Life in the Orange Prison Essay

I never really liked that eerie-looking building that always stood towering over me. Its orange walls and antique framework did not give me an comfortable feeling, although my imagination of a 5 year old told me that it did try to present a fai ade of spurious geniality with those wide welcoming staircases leading to the front door and the colourful flowers skirting the yard. My inner self sent a shiver down the spine as I reluctantly followed my parents through Hell’s gates. I sincerely believed that the building, which was to be my school for the next six years, was not much better than an internment camp. So, on the first day of school, I was directed to my cell. The classroom was filled with a group of children of my size sitting on a circular carpet. The sight was peculiar – the collection of boys and girls from all over the world gathered in a room no bigger than my flat back in Hong Kong. It was like a tossed salad, with potatoes from Japan, cabbage from Australia, lettuce from Canada, tomatoes from Europe, and now there’s me – rice from China. I sat on the floor among the other fidgety bodies. In front of us sat a tall woman with blond hair and a pointy nose. She pointed at a board with apples and numbers on it and asked a question, which I identified because of the raised pitch towards the end of the phrase. Oh no, and then her watery blue eyes smiled at me. She’d chosen me! I could feel heat rushing towards my face and for a moment I thought tears would betray my composure. But I simply stared back at her; looking from the numbered apple to her face, then from her face back to the apple. â€Å"What does she want? † My gaze at her yelled for help, pleading for excuse. It wasn’t after a few weeks of continuous pointing to a new numbered apple on the board that I realized the whole thing represented a calendar. Then, it made all sense to me. Day school was not the worst part yet, because eventually I learned to speak English fluently with other students. We never had homework to do and the challenge in school was really to have fun. At first I struggled hard, as I lacked the means of communication. But eventually the language was programmed into my head and subconsciously I became a fluent English speaker. As I have mentioned, there was another part of my childhood which was even gloomier than day school. And that also took place in the very same building that I sensed to become the bane of my young carefree life. Upon arriving in Vancouver for 6 months, my mom introduced me to Chinese school. The idea baffled me. We were black haired people moving to a white skinned territory learning the yellow skinned language. Like many things that were beyond my comprehension and control, I complied with my mom’s decision. For whatever reason I was learning Chinese in Canada, I loathed the idea and did not look forward to the classes. My instincts did not lie to me. After the first 2 hours of class I was determined that I would never ever spend another minute with that old, squeaky voiced teacher, with that cheesy pictured book, and with those curvy, criss-cross, inscrutable characters. I absolutely despised Chinese. But, with as much conviction a little of girl of my size could hold, I did in the end return to that very intimidating classroom, pick up that very unattractive book, and learned those very perplexing characters. Once a week we would have dictation of the chapter we learned the previous class. The teacher would simply read out a paragraph while we tried to write down each word perfectly. To put it bluntly, we were to learn the chapter verbatim. As pointless as it may sound, it was not an easy thing for me to do. In fact, it was painful. Absolutely flesh pinching. Each night before the dictation, I’d be sitting at my crowded desk with a lamp shining precisely over my head, and staring at the jumble of words. Sitting there, I would circle all the words that I didn’t know how to write, and copy it over and over again until I could trace the word with my eyes closed. It was a tedious task for me because the chapter usually ended up with circles around every other word, if not every word. Worse yet, my mom would be sitting right next to me. With each mistake I made, either forgetting a simply word or missing a dot on the line, she would scorn at me. Of course, with that kind of chaperoning, I only became more frustrated and angry – both at myself for being dumb, and my mom for being impatient. Now, looking back I don’t blame her; it took me over one hour to learn one single paragraph. Dictation was not the toughest part of Chinese class because what I wrote and what mark I received would only remain between the teacher and me. However, reading aloud in class was a different story. It was like stripping in front of the entire class and exposing the most embarrassing flaws of my body to them for scrutiny. Whenever it was reading time, my stomach would lurch, and as each student finished his or her part, my intestines would tie yet another knot – until finally when it was my turn – my body would be so tangled that I could no longer work my diaphragms properly to speak. I made as little noise as possible, thinking that if I spoke quiet enough the teacher would condone my mistakes and let me pass. However, the teacher was not easily satisfied; she made me read again, this time only louder. Protruding my voice in front of the class was as hard as asking a five year old to lift a 50 pound dumbbell. My hands became clammy and I felt as if a furnace was working inside me. I could imagine other students seeing lucent flames embodying me. Once the teacher asked me to stop, the relief was indescribable – everything seemed to stop, the flames ceased to burn me and nothing else around me mattered anymore. I was done reading; I was out of the spotlight. My aversion for Chinese school never alleviated. As the paragraphs in the chapters grew longer and the characters more complex, my understanding of the language only became more dubious. I was like a defeated salmon that could not swim against the current and as a result was pushed backwards. But a lucky salmon I was, a savior from my class rescued me. Her name was Katy. Each time we received our dictation marks, I would be grateful if hers was less than 20 marks higher than mine. As the older girl, she was very bossy in front of me. And I, always been the submissive one, yielded to her, but I did not mind because I thought what I got in return was worth it. Katy helped me with my Chinese homework. She would help me copy those hand killing notes, and during dictation she would peek at what I didn’t get and write the answer on a scrap piece of paper and inconspicuously nudge it over. I was indebted to her. As life in that confinement became easier, an unsettling sense of guilt started to stir inside me. Once every year, the Chinese school principle would organize a dinner party at the school cafeteria. There were lots of fun at those parties; there was a magician pulling ribbons from hat, gift exchanges between anonymous people, long tables of homemade spaghetti, chicken wings, sausages, cookies, and pudding. However, no matter how hard I tried, I could never fully enjoy myself at the party. Throughout the party I would be worrying about the closing speech that the principle would make. I was tormented by the fear that he might expose my cheating to my fellow classmates and most importantly, to my mom. A part of me really anticipated this humiliation or devastation. Each time the principle spoke my stomach flinched as a natural reflex, but of course, not once did he mention my name or the notion of cheating on tests. Call me gullible, nai ve or whatever you want, but that instinctive feeling of being exposed really haunted me. At the end of the six years spent in Van Horne Elementary School, now head overlooking other heads, voice overcoming other voices, I once again stepped through the gates of Hell. Only this time, I stepped into the blinding sunlight and the honking of cars. I no longer felt the building towering over me.

