IN REPORT FORMAT,EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ORGANIZATION OF YOUR Essay

IN REPORT FORMAT,EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ORGANIZATION OF YOUR CHOICE WHICH CAMPAIGNS OR ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN,YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES - Essay Example (BBC News, 2007) Butler (2007) reported that NSPCC was able to raise as much as  £250 million through public campaigns since 1999 aside from the fact that the independent charity organization received a total of  £30 million from the government fund during the past four years. Despite the large sum of money gathered to combat child abuse throughout the United Kingdom, the number of children below the age of 15 years old who die from physical abuse and negligence throughout the United Kingdom has increased from 0.4 to 0.9 deaths per 100,000 children (Guardian, 2003; Unicef, 2003). As part of discussing NSPCC’s campaign and advocates for children, young people, and families, the work and involvement of NSPCC in terms of dealing with young people through ‘child line’ and families will be tackled followed by going through its impact over the life of millions of children, young children, and families. Eventually, the effectiveness of NSPCC’s campaigns and advocates for children, young people, and families will be assessed using a brief one-on-one interview with randomly selected children below the age of 18 combined with the public news and reports of NSPCC’s performance. Launched back in 1986 (NSPCC, 2008k), the main purpose of NSPCC campaigners for children is to give courage to children who have been a victim of domestic abuse to speak up against the person who abuses the child physically, verbally and/or emotionally. With the use of ChildLine and NSPCC HelpLine including its online and text message services (NSPCC, 2008b & 2008d), NSPCC advocates can extend their support to children who need advices on issues related to bullying, sexual, emotional or physical abuse, self-harm, and family-related problems among others (NSPCC, 2008g). Eventually, NSPCC will help the callers to find ways to solve their problems. Given the large number of

