My Yoga Experience

In the contemporary world, life can really be hectic and stressful. The influx of schedules for work, school and others have taken most of the time of people's daily routine. Leaving them with little time for themselves to unwind and relax. This is the point when people start to get saturated from their lives thus the feeling of lethargy and void. They tend to look for an escape to the world of routines and deadlines. But vacations or leaves should not be just once or twice a year, these activities should be embedded into people's everyday lives. I, for one, have experienced overworking myself to the point that I have neglected the state of my health. I was too busy that I have forgotten to eat regularly and to sleep on time. Basically, I was so engrossed with my work that I became unaware of the negative effects of my actions. As a result, I was exhausted all the time, I got sick more often and my body began to deteriorate externally and internally. When I realized that these consequences could really harm me, I started to modify my schedule. I gradually lessened my work load and allotted more time for wellness and relaxation. I found yoga as the best method for natural healing. Ever since I became involved in this kind of physical exercise, days of restlessness and fast-paced itineraries were long gone. Yoga have really changed the way I live my life. It is not only the toning of the physical body but of the mind and spirit as well. Yoga is holistic experience that strengthen all the aspects of being human. For centuries, yoga have been practiced as a form of relaxation and exercise that emanated in India. According to Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, yoga means â€Å"union. † It is presumed that the term â€Å"union† describes the relationship between the â€Å"mind, body and spirit. † More so, yoga is also called â€Å"asana† which refers to the â€Å"practice of physical postures or poses. † It is part of â€Å"eight ‘limbs’ of yoga wherein the â€Å"the majority of which are more concerned with mental and spiritual well being than physical activity† (Pizer, 2007, â€Å"What is Yoga? †). Moreover, based on advaita vedanta, a yoga philosophy, the goal in life is to determine true origin or nature of oneself which is also typically called by many as â€Å"self realization or God realization† (Advaita Yoga Ashrama, 2008, â€Å"Four Margas or Paths of Yoga†). To fully appreciate the world of yoga, I also studied its history and fundamental principles. Yoga originated from the â€Å"Indus Valley civilization. † The term yogi is accredited to those who practice yoga. For the yogis, yoga techniques are actuated to attain amplify spirituality. Also, they â€Å"encourage the union with the finite jiva (transitory self) and with the infinite Brahman (eternal self) which is also used to refer to ‘God'. † Yogis believe in Pantheism which teaches that â€Å"God is everything† wherein God is an an impersonal, spiritual substance, coexisting with all of reality. Through this doctrine, human beings can be considered as a God but because of ignorance people cannot comprehend they are God. In order to resolve this dilemma, enlightenment or an experience of union with God is needed (Allaboutspirituality. org â€Å"History of Yoga†). Before I started to practice yoga, I was a little bit apprehensive. I thought from what I saw on the television and magazines that doing yoga would only entail stretching and meditating. Also, the testimonials who have tried yoga have affected my judgment about it. Most of them disclosed that yoga is a form of physical exercise that tones the body. I was skeptic that it would bring me relaxation and tranquility because my mind usually wanders whenever I am idle and physical activities are not my idea of leisure. I finally tried yoga when my friend insisted that my preconceived notions are incorrect. So to end our bickering about the subject, I decided to attend a class. After only one session, all my assumptions were falsified. It came to my surprise that yoga is nothing what I have imagined. In an instant, I fell in love with yoga and I clamored for more so I took it up regularly. The practice of yoga had really improved my body, health and even my outlook in life. What sets yoga apart from other natural healing methods is that it aims for perfection. Practitioners of yoga must try to naturally attain perfection to achieve enlightenment. However, in order to get there, one should eliminate being self-centered. The path to perfection must be free from hurdles that would make practitioners of yoga deviate from their original goal. So, intense discipline of the mind, body and spirit are the fundamental factors needed to make perfection materialized. At a cost of $12 to $16 per session, attending yoga classes is really cheap. But there is a more inexpensive way of doing yoga which is by taking bundle sessions that cost about $50 to $190 for 10 sessions. I chose the bundle sessions because achieving the effects of yoga do not happen overnight, it will take some time, effort and dedication before a practitioner can see and feel the results. During the beginner's phase of my yoga classes, my instructor taught us different positions and the seven â€Å"chakras† or energy centers. The first chakra is â€Å"Muladhara†which is located below the spine. This brings stability and solidity to yogis. The proper posture for this chakra is the â€Å"setu bandhasana† or â€Å"bridge† which revitalizes the thigh and abdominal muscles. The second chakra is called â€Å"Svadhisthana† which connotes sweetness and it is located at â€Å"the lower abdomen and womb area. † The â€Å"Bhujanasana or The Cobra† is the appropriate position for this chakra which starts with a lying position then the upper body is slowly drawn upwards. The third chakra is called â€Å"Manipura† which when translated refers to yellow lustrous gem. â€Å"Manipura† chakra can be found at the area of the solar plexus and the navel. This chakra can channel will and power if the correct posture is used. The â€Å"Dhanaurasana â€Å" or â€Å"The Bow† position concentrates on the belly. It massages the muscles for easy digestion. The fourth chakra is â€Å"Anahata† which is situated at the heart and its function is anything that concerns with love. â€Å"Ushtrasana† of â€Å"The Camel† is the best position to open this chakra. â€Å"Visuddha† is the fifth chakra which is positioned at the throat. This chakra can purify the body using its corresponding posture called â€Å"Matsyasana† or â€Å"The Fish† which is good for â€Å"opening and calling attention to the throat. The sixth chakra is called â€Å"Anja† which means â€Å"to know, to percieve, to command† while the last chakra is â€Å"Sahasrara† that means thousandfold. â€Å"Anja† is located at the head around the area of the third eye while â€Å"Sahasrara† is the crown o r the topmost part of the head. Both chakras can be opened using the seated yoga Mudra which will bring attention to the head of the body (About. com â€Å"Chakras and Yoga Postures). All of these postures can vary depending on the yogi. It must be balanced with proper body postures and breathing to feel the healing power of yoga. More so, it is important to note that there are several stages of yoga and practitioners must know their body limits to avoid straining the muscles and accidents as well. Yoga have helped me in many ways to improve my self. I joined yoga classes unaware of the many benefits that I could gain from it. My lifestyle is now free from stress and tension. Moreover, yoga have trained me to be more disciplined in keeping my body, mind and spirit healthy. Now, I can enjoy life at my own pace without any worries and insecurities and I can also appreciate more the beauty of nature. Works Cited â€Å"Chakras and Yoga Postures.† 2008. About.com. 22 July 2008 ;http://healing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm? zi=1/XJ/Ya;sdn=healing;cdn=religion;tm=264;f=20;tt=14;bt= 0;bts=0;zu=http%3A//members.tripod.com/%7Ekira_lis/chakra1.html; â€Å"Four Margas or Paths of Yoga.† 2008. Yoga108.org. 22 July 2008 ;http://yoga108.org/pages/show/7-four-margas-four-paths-of-yoga;. â€Å"History of Yoga.† 2008. Allaboutspirituality.org. 22 July 2008 ;http://www.allaboutspirituality.org/history-of-yoga.htm;. Pizer, Ann. â€Å"What is Yoga?† 26 November 2007. About.com. 22 July 2008 ;http://yoga.about.com/od/beginningyoga/a/whatisyoga.htm;.

Should there be separation of church and state?

Ancient Greek civilization and culture continues to be one of the landmarks of world history because of the invaluable contribution that the Greeks have made in virtually all areas of human endeavor. However, civilization is not static and Greek society was swept into the same historical process that led all societies to the modern world of capitalism. What is distinct about Greek society today is the direct role that the church plays in the realm of politics, where most other countries have developed forms of government that excluded the direct participation of religious entities. What is the church’s role in the Greek state of affairs? Should there be a separation of powers of church and state in the context of Greece? The Orthodox Church in Greek Society The Orthodox Church traces its roots to the Orthodox Church based in Constantinople. It is the most dominant religion in Greece, claiming influence over 90% of the country’s population, a very wide political base that could determine the winner in national elections.   The subsequent nationalization of the Church further institutionalized its political power and created a culture/national identity where traditional church values are the core (Geographic 2004). Like most church hierarchies, the Greek Orthodox Church has always played as a conservative political force. It supported the monarchy and also aligned itself with the right wing military junta in the 1960’s in order to wage a common battle against a common threat – communism (Maniatis 2002). It also perceives pluralism and other liberal ideas as a challenge to its monopoly in the cultural sphere and has vigorously opposed such influences. It’s involvement in politics resulted in factionalism but nevertheless, it has undeniable influence over government policies and programs (Geographic 2004). Currently, Orthodox Church officials are actually employed by the government through the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs which incidentally, also manages the properties of the church (BBC 2005). Recently, scandals rocked the Orthodox Church with allegations of embezzlement, smuggling and bribing of judges. On the Separation of Church and State From the perspective of a person outside looking in, I believe that there should be a separation of church and state. This position is based on the premises that the Church (or religion in general), especially if it is conservative promotes an ideology that preserves the traditional way of life and the status quo in society. If the church is part of governance, naturally it ensures the consistency of laws, policies and programs with the tenets of the church. For instance, because homosexuality and divorce is contrary to Church teachings, it leaves out the agenda of women and gay’s rights. Because the Orthodox Church opposes multi-culturalism, it promotes religious and cultural discrimination to governance. Because science is contrary to church teachings, how then can scientific study be actively promoted by government institutions? As such, government can not effectively respond to the breadth of social issues first through objective study followed by the institution of measures appropriate with empirical evidence if there is no actual separation of church and state. Finally, if the church also functions as part of Civil Society, or as a check and balance to government, it can not do so if it is employed by that institution with its officials actually receiving salary from it. It would be a case of conflict of interest and undermines the interest of the public. List of References Geographic (2004) Greek Church and State.  [18 February 2008] BBC One Minute News: Europe (2005) Greek Church Plans Scandal Summit. Available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from