Photos That Changed the World

As you know the photo is great power to influence people's mind. Picture can change perception, social, political position and even identity. I want to talk about most popular and influential documentary photo that changed the world. It would be hard to imagine a technology that had more impact on 20th century life than photography: the automobile, the airplane, nuclear power, all of these were higher profile than photography, yet in day-to-day terms, photography was truly the most pervasive. First I`d like to tell some facts about photo journalism.It is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. As for me documentary photography is similar to photojournalism. Documentary photography generally relates to longer term projects with a more complex story line, while photojournalism concerns more breaking news stories. There is a final branch of photography directly related to popular social life, and that is documentary photography. Documentary pro jects generally focus on social reality and human life, informed by the strong feelings of the photographer.They are photographs with a point of view, focusing not just on events, but on the daily texture of life of their subjects. Many reformist projects in the earlier years of the 20th century were documents of disadvantaged social groups in dire straits, poverty, and cultural alienation. But projects toward the end of the century have tended to be more personal to the photographers, sometimes documenting the photographer’s own social group and concerns. People love pictures. Text without pictures is boring to the mass audience.Drawings and engravings had been used in newspapers and magazines for a long time. As early as the Crimean War in the mid-19th century, photographers were using the novel technology of the box camera to record images of British soldiers in the field. However, the widespread use of cameras as a way of reporting news did not come until the advent of sm aller, more portable cameras that used the enlargeable film negative to record images. The introduction of the 35 mm Leica camera in the 1930s made it possible for photographers to move with the action, taking shots of events as they were unfolding.I`d like to present photo in a in chronological order. In 1908 photographer Lewis Hine was hired by the National Child Labor Committee. He traveled across states, capturing images of children working in mines, mills and on the streets. Here he has photographed â€Å"breaker boys,† whose job was to separate coal from slate, in South Pittston, Pa. this photo was one of the factors that influenced the adoption of laws prohibiting child labor. The photograph depicts 11 men eating lunch, seated on a girder with their feet dangling hundreds of feet above the New York City streets.Ebbets took the photo on September 29, 1932, and it appeared in the New York Herald Tribune in its Sunday photo supplement on October 2. The photo was taken dur ing construction of the GE Building at Rockefeller Center and it is named â€Å"Lunch atop a Skyscraper†. Photo was taken by Dorothea Lange in 1936. This California farmworker, age 32, had just sold her tent and the tires off her car to buy food for her seven kids. The family was living on scavenged vegetables and wild birds. This work helped convince the public and the government of the need to help farmers.Lange later said that this woman, whose name she did not ask, â€Å"seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. † Thanks to the power of images, the explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937, claims to be biggest disaster of the 20th century. In fact, it wasn't even the worst Zeppelin crash of the 20th century. Of the 97 people aboard, a surprising 62 survived. The incident effectively killed the use of dirigibles as a commercially viable mode of passenger transport, ending the golden age of the airship not with a whimper, but with a horrific ba ng that was photographed and then spread around the globe.Of course you know this photo. Soviet Union soldiers raising the flag on the roof of Reichstag building in Berlin in May, 1945. Photo was taken by a Red Army photographer Yevgeny Khaldei. Later took photographs of the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. It is a sad story, because famous photographer, that took such a powerful photo for Soviet Union ideology, was fired in 1947 because he was a Jew. Americans also have their national flag rising. The battle was the first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands.It was immortalized by Joe Rosenthal in 1945. On August 14, 1945 Alfred Eisenstaedt took this photo on Times Square. It is named â€Å"Victory over Japan Day† or â€Å"The Kiss†. That portrays an American sailor kissing a woman in a white dress. The image remains an enduring symbol of America's exuberance at the end of a long struggle. Racial segregation is the separation of different racial groups in daily life activities, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a washroom, attending school, going to the movies, or urchasing a home. The picture shows a man drinking from a segregated water fountain. The photo was taken in 1950 by Elliot Erwitt. June 11, 1963 a Buddhist monk from Vietnam, burned himself to death in downtown in Saigon to bring attention to the repressive policies of the regime. Buddhist monks asked the regime to lift its ban on flying the traditional Buddhist flag, to grant Buddhism the same rights as Catholicism and to give Buddhist monks and nuns the right to practice and spread their religion. While burning monk never moved a muscle.After capturing and executing Che in 1967, before bury him in a secret tomb, the executioners made a group photo with the body, to demonstrate the people that EL GRAN CHE is dead. The picture actually made him a legend, his admirers said he had a forgiving look on his face and compared him with Jesus. On this famous photo South Vietnam’s national police chief pulls out his pistol and executes a Vietcong captain with a single shot to the head. It instantly became an icon of the war's savagery. But it is not so simple.The man being shot was the captain of a Vietcong â€Å"revenge squad† that had executed dozens of unarmed civilians earlier the same day. A photograph, named â€Å"The Agony of Omayra Sanchez† was taken by Frank Fournier in 1985. She was one of the 25,000 victims of volcano which erupted in Columbia on November 14, 1985. Girl had been trapped in water and concrete for 3 days. The picture was taken shortly before she died. Photo has caused many discussions about ethics rules of Documentary Photograph. Steve McCurry took this photo in refugee camp in Afghanistan.Girl was orphaned during the Soviet Union's bombing of Afghanistan and sent to the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan in 1984. Her village was attacked by Soviet helicopter gunships. The image of h er face, with a red scarf draped loosely over her head and with her piercing sea-green eyes staring directly into the camera, became a symbol both of the 1980s Afghan conflict and of the refugee situation worldwide. This is probably the most famous picture you know. This is the picture of a student who tries to stop the tanks in Tiananmen Square standing in front of them.The tank driver didn’t crush the man with the bags but shortly after, the square filled with blood. The photo showed the Chinese that there is hope. However, China is still controlled by a communist regime. The photo is the â€Å"Pulitzer Prize† winning photo taken in 1994 during the Sudan Famine. The picture depicts stricken child crawling towards an United Nations food camp, located a kilometer away. The vulture is waiting for the child to die so that it can eat him. This picture shocked the whole world.No one knows what happened to the child, including the photographer Kevin Carter who left the plac e as soon as the photograph was taken. Three months later he committed suicide due to depression. I do not offer photos of the last few years, because I do not have enough time. And it is too early to talk about the fact that they changed the world. I will show you only one. This photo depicting Jewish woman defying Israeli security forces as they remove illegal settlers in the West Bank of Jordan river. My selection of photos is subjective, you can easily disagree with me.But the format of the report (informative speech) saves me from criticism. Conclusion So as a conclusion I want to say that as for me photo is the most powerful media tool in XX th century. And now, in the Internet epoch, we are reposting photos all the time. Documentary photo has its own tradition, its own rules, their own code of ethics. Sometimes it is on the edge of social morality. Almost all shown pictures somehow influenced the course of history. Some of them were used by ideological regimes. Another part o f them became public. But in the 21st century we know and remember them.

The Fall of Enron Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Fall of Enron - Essay Example It was 1985 when Kenneth Lay’s Houston Natural Gas merged with Nebraskan-Northern Natural Gas Company’s holding company, InterNorth, to form Enron. The two separate companies were primarily dealing with the distribution and transmission of oil and electricity in the United States of America. They were also active in the construction, development and maintenance of power plants, pipelines and other similar infrastructure worldwide (Wikipedia, 2006). Under the new company name, Lay was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and wanted to expand Enron’s market share as he had envisioned for his former venture. Houston Natural Gas had previously been in the business of generating their revenues from junk bonds from which its proceeds were used in the formation of Enron. Kenneth Lay aimed at becoming the biggest player in the energy sector through successful trade earnings from futures contracts (NPR, 2006). To his advantage, Spectrum 7, an oil-well concern welcomed a partnership with Enron a year after its creation. Spectrum 7 was headed by George W. Bush, son of the then-Vice President George H. W. Bush. With falling gas prices in the mid 1980’s, Enron and other gas firms vigorously lobbied for deregulation. The deregulation action came into effect when buyers switched to the cheaper alternative – fuel oil. No doubt fluctuating gas prices allowed Enron to start marketing gas futures; securing gas prices at later date promised to their stakeholders. Similarly, the company lobbied once again for electricity just before selling electric power futures contracts (NPR, 2006). From then on, Enron was aggressive in expanding its services in the water utility sector by creating Azurix that partly collapsed on the NYSE in 1999 and shut down operations in 2001 (Wikipedia, 2006). Jeffery Skilling was hired in 1990 to lead the new division – Enron

Reflection on Demonstrating a Skill Personal Statement

Reflection on Demonstrating a Skill - Personal Statement Example This paper is a reflection of a demonstration of a skill to a peer. I employed Gibbs' reflective cycle which is fairly straightforward and encourages a clear description of the situation, analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience, analysis to make sense of the experience, conclusion where other options are considered and reflection upon experience to examine what I would do if the situation arose again. So while I was there at the clinic where I work, I figured there is someone I can help on some skills. Turns out that there was a student nurse who was in placement for the day, to assist and to observe, and to learn in the process. To prep up, I established some rapport with her so she would feel comfortable with me when the time comes that I would have to teach her some new skills. I also arranged and prepared the things that would possibly be necessary for the work ahead for the day, asking her assistance when necessary so she would become acquainted with them. The first patient arrived, a ten year old girl with her mom, and I greeted them with a smile to make them feel at ease. As a standard procedure, the patient's name was withheld in accordance with The Code of Professional Conduct (NMC 2002). While doing so, I introduced myself and the student nurse to the patient and her mother and explained exactly what my work entailed and what I was going to do. Afterwards, we checked the patient's health concern and apparently, the child is suffering from asthma from time to time and as an aid, she needs to know how to take her inhaler through a large volume spacer to help her with her condition. As such, she needed to know how to use the device so she can readily utilize it when the need arises. So in essence, I had three students watching me demonstrate how to use the device --- the patient, her mother and the student nurse. In this case, I utilized two teaching styles: patient-centered and student-centered. I showed them the device and demonstrated how to put the device together, how to use the spacer and how to maintain it. I did this in a relaxed and open manner to give them an impression that it is rather easy to do it, and then asked the patient to demonstrate back to me what I had just taught them. This is important to see if the patient has understood what has been conveyed to them. Kemm, et al (1995) states that a client is more likely to want to assimilate information that has been conveyed to them, if the planned learning is relevant and made interesting to the individual client. Besides the patient, I also asked the student nurse to demonstrate the skill back to me. In promoting learning in practice, mutual respect and valuing the merit of passing on nursing skills through practice-based learning is crucial (Glen and Parker, 2003). I also provided verbal guidance and encouragement to the patient and guided her when necessary. Role models, according to Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2002), provide an observable image for imitation, demonstrating skills and qualities for mentees to emulate. The patient's visit ended well and before she and her mother left, both of them assured me that they are already confident that they can utilize the device properly and with much practice, it is going to be easier after a while. Hopefully, the new skill helps the patient with easing her poor health condition. Truthfully speaking, I am fully aware that the teaching session went well. I would credit it to the fact that my mentors taught me

Etiology and Treatment of Schizophrenia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Etiology and Treatment of Schizophrenia - Essay Example This essay demonstrates a discussion, that represents the symptoms of the disorder, and of its etiology and treatment. Schizophrenia is a disorder that is distinguished by a major disruption in cognition and emotion, influencing the primary areas of language, thought, perception, affect, and self-concept. The range of symptoms, while various and extensive, usually includes psychotic manifestations, such as hearing internal voices or experiencing other sensations of unconventional importance to normal events or upholding fixed false personal beliefs. There is no one single symptom that makes diagnosis conclusive; instead, such diagnosis covers a pattern or an aggregate of signs and symptoms, that concurrently occur with occupational or social malfunction. Treatment options are frequently related to the clinical phases of schizophrenia, namely the acute phase, stabilizing phase, stable phase, and recovery phase. When possible, this essay links available information to these treatment p hases. Although the Schizophrenia PORT study recommendations are based in research, it may be worth noting that treatment practices fail to comply with these recommendations. The troubling gap between knowledge and practice are attributed to the many barriers that exist in the transfer of information about treatment practice to clinicians, family members, and service users. And yet, the most effective interventions remain to be those that prove to be potent combinations of biological and behavioral treatment approaches.