The Success Of Google Maps

The Success Of Google Maps Google Maps a free web mapping service application and technology provided by Google. It offers street maps, a route planner, and an urban business locator for numerous countries around the world. Google Maps can generate driving directions between any pair of locations and can also show turn-by-turn instructions, an estimate of the trip time, and the distance between the two locations. To be able to embed Google Maps into web pages for either more elaborated customization, we need Google Maps API. Google API stands for Application Programmable Interface. As its name implies, it is an interface that queries the Google database to help programmers in the development of their applications. [By definition, Google APIs consist basically of specialized Web services and programs and specialized scripts that makes it possible for Internet application developers to better find and process information on the Web. In essence, Google APIs can be used as an added resource in their applications. In the real world, application programmers, developers and integrators write software programs that can connect remotely to the Google APIs. All data communications are executed via the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), which is a Web services standards as defined by the industry. The SOAP protocol is an XML-based technology meant to easily exchange information entered into a Web application. Googles API can better help developers in easily accessing Googles web search database. This empowers them in developing software that can query billions of Web documents, constantly refreshed by Googles automated crawlers. Programmers can happily initiate search queries to Googles colossal index of more than three billion pages and have results delivered to them as structured data that is simple to analyse and work with. Additionally, Google APIs can perfectly access data in the Google cache, while at the same time provide checking in the spelling of words. Google APIs will more precisely implement the standardized search syntax used on many of Googles search properties.] The map data in Google Maps is compiled by a private company with whom Google have a partnership. This company is Tele Atlas and they are a world leaders in navigation and location-based services. The maps are highly accurate and have been praised for recording extremely rural areas and mapping the terrain correctly. Google Maps also coordinates with several other in-house application currently run by Google. The most obvious of these is Google Earth. The two services use each others data for coordinating satellite imagery and in updating newly-developed areas which have yet to be updated on both databases. Business and premises which are place-marked on maps have been supplied by directory listings. In the US, Google say that they use Yellow Pages directories but also mentions, We arent currently able to share our full list of U.S. Yellow Pages sources. All other premises and place-marks are shared by users which we will take a look at next. The technology behind Google Maps could generically be described as a map server. The map server generates a map for the requested location from a large set of pre-generated map tile images covering the entire planet. The map server may overlay data from other databases on top of this. The combination of a map viewer client and geographical database is traditionally called a Geographical Information System (GIS). A bit more detail, google maps uses a big div element to contain several img elements. each of those img elements is 256 pixels square, and is positioned on a regular grid. from there, the google maps javascript program calculates which grid images should be loaded into each img tag and uses regular dom manipulation to position each img in the right place. Only the tiles of the map that would be visible inside the div are loaded. when you scroll off the side, the javascript library unloads the image, and loads new ones as needed. Other elements, like the zoom controls, markers, and lines, are stacked or drawn on top of that as needed. Overlays are objects on the map that are tied to latitude/longitude coordinates, so they move when you drag or zoom the map. Overlays reflect objects that you add to the map to designate points, lines, or areas. The Maps API has several types of overlays: * Points on the map are displayed using markers, and often display a custom icon. Markers are objects of type GMarker and may make use of the GIcon type. * Lines on the map are displayed using polylines (representing a collection of points). Lines are objects of type GPolyline. * Areas on the map are displayed either as polygons if they are areas of an arbitrary shape or as ground overlays if they are rectangular. Polygons are similar to polylines in that they consist of a collection of points with a closed loop and may take any shape. Ground overlays are often used for areas that map either directly or indirectly to tiles on the map. * The map itself is displayed using a tile overlay. You can modify this with your own set of tiles by using a GTileLayerOverlay or even by creating your map type using a GMapType. * The info window is also a special kind of overlay. Note, however, that the info window is added to the map automatically, and that there can only be one object of type GInfoWindow attached to a map. Each overlay implements the GOverlay interface. Overlays can be added to a map using the GMap2.addOverlay() method and removed using the GMap2.removeOverlay() method. (Note that the info window is added by default to the map.) GPolyline objects use the vector drawing capabilities of the browser, if available. In Internet Explorer, Google Maps uses VML (see XHTML and VML) to draw polylines; in other browsers SVG is used if available. In all other circumstances, we request an image of the line from Google servers and overlay that image on the map, refreshing the image as necessary as the map is zoomed and dragged around. Google Apps Script privilege users with a new level of control over Google products. One can now access and control Google Spreadsheets and other products using ones own JavaScript scripts. Unlike browser-based JavaScript, the scripts you write run directly on Google servers in order to provide direct access to the products they control. These scripts interact with Google applications such as Google Spreadsheets, Google Finance, and Google Sites, and enable varying degrees of interactivity among the applications. Google Apps Scripts is powerful and flexible enough to be used to accomplish a wide range of different tasks, but its also easy enough to use that you dont have to be a programmer to create scripts. ================================================== The Google Apps Script language is JavaScript, with objects and methods that are unique to Google Apps Script. These objects and methods give the scripts access to Google Docs and Spreadsheets, Gmail, Google Finance, and other Google applications. Youll read more about objects and methods in Using the Google Apps Script APIs. Scripts are saved and run from an associated Google Spreadsheet. You can save as many scripts as you want to a particular Spreadsheet, then run them at will. The data your script works with is typically stored in a Google Spreadsheet, but you can retrieve information from many external sources, including web pages and XML sources. You can use Google Apps Script to create email, spreadsheets, pages on Google Sites, and files in the Google Docs Document List. The instructions in a script are grouped into functions. Each function performs a section of the larger task your script accomplishes. For example, if you write a script to manage your budget, the first function might display custom menus in the Spreadsheet and the second might pop up a dialog box that you use to insert additional information into the Spreadsheet. Google Apps Script provides a robust API (Applications Programming Interface) of objects and methods that you use in your scripts for such tasks such as displaying a dialog box, creating a calendar event, creating a page on a Google Site, and many other activities. The Google Apps Script API document is here. ========================================================= The JavaScript class that represents a map is the Map class. Objects of this class define a single map on a page.More than one instance of this class can be created since each object will define a separate map on the page.When creating a new map instance, specify a HTML element in the page as a container for the map. HTML nodes are children of the JavaScript document object, and we obtain a reference to this element via the document.getElementById() method. This code defines a variable (named map) and assigns that variable to a new Map object, also passing in options defined within the myOptions object literal. These options will be used to initialize the maps properties. The function Map() is known as a constructor and its definition is shown below: ========================================================= While an HTML page renders, the document object model (DOM) is built out, and any external images and scripts are received and incorporated into the document object. To ensure that the map is placed on the page after the page has fully loaded, the function, which constructs the Map object once the element of the HTML page receives an onload event, is executed. Doing so avoids unpredictable behavior and gives the user more control on how and when the map draws. The body tags onload attribute is an example of an event handler. The Google Maps JavaScript API also provides a set of events that one can handle to determine state changes. ============================================================================================ The maps on Google Maps contain UI(User Interaction) elements for allowing user interaction through the map. These elements are known as controls and variations of these controls can be included in a Google Maps API application. The Maps API provides built-in controls which may be useful when creating a map: The Navigation control displays a large pan/zoom control as used on Google Maps. This control appears by default in the top left corner of the map. The Scale control displays a map scale element. This control is not enabled by default. The MapType control lets the user toggle between map types (such as ROADMAP and SATELLITE). This control appears by default in the top right corner of the map. controls cannot be accessed or modified directly. Instead, the maps MapOptions fields, which affect the visibility and presentation of controls, is changed. ===================================================================== can be calculated by using the DirectionsService object. This object communicates with the Google Maps API Directions Service which receives direction requests and returns computed results. The user may either handle these directions results himself or use the DirectionsRenderer object to render these results. Directions may specify origins and destinations either as text strings (e.g. Chicago, IL or Darwin, NSW, Australia) or as LatLng values. The Directions service can return multi-part directions using a series of waypoints. Directions are displayed as a polyline drawing the route on a map, or additionally as a series of textual description within a element (e.g. Turn right onto the Williamsburg Bridge ramp). ====================================================================== The Elevation service provides elevation data for locations on the surface of the earth, including depth locations on the ocean floor (which return negative values). If Google does not know the exact elevation value, it uses four nearest locations and returns the avareged value. The ElevationService object provides you with a simple interface to query locations on the earth for elevation data. Additionally, you may request sampled elevation data along paths, allowing you to calculate the equidistant elevation changes along routes. The ElevationService object communicates with the Google Maps API Elevation Service which receives elevation requests and returns elevation data. ============================================================= The SDK includes two SWC files, a Flex version for use within FlexBuilder (or with the free Flex SDK), and a non-Flex version for use within Flash CS3. The Flex *.swc is denoted with a _flex suffix in the filename. These SWC files contain interfaces for all public classes in the Google Maps API for Flash development environment. Compiling your application with this library ensures that it can utilize and communicate with all public functionality of the runtime Google Maps API for Flash library, which is retrieved from Googles servers whenever a client loads your application. ============================================================ The Google Earth Plug-in and its JavaScript API let you embed Google Earth, a true 3D digital globe, into your web pages. Using the API you can draw markers and lines, drape images over the terrain, add 3D models, or load KML files, allowing you to build sophisticated 3D map applications. If you have an existing Maps API site, you can 3D-enable your page with as little as one line of code.