Racial and Criminal Profiling: a Deductive Argument Essay

Erin Callihan, AIUSA, states that â€Å"Increased national security should not equate to decreased civil liberties. All people are entitled to due process and other basic human rights and constitutional protections† (Amnesty International). Racial Profiling, according to Amnesty International, occurs when race is used by law enforcement or private security officials, to any degree, as a basis for criminal suspicion in non-suspect specific investigations. The Constitution, which is arguably the most important document of the United States, clearly states that every person has the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This document sets the American people apart from many other countries in that it is supposed to give us equal rights. An issue that has risen in the United States time and time again and has threatened this equality is that of race and racism. Now in law enforcement from the levels of your local police department to that of prestigious FBI units there is the specialization in profiling, racial profiling to be more exact. Racial profiling has not only proven to be largely unsuccessful, but it is violating our equal rights ending up in over representation in America’s prisons and discrimination in the real world. Race is a socially constructed form of categorization that has often been misunderstood, leading to different forms of racism. It is a set of shared interests, characteristics, and culture. Race is an illusion that has been created to construct identity. Identity is not totally decided by you, but chosen for you by what people have decided about you. The way that people see other people and things as right or wrong depends on the culture you, the individual, is living in. This then makes identity as something that is mostly cultural. Race is like a stereotype, or over generalization, that is making prejudices that lead to racism. A prejudice is any preconceived opinion without correct or adequate information. Through something that is socially constructed through culture, like race, Race is difficult to measure and apply to people because it is self identified. According to Ailya Saperstein and Andrew M. Penner in their article â€Å"The Race of a Criminal Record: How Incarceration Colors Racial Perceptions†, â€Å"Most research on race in the United States treats race as an intrinsic characteristic of individuals, a fixed group membership ascribed at birth and based on one’s ancestry† (93). This is difficult to put into use in the real world because if you have one idea of what each race is you will find that people are different depending on where you are, the time period you are there, the amount of interaction with other cultures, and the history in that land among many other variables. An example of this would be how I was considered to be really Mexican at UCSB, yet I am considered â€Å"White washed† by my family, and I consider myself to be a combination of both as well as Colombian. As having been grown up first generation American it is very hard on me to have been Latina. When I studied abroad last year in Argentina I was not considered Latina at all, but White. The Argentine had a different perception of race and insisted that it didn’t matter where your parents were from, it only mattered where you were born. The majority of the population does not fit into only that one mold most researchers have put them in. Race is affected by the population in power and as such can be seen as a form to keep the status quo. The minorities in a society are often the ones that have a negative reputation and have to deal with the social construct others have made about them. Examples of minorities would be Blacks, Latinos and Muslims. The three races have faced a lot of scrutiny here in the United States. They have been accused of being a large part of the crime population, being uneducated, and being terrorists. Although most are not this is the stereotype they have to live with every day. When you are part of the majority you get to make up your own identity, which usually ends up being positive. When you are part of the majority, in the case of the United States this would White, it usually means you a doing well or better than others socially. Other things associated with Whites would be a higher education and the suburbs. As the dominant culture all the laws that are created have had them in mind. Racism is institutional prejudice and as such it is hidden. Therefore in order to be racist I would argue you need to be part of the dominant culture. There is a misrepresentation in the incarceration is an example of racial profiling as being unconstitutional. The majority of the population of incarcerated rates is made up of Blacks and Latinos. Can it be that they are truly a crime committing race and since Whites are educated they perform less than half the crime? The answer to this is no. African Americans have long been subjugated to felons since the history of the United States began. They were seen as lowly and uneducated and convicted of crimes they did not commit. Unable to fight back due to the fact that no one would listen or care even if they knew they were wrong they had to endure punishment. It is a fact that if you are part of the dominant culture the punishment will be less severe. The thing about the Rodney King incident that enraged people was not whether he was guilty or not it was the manner in which he was prosecuted. He was beaten severely unfairly without being able to have a trial to see if he was guilty. In the eye of the law you are â€Å"innocent until proven guilty†, and Mr. King was never given a fighting chance. Another example of discrimination through racism would be the immigration law in Arizona that â€Å"requires police officers, â€Å"when practicable,† to detain people they reasonably suspect are in the country without authorization and to verify their status with federal officials† according to Randall C. Archibold of the NY Times (par. 22). How is a person reasonably suspect of being an illegal? This is done those physical features. The fourteenth amendment provides protection against unreasonable searches based on race. Is this law not an example of that? Saperstein and Penner argue that racial profiling, through incarceration rates, affects the individuals, families and communities (93-94). If we start from the top we see that Latinos and Blacks do not constitute even half of our government making it misrepresentative of our population. One way racial profiling affects the individual is by making it harder for them to obtain a job, let alone a well paying job. Sometimes the individual has to work at a young age to help their parents with rent and other necessities. This is why we see and therefore associate Latinos and Blacks in low income neighborhoods. Once you are part of the minority and have been incarcerated the odds of you succeeding in life get significantly slimmer. According to Saperstein and Penner if you have been incarcerated for something narcotics related then you are disqualified for a lot of the aid the government offers. In your FAFSA application you are asked if you have been convicted of any drug related felony. If you press yes then you are not eligible for financial aid. Since most of these families cannot afford to send their children off to college that option completely diminishes. As a result you have communities with low income, who are most educated to the high school level, if that with high unemployment. Let’s put aside the fact that racial profiling goes against the constitution and look to see if it actually works. According to sources the FBI’s use of criminal profiling has a low success rate. Their success rate can be equaled by that of psychics some would argue. Captain Ron Davis of the Oakland Police Department said it best in September 9, 2003 to NOBLE when he stated that â€Å"Racial profiling . . . is one of the most ineffective strategies, and I call it nothing less than lazy, sloppy police work. It’s basically saying you don’t want to learn about your community, you don’t want to learn about people’s behavior, you don’t want to do your job, and don’t want to investigate, you just want to stop a lot of people and see if you can come up with some statistical number at the end of the evening. . . .†. (Amnesty International) There has been criticism on the process because essentially what you are is forgetting about the hard evidence and guessing up a picture of what the perpetrator looks like. Profilers have forgotten was fieldwork is and have become armchair professionals that don’t need to go to the crime scene to get insight. In Macolm Gladwell’s What the Dog Saw he describes the job of a profiler as relying on typology to paint a picture of the killer. Most of reasoning behind this technique is that of homology, the relationship between the culprit and the action. Gladwell noticed that there were two categories of killers, organized and unorganized. The organized chose their victim carefully and went through great measures to not be caught. The disorganized killer chose their victim randomly with usually high stakes of being caught. Gladwell finds out that people don’t fall strictly into one category therefore crimes don’t fall into one category. You can have the same crime done for different motives. By relying on connections they are making up based on theories they have made up that have made this guessing game that Gladwell calls a â€Å"party trick† (354). The moral of his story being in a way like Einstein’s in that if you get enough wrongs you eventually get a right. However, there is too much a stake, one of these being people’s lives, to play a guessing game at that level. Racial profiling and Criminal profiling are unconstitutional and frankly a waste of time. Racial profiling opens the door and accepts discrimination to uphold the status quo. Criminal profiling is a waste of time, tax dollar money and obscured by racial profiling. Let’s stop with these erroneous short cuts and actually take the time to evaluate what racial profiling actually does to others. Works Cited Amnesty International | Working to Protect Human Rights. Amnesty International USA, 2011. Web. 20 Mar. 2011. Archibold, Randall C. â€Å"Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration.† New York Times 23 Apr. 2010, New York ed., A1 sec. New York TImes, 23 Apr. 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. Gladwell, Malcolm. â€Å"Dangerous Minds.† What the Dog Saw: and Other Adventure Stories. Camberwell, Vic.: Allen Lane, 2009. 336-56. Print. Saperstein, Aliva, and Andrew M. Penner. â€Å"The Race of a Criminal Record: How Incarceration Colors Racial Perceptions.† Social Problems 57.1 (2010): 92-113. JSTOR. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.

Robotics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Robotics - Research Paper Example This paper reviews the unethical implications related to the use of these lethal weaponry. It provides a platform of reasoning for the policy makers, the political class, military personnel, scientists and the general public on the impending consequences of replacing humans in war with robots. It evaluates both the adverse effects of rapid change from humans to remote controlled robots and lately, to automated robots capable of sensing, hearing, communicating, acting and the extend of their necessities. In the evaluation and analysis, the review attempts to center around the ethical implications surrounding usage of automated robots in the modern warfare. Introduction and background The use of automated robots has a long history which began in the late 1980s when researchers got involved in the investigations on the use of multiple mobile robot systems. Previously, most researchers have carried out research which mainly concentrated on distributed problem solving mechanism. The main areas of concern by then were multi- robot motion plan, architectures for multi- robot cooperation and cellular robot system. Humanoid robots were first used in factories. They were capable to carry out production work without human assistance. The use of mobile and remote controlled robots in the military began back during the World War II and the cold war. The Germans through Goliath tracked mines and Soviet teletanks (a soviet built robot tanker) were used. The predator planes or drones were first used by the CIA officials in collection of intelligence in a fantasy environment. The aerial robots could collect intelligence for the military officials. Traditionally, robots were regarded as a topic for fiction by scientists in warfare. The modern concept of use of robots in the warfare began to develop with the use of mechanics and the introduction of electrical power. As time went on and many soldiers lost their lives in the battle field, there arose need to automate robots so that they could take the role of humans. This was after the rise of issues of human rights in the 1920s, although with concern and focus on the aggressor. This is the time that humanoid machines were developed and the myth of use of robots forgotten. It was now a reality (Parker 1-10). Robots are now gaining momentum in the modern warfare, although their use dates far back in the 19th century. Automated robots are proving to be efficient in the battle field as they reduce human loses and can easily penetrate in dangerous zones and perform effective and efficient. It is now common that robots in form of unmanned air vehicles are widely used by the US in destroying their enemies. This is evident in the Middle East wars, for instance Iraq, Afghanistan and collection of intelligence in South Korea among other regions of the world. Today, the drones used in war are controlled by pilots on the ground but with technological advancement, the pilots will be able to dial in when needed by the rob ots to take a specific action. The officer would be like managers in the future as robots undertake their roles. This trend of deploying autonomous robots in the battled field is quite worrying with regard to the ethical use of these systems in conflicts. This technological advancement generates more questions that are unanswered. The central question rests on the principle of discrimination of the combatant, non combatants and the organizational structure of the

