Free Essays on A Wizard of Earthsea

Gont lies in the North Reach of Archipelago. Ged lives on Gont; he became a famous man, but this tale is about the days before the songs about him were made. He was born as Duny in a small village and he was raised by his aunt who was a witch. She taught him the first lessons in magic. The boy learnt to listen to birds etc. This is the time when he gets his nickname Sparrowhawk. Some years later, the Kargad Empire attacked and Duny saved the village he lived in by creating a fog. This deed interested Ogion, the wizard of Gont. On his 13th birthday, Ogion names him Ged. After that, Ged goes with Ogion to learn magic. But Ogion's way of teaching things disappoints Ged, because Ogion doesn't teach him 'real magic', but he teaches him mostly things about the power of herbs. To hear, one must be silent. When Sparrowhawk goes searching for herbs, he meets a girl who asks him things he hasn't learnt yet, but Sparrowhawk says he can do it. Therefore, he goes to Ogion's books, but Ogion sees him. Since Sparrowhawk says he wants to learn things, Ogion offers to send him to Roke. Sparrowhawk goes with a boat, but the boat gets caught in a storm. The 'captain' wants to go to another island, but Ged says he sees a light on Roke. The others see nothing, but since he came with Ogion they believe him. And indeed they reach Roke. Ged goes to the school for wizards. To enter, he must say his name ( a man never says his name ), but Ged does so and he can enter. He goes to the Archmage and reads Ogion's letter to him. Later, Ged meets some other students: Jasper and Vetch. He likes Vetch, but he dislikes Jasper. At the school, Ged learns many things, but his antipathy against Jasper remains. He learns that in order to really change a thing, you have to know its real name ( its name in the Old Speech). Everything has its own name; when you know that name, you have power over it. Changing things is a dangerous matter, because you can disturb the Equi... Free Essays on A Wizard of Earthsea Free Essays on A Wizard of Earthsea Gont lies in the North Reach of Archipelago. Ged lives on Gont; he became a famous man, but this tale is about the days before the songs about him were made. He was born as Duny in a small village and he was raised by his aunt who was a witch. She taught him the first lessons in magic. The boy learnt to listen to birds etc. This is the time when he gets his nickname Sparrowhawk. Some years later, the Kargad Empire attacked and Duny saved the village he lived in by creating a fog. This deed interested Ogion, the wizard of Gont. On his 13th birthday, Ogion names him Ged. After that, Ged goes with Ogion to learn magic. But Ogion's way of teaching things disappoints Ged, because Ogion doesn't teach him 'real magic', but he teaches him mostly things about the power of herbs. To hear, one must be silent. When Sparrowhawk goes searching for herbs, he meets a girl who asks him things he hasn't learnt yet, but Sparrowhawk says he can do it. Therefore, he goes to Ogion's books, but Ogion sees him. Since Sparrowhawk says he wants to learn things, Ogion offers to send him to Roke. Sparrowhawk goes with a boat, but the boat gets caught in a storm. The 'captain' wants to go to another island, but Ged says he sees a light on Roke. The others see nothing, but since he came with Ogion they believe him. And indeed they reach Roke. Ged goes to the school for wizards. To enter, he must say his name ( a man never says his name ), but Ged does so and he can enter. He goes to the Archmage and reads Ogion's letter to him. Later, Ged meets some other students: Jasper and Vetch. He likes Vetch, but he dislikes Jasper. At the school, Ged learns many things, but his antipathy against Jasper remains. He learns that in order to really change a thing, you have to know its real name ( its name in the Old Speech). Everything has its own name; when you know that name, you have power over it. Changing things is a dangerous matter, because you can disturb the Equi...