Free Essays On Shakespeares Sonnet 118 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 118 Like as, to make our appetites more keen, With eager compounds we our palate urge; As to prevent our maladies unseen We sicken to shun sickness when we purge: Even so, being full of your ne'er cloying sweetness, To bitter sauces did I frame my feeding; And, sick of welfare, found a kind of meetness To be diseas'd ere that there was true needing.j Thus policy in love, to anticipate The ills that were not, grew to faults assur'd, And brought to medicine a healthful state Which, rank of goodness, would by ill be cur'd: But thence I learn, and find the lesson true, Drugs poison him that so fell sick of you. This is another sonnet that Hieatt found to share certain similarities with Spencer's _Ruines of Rome: "In Sonnets 118 the conceit of health 'rank in goodness' anticipating and thus precipitatin sickness mirrors, first, Ruines 10--the 'rank seed' who destroy themselves--and, second, Ruines23--the Roman people 'impatient of pleasure's faint desires,' becoming the matter of their own fimes, 'as in a vicious body gross disease / Soon grows through humor's superfluity'." Having a possible source for this sonnet, we will now move to a paraphrasing of the sonnet. 1-2: 'In order to make our appetites more aware (of taste), we convince our palate by ingesting stimulating dishes'; 3-4: 'In order to prevent unforeseen sickness, we purge ourselves [Ingram/jRedpath note, "The old-fashioned purges were very powerful, and could indeed make people feel extremely ill"], to make that sickness feign, yet become sick by doing so'; 5-6: 'As this is, I apportioned my diet to unsavory dishes [base company] from being (so) full of your substantial sweetness'; 7-8: 'And, overindulged in happiness, I found a [requisite] jusxtaposition of becoming diseased (from the purging) because I was in need of, 1) the sickness, or 2) your love [or both]'; 9-10: 'Thus, it is a sly [almost overly-sly] strategy in love, to anticipate the malefactors that are not always thought of, which grow into affirmed faults'; 11-12: 'And make a "healthful state" of me available to medicine which, gross [almost with a sense of glutton] with goodness, would be cured by the malefactors:' 13-14: 'But from this I learn, and find the lesson [moral] true, that the drugs that poisoned him [identity unknown; possibly in general] are the same ones that made me fall (love) sick for you'.