Creation of a paper on how you would research a business sector and Assignment

Creation of a paper on how you would research a business sector and how you would structure a project report - Assignment Example ournemouth, Solar Simple Ltd in Worcester, Rain Wind Sun in Swindon, Green and Co Renewables in Rushden, Solar Power UK Ltd in Braintree, Impact Renewables in Leeds and numerous others scattered all over the United Kingdom’s geography. (UK Renewable Energy Companies, 2012). These companies provide energy solutions to replace conventional energy forms, solar , nuclear and wind energy being a popular choices due to convenience. The Government has also taken an active interest in this sector due to gravity of the environmental threats currently facing the planet and thus the Government has committed itself to help businesses in this sector develop successfully. Their goal for 2020 is to achieve 15% of their total energy from renewable resources. Another reason why the Government is especially interested in the development of this sector is because it has generated great interest from foreign investors. In additional to the investment that this will bring into the UK, it will create a multitude of job opportunities. The UK however needs to improve its infrastructure to be able to deal with and reap the benefits of this investment. (The UK Renewable Energy Sectors, 2012). Research has shown that the UK will be able to reduce almost $17 billion of its per annum energy costs if it sticks to its renewable energy plan. Soon the Government will introduce a bill that will detail the fine print of this energy saving plan. (Hussain, 2012). It becomes quite clear that due to the immense foreign investment and jobs this sector is generating, it has a large scope in the business world. The size of the sector is also expected to grow into the foreseeable future as demand for alternative energy forms increase in the face of depleting resources of conventional energy forms and a growing awareness of the damage they have caused to the earth and its environment and how usage of clean, renewable energy is better for the planet and its people. Carbon emissions are expected to

Social Performance of Organizations (Apple) Essay

Social Performance of Organizations (Apple) - Essay Example The nature of the company, like many other companies, is that it has a mother company and other regional subsidiaries. All the products are identical irrespective of which subsidiary produces them. The organization structure is simplified depending on Apple Inc.’s regional distribution. Below the Apple Operations International are Apple Operations Europe, distribution retail holding and sales international. The structures below the operations are themselves very large. Critical decision-making that affect the entire Apple Inc are made at the top and directives communicated to subsidiaries as policies. Some of the services that Apple offers its customers include an online store from which customers can find many updated software and applications free of charge. Such free services give customers the confidence to consume the company’s products with the knowledge that there is always service beyond purchase. In regard to the organizations external environment, competition and product incompatibility with related technology are factors that may affect its success. Before Google launched and sold out android software, Apple Inc gave Google such a stiff competition in the market. Apple’s iPhones dominated the US market in a manner that was unprecedented. Although Microsoft also had Windows Phones in the Market, Apple still led the pack. However, Google’s launch of Smart Phone application at affordable price to other competitors soon weakened Apple’s grip on the market. In fact, Google had intended it to be so. By the year 2012, Apple Struggled to catch up with Samsung. That is because whereas Apple’s products are relatively expensive, Samsung came up with a strategy, which involved making cheap quality phones that targeted the wider Asian and African market majorly. Based on Android technology, such cheap phones appealed to a wider audience. Despite the fact that Apple may not be the leader in smartphone

Case Study On A Patient With Necrotic Fasciitis Essay

Case Study On A Patient With Necrotic Fasciitis - Essay Example It spreads easily on the focal plane within the affected tissue. Depending on their origin, they can be categorized as poly or microbial. The monomicrobial infections occur due to group A streptococcus. It is common among the healthiest individuals, and those who historically experienced such cases such as trauma, intravenous drug, and surgery. Studies indicate that the post-operative necrotizing fasciitis accounts for twenty eight percent of all the other cases (Davis et al, 2008) . As noted by Chsn, Withey, and Butler (2006) 3 percent of wound infection occur as a result of a vein stripping, and saphenofemoral junction. Other studies showed that incidences of NF have increased and there occurance rate is thought to range between 0.4 to 0.53 each year in the U.S (Anaya & Dellinger, 2006). Worth noting, is the fact that both pre-existing co-morbidities, the young and healthy persons are affected. Various studies have explored this area, however, early diagnosis for a satisfactory tre atment is still a challenge (Balaji, 2008; Anaya & Dellinger, 2006; Cha & Falanga, 2007). With a view to close up this gap, this paper explores the case study of a twenty one year old woman with a history of Knee trivial injury (Diagram 1). The patient was first treated and admitted for septic arthritis. It was followed by diagnosing her with necrotizing fasciitis, which was treated successfully. Background information. NF or the Necrotizing fasciitis involves a soft tissue severe infection reported to rapidly progress into the human tissue (Balaji, 2008). The disease progresses into the subcutaneous and fascia tissues and in some cases can affect the skin and other muscles. From the 18th century, this rare infection has been identified by different names such as hospital gangrene, Foutnier’s gangrene, phagedena gangrenosum, and the Meleney’s gangrene (Ahn, Mulligan, & Salcido, 2008). Ahn, Mulligan, & Salcido, 2008), Anaya & Dellinger, 2006). This disease is common to individuals with immune systems that are compromised after some chronic illness. A good number of infections are as a result of organisms which can be found in the skin of an individual (Chan, Withey, & Butler, 2006). The disease occurs in those individuals having an apparent normal condition. It starts locally at the trauma site which could be minor, non-apparent, or even severe. The patients have been reported to have pain complaints, which may appear excessive even from the extern skin appearance. The patients, on the other hand, have been reported to display signs such as fever, inflammation, and tachycardia (Balaji, 2008. The Case study. A twenty one year old woman from an emergency department of a different hospital was referred to the orthopedic unit. The patient had no co-morbidities, and had a trivial injury history of her right knee. Accidentally, she hit his right knee to a wall some days back, thus sustaining an abrasion on the knee. She complained of pain on her knee th e following day hence being forced to stop working. The pain increased during the night, and was forced to attend the department of emergency the following day. She had been referred to the emergency unit with suspicions of cullulitis or sepatic arthritis. When she arrived, she had a systematically stable and a febrile though considerable pain. Her joint had reduced movements, but increased pain. The vascular and the neurological limb examinations of the patient were

Compare - Contrast Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compare - Contrast Paper - Essay Example Thus, Emily spends years with a corpse and her death unravels the ambiguity of Homer Barron’s disappearance. Simultaneously, the short story of Turman Capote â€Å"A Christmas Memory† from written from an autobiographical reflective aspect; thus, it entails the tale of two friends living with far away relatives in destitution. Hence, this narrative centralizes around the adventures and experiences of two odd-age friends, an elderly eccentric spinster and a young boy of seven named Buddy. Throughout, their course of friendship even in their pecuniary famines, their time together was ecstatic and memorable (Turman). Thus, Capote has intertwined his narrative of reminiscence in a fictionist character of Buddy, who does not feel the adversity of life in the presence of his elderly cheerful distant cousin. Hence, their simple life is full of happiness because of their cheerful disposition and behaviour. Absence of companionship brings immense changes in a person’s lif e. Thus, people tend to accept isolation and keep their past memories alive to cherish them. William Faulkner’s monstrous and gothic Southern tale is a compilation of many unconventional themes of the late twentieth century. Thus, this short tale entails death, isolation, absence of companionship, murder, rigid Southern aristocratic norms and most prominently the theme of necrophilia. Moreover, it also entails sub-themes as obsession, denial, radical change in society, haunting memories and the aspect of austerity in clemency. Isolation since childhood impacted on Emily’ mental stability and she transformed into an eccentric individual, who could go to extreme extent to save her memories or literally to bring back the dead loved ones into her life. She couldn’t accept the death of her father on the second day of his funeral; subsequently, she kept the corpse of her lover in her house, which further proved her insanity (necrophilia). Instead of cherishing the mem ories from her past she kept the physical corpse with herself, to comfort from dead Homer Barron’s companionship. Thus, â€Å"the strand of iron-gray hair† ( Kriszner, p.125) with the skeleton Homer Barron’s corpse further corroborates that she couldn’t let go her past. On the other hand, Turman Capote’s brief and highly influenced autobiographical narrative entails the main themes of friendship, joyous memories, simplicity, paucity, compassion and generosity, separation, isolation and eventually death along with stark realities of life. Thus, the author has enabled his readers to take a peek into the lives of two odd age cousins, who cherished the company of one another without getting gloomy about the deficiencies in their lives. Thus, the fruit cake season, kite flying, searching for the best tree for Christmas decoration and unwrapping presents were the most precious and memorable experiences of a seven year old Buddy with his sixty plus female cousin. Hence, throughout the story the author has been narrating this tale in present tense just to cherish those past moments spent with his elderly friend. The author has articulated his tale in a manner, which serves rightly to his intensions, to feel the happiness of past and to recall it in a present tense to emphasize on the aspect that the memories with her cannot be dead or become a past phenomenon. Hence, his readers are neither surprised due to any grotesque element nor

