Saturday, August 31, 2019

Organic Food vs. Non Organic Food Essay

In today’s society you walk into a grocery store and you always have the option of organic or non organic food. There are even grocery stores dedicated to organic foods like Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Whole Food market. I personally have gone organic and will never go back to eating or drinking non organic food. Organic food may be pricey but less hormones, less cow puss and blood in your milk, and less pesticides. The controversies about organic food vs non organic food is it worth it? My answer is 100 percent yes organic is the way to go. The fruits and vegetables you get at a normal grocery store that are non organic have several pesticides on it. According to the daily green, ‘ eating organic means avoiding the pesticide residue left on foods. † Though there are mixed reviews on if consuming pesticides hurt your immune system, pregnant women are taking the cautionary steps on making sure their future child will be born healthy and not be exposed to pesticides at an early age. On the Dirty Dozen list, apples are the number 1 food source of 2011, with over 40 known pesticides in just 1 apple. Not surprisingly, pesticide residue is also found in apple juice and apple sauce, making all apple products smart foods to buy organic. Strawberries have over 60 pesticides on it, so while you â€Å"wash† your strawberries remember you are eating pesticide residue remains on those strawberries you bought at the food market. 93% of Americans tested by the CDC had metabolites of chlorpyrifos a nuerotoxic insecticide in their urine. Banned from home use because of its risks to children, chlorpyrifos is part of a family of pesticides (organophosphates) linked to ADHD. Women who were exposed to DDT as girls are 5 times more likely to develop breast cancer, according to Panna. Several people are allergic to the growth hormone farmers put in their animals, but are able to eat organic meats because animals raised organically are not allowed to be fed antibiotics, the bovine human growth hormone (rbGH), or other artificial drugs. Animals are also not allowed to eat genetically modified foods. Organic meat the animals are also killed more humane than non organic animals. The animals are raised in a healthier environment, fed organic feed, and often eat a wider range of nutrients than those raised in factory farms (such as would be the case of free-range chickens and ranch cattle). Cbn. com stated, â€Å"In a recent poll, two-thirds of Americans surveyed stated they would like to be able to fit organic foods into their budgets. † Organic food may cost more but less exposure to unnecessary hormones and pesticides is worth it. Organic is the way to go, lower pesticide levels, more nutrients, no antibiotics, no added growth hormones, and environmental responsibility. Although research findings about benefits of organic produce are not conclusive, it is definite that organic stuff is safer than the produce with traces of pesticides. Organic milk, vegetables and fruits are much more expensive than the non-organic but if you can afford it then go for it. If more people start buying organic food then gradually their prices will gradually come down.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Locating Tetrahedral and Octahedral Voids Essay

The close packed structures have both octahedral and tetrahedral voids. In a ccp structure, there is 1 octahedral void in the centre of the body and 12 octahedral void on the edges. Each one of which is common to four other unit cells. Thus, in cubic close packed structure. Octahedral voids in the centre of the cube =1 Effective number of octahedral voids located at the 12 edge of = 12 Ãâ€" 1/4 = 3∠´ Total number of octahedral voids = 4 In ccp structure, there are 8 tetrahedral voids. In close packed structure, there are eight spheres in the corners of the unit cell and each sphere is in contact with three groups giving rise to eight tetrahedral voids Circles labelled T represent the centers of the tetrahedral interstices in the ccp arrangement of anions. The unit cell â€Å"owns† 8 tetrahedral sites. Circles labelled O represent centers of the octahedral interstices in the ccp arrangement of anions (fcc unit cell). The cell â€Å"owns† 4 octahedral sites. Illustration 16. In a solid, oxide ions are arranged in ccp. Cations A occupy one – sixth of the tetrahedral voids and cations B occupy one third of the octahedral voids. What is the formula of the compound? Solution: In ccp with each oxide there would be 2 tetrahedral voids and one octahedral voids 1/3rd octahedral voids is occupied by B and 1/6th tetrahedral void by A. Therefore the compound can be Illustration 17. In a crystalline solid, having formula AB2O4, oxide ions are arranged in cubic close packed lattice while cations A are present in tetrahedral voids and cations B are present in octahedral voids .

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Business proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business proposal - Assignment Example In this regard, we would focus on collecting information about the present healthcare and educational issues faced by the lower income group population and provide adequate knowledge through campaigning, in order to improve their living standards. In order to obtain detailed information about the health conditions and educational backgrounds of the locales, we have already prepared a set a program, which can enable our project team to obtain adequate data and formulate effective strategies to achieve the desired objective in improving the living standard of the community population. Therefore, we would highly appreciate your knowledgeable review along with approval regarding the proposed protocol. In this proposal, your questions and further recommendations would be highly acknowledged. We look forward to your kind response regarding the approval of the proposal. Sincerely, Chun Hao EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In relation to the current scenario of the communities, especially the lower income group around the university campus, a significant support is highly essential in order to develop their health and educational background at a greater sustainable level. Correspondingly, the population of the community is often identified to face different health related issues. Moreover, considering the increasing unemployment along with mounting poverty rate of the community population, a substantial degree of need persists to take adequate steps in providing a basic educational support to develop the living standards within the mentioned community. The research proposal aims to conduct knowledge enhancement activities regarding healthcare issues, which can enable them to improve their present living standard, especially that led by the low income group population around the univer

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

British cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

British cinema - Essay Example The society is always grappling with a lot challenges such as poverty, poor governance, disasters and such challenges dictates the context within which the films are made with the aim that they will of making the society better (Ashby & Andrew, 2000). Whenever the audience watches the films on various themes there conscious is pricked, and they get empowered through such films to fight for a better society. The influence of film to the society cannot be overlooked. This begs the need for the directors and all other stakeholders in the film industry to up their game and ensure that their content is based on the realities that exist in the society with a view to making the society a better place to live in and exist. Synopsis of the films Loach directed, and Sally Hibbin produced the 1990 film Riff Raff. The main stars in the movie are Robert Carlyle and Rick Tomlinson. The movie was such a hit and won the coveted European Film Award in the year 1991. The character Stevie (Robert Carly le) is having a rough time in London and decides to secure employment at a site as a builder. Stevie soon begins (Brunsdon, 2007) to make friend s at the building site; he meets Shem, Mo, and Larry, who offer him an empty makeshift flat. Stevie later bumps into Susan (Emmer McCourt) an upcoming actor and musician. Stevie begins to help Susan to get some support from his workmates at the site. With time, Stevie and Susan move in together, and they appear to be happy at least for some time. Larry appears to be a gallant critique of the Conservative Party and Margret Thatcher, who is the Prime minister at the time. Larry seems to be on his own; the rest of the crew are not interested in discussing any political affairs. To them, politics do not help their situation. At the workplace, the crew is working under despicable conditions (Blandford, 2007). Workers safety is not the priority of the management; people have to endure longer working hours on a meager pay. Moreover, there is no jo b security; the workers are dismissed on baseless grounds. In the meantime, Susan's relationship with Stevie hit a dead end and the two-part ways. The workers can no longer take the harsh condition at the workplace, especially after the sudden death of their colleague who falls off from the rooftop. Stevie leads his colleagues to setting up the building of fire. In Raining Stones (1993), Ken Loach puts into perspective a story of a devoted man who despite coming from a humble background is very proud. He is Bob; he is determined against all odds to find his little girl an expensive dress as a gift for her First Communion. This, however, gets him into trouble; he resorts to desperate measures in a bid to raise the money to secure for her daughter the dress. His desperate pursuit of money puts casts him on the bad light and compromises his image in the society (Bazin, 2005). This movie is prejudging by the fact that it won the Jury Prize in its maiden year in 19993 at the â€Å"Canne s Film Festival. Socio-historical and institutional Background of the films The films do not concentrate on the visual style so much but rather on the challenges that the society is grappling with. Such social issues include housing problems, poverty, bad governance, and disasters. In the 1960s and 1970s Britain was not a democratized society as it is today. So most of the films produced around that time targeted to sensitize the society against such odds.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Self -Care During Pregnancy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self -Care During Pregnancy - Research Paper Example Weight gain depends a lot on diet, physical activity and a way of life of a woman. There are certain recommendations for gain weight for women, however they differ for those with normal weight, who are underweight and overweight or obese. The weight gain also depends on how many children a woman is carrying (one, twins, triplets etc.). These recommendations are ("Pregnancy Weight Gain", New Zealand Ministry of Health, "Fit for Two: Tips for Pregnancy"): The numbers may differ depending on the recommendations of doctors in specific cases. But on the whole, a woman should try to keep to those limits, as lack of weight and weight excess may lead to undesirable outcomes, such as ("Pregnancy Weight Gain", New Zealand Ministry of Health, "Fit for Two: Tips for Pregnancy"): Thus it is necessary for a woman to try to keep to these limits, though it may be a challenge to many of them, especially that together with a growing baby, a woman has growing appetite. So it is important to her to monitor weight change and discuss it with her doctor. Healthy diet, which includes necessary nutrients and calories, and moderate physical activity may contribute to proper weight gain (New Zealand Ministry of Health). However constant and exhausting exercises should not become the ultimate goal of a pregnant woman, who does not want to gain more weight than recommended. A caloric intake of a pregnant woman does not differ significantly from a non-pregnant, and is between 2000-2500 calories (BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board, Hark and Catalano, "Fit for Two: Tips for Pregnancy"). There are some basic principles or rules, which a woman needs to observe while being pregnant. One of them is that pregnancy does not mean that a woman has to eat for two persons, because a baby does not require the same caloric intake as a grown-up person. A woman has to take extra 300-500 calories (Hark and Catalano). During the first trimester a woman may have the same calories