Dow Pbb

Dow Chemical By Kai Draaisma Laurens de Blij Diedrik Oost Eva Sloff Lesley Flohil 13-11-2012 Duisenberg School of Finance Executive summary 1. Summary of Facts. With an annual revenue of $20. 2 billion Dow held the leading market position worldwide in ethylene and polyethylene (exhibit 1b). To consolidate all of Bahia Blanca’s polyethylene activity under Dow’s control a three-stage plan was developed. The first stage involved taking control of PBB, the second stage involved acquiring Polisur’s two polyethylene plants, and the third stage involved building a new ethylene cracker.To determine a proper risk premium Dow had to consider possible country risks. Currency and government policy risk may have had an impact because of possible future crises and changing government policies relevant to foreign investments. Furthermore, because of the ending of the convertibility law Dow also had to consider a possible exchange-rate risk. Dow created a holding company, Dow In vestment Argentina, to invest in the project, then they had to decide whether they will use general corporate funds or raise debt for the PBB bid. 2. Statement of problem . 1General analysis Rational for Acquisition of PBB Dow Chemical’s corporate strategy is to look for horizontal- and vertical integration, achieve technological leadership and gain international presence. Dow will benefit from a more integrated production process by lowering their cost of production. PBB will also create stable supplies of ethane for Dow allowing them to achieve operating rates near 100%. Cracking ethane in the region will result in lower operating risk for Dow meaning the supply/input risk for the production of Polyethylene.An increase in the production output of Dow will allow them to benefit from economies of scale. Overall Dow will gain technology leadership and operational excellence from adding PBB to their company and enhance them with a costleader position in the market required to c ompete with the government-subsidized chemical complexes. Risk measurement In this section we provide a brief risk analysis. Table 1 is designed to give a compact overview of the different risks, possible mitigating actions and whether the risks are integrated in the cash flow or discount rate.Not every risk was applicable in the acquisition of PBB. The risk that influenced our cash flows the most is the currency risk caused by a possible liquidity crisis in Argentina. Argentina has experienced eight major currency crises (tijd/reference)and there is a risk of a new currency crisis in the future. When this happens, Dow will not be able to sell its output to the home country and will have to increase its export. Revenue de We have also taken into account that the convertibility law that now provides stability could eventually stop. This will also have a significant impact on inflation.Operating risk is the second risk with a large impact on projected cash flows. This is mostly the ri sk of not meeting the full operating capacity. For the first 3 years we keep the operating rate of the plant at 65% and from 1995 we increase the operating rate by 5% each year. Other risks had less of an impact on our cash flows. Information risk was less of an issue because Dow was already present in Argentina and PBB was important to the government of Argentina. Corporate Governance risk in Argentina is not expected to have a significant additional impact on cash flows.This risk is already included in the discount rate for similar projects in the US. Table 1: Risk overview| Risk| Mitigating actions| Cash Flow (CF) or Discount rate (DR)| Corruption risk| 1. Have a large bank loan from a national bank. 2. Government stake of 49% here is a mitigating factor | DR| Expropriation risk| Same actions as for corruption risk| CF (tax wil increase 5%)| Operating risk (only post/ completion risks )| n/a| CF| Sovereign risk| Through the convertibility law, the peso has been anchored to the US D to prevent hyperinflation. | DR| Currency/ Foreign exchange risk| 1.Dow is a well diversified investor, therefore this should be mitigated. 2. Buy put options on the Arg peso. | CF| Corporate Governance risk| Give shares to management to align incentives. | DR| Repatriation risk| Current political climate is stable, not likely that Arg will impose limits on fund outflows. | DR| Information Risk| Dow Chemical already has presence in Argentina, therefore are more likely to receive high quality information. | n/a| Adjusted discount rate All risks that are not used for adjusting cash flows are integrated in the adjusted discount rate.These risks include but are not limited to corruption risk, information risk, hyperinflation, sovereign risk, repatriation risk and other residual risks. These risks are partly mitigated, however all the different risks combined constitute a premium which we will add on to the the given discount rate for similar projects in the US of 8%-10%. A reasonable assumption for the combined premium will be [ ]. The auumed premium results in a discount rate of [ ] which we will use in our further valuation. 4. Recommendation Bidding decisionCompeting bidders need to comply with certain covenants (exhibit 6). Competitors Perez Companc S. A. and Copesul do not comply with the requirements of having a statement of net worth of at least 5 billion. Even if the two companies would merge they do not meet the the requirements. This makes Dow the sole bidder for PBB. This has a profound impact on the internal valuation. Appendix 1 Risk Information risk. When you are doing a cross-border valuation you have to take into account that there may be information risk.This includes the risk of outside investors getting the wrong information because of poor disclosure in the financial statements. However since Dow entered Argentina in 1957 we assume they are familiar with the market and accounting rules, therefore information risk for this project is low as Do w chemical has already collected country experience in Argentina via Dow Quimica. Because this is difficult to quantify we have taken this into account in our discount rate. Corruptionrisk. The risk of corruption includes the illegal payments and favors outside the rule of law.Corruption exists to some extent in all countries, but there are large differences across countries. According to the Global Corruption Index by Transparancy international, the level of corruption for Argentina in 1995 was given a 5. 24 out of a possible score of 10. This gave them a ranking of 24 out of 42 countries surveyed. All of which were assumed to be developed countries. However, Dow somehow secured itself thanks to PBB’s importance and the Argentine government’s intention to keeps 49% which is an advantage and not a disadvantage.The Argentine government will also appreciate the jobs being created in the later project stages, if successful, and a good relationship with the government will likely also be beneficial when discussing with YPF about long-term ethane supply. Mitigation: Part of this risk can be mitigated by taking a loan in Argentina to finance the project as the government will not want Dow to default on their debt resulting in an overall bad outcome for Argentina’s economic situation. Furthermore part of this risk is mitigated as the government has a stake in the company so it is also in their interest to keep the company strong.Currency risk: As Argentina has experienced 8 major currency crises in the past there is the risk of a new currency crisis occuring in the future. Even though the convertibility law took away some of the risk, Dow will still have to bear in mind that when a crises happen, they will not be able to sell their output to the home country and will have to increase its export. This risk is taken into account in the cashflows. Expropriation risk. Political instability or expropriation is small as they company has had a stable dem ocratic government past 12 years.However, changes in the policy of the government will cause a risk for Dow and their foreign investments. At that moment there were no restrictions on borrowing abroad and there were no limits imposed on payments of foreign loan principal and interest. If something changes in this regulations it may have an effect on the acquisition of Dow. For this reason we will also include this risk in our discount rate. Furthermore the government has no limits on cash flows going out of their country but can eventually decide to do so.We consider the risk of the government taking over the company to be low as the production of polyethylene and deriving ethylene from hydrocarbon crackers is complex. This is a process for skilled people and not just anyone can therefore run the company properly. The risk of expropriation is therefore low. As the production of ethylene and derivatives such as polythylene is a highly complicated process, requiring large captial inve stment and a high operating leverage, not many companies will be able and willing to take over the business.Furthermore as Polythylene is a commodity product that trades globally with a narrow price range. Mitigation:Dow can decrease the risk exposure by taking on a loan in Argentina to finance their project. This will decrease the risk exposure as Dow can only default on their debt when the government decides to raise taxes, which will not lead to a company default. Foreign Exchange Rate Risk. Foreign Exhange rate risk will be low because of Dow Chemical’s international presence and the assumption that shareholders are sufficiently diversified. The convertibility law which ensured a fixed Argentine peso and U.S. dollar at exactly one already decrease the foreign exchange rate risk. However we need to take into account the risk that the convertibility law might come to an end. Mitigation: The risk can be decreased by setting up binding financial contracts with the governmetn to make sure the deal will happen. Furthermore Dow could decide to place a put option on the peso to protect themselves when the peso collapses. Operating risk Pre-completion: as the project is already completed there is no risk concerning the technology risks or other completion risk.Post-completion: we have included the post-completion risk in our cashflows as we run the risk of not meeting the full operating capacity. For the first 3 years we keep the operating rate of the plant at 65% and from 1995 we increase the operating rate by 5% each year. As the company provides their own input this risk does not need to be taken into account. Operating risk would likely matter but we handled that risk by adjsuting down our casfhlows in stage 1 so we do not take it into account for adjusting our cost of capitalSovereign risk Politcal events suchs as wars, labor strikes, terrorism and changes in laws can happen in any country you work with and therefore needs to be taken into account. Sinc e it is hard to quantify this risk we have handled it through the discount rate. Appendix 2 | | Source: Erb, Harvey Viskanta, ‘Poltical risk,Economic risk and Financial risk’, Fuqua School of Business Working Paper No. 9606, 1996. | ——————————————– [ 1 ]. For broader explanation of the different risks see Appendix 1 [ 2 ].According to the Global Corruption Index by Transparancy international the level of corruption for Argentina in 1995 was given a 5. 24 out of a possible score of 10. This gave them a ranking of 24 out of 42 countries surveyed. All of which were developed countries more or less. Source: http://archive. transparency. org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/previous_cpi [ 3 ]. See Appendix 1 for an explanation of the mitigating factors of the before mentioned risks [ 4 ]. This conclusion was reached byTaking the ‘total assets’ as net worth on the financial statements of Perez on Copesul (exhibit 8a &8b).