STRATEGY consulting brief about Air Australia Essay

STRATEGY consulting brief about Air Australia - Essay Example Michael James joined Strategic Group in 2002 as an equal shareholder, alongside Shaun Aisen, and executive director. However, in 2011, Shaun Aisen exited the company resulting in Michael James becoming the sole owner. A few months later, other key members of staff, including the chief executive, commercial manager, and chief operating officer, left the company citing disagreements with Mr. James’ leadership as the main cause. On February 17, 2012, the company’s directors agreed that the company be placed into voluntary administration. Finally, in March of the same year, the company’s creditors voted, for Air Australia to be placed into liquidation. This was because the company could not be sold since nobody had expressed interest, and the company’s assets were not enough to cover the debts it had incurred. Air Australia’s main appeal was their cheap tickets since the company was a low-cost carrier. The budget airline provided affordable travel and, therefore, families could opt to travel short distances by air rather than spend several hours on the road. By providing low-priced, convenient, and frequent flights, Air Australia obtained its competitive advantage over its competitors. Air Australia competitive strengths also include the company’s superior customer service and capability to offer the lowest fares. Although, the company was knee-deep in debt, it had an unequaled customer service within the airline industry (Horst, 2011). Air Australia had debts amounting to an estimated $90 million but only had assets worth $1 million, since the company leased much of its equipment. The company had also been unable to pay aviation charges and fees to Air Services Australia, and owed both Melbourne Airport and Perth Airport vast amounts for terminal leasing. The company’s business had been ailing for a long time but had managed to survive, because it was cash

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Intriguing Giant Panda Mysteries Essay Example for Free

Intriguing Giant Panda Mysteries Essay While most adore their fluffy fur and round heads, which help give them their cuddly bear quality, others are fascinated by the many mysteries of the giant panda. Did you know that the giant panda may actually be a raccoon, they have an opposable pseudo thumb, and that they’re technically a carnivore even though their diet is primarily vegetarian? These things and more have baffled scientists and naturalists for hundreds of years. Opposable Pseudo Thumb A characteristic of the giant panda that has mystified scientists is their movable, elongated wrist bone that acts like an opposable thumb. This human-like quality that helps give them even more of a cuddly-bear appearance enables the giant panda to pick up objects and even eat sitting up. Quick Fact Giant pandas have five clawed toes and one pseudo thumb. Their pseudo thumb, along with pads of skin, help the giant panda strip the more nutritious small bamboo shoots and leaves while holding the stalk in their mouth. Small Bear or Large Raccoon? Giant pandas are generally referred to as bears and are typically called panda bears rather than giant pandas. Though we may think they look like bears, there has been a great deal of discussion for decades about where giant pandas actually fit in the animal kingdom. Much of the debate has been whether they are more closely related to the red panda, once thought to be a member of the raccoon family, than the bear family. While a giant panda has a body that resembles a small bear and climbs trees like a bear, it also has several characteristics in common with the red panda. For example, both giant pandas and red pandas eat bamboo and have the same pseudo thumb. The table below lists the main characteristics the giant panda shares with bears and red pandas. Panda Facts Researchers have recently discovered that the gene responsible for tasting savoury or umami flavours, such as meat, is inactive in giant pandas. For many centuries, giant pandas were thought to be a mythical creature, similar to a dragon or unicorn. Unlike other bears in the region, giant pandas don’t hibernate. Giant pandas can stand erect on their hind legs but rarely walk. The Qinling panda, another giant panda species with a dark brown and light brown coat, lives only in the mountains of Shaanxi. Giant pandas have very sensitive hearing and smell, but they have poor eyesight. A newborn giant panda is blind and looks like a t

Nursing Scholarship Essay Essay Example for Free

Nursing Scholarship Essay Essay â€Å"The pursuit of happiness† isn’t that what we all strive for? Some find it in family and friendship; some find it in love and others in money and work. I find happiness in knowing that with much determination and will power I have been able to pursue my lifelong dream of being a nurse. The medical field is an area of constant change and evolution in society on a daily basis thus producing great challenges to those who take healthcare seriously. My goals for pursuing my educational advancement are first and foremost to continue to grow; stay equipped and continue to care for my patients with the utmost quality and knowledge. Being a nurse has been such a privilege to me and an opportunity to share the gift of love through compassionate care to people who are hurting. See more: how to write a scholarship essay for study abroad I originally â€Å"fell in love† with the ministry of nursing as a young girl during my studies about Florence Nightingale and her service to our military men. Not only did she administer first aide to the soldiers on the battlefield she also tended to their souls. I knew that nursing was my calling and that Florence Nightingale would be my mentor. As I grew older and life circumstances led me to being a single mother raising two children, I decided to add another level of fulfillment in my life and pursue a career in nursing. This decision was not easy but motherhood not only gave me a fresh sense of purpose and passion for life it was also the motivating factor to choose nursing as a reliable career. Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. Therefore; pursuing my educational advancement in nursing is my design for today.