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon Essay

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon - Essay Example The life of Christopher, a boy who has a problem with understanding logic due to a health condition has been used to express the life of many other people who might be suffering from various issues in life. It shows that people are prone to various conditions, which eventually lead them to various destinations. Christopher’s mind-set is logical and scientific in that he sees life as a puzzle that can be circumnavigate through logic and calculated decisions. As a result of this, he fails to comprehend certain simplicities that seen reasonable to other human beings. As a student, and from a stable parental background, I feel the pain that goes within Christopher’s mind when he cannot understand how a dog is stone dead (Haddon, Ch 1). This is after he discovered Wellington’s dead corpse in the owner’s lawn. This point leads back to the medical condition that is affecting him. He cannot just understand simple issues until they are explicitly explained to him. Comparing this to other individuals like myself, I feel that people should not take all things for granted, and should appreciate whatever little or much one can have freely in life. Christopher did not choose the condition and neither did he choose to live with a single parent, even when the other parent was alive. Personally, I did not have control over my current situation but am just lucky to be the way I am. In the quest of finding out Wellington’s murderer, Christopher unveils various twists and turns in his parents’ life, including his mother’s whereabouts. For a child his age, I consider this a painful experience that even makes him pass out. Reflecting the events, as they unfolded upon my life, I consider life as cruel to underserving individuals, a reason to make me appreciate whichever circumstances I pass through. I have grown knowing my two parents, and would consider my upkeep as brilliant. This cannot be taken as mere luck but as matter

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Contemporary Developments in Business and Management Assignment

Contemporary Developments in Business and Management - Assignment Example The elements of the general environment are the political systems, economic systems of societies, socio-cultural elements, technological systems of societies, ecological systems, and legal systems. The task environment is the segment of the external environment with which an organization interfaces on a regular basis and is of immediate interest to the organization. It is within the organization's control. The elements of the task environment are the customers and clients, competitors, suppliers, labor supply, government agencies, etc. Guinness is in the beer brewing industry founded in 1759, with breweries (by way of license arrangements) in almost 50 countries and exports to around 150 countries. Next, the beer industry's policies and decisions are analyzed with regards to political influences. This is followed by using Robert Miles's dimensions of corporate social responsiveness to determine the effectiveness of the industry's response. Lastly, recommendations for improvement in t he response of the industry are made. Alcohol is a dependence-producing drug that causes detrimental societal and physical effects. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it leads to diseases, early mortality, accidents, and violent crimes. Due to these social influences, the beer industry operates within a tight legal environment. Legislation exists in various nations to curb the advertising and excessive consumption of alcohol. Examples include control on drunk driving, operation hours of pubs, advertising, distribution, and even import controls, such as in Sweden. Another external influence to which the beer industry is subjected is the economy. Beer as a luxury product  depends on the economy to stimulate demand. With the economic development of the developing nations, the demand for higher quality beverages, and hence beer is set to grow. Ecologically, beer brewing contributes to global warming by emitting carbon dioxide. The use and disposal of bottles and packagi ng also contribute to environmental pollution. Hence, beer brewing is a cause of concern for many environmentalists. Technological influence is not as great as political influence in the beer industry. No doubt, the proper application of technologies such as the brewing facilities and the bottling and packaging technology could help to cut costs and increase efficiencies. However, technologies may be imitated by competitors and any competitive advantages will soon disappear.

Interview with policy marker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview with policy marker - Essay Example Such patients have to be making about 1800/year, and be diagnosed with mental disability. Income is all the same the major factor as they have to be making 1800/year According to the Healthy People 2020 report, one of the main aims is to reduce the homeless people. How does your facility do to ensure the same? The homeless patients are kept in boarding homes, or in other shelters How do the boarding homes, halfway homes, or shelters help in maintaining the individuals’ stability? Patients in these homes have access to continued care, they are seen by a psychiatrist on weekly basis who are paid by the government. This is in accordance with objectives the Healthy People 2020 program that aims at increasing medical practitioners contact with patients. According to you, what is the main drawback preventing your clients from receiving care? And what role should the government play in increasing the care given to your clients, as outlined under the Access to health services Objectiv e in the Healthy People 2020 project? Sometimes it gets frustrating to give essential care and shelter to a patient with no insurance cover. Funding becomes the biggest drawback; this patient population is mostly ignored due to mental illness. Therefore, shelters have serious limitations in receiving and caring for fixed number of patients according to availability of funds in issues related to behavioral health. In an epidemiology study carried out by Pratt (2012), data from a 2007 National Health Interview survey of 23, 393 adults indicated that 35% of adults with a history of mental illness had a history of homelessness. Do you believe this is a reality? And what can be done to reduce this problem? The future of the homeless depends on the ability of the government to offer more funding. The homes carry out a census of the homeless at the beginning of each year, aimed at determining funds required to assist each of the homeless. The problem is that the shelters are greatly underf unded, which is major challenge. One of the legal implications in accessing health care services is the requirement that Insurance coverage is the principal means of measuring whether one gets adequate access to healthcare among the general population, limiting the chances of the above mentally ill patients, who are usually unemployed to obtain such important services (Healthy People 2020). 2. Policy Maker Question Asked Response obtained Eno- Obong E. Senior case manager with VA community based care These questions focused on the objectives of Healthy People 2010 to improve access to community based education programs in aiding to reduce hospitalization and management of chronic diseases. 1. 1 Health is more influences away from the facility where most of the population spends most of their time. As a case manager working for the patients in the community is this statement true? I concur with this statement from my experience in the field. Before, we recorded much higher emergency visits even after implementing the home health nurse program. However, with no education on how to manage chronic diseases and access to community resources, patients still continued to be sick. The facility therefore helped in exacerbation on the long term health needs of patients accessing such community health based resources. What is the most critical service that you give to the community to reduce emergency visits, and ensuring increasing access to

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The cold war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The cold war - Essay Example oviet ideology with regards to the way in which a state must be ordered and the manner of economic interaction that must be practiced was diametrically opposed to the approach that the United States and its allies proposed. As the dust was settling over Europe after the Second World War, the issue of rebuilding the shattered remains of these nations was foremost on the minds of the Allied powers. As such, the United States was specifically interested in setting up governments that were like its own model; a democratic capitalist society. Yet, due to the fact that the Soviet Union believed that democracy was merely a mechanism through which the moneyed aristocracy could lord over the resources and effect an even greater level of capitalist robbery this approach was scorned. Instead, the Soviet Union attempted to set up puppet states that were directed by Moscow and practiced a very similar, if not identical, form of communism. This led the United States to feel that the Soviet Empire was gorwing and threaetneed the very existence of Western Europe; and indeed the rest of the world. As the Soviet Union began to espouse a more and more aggressive line of expansion, the United States felt as if they were e ntering a zero sum game in which the Soviet Empire would eventually control much of the globe. All of this culminated in a decision by Washington, and its allies, to promote a direct level of opposition to this and seek to engage third parties as a means of promoting them towards Washington and away from Moscow. Furthermore, ideology also plays a powerful role with respect to the fact that economic competition between the opposing theories of communism and capitalism extended far beyond Europe and soon encompassed the entire globe; where the Soviets sought to garner support for a revolution of the proletariat and the United States sought to spread seeds of capitalism - oftentimes by force. The proxy wars and the political and economic posturing of both

Friday, August 23, 2019

Dialogues in Virtual Environment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Dialogues in Virtual Environment - Term Paper Example Numerous researches have been conducted on the application of virtual environments. Animesh et al.’s MIS QUARTELY described it as below. Virtual environments refer to interactive, head-referenced computer displays that are enhanced by special processing and nonvisual display modalities such as auditory and haptic, they convince users that they are in a computer simulated space. Organizations working on virtual environments have a virtual team and office. The popularity of working in a virtual office is becoming common. Many businesses, organizations, and institutions are not run from a central office with set hours. The workforce in the current world is more flexible,. mobile, preferable and more convenient trend with the help of the modern portable technology and wifi. One can work in a coffee shop, in another state, in airports, beaches,...just to mention but a few; all what they need is a laptop and access to internet to connect to workplace, clients and team members. As we ’ve already stated, organizations may work with a virtual team on global levels. These teams operate autonomously with directions from a manager. The major advantage of these teams is that they try to maximize geographic talents to focus on key elements of the organization. The economists believe that the virtual office will change the way our economy works as well as the nature of work. Working from home or places where we are more comfortable exerts less stress on individuals, which can adversely affect the quality of work being produced. Dialogue is a most important proponent of virtual office. It is more efficient to avoid unnecessary meetings, dealing with office chatter, gossip and commutes. Dialogue supports a wide range of applications of virtual environments in businesses, education, healthcare, government and entertainment. The usefulness is in customer service, selling, help desk, technical support, and personalized service, training, education, website navigation and simple dialogue systems. The virtual office involves space utilization, however, a the actual application requires live communications or dialogue. This is possible through various methods. First, workers can use high-tech computer telephone integration software, a voicemail, mailing, business meeting space, and many other applications for communication. Systems Theory A set of interacting, interrelated, and interdependent components that form a complex and a unified whole is known as a system. Systems are everywhere- example is functional departments in any organization, the human circulatory system, and so on. They have several defining characteristics: First, every system has a role to play within a larger system. Second, all parts of a system must be present for a system to carry out its purposes optimally. Third, system’s parts must be arranged in a particular manner, if they are rearranged, the whole system would have trouble executing its purpose. Fourth, Systems c hange in response to a feedback, and finally, they maintain their balance by making changes based on the feedback (Pokharel, 2011). Systems theory, therefore, is a trans disciplinary study of systems in general, irrespective of their kind, type, or nature of existence. It focuses on the relations and arrangement of parts which connect them into a whole rather than reducing an entity into parts like organs or cells. Systems theory as a trans disciplinary study addresses a problem regardless of discipline in diverse fields like engineering, biology, sociology, psychology, and organizational theory. There are two versions of systems theory: closed systems and open systems. Closed systems originated in classical physics which deals with relatively few variables. Its modern version is exemplified by