Love in Time of Cholera Essay

Time of CholeraLove, as Mickey and Sylvia, in their 1956 hit single, remind us, love is strange. As we grow older it gets stranger, until at some point mortality has come well within the frame of our attention, and there we are, suddenly caught between terminal dates while still talking a game of eternity. It’s about then that we may begin to regard love songs, romance novels, soap operas and any live teen-age pronouncements at all on the subject of love with an increasingly impatient, not to mention intolerant, ear. At the same time, where would any of us be without all that romantic infrastructure, without, in fact, just that degree of adolescent, premortal hope? Pretty far out on life’s limb, at least. Suppose, then, it were possible, not only to swear love â€Å"forever,† but actually to follow through on it — to live a long, full and authentic life based on such a vow, to put one’s alloted stake of precious time where one’s heart is? This is the extraordinary premise of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s new novel  Love in the Time of Cholera,  one on which he delivers, and triumphantly. In the postromantic ebb of the 70’s and 80’s, with everybody now so wised up and even growing paranoid about love, once the magical buzzword of a generation, it is a daring step for any writer to decide to work in love’s vernacular, to take it, with all its folly, imprecision and lapses in taste, at all seriously — that is, as well worth those higher forms of play that we value in fiction. For Garcia Marquez the step may also be revolutionary. â€Å"I think that a novel about love is as valid as any other,† he once remarked in a conversation with his friend, the journalist Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza (published as â€Å"El Olor de la Guayaba,† 1982). In reality the duty of a writer — the revolutionary duty, if you like — is that of writing well. † And — oh boy — does he write well. He writes with impassioned control, out of a maniacal serenity: the Garcimarquesian voice we have come to recognize from the other fic tion has matured, found and developed new resources, been brought to a level where it can at once be classical and familiar, opalescent and pure, able to praise and curse, laugh and cry, fabulate and ing and when called upon, take off and soar, as in this description of a turn-of-the-century balloon trip: â€Å"From the sky they could see, just as God saw them, the ruins of the very old and heroic city of Cartagena de Indias, the most beautiful in the world, abandoned by its inhabitants because of the sieges of the English and the atrocities of the buccaneers. They saw the walls, still intact, the brambles in the streets, the fortifications devoured by heartsease, the marble palaces and the golden altars and the viceroys rotting with plague inside their armor. They flew over the lake dwellings of the Trojas in Cataca, painted in lunatic colors, with pens holding iguanas raised for food and balsam apples and crepe myrtle hanging in the lacustrian gardens. Excited by everyone’s shouting, hundreds of naked children plunged into the water, jumping out of windows, jumping from the roofs of the houses and from the canoes that they handled with astonishing skill, and diving like shad to recover the bundles of clothing, the bottles of cough syrup, the beneficent food that the beautifu l lady with the feathered hat threw to them from the basket of the balloon. This novel is also revolutionary in daring to suggest that vows of love made under a presumption of immortality — youthful idiocy, to some — may yet be honored, much later in life when we ought to know better, in the face of the undeniable. This is, effectively, to assert the resurrection of the body, today as throughout history an unavoidably revolutionary idea. Through the ever-subversive medium of fiction, Garcia Marquez shows us how it could all plausibly come about, even — wild hope — for somebody out here, outside a book, even as inevitably beaten at, bought and resold as we all must have become if only through years of simple residence in the injuring and corruptive world. Here’s what happens. The story takes place between about 1880 and 1930, in a Caribbean seaport city, unnamed but said to be a composite of Cartagena and Barranquilla — as well, perhaps, as cities of the spirit less officially mapped. Three major characters form a triangle whose hypotenuse is Florentino Ariza, a poet dedicated to love both carnal and transcendent, though his secular fate is with the River Company of the Caribbean and its small fleet of paddle-wheel steamboats. As a young apprentice telegrapher he meets and falls forever in love with Fermina Daza, a â€Å"beautiful adolescent with . . . almondsshaped eyes,† who walks with a â€Å"natural haughtiness . . . her doe’s gait making her seem immune to gravity. Though they exchange hardly a hundred words face to face, they carry on a passionate and secret affair entirely by way of letters and telegrams, even after the girl’s father has sound out and taken her away on an extended â€Å"journey of forgetting. † But when she returns, Fermina rejects the lovesick young man after all, and eventually meets and marries instead Dr. Juvenal Urbino who, like the hero of a I9th-century novel, is well born, a sharp dresser, somewhat stuck on himself but a terrific catch nonetheless. For Florentino, love’s creature, this is an agonizing setback, though nothing fatal. Having sworn to love Fermina Daza forever, he settles in to wait for as long as he has to until she’s free again. This turns out to be 51 years, 9 months and 4 days later, when suddenly, absurdly, on a Pentecost Sunday around 1930, Dr. Juvenal Urbino dies, chasing a parrot upon mango tree. After the funeral, when everyone else has left, Florentino steps forward with his hat over his heart â€Å"Fermina,† he declares, â€Å"I have waited for this opportunity for more than half a century, to repeat to you once again my vow of eternal fidelity and everlasting love. † Shocked and furious, Fermina orders him out of the house. And don’t show your face again for the years of life that are left to you . . . I hope there are very few of them. † The heart’s eternal vow has run up against the world’s finite terms. The confrontation occurs near the end of the first chapter, which recounts Dr. Urbino’s last day on earth and Fermina’s f irst night as a widow. We then flash back 50 years, into the time of cholera. The middle chapters follow the lives of the three characters through the years of the Urbinos’ marriage and Florentino Ariza’s rise at the River Company, as one century ticks over into the next. The last chapter takes up again where the first left off, with Florentine now, in the face of what many men would consider major rejection, resolutely setting about courting Fermina Daza all over again, doing what he must to win her love. In their city, throughout a turbulent half-century, death has proliferated everywhere, both as el colera, the fatal disease that sweeps through in terrible intermittent epidemics, and as la colera, defined as choler or anger, which taken to its extreme becomes warfare. Victims of one, in this book, are more than once mistaken for victims of the other. War, â€Å"always the same war,† is presented here not as the continuation by other means of any politics that can possibly matter, but as a negative force, a plague, whose only meaning is death on a massive scale. Against this dark ground, lives, so precarious, are often more and less conscious projects of resistance, even of sworn opposition, to death. Dr. Urbino, like his father before him, becomes a leader in the battle against the cholera, promoting public health measures obsessively, heroically. Fermina, more conventionally but with as much courage, soldiers on in her chosen role of wife, mother and household manager, maintaining a safe perimeter