The Introduction Of Food Hygiene Health Essay

The Introduction Of Food Hygiene Health Essay Nowadays, public are emphasize on food hygiene. There are many food poisoning cases happen because of poor food hygiene standards. Food service businesses are taking important role in the proper hygiene standard. As Kashif Hussain(2005) stated that, food hygiene in a food service operation is the responsibility of everyone working in that establishment in order to prevent and reduce the risk of food borne illness. This paper is intended to study the relationship of food hygiene and customers purchasing behaviors among TARC Perak Branch Campus students. Food hygiene is very important to every restaurant. Maintaining standard hygiene in a restaurant may result in good reputation and increase restaurant table turnover rate. A proper hygiene standard in restaurant may influence customers purchasing behaviors. 1.2 Background of research Kampar is a town which located in Perak, Malaysia. In the early time, Kampar is a town which rich with tin reserves. After constructing TAR College and University, the job opportunities in Kampar are increased especially for food and beverage business. Among the restaurant business in Kampar, there are some of restaurant owner did not have proper hygiene knowledge or did not apply the food safety knowledge when operating their business. The lack of concern of hygiene will directly affect the health of Kampar residents as well as Kampar students such as food borne illness. 1.3 Problem Statement Statement of problem is to study the relationship between food hygiene and customers purchasing behaviours among TARC students. Food hygiene is very important for any food service industry. Good practicing in hygiene standard can help to enhance the restaurant reputation, customers purchasing behaviour and the most important issue is reduced the risk of food borne illness. 1.4 Objectives of the study The objectives in this research attempted to achieve the following: 1. To investigate how application of HACCP influence the purchasing behaviour among Kampar students 2. To investigate the relationship between food borne illness and purchasing behaviour among Kampar students 1.5 Research Questions 1 Will Application of HACCP influence purchasing behaviour among Kampar students? 2. Will factor of food borne illness influence the purchasing behaviour among Kampar students? 1.6 Research Hypothesis 1. Application of HACCP influence the Kampar students purchasing behaviour 2. Food borne illness will influence Kampar students purchasing behaviour. 1.7 Significance of Research This study will be a guideline for the restaurant business to understand that the importance and application of food hygiene in a restaurant. Besides that, this research will provide opportunity for person, who involved in restaurant industry to understand more about food hygiene, and the right way in the process of preparing, storing and serving the foods which safe for human consumption. 1.8 Scope and limitations of research This research is focused on food hygiene and customers purchasing behaviour. The area of this research was in Kampar restaurant and TARC Perak Branch Campus students are the population for this research. There are some limitations faced in this research. Researcher are facing problem when finding journals to support the research topic because most of the journal are old. 1.9 Operational Definition of Terms Food Hygiene, hazards, HACCP, Food borne illness Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction of food hygiene Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association (1992) defines food hygiene as the creation and maintenance of healthful or hygienic conditions. In a food service situation, the word food hygiene means wholesome food, handled and prepared in a way that, the food is not contaminated with disease causing agents. The World Health Organization 2002 stated that, food safety is an increasingly important public health issue and inadequate food safety control was a key contributor to the 2.1 million deaths from diarrhoeal disease globally in 2000. Keyvan Amjadi (2005), annual estimates for industrialised countries show that there are up to 30% of the populations are affected by food borne illness each year. Kashif Hussain(2005) stated, food hygiene in a food service operation is the responsibility of everyone working in that establishment. Proper food hygiene is known as healthful, clean and safety environment, and pleasant working conditions. Saunders (1991) stated that, every body must eat to survive and food safety is considered very important to consumers. Mossel (1992) add on that, a discrepancy between medically acknowledged risks and food safety risks as perceived by the consumer. Shapman and Shapman,(1992), Waites and Arbuthnott, (1991) add on that, many cases of food poisoning occur as a result of failure to control growth of pathogens in foods, but with due diligence at all stages in the food chain this is largely preventable 2.2 Definition of food hygiene The World Health Organization (2006) define food hygiene as all conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food at all stages of the food-chain. Malcolm Tatum (2012), food  hygiene is used to describe the storage and preparation of foods in order to make sure that, food  is safe for human consumption. Malcolm Tatum (2012) adds on, food hygiene is usually refers practices at an individual or family status, whereas the food sanitation normally refers to types of procedures at the commercial level within the  food industry. Malcolm Tatum (2012) also mentions that there are some steps are needed to be emphasis and follow accordingly in order to maintain the food hygiene. The steps need to be concern are included washing hands before handling  food, proper storage of  food  before use, make sure that all serving dishes are clean and free of contaminants when preparing the food and lastly maintaining a clean environment. 2.3 HACCP Eunice Taylor, (2008) define Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) as a risk-based management system which designed for assure the microbiological safety of food manufactured for use in the United Stated manned space missions of the 1960s. Eunice Taylor (2008) add on that, HACCP has become the internationally recognised system of managing food safety and its use has been extended to control the full range of biological, chemical and physical hazards since that time. BenEmbarek (2002) define HACCP as an advance in modern technology, producing safety food and keeping it safety remains a worldwide public health problem with illness caused by the consumption of contaminated food described as the most widespread health problem now a days. Codex (1997) stated that, the systems of the HACCP building block are developed through application of the internationally agreed HACCP Principles. Motarjemi (1999) and Kaferstein (1999) stated that, the HACCP system will help to prevent from fo od borne illness outbreaks only if it is understood and applied it correctly. Motarjemi (1999) and Kaferstein (1999) add on, there are very few records of food borne illness outbreaks in which a food company operating with full commitment and understanding of the HACCP system has been involved. Motarjemi(1999) and Kaferstein (1999) emphasis that, food-borne illness would not occur if HACCP system is applied correctly. Whilst Motarjemi and Kaferstein (1999) argue with this point of view and stated that positive results may be expected when the HACCP system has been applied correctly, it is also necessary to establish ways of measuring HACCP effectiveness that are not based solely on retrospective analysis of outbreak data. 2.4 Food borne illness United Stated Food and Drug Administration (2000) found that the majority of food borne illnesses can be cause to five risk factors which included inadequate cooking, food from unsafe sources, improper holding temperatures, poor personal hygiene and contaminated equipment. Generally the causes to food borne illnesses can be divided into three distinct categories of hazards, which included biological, chemical, and physical. Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association (1992) defines the three categories of hazard. From the sources of Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association (1992), Biological hazard is defined as viruses, harmful bacteria, parasites or fungi. While for chemical hazard, Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association (1992) defined this term as contamination of food with food service chemicals and chemical substances containing in food. For physical hazard, is presence of foreign item that are not supposed to be a pa rt of a food product. Knight and Lendal (1989) point out some critical offences of food handling in behavioural errors and leading operation that can lead to outbreaks of food borne illnesses in food and beverage operations. The critical offences that Knight and Lendal (1989) pointed out included failure to properly cook, reheat or cool foods to proper temperatures, foods prepared in advance or more than a day before serving, raw contaminated ingredients incorporated into foods that receive no further cooking, food allowed to remain at bacteria incubation temperatures and lastly employees who practice poor personal hygiene, 2.5 Proper handling of food NHMRC (2003) said that, proper handling of food during all stages of its preparation and storage is factor in reducing the risk of food borne illness. (Redmond and Griffith, 2003) agree with this point of view and add on, a systematic review of food safety studies identified that consumer commonly implement unsafe food-handling behaviours during domestic food preparation. Jay et al. (1999) and Jevsnik et al. (2008) have done an observation research and found out that improper and infrequent hand-washing techniques are common in Australian food handlers and up to two-thirds of participants did not wash knives and cutting boards after use with raw meat and before reuse of implements and these also are the factors that cause food borne illness. There are another of research into food borne illness appears to show a difference between knowledge of correct food safety behaviours and applying this knowledge during actual behaviour. Redmond and Griffith (2003) compared studies into consumer food safety information and found that although the respondents have good knowledge in food safety, they did not apply in these food safety knowledge and behaviours in their actual operation. 6.0 Customers risk perception and purchasing behaviour Royal Society (1992) and HMSO (1995) define risk as a combination of the probability, or frequency, of occurrence of a defined hazard and the magnitude of the consequences of the occurrence. Solvic (1993) stated that, much of the publics reaction to risk could be attributed to sensitivity not only to the technical but also to the social and psychological qualities of hazards. HMSO (1995) add on that, with concern of food, people associate greater risk with circumstances and practices which they perceive are controlled by others, such as eating in restaurants, compared with situations in which they have perceived control, such as preparing and eating food at home. From the early research of Roselius and supported by Ruth M. W. Yeung (2002) stated that consumers tend to change their purchasing behaviour once a possible food hazard is perceived to reduce the perceived risk in a purchase. There are four types of purchasing behaviour, which include: stop, permanently or temporarily, the p urchase of offending product; reduce the purchase of the offending product; shift from one product to another similar type of product; or continue to purchase and absorb the unresolved risk, 2.6 Summary Nowadays, public are emphasize on food hygiene. As the report from The World Health Organization 2002, food safety is an increasingly important public health issue and inadequate food safety control was a key contributor to the 2.1 million deaths from diarrhoeal disease globally in 2000.There are many food poisoning cases happen because of poor food hygiene standards. As Kashif Hussain(2005) said, proper food hygiene results in healthful, clean, wholesome food, an orderly environment, and pleasant working conditions. Food industry and restaurant are taking important role in the proper hygiene standard. Kashif Hussain(2005) add on, food hygiene in a food service operation is the responsibility of everyone working in that establishment. Besides that, consumers have to understand the basic knowledge about food hygiene to reduce as well as prevent and the risk of food borne illness. For overall definition, food hygiene known as a practice of food safety included storage, handle, cook and present food. In order to remain the cleanliness level, some of the important steps are needed to concern. For example, the proper storage of food, maintaining kitchen cleanliness level, as well as the staff personal hygiene. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a form of food risk assessment used as a food safety control. HACCP helps to indentify the hazards of food and reduce the risk from storage, handler, and cook and serve the food to consumer. Lastly, food borne illness is caused by conducting poor food hygiene in food industry. To prevent from food borne illness, food industries have to properly cook and handle the food. Besides that, food industries especially restaurant business must stringent requirements their staff with standard hygiene concept. CHAPTER 3 3.1 Introduction In this research, I will interview TAR colleges students in Kampar to gain their opinion toward the relationship between food hygiene and purchasing behaviour by using quantitative research method. 3.2 Research Design This research is to study the relationship between food hygiene and customers purchasing behaviours among TARC students. Quantitative survey method will be conducted because the information is more reliable. Besides that, its more convenience, and efficient which face to face survey with TAR college students about the awareness of food hygiene. 3.3 Population The respondent in this research is focus on TARC Perak Branch Campus students. 3.4 Research Instrument Questionnaire is divided into 3 sections. Section A is awareness of food hygiene, Section B is HACCP, and Section C is customers purchasing behaviour and lastly Section D is demographic. There total 15 questions on food hygiene and customers purchasing behaviour in Section B and respondents responded on a likert scale which range from strongly agree to strongly disagree. 5 questions on customers purchasing behaviour were asked in Section C and likert scale which range from strongly agree to strongly disagree is provided. For the last section is demographic which included respondents gender, age as well as education level. 3.5 Research Procedure The method that used to collect data is through face to face interview with Kampar college students. Face to face interview can make sure that the information is more accurate and reliable. The question is printed in black and white papers that allow respondents to answer the questions accordingly. Before start my survey, I will have a short brief about my title and reason of research. After that, black and white printed question paper will be given to let respondents answer the question accordingly. Using face to face method with black and white printed questionnaire can make sure that respondents can answer accordingly and respondents can ask for question when they meet some problem in answering the question. 3.6 Method of collecting Data In this research, the instrument will use black and white printed survey form to interview Kampar students. All the survey questions are printed in black and white paper form to let respondents answer the survey question accordingly. Face to face survey by using black and white printed survey form can make sure that respondents are answering the question accordingly and also can get more reliable answers. Besides that, respondents can ask any question directly from me if they face any problem while answering the survey question. Method of Analysing Data The Statistic Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) is used for data analysis. Coefficient Alpha is used to test the reliability of question, independent- sample T-test is use to test the bias of respondents and lastly Pearson Correlation method are used to test the hypothesis. CHAPTER 4 Introduction The data analysis will be conducted by using Statistic Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software to find out the result for objective and hypothesis. Research Finding: Reliability Statistic Test A study was conducted to estimate the internal consistency of the 20 items which included HACCP, Food borne illness as well as Customers purchasing behaviour. Coefficient alpha for the scale was 0.770, indicating fair internal consistency among the items on the scale. The means of individual items ranged from 1.40 to 2.30, with a mean on the total scale of 32.50 (Standard Deviation = 4.171). Overall, the respondents responses on the scale indicated that they possessed a fairly degree of HACCP, Food borne illness and Customers purchasing behaviour. Independent-sample T-test Research Question 1. Will Application of HACCP influence purchasing behaviour among Kampar students? 2. Will factor of food borne illness influence the purchasing behaviour among Kampar students? Hypothesis Null Hypothesis 1: There is no significant difference in HACCP between purchasing behaviour. Alternative Hypothesis 1: There is a significant difference in HACCP between purchasing behaviour. Null Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference in food borne illness between purchasing behaviour. Alternative Hypothesis 2: There is a significant difference in food borne illness between purchasing behaviour. Interpretation of result Table XXX indicated that the p-value is 0.666 which is greater than 0.05, means do not reject the null hypothesis and argue there is no significant difference in HACCP. Table XXX indicated that the p-value is 0.871 which is greater than 0.05, means do not reject the null hypothesis and argue there is no significant difference in food borne illness. Table XXX indicated that the p-value is 0.682 which is greater than 0.05, means do not reject the null hypothesis and argue there is no significant difference in purchasing behaviour. The Pearson r Correlations Coefficient The correlation table XXX, indicated that the correlation between HACCP and purchasing behaviour is 0.341** with corresponding p-value of 0.015 based on 50 respondents. Since the p-value is less than 0.05, there is significant positive relation between HACCP and purchasing behaviour. There is a relationship between HACCP and purchasing behaviour, r (0.341) at p is less than 0.05. Hence, there is a relationship which affirms that the two variables are positively related to population. The coefficient of determination: r the correlation between HACCP and purchasing behaviour of the respondent = 0.341 and r ² = the coefficient of determination = (0.341) ² = 0.1163. Therefore 11.63% if the variance in HACCP of the respondent can be explained by purchasing behaviour of respondents. While for second hypothesis, there is no relationship between food borne illness and purchasing behaviour, r (0.48) since the p-value is more than 0.05. Questionnaire SECTION A: Food Hygiene Below questions are continuous question 1(a). Based on the option below, which Kampar restaurants do you think that are having high level of cleanliness/ hygiene standard? Mc Donald ( Fast Food restaurant) Seng Yip ( Economy rice restaurant) East Ocean Dong Hai ( Chinese restaurant) Ghany Corner (Mamak store) 2. What are the factors that influence you to choose the restaurant from question 1(a)? The restaurant have proper standard to cook/serve the food (eg. Serve the food with clean tray) The utilities provided are clean and safe to use The restaurant environment are clean Staffs with proper attire Their dishes are fresh and nice SECTION B: Application of HACCP Respondent is asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with each statement by using 5 Likert scale. 1. My perception of cleanliness level in a restaurant is based on Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Proper handling of food Food presentation Restaurant environment Utensils and equipment used in restaurant 2. Based on your experience, please rate the following statement by putting a tick (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) in the box. Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Food hygiene (sanitation level) is a factor that influence my choice of restaurant to dine in Proper storage of food before use, washing hand before handling food and maintaining a clean environment can make sure that all foods are free of contaminants 3. The following question is asking about the factors that cause food borne illness. Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Food come from unsafe sources will cause food borne illness Inadequate cooking method will cause food borne illness Improper holding temperature will cause food borne illness Using contaminated equipment will cause food borne illness Poor personal hygiene will cause food borne illness 4. Based on your dining experience, please rate the following statement by putting a tick (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) in the box. Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree The restaurant has standard sanitation level The restaurant food I often dine in is cooking in proper cooking method The restaurant food I often dine in is serving in proper temperature The restaurant staff s have proper attire SECTION C: Customers Behavior 1. The below questions are asking about customers behavior. Based on your experience, please rate the following statement by putting a tick (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) in the box. Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree I will never dine in to the restaurant again if found a foreign object in my food I will never visit to the particular restaurant again if I found out that they did not poorly handle of food (eg. Serve the food which dropped on floor) I will never visit to the particular restaurant again if I found out that there is presence of pesticides I will never visit to the particular restaurant again if I found out that the utilities provided is dirty I will never visit to the particular restaurant again if my food is not serving in proper temperature (eg. Rice and dishes is cold and not fresh) SECTION D: Demographic 1. Gender Male Female 2. Age 18-21 22-24 25-27 3. Highest Level education acquire SPM Certificate Diploma Advanced Diploma Chapter 5