Project Report on designing and implementing a thematic task-based Research Paper

Project Report on designing and implementing a thematic task-based unit of work which could be used with a mixed-ability class - Research Paper Example Student describes the way they carry out different activities during the day and number of times they do a particular job in an unclean manner. They understand the reason why they are asked to wash their hands every time they eat something. Students understand the different ways in which they can keep their body clean and also take care to maintain the environment clean. Reading: The students are encouraged to read the questionnaire and understand the meaning of words and importance of the concept of cleanliness. The vocabulary and grasping quality of students are enhanced when they read different articles circulated among them. Writing: The students while filling the questionnaire give importance to the spelling which can improve the quality of their writing. Various pictures are drawn and asked to describe. Children are asked to write about the times the things they do to make themselves clean. Speaking: Students are asked question to improve their speaking ability. They are asked about their lifestyle and give brief detail on day to day activities. Discussion among themselves in groups is introduced to have interaction. 1. Students can be lead to a clean place and allowed to sit in a row and asked to give their experience Ask them about any inconvenience or discomfort they have on skin or any occurrence of any allergies lately. The student’s responses can be written on the board. There should be discussions about the features of different bacteria and viruses, where they breed and what situation can destroy them. It should also be discussed about the role played by skin and immune system in order to avoid illness. They should be guided to ways to implement health and clean living. 3. Collect all the response from families and use it at the right time. Once the surveys are done the students should be asked to share all the family information with his class mates. The student

Teaching Reading in the Content Areas of History Article

Teaching Reading in the Content Areas of History - Article Example Student-teacher collaboration and cooperation is essential in understanding the relevance and significance of historical events. Students should be encouraged to use their analytical and logical reasoning while reading history. While lectures and tutorials have their respective importance in conveying theoretical knowledge; yet visual aids and tools enhance the comprehension level of students. Reading is the first and the foremost way of communication between teachers and students. Reading opens the avenues of knowledge for the students, with or without the guidance of teachers. One of the main aims of reading is to understand and process the information and teachers can make reading either fun or boring experience for the students. Reading has a unique significance in the context areas of history. Historical evidence and the hierarchy of events are represented to the readers in their text books in a number of ways. Pictorial, graphical, and illustrative aspects of history text books make the subject matter appealing to the students. However, interactive reading can have multiple benefits in enhancing the levels of comprehension. A number of scholarly articles and publications have been reviewed in this research paper, in order to study the implications of interactive reading particularly in the context areas of history.... Reading should be made an innovative experience for the students and visual tools like charts, props, book marks, sticky notes and paper-plate dials help make reading a fun and interesting experience. Discussion and documentation are also important in reciprocal teaching because students learn through each others’ points of views and keep a record of whatever they have learnt for future reference. Teachers have three primary responsibilities during a reciprocal teaching session: Before reading, activate prior knowledge of words or ideas students will encounter during reading.During reading, monitor, guide, and encourage individuals or groups in their use of Fab Four. After reading, encourage student reflection and ask students to share which strategy helped them the most and why. (Stricklin, 2011) 2. Working with Materials rather than Memorizing Facts ‘I can do this: Revelations on teaching with historical evidence’ explores the common approach in teaching history , which is memorizing dates and facts; but history students need more than that. They need excitement and passion in order to learn about history and comprehend the significance of events. By having students work with materials rather than memorizing parts of the text book, by having students understand and participate in the process of historical thought, and by having a system to analyze student’s historical work, a type of learning where students are engaged in historical inquiry holds great promise for the future teaching of the discipline. (Burenheide, 2007, p.60) 3. Handling PowerPoint Wisely The article ‘Ban the Bullet-Point! Content-Based PowerPoint for Historians’ reveals how PowerPoint can act as a great or a worse tool in classrooms. Maxwell

About horror movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

About horror movies - Essay Example The kind of character they portray in these movies is mostly driven by their ambitions in life. Unlike men who become comfortable with their statuses quickly, women are doing whatever they can to either maintain their facial looks or get the basic human wants (Wada-Marciano 12). A lady like Mrs. Li, for example, goes adopts a behavior of eating dumplings prepared from fetus for the sake of her looks and rejuvenating his husbands love Dumplings (Chan,2004). Greed also contributes to their characters in these horror movies because some of the females are conducting merciless killings just for food. In Onibaba film, we see two women killing soldiers, taking their armor and trading them for delicious meals. Such an action portrays greed because one has to sacrifice life of another for a single meal. Onibaba(Shindo,1964). Ambition and greed are portrayed more horrifying in female than in men. Let us start with Dumplings observations. The film shows the work of the experienced cinematographer Christopher. He applies moving camera shots best seen when Mrs. Li and Mei visits a mansion under construction. The two converse about politics as the camera moves with their talk and moves. The second instance of a moving camera is when Mei seduces Mr. Li inquiring whether the dumplings work Dumplings (Chan,2004). Mrs. Li is rich, so she does not have to pursue material things but she is after her fading beauty. In pursuing her husband’s love lost to a masseuse, Mrs. Li seeks advice from the local Chef Mei, who gives her dumplings to make her younger and beautiful. It works and Mr. Li starts loving his wife again even without an idea of what is happening Dumplings (Chan,2004). Mrs. Li receives compliments from friends for her youth and beauty, but somebody recognizes a fish like smell on her face. Mr. Li asks to be taken to Mei and after taking the fetus dumplings, he falls in love with Mei without

Business Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Decision Making - Essay Example The researcher further uses numerous data processing tools including the SPSS in coding and processing the data thus making realistic conclusion. In data presentation, the researcher uses numerous graphical data presentation techniques thereby making comprehension of the research findings and conclusion easier. With a revenue of  £23.303  billion in the year, 2013, Sainsburys is definitely one of the leading supermarkets in the United Kingdom. The business, which is a chain of supermarkets, retails numerous household goods and groceries thereby targeting a wide market. The company that has survived for more than one hundred years exhibits effective management a feature that influences its strategic operation and expansion plan thereby constantly increasing its market share (Pickton & Broderick, 2005). The business employs different marketing and operation strategies in order to sustain its profitability. Key among its strategies is diversity of both products and services and the expansion of stores within the country. The two strategies are effective in ensuring that the supermarket increases its market share as it enters into new markets. The report below is therefore one that seeks to inform the creation of yet a new store. The decision is important owing to the financial implications of the new investment. Opening up a new store within the city will increase the capacity of the company. However, just as any other business the new store requires effective market research and analysis in order to ensure that the demand in the region will sustain the desired profitability of the store besides increasing the business’ market share in the region. The report follows an extensive market research and analysis that sought to determine the viability of the new store. The research investigated the features of the new target market with

LeGAL ASPECTS of contract administration Assignment

LeGAL ASPECTS of contract administration - Assignment Example Regardless, exclusion clauses are not always enforceable because they do not meet the three-rule test. Exclusion terms are part of virtually every contractual agreement (Culp, 2010). The clauses and related implied terms function by excluding or restricting the entitlements of a party to the contract in the event of a breach (Frey, & Frey, 2000). For instance, if a party to a contract intends to restrict his or her liability, the party is expected to incorporate an exemption clause restricting the amount of reparations that they will be willing to part with in relation to a clearly defined total amount of damages (Round & Shanahan, 2012). In a number of cases, a party may incorporate a written term seeking to exonerate them from any kind of liability for a particular issue that could affect the contract, for example, brittle goods being broken whilst in shipment (Latimer, 2012). This way, exclusion terms function to the advantage of one party to a contract. Generally, an exemption clause in contract law can only be effective if the party relying on it has been reasonable enough in his or her notification of the other party regarding the same (Culp, 2010). The party consenting to the exemption clause must also be cognizant of its inclusion into the contract. Latimer (2012) notes that to secure its enforceability, the following conditions should be met: firstly, the proposing party can serve notice of the exclusion clause on the other party via actual or constructive means. Actual notice takes place when the offerer actually notifies the other party or when it is apparent in the contract and can be seen by a reasonable person (Scott, 2013). Secondly, constructive notice takes place when the offerer had acted reasonably to notify the other party of the existence of such clauses. Lastly, courts may be persuaded to resolve any disputes

Kubla Khan Essay Example for Free

Kubla Khan Essay Born in 1772 in Ottery. St., T.S.Coleridge lead a very disquiet life in his early childhood. After his fathers death he was sent to the Christs hospital school. There he had felt a great emotional vacuum, which was the beginning of his continuos ill health. Charles Lamb, his schoolmate, gave us an account of this period affirming that Coleridge was highly imaginative, who sought refuge in reading old romantic tales as well as Homer, Virgil, and Shakespeare. Perhaps the most influential period in Coleridges life was the period when he met Wordsworth in 1795, after he had left Cambridge. It seemed that in the company of Wordsworth, Coleridge found the mental peace, security, and environmental harmony. This had resulted in the sudden flowering of his genius, a sudden release of his creative impulses, and he wrote The Ancient Mariner, The Christable, and Kubla Khan. Much about the composition and subject matter of Kubla Khan can be detected from Coleridges Preface to that poem: This fragment with a good deal more, not recoverable, composed, in a sort of reverie brought on by two grains of opium taken to check a dysentery This fact raises the issue of the drugs effect on the poets creative imagination. Early critics assumed that there was a direct and immediate correlation between opium and imagination. In 1934 M.H. Abrams declared that the great gift of opium to men like Coleridge was to access to a new world as different from this one; and one which is ordinary mortal. According to Elizabeth Schneider, opium can only work on what is already there in a mans mind and memory and if he already has a creative imagination and a tendency to recall dreams and visions. Then opium may intensify and focus his perceptions. This last interpretation seems to be the most acceptable one, because this is what really happens to Coleridge. Before he began to dream he had been reading the following words of the same substance, in Purchass Pilgrimage: Here the Khan Kubla commanded a palace to be built, and a stately garden thereunto. And thus ten miles of fertile ground were inclosed within a wall. These words, it is quite apparent, formed the background upon which opium worked, encouraging Coleridges mind for imagination. The effect opium had on Coleridges mind manifests itself while examining the structure of the poem itself. It quite obvious that the third stanza is entirely different from the first two ones, as if was written by a human being whereas the other earlier stanzas seem to had been written by a demon or some divine hand. Coleridge himself confesses that he couldnt revive the interrupted composition of the first two stanzas that were written under the influence of opium, and that when he returned to his writing all the rest had passed away like images on the surface of a stream. Perhaps thats why we find it a fragmentary work, filled with strange, unusual imagery, and lacking a rational structure; its rhythms suggest a mind vacillating between conscious and unconscious modes of being. Matter of fact Kubla Khan is reliable to different levels of interpretation. First, the poem could be approached as a descriptive poem that shares the common beautiful characteristics and techniques of most romantic poets, especially when describing natural elements. Still Coleridge described the world of Kubla Khan in terms of the ancient Platonic idea of Dualism; where the world of material existence is described as the world of shadows, and the world of Ideals as the elevated one. Accordingly, Kubla Khan could be regarded as a beautiful expression of the poets longing for some ultimate beauty combining the work of man with those of nature and those of pure imagination; to resurrect lost archetypal worlds within the imagination. In this way the pleasure dome that has been established in fulfillment of the orders of the Tartar Prince can be regarded as an attempt to reach such an ideal world. Thats why the first stanza opens with a carefully constructed image of a walled garden containing incense bearing trees and forests enclosing sunny spots of greenery; a description that adds a paradisal spirit into the place Kubla has created. The ideal spirit and holiness of this world has been emphasized in a variety of expressions: in affirming that in this stately pleasure dome did Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea The sacredness of this world has been further affirmed by the fact that it is girdled round and protected from undesirable or unharmonious influences. This scene that has been described in the first stanza stands in contrast to the opening lines of the second stanza; where the poets But contrasts the planned classical artifact of Kubla with the romantic chasm; the birthplace of poetic genius and true creativity: But oh! That deep romantic chasm which slanted Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover! Now the atmosphere is different: the rational order of the garden has been replaced by a scene outside the walls, which is savage, wholly, and enchanted. This natural scene is, indeed, a more perfect symbol of the reconciliation of oppositions in the world of imagination, thereby more eternal. In this stanza we are, also, introduced to the source of that sacred river- Alph- which is seen as symbolizing Platos theory of Dualism in terms of Mans journey through life in search for the Ideal world: it flows from a mysterious source- (Mans birth)- through a mazy course- (the complexities of life; poetically symbolized by the mighty fountain that burst small stones as if breathing)- to sink tumultuously into a lifeless ocean-(the sea of death). Between birth and death Man is overwhelmed by a dream of permanence- (the shadow cast by the dome of pleasure). This very last symbol has been developed in representing the dome in dream-like terms inaccessible to Man: It was miracle of rare devise, A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice! Thats to say the dome itself- by possessing sunny weather and caves of ice- represent a reconciliation of opposites which is impossible to human life. With the beginning of the third stanza the poem seems to take a new tern of thought. Now it gives us a vivid picture of a poet caught in a spell of poetic inspiration, who, once in a vision, saw an abyssinian maid playing on her dulcimer and singing of the wild splendor of mount Abora. At this point the poem becomes reliable to another level of interpretation. It is a poem about poetic creation. With this consideration in mind Kubla Khan, who caused a pleasure-dome and elaborated gardens to be constructed in Xanadu, is a type of the artist whose glorious creation becomes a balanced reconciliation of the natural and artificial. Similarly the poet enters the poem- using first person pronoun- in an attempt to establish his own dome. If only, Coleridge laments, he could revive within him the maids lost symphony and song, if only he could recapture the whole original vision instead of just a portion of it, then he would be able to establish that dome in air so that his witnesses would declare him to be divinely inspired and form a circle of worship around him. Being filled with holy dread they would cry:

Effects of Tourism on the Economy of the Mauritius

Effects of Tourism on the Economy of the Mauritius Abstract: This dissertation is based on tourism in Mauritius concentrating on how the country became one of the worlds best tourist destination and a detailed report on how tourism influencing the economic growth of Mauritius. The overall development of the country can be assumed through the GDP and per capita income, luxury tourism sector is the main economic growth of the Mauritius which is playing a key role for the social and economic aspects. The technique which used in Mauritius has progressed them from a low-income economy based on agriculture to a middle-income diversified economy Keywords: Tourism, GDP, per capita, low-income, diversified economy 1. Introduction In the sub-Saharan region and in Africa Mauritius is one of the most performing and fastest growing countries. The country has moved from a mono-crop sugar-dominated economy to being services oriented. The main economic pillars of the island are textile, sugar, tourism, and services. People from different parts of the world are attracted towards the real beauty of Mauritius which is in its wild interior, waterfalls, lush forests and endemic wildlife, striking mountains, mild weather. Mauritius offers inspiring beaches and indigo waters, fascinating accommodation, world-class golf courses, spas, waterskiing, windsurfing, fishing, parasailing, and warm hospitality from the locals. [Mauritius-simply divine n.d.] Mauritius has progressed from a low-income economy based on agriculture to a middle-income diversified economy .The main economic growth has been the result of the increase of the luxury tourism sector. When world sugar prices have turn down and the manufacture of textiles has become economically impracticable, the country concentrated on tourist industry. Because of the limited space available for tourism and the need to maximize income while minimizing environmental impact, tourist policies in Mauritius endorse influential and specialist tourism Low budget tourism is not promoted. The Mauritian government encourages boutique luxury hotels, 4 and 5 stars beach resorts, golf courses, and spas and beauty centers for high-end tourism. Accordingly, thus rising from 103,000 in 1977 to 656,450 in 2000, a more than six-fold increase in tourist arrivals. Total number of nights spent by tourist was estimated to about 6.5 million, representing an increase of 13% over 1999. The usual duration of stay works out to around 10 nights and average expenditure per tourist reached about Rs.22, 000. In 2000, gross tourism receipts were 14.2 billion rupees (508.3 million US $) and contributed to about 11% of our GDP. In 2010, tourist arrivals were estimated at about 934, 000 compared to 871, 000 the previous year and 2010 tourism earnings were estimated at about MUR 39.5 billion, up from MUR 35.7 billion in 2009. Gross foreign direct investment (FDI) stood at MUR 10.6 billion at the end of September 2010 against MUR 8.8 billion for the same period in 2009, a 20% gain. The investment went mainly to health and social work activities, real estate, finance and insurance. Tourists are mainly European, French and British. In 1970 Mauriti us had about 18,000 visitors in and between 1985 and 2000 the size of its tourism sector, calculated by the raise in tourist arrivals, grew by approximately 340%. In 2000 Tourism created 30,000 full time job equivalents in Mauritius thus the country tends to be a high cost tourist destination and in 2004 Tourist arrivals were almost 720,000 and in 2008, 970 482 tourists came to Mauritius. Air travel and accommodation are reasonably expensive. Most tourists are on package holidays there is very little independent travel or backpacking. Charter flights have been banned, the resort hotels have been built to high standards and there are high standards of cuisine and service to encourage up-market tourism there are direct flights from Britain and South Africa. [Tourism in Mauritius n.d] Despite concerns about pollution and damage to coral reefs, the amount of resorts come together in parts of the coastline is growing and policy in the country has generally been to regulate contact between Mauritian society and tourists because of concerns about cultural and social problems. The main tourist attractions in the country are its environment, with white beaches, sea, and warm climate and the friendliness of the people and its political and social stability. By attracting Foreign Direct Investment the country is equipped with a highly skilled labor force and a very good infrastructure. Over the last 3 years the average economic growth was 5.6%. As a result the standard of living has gone up the income per Capita has reached 4000 US Dollars. The Government has taken several steps to face globalization and a new economic environment. On the priority list there are high value-added, capital intensive and knowledge-based activities. The Information Technology sector is underg oing rapid changes so as to be fit for the next millennium. The aim is to make Mauritius a centre for high-tech and software services, which can be exported.ÂÂ  [African Economic Outlook n.d] The government of Mauritius has adopted new strategy for developing the local tourism industry which is referred as the opening of the sky action plan. The main idea is to develop new markets, which include penetrating to new countries and new client profiles. Tourism to Mauritius has accomplished consistent growth in recent years and following the government efforts for developing the local tourism sector, it is most likely therefore that the tourism sector will continue growing in coming years. The developed infrastructure, access to cost effective and educated labor, attractive investment incentives and existing linkages with industry representatives in European Union and Eastern and Southern Africa put Mauritius in an excellent position to take advantage of growth opportunities. Following these efforts, the Mauritius government expects an increase in the number of tourist arrivals to as much as 2 millions tourist per annum by 2015. To have a optimistic and flourishing tourism sec tor Mauritius is well known in the African region. With a value added of 9.2% of GDP and has been a key factor in the overall development of Mauritius tourism has emerged as one of the main pillars of the economy and contributes significantly to economic growth. About 65.7% of the tourist arrivals are of European origin, with France supplying nearly half. The Government has been very helpful to investors local and foreign by setting clear policies, get rid of bureaucratic procedures, contributing incentives and creating an environment favorable to investment. There are many factors which attract investors offer- primarily beach tourism and the sun, our strategic location, the image that Mauritius has, hospitality of Mauritian, infrastructure, availability of skilled workers, political stability, business incentives, facilities and environment that make possible investment among many others. The Government of Mauritius conducts its marketing activities through the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. Hotels, though, carry their own marketing and deal mainly with foreign tour operators. The tourism sector has paying attention to considerable FDI. Recognizing the significance of Foreign Direct Investment in terms of capital for further investment and overflow of technological know-how and skills, the government has put forward openhanded incentives to attract foreign direct investment to advance increase the sector. FDI policies towards tourism were once quite preventive as there were fears at that time of creating over-capacity of hotel rooms. However, foreign investment is now permitted in restaurants, yacht, travel agencies among others. It is expected to contribute towards showing the livelihood impact of the tourism sector in terms direct and indirect employment creation, infrastructure and amenities improvement, preservation of the environment and job opportunities for women among others. It will also be a stepping stone in identifying the main challenges facing this sector from the view point of all stakeholders involved. [Economy of Mauritius n.d] 2. Motivation Tourism creates jobs and wealth for the countries, increase GDP/ national income, economic and educational growth of people, and broadens peoples understanding of different cultures. There is a continuous flow of money between countries/states/towns. Depend heavily upon travel expenditures by foreigners as a source of taxation and as a source of income for the enterprises. Therefore, the development of tourism is often a strategy to promote a particular region for the purpose of increasing commerce through exporting goods and services. It provides direct employment for the people associated with occupations in bars and hotels. The standard of living of people increases well and at the same time unemployment is on the decrease. Tourism is an extremely profitable process in loads of countries, especially those in which the process of development continue to depend on this industry because this industry does not require a lot of literacy and also it yields maximum profits with less inve stment. Concerning public there has been much development made for the infrastructures, many buildings has been built inÂÂ  coastal regionsÂÂ  for the comfortable of tourists, road also have been built to ease the travel in those regions. It can say that much has been done to make tourist feel safe in the coastal regions and there are many police stations and police patrols (policemen patrolling on bicycles also). Much work and employment has been created in hotels, that indirectly create jobs for tour operators, tourist guide, taxi drivers. Many places have been protected and the government is doing much to preserve places, fauna and flora in the island. Thus theÂÂ  Tourism industryÂÂ  has had a much more positive impact on the industry on Mauritius and it has been a boon to the economy of the country as many foreigners come to the country and spend much money during their stay 3. Findings and Results Using a number of statistics compiled by the Central statistical Office an analysis of tourism has done by the government authority. A number of ratios are devised and plotted as time series from 1979 onwards. The Ratios calculated are as follows: Number of Nights spent per Tourist, Discounted Earnings per Tourist, Discounted Earnings per Night, Contribution to GDP per Tourism Earnings, Discounted Contribution to GDP per Tourist, Percentage of Nights spent in Hotels, Nights spent per Tourist in hotels and nights spent per tourist in informal accommodation, average expenditure per tourist residing in hotels and average expenditure per tourist residing in informal accommodation. It was bring into being that there has been a plummet in the number of nights spent per tourist for the past years and low-cost earnings per tourist has stayed flat from 1988 to 1998. It was also found that although only 25% of tourists reside outside the hotel sector, those tourists make up 40% of nights spent on the island and represent 14.5% of the earnings accrue from tourism. It was found that from 1990 to 1997, GDP (in 1997 Us $) for European countries has increased by 10% on average, and arrivals from Europe has gone from 43% of the total to 58%, discounted spending per tourist from a number of European countries has remained flat. The main result are that the constant achievement of tourism in Mauritius respites significantly on tourists exist in outside the hotel sector and that in real terms Mauritius has grow to be a cheaper destination for Europeans. Tourists in hotels spend less time in Mauritius than tourists in informal accommodation and this is due to the relative expense of staying hotels compared to staying in informal types of accommodation. Over a lapse of six years the number of nights spent per tourists in both type of accommodation has fallen significantly and it is not a good trend [A paper on tourism in Mauritius n.d.] Table 1: Nights per Tourist in hotelsVsNights per Tourist in informal accommodation Year Nights per tourist (in hotels) Nights per Tourist (informal accommodation) 1990 9.40 18.57 1992 7.86 23 1994 9 16.36 1996 8.33 15.65 1998 7.92 17.18 Figure 1: Nights per tourist (in hotels) Vs Nights per tourist (informal accommodation) Tourism industry adds considerably to economic growth and has been a key factor for the whole progress of Mauritius. In the past two decades tourist arrivals increased at an average annual rate of 9% and in 2000, gross tourism receipts contributed about 11% of the GDP of Mauritius. Table 2: Number of tourist arrivals in Mauritius from 1974 to 2010 Year Number of tourist arrivals(in 1000) 1974 100 1978 200 1982 300 1986 400 1990 500 1994 600 1998 700 2002 800 2006 900 2010 1000 Figure 2: Number of tourist arrivals in Mauritius In particular, financial globalization undeniably presents new challenges and benefits to developing economies, to a small island economy (SIDS) like Mauritius. Given the special features of SIDS in terms of their economic vulnerability, their participation in the global financial markets raises a number of policy issues such as market access, level of financial development, international support and financial stability. Since the late 1980s, with the onset of the financial liberalization programme the integration of the domestic financial system in the global financial markets has been high on the agenda of policy makers. The internationalization of the financial system shaped part of the overall strategy of reaping the full benefits of economic liberalization. Policy makers have been aggravated by encouraging the financial services sector as another major pillar of the economy and creating Mauritius as a regional financial center. In order to integrate the global financial markets the purpose of this work is to emphasize the institutional and policy changes, which took place in the Mauritian financial system. In terms of capacity building; capital flows and improved competence an introduction assessment of the impact of the liberalization of trade in financial services on the financial system will be attempted. In the trade liberalization of financial services, there has been a significant increase in the volatility in net capital flows, namely foreign direct investment and portfolio investment inflows. It is hard to state that financial services liberalization has led to financial stability. In some sections of the financial sector there has been a move towards higher financial efficiency. Domestic financial integration has greater than before but the diversification process is going at a slow pace. The banking activity remains highly concentrated and there are signs of rigidity in banks interest rates. Especially in terms of capacity building and governance the developments in the financial markets have been significant and number of legislations has been passed to modernize the Mauritian financial system and amalgamate the world financial markets. Following an econometric investigation of the impact of financial globalization on consumption volatility, find an evidence of a positive and significant relationship. This is an indication that the level of financial sector development has not reached the threshold level so as to reap the benefits from financial globalization. A higher level of financial sector development will be helpful to harness the benefits from financial globalization. The main policy implications is the further development of the financial sector is crucial for participating in the globalization process of financial markets and reap the benefits in terms of higher economic growth and welfare. Trade liberalization in financial services has guide to higher volatility in capital flows; policy makers should continue to implement institutional changes to integrate world financial markets. International support should be sought for financial sector development and harmonization of regulatory framework. In 2008 real gross domestic productÂÂ  (GDP) grew by 4.1%ÂÂ  in 2010,ÂÂ  up fromÂÂ  3.1% in 2009 but lower than the 5.5%. The government has maintained a growth path, in spite of challenges at home and abroad. ÂÂ  In 2011,ÂÂ  GDP growth is estimated to remain aroundÂÂ  4%. Nevertheless,ÂÂ  thisÂÂ  will depend on the improvement in theÂÂ  main European trading partners, but could be faster if MauritiusÂÂ  reduces its dependence on sending exports toÂÂ  slow-growing traditional marketsÂÂ  and charting a new economic modelÂÂ  more flexible to future shocks. Projections for 2012 put economic growth at 4.1%. To taken as a whole 2010 budgetÂÂ  deficitÂÂ  was estimated at 4.7% of GDP against 6.6% in 2009. It is projected to fall back to 4.4%ÂÂ  in 2011 andÂÂ  4.3%ÂÂ  in 2012. In 2010,ÂÂ  the key Repurchase Agreement (Repo) rate was reduced from 5.75% to 4.75% and theÂÂ  headline inflation rateÂÂ  stood at 2.9% compared to 2.5% in 2009. In 2011 Inflation is expected to increase to 3.0% and 3.9% in 2012. The current account deficitÂÂ  stood at 7.9%ÂÂ  of GDP and isÂÂ  projected to rise to 9.2% in 2011 and 9% in 2012. AmidÂÂ  volatility in the foreign exchange market, the Mauritius rupee (MUR) ended 2010 appreciating against majorÂÂ  currencies. Against the US dollar (USD),ÂÂ  it gained from an average of MUR 31.94 in 2009 to MUR 30.89. [Financial globalization n.d] The government has already committed to a target of one million tourist arrivals on the short term and two million before 2020 in the up-market segment, regarding the volume of tourism. The TDP bring to a close that tourist development in Mauritius will not be controlled. Given these targeted growth Figures the tourist burden on the country in terms of environmental and social impact remains limited. with an accelerating growth especially in the last few years in correspondence with the targets for the first five-year period room capacity is increasing from 9,024 rooms in 2001 to 12,830 rooms in 2006. For example the French coming through Reunion despite the low volume and high quality hotel sector there are regional and domestic markets that seek inexpensive accommodation. Through the informal sector this accommodation has developed. According to a survey executed for the TDP this accommodation has substantial capacity an estimate of 7,000 rooms resulted from this survey. In comparison with the hotel room capacity in the formal sector the occupancy rates are much lower in the informal sector Bed nights sold in the formal hotel sector are about 3.5 times higher than in the informal sector according to the TDP. It should be emphasized that there is a complementary value of the informal sector product in the tourism product portfolio. In the 2000 survey repeat tourists accounting for 33% of the tourists interviewed and probably there are more or less captive customers of the informal sector. If this is the case a value added strategy for this sector will contribute to the economic d evelopment without undermining the high quality profile of the formal hotel sector. [Master plan for air transportation in Mauritius, n.d.] The United States has become Mauritius second largest market. The Americans and Mauritian are expecting that the new American trading relationship will not drop out or it did in the early 1800s. Due to that today, architect of the Mauritian economy as well as Americans who are being actively trade with Mauritius. This invigorated trade with the United States comes at an important time for Mauritius. To weaken the profitability of sugar and clothing exports the country faces many confronts into the future, as a removal of preferential treatment and increased competition in world trade. The government has taken some measures to point out these issues such as investing in training and education, technology sector, introducing more competition in key services, creating an information and communication end also privatizing the communications industry. Mauritius has great hopes for future growth in the U.S. market. The Africa growth and opportunity Act, which offers preferential access for apparel exports to the U.S. market. The country today is planning for the future with an eye in international trade just as Mauritius did in the 1790s to open the island for foreign trade. [Economic growth in Mauritius, n.d.] 4. Comparisons From 1990 to 1997, the GDP per capita for ten European countries sources of tourists to Mauritius has increased. The average increase is of the order of 10% for the 10 countries listed below. Table 3: GDP per capita for ten European countries sources of tourists to Mauritius Country Percentage increase in real GDP per capita from 1990 to 1997 GDP per capita in $ US (1997) Austria 14.7% 25550 Belgium 10.9% 23792 France 9.8% 23786 Germany 14.9% 25592 Italy 8% 19912 Netherlands 18.6% 21370 Spain 13% 13511 Sweden 5.5% 25735 Switzerland 0.7% 35978 United Kingdom 12.5% 21823 Average Increase 10.86% The spending per tourist expressed in 1997 has diminished by 5.6% when the GDP per capita for the above-mentioned European countries has improved by 10%. The proportion of arrivals from the above-mentioned European countries has gone from 43.5% in 1990 to 58.7% in 1997 of the total arrivals respective years. Those simple figures do show evidently that for Europeans, Mauritius has become a cheaper destination. [A paper on tourism in Mauritius, n.d.] Mauritius has received a substantial proportion of its visitors from Europe since the 1980. Today in Mauritius more than 20,000 jobs are produced by tourism sector. Mauritius is having predominantly European Tourists. It is calculated that expense on tourism in Europe is going to increase stronger than its GNP. Even though the GNP-growth per capita in Europe is relatively low compared to the USA and Japan, long-term growth prospects in the European market are positive. As a matter of fact like other sectors, tourism is also a competitive market. Tourist operators are now having more number of tourist destinations in their brochure. In competing markets, like the tourist market, price sensitivity is very high. Given the quality, relative small price changes can lead to large market share changes. Globally, there are many reasons for the increasing value for money. The cost of a typical long distance holidays have dropped substantially. The air fare component is the main contributor to this decline. Mauritius may loose important market shares in the distinct originating markets. Therefore one must conclude that the current tourist strategy has some risks in it, whereas until today the image could justify the high price of the Mauritius tourist product, this may not be the case in the future especially if promotion efforts diminish. But even if Mauritius would be able to pertain its value perception by promotion, this would bring in some views too few tourists with insufficient economic multiplier effects into Mauritius. The current state of the economy may require a significant increase in tourist demand volume. Recent volume developments in the up-market segment make it impossible to compensate the current lay-offs in the textile sector. Among other things the current pricing strategy in the tourism sector is not expected to provide the new employment perspectives. It can even be questioned whether Mauritius is able to retain its current market share in the up market segment as such. Enlargements of the tourist market may imply major changes in the environmental and social structure. Careful environmental planning and design is essential to prevent the island from an urban sprawl of hotel developments. A good water management is necessary to take care of the increase of both the demand for drinking water and the volume of wastewater. Next to that, the residents of Mauritius will be increasingly confronted with tourists, whether in competition for the beach or in associate with the informal sector. Therefore the developments have to go with a balanced social program [Master plan for air transportation in Mauritius]. Rodriguez and Mauritius also have similar comparisons of tourism industry [Tourism and development n.d]. Antigua and Mauritius are the islands which have developed tourism as the major industry and along similar lines with big resorts. [Business Mega n.d.] Figure 3: Distribution of respondents by purpose of visit, 2000 The proportion of tourists coming on holiday went up from 72% in 1998 to 74% in 2000, while honeymooners fell from 15% to 11%. In 2000, tourists coming on business or to attend seminar accounted for 9% of the sample, a figure which is more or less the same as that recorded in 1998. [Tourism Strategy n.d] Table 4: Percentage distribution of respondents by purpose of visit, 1998 2000 Purpose of Visit 1998 2000 Holiday 71.6 73.7 Honeymoon 15.1 11.3 Business/Seminar 8.7 9.2 VFR 2.3 3.6 other 2.3 2.2 5. Conclusion and Future recommendation This dissertation has shown how tourism industry has developed into a major pillar of economic development in a small island economy like Mauritius and comparisons with other countries dealing with the achievement of tourism industry and how tourism helping Mauritius both in economic and social aspects. And also about the drawback of stay in hotels and informal accommodation due to the relative expense in hotels which is not considered as a welcome trend. In future if the government will study more about this and try to solve it according to the welfare for the countrys economic aspects then Mauritius will become a cheaper destination in all aspects. At present the marketing strategy of tourism in Mauritius is mainly based on European countries which can be considered as a negative aspect because if the country concentrate on the advertisements based on a global technique then it will help the economy to a better extent. Government can take necessary actions, if need be, to improve t he impact of tourism on businesses, community, environment, training and infrastructure. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Ms.Georgia Balta for the direction, assistance, and guidance and I also wish to thank my friends and colleagues.

History and Overview of the University of Cambridge

History and Overview of the University of Cambridge Introduction to the University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is located in the city of Cambridge in East Anglia, UK. It is thought that the University was founded 1209 by a group of scholars which splintered away from Oxford following a fallout with Oxford locals. Cambridge University describes itself on its website as a ‘self-governed community of scholars’. The University of Cambridge is made up of 31 Colleges and a total exceeding 150 faculties, departments, schools and various other institutions. The University of Cambridge runs with a fairly small central administrative department, with sections built up of and mostly elected by staff from the Colleges and Faculties. Much of the daily administration of the University of Cambridge is taken care of by teaching and/or lecturing staff. The University of Cambridge describes its governmental structure as democratic. History of the University of Cambridge In its early days the University of Cambridge did not have its own premises and so it made use of parish churches such as Great St Mary’s and St Benedict’s to hosts its public ceremonies. Disputations, lodgings and lectures were held in private houses. Eventually a collective of Lawyers, theologians and Regent Masters began hiring and building larger premises in order to hold lectures and to house lodgers. Many of these properties were acquired in the sixteenth century as part of the Colleges themselves. During the late 1500s, the University of Cambridge began to buy up land in an area known as Senate-House Hill, upon which they built several buildings known as Schools. These are today referred to as the Old Schools. The first College was St Peter’s. It was founded by the Bishop of Ely, Hugh Balsam, in 1284. In 1317 King’s Hall was founded by Edward the second in order to school trainees for the higher Civil Service. Over the next hundred years, the University of Cambridge’s best-known colleges were founded; Clare, Corpus Christi, Gonville Hall, King’s, Michaelhouse, Pembroke, Queens, Trinity Hall and St Catharine’s. Three of the newer colleges, Christ’s, Jesus and St John’s, were formed when some of the smaller religious houses were dissolved. They were set up to provide for younger students in addition to postgradutates. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Colleges nominated the Proctors from amongst their own numbers, and their heads sat alongside the Vice-Chancellor and senior doctors on an advisory council, which came to be named the Caput Senatus. How the University of Cambridge works Research and teaching at the University of Cambridge is administered by several Faculties, and also a few Syndicates. Together, the Syndicates and the Faculties are responsible for every academic area within the University. Teaching and research in Cambridge is organised by a number of Faculties. In addition, a small number of bodies entitled Syndicates also have responsibilities for teaching and research, and exercise powers similar in effect to those of Faculty Boards. The Faculties and Syndicates cover the whole of the academic programme in the University, each being responsible for a broad subject area. There are six Schools in the University of Cambridge, each covering a range of departments and faculties. The six schools each reflect a grouping of subjects, which are as follows; Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Technology. Every Faculty within the University of Cambridge is governed by a Faculty Board. The Faculty Boards carry responsibility for the upholding of standards in teaching, and the provision of research facilities. Each Faculty Board comprises five classes of membership: Professors and Heads of Departments residing within the Faculty, elected members (the teaching staff), junior members who are elected by the faculty’s students, co-opted members and representatives of cognate studies. Each Faculty’s Chairman and Secretary is elected by members of the boards. The Faculty Board, as well as other boards and syndicates answer to the General Board; other Boards and Syndicates are responsible either to the General Board or the Council. Three of the University of Cambridge’s 31 colleges Murray Edwards, Newnham and Lucy Cavendish are female-only; the remainder, the other 28 Colleges, are mixed. There are two colleges only for postgraduates, Clare Hall and Darwin. Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish, St Edmund’s and Wolfson. The remaining 25 Colleges admit both graduates and postgraduates. Oxford and Cambridge The University of Cambridge is the second oldest university in the English-speaking world. The oldest is the University of Oxford. Traditionally the two universities have a long-standing rivalry with each other. Jointly, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge are often referred to as Oxbridge. Famous Alumni The University of Cambridge has been the place of study for many people who have become well-known in their particular fields, or simply well-known to the public. To date, Cambridge graduates have won a total of 82 Nobel Prizes, which is greater than any other university. Fifteen of Britain’s Prime Ministers have been graduates of Cambridge, including Robert Walpole. The University of Cambridge has also traditionally been the preferred University for the Royal Family, with graduates including Kings Edward VII and George VI, Prince Henry of Gloucester, Prince William of Gloucester and Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales Prince Charles. His father, the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, holds the position of Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Famous Alumni include those known from television comedy programmes; Hugh Laurie (Jeeves and Wooster, Blackadder), Rob Newman (Newman and Baddiel, the Mary Whitehouse experience) and Clive Anderson (Whose Line is it Anyway) all attended Selwyn College. Sacha Baron Cohen, best known for his characters Borat and Ali G, attended Christ’s College. John Cleese of Monty Python fame attended Downing College. Peter Cook and Eric Idle (Monty Python) graduated from Pembroke, and Stephen Fry (Jeeves and Wooster, Blackadded) from Queen’s. There is a rich literary tradition amongst University of Cambridge graduates; William Wordsworth to Ted Hughes, Slyvia Plath to CS Lewis to John Milton were all graduates of the University of Cambridge. The full list is exhaustive, covering seminal figures in religion, politics, and science – including some of the greatest minds of past and modern times; Charles Darwin, amd Stephen Hawking.