for her family. Florentino embraces Eros, death’s well-known long-time enemy, setting off on a career of seductions that eventually add up to 622 â€Å"long term liaisons, apart from . . . countless fleeting adventures,† while maintaining, impervious to time, his deeper fidelity, his unquenchable hope for a life with Fermina. At the end he can tell her truthfully — though she doesn’t believe it for a minute — that he has remained a virgin for her. So far as this is Florentino’s story, in a way his Bildungsroman, we find ourselves, as he earns the suspension of our disbelief, cheering him on, wishing for the success of this stubborn warrior against age and death, and in the name of love. But like the best fictional characters, he insists on his autonomy, refusing to be anything less ambiguous than human. We must take him as he is, pursuing his tomcat destiny out among the streets and lovers’ refuges of this city with which he lives on terms of such easy intimacy, carrying with him a potential for disasters from which he remains safe, immunized by a comical but dangerous indifference to consequences that often borders on criminal neglect. The widow Nazaret, one of many widows he is fated to make happy, seduces him during a nightlong bombardment from the cannons of an attacking army outside the city. Ausencia Santander’s exquisitely furnished home is burgled of every movable item while she and Florentino are frolicking in bed. A girl he picks up at Carnival time turns out to be a homicidal machete-wielding escapee from the local asylum. Olimpia Zuleta’s husband murders her when he sees a vulgar endearment Florentino has been thoughtless enough to write on her body in red paint. His lover’s amorality causes not only individual misfortune but ecological destruction as well: as he learns by the end of the book, his River Company’s insatiable appetite for firewood to fuel its steamers has wiped out the great forests that once bordered the Magdalena river system, leaving a wasteland where nothing can ive. â€Å"With his mind clouded by his passion for Fermina Daza he never took the trouble to think about it, and by the time he realized the truth, there was nothing anyone could do except bring in a new river. † In fact, dumb luck has as much to do with getting Florentino through as the intensity or purity of his dream. The author’s great affection for this character does not en tirely overcome a sly concurrent subversion of the ethic of machismo, of which Garcia Marquez is not especially fond, having described it elsewhere simply as usurpation of the rights of others. Indeed, as we’ve come to expect from his fiction, it’s the women in this story who are stronger, more attuned to reality. When Florentino goes crazy with live, developing symptoms like those of cholera, it is his mother Transito Ariza, who pulls him out of it. His innumerable lecheries are rewarded not so much for any traditional masculine selling points as for his obvious and aching need to be loved. Women go for it. â€Å"He is ugly and sad,† Fermina Daza’s cousin Hildebranda tells her, â€Å"but he is all love. † And Garcia Marquez, straight-faced teller of tall tales, is his biographer. At the age of 19, as he has reported, the young writer underwent a literary epiphany on reading the famous opening lines of Kafka’s  Metamorphosis,  in which a man wakes to find himself transformed into a giant insect. â€Å"Gosh,† exclaimed Garcia Marquez, using in Spanish a word in English we may not, â€Å"that’s just the way my grandmother used to talk! † And that, he adds is when novels began to interest him. Much of what come [sic] in his work to be called â€Å"magical realism† was, as he tells it, simply the presence of that grandmotherly voice. Nevertheless, in this novel we have come a meaningful distance from Macondo, the magical village in  One Hundred Years of Solitude  where folks routinely sail through the air and the dead remain in everyday conversation with the living: we have descended, perhaps in some way down the same river, all the way downstream, into war and pestilence and urban confusions to the edge of a Caribbean haunted less by individual dead than by a history which has brought so appallingly many down, without ever having sopoken, or having spoken gone unheard, or having been heard, left unrecorded. As revolutionary as writing well is the duty to redeem these silences, a duty Garcia Marquez has here fulfilled with honor and compassion. It would be presumptuous to speak of moving â€Å"beyond†Ã‚  One Hundred Years of Solitude  but clearly Garcia Marquez has moved somewhere else, not least into deeper awareness of the ways in which, as Florentino comes to learn, â€Å"nobody teaches life anything. There are still delightful and stunning moments contrary to fact, still told with the same unblinking humor — presences at the foot of the bed, an anonymously delivered doll with a curse on it, the sinister parrot, almost a minor character, whose pursuit ends with the death of Dr. Juvenal Urbino. But the predominant claim on the author’s attention and energies comes from what is not so contrary to fact, a human consensus about â€Å"reality† in which love and the possibility of love’s extinction are the indispensable driving forces, and varieties of magic have become, if not quite peripheral, then at least more thoughtfully deployed in the service of an expanded vision, matured, darker than before but no less clement. It could be argued that this is the only honest way to write about love, that without the darkness and the finitude there might be romance, erotica, social comedy, soap opera — all genres, by the way, that are well represented in this novel — but not the Big L. What that seems to require, along with a certain vantage point, a certain level of understanding, is an author’s ability to control his own love for his characters, to withhold from the reader the full extent of his caring, in other words not to lapse into drivel. In translating  Love in the Time of Cholera,  Edith Grossman has been attentive to this element of discipline, among many nuances of the author’s voice to which she is sensitively, imaginatively attuned. My Spanish isn’t perfect, but I can tell that she catches admirably and without apparent labor the swing and translucency of his writing, its slang and its classicism, the lyrical stretches and those end-of-sentence zingers he likes to hit us with. It is a faithful and beautiful piece of work. There comes a moment, early in his career at the River Company of the Caribbean when Florentino Ariza, unable to write even a simple commercial letter without some kind of romantic poetry creeping in, is discussing the problem with his uncle Leo XII, who owns the company. It’s no use, the young man protests — â€Å"Love is the only thing that interests me. † â€Å"The trouble,† his uncle replies,† is that without river navigation, there is no love. For Florentino, this happens to be literally true: the shape of his life is defined by two momentous river voyages, half a century apart. On the first he made his decision to return and live forever in the city of Fermina Daza, to persevere in his love for as long as it might take. On the second, through a desolate landscape, he journeys into love and against time, with Fermina, at last by his side. There is nothing I have read quite like this astonishing final chapter, symphonic, sure in its dynamics and tempo, moving like a riverboat too, its author and pilot, with a lifetime’s experience steering us unerringly among hazards of skepticism and mercy, on this river we all know, without whose navigation there is no love and against whose flow the effort to return is never worth a less honorable name than remembrance — at the very best it results in works that can even return our worn souls to us, among which most certainly belongs  Love in the Time of Cholera,  this shining and heartbreaking novel.