IEP Math Goals for Pre-school

IEP Math Goals for Pre-school The preschool standards aligned to the Common Core State Standards don’t take up geometry or operations- those are held over for Kindergarten.  At this point, the object is to build number sense.  The counting and cardinality skills focus on â€Å"how many.†Ã‚  These focus on â€Å"how much† as in volume and as well as â€Å"how big, or small, or tall, or short, or other attributes of plane figures, as well as volume.  Still, by pairing geometric shapes with colors and size, you will begin to build skills.   When writing IEP Goals for functions and algebra, you will focus on the attributes of shapes for sorting.  This early skill will help students build other skills in sorting, categorizing and finally in geometry.   Of course, to successfully sort for color, shape, and size, it is important to have the shapes in different sizes.  Many math programs come with the same size shapes- look for an older set (wooden) which are generally smaller than the plastic geometric shapes.   2.PK.1 Sort objects by similar attributes (e.g., size, shape, and color).2.PK.3 Compare sets of objects. Determine which set has more or less. The first and third standards could be combined in a single goal because they call on students to sort and compare, skills that require students to assign certain attributes and order items.  The sorting activities are great for young children who have not yet developed language, as they begin to notice the color, shape or size of the things that they sort. Goal:   By annual review date SAMMY STUDENT will sort and compare colored geometric shapes by color, size, and shape, correctly sorting 18 of 20 (90%) in three consecutive trials as instituted by the special education teacher and teaching staff. This would have four benchmarks: Objective 1:  By the end of the first semester of the ______ year, SAMMY STUDENT will sort geometric shapes by color with 80% accuracy as measured by the special education teacher and teaching staff.Objective 2:  By the end of the third quarter of the ____ year, SAMMY STUDENT will sort geometric shapes by shape with 80% accuracy as measured by the special education teacher and teaching staff.Objective 3:  By the end of the second semester of the ______ year, SAMMY STUDENT will sort geometric shapes by size with 80% accuracy as measured by the special education teacher and teaching staff.Objective 4:  By annual review date, SAMMY STUDENTS will sort geometric shapes and compare groups for more or less, with 90% accuracy as measured by the special education teacher and teaching staff.   Instructional Strategy: To begin students sorting, start with two:  two colors, two sizes, two shapes.  Once the students have mastered two, you can move them on to three.   When you begin with colors, use plates of the same color.  Over time they will know that orange is orange.   When you move on to shape names, be sure you talk about the characteristics of the shape:  a square has four sides and four square angles (or corners.  Some Math curricula talk about â€Å"corners† before they introduce â€Å"angles.†)  Triangles have three sides, etc.  When students are sorting, they are at the very first level.  In early intervention, pre-kindergarten you focus is going to be on building vocabulary, not the ability to name all the attributes of plane figures. Once you are started to expand the student’s repertoire, you need to introduce two attributes, as well as comparing small sets for â€Å"more† or â€Å"less.† Patterns The rule for patterns is they have to reappear three times to be a pattern.  The geometric shapes above, beads or counters of any kind can be used to demonstrate and then replicate patterns.  This is an activity that you can create with pattern cards that the students can replicate, first on the card with a template for placing the shapes, and then just a card with the shapes.  These can also be purchased   2.PK.2 Recognize and replicate simple patterns (e.g., ABAB.) Goal:  Ã‚  By annual review date, when presented with a pattern with three repeats, PENNY PUPIL will accurately replicate the pattern in 9 out of 10 trials. Objective 1:  By the first semester of the _______ school year, PENNY PUPIL will replicate bead patterns (A,B,A,B,A,B)  as represented in a picture presentation on a template, 8 of 10 probes as implemented by the special education teacher and teaching staff.Objective 2:  By annual review date, PENNY PUPIL will replicate a bead pattern from a picture, extending A,B to A,B,A,B,A,B, 8 of 10 proves as implemented by the special education teacher and the teaching staff.    Instructional Strategy:   Begin modeling patterns with blocks on a table.  Place the pattern, ask the student to name the pattern (color) and then have them replicate the pattern in a row closer to them.Introduce the pattern cards with the colored blocks (beads) pictured, and places to place each block below (a model template.)Once the student is able to replicate the card, have them replicate cards without a template.

ISMG 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

ISMG 3000 - Essay Example The strategic objective of this project is therefore to create dynamic business application portfolio, create a solid foundation for organizational portfolio governance that work in supporting each business process, and stimulate a strong understanding amongst the application effects and subsequent desired organizational goals. The proposed system will be essential in providing organizational decision makers with a basis for decision on issues relating to current portfolio and IT related needs in specific areas of business system functionality, related cost, system quality and overall benefit to the business. Proposed IT Strategic Objective: The new Information Services will enable MDCM’s business objective of creating a dynamic business of absolute commitment to delivering quality parts and assemblies on time by establishing strong IT foundation that continuously transform employees’ performance and creating a platform that guarantees customer efficiency and business operations that continuously builds on the realms of Horizon 2000. Within the organizational analysis, important application issues are of primary significance to this portfolio process and identified into; financial system with diverse legacy systems in financial reporting and handling, human resource administration system, sales and marketing, material planning, logistic, duty and irregular custom inspection, e-mail and communication, networking and interconnectivity and organizational database. An application portfolio process designed to determine continuously solutions to the identified issues. Within this respect, possible application portfolio projects include; designing and implementing ERP, creation of a company intranet, consolidating data centers and networks, standardization of the server hardware, improving group support systems, creation of a

Hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hamlet - Essay Example Hamlet is very upset because of his father’s sudden death and his mother’s marriage with Claudius and this soliloquy is representative of the fact. Hamlet has used a number of metaphors, similes, references to mythology and expressive speech in his first soliloquy. This paper will analyze Hamlet’s first soliloquy in terms of his spoken words and his expressions. Hamlet’s starts with analyzing the worth of human life in this world and also thinks about suicide as he says, â€Å"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!† (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 131-134) These lines indicate that human existence is nothing more than a drop of dew and one day will come when every human being has to die and his body will be a part of the sand. Hamlet here says that death is inevitable and will come to everyone. He also talks about suicide and the restri ction towards committing suicide. Here Hamlet considers his deep wish to commit suicide because of the calamities in which, he is trapped but he is restricted because of his religious obligations. For Hamlet, everything of this world is without any benefit as he says, â€Å"How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world!† (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 135-136) For Hamlet, there is no attraction left in this world for him. He is so sad and dejected that the world as a whole appears useless to him. He compares the world with an â€Å"unweeded garden† and says that the world enables every â€Å"gross† and â€Å"rank† things to grow, which are all corrupted and rotten. After expressing about the world, Hamlet at once comes towards the reason of his remorsefulness as he states that his father who was an excellent king and a loving husband died less than two months ago. Hamlet compares his father to the mythological character of Hyperion , who is a Greek god. After appreciating his father and showing his excessive love for his father, Hamlet exclaims remorse on his mother’s hasty marriage with his uncle Claudius and regards his mother as unfaithful to his father as he says, â€Å"-- Frailty, thy name is woman!† (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 148) By thinking about his mother as a frail creature, he considers that all the women of this world are frail and prone to do wrong. He feels disappointed at his mother’s marriage with Claudius as he thinks that his mother has proved dishonesty by marrying Claudius soon after her husband’s death. He thinks that his mother has shed false tears over his death father’s corpse. Hamlet is tormented on his mother’s action and says, â€Å"Like Niobe, all tears: -- why she, even she -- O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn'd longer† (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 151-153) He thinks that his mother has not mourned as was require d of her. Again, Hamlet has compared his mother to a mythological character of Niobe. He regards his mother’s tears over his father death as â€Å"unrighteous tears†. He regards Claudius as not equivalent to his father and regards him quite downgraded as he says, â€Å"My father's brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 154-155) Hamlet here gives his father a very high position and considers Claudius as a creature that should be hated. In the same soliloquy, Hamlet uses the example of â€Å"Hyperion† for his father and â€Å"