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The initial interest of a career Essay Example for Free

The initial interest of a career Essay My initial interest of a career within Primary Education sparked whilst I was volunteering for a local football team, where I was presented with the opportunity to coach 8/9-year-old children, as part of my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award. I found it particularly rewarding to see a child progress following my guidance and learning environment. From this, I have established that I enjoy the interaction with children and supporting their holistic development on their personal level, I am fascinated with how their minds develop, gaining an understanding into a child’s perceptions of the world. Primary Education has been the course I have been exclusively interested in since the start of High School, mainly due to the opportunities that have been laid ahead at South Bromsgrove. I secured a week’s placement last year, through a local Primary School. I was able to work alongside teachers and support staff in different roles across the school. This was a capturing and challenging experience. Shadowing a Primary School teacher enabled me to be involved in a range of areas such as early years, extra-curricular events and a taste of every subject at Primary level. This developed my confidence when approaching senior teachers and pupils whilst at the school. The most rewarding part was being able to help pupils within lessons with tasks, which is essential in developing the defined core of teaching. Helping a child progress motivates me and this experience reinforced my desire to teach. The concept of playing an active role in helping children develop greatly appeals to me. A key part of the course would place me in an actual schooling environment, broadening my knowledge further and giving me a first-hand impression of the role itself. I am applying to this course because I believe my personal skill set and passion are well molded to the course requirements. My communication, interpersonal skills, and patience will benefit me within this role. I also believe that becoming an excellent teacher requires a desire to assist children in the learning process and this is one quality which I feel I definitely possess and have been commented on. I also emphasize the necessity of enabling children to have fun at school and relish their Primary School days. I believe that my current philosophy is person-orientated, as I obtain good interpersonal skills, promoting positive results from individuals, rather than focusing on a larger task. Primary Education provides children with the building blocks to pursue a personal desire, in later school years and beyond school . At South Bromsgrove, I study BTEC Sport and Business Studies. A current focus in Sport is phases of learning. This particular unit has enabled me to understand the process of thinking. The Cognitive, Associative and Autonomous stages link into how a Primary pupil processes thoughts. In the future, this will provide me with an understanding of how children perceive school, which is a fundamental part of the Primary Education course. Business has enhanced my knowledge on budgeting which is a key part of the role, as each department is allocated a budget. This could benefit me in a teaching role. I also participate in the Duke of Edinburgh programme, having completed both Bronze and Silver I am working towards the Gold Award in 2018. The DofE programme has presented lots of opportunities. Volunteering in a local charity shop to learning new personal skills, such as problem solving and self-management. I have always been a sportsman which has provided me with a core set of skills. Resilience, Social Independence, and Responsibility. These skills are applicable to university and I feel due to my skill set I can work on independent tasks and would thrive in this environment. I also believe that Primary Education requires a great level of responsibility. I personally feel that this skill is above satisfactory and again, I would face no obstruction in pursuing a career in Primary Education.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Lao Culture and Business Etiquette