Varying Degrees of Stupid

Varying Degrees of Stupid Varying Degrees of Stupid Varying Degrees of Stupid By Maeve Maddox As I browse the Web, skimming comments on various topics, one word comes up again and again: stupid. There’s no end of people or things that some grump somewhere is calling stupid in speech or in writing. For example: The government is stupid. Women are stupid. Men are stupid. April Fool’s Day is stupid. Handwriting is stupid. Classical music is stupid. Riding a bicycle is stupid. What a waste! English speakers are blessed with dozens of words that convey numerous shades of stupidity. First, let’s look at the meaning of stupid. Some speakers regard it as the opposite of intelligent, but that’s misleading. Intelligent people often say and do stupid things. Stupid derives from the Latin adjective stupidus, which in turn comes from the Latin verb stupere, â€Å"to be stunned or benumbed.† English stupid is still used with that meaning. For example, a person might be â€Å"stupid from a blow to the head,† â€Å"stupid with grief,† â€Å"stupid with sleep,† â€Å"stupid from lack of sleep,† or â€Å"stupid with drink.† In these contexts, the stupidity is temporary. It refers to an impaired ability to think and react normally. More commonly, applied to a person, stupid means â€Å"slow of mental perception.† A stupid person is slow-witted, lacking in quickness of mind. Applied to an idea or a thing, stupid means that the thing is dull, uninteresting, or ill-considered. Numerous synonyms for stupid exist. When the intention is to point out a lapse of judgment or careful thought, these are useful options in serious discussions of literature, personal relationships, and public affairs: unintelligent foolish vacuous vapid obtuse nonsensical unwise injudicious inane absurd fatuous asinine unthinking ill-advised ill-considered ludicrous ridiculous laughable risible Some terms common in colloquial speech are considered inappropriate for formal use because they derive from terms once used to describe types of mental deficiencies. For example: idiotic imbecilic moronic cretinous Note: The words ignorant and dumb are also used colloquially to mean â€Å"mentally slow,† but they are unfortunate choices. Everyone is ignorant in some areas. All ignorant means is â€Å"lacking in knowledge.† Likewise, dumb has a meaning unrelated to intellectual ability: â€Å"unable to speak.† An intelligent, well-informed person may for some reason lack the ability to speak. Some words that name impaired thinking also connote ridicule and disdain: dense doltish thick, thickheaded dim, dimwitted dopey dozy pea-brained half-witted brain-dead bone-headed daft crazy cracked half-baked dimwitted cockeyed harebrained lamebrained nutty batty cuckoo simple-minded loony loopy Finally a few adjectives convey the idea of stupidity without the sting of ridicule- among friends, at least. Here are some: daft dopey dozy scatter-brained nutty batty cuckoo loony loopy Admission: Even with all these options, sometimes stupid is the only word that satisfies the feelings of the speaker. For example, â€Å"This stupid app keeps crashing!† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in SHow to Punctuate Descriptions of Colors15 English Words of Indian Origin