Femininity against Masculinity in A White Heron Essay -- Sarah Orne Je

Since its first appearance in the 1886 collection A White Heron and Other Stories, the short story A White Heron has become the most favorite and often anthologized of Sarah Orne Jewett. Like most of this regionalist writer's works, A White Heron was inspired by the people and landscapes in rural New England, where, as a little girl, she often accompanied her doctor father on his visiting patients. The story is about a nine-year-old girl who falls in love with a bird hunter but does not tell him the white heron's place because her love of nature is much greater. In this story, the author presents a conflict between femininity and masculinity by juxtaposing Sylvia, who has a peaceful life in country, to a hunter from town, which implies her discontent with the modernization?s threat to the nature. Different from female and male which can describe animals, femininity and masculinity are personal and human. That is femininity refers to qualities and behaviors associated with women and girls and masculinity is manly character, it specifically describes men. Femininity has traditionally included features such as gentleness, patience and kindness. On the contrary, men?s chief qualities are strength, courage and violence. Clearly images for two definitions above in A White Heron are Sylvia and the hunter. The hunter is friendly and easy-going while Sylvia is ?afraid of folks?. Sylvia is ?a little maid who had tried to grow for eight years in a crowded manufacturing town?, but she is innocent and purity. ?The little woods-girl is horror-stricken to hear a clear whistle not very far away.? ?Sylvia was more alarmed than before? when the hunter appears and talks to her. She easily agrees to help the hunter with providing food and a place... ...usting civilization upon it? (P. Miller, p.207). With all this, the author has achieved the vividness implication that aggressive masculine modernization is a danger to the gentle feminine nature. In the end of the story, Sylvia decides to keep the secret of the heron and accepts to see her beloved hunter go away. This solution reflects Jewett?s hope that the innocent nature could stay unharmed from the urbanization. In conclusion, Sylvia and the hunter are two typical representatives of femininity and masculinity in the story ?The white heron? by Sarah Orne Jewett. In the age of industrialization when rural life gradually was destroyed, the author as a girl who spent almost of her life in countryside could not help writing about it and what she focuses in her story - femininity and masculinity, which themselves contain the symbolic meanings - come as no surprise.

Defintion Essay - Is it Possible to Define Art? -- Expository Definiti

Defintion Essay - Is it Possible to Define Art? Art is the intentional use of some medium to communicate emotions or ideas between minds. Some combination of the five senses is used to conduct information, so art may take the form of music, painting, sculpture, dance, and others. Art may be collaborative, as with the presentation of a symphony, which may involve a composer, a conductor, players, and a lighting crew all working to create the art of the presentation. Also, art occurs in at least one level of abstraction removed from reality, a representation of the real thing. There is no requirement of beauty in art. Indeed, some of the highest quality in art is attained by some of the ugliest things. An example is the film, Schindler's List. Its representation of oppression and violence is revolting at times, but its ability to convey a clear message is strong. Perhaps the most appropriate gauge of quality in art is its effectiveness in communication. There may be a tempting tendency to assume that effective communication necessitates that the artist and the audienc... Defintion Essay - Is it Possible to Define Art? -- Expository Definiti Defintion Essay - Is it Possible to Define Art? Art is the intentional use of some medium to communicate emotions or ideas between minds. Some combination of the five senses is used to conduct information, so art may take the form of music, painting, sculpture, dance, and others. Art may be collaborative, as with the presentation of a symphony, which may involve a composer, a conductor, players, and a lighting crew all working to create the art of the presentation. Also, art occurs in at least one level of abstraction removed from reality, a representation of the real thing. There is no requirement of beauty in art. Indeed, some of the highest quality in art is attained by some of the ugliest things. An example is the film, Schindler's List. Its representation of oppression and violence is revolting at times, but its ability to convey a clear message is strong. Perhaps the most appropriate gauge of quality in art is its effectiveness in communication. There may be a tempting tendency to assume that effective communication necessitates that the artist and the audienc...

My Room :: essays research papers

My First Bedroom   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All my life I had shared a bedroom with my siblings. First, I had to share a bedroom with my brother, because we lived in a two-bedroom apartment. A few years later my sister was born. By then, we have moved into a three-bedroom apartment, so my brother got his own room and I had to share with my little sister. Nine years later the last member of the family was born, another kid sister. Therefore, I ended up with two roommates. I wanted my own bedroom so bad that I was always complaining to my parents about how 15 years old girls should have their own bedroom. Finally, we all moved into a five-bedroom house, and I finally got my own room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If I close my eyes, I can still remember every detail of my bedroom. My bedroom was in the shape of a perfect little square. The door was in the left side of the room facing the window. Looking in the bedroom from the door, I see my bed placed against the wall in the right side of the room, with my mirror drawer facing the bed, leaving the window in between them. My closet was behind the opened door, which was very small. I did not like having too many things in my room; it was later that I added a desk to hold my television and radio. I placed the desk against the wall in front of the bed. My mother used to put light colored curtains on the window because I loved the way the sun shined through them and it added more meaning into the room. The smell of Sunflowers perfume always takes me back to my first bedroom. I used to wear that perfume all the time because it blended right in with the settings of the room. Every morning I used to open the window and immediatel y smelled the pear tree blocked my window with its leaves. Felling the breeze of the tree through my window was very relaxing. I used to spend a long time sitting by the window looking down at the neighbor’s kids running around.

Ethics in Grant Essay

Ethics is described as moral principles and obligations that determine the wrongness and correctness of actions. It is associated with values and righteousness of every individual conduct. As a human being we are responsible for our actions and we have moral obligations for the welfare of others. Ethics cover our everyday life from what we think, decisions we make our philosophy and behavior to our everyday actions. In different professional field, standard and code of ethics are practiced to ensure proper conduct and behavior of those involved in the field. Ethics in grant has always been controversial. Issues associated with ethical behavior often arise from grant projects. The involvement of large amount of money causes the issues and suspicion to rise. An example of an issue that may arise from a grant project is commissioning. Commission refers to the fee paid to an employee after venturing to a successful business or closing a deal. However, professional organizations and funders consider commissioning unethical in nature. This is because compensation with regards to commissioning based on charitable contributions and donations are ugly site to see. Unlike salesmen, who get a cut from the proceeds they made, professionals who are involved in grant projects are considered skilled and talented people who lend and utilized their expertise in order to obtain huge support and following for the work and project that an organization is aiming to achieve. These are usually projects that requires huge amount of funding. If commissions are paid in favor of the grant workers in order to generate money, it would seems people are working because of the money involved and not because of the dedication one has to obtain support for the completion of the project In fact, the Code of Ethical Principles and Standards of Professional Practices of the Association of Fundraising Professional, clearly outlines that compensation based on a percentage of fundraising should not be accepted. Sincerity and honesty is another issue that that is usually associated with Grant projects. Honesty comes into play when errors are committed while the project is being done. This happens when proposals made is not enough for the project to be successful and major changes are needed. Employees often resort to covering things up in an effort to conceal the miscalculations and mistakes done during proposal. Cover up is done because the fear of losing the funder since the original plans agreed upon fail to materialize. Employees then tend to lie and pretend everything runs smoothly. To prevent ethical issues rising from Grant Projects, it is important to be honest and to tell everything that that is going on to the funder. By being honest, one can earn the funder’s trust and trust is important in every project to be successful. Furthermore, Grant makers and funders appreciate sincerity and honesty and they are open to changes from original plans that have been set, since changes that are made will yield promising results for the project. If an error with the project has been discovered, it is necessary to report at once. Also, it would be ethical to issue an apology if things are not carried out properly as promised. With the huge sum of money involved in Grant Projects, it will be helpful for anyone to be honest in every little way to prevent ethical issues from occurring. Sincerity for the project’s completion and the responsibility one owes from the funder and from those who support the organization in building the project should make one realize the misconduct of falling into the temptation the large sum of money brings. One should understand that an arrangement in which one obtain a kickback is unethical. To preserve one’s name and his reputation as a person and professional one must keep away from doing them.

Ias 16 Property, Plant and Equipment

101 Ideas for Women’s Ministries Success in the church will come only when there are more ministries than programs. People don’t need more programs. They need ministries that will meet their needs where they are. 1. Check the Women’s Ministries website http://wm. gc. adventist. org for ideas 2. Buy a current Women’s Ministries devotional book 3. Plan a â€Å"Working Mothers† seminar to help women who juggle home and career 4. Be sure your church has a Women’s Ministries leader 5. Encourage diversity on your Women’s Ministries committee—age, race, education, affluence, and marital—single/divorced 6. Establish a mentoring program in your church 7. Write a devotional for the Women’s Ministries devotional book 8. Teach women how to have personal Bible study/devotions and to give a Bible study 9. Know what skills the women in your church have to share 10. Start or empower someone to start a grief support group 11. Have a ministry for women in your community who have lost a baby—stillborn or by miscarriage 12. Take time to listen when someone is hurting 13. Begin a literacy or second language program in your community 14. Begin a women’s Bible study group 15. Mentor someone personally 6. Attend a woman’s retreat 17. Help with a woman’s retreat 18. Be sure the Women’s Emphasis Day is on the church calendar 19. Teach women to do breast self-examinations 20. Be sure all women in your church know their value in Jesus Christ 21. Know what the Church statements are in regards to women 22. Be sure the Women’s International Day of Prayer is on your church calendar 23. Invite a neighbor to a Women’s Ministries event 24. Make certain your pastor understands Women’s Ministries 25. Start a car mechanics class for women 26. Disciple a new believer 27. Have a prayer chain—help women know how to pray when they get a request 28. Have an intentional reclaiming program in your church such as Heart Call 29. Have an intentional program for young girls regarding sexual purity such as True Love Waits 30. Ask your Conference to include women on the platform for all meetings at camp meeting 31. Be sure your church Women’s Ministries leader is involved on the church board 32. Ask that the Conference and Union Women’s Ministries directors are active on Conference and Union committees 33. Urge your Conference/Union to fund Women’s Ministries as other departments 34. Help your church’s Women’s Ministries to have a realistic budget and stick to it 35. Teach a Leadership Certification seminar 36. Help fund a mission project 37. Help your Women’s Ministries serve in a mission outreach 38. Receive and read the Women’s Ministries newsletter available to you 39. Attend at least one yearly leadership training seminar 40. Read at least one leadership book a year 41. Support the Women’s Ministries director over you 42. Tell a young woman about the scholarship program 43. Know your spiritual gifts and help other women know theirs too 44. Evaluate each program. Don’t get discouraged—learn from them 45. When your church elects officers and delegates, be sure women are included 46. When your Conference/Union or Division elects leaders, suggest women to be included 47. Make sure all women have opportunities to use their ministry gifts 48. Give opportunities for women to learn to speak in public 49. Help establish a women’s prayer group in your church or neighborhood 50. Help women to know the value of exercise and how to do it 51. Work closely with your pastor. Support him with your ministries 52. Fill out a data base form for the GC and invite other women in leadership to do so also 53. Educate your church board regarding all forms of abuse 54. Donate money to Women’s Ministries projects 55. Share the Women’s Ministries newsletters with your pastor, both those from your Division and Mosaic, from the GC 56. Offer 12 Things You’ll Want to Know about Women’s Ministries to your pastor and church board 57. Learn/teach parliamentary procedure 58. Give women opportunities to learn sound nutrition 59. Have a gynecologist talk to women about reproduction health 60. Help see that the women in your church have the opportunity to complete the Leadership Certification seminars 61. Have a retreat for teen-age girls 62. Have a stress reduction seminar/program 63. Have a gynecologist talk to women about menopause 64. Establish a Prayer and Loves Saves seminar series in your church 65. Start a women’s section in your church library 66. Plan and carry out a public evangelistic program 67. Prepare â€Å"Welcome Home Baby† gift baskets for new mothers in your community 68. Put the Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day on the church calendar 69. Organize a girls’ night out 70. Sponsor something special for the singles in your church 71. Pray for your pastor’s spouse 72. Send a report to your Conference and/or Union papers about what Women’s Ministries in your church is doing 73. Acknowledge the unique accomplishments of young people in your church 74. Write a note of encouragement to someone 75. Spend time with a sick or shut-in member 76. Organize helping teams to assist elderly or shut-in members with difficult tasks like raking leaves or shoveling snow 77. Report to your Women’s Ministries Conference and/or Union leader what your church Women’s Ministries is accomplishing 78. Begin a women’s prayer group to pray for your church leadership 79. Read stories in the Bible of how Jesus appreciated women 80. Sponsor a project to raise money to donate to the GC Women’s Ministries Scholarship Fund 81. Support the Women’s Ministries activities in your church 82. Have a perpetual prayer box at your church that Women’s Ministries members pray over 83. Have an afternoon prayerwalk in the community with your Women’s Ministries team 84. Have a self-defense class at your church and invite the community women 85. Host a fellowship meal and brainstorming session and invite all women in your church 86. Make quiet-time play sets for young children to use during the church service 87. Read a book about a unique woman who has made special contributions to women in society, in the Christian world, or in the Adventist Church 88. Teach or request a seminar on financial management for women 89. Attend a Women’s Ministries seminar at camp meeting 90. Have abuse pamphlets available to your church members 91. Help your local women’s shelter 92. Adopt a â€Å"sister church† in another division 93. Thank your Conference/Union president for funding and supporting the Women’s Ministries director in your Conference 94. Get acquainted with a young girl in your church and tell her that she is special 95. Learn about the history of Women’s Ministries and share this with someone else 96. Suggest that your church have a class on organization and time management and attend it yourself 97. Volunteer to give a Bible study 98. Offer to help your pastor with visitation 99. Help the women in your church understand that Women’s Ministries is not about more programs, but is about every woman being involved in some type of ministry 100. Pray for Women’s Ministries and its leaders around the world 101. Share additional ideas with us at [email  protected] adventist. org and we will add to this list

Race Conflict in “Remember the Titans” Essay

In the movie Remember the Titans Gerry and Julius worked to overcome racial issues and eventually resolved their unnecessary conflict. They came to develop an amazing friendship built on trust and respect. They eventually learned to appreciate the meaning of trusting a man for who they are as a person rather than the color of their skin. Early in the movie Gerry and Julius would not acknowledge one another, they were like enemies. When they looked at each other it was with both hatred and fear. They both lived their own separate lives, with their own race, and refused to interact with the other. If they communicated in a civil manner with the other race it was like committing an awful sin. They treated each other with such ignorance and hatred. They couldn’t stand each another and hated the way the other one acted. The majority of the time they approached their conflict with avoidance. Avoidance can be characterized as, â€Å"denial of the conflict, changing and avoiding topics, being noncommittal, and joking rather than dealing with the conflict at hand† (pg. 138). They did not want to work out their differences. Instead they chose to avoid the topic and not deal with the fact that they were of a different race. When both Gerry and Julius found out that they were going to be on the same football team they didn’t want to consider the possibility. They were both so narrow-minded and stubborn which resulted in neither seeing the other side of things. It seemed impossible for these two players to become friends  and forget about their racism. As they matured as adults and closer they became, the more they forgot about their differences and the more they defended their friendship. They were too determined to let their teammates hold them back. They would turn out to be great friends and role models for their team and the community. Much of the difference was overcome by dialogue. At first they had very little but over time they were able to grow together. â€Å"Dialogue differs from usual conversation because although you may dislike what the other person advocates, you still listen and work to value the person† (pg. 232). Their dislikes turned into likes and their unusual conversation turned into intimate conversation. When Gerry and Julius considered themselves brothers they realized how much they meant to each other and they were so honored and proud to be a true friend to each other. This was unthinkable, but the problem was that if they wanted to play football they had to overcome these hurdles, therefore not leaving them a lot of choices. On camp they would spend days together but neither of them made an effort to get along. Their friendship was so secure and they were so pleased that they had learned to overcome the racial issues and spent the time to get to know each other. They both still acted as if they were better than other and they weren’t going to attempt to change this. If something went wrong they would blame each other, or disagree, and always end up fighting and usually about different things. Their friendship evolved into healthy, yet competitive, camaraderie. â€Å"The competitive style of managing conflict is productive if one competes to accomplish individual goals without destroying the other person† (pg 145). That is why I say Gerry and Julius maintained a healthy sense of camaraderie. They had developed such a bond that they did not intend to harm the other. They actually fed off of the other as they matured and developed their skill on the field. By observing the friendship emerging between Gerry and Julius other people began to realize that having friends of a different race was not wrong. This also made Gerry and Julius’s friendship grow even stronger as they made a huge impact on the community. They understood each other and created a bond that would never be broken. Their hatred and disregard for the other due to race changed throughout the movie. They eventually grew into, what is described by Wilmot and Hocker as, a coalition (pg 189). The coalition that they created helped the remainder of the team and the community understand differences. References Hocker, J. & Wilmot, W. (2007) _Interpersonal Conflict_. New York: McGraw Hill.

Yellow Brick Road

Yellow Brick Road by Witi Ihimaera Follow the yellow brick road, Follow, follow, follow follow, Follow the yellow brick road †¦ We're almost there! Almost at Wellington, the Emerald City! Me and Dad and Mum and Roha, we been travelling for two days now in our car which Dad bought from Mr Wallace last week. No dents and honk honk goes the horn. Dad, he said I could have a drive of it myself when we left Waituhi but then it conked out on the Whareratas and that made him change his mind. – I told you we wouldn't get to Wellington in this, Mum said to him while he was fixing it up. – We'll get there. But I want to get there in one piece! Mum answered. – Throw some of your junk out then, Dad told her. Our car sure is loaded down all right. Mum's stuff is in the boot, some belongings are tied under the canvas on the roof and there's even some squeezed in here with us. Boy. But you won't conk out now, ay car? There's just one hill to go and we'll be there. So up we go, up the hill, slowly but surely. And who cares if cars bank up behind us! They can beep all they like. We got as much right to be on this road as they got. Road, road, yellow brick road, yellow with the headlights sweeping across it.Just like in that book Miss Wright, my teacher, gave me before we left Waituhi. A neat book. About the straw man, the tin man, the cowardly lion and the Emerald City and †¦ we're almost there! I bounce up and down on the seat. I can't wait to see all the sparkling green towers glittering in the dark ahead of us. – Matiu, you just sit still! Mum growls. What's gotten into you, ay? – Sorry, Mum. Poor Mum. She's very tired and still unhappy about leaving Waituhi, our whanau, our family. Her eyes are still red with the crying when all the people had waved goodbye to us like little flags fluttering far away.At least she hasn't cried as often as Roha has for Hone though! Roha and Hone, they went round together and once I saw them having a pash. Eeee! I grin at my big sister. Never mind, Roha. Plenty other boys down. inWellington and you can pash up large with them when we get there, ay. – What you grinning for, Smarty? Roha snaps. – I'm allowed to grin if I want to, aren't I? I ask, suddenly hurt. – All right, all right, you don't have to scream. I make a funny face at her. It would teach her a good lesson if even the pakehas didn't want to pash with her! Lots of pakehas in Wellington. Not like in Waituhi.Makes me scared to think about it. – Dad, will the pakehas like us in Wellington? Dad? He doesn't answer me because he is driving carefully. He has to lean forward to see the road in front of him. It has started to rain. Wish I was older and knew how to drive better. Then I could give him a rest at the wheel. I press against him and he puts an arm round me. His face looks tired, just like it looked when we were walking to a garage yesterday after our car ran out of petrol. There we were , miles from anywhere, walking along the road while car after car sped past us without stopping. Some of them blared loudly at us.Others made a lot of dust come over us. And always as they passed the faces would be looking back and staring at us. I felt puzzled. – Why don't they stop, Dad? He had shrugged his shoulders. – We're in a different country now, son. I began to hate those faces. I wanted to throw stones at them all. But things will be different when we get to Wellington, won't the? And we will be happy, won't we? Course we will. You just wait and see, Dad. We'll make lots of money and be rich as anything because Wellington is where the money is. And you have to go where the money is, ay Dad. No use staying in Waituhi and being poor all the time, ay.I lean back in the seat and burrow under the blanket. It is getting cold and there is a draught coming through a hole in our car. I feel my bag of lollies in my pocket. – You want one, Mum? You want one, Dad ? Roha? I pass the bag to Roha and she takes two, the greedy thing. I put one in my mouth and count what's left. Seven. Boy, these are the dearest lollies I ever bought. When we stopped at the shop yesterday I gave the man thirty cents and he didn't give me any change. When I asked him for it, he told me thirty cents was how much these lollies cost. But he was lying. He was a thief and he stole my money.How would he like it if someone rooked him'? What's more, these lollies stink, just like him. I watch the road as it twists ahead through the dark. Every now and then, there is a loud whoosh of a fast car passing us. Those fast cars don't like us. We're too slow for them. Suddenly, I see two lights ahead like eyes glaring at us. The eyes open wider, grow larger, looking like the eyes of a†¦ – Dad! I yell, afraid. A big truck descends on us with its headlight blazing full. I seem to see taloned fingers reaching out to claw me. – Bloody hell, Dad mutters. He swerves. The car kicks gravel.The truck thunders past, screaming in the wind. I look at Mum. Her face is shaken. – I better keep both my hands on the wheel, Dad says. He lifts his arm from me and I feel suddenly alone. I begin to think of Waituhi, our whanau, and that makes me sad. All our family was there and Emere was our cow. Haere ra, Emere. And haere ra to you, e Hemi. You'll always be my best mate. I start humming to myself. Quietly. – Follow the yellow brick road, Follow follow, follow, follow†¦ Miss Wright, she taught us that song at school. A neat song. We made a long line, joined by our hands, and danced crazy patterns over the playground and†¦There is a snapping sound and the flapping of canvas. – What's that, Dad? He pulls the car over to the side of the road and steps out. Mum winds down her window. – What's wrong? – Rope's snapped, he yells back. – You better get out and help your father, Mum says to me. I jump out into the r ain. Boy, it's sure wet and cold out here. Dad is struggling in the wind to pull the canvas back over our belongings. – All this junk! Dad mutters. No wonder the canvas came away. He takes a box from the top and dumps it on the side of the road. My books spill out and the pages fly away like birds in the wind. – Dad. No, Dad†¦I run out into the road in panic because those are my school books and among them is my best book. My best book. – Matiu! Get off the road! Mum screams. My best book. In the wind and the rain. My best book. – Matiu. And there it is. Lying there on the road. I run to get it and car brakes scream in my ears. But I have it in my arms and hold it safe to me. And I don't care if I get a hiding. I don't care†¦ Mum hits me very hard. -What you want to do that for, you stupid kid. But I don't care. I don't care†¦ And the driver of the other car is saying angry words to Dad: – What the bloody hell do you think you're up to, eh'?Letting your kid run out like that, what's wrong with you! Look, never mind about bloody arguing. Christ, you shouldn't be on the road at all. Your car's bloody dangerous loaded like that. And why the hell didn't you pull further off the road, eh? Oh, what's the use. You Maoris are all the same. Dumb bloody horis. He steps back into his car and roars off. Dad comes towards me and his face is full of anger. Go ahead, Dad. Hit me. I deserve it. But he doesn't. Instead, he hugs me and asks: – You all right, son? – Yes, Dad. I'm sorry, Dad. That man†¦ – That bastard. Never mind about him. I clutch my book tightly.I carry it into the car with me. Mum starts to get angry with me again. Tuni tuni, woman, Dad says. It's all over now. Let's forget it. – It wouldn't have happened if you'd tied down our things properly like Sam told you to do, Mum answers. Sam is my uncle and we stayed at his place in Hastings last night. Uncle Sam didn't even know we w ere on our way to Wellington. – Down to that windy place† he'd said. You fullas better tie yourselves down or you'll be blown away! Don't you know how cold it is down there'? Brother, it's liquid sunshine all the year round! – We don't care, I'd answered him. We're going to make lots of money down there.Not much room left for pa living anymore. That's what you said, ay Dad. Dad had looked at me strangely. – No more jobs back home, he told Uncle. Plenty of the seasonal work, yes, but me and Hine had enough of that. We had enough of shearing, the fruit-picking and the going down South to shear some more. No, plenty of work in Wellington. Plenty of factories. – Who told you that! Uncle snorted. – Jim, Dad answered. Uncle Jim is Dad's brother. He lives in Petone and we're going to stay with him until we find our own house. Uncle Sam had shrugged his shoulders.. – Well, Jim should know, he'd said. I want us to have a good life, a new start, Dad tried to explain. A new start for my kids. Me and Hine, we've always had nothing. But my kids? They're going to grow up with everything. I'll fight for it, because they must have it. But I'd seen Uncle Sam hadn't understood Dad's words. He'd simply shaken his head and wished us luck. And in the morning before we left he'd told Dad to tie the canvas down tight. – Otherwise that wind will get under it and before you know it you'll be flying into Wellington! Dad had tried his best with the ropes. He'd said to Mum: – How about getting rid of some of this junk, ay?She'd answered him: – This junk is all we've ever had. I'm not throwing away one piece of it, wind or no wind. It sure is windy all right, outside the car. The clouds are rushing in the night sky just like the Winged Monkeys. The wind moans and chatters and cackles among our belongings, and I must close my eyes and put my hands to my ears to shut out the sights and sounds of this night. Then, suddenly, all the noises stop. Even the car has stopped. – There it is, Dad says. I open my eyes. Far away are the lights of Wellington, streaming with the rain down our window like glistening towers. And it looks so†¦ o†¦ beautiful. Just as I'd imagined it to be. Just as I'd pretended it would be. Emerald City. – Isn't it neat, Muni'? She stares ahead. Her face is still. – Roha? I ask. My sister's face is filled with a strange glow. – Dad? He looks at me and smiles. – You and your dreams, son. He starts the car. We begin to drive down from the hill. I look at Dad and Mum and Roha, puzzled. How come I'm the only one to be happy! Can't they see this is where our life begins and this is where our dreams begin'? And dreams, they come true, don't they? Don't they? I look out the car. I see the sign: STEEP GRADE.All along the yellow brick road there have been signs like that. STEEP GRADE. CHANGE DOWN. ONE WAY. LIMITED SPEED ZONE. ROAD NARROWS. STOP. WI NDING ROAD. GO. CONCEALED EXIT TRAFFIC LIGHTS AHEAD. GREASY WHEN WET. NO EXIT. NO PASSING. NO STOPPING. Many signs, all telling us where we have to go and†¦. I begin to feel scared. If ever we want to, will we be able to find our way back'? I begin to sing to myself. Not because I'm happy, but because I think I want to feel sure myself everything will turn out alright. It will, won't it? Follow the yellow brick road, Follow, follow, follow, follow, Follow†¦