Physical activity levels among student nurses Essay -- Education, Hea

Introduction of the literature review. The literature review aims at developing the current and, existing knowledge regarding the physical activity in the area of nursing and student nurses, as well as analysing the omissions in the literature within the physical activity among nursing students . An online search was conducted using databases such as Medline, Cinahl, ASSIA, EBSCO, and Science Direct. The limitation of the literature time frame located from 2000 – 2010, using the key words: Physical activity- physical exercise –nursing students –physical activity levels-students .Various combinations of the key- words above were used to improve the analysis of collected and produced research papers and reports - related to the topic. The literature generated includes :clinical ,educational papers and policy document on physical activity. Moreover, the researcher papers published from international sources outside the United Kingdom (UK) ,were considered, because their findings could b e compared to the one in the United Kingdom. In addition ,the literature based on activities, diet and other lifestyle issues amongst general nurses were also included to develop the knowledge base in this area. The results of the search generated approximately 20 articles by which, the researcher decided to review .Most of the literature generated ,investigated the health promotion related behaviour and physical activity among nursing students and nurses. Although a few articles were explicitly based on physical activity in nursing students, the documentation generated combined health behaviours such as physical activity, healthy eating, and fitness, mainly because these three indicators are relevant to a healthy lifestyle. Ana... ...main concerns of student nurses. In conclusion, the studies reviewed recognised various studies that have analysed the PA and other health lifestyles within nursing students’. Many of these studies conclude that, it is even more vital that nursing students improve their health behaviours within areas of health promotion such as PA. This report has identified the gap in the literature about concerning the recommended amount of physical education within the female students’ nurse. Since, they are the future health care providers and role models to the public. Therefore, by conducting this study, the findings of this study will add knowledge to the literature and ,could help to close the gap in nurse student' participation in PA. This will justify the purpose of conducting this research. The following are the research aim, theme, and objectives of this study.

Janes Resilience to Events in Jane Eyre Essay -- Jane Eyre Charlotte

Jane's Resilience to Events in Jane Eyre The novel Jane Eyre was written by Charlotte Bronte in the 1840’s. Put simply, it is the story of a woman who began her life with nothing but aspired, against the odds, to gain recognition and a better social status. Moreover, it is about her ability to cope with situations and make decisions that affect her life and others. Through these qualities it is possible to describe her as a heroine. This essay will aim to show how Bronte conveys Jane’s resilience – her ability to cope and repel suffering – to the audience. It will also show how Bronte shows how Jane could be considered a heroine; not in the clichà ©d sense of fighting evil but more like her ability to choose good over evil, her selflessness, her courage and her overbearing will to continue to live. With such a poor social status (she was an orphan and a women, who were seen as inferior and had far less opportunities in life during the 1800s than men did), no money and no friends the character Jane needed more than a little ambition and feistiness to succeed in overcoming her obstacle-ridden life. Bronte presents Jane at the beginning of the story as a young girl. She is an orphan who lives with her aunt - Miss Reed - but is extremely disliked by her because it was her uncle who adopted her and is now dead. She also lives with Miss Reed’s three children, Eliza, Georgiana and John who also despise her. Bronte communicates Jane’s status in the family early on - Jane is considered an outcast and treated as inferior to the rest of the family. The torment she suffers is clear from the very beginning of the story, and Bronte is quick to associate Jane’s relationship with the Reeds with feelings of mis... ...dly how Jane evolves from a quiet and bullied girl to a full-grown woman capable of loving with all her heart, respecting herself and finding happiness in unhappy situations. Bronte also shows how Jane becomes a strong individual. I think the novel shows very well how badly women were treated in the 1800’s but also why they deserved the same respect as men. It also showed that status in society does not affect whether a person is bad – this contrast is shown by Bronte in Jane, an orphan girl, being good, and the Reeds, a rich respected family, being horrible. Overall it is a very encouraging story, with many tragic moments but also a happy ending. It not only leaves the reader understanding how social status was viewed in the 1800’s but also leaves them with a feeling of hope and the idea that anyone can change who they are, if they are good people.

Academic Performance of Nursing Students

Factors Affecting Academic PerformanceFactors Affecting AcademicperformanceCHAPTER IProblem and Its SettingIntroductionAcademic performance is measured by the standing of rates of grades of student in every subject. Having a high level of performance on the academic area of a student suggest its competency and high level of confidence on its certain field. Students have their own attitude towards learning and achieving a high level of academic performance. The development of their enthusiasm towards succeeding in their own field varies.In order for a student to succeed he needs to be armed with strategies and techniques that will supplement his desire to reach his goals. One way is to have an efficient and adaptive study habit. This phenomenon can be linked to multi factors that affect their study habit. Such factors can be found in their environment, these includes the type of house they live in; the people around them and the level of support they give; the student and his familyâ €™s daily routines; the availability of resources Is this Essay helpful?Join OPPapers to read more and access more than 350,000 just like it! get better grades for studying; and also his family’s economicstatus, etcetera. Calbayog City, geographically, is a large city and it is also the focal point of many municipalities in the islands of Samar. That is why apart from the majority of students with families living in the city, it is also common in schools to have students that live in boarding houses since these students live in places far enough from Calbayog City.Christ the King College, specifically the College of Nursing shares this commonality which brings the researchers to wondering whether there are comparisons and differences among BS Nursing students living in their homes and boarding houses in relation to their academic performance. Statement of the problemThis study aims at finding the factors affecting the level of academic performance among the BS nursing stu dent of Christ the king college. It specifically seeks to answer the following questions:1. what is the profile of the BSN students in†¦

Bishop’s poetry Essay

I agree with this assessment of Bishop’s poetry. Her poems on the syllabus certainly pose interesting questions about identity, awareness and one’s place in the world, indeed the universe, and they do so by means of a unique style. This style is influenced by Bishop’s acute awareness of the poet’s craft and her ability to work with both traditional forms (sestina and sonnet, for instance) and free verse. The questions that interested me most are those posed in ‘Questions of Travel’. These fascinated me because Bishop dedicated so much of her life to travel, yet in this poem she questions the motives behind travel and exploration. One stylistic feature that is characteristic of Bishop is the conversational tone and it is evident in the opening lines, as she states ‘There are too many waterfalls here’. The question raised in my mind is ‘How can there be â€Å"too many† waterfalls? ’ Surely the waterfalls are a sight of natural splendour? Yet, reading on, we see that everything in this place of natural beauty over-powers the poet – the streams are crowded, they hurry ‘too rapidly’, there are ‘so many’ clouds. Why is this? She says that the streams and clouds ‘keep travelling, travelling’ and this poses the question of her own travels; has travel become as monotonous as the relentless waterfalls or is it a type of addiction or compulsion for the poet? This question poses more questions when we consider the poet’s alcoholism and the part played by addiction in her life. The questions raised in the next stanza address themes, which are central to her poetry – home, exclusion, and the quest for new horizons. Bishop wonders if the idea of a place is more satisfying than the place itself – ‘Should we have stayed at home and thought of here? ’ This apparently simple question is loaded with difficulties for Bishop as ‘home’ was never a simple concept for her. She is acutely aware of herself as an outsider in this culture and feels she is ‘watching strangers in a play in this strangest of theatres’. Bishop describes the urge for travel as a ‘childishness’ and the image of travellers rushing to ‘see the sun the other way around’ is an image of thrill-seekers consuming views and experiences without understanding or insight (‘inexplicable and impenetrable’). I find this very relevant, as we live in a society, which is obsessed with consuming things and experiences, often at the expense of understanding. This image also prepares us for the question at the heart of this poem: ‘Oh, must we dream our dreams and have them too? I found this question very interesting because dreams are not reality and there are other references to illusion in this poem – ‘strangest of theatres’ and ‘pantomimists’. The question of why we travel and explore is not explicitly answered in the poem but one wonders if it has something to do with flight or escape from reality. The disparity between the real and the imagined is alluded to again in another thought-provoking question: ‘Is it lack of imagination that makes us come To imagined places, not just stay at home? ’ All of our preconceived, modern ideas about travel – choice, freedom, excitement, broadening of horizons, understanding of other cultures – are turned on their head and challenged in the questions raised here about travel. In both ‘Questions of Travel’, and ‘The Prodigal’, Bishop deals with being away from ‘home’ and returning. In both poems, the idea of returning is difficult and complex; Bishop is not even sure where home is: ‘Should we have stayed at home, wherever that may be? ’ Her sense of displacement is much stronger than her sense of belonging. Similarly, in ‘The Prodigal’, the alcoholic in exile must struggle with ‘uncertain staggering flight/his shuddering insights, beyond his control’ before he can face the journey home. A stylistic feature of Bishop’s work, which I really enjoyed, was her tendency, in some poems, to move from sensory description of the apparently mundane to profound awareness and insight, even epiphany. This can be seen in ‘In the Waiting Room’ where Bishop begins with a description of a dull dentist’s waiting-room, ‘full of grown-up people, arctics and overcoats, lamps and magazines. This is a scene from everyday life in Worcester, Massachusetts. The setting is ordinary, yet the title denotes a place of anticipation and expectation, and raises questions. What can the young Bishop be anticipating or expecting? What is to come? The National Geographic – a magazine we could easily expect to see in any waiting-room – transports the child, in her imagination, to ‘the inside of a volcano’, a far cry from the blandness of the dentist’s waiting-room. The images of other races and civilizations are both horrifying and compelling but the child cannot stop reading them.