Lao Culture and Business Etiquette Lao is located in South-East Asia. It is one of the long history countries with well-established traditional in Asia. Laos has its own culture, traditional which is quite similar to other countries in South-East Asia However, Laoss culture is strongly influenced by religious, Buddhism believe and also nearby countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Burma. For people who come from different country, they always have a big crash in culture shock. They must learn and get used to Lao culture which is very important for their new living place. Normally, when they have conversation with Laos, they should use their eyes and common sense to navigate and learn Laos culture. Here is some information guideline for foreigner should know: Greeting Laos has its own traditional greeting called Nob where palms are placed together and held in front of the chest or face. The person who is in the lower level/position in social or younger should give a bow or greeting first, then but the oder or l/higher level/position in social person will respond greeting back. There are many levels for showing respect to the person in greeting with Nob. The higher of the hands holding level and the lower of the bow means the higher the degree of respect. During Nob, one should smile and say hello together with. Sa Bai Dee is a word used for the same purpose as Hello. Its general meaning is How are you or Im fine. It is also used for meaning I am doing well. It is common in Laos to ask others if they already had dining or meal after greeting. When persons ask this question, they do not normally purpose for the answer but they show their care to those persons they ask. Nation Pride The Lao are truly  happy  being Laos. The Lao  accept  for who are they, what they are doing and  proud  in their long histories and well-established traditions. They appreciate when foreigner shows interest in their culture. Word expression Laos is a feeling sensitive culture. They care for other people feeling. Lao have many words to describe about their feeling and to express how they think. Laos words that are often used in everyday life are Bo Penh Nyang and Tham Ma Dha. These two words have various meaning according to the context. However, all meanings are related and influence by a Buddhist perspective. Bo Penh Nyang directly means No problem. It also has other meanings as never mind or are you all right? In some case, Bo Penh Nyang used with someone did something wrong to express that the action is forgiven. Tham Ma Dha is the word from Buddhist thinking, means everything goes on it way. In everyday life situation, it means average, the norm or everything process as usual. Religious Culture Similar to other countries in South-East Asia, Lao culture is influenced by Buddhism believe.. Buddhism deeply binds with Laoss everyday life and their ways of thinking also their traditional. With Buddhist teaching about the ways of things that things are as they are and as they should be, Lao easily accept the changing. Moreover, Buddhism religious always teach people to be peace and respect to each other. This builds Laos society to be a peaceful living. Lao people also highly give respect to monk and religious related things. Religious and Temple is the center of Lao mental conduct. Body conduct In Laos, as in most Buddhist cultures, head is considered the most precious/highest part of the body. In the other hand, the feet are the least sacred/lowest part of the body. There are many manners and aspects that are related to body conduct. It is necessary to remember this conduct whenever in Laos. Laos do not play other head as it is consider as the high part of body. Dress In big city and urban area, Laos dress the modern cloths in the same way as the western do. However, short and revealing clothes are generally not acceptable in Lao culture. In temple, everybody must wear polite cloth such as women must wear long pant or dress to cover their knee with long sleeve and must not show their chest. Losing face Losing face is a very sensitive situation for Laos. Losing face in public is a humiliated thing. Lao are afraid of being insulted. before talking about something or doing some action, those stuff should be reconsidered if it will cause losing face to anybody. Any form of confrontation for winner and loser which might lead to losing face must be avoided. Business Etiquette Dos DO say Sa Bai Dee as a greeting word in Lao with Laos traditional greeting. If you dont know how to greet in Laos tradition way, it is better to bow a little bit and say hello with a smile. Do smile a lot, Lao people love peaceful atmosphere. They always smile to each other. Do avoid showing affection in public. Lao are quite conservative. Greeting are any action with affection of person is not widely accepts even within the same gender. DO dress with neat and clean business suites for meetings. Lao are easily getting impressed by outside cloths. Do wear polite dress when visiting government, office and temple. Appropriate dress and behavior when entering places are essential. shorts or sleeveless shirts or flip flop is impolite dress. DO take off your shoes when invited into your Lao business colleagues home. Lao people try to keep their places clean. Taking hat and shoes off also are showing respect to the places. Lao appreciate and expect foreigner to do the same. Do crouch your back down when walking pass someone sitting, especially the elder. Lao highly give respect to elder. Also, as crouching back, body of walking person is consider as not higher than sitting person. Do show respect to Buddhism. Foreigner should show respect and be careful on their action in the temples area. Do speak respectful about the religion. One important thing about Buddhism is women should not touch Monks. Donts Do not touch anyone on the head. As head is the most sacred part of the Laos body, touching head is considered as very impolite behavior Dont put your feet on table or chair and shouldnt sit with crossed-leg or point your feet to anyone. The same thing as the previous one, Lao believe that Head is high and Feet are Low. Dont take any people photo without permission. You must ask them first to permission if they are ok or not. Do not shout or raise your voice or lose temper in public. Lao people speak softly and avoid confrontation. Speaking or shouting in loud voice may frighten them. It is also considered as uneducated or uncivilized person. People who lose their temper in public might be looked down on from other people. Do not involving with illegal stuff and sex tourism. The use of drugs is illegal in Laos.. The selling of wildlife and wildlife products should be avoided. Trading antique Buddha, sacred items and other old artifacts are prohibited. They are not allowed to be taken out of Laos. You might have problem when leaving Laos. Sex tourism is also illegal in Lao Business Practical Business Value Business culture in Laos is different from westerners business culture. In order to understand the difference of business culture between different cultures, the person has to have real experience and navigate deeply in the culture. The comparison of the value emphases that can be found for each culture, Laos and Western, are listed in the following Table.1. This table is derived from real experience of western businessman in Lao with his point of view and his own navigating. It can be used as a guideline for more understanding Laos business value. Relationship Businesses are often based on personal relations developed within social circles. In Laos business culture, work and social relationship are getting along and depend on each other. Since the emphasis placed on personal relationships is high, having a reliable and well-connected local agent or representative is crucial to the success of a foreign venture. Lao are seeking for trusted and credible relationships. Relationships progress slowly in Laos with the step-by-step approach. Asking Laos partner about their family, traditions, culture help foreigner understand their Laos partner better and also effective in building the relationship. View of Time Punctuality Lao people are not so punctual. They are often late for the appointment. Normally, they do not have exact plan and time table for their schedule. Foreigner should learn how the locals plan their time and keep their sense of time flexible. However, punctuality from foreign partner is appreciated Business Hours Official office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. In factories and private companies work hours can be extended according to the laws allowance. Business Etiquette Greeting In business, nowadays, handshaking is becoming increasingly common during the conduct of business but only for people with same gender. Men and women should avoid public displays of affection. However, Laos traditional greeting is preferred. Naming Lao people should be called by their first names, with their title Mr//Ms//Madame or Than (in Lao) before the name. In the special occasion or to give higher honors, last name or their family name should be followed after their first name. Dress In Laos business, dress code for business is an importance. Men should wear western clothing such as shirt and trousers for normal business occasion. For special occasion, lightweight suits with tie should be worn. Women usually wear long skirts or blouse with long sleeve covering the shoulders and upper legs. Womens business cloth should avoid showing skin. Another important thing for dressing is perfumes. Laos are quite sensitive to odour. Westerners who have strong body odour should wear soft perfumes. Clean and neat cloths help in giving impression to Laos. Language Official language is Lao. English and Fresh are also commonly used in Business. However, French is more widely used, spoken and understood than English. Business cards When doing business in Lao, carry lots of business cards. Business card exchange is common in Laos business practice. Business cards should be translated into Lao and printed out.   A common used one is to have English version on one side and Lao version on the other side. In business card exchanging, cards should be given and received using both hands. Giving business card with this posture shows honor and humble to the person whom is dealed with. Exchanging business card with one hand also acceptable, but only exchanging with right hand where left hand lightly wrap around wrist and lower arm. The card should never be immediately kept into the pocket or placed somewhere. The detail in card for person name and position should be studied after receiving another persons card. Also, the card should not be written anything down. At meetings, other peoples business cards should be arranged on the table according to the sitting position. This helps tracking of people names.   It also is a sign of respect and interested in for the person. Another important thing is, playing or writing anything down in other people business card is disrespectful action. Business card should be treated with respect in same degree of respect as one would show the person him or herself. Gift Giving It is not required to give the gift when meeting business partner but giving gift shows consideration to other people and good relationship. Gift can be anything and do not have to be expensive things. Gift can be offered to anyone in the meeting but the most importance is giving one for the host or person in the highest rank. Gifts are given in the order of peoples importance or their position.   Wrapped gifts will be opened only when the person is alone. Shoes and socks are not suitable to be gifts in Laos as it is related to foot which is the least sacred part of the body. Green and red are the most suitable colors for wrapping paper in Laos. White wrapping paper, which is considered as unlucky and miserable color, should be avoided. Negotiation Negotiations process in the Lao is quite slow. It is also highly unwell-organized. Lao contracts are normally written in short with simple language. The Laos contract focuses on principles while western contract is obtuse and legalistic. Relationship is more important than the terms and conditions in the contract. They view the contract as the starting point of relationship but are able to change later. The agreement may become meaningless if the circumstances change. Good  relationship with Lao partners is a big help in negotiation. Breaking of negotiation should be done very carefully as it might shut the door on future cooperation.   Seeking for legal  counsel might lead to failed relationship i Meeting Meeting in Lao is not well-conducted.  In many case, meeting for Lao people is made for purpose of opportunities for social occasion. The highest ranking person of the group should be the first one who go into the room and speak to other people.   There is normally business card exchange before the meeting start. Meetings always begin with informal talk with serving coffee or tea.   The served tea or coffee should be drink or sip before main topic start as a polite and appreciate behavior. A several  discussion are normally takes place before launch into the the main topic of the meeting. The host will be the person who starts talking into the main topic. There are several signals from host that indicate the end of meeting. The signals include asking guest if they would like more tea, beginning to summarize things up, thank you for coming, and leading guest to the door. Table Manner If Lao has invited someone to a dinner it means that they interest to build deeper relationship. It is important to return the favor as it is a sign of interested in having relationship with them. Whenever accept dining invitation, it is important to be a host for next meal. If the meal take place at Laos house, remember to take shoes off before enter the house. Guest should not take seat until host invites to sit. For dining at restaurant, do not ask to share the bill if have dining at restaurant if they propose to pay for you. Instead, accept the invitation and then host the next meal. Communication Lao has indirect communication style. Rather than confront a person with an issue or disagreement, Lao prefer a non-confrontational ways of communicating for disagreement. As Laos are collectivism, relationship between people is important thing. They avoid having any conflict in relationships especially when in public.   People are more likely to avoid anger, confrontation or verbal criticisms which can lead to loss of face. Instead of direct confrontation, they try to find another way to solve the conflict. Body languages are quite preserved in Lao. They try to avoid eye contact. They also have few body language gestures. For documentation, written documents should be in both Lao and the foreign language so Lao people could understand more correctly about the content of the document. One more important thing is document written with red ink might get negative feedback from Lao. One more thing that foreigner should know is thing are not as the way they seem to be. For example, Foreigner should never ever take yes of Lao as an answer. Lao normally say yes to indicate that the message has been heard and understood. Yes means maybe or perhaps or no. Maybe means yes, no, or just maybe. And there is really no no as they try to avoid any form of conflict. Another example is bad news from Lao is often slowly  introduced. The main topic is normally come after the word and which generally is when the most important content is revealed. Another important thing in communication is saying Apologize. Lao normally apologize when something happen, even if they did not do anything worng. But they apologize because an  unfortunate incident has occurred.   It is importance to remember how to show respect. When in Laos, try and do as the Laos. Do and remember about body conduct, dress, and public affection and religious manner.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Contribution Of Women In Handicrafts In Lahore Cultural Studies Essay