Ups vs Fedex Essay Example for Free

Ups vs Fedex Essay In 1975, UPS promised package delivery to every address in the United States; FedEx was not able to guarantee delivery in every area. When deregulation of the domestic airline industry and trucking industry occurred, the operating landscape changed, and FedEx became the beneficiary by expanding its delivery fleet. The just-in-time supply movement enabled FedEx to grow as well by creating a larger demand for express delivery. Technological innovations, such as its package tracker, assisted FedEx in improved customer service; UPS was able to keep pace with technological innovations of its own, such as its own package tracker. UPS’s key to success was and remains efficiency, timing all delivery routes to traffic signal patterns for example. UPS also expanded into Canada and Germany before FedEx. In recent years UPS has invested heavily in information technology, aircraft and other facilities. Competitor Comparison UPS went public in 1999, starting direct stock competition with FedEx UPSFedEx Offered package delivery services to the entire US and over 200 countries, delivered over 13 million packages and achieved profits of $3 billion, and AAA bond rating in 1983Operational leader reached $1 billion in revenues during 1983 and was poised to own the market for express delivery Restructured by becoming an aggressive company and expanding through acquisitionsNo unions Acquired Miami based carrier with operations in Latin AmericaAchieved $15 billion in assets, net income of $830 million on revenues of $22. billion in 2003 Opened Mail Boxes Etc. franchise stores, providing packing, shipping and mail service Invested in IT, aircraft and facilities to support service innovations, quality and reduce cost Became involved with all aspects of supply chain logistics to offer another service to its customers By 2003, UPS and FedEx were in very similar business positions, providing express service in the US and abroad. Express Segment: 1999 2003 UPSFedEx Focus on customer serviceFocus on customer service Started price war, but later settled on regular price increasesSettled on regular price increases Cut costs through economies of scale, investments in IT and business process reengineeringCut costs through economies of scale, investments in IT and business process reengineering IT: UPS employs on DIADs for drivers to scan package barcodes during pickupIT: COSMOS transmits data from package movements, customer pickups, invoices and deliveries to central database in Memphis, TN UPS installed drop off boxes, 165 drive through and 371 express delivery stores, Saturday pickups to expand services and match FedExPurchased ground vehicles worth $200 million to match UPS delivery fleet Offered integrated logistics service to large corporate clients with total inventory controlCompeted for large corporate clients providing integrated logistics service In the international package-delivery market, UPS exceeded and had more success and dollar investment marked for international growth than FedEx . International Package-Delivery Market European entry in 1988 with acquisition of 10 continental courier services Lost estimated $1 billion in Europe since entry in 1984 and eventually sold European hub to DHL Spent an additional $1 billion in 1995 to expand it European operationsExpanded routes in Latin America, Caribbean and introduced AsiaOne next business day service between Asia and US in 1995 Begins direct flights to China in 2001Establishes Chinese Headquarters in 2003 Contracts with Yangtze River Express for package delivery within China in 2003 FedEx owned the largest foreign presence in China, with almost double the amount of daily flights to China than UPS, serving 220 Chinese cities with direct flights to Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai. FedEx volumes in China grew by more than 50% between 2003 and 2004. UPS was active in China beginning in 1988, and was the first carrier to offer nonstop service from America. By 2003, UPS had 6 weekly flights to China with direct service to Beijing and Shanghai, serving about 200 cities with expected growth of about 60% on its main route. UPS also predicted peak-season demand to exceed capacity. Financial Analysis UPS appears to be the better bet for the long-term because its historical financial results are superior to and more consistent when compared to FedEx. If we consider EVA (Economic Value Added) as the key gauge for evaluating both firms, UPS is clearly the better performer. In the twelve year period of 1992 through 1993, UPS created $4. 33 billion in cumulative economic value, while FedEx destroyed $2. 25 billion. Because of its superior profitability and cash generating capabilities, UPS has better prospects for funding growth through internal and external sources. Even if we weaken the assumption of past history as a good indicator for the course of future financial performance and management, the data still indicates UPS is in a better financial position for taking on future growth. Decomposing EVA UPS outperformed FedEx on profitability in the twelve year period with an average RONA of 13. 