing you and the whole family a splendid Eid and Maaf Zahir & Batin for any wrongdoing on blogosphere.

The Ancient Mariner said...

Selamat Hari Raya Idilfitri to you and yours.

Maaf Zahir Batin.

Ordinary Superhero said...

Dearest Kak Teh, Selamat Hari Raya to you and Family. Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Ah, er...Mrs Awang Goneng,

Selamat Hari Raya to you, Hulaimi and the kids.

Yay....finally!

congrats....sure bestseller punya niii.

msiagirl said...

Dearest Kak Teh, Selamat Hari Raya to you and your family and Congratulations!!! on the publication of Mr AG's book. I am still wiping my eyes from the image of you two sitting in the car deciding to live in London. Boo Hooo so touching! Hope you might let me know if there is a London launch, will come up especially if possible. How's your krim? big hugs!

NorAiniJ said...

Salam Kak Teh,

Selamat Hari Raya to you, Bro AG and your Sayang Mamas! And not to forget AG's 5 'assistants'...hehe

samantha said...

Mr.Gere and Liz - BIG CONGRATULATIONS.....Happy Aidil Fitri and have fun - as usual...:)Were u shocked to see the freezy hair on Nona ? :)...told ya...gorgeous.......tho can be quite scarry merry if Tok Yon get to see it in the middle of the nite...ha ha ha......

Anonymous said...

Wah, a very nice Raya present indeed! Congratulations and Selamat Hari Raya to you and yours. :)

Anonymous said...

Dear Kak Teh,

Cannot remember if I've wished you and WAH and your children Eid Supersized Mubarrak or not, so doing it now. Have a lovely one!

Anonymous said...

Kak Teh
Am dying to get hold of GUIT. Meanwhile has to make do with Kecek-Kecek. Will read it out loud to the kids, and will try to visit those enchanting places too.
Selamat Hari Raya dan Maaf Zahir Batin.

aMiR

Faze said...

Hi Kak Teh,
Congratulations to the both of you an d Selamat Hari Raya , Maaf zahir Batin. Have a blessed one.

Kak Teh said...

ailin, those cats are not union members so we can afford to exploit them.

Selamat hari raya to you.

aaah, bigdog of damansara, thank you and have a good day too.

theta, pls convey our best wishes to you dad and mum.

UglyButAdorable said...

selamat hari raya, maaf zahir dan batin kak teh..

Anonymous said...

Kak Teh I drop by to wish you Selamat Hari Raya, if you go balik kampung then have a safe trip ya.

Tunku Halim said...

Selamat Hari Raya to you and all the family! May we all find peace, love and understanding.

5xmom.com said...

Kak Teh!!!

SELAMAT HARI RAYA!
Maaf zahir dan batin.

I hope you are enjoying ketupat and rendang kat sana!

Anonymous said...

SELAMAT HARI RAYA TO MR & MRS AWANG GONENG AND CHILDREN.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

[danial][ma] said...

hej! kak teh
wish you and family a blessed eid fitr el mubaraq. may LORD always bless you and family...

Anonymous said...

Hello3!!

Selamat Hari Raya to U and Wan! Wah, he the hero one! Am on tye lookout for the book> Maybe can do on-line booking?

Anyway, Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin to all of you! I want to share this short pantun sent by Juhaidi for Raya:

Mawi dah kaya
Siti dah datin
Selamat Hari Raya
Maaf Zahir Batin!

wonda said...

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin. The best raya with the great news! Is that Tabby in the first pix?

Lydia Teh said...

Kak Teh, Selamat Hari Raya and congratulations to AG for the publication of his book. What splendid timing.

I tried to comment earlier but it didn't go through.

Anonymous said...

KT, tumpang lalu...

Dear pahit manis,

Hope this will reach you. I just love that cute raya pantun of Juhaidi's you wished Kak Teh and have been repeating it ad nauseum to friends, family and "virtual strangers" since I read it here on Raya's eve (my raya eve).

I have not credited it to Juhaidi since I've been too b*tt-lazy to come back to Kak Teh's blog and reread your comment. Please convey my apologies to Juhaidi, ya!

Mekasih, KT!

Awang Goneng said...

May I take this opportunity to thank all you kind people for your encouraging words. Since publication I have appointed a super efficient agent who has pressed a retail copy into the hand of everyone she meets. I have a feeling people will soon be crossing the street when we appear in the horizon.

But thanks and thank you once more.

Take care when you cross the streets...

Anonymous said...

a'kum kak teh,

congrats!!

me being born & bred in terengganu is very excited to hear about the book. will it hit our local bookstores? if not, can i get it online?

gasman said...

KT,
I was holding GUIT in between my work when a colleague asked what book it was and whom thw author was. One thing led to another. When the question of the author's other half came out, she seemed rather startled. "Don't tell me that she is someone that my mother had mentioned time and again. That I have a distant cousin who lives in London". A short phone call to her mum confirmed all. The names that her mum mentioned were all too familiar. So there you are, GUIT has found you a distant cousin who happens to be my professional partner of 10 years.

Kak Teh said...

Gasman, oh dear, i didnt know that any of my relatives can put people to sleep! The only hospital related relative i know is pak lang - and as you know he just looks after the op room. None on our side are medically minded - there's Pak Embi who was a butcher, but hardly a surgeon.
Do tell me who.

Anonymous said...

congratulations to you both...i've got the book already yeeehaaaaa!!!

it definitely broke the floodgate n the memories are flooding in now... n sure enough, it does take being away to really makes us appreciate all the things some would take as trivial, what a joy (makes me a bit sad too, surprisingly), i'm not as far as you are in London (only in KL) but it makes me want to just pack everything up and go back to trengganu hehehe

congratulations once again

Kak Teh said...

sang sakeri, thank you and what a beautiful comment! Yes, distance does so much to make us feel near.

NaSha said...

Assalamualaikum Puan AG .... thumbs up to AG & family ... sudoh semestinya berbangga anok melayu (orang terengganu) membaca catatan AG dlm kecek-kecek .... sukanya saya & keluarga membaca kisah2 yang dicatat ... ada kisah moyang saya juga di situ @ ki Dato' Amor (Dato'Amar Ngah Muhammad)... boleh ditunjuk kepada anak2 akan sejarah nenek moyang mereka. Alhamdulillah....terima kasih. Wassalam