How To Write A Good Book Critique: Steps And Suggestions Essay

A book critique is a description, critical analysis, and an evaluation on the quality, meaning, and significance of a book, not a book report, retelling, or a summary, It should (1) focus on the book’s purpose, content, and authority, (2) include the reviewer’s reaction on the strengths and weaknesses of the theories, concepts, and content presented, (3) evaluate how well (in the opinion of the reviewer) the author has succeeded, and (4) present evidence to support this evaluation. Step 1: The first, and most important, – Read the book. Suggestion 1: When you read a book (for its educational value), take notes about it and formulate your thoughts as you go along. (You should be able to write most of your critique without looking back at the book. If you continually are paging through the book as you write, the result is likely to be a string of paraphrases taken from the book, rather than your own evaluation.) Suggestion 2: While reading the book don’t be afraid to consult outside resources (dictionary, the book’s cited references, etc.) for confirmation and/or clarification. Include these findings in your notes. Suggestion 3: Keep in mind that your assignment is to write a 4-page (max) BOOK CRITIQUE, a summary and analysis (not a review) of a particular book’s (author or authors) perspective on a selected topic, not a 20-page paper on the topic. Step 2: To begin writing your critique, start with a centered title in 14 pt New Times Roman Bold, followed by your name in 12 pt New Times Roman standard (not Bold). As an example: Summary and Critique of (main title of the book you read) Submitted by (your name) Step 3: Using the following format, identify the book you read. Author & Author. (year of publication). Complete title of book in italics. City of publication: Publisher’s name. Number of pages. As an example: Marvin E. Lusts. (1997). How to Be Great: Getting Ahead in a Humble Way. New York: Deficient Press, 1997. xvii, 234 pp. Step 4: Write the introductory paragraph (or two). Without using a heading, provide a contextual background (such as for whom the book is intended; what we know about the author; the â€Å"school of thought† represented by this author or work), a statement of the purpose of the book (what the author or editor is trying to accomplish), and the scope of the book (how much ground the author is trying to cover) – you must judge what background information will be helpful and/or necessary for understanding the nature/uniqueness of the book. Step 5: Following a left-aligned, 12 pt Bold New Times Roman heading Overview, write your summary of the book. Your summary should consist of a short, succinct â€Å"overview† of the contents (as opposed to a play-by-play summary of the book), identification of the main thesis or theses, a recap of the supporting argument/logic/rationale, description of the author’s assumptions, and note-worthy statements/wordings/quotations from the book. Suggestion 4: Don’t plagiarize from the publisher’s, reviewer’s, or book seller’s reviews/summaries. They are trying to promote the book, you want to objectively describe the content. Suggestion 5: When you quote from the book that you are discussing, put the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. As an example: The author concludes that â€Å"size does matter, as all the truly great leaders were exceptionally short people† (p. 79). Step 6: Following a left-aligned, 12 pt Bold New Times Roman heading Analysis and Reaction, write your analysis and reaction. For your analysis, objectively evaluate the book for relevance and importance to the selected topic; accuracy, thoroughness, and usefulness, and the author’s objectivity (is the book based on research or personal opinion?) Show whether the author’s main arguments are logically rational (based on testable, factual evidence), logically irrational (based on un-testable espoused theory and rhetoric), or illogical (based on emotional opinion). Comment on parts of particular interest, and point out anything that seems to give the book literary merit. Additionally, relate the book to larger issues. Identify specific issues the book raises and the possibilities the book suggests to you? Suggestion 6: Be careful not to criticize an author just because he/she did not write the book that you would have wanted, or because their position is based on a belief that is diametrically opposed to your personal beliefs (for example, the author belongs to one political party and you belong to another). Only judge a book according to the author’s stated (or blatantly implied) intentions. For your reaction to the book, respond to the author’s arguments/opinions. What do you agree or disagree with, and why. What specific points are not convincing, and what has the author omitted or what problems were left unsolved. Support your argument for or against the author’s opinions with evidence (research findings or by bringing in other authors you agree with). Suggestion 7: When you quote or introduce supporting evidence from other books/authors identify the source by putting the author’s last name, year, and page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. As an example: However, the research has clearly shown that there is no correlation between genetics and leadership effectiveness (Sommebodi, 2001, p. 79). Step 7: Following a left-aligned, 12 pt Bold New Times Roman heading Summary write a summary paragraph (or two). Close with a comment on the overall significance of this work (is it a valuable piece, a useful piece with some minor problems, or a waste of the trees), briefly restate your main points, and comment on whether or not you would recommend this book to others, and why.

My reading experience Essay

This week, I have read seven articles, but only Eudora Welty’s ‘One Writer’s Beginnings† left a deep impression on me because it made me recall my own reading experience and education process when I just saw the title of this article. I could not say I am a writer, but I think I am a totally reading lover. After reading the â€Å"One Writer’s Beginnings†, I think there is a little bit similar between Eudora Welty’s childhood and mine. However, perhaps I did not have the gift of writing, or I did not work hard enough. In another word, I do not have any advantages on writing. Next, I would like to talk about my reading experience, which include three parts, reading before go to school, reading during school time, self-reading experience. Recall my reading experience over the years, book told me stories, taught me knowledge, and always around me, so I have to say that reading is a very enjoyable thing. Remember it was when I came to Seattle not long, that was a sunshine afternoon, a cup of tea was in my hand. Many kids were playing and frolicking on the grass in front of my apartment. That scene made me recall to my childhood. When I was four years old, my mother read to me just like Eudora Welt’s mother did. I tried my best to recall the scene in my mind. I was sad to say I was too young at that time, so I do not remember her tone when she was reading to me, but I still remember the scene at the time, I remember her face when she was reading, her slightly upturned corners of the mouth while Robinson Crusoe saved a person and called him Friday. I remember the wind with a faint smell of the sea when she read the Treasure Island to me, and her cunning eyes when she read DR. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Reading was the memorable part of my childhood, and I had the preliminary understanding of reading, I want to say that my mother was the first teacher of my life who taught me to read. When I was older, my family had to move from Beijing to the ancient capital Nanjing because my father changed his job. My family did not have much money, we had to take the â€Å"green train† (the slowest and  oldest train in China, always crowded, most of passengers do not have seats, not in service right now), and unfortunate I had to leave all my books. Before we got on the train, my father bought me a very old book, the Three Kingdoms from a used books store. I had already known a few words at that time, so my mother let me read by myself, which was the first time I read without anyone’s help. Indeed, I still did not plentiful of words, but it was really excited to say, I knew how to use a dictionary when I was young. Until now, I still remember what the book looked like, it was not any pictures on the cover, just the book’s name, â€Å"the Three kingdoms† on the dark blue cover of the book, every page in this book was yellowish and rough, the smell was not so good, it was smell like a mixture of soap and gasoline. However, I cherished this book, I slept with it, and sometimes I fantasized about the battle scenes were described in the book. After that, I started to read some books that use my father’s words â€Å"for men†, such as â€Å"the Art of War†, â€Å"the Old man and the Sea† and â€Å"the Sun Also Rises†. During my childhood, the books always around me, they let me always happy even in the tough environment. Furthermore, the books let me understand this world more than the other kids who were the same ages as me. I think these all attributed to my parents. Time flies, after lived in Nanjing for two years. Finally, I went to school, I was later than other peer children. At the beginning of the primary school, I could not adapt to the reading method. Gradually, I started to realize that reading in school was not for fun, it was for studying. At school, I read a lot of articles and poetries such as Confucian Analects and Tang Poems. The classical Chinese is fantastic before I understood their magic I did not think it was reading, I even queried that is this Chinese? However, from the study of gradually, I gradually could understand how beautiful are they, sometimes, Classical Chinese expresses artistic conception and feeling to describe a scene or a thing. Anyway, reading a classical Chi nese’s article is an extremely difficult task, except for the uncommon words, the most difficult part is feeling. It is worth mentioning that learning classical Chinese literature strengthened my foundation of reading and strengthened my understanding of articles, let me got the advantage on reading in the future. Fortunately, they did not ask me to read the classical Chinese article every day, I had found that I still can read for fun even in school. I read a lot of Eastern and Western  articles, the first book I read in school was Mark Twain’s the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, in this book I saw a real person who is innocent and lively, is eager to take risks, the pursuit of freedom called Tom Sawyer. After that, I started to read western literary classics such as Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Boule de Suif by Maupassant. For Eastern author, I read almost all of Lu Xun’s and Lao She’s articles. Lao She’s Rickshaw Boy was very famous. Reading this kind of literature let me understand many things about our society and people. The beautiful words in these articles aroused my desire for writing. In these years of reading experience, I tried to write something by my own, but my writing skills are not improve any more, my mother told me that I could write a diary, I know it could be a good way to improve my writing skills, but I always lack a kind of perseverance to stick to it. In my own words, I think writing would be fun, so I just try to write something for fun, and I also think more reading will help. Let me use the words from Eudora Welty’s One Writer’s Beginnings, â€Å"By now I do not know whether I could do either one, reading or writing, without the other.† I think here the author points out that reading and writing is not separate, they are connected to each other. For me, I think I should write practice more for my writing and have fun on that. For now, speak of my whole reading experience, no matter formal or informal, both are the key treasure in my life. I hope one day, I c an write my story for other people to read. Maybe one day, I will hear the voice too, just like Eudora Welty. In Eudora Welty’s article, she introduced the reading and writing experience to me, they are very worthy to me to learn,