78% compared to 8. 31% for FedEx. This profitability disparity accounts for most of the differences in their EVA histories. The twelve year average cost of capital/WACC for each firm was virtually the same (11. 97% for UPS, 11. 5% for FedEx); FedEx failed to generate enough RONA to cover its cost of capital in eleven years of the twelve year period, while UPS generated positive economic returns in seven of those years. The economic profit margin or spread between RONA and WACC for UPS averaged about 1. 8 % compared to -3. 14% for FedEx. For the last year of the period, 2003, UPS’s spread was 5. 11% and FedEx’s was 1. 10%. Given these statistics, UPS is obviously the better value creator and more profitable firm. Funding Future Growth (Cash and Debt) UPS is in a better position to fund its future growth because it generates more cash through superior profitability and its bigger size NOPAT for UPS in 2003 was at $3. 31 billion versus FedEx at $1. 42 billion. Thus, UPS can fund a larger percentage of its growth through internally generated funds. UPS can also take on additional debt at a lower cost than FedEx. The two firms have very similar debt/equity ratios but different bond ratings, with UPS rated higher. Therefore, even with similar relative debt levels, UPS can choose to supplement its funding needs with debt at a lower interest expense than FedEx. As of 2003, UPS‘s interest coverage ratio is three times that of FedEx, so UPS has a bigger cushion for handling additional debt (which partially explains UPS’s higher debt rating). In summary, from a cash perspective and in the context of each firm’s debt load, UPS is clearly in a better financial position to compete than FedEx. Operational Analysis While UPS and FedEx operate with similar business practices and offer almost identical services to their respective customers, UPS is more diversified both in operational revenue and global market service. Virtually all of FedEx’s business is derived from air-express sector in the package delivery; that segment is only 44% of UPS’s revenues. Both companies compete fiercely, often copying the other’s moves. For instance, FedEx has started to poach clients from UPS by offering volume discounts and excellent delivery services. UPS has countered by matching FedEx’s customer interaction by installing drop boxes and offering Saturday delivery to equal FedEx’s delivery schedule. Annualized capital expenditures are almost identical between the two companies for the period of 1992 to 2003 was 34. 64% for FedEx and 36. 78% for UPS. The main difference between the two is the markets each company serves and how they serve it. FedEx utilizes an independent contractor model, while UPS has unionized employees. FedEx attempted to develop its European capabilities until 1992, when it sold its operations to DHL, and now relies on local partners. By comparison, UPS acquired multiple courier services and announced in 1995 it would spend $1 billion over the next five years to continue its European expansion. The following table provides the comparison of worldwide facts between FedEx and UPS: FedExUPS Main HubMemphis, TennesseeLouisville, Kentucky Packages handled per day5. 4 million13. 6 million Air deliveries per day3. 1 million2 million Service AreaMore than 220 countries and territories, including every address in the United StatesMore than 200 countries and territories; every address in North America and Europe WorkforceMore than 216,500 employees worldwide360,000 Worldwide Delivery FleetMore than 50,000 motorized vehicles and 625 aircraft88,000 ground vehicles; 583 aircraft. In the ground package-delivery business, UPS is approximately five times larger than FedEx, delivering 11 million packages per day. However, there are signs that FedEx is gaining market share for ground delivery. FedEx dominates with the world’s largest air-delivery service, delivering 50% more per day than UPS. The battleground has shifted from Europe to China, which is projected to become the second largest economy by 2011 and the largest by 2039. Because China’s export volume increased by 101% in 2004, both companies have focused on the import/export package market valued at nearly $1 billion, instead of the intra-domestic market, valued at approximately $800 million. Although it entered the Chinese market after FedEx, UPS is aggressively expanding its services within the market. While FedEx flies almost twice as many daily routes to China than UPS, the new service agreement between the US and China will alter the landscape; it is uncertain how the newly acquired routes will be distributed to FedEx, UPS and their other competitors. Conclusion UPS will achieve better long-term performance relative to FedEx because of its bigger size, more diversified revenue and business, superior financial and operational efficiency and a better capital position.

AIDS in Africa :: AIDS HIV Disease Africa African Essays

AIDS In Africa   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  HIV-AIDS has infected over thirty million people in the world. Over 95% of all AIDS cases in the world are in Africa and in some of those countries over 40% of the people are infected (Frederickson and Kanabus HIV and AIDS in Africa 1). AIDS does not solely affect homosexuals, or any certain ethnicity of people, either; HIV-AIDS can affect any type of ethnicity including African Americans, Caucasians, Asians, Indians, and Hispanic people. AIDS cannot be reversed or cured, but with proper treatment this deadly virus can be controlled and people can live a nearly normal life. In Africa, though, proper treatment is not nearly as available as it is in some other countries. Approximately 2.3 million people died in 2003 in Sub-Saharan Africa alone and that is only the beginning (Frederickson and Kanabus HIV 1). Because of AIDS and its devastating effects and increasing infection rates in Africa, organizations and governments are increasing their efforts to stop this dis ease. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on AIDS efforts, but still the disease continues to spread and take thousands of people?s lives each year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1992, 20% of Botswana, Africa was infected with HIV-AIDS. In 1995, 1/3 of the country was infected. Today over 40% of Botswana is infected with HIV-AIDS, and these numbers continue to increase (Epstlen 70). The rest of Africa is mimicking these same numbers as infection rates continue to rise. Of the 27 million infected in Africa, 3.2 million were new cases diagnosed in 2003, and over 2.3 million people died in Africa because of HIV-AIDS last year (Frederickson and Kanabus HIV 1). Such numbers are astronomical compared to the rest of the world. In the United States less than 1% of the population is infected; in Russia and India the numbers also match the United States. In Thailand, where it is claimed to be more corrupted in sex and drug trades and have even fewer anti-AIDS efforts than in Africa, the infection rates are still less than 2% (Frederickson HIV 70). Sub-Saharan Africa is the worst region to be infected with AIDS. While countries like Swaziland, Bot swana, Lesotho and Zimbabwe all have infection rates reaching near 40%, West African countries barely top 10% in some places (Frederickson 2). In Sub-Saharan Africa, 11 million children have been orphaned by AIDS (Frederickson AIDS orphans in Africa 1). Of the 27 million people infected, 10 million are between the ages of 15 and 24, and 3 million are estimated to be under the age of 15 (Frederickson HIV 1).

How Does the “Cha Chaan Teng” Essay

Hong Kong identity is a complicated issue and many different perspectives have to be taken into consideration in order to study this issue. This paper mainly focuses on the cultural perspective of the Hong Kong identity. Hall.S (2000) â€Å"identities are never unified and, in late modern times, increasingly fragmented and fractured; never singular but multiply constructed across different, often intersecting and antagonistic, discourses, practices, and positions.† This implies identity is regarded as a shared culture in Hong Kong. Most Hong Kong people think that †Cha Chaan Teng† is an important feature of Hong Kong’s lifestyle. In other words, it is an important part of Hong Kong culture. This paper will be divided into two sections. The first section discusses the important role â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† plays as a part of Hong Kong’s lifestyle and how it reflects and contributes to the Hong Kong identity. In the second section 3 major characteristics of â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng†; their affordable prices, high efficiency in serving food and varieties of dishes offered will be discussed. â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† is a significant icon of Hong Kong lifestyle. Lots of Hong Kong people grew up with â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng†.It is a great place to hang out with friends and discuss current events. Furthermore, it is a good place to see the vicissitudes of life. It is true that â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† has an important cultural value in Hong Kong people’s mind. A survey has been conducted by Radio Television Hong Kong (2004) on the internet, 10 most representative elements of Hong Kong among 50 local characteristics. â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† received 1,930 votes, beating the old tram by 106 votes and gaining its place in top 10. This shows that â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† plays an important role in the cultural heritage of Hong Kong. At the same time, it contributes and reflects to local identity. The food provided by †Cha Chaan Teng† are economical. This is strongly related to its important role in early industrialization. It also reflects the characteristics of Hong Kong’s economic development. During early industrialization, most Hong Kong people were not rich and needed to work for a long period of time every day. They need to eat a large amount of food to gain energy for work. In order to attract more customers,†Cha Chaan Teng† started to lower the food price and increase the food portion. These alterations made†Cha Chaan Teng† become popular. Today, during lunch time, construction workers, truck drivers, as well as office staff also eat there because they find the prices are more affordable. According to the article by Crouch, O (2011) â€Å"there are thousands of these diner-style restaurants in Hong Kong and they are a unifying aspect of the island society, popular with all socio-economic backgrounds†. It means that different background of Hong Kong people like to go to this kind of Hong Kong style restaurant. It does not come from no reason. First of all, it is very convenient to the customer because it is easy to find them. Although â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† has developed almost for 70 years, the uniqueness of the Western and Eastern food style cannot be replaced by other restaurant. As we know, Hong Kong is called â€Å"Gourmet Paradise† as the food quality is really high and â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† also contributed to it. Meanwhile, the food prices are reasonably cheap. Therefore, many poverty people love to go there. The â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† continues to play an important role in the development of Hong Kong. It reflects and contributes to a Hong Kong identity. One of the reasons for the popularity of â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† is its efficiency. During the 1950s and 1960s, â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† became popular with Hong Kong’s booming industry and factory lifestyle, which led to changes in Hong Kong people’s lifestyle and needs. Since Hong Kong needed a large amount of labour force to boost the economy. Many women started to work in factories and the number of housewives decreased a lot. This meant that lots of women were too busy to cook and fewer families ate at home. To satisfy the needs of the general public, â€Å"Cha chaan Teng† started to focus on efficiency. Fast paced life-style is one of Hong Kong’s features, Workers often had only one hour lunch time, therefore the efficiency of restaurants is the main concern of workers rather than the taste of the food. So â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† created a perfect system which could improve the efficiency of food preparation. First, it adopts a high deg ree of division of labor. Also, the ingredients are well prepared before the restaurants open. â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† generally does not take tips, waiters write on the bill after customer order the food and then leaves the bill on the table. Customers only need to wait ten to fifteen minutes for the food and when they are finished, they will take their own bill to the cashier and pay. The whole process is very efficient. Meanwhile, most â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† provides a choice called â€Å"fast set†, which usually changes every single day. The features of these sets are that they are served quicker and at lower price when compared with other sets. This can help customers to save time on thinking what they want to order, ultimately reducing the time spent on waiting for food. Indeed, â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† was strongly influenced by early industrialization of Hong Kong and panders to it. Also, it creates a perfect system which can improve efficiency. In order to attract more customers and survive in the industry market, it continues to improve and prospers as a part of Hong Kong life-style. The wide variety of food that a â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† offers often shocks its customers. Not only does it provide Western and Chinese food but also fusion of Western and Eastern food. Hong Kong was a colony of Britain. The food culture of Chinese people and Western people are totally different. After World War II, Hong Kong was strongly influenced by Western lifestyle. However, Western food was only served in upper-class restaurants and was very expensive at that time. Only a small amount of Hong Kong people can afford it. Some Hong Kong people came up with an idea to combine the food culture of the East and West. At that time, â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† appeared. It preserved the food culture of Hong Kong and offered a variety of dishes to customers. The food provided by â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† is diversified; many of them were tailor-made to fit Hong Kong’s unique diet. These food features, in fact, were developed by different curious customers because â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† always adopt customers’ ideas and create these unique diets. Customers can also mix and match to choose the food they want. This allows more flexibility for the customers. That is why â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† can integrate different people’s need. In the past, the foods offered on the â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† menu were only some western or eastern dishes. As it became more popular, it started to develop a unique menu. The most typical example is milk tea, or in Cantonese naai cha. McLane, D(2008) said â€Å"If Hong Kong had an â€Å"official† drink, Milk Tea would be it: the thick, intense and creamy brew of black tea and evaporated milk, boiled and then strained through cloth†. It is for sure that many Hong Kong people love it so much. Another contribution to Hong Kong identity is that â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† helps promote tourism all over the world. Since there are some western dishes and unique food provided in â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng†, it manages to attract many tourists. Indeed, it becomes a characteristic of Hong Kong and helps to promote Hong Kong’s image as â€Å"Food paradise†. Indirectly, the economy of Hong Kong has been improved because of â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng†. The general public visit Hong Kong style restaurants frequently. Indeed, things will change as time passes, and â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† makes no exception. It kept improving to meet modern market demands. The most surprising thing is that it added some new elements while retaining its original flavor. In order to establish the â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† position in the international arena, Hong Kong political party China Democratic National Construction Association (2007) suggested that â€Å"Hong Kong style tea restaurant culture† should be declared as a â€Å"non-material cultural heritage of mankind† in order to establish Hong Kong’s international brand image and promote tourism development in Hong Kong. To sum up, â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† contains the collective memories of Hong Kong people and has witnessed the development of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, in order to get higher profit, it keeps changing to fit Hong Kong people’s life style and needs, for example, the design of the restaurant, menus and ingredients. Today, â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† is getting famous all over the world and can be found in many countries. However, the most traditional and original one still stands in Hong Kong. The â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† has become one of the major visiting spots for tourists. In additional, they are featured in many movies and TV dramas. It is absolutely part of the local populace of the best place to eat and drink. In fact, these restaurant features precisely reflect the spirit of people-orientation and values ​​- faster, to match changes and affordable prices. These are the reasons why â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng† still occupy a strong position in Hong Kong after so many years. References: China Democratic National Construction Association (2007). The new theme of traditional â€Å"Cha Chaan Teng†. chinapress http://www.chinapress.com.my/node/228021 – accessed 19 January 2012 Crouch, O. (2011, July 22) Cha Chaan Teng: Hong Kong’s Favorite Diners. ezinearticle http://ezinearticles.com/?Cha-Chaan-Teng:-Hong-Kongs-Favorite-Diners&id=6469027 – accessed 26 January 2012 Hall, S. (2000). Who needs identity? London: Sage. In S. Hall & P. du Gay (Eds.) Mclane, D. (2008, January 30) Comfort Food in Hong Kong. nytimes http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/travel/30webcomfort.html – accessed 15 January 2012 RTHK (2004) Top 10 of the most represent design of Hong Kong. Radio Television Hong Kong http://www.rthk.org.hk/press/chi/20040927_66_120120.html – accessed 1 Febuary

