October 20, 2007: My Saturday!

Hi everyone,

My Saturday started early today. After webcam chat with Herb, I headed to train station as early as 9.30 am. My destination ..... Borders bookstore at Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur. I had with me a list of 8 titles of books that I would like to read in preparation for my new job in February 2008:

1. Assessing for learning: building a sustainable commitment accross the institution by Peggy L. Maki

2. Assessment clear and simple: a practical guide for institutions, departments and general education by Barbara E. Walvoord

3. Assessing academic programs in higher education by Mary J. Allen

4. Quality and performance excellence in higher education by Charles W. Sorensen

5. Continuous quality improvement in higher education by John Robert Dew

6. Higher education in the world 2007: accreditation for quality assurance: what is at stake? by Global University Network for Innovation

7. Prioritizing academic programs and services .... by Robert C. Dickeson

8. Understanding faculty productivity .... by Michael F. Middaugh

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I was so confident that I could find these titles (at least few, if not all) at Borders since I have checked Borders webpage and all of these titles are in stock at Borders US. And not to forget that Borders' bookstore at Berjaya Times Square is not only the largest bookstore in Malaysia but also the largest Borders' bookstore in the world occupying 60,000 square feet!

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BUT ................ to my surprise, NONE of the books available in the bookstore!! I can't place an order either because these titles are not in stock at Borders KL! Did I mentioned that this is the largest Borders' bookstore in the world!?

Hmmmm .... it looks like I have to buy it at Amazon (these titles are in stock at Amazon.com) .... and pay the extra cost for postage!

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Anyway, I can never leave a bookstore without buying anything . So I end up buying the following books:

1. I am Muslim by Dina Zaman (local author)

Below is the synopsis by Dr. Farish A. Noor, Political Scientist and Historian of Political Islam:

" I am Muslim is a selfish journey of faith. Dina meets shamans, nationalists, moderates and gets into all sorts of scrapes, to discover what Islam means to Muslims in Malaysia. Heartbreaking, angry and downright funny.

Dina Zaman's articles about being Muslim in Malaysia today captures the multifaceted aspects of difference and alterity in normative religios life better than many academic studies... "

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2. The Secret of Secrets by Hadrat Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani

"This book considered as one of the greatest works of classical sufi mysticism and interpreted here for the first time in English by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al Jerrahi.

The Secret of Secrets reveals in a brief compass the very essence of sufism, showing how outward practices such as prayer, fasting and almsgiving contain a wealth of inner dimension which must be discovered and enjoyed if external actions are to be performed in a manner pleasing to God ..... "

And also another cook book :

With that I headed towards Starbucks for my favorite

caramel machiato and marble cheese cake. But, something is missing ........ Herbie is not here! Who is going to help me finish the cheese cake as well as caramel machiato?

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Before headed home, I stopped by at the hair salon for one and half hours henna treatment.

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So, how's your Saturday or what have you planned for your Saturday?

Love - Larra