Contribution Of Women In Handicrafts In Lahore Cultural Studies Essay The present study is about the contribution of women in handicrafts. The current theme of research regarding handicrafts is to find out the type of embroidery work that women do in their houses and also the problems and benefits they get from their skills. While there is a lot of research are presented on this topic but there is a lack of attention on those women and their contribution in handicrafts (embroidery). This study would add a knowledge and information to the existing one. Moreover in Pakistan this work is impossible without womens contribution. So, it would also help us to understand the women problems regarding their works. Handicrafts Handicrafts are items made by hand, often with the use of tools, and are generally artistic and traditional in nature. They include objects of utility and objects of decoration. (Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999). Handicrafts are the things that are produce completely by hand or with the help of tool. They also known as craft work in which useful and decorative things are used to complete it. Generally the term is used to traditional way of making things. Handicrafts are unique ideas that represent a culture and tradition of a country and it is most important in terms of economic development. Handicrafts are the mirror of culture, tradition and the beauty of this work is depend upon the aesthetic sense of the workers and also on the quality of material and touch of art.   Pakistan has a rich history of handicrafts. The greate workers of Pakistan have greate skills to show their care in craftsmanship and Pakistani culture promises everything beauty,dignity,form and style. (Shaukat, 2006) Handicrafts are as most important symbol in terms of economic development.For the long time period home based work has helped men and women both an economically.In now a days this market get progress and became internationalized but men get more benefits then women due to that freedom that they have to move anywere in profitable areas and the adaptation of these workers into unorganized sector have made women more insecure and lead them to the explotation of their skills.in recentl. (Gyanendra Dastidar, 2000) The facts is that more wealthy countries have less informal economy but developing countries more expansive one. Denmark has 18 per cent, Nigeria and Thailand 80 per cent informal economy and there is nothing insulting to admit the fact that Pakistan has an informal economy of about 70 per cent. (Bhatti, 2002) Types of handicrafts Handicrafts involve the different types of creation including clothing, religious symbols and jewelry, and different types of paper crafts. (Malcolm Tatum, 2003) There are hundreds if not thousands of different varieties of handicrafts. The following list of crafts is included just for descriptive purposes. The Handicrafts manifested through Brass, onyx and wood, are known to maintain a proud tradition of handicrafts since 1994 in Pakistan and truly signifying the worth of the products. The art of carving on Metal Wood items are the real beauties of our hard working Craftsmen. These items are manufactured in small villages by hardwork craftsman, and can easily be purchased in big cities. Such crafts include, metal lanterns, mirror frames, decoration pieces and more.    (Shaukat, 2006) 3. Pottery  Ã‚   The potter at his wheel is a common scene in every village, uninfluenced by modern glamour. Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi, Gujrat and places around also produce colorful pottery, painted after firing. pottery of Multan is welknown from dates back to the 13th century with obvious traces for woodwork. Chiniot is also known for woodwork. Copper and brass work is done within the walled city of Lahore. Ceramics and glazed pottery are the oldest art in Pakistan, dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization (2500 B.C.E.). Many popular techniques are used to dercorate the pottery and popular technique is to apply blue designs over white glazes.   Pakistani potters are welknown for making the elaborate tiles that decorate mosques and public buildings. (Shaukat, 2006) 4. Woodcrafts Wood-carving, Woosd-turning, Cabinet making, Furniture making, lacquerware include in woodcrafts. Pakistani furniture is known all over the world for its beautiful designs and the asthetic sense of the worker. One of the fine longitudinal cross grains solid wood is known as Rosewood. It is available in the northern areas of Pakistan. In Asia this wood is only available in Pakistan. In local language people calls it SHESHAM. It is also available along the lakes and rivers in Punjab province of Pakistan. Such furniture is famous all over the world for its beauty. (Shaukat, 2006) 5. Jewelry Leather goods Metalwork, including inlaid or engraved swords, boxes, dishes, and tea sets made from silver and gold, as well as jewelry with precious stones and pearls, are important crafts. Jewelry is not limited to necklaces, bracelets, rings but also includes hair and forehead decorations and nose ornaments. Leatherwork and basketry are also important crafts. Sindh baskets are colorful and intricate, while weavers in the Northwest Frontier prefer geometric patterns. (Shaukat, 2006) Embroidersy Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating cloth or other materials with needle and thread or wool.Workers also enhance its beauty with uses of other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Embroidery is an ancient textile art which uses strands of embroidery floss or wool to create a picture in thread on canvas, linen or other cloth. It forms a part of needlework. Embroidery uses various stitches and combinations of stitches. Each embroidery stitch has a special name to help identify it. Embroidery has recognized as a creative expression of people and it is storage of our oral traditions which have been maintained by the women. (Dhamija, 2004) Embroidered textiles are frequently used to decorate living spaces, temporary or permanent, impressive or modest depend upon choise and the sense of owner. Historically, embroidered textiles shows the wealthy and influence touch of rulers, courtiers, and courtesans. Among South Asias many peoples are identified by this textiles frequently, personal status or religious affiliation. (Dale Carolyn Gluckman, 2007) The folk embroidery tradition runs deep in the Punjab. At the end of the 15th century, the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, wrote: Thou art not a worthwhile woman until thou hast embroidered thy own blouse. Village women still practice the craft, also stitching bed and cushion covers and a variety of other cloths, but the art probably reached its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (Beste, Michael, 2009) Types of embroidery There are many different styles of embroidery, often with regional variations. Chikan embroidery Chikan embroidery is a fine needle-craft done by hand mostly using white thread on a variety of fabrics from cotton and silk to synthetics. It is the most famous fine art of embroidery at word level, and is famous not only in India, but also abroad. (Sarna Shukla, 1994) Zari embroideries From the second half of 18th century until the early 20th century, two different types of gold embroidery found ready patrons; these were: zardozi work, heavy silver-gilt thread work upon a foundation padded with cotton thread or paper, on velvet or sation ground; and Kalabattu work: light delicate embroidery, in gilt-silver or silver threads, strips of gilt-silver, gilt-silver sequins, upon fine silk cotton or muslin. (Dhamija, 2004) White work White work is embroidered in white thread, on pure white fabric, it is not at all difficult, and is cheap to achieve. The tools you will need for white work embroidery are minimal. Firstly, a nice piece of fabric. Depending on the kind of item you wish to produce, you may start out with high thread count white muslin, or an even weave or linen. Appliquà © work Appliquà © work is every kind of embroidery which, being worked solidly on one material is then cut out and lay down upon another, and secured by various ornamental stitches. (Dhamija, 2004) China work This work was almost entirely Chinese in design and techniques. It was done on saries, shawls, borders, children dresses and a variety of costumes. The fabric used was mainly chines silk or fine satin of red, purple and black colour. The embroidery was done sometimes with floss-silk and more often with tightly spun, two ply silk. (Dhamija, 2004) Phulkari The simple and sparsely embroided work for everyday use was called phulkari. It was done on odhnis or shawls for everyday use on coarse handspun khadi cloth, mostly brownish-red, usng floss-silk in darning stitched worked from the reverse side of fabric. (Dhamija, 2004) Kashmir embroidery The main varieties of Kashmir being namda, work on felt-wool, gabba, a type of appliquà © work, using waste woolen fabrics and kashida wrought on various kinds of clothing and the cloth used is either silk or wool. (Dhamija, 2004) Role of women in handicrafts Home based workers are the most marginalized and one of the largest groups of workers in this sector, with an estimated 300 million workers worldwide. Home based work has been identified as work that is undertaken in the home. They are predominately women, located in various occupations including the assembly of electronic components of fans, washing machines, irons, or the manufacture of glass bangles, items of pottery; small scale packaging and assembling of consumables, hand knitting, embroidery, stitching, handicrafts, garments and weaving of carpets and shawls. It also includes clerical and teaching homework and the supply of raw materials. (Carr, Chen Tate, 2000) According to World Bank report after agriculture, the most important source of womens employment is home-based work. (Aurat publication, 1997) The statistics on the informal economy are unreliable, The number of women in the informal labour force possibly stands at 12.79 millions, of whom 8.52 million women, constituting 75 per cent of the total informal sector workers, were home-based workers.'(Aurat publication, 1997) A survey of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) conducted in 2003 shows that 77 percent of the total female labor force falls within the purview of the informal sector, while 53 percent are classified as home based workers. They also told that most of working women have to hand over their earnings to their parents or husbands. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries women produced and consumed the crafts for the domestic interior. They made crafts at various levels in society and having different motives. At one level, it may have been artistic self-expression; at another level to support financial necessity, or on a third level it may have been for pastime. (Edward, 2006) Informal Economy comprises of small enterprises of one or more persons, with casual or regular employees of less than 10 people. The workers in this sector fall into the following three categories: Self-employed women Home-based workers Self-employed women A woman who is self-employed works for herself instead of as an employee of another person or organization, drawing income from a trade or business. Self-employed workers are paid directly by clients or by their business, and some proportion of these payments will be due to the government as income tax. (Haq, 2003) Home-based workers Home based women workers fall into two categories: (i) dependent workers who work on a piece rate and usually work for middle persons in a contract chain; and (ii) independent home based workers or own-account workers who produce goods for direct sale through street stalls, shops or the local village and sometimes to traders or subcontractors. (Haq, 2003) In the last ten years women have become more energetic in business and the private sector. Their participation found in many areas, in which small scale projects as well as large scale private projects are included. Small scale rural projects turns into larg scale private projects. There are a lot of networks which have been established for the women in business. It also empowers the women of a home-base producer or in private sector. (Brouwer, Harris Tanaka, 1998) The unplanned home-based workers represent an important part of working population. There are large number of income producing activities are included in home-based sector in which mostly women workers are engaged. From embroidery to food processing and from craft to coir work are included in these activities. Both in rural and urban areas, there is given very little importance to this unorganized sector and it is due to the workers condition; the working conditions are unspeakable, the wages are extremely low and workers face great worries and exploitations. Home based industrial work is one of the least regulated, least managed, and most risky systems of industrial production however a large number of women workers are tired in this sector just because of lack of personal resources, like education and awareness, non-availability of employment opportunities, and normative practices which control womens mobility outside home. (Sarna Shukla, 1994) Liberalisation has improved the employment opportunities for women in some sectors especially in the crafts sector. So there are increased the number of women in participation of home-base craft sector like in embroidery, lace making, weaving and printed textiles. In some cases empowerment of women also increases but in most cases, the working condition of the women workers is poor and they are paid less than men. (Krishnaraj, 1992 cited by Rao, 2005) Women have a great work load in their lives; they have a double burden, to earn income from their work and also have to fulfill their household responsibilities. They laboring the whole day; generally they work 12 to 16 hours per day and losing their health and energy both. (Durand, 1975 cited by United Nations Economic and social commission for Asia and the pacific, 1987) Being a embroidery skilled worker, their work requires women to sit long hours in the same restless position and sometime they have to ignore there household duties that resulting in tension, qurels and a lot of deases like eye, back bone, shoulders as well as other mental and emotional problems depending upon the physical environment in which these women live and work. (Sarna Shukla, 1994) Wage discrimination is obvious and usually common against women in Asia. Wage rates are as low as one-third or it may be observed that women always paid less of those paid to men. In Jobs also, there are described carefully to discriminate the labour practices involved; female positions typically require few skills and give poor salary. (United Nations Economic and social commission for Asia and the pacific, 1987) In handicrafts the embroidery work is a traditional art but many women faced some difficulty of marketing their skill. Generally simple embroidery piece do not have sale value except it is the part of gift items.And if the women contect the shop keeper or designers she may sale her prodect but beang a women she is restricted to go outside .so, she have only those customers to know them personally. (Gyanendra Dastidar, 2000) Mostly the womens work is under-reported in Pakistan. Purdah is the main reason that stops any direct communication between the enumerator and the female respondent. The household head, usually a male, reports any female activity. Because purdah is a status representation, related with material well-being, and womens work is frowned upon, it is expected that female labour is under-reported. (Whyte, 1982 cited by United Nations Economic and social commission for Asia and the pacific, 1987) In some traditional industries like jute and cotton textile, mechanization has contributed in the rejection of female employment. Women represent 90 percent of the workers in these industries such as the making of embroidery. But intermediaries and middlemen who provide the raw materials and market the final product, make them badly exploited by only paying the women minimal wages. (Bhatty n.d.; Indian Council of Social Science Research, 1975 cited by United Nations Economic and social commission for Asia and the pacific, 1987) Crafts production is culturally recognized activity. The skills present in the economic sector and many women adopt and practice it. But they dont get to recognition and value not in the economy and not in the household level. They dont have any financial records, on average it accounts for less than 1% of a households income. This is not much to lead toward progress. There are too much women who participate in home-craft production but they just have little impact on it.womens are badly exploted by the men even they work for batterly then men. (Freedman Wai, 1988) s NGOs should help the home based women workers in the shape groups. Those groups should supply raw materials, make sure appropriate and timely payments, arrange for the credit and support in design development. (Ministry of Labour, 2000). This is the need of hour to arrange female workers into cooperatives and other organizations where production and marketing are included, and it should sported by the government to stop this high rate of women exploitation. (United Nations Economic and social commission for Asia and the pacific, 1987)

Monday, August 19, 2019

Othello - Values And Attitudes :: essays research papers

"If Othello didn’t begin as a play about race, history has made it one." The Venetian society that Othello is set in is representative of the writers context. The attitudes and values that Shakespeare reveals through the text are those same attitudes and values of Elizabethan society in England in the sixteenth-century. Although Othello is set in Venice and Cyprus, the attitudes and values shared in the text are probably reflective of the attitudes and values of Shakespeare's own society. It is difficult to assess the attitudes and values of people in sixteenth-century Britain to the relatively few blacks living amongst them. We are given an insight into those attitudes and values through the representation of race and gender in the text of Othello.These attitudes and values are indicative of what a culture believes in and supports. By the time Othello was written the English were becoming more and more aware of the existence of other races in the world besides themselves. There had been a lot of travelling and blacks were beginning to be used in Europe for the slave trade. During the time the play was written, the Queen of England had banned all blacks from entering the city. She spoke of them as "Negars and Moors which are crept into the realm, of which kind of people there are already here too many". It seems that Shakespeare is almost mocking the Queen by characterising Othello as a black man who has a high ranking position in the Army and who marries a white aristocratic women, against her fathers will. Ruth Cowlig suggests that the presentation of Othello as the hero must have been startling for Elizabethan audiences. This may have been the case, but through the representation of Othello we are able to see that some members of society such as the Duke, looked over his colour to assign him his position whereas, others such as Iago, look on his colour as a way to mock him. Hostility is shown to Othello by characters such as Iago and Roderigo. This attitude may have been encouraged by the widespread belief in the legend that blacks were descendants of Ham in the Genesis story, punished for sexual excess by their blackness. The Elizabethan's discussed at length whether this skin colour was due to life in a hot climate or whether it was a punishment for sin. To the Elizabethan's, who thought hierarchically, fair skin was the epitome of beauty and therefore dark skin ranked below it.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Comparing Felicite of Flauberts A Simple Heart and Nelly Dean of Brontes Wuthering Heights :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing Felicite of Flaubert's A Simple Heart and Nelly Dean of Bronte's Wuthering Heights Nelly Dean and Felicite are both characters that are in stark contrast to the characters that surround them. They are both good Christian women in there own way who are serving those who have no real interest in godliness and place no real emphasis on it. Nelly Dean is a realistic character in a romantic novel, while Felicite is a romanticized character in a realistic story. Nelly Dean is a servant in a household that is filled with people that are difficult to get along with. They are in constant turmoil with each other, and they almost seem to enjoy the conflict they cause. Nelly Dean is the one character that does not usually allow herself to be pulled into the conflicts that the rest of the characters embroil themselves in. She is able to stand back from the situation and give sound advice. Felicite does not seem as able to distance herself from the problems around her until she gets older and is physically unable to participate. Both women are passed from master to master because of no true faults of their own, and neither woman seems to have much control over her own destiny. While Nelly Dean stays with the same family, she has to move and get accustomed to new bosses every time some one dies. Felicite just seems to have plain bad luck in her choice of employers at the beginning of her career. In spite of this, both women seem quite satisfied with their lives, while the people who are in charge of them seem a lot less happy with their own lives. The characters in ‚"Wuthering Heights‚" frequently have severe fits of negative emotion, while Nelly quietly looks on. The only time that we see Felicite completely overcome with grief is when she thought she was going to have control, and she lost it. This happens when Felicite is still relatively young. She falls in love with a boy, and when he decides to marry some one else, ‚ÄÃ ºshe threw herself on the ground, screamed, called to the God of mercy, and moaned‚ÄÃ ¹ (1021). After this first display of emotion, she picked herself up and moved on with her life.

Humorous Wedding Roast †The Groom’s Odd Behavior this Evening :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Humorous Wedding Speech – The Groom’s Odd Behavior this Evening Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen - My name is Ron and I am the best man. Now, you may have heard said that being a best man is like being asked to lead the troops into battle - it's a great honour, but nobody really wants to do it. Well, I only agreed on the condition that it wouldn’t interfere too greatly with my own enjoyment of the wedding day, in particular the free food and drink. But as it happens, I’ve not been able to eat a thing all day - I’ve more than made up for it on the drink front though. Apparently, my main duty is to give you all an introduction to the groom. This part of the best man’s speech is usually just an excuse to demolish the groom’s good character. Now I’ve thought about this and don’t see any reason to break with tradition. But it’s actually not that easy because Larry is a nice fellow; he obeys all local ordinances, he pays his taxes and he keeps the city tidy - so there is not much I can embarrass him with. However, he does have a few quirks! And if you know Larry well you will already be familiar with them. But for those of you on Pamela's side who are just getting to know him - be on the look out for the following ‘odd’ behavior this evening: 1. Jumping on people’s feet – of course, Larry calls it dancing and if it is, he’s perfected the non-rhythm method. The head looks one way; the body another and the feet kick out. I can only liken it to a bad version of ‘Riverdance’. 2. Frowning during photographs – although I must admit he did raise a smile when his picture was taken outside the church this morning. Probably because this is the first wedding he’d been to where he could walk out without putting any money on the plate. 3. Sniffing wine - if you are in his company when he starts doing this be prepared for a discussion on the body, roundness, and smoothness of his tipple. When he starts saying things like ‘multi-layered’ finish’ and lingering complexity, it’s time to make your get away. 4. Vanishing into thin air - there could be three reasons for this. He’s snuck off to watch his beloved team’s first home game of the season.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Children Rights for Education

In John Holts essay, â€Å"Freedom for Children† he discusses how children should have their own right to decide how much, when, and what to learn. Holt states that by taking children†s right to learn, we are taking a fundamental right away from them. He also states that, to adults, the right to decide what does and does not interest us is taken for granted and that we are unknowingly taking this right away from children. Holt also states that by sending children to school six hours a day, 180 days a year, for about 10 years we are limiting them. Holt concludes that children are no longer learning, but rather are taught what adults think they should know. I personally disagree with Holts on this matter. If children had the right to control their education, what would stop them from even going or learning things that could be damaging to society? I feel the have plenty of rights as it is. Children today have many rights already in the field of education. In elementary school, no one forces them to stop learning. They can always choose to further their education, by reading perhaps. In high school, there are a variety of classes a student can choose from. All these classes can be selected to fit an individual student. Classes ranging from art and drama all the way up to advanced placement physics are at the disposal of those who want to learn. No one forces children to take these classes. Students take these classes of their own free will. Once in college, a student has the right to choose whatever major they feel fit to be in. If they don†t like that major, they can always change it. What would happen if students were allowed to come and go as they please? All too often, students would never go to class. They would abuse their right and spend their days having fun. I have personally seen friends leave school because they don†t want to be there. If they didn†t have to be there they would not have come in the first place. There are certain things that students should know. Basic math and English skills are required jus to get by in today†s society. If these basic skills are never learned, we risk having an underdeveloped society full of uneducated people. Our world would literally crumble because we run the chance of people not knowing anything. Limiting what children learn today is not the way we want to have them grow up. If we did that, we would have them grow up with a natural tendency to learn what is harmful or wrong to society. What we are trying to do is guide them in life so what they can make the right decisions in life. Exposing them to what is right in the world will help them open up to new opportunities and experiences. As we can see, we are not limiting on what a person can learn, but only protecting that person from abusing it. So many things can go wrong if a person were allowed to take control of their own education. Abuse and neglect are only a few possibilities. The way education is now was designed to be the best for those willing and even unwilling to learn. Those willing can receive the best education their mind is able to give them. The unwilling receive the basics and don†t become a burden on society. Holts† idea of unhindered learning may be an idealistic one, but in the end there are too many flaws and loopholes. An education like that could be societies downfall when our system is extremely efficient now.

Friday, August 16, 2019

The novel Frankenstein written in 1831 by Mary Shelley

The novel Frankenstein written in 1831 by Mary Shelley is a tale that seems to expound on many of the ideas set forth in John Keats’ â€Å"Ode on Melancholy.† The thematic elements concur in their references to the unknown and to the unwanted and melancholic results of knowledge that lies beyond a certain threshold of life. Both works take on a very tenebrous tone and even hint at a certain inevitability in the coming of doom and the destruction of beauty. They might even be considered works that celebrate the sadder circumstances in life—which is in direct contrast to the unbridled optimism of many Romantic poets of the era. The monster created by Victor Frankenstein, as well as Frankenstein himself, enter the dreamlike and unknown territory of Lethe warned against by Keats, and in return find out first hand the inner workings of life’s melancholy.The very first line of Keats’ poem warns against entrance into the unknown, as therein lies even more evidence of the grief that life can hold. He writes, â€Å"No, no, go not to Lethe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (line 1). Lethe refers to a river found in the Greek mythologies that flowed through the underworld of Hades. This river is one that causes forgetfulness and in that way casts a shroud over reality that is similar to the misty and dreamlike sense created in the novel Frankenstein. Shelley does this using several devices, such as through the setting she creates. The story begins while the first narrator and Dr. Frankenstein sail together on a vessel in the dark and expansive waters of the Arctic. The atmosphere speaks volumes of the lack of clarity that is shown to exist on the earth. It also prefigures the idea of Dr. Frankenstein’s forgetting (as on Lethe’s waters) lessons learned from Faust about seeking too much that which lies beyond death.It can also be seen from the very first letter written by Walton that life is itself shown to be unclear and unstable in its abilit y to mete out despair and melancholy no matter which actions are performed by the persons involved. Walton writes to Margaret: â€Å"And when shall I return? Ah, dear sister, how can I answer this question? If I succeed, many, many months, perhaps years, will pass before you and I may meet. If I fail, you will see me again soon, or never† (Shelley, 4). It is clear that life is like a voyage into the Arctic or on the river Lethe. What lies ahead is unknown and what happiness has past may easily be forgotten, as quickly as sadness may come.Yet Keats’ message is much more specific than the mere pointing out of the dreamlike nature of life. It goes further to deter men from seeking out the underside of life. He specifically warns against the deliberate seeking of things that are associated with death and the underworld. He speaks of the foolhardiness of twisting Wolfs-bane or allowing Proserpine (the goddess of the underworld) to kiss one’s forehead (lines 1-4). Thi s is significant in the novel Frankenstein as the actions performed by that doctor may be compared directly to what Keats warns against.The doctor himself admits: â€Å"The moon gazed on my midnight labours, while, with unrelaxed and breathless eagerness, I pursued nature to her hidingplaces† (Shelley, 45). Frankenstein reveals that he deliberately seeks out the halls of death in his quest to give life to a cadaverous body. He goes beyond the call of the living man and ventures uninvited into the underworld to have his brow kissed by Proserpine. The warning Keats gives seems to be merited as the consequences of his actions serve only to illuminate the more melancholy aspects of life.A portentous smudge on Dr. Frankenstein’s eagerness to infuse the dead body with his new concoction of life symbolizes the doom that is foretold by Keats for those who meddle with the things of death. Frankenstein describes his state during the times leading up to the creation of his monste r, and he reveals, â€Å"I pursued my undertaking with unremitting ardour.My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement† (Shelley, 44). This demonstrates the toll that his illicit actions were taking on his body. It is as though Proserpine’s kiss of death were spreading through his body while he attempted to give life to the dead one lying on his table. The unfavorable circumstances that are yet to come are prefigured in this episode where Frankenstein seems to be transferring his own life to the cadaver on which he operates.Keats goes on to speak of the fall of melancholy when â€Å"fit,† and this demonstrates that sadness itself will lie in incubation during periods that seem happy. He writes, â€Å"But when melancholy fit shall fall sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 11-12). This demonstrates how in the fullness of time, melancholy itself will burst forth upon the heads of those who have per formed the actions to deserve it. This is also true of the events of the novel Frankenstein. Once the scientific endeavor has been achieved, the Monster becomes a herald of fear and doom.He also becomes the hand of premature death to several of the characters, all of whom were loved by Victor. Furthermore, Keats’ comparison of melancholy’s â€Å"fall† to the weeping of a cloud makes it known that such sadness is a part of the cycle of life—and therefore gives the impression that there is no real need to seek it out, since it comes of its own accord anyway. Death would have come to Elizabeth, William, Justine and Frankenstein’s father without the help of the monster that was created. There was no real need for the Dr. Frankenstein to create that artificial taker of life, since life itself has its own built-in machinery of death.Yet Keats’ solution to the fall of melancholy holds a cryptic message that appears difficult to interpret. It is nec essary to dig deeply into its meaning before it can be reconciled with the events portrayed in Mary Shelley’s novel. He indicates that when melancholy falls, one should â€Å"glut thy sorrow on a morning rose or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave or on the wreath of globed peonies† (lines 15-17). When one â€Å"gluts† or oversupplies something, this leads to a drop in the price of the thing.Sorrow glutted upon these things of beauty causes itself to become cheap, and therefore easily acquired. It is difficult to see how this can be a solution to sorrow at all, since it merely proliferates it. However, it does support the thesis that sorrow is easily achieved in life; and it can also be seen to fit well with the ideas of the novel Frankenstein, in which the Monster goes on a rampage and gluts sorrow upon the happiness that once existed in Victor’s world.Yet, the glut of sorrow that Keats indicates exists in life is even more visible when one considers th e condition of the Monster himself. The â€Å"life† into which he is brought is even more desolate and melancholy than that experienced by real humans. He is the only one of his kind and is marginalized by his very dissimilarity to man. His hatred and wickedness is spawned directly from this fact—which is a direct result of Frankenstein’s â€Å"[twisting] Wolfs-bane [†¦] for its poisonous wine† (Keats, lines 1-2).When the Monster speaks to Frankenstein, it is to display the condition to which he has been brought in life. He says, â€Å"I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?† (Shelley, 147) It is this immense sorrow that the Monster’s life has brought him that overflows in its surplus and gluts itself on the morning rose of everything that is good in Frankenstein’s life. It affects the promise of his friend and brothers’ lives, and causes the shedding of his wife’s bloom and beauty.The ideas concerning the melancholy of life, which are reflected in this poem and novel, demonstrate several notions that are usually considered Romantic. The idea of something’s being Romantic gives the impression that it affects more gaiety than it really does possess. This can be shown to be true of the novel Frankenstein as the contentment that the doctor proposes to receive from fulfilling his plan is in direct contrast to what actually results from his work. Yet further ideas concerning Romanticism can also be extracted from these two works.The moral and Romantic belief in the apocalyptic events (as those portrayed in the Bible) followed by an era of peace and serenity can be shown to be reflected to some extent in the texts of the Keats’ poem and Shelley’s novel. Shelley’s protagonist is hit upon by doom and destruction as a result of the actions he performed during his life. This is also demonstrated in the melancholy that â€Å"fallsâ₠¬  in Keats’ poem as a result of the actions of one who deliberately seeks out the underside of the life. Similarly, Romantic (biblical) destruction of the earth is also purported to be a direct result of the actions of mankind. However, once the destruction is complete, peace returns to the earth.This is seen to occur at the end of the novel Frankenstein when the monster destroys his maker and then wanders off to seek his own destruction. This appears to restore equilibrium to the world. Yet, this equilibrium cannot be said to be of the same optimistic quality as the â€Å"peace and tranquility† that is supposed to follow the apocalypse. In fact, this equilibrium keeps itself closer to the theme of melancholy being present naturally within life, as it is a balance between good and evil that defines this equilibrium.The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the poem â€Å"Ode on Melancholy† by John Keats bear many similarities to each other. They contain the i dea that seeking too much the things that lie beyond life will unleash a measure of death and sorrow that is not only unnecessary, but that will disrupt the gentle equilibrium that exists on earth. Life, in equilibrium, contains both joy and sorrow—so melancholy will come in good time without being sought.The actions of Dr. Frankenstein prove Keats’ theory to be correct in that he pushes to see beyond life and finds the death and sorrow in greater abundance than that which he sought. The optimism typical of the romantics is challenged in the ideas of these writers, as even the return of life’s equilibrium means that death and sorrow will have as much freedom to harm humans as life and happiness to comfort them.Works CitedKeats, John. 1819. â€Å"Ode on Melancholy.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. I.   Ã‚   M. H. Abrams, et al. New York: W.W. Norton, 1993.Shelley, Mary. 1831. Frankenstein. Bowser, BC: Aerie Publishing, 1988.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Core Concepts in Cultural Competence

Core Concepts in Cultural Competence Key Concepts (printable) |Cultural Competence | | | | |Definition: |Cultural Competence is a set of values, behaviors, attitudes and practices within a system, organization, program or among | | |individuals that enables them to work effectively across cultures.Cultural competence refers to the ability to honor and respect | | |the beliefs, language, interpersonal styles and behaviors or children and families receiving medical care, as well as those of the | | |staff who are providing such care. Cultural competence is a dynamic, ongoing developmental process that requires a long term | | |commitment and is achieved over time. | | | |Examples: |Examine Cultural Competence in the following examples: | | |Example 1: Maria Hernandez arrives late for her appointment, and explains that she spent a few hours with her elderly aunt on the | | |way to her appointment.The nurse, Ella, greets Maria warmly and comments on Maria’s devotion to her family. Ella understands that | | |in the Hispanic community, caring for family often comes before an individual need such as an appointment. | | |Example 2: When Gina, the social worker, enters an examining room she is already alert to the fact that the family she is meeting | | |may have views about healthcare that are different than her own.She inquires about the family’s beliefs, drawing on her knowledge | | |of the culture, but primarily interested in what the family tells her about their unique views. | | |Example 3: Fred, the pharmacist, becomes frustrated with an Asian family who has been using herbal remedies. With great authority, | | |he tells them that they are â€Å"doing the wrong thing. † Fred is not behaving in a culturally competent manner. | | | |Application: |When meeting a patient or family for the first time, be aware that their beliefs and practices may differ from your own. Try to | | |learn as much as you can about the family's life and how they view t he world. | | | | | | |Culture | | | | |Definition: |Culture is defined as the sum of one's beliefs, rituals, customs and practices that guide thinking, decisions and actions in a | | |patterned way.They are learned throughout a lifetime and passed on through generations. | | | | |Examples: |Examine Culture in the following examples: | | |Example 1: Among some cultures in India, the occasion on which a child first eats solid foods is celebrated with great ceremony. | |Example 2: â€Å"Family† is defined differently in different cultures: in some cultures, â€Å"family† means primarily parents and children. | | |In other cultures, â€Å"family includes a large number of relatives, loosely related. | | |Example 3: Disabilities are viewed differently in different cultures. In some cultures, people with disabilities are hidden, in | | |others they are believed to be endowed with special gifts.In some cultures, people with disabilities are encouraged to become | | |indepen dent and live independently; in others, it is the family’s wish and responsibility to care for the disabled person. | | | | |Application: |Because of differences between cultures, patients’ behaviors and beliefs may be different from one’s own. | | | | | | |Explanatory Model | | | | |Definition: |The Explanatory Model is the belief system that people from a given culture have about what has caused their illness and what the | | |illness does to them.Patients’ beliefs about what will help cure them depend on their explanatory model. | | | | |Examples: |Examine the Explanatory Model in the following examples: | | |Example 1: A Romani patient may believe that bad luck, bad behavior or contamination has caused his illness. | | |Example 2: An Hispanic mother may believe that her child has Mal d’ojo, or has been cursed with the â€Å"evil eye. | | |Example 3: An Asian patient may believe she is having a difficult birth because of an imbalance between ho t and cold in her body. As| | |pregnancy is a â€Å"cold† condition she may request a drink of hot water, for balance. | | | | |Application: |In order to learn about your patients’ explanatory model, you may want to ask something like: â€Å"I know different people have very | | |different ways of understanding illness†¦Please help me understand how you see things. † | | | | | | | |Health Beliefs | | | | |Definition: |Patients’ beliefs about their health. Health eliefs include cultural beliefs about what causes illness, what will help illness and | | |who is best prepared to help the illness. The â€Å"Health Belief Model† as defined by Becker, postulates that patients weigh more | | |general beliefs such as whether or not they really believe they are ill and whether they believe the treatment offered by the | | |physician will offer relief, against potential disadvantages of the treatment. | | | |Examples: |Examine Health Beliefs in the follo wing examples: | | |Example 1: A mother’s health belief may involve the idea that a particular amulet will protect her daughter. | | |Example 2: Some Native American tribes health beliefs include the idea that taking a photograph of a person will rob the person of | | |his or her soul. | |Example 3: A mother may believe that her daughter doesn’t have asthma, but just coughs occasionally and that the inhaled steroids | | |are dangerous for her daughter. She may therefore decide that the potential risks of the medication outweigh the benefits. | | | | |Application: |A patient whose health belief is that his illness is a punishment for past sins may not believe that biomedical care will help him. | |He may believe that he will only get better when he atones for his sins. | | | | | | | |Social Factors | | | | |Definition: |Social Factors refer to environmental factors which affect how the family functions.These include (but are not limited to) | | |financial factors (such as socioeconomic status or type of – or lack of – insurance), logistical factors (such as transportation or | | |juggling many demands), housing, childcare and accessible health care. Social factors sometimes also include family relationships or| | |family dynamics which affect a child or family member. This often, in turn, influences emotional factors. | | | |Examples: |Some examples of Social Factors are: | | |Example 1: Some families do not buy medications that they need because they do not have insurance or cannot afford the co-pay. | | |Example 2: A child may come to clinic dirty, not because the mother doesn't care about cleanliness but because the water has been | | |off and the landlord refuses to return her phone calls. | |Example 3: A child's divorced parents may be angry at each other, causing tension in the family and interfering with the consistency| | |of his care as he moves between their homes. | | | | |Application: |It is always important to learn as m uch as you can about the social factors that affect a family. This will help you understand the | | |choices they make and the constraints they are under. | | | | | | |Acculturation | | | | |Definition: |The adoption of the behavior patterns of the dominant culture; the process of assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive | | |structure. Acculturation is the process of acquiring a second culture.Assimilation is the process of replacing one's first culture | | |with a second culture. | | | | |Examples: |Some examples of Acculturation are: | | |Example 1: A first generation Italian who lives in an Italian enclave in he United States may continue to speak just Italian and to| | |follow the norms and mores of his Italian origins. This person will not have become highly acculturated to American culture. | | |Example 2: The granddaughter of a Chinese immigrant has gone to American schools and will now attend an American college. She spends| | |time primarily with her American frie nds, dresses as they do and shares their values and interests.She has become highly | | |acculturated into American culture. | | | | |Application: |The degree to which a patient holds the health beliefs of his country-of-origin will depend in part on how acculturated he has | | |become to American culture. |

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Coping up with loss Essay

However easy it might sound to cope up with a loss, only the person undergoing the mental trauma can feel the pain; – Affects personal, social and mental stability; – When you love someone or something that is very precious to you, the grief is intense; – It can be quite unsettling and frightening to cope up with a loss or a crisis or a life-changing event; – Talking to a very close friend or a spouse might help to a great deal; – Counseling and healthy advice on coping with a mishap might help; – Isolation is never a solution to heal grief. Face the loss; – Let your pain come out in all the possible forms; – Distract yourself with things you like to do and people you like to talk to; – Allow time to heal. Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief will be. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any loss can cause grief, including: †¢Divorce or relationship breakup †¢Loss of health †¢Losing a job †¢Loss of financial stability †¢A miscarriage †¢Retirement†¢Death of a pet †¢Loss of a cherished dream †¢A loved one’s serious illness †¢Loss of a friendship †¢Loss of safety after a trauma †¢Selling the family home The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief. However, even subtle losses can lead to grief. For example, you might experience grief after moving away from home, graduating from college, changing jobs, selling your family home, or retiring from a career you loved.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Discuss some of the more cosmological traits of early Hebrew religion Essay

Discuss some of the more cosmological traits of early Hebrew religion - Essay Example They also believed in animistic worship, the worship of nature such as trees and other natural objects, eventually becoming anthropomorphic, that is god or gods took the human forms. In later Hebrew religion, Yahweh became a figure that transcends both human and material worlds. It is believed that individual tribes probably worshipped different gods, as there is no evidence of only one God being worshipped during that time. (2) Despite a few Babylonian texts that associate power with Maduk, Hebrew was the first religion to insist that their god was the only universal god. Judaism is known as one of the earliest monotheistic religions. It is believed that the Hebrew monotheism began with the introduction of Yahweh cult according to Exodus during the 1300-1200 BC in the migration to Egypt. It gave a concept of rule of law and also the concept that covenant that the god has a good relationship with the community of people (1) The Jews were also forbidden to idol worship or represent god in any sculpture or form and regarded Yahweh as the creator or god. Earlier Hebrews worshipped other gods but emphasized that Yahweh was the ruler of the universe. Another innovation by the prophets is righteousness where Yahweh became the ‘god of righteousness’ and in the eyes of Yahweh the good were always rewarded and the evil were punished. In this religion, ritual practices became unimportant and the requirem ent of doing right things, punishing evil was a means to produce and build a harmonious society. The monarchy brought about differences in wealth, poverty, subjective power and centralized state. The most cognitive crisis in the Hebrew History was the Exile. The Hebrews were exiled by Babylonians and Romans into wide spread colonies around the world and the scattering is often termed as Diaspora. (2) The most intense revolution in Hebrew religion took place during the migration from Egypt and Moses became the greatest

Intelligent Quotient Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intelligent Quotient - Essay Example She has not seen her father since she was 10 years old and do not know where her father was. She moved to Singapore with her mother who is undergoing cancer treatment. Currently, Susie's aunt and uncle are her major caretakers. She also mentioned her boyfriend who is the only person that understands her currently. Susie speaks Mandarin at home which is deeply rooted in her personal and cultural identification since birth. She speaks more English in Singapore school as all her lessons are conducted in English except Chinese lesson. It was observed that Susie's speech was clear. Susie reported being healthy since the day she was born. She reached the normal developmental milestones within the expected age ranges. With the severe case of "Chicken Pox" when she was 8 years old, she has not been significantly ill since then. Susie reported that she had a normal educational history in Guanzhou and Singapore. Susie attended a pre-school in Guangzhou and she has not had any problems in her studies. In Singapore, Susie's teacher reported that Susie has problems doing her written tests but not the practical work in Secondary 2 class. Susie has not displayed any behavioural problems in her present school. Susie reported that she had great interpersonal relationships when she is living in Guangzhou. She had many friends and kept in touch with her family. Presently, she misses her friends and family in Guangzhou. The only person who understands her currently is the 16 years old boy. Other Pertinent Information: Susie states that she is sexually active and engaging in unprotected sex with a 16-year-old boy as she feels that this boy really understands her at this moment. However, she notes that her uncle and aunt as well as her ailing mother should not be informed of the relationship. Mental Status Exam: Susie went to the counselling session by herself. She was punctual for the appointment and behaved in a good manner. She presented herself as neatly groomed child with hair all tied up in a ponytail. During the interview, Susie was able to maintain appropriate eyes contact, alert and was oriented to time, place and person. Her mood and effect were pleasant and a rapport was established quickly. Susie reported that she felt extremely depressed since she moved to Singapore and she missed her friends and family in Guangzhou. She appeared little anxious during the assessment, often taking a deep breath but was able to sustain concentration and attention. Her speech was normal with varied pitch. She seemed to try to do her best during the interview and