Just Do It Essay

Sharad Haksar’s Just Do It is part of his very moving series of pictures he calls â€Å"Brand Irony. † This series portrays ironic juxtapositions of world-renowned brands combined with interesting visuals. In this specific picture, Haskar shows Nike’s famous Swoosh accompanied by its â€Å"Just Do It† slogan on a wall acting as an advertisement somewhere in India. On the wall next to the ad, a young boy is urinating as a little dog looks on. At first a feeling of excitement comes over the viewer because of Nike’s large media presence and its ties to athleticism. The boy urinating next to the slogan seems to then invoke a feeling of humor. These emotions soon give way, however, to a much deeper and serious analysis. Soon enjoyment and wittiness turn into anger and sadness as the details of the image slowly come forward. Born in India, Sharad Haksar was probably accustomed to seeing this kind of situation day in and day out. For this reason, Haksar was surely biased in the way that he definitely had some kind of disgust with companies like Nike. He is trying to appeal to the same audience Nike would be trying to attract in their advertisements. This would be, for the most part, young and active people anywhere from the ages 15-40. More than that, he is also trying to appeal to anyone who has an interest in photography, advertising, and the worldwide problem of worker exploitation. He finished up his collection of photos entitled â€Å"Brand Irony† in 2006. These photos were meant to show big-market companies advertising in ironic situations and/or places. In this specific photo, his frustration with large corporations exploiting their workers seems to be the focal point. Nike is a world –power when it comes to brand imagery, and their â€Å"Just Do It† slogan is as recognizable as any. By combining the first glance humor of a boy urinating on a wall, with the more profound message hidden deeper inside the photo, Haksar creates a brilliant image that begs to be understood. Many human beings see Nike as a model company, one that is always progressing its craft, and constantly trying to better its products. Haksar realizes this, and he wants to shed some light on the other side of the business. He wants to show how huge commercial businesses like Nike affect the countries and communities in which they conduct their trades. Nike has been at the forefront of â€Å"sweatshop† controversy in India, and the dirty and grimy background of the image appeals to this controversy. The â€Å"Just Do It† slogan, rather than being the upbeat, creative influence it usually is, is now portrayed in a much darker light. In Indonesia alone, 30% of factory workers were reported as being verbally abused, with another 2. 5% experiencing â€Å"unwanted fondling† (Dukcevich). In Honduras, two Nike subcontractors closed down their plants, pushing 1,800 natives out of work. It didn’t stop there, though. In complete disregard for Hondurian law, they refused to pay the $2 million in severance that was rightfully owed. Nike’s â€Å"factory to factory† competitiveness creates â€Å"an ultra-competitive environment that drives down wages and gives factory owners virtually no choice but to disrespect workers’ basic rights† (Greenhouse). The motto â€Å"Just Do It† is supposed to cast anger over the viewer, as it is clear that this is not an option to these people; life will never grant them the chance to just do it. Haksar is trying to bring awareness to the poverty-laden countries that big companies exploit to inexpensively run their large factories. He is trying to show that these disadvantaged humans slave over products that they cannot and probably never will be able to afford. This underprivileged boy and the rest of this community are living a life that doesn’t allow them to â€Å"Just Do It,† the opportunities just aren’t there. They lead a life of struggling to survive on insufficient paying jobs, some even as factory line workers in one of Nike’s 1000 factories worldwide. It is not unusual for these workers, most of the time women and children ages 10-24, to work 13-hour shifts and come home with a meager $1. 60. This fact becomes staggering when one takes into account that the average minimum living wage in most of the third world countries that house Nike factories is somewhere around $3. 00 to $5. 00 a day (Braddock). Exploited workers in these factories have no chance of living any kind of lifestyle Nike promotes, but rather become the impoverished human beings that are the face of third-world countries around the globe. The boy in the picture that at first seemed so comical is in fact without hoes or a shirt. He is clearly indigent and the littered ground he stands on emphasizes this. A sense of pity is immediately taken up for the boy, as he cannot even afford to put a pair of shoes on his feet, let alone the ones Nike advertises. Then the focus shifts to the dog. The dog that at first seemed cute and harmonious prancing next to the boy, now seems ragged and undersized. As the powerful, commenting images slowly unfold from Haskar’s photo, the picture transforms from just an advertisement to a much more critical view of Nike’s world-power franchise. He is trying to invoke a sense of guilt and remorse in his audience for their participation in buying Nike’s products. Moreover, a sense of anger is supposed to be instilled in the viewer, caused by Nike’s insistence on advertising in countries where just a miniscule part of the population has the means to buy their products. In this sense, Haksar is appealing to his audience to recognize where and how Nike’s products are being made. The innovation in brand imagery Nike has brought to the commercial world is unparalleled. The Swoosh and the â€Å"Just Do It† slogan are reminders that Nike sits in the top of its class when it comes to advertising. Sharad Haksar’s stunning Nike image in his â€Å"Brand Irony† series is a comment on this advertising and also an insight into how the products they market are produced. The image comes off, at first, just to be a humorous depiction of a boy urinating on a wall, but in fact is trying to shed light on the cruel and inhumane ways workers are exploited by companies like Nike. What the general public sees is Nike’s innovation and their leadership in their industry. What they don’t see are images like this.

Pio Baroja essays

Pio Baroja essays Pio Baroja was born on the twenty-eighth of December in the year of 1872 in the Basque Country (Rouco). At the age of fifteen, his family moved to Madrid because his father, Don SerafÃÆ'Â ­n, was transferred there when he had obtained a seat in the Geographic and Statistical Institute (Caro Raggio). In Madrid is where Baroja grew up to learn about medicine. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Madrid in 1893, he practiced medicine for a short time in a village in northern Spain. Discusted by the country life he returned to Madrid to manage the family bakery along side his brother, Ricardo (Book Rags). After working with his brother, he ran unsuccessfully on two occasions for a seat at the Cortes, the Spanish Parliament, as a Republican. As the Spanish American War rolled around in 1898, Baroja began to protest against "Spain's social abuses and the corrosive influence of the Catholic Church" (Book Rags). He was known throughout history as an anarchist who believed that all forms of government are oppressive and undesirable and should be abolished. He began to write about the injustices within his country. He got his start from writing newspaper articles and moved onward to produce novels. After writing so many articles and letters, Pip Baroja moved away from the business scene and became more dedicated to writing (Caro Raggio). Soon he realized that his real passion was to write novels. He became one of the most influential and popular Spanish novelists of the twentieth century. The writing of Pio Baroja mainly was considered "forceful though loosely constructed, characterized by a spare yet lyrical style and an undercurrent of social discontent" (Columbia Encyclopedia). His many books revolved around harsh criticism of his country, Spain, and a pessimistic view of the human existence. His first novel was La Casa de Aizgorri (The House of Aizgorr ...

Top Benefits of Going to a Large School

Top Benefits of Going to a Large School When people think of college, several images frequently come to mind: Football games. Students sitting in the quad. People attending classes. Graduation day. And while these events are common no matter where you go to school, different kinds of institutions understandably offer different kinds of experiences. If youre interested in going to a large school, then, just what are the top benefits you should consider? (Note: This list addresses general benefits. There are also many  academic benefits.) Diverse Community Whether its in the classroom or in your residence halls, big schools offer an enormous set of resources and perspectives. The more people there are in your community, after all, the larger the pool of knowledge. The way you interact with your fellow college or university community members doesnt have to be formalized and in the classroom; many students have life-changing, perspective-altering conversations in casual places like residence hall common areas or the campus coffee shop. When youre constantly surrounded by a diverse community of smart, interesting, engaging people whether theyre faculty, staff, or students its nearly impossible not to learn and grow from those around you. Live in a Metropolitan Area Even though there are exceptions to every rule, large schools tend to be in major, metropolitan areas, thereby offering a fantastic theater for you to further engage with during your college experience. Whether you take classes that connect you with the history and resources of your city, you volunteer in the local community, or you simply take advantage of the museums, community events, and other jewels that your town has to offer, going to school in a major, metropolitan area offers unique and significant benefits. Additionally, in contrast to a small school in a small town, you may have more opportunities for things like internships, student jobs, and other work experiences that can help prepare you for the job market once you graduate. A Degree from an Institution with a Well-known Reputation While small schools can offer an education of equal caliber to your large school, it can sometimes be frustrating if not awkward to constantly have to explain to people (and potential employers in particular) where your college is and what kind of experience you had. When you attend and graduate from a large school, however, you often receive more name recognition of the institution behind your degree. An Incredible Event-filled Experience While college students everywhere complain of being bored, larger schools seem to have a nearly-24/7 event calendar. At larger schools, there is virtually always something going on. And even if its across campus, at an on-campus theater, or in the lobby of your residence hall, big schools constantly offer experiences that can both supplement and complement what youre learning in the classroom. A Large Community to Connect With After Graduation If your school has thousands of students graduating every year if not every semester than the alumni network will be quite extensive. Whether youre watching football games at a local pub or trying to build professional connections, larger schools can offer both depth and breadth when it comes to finding other graduates who share your student and post-college experience and alma mater pride.

Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Human Resources - Essay Example This paper discusses the major staffing factors that contribute to poor performance by the employees and how one would assess whether the perceived dismal performance resulted from a training problem (DuBrin, 2009).   Perhaps one of the major causes of dismal employee performance is the absence of clear job descriptions that causes disorganizations especially within manufacturing industries. Marchington & Wilkinson (2006) note that when job roles are unclear, communication issues are bound to arise thus setting the stage for a myriad of performance related issues within the organization. Although unclear understanding of the obligations of the staff may lead to confusion at work, it may also cause job overlap where one job role is assigned to more than one person. This staffing problem according to DuBrin (2009) normally manifests when employees cannot fathom what their respective employers and managers expect of them in addition to being clueless about their personal limits at wor k. This is mainly because chance could be that some of the responsibilities that employees grapple with on a daily basis are not in their job description and thus could be causing them unnecessary burden that could adversely affect their performance at work. The best strategies for mitigating this problem include updating job description, training employees on teambuilding, and redesigning the job roles (Marchington & Wilkinson, 2006).   Moreover, recruitment and selection issues could lead to compromise in the quality of performance by the employees at their respective workstations. In many occasions, staffing problems begin at the time of recruitment and selection where the HR Managers could mismatch the employee and the job, or there could be job oversold for example the suggestions of nonexistent career advancement, over-qualification of the prospective workers, and the under-mention of the perceived uninteresting aspects of the job (DuBrin, 2009). This situation often leads t o job alienation on the side of the employees, which often affect their overall performance within a given industry. When employees discover some aspects about the job that they were unaware of at the time of the recruitment, they feel demoralized by the perceived dishonesty on the part of their employers. Therefore, many approach their job roles from an indifferent perspective, or they could simply harbor the intention of sending a strong message to their employers by ensuring poor performance (Marchington & Wilkinson, 2006).  However, there are strategies to deal with recruitment issues that tend to derail the performance objectives of the company. These may include the review of the procedures and processes of recruitment, and retraining the staff involved with recruitment on the job descriptions as well as updating the job specifications and descriptions. Promotion problems could lead to below par performance by employees especially in situations where the staffs receive undes erving job offers and promotions. In occasions where the company promotes its staff to a level beyond their capabilities or the staffs get earlier than usual job promotions, such