Essay on Financial Condition Analysis

Essay on Financial Condition Analysis Essay on Financial Condition Analysis Essay on Financial Condition AnalysisWhat is the (EVA) economic value added model?   How is it used, why is it important?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The economic value added model is used to measure the company’s real economic profit. The model is based on the measurement of the residual wealth calculated by deducting cost of capital from its operating profit (Gapenski Pink, 2012). The economic value added model is used to determine the real, true profit of companies and helps to determine whether the declared profits of the company match real ones because, in actuality, companies may use different schemes to hide their real profits and present investors their high profits which do not always coincide with their real profits. The use of the economic value added model is important because it helps to determine what the actual position of the company is and what its profitability is.What are (KPIs) key performance indicators? How are they used and why are the y important to monitor the financial position of a healthcare organization?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Key performance indicators vary depending on the company and industry, where the company operates. As a rule, key performance indicators are measures that help to determine whether the company matches its strategic and operational goals or not. Therefore, key performance indicators are the major indicators that show the marketing performance of the company and help to determine the extent, to which they match strategic and operating goals of the company (Gapenski Pink, 2012). For example, the market share or total revenues of the company are important indicators for the company that focuses on the market expansion. These performance indicators should give the clear vision of the current position of the company, which may be compared to the desired one, i.e. the position of the company, according to its strategic and operating objectives.Why is financial forecastin g important? What is taken into account in a forecasting analysis?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Financial forecasting helps the company to determine which financial resources it will need and will have at its disposal within the definite timeline (Gapenski Pink, 2012). For example, the company needs to forecast its revenues to be able to fund new projects. The accurate financial forecast helps the company to determine whether it will be able to earn sufficient funds to complete the project successfully or not. In case of the inaccurate financial forecast the company may lack financial resources to fund the project. However, external and internal factors affect the financial forecasting and companies should take into consideration possible changes in the market, in customer behavior, and internal business operations to make financial forecasts.What drives changes or deviations in the operating revenue forecast?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The change in the customer behavior, supply or competition can drive changes and deviations in the operating revenue forecast (Pine Gilmore, 2009). For example, the introduction of an innovative product or service by a rival will change the operating revenue forecast of a company. Similarly a scandal that discourages customers from buying products or services from a company will lead to changes in its operating revenue forecast.When forecasting revenue, whats the difference in forecasting from the top verses the bottom?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Forecasting from the top differs from forecasting from the bottom. Forecasting from the top implies the ultimate financial results after taxes (Pine Gilmore, 2009). Forecasting from the bottom implies forecasting based on the brute financial performance of the company.

Iris, the Greek Goddess

Iris, the Greek Goddess Iris was a swift messenger goddess in Greek mythology and a popular subject for vase painting, but better known as the goddess of the rainbow because Hermes (Mercury) is known as the messenger god. Iris is shown with wings, a (kerykeion) heralds staff, and a pitcher of water. She is a beautiful young woman described as wearing a multi-hued gown. Family of Origin Thaumas, son of the sea (Pontos), and Elektra, an Oceanid, are possible parents of Iris. Her sisters are the Harpiea Aello and Okypetes. In Early Greek Myth. Timothy Gantz (Early Greek Myth, 1993) says a fragment of Alcaeus (327 LP) says Iris mated with the west wind, Zephyros, to become the mother of Eros. Iris in Roman Mythology In the Aeneid, Book 9, Hera (Juno) sends Iris to incite Turnus to attack the Trojans. In Metamorphoses Book XI, Ovid shows Iris in her rainbow-hued gown serving as a messenger goddess for Hera. The Homeric Epics Iris appears in the Odyssey when Zeus sends her to convey his orders to the other gods and to mortals, when Hera sends her to Achilles. Iris also appears when she seems to act on her own to convey information while appearing disguised as a human- unlike the other times. Iris also helps a wounded Aphrodite from the battlefield and to carry Achilles prayer to Zephyros and Boreas. Iris seems to have revealed to Menelaus the fact that his wife, Helen, left with Paris in the Kypria. In the Homeric Hymns, Iris serves as ​a  messenger  to bring Eileithuia to help with Letos delivery and to bring Demeter to Olympus to deal with famine. Iris and the River Styx According to the Greek poet, Hesiod, Iris went to the Styx to bring water back for another god to swear an oath by.

Leadership of Richard Branson Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership of Richard Branson - Assignment Example Actually, most likely, the Virgin Group may be the only brand globally that transcends such a big range of services and products. The important feature to note is that the Virgin brand with its assorted businesses has grown to be stronger on embracing diversification instead of being diluted. In fact, Virgin is referred to as the inexpensive, innovative, cool option to the rest of the key players. At present, more than just a businessperson who is a successful, Branson is the symbolic leader especially for startup entrepreneurs. Branson’s cheeky attitude, innovative methods as well as multi-colored advertising concepts aimed at attracting the masses, makes him stand out like a corporate champion with popularity akin to that of a super star. Although, Branson has experienced failures numerous times, his endeavors, to overcome them have grabbed the attention of people at all times. From such events as those pertaining his pitfalls and success while establishing his brand, a lot can be learnt about his leadership style. Although other entrepreneurs might get entangled in corporate wrangles, Branson takes his challenges in business as a campaign. Branson takes pride in himself by challenging big companies to provide his customers better value for their money. For example, the moment Virgin ventured the market, people already were feeling that they were not being treated fairly and his offerings of better value placed Virgin steadfastly on the side of customers. Thus, whereas some entrepreneurs may look at the strength of market players and think otherwise, Branson is a firm believer in taking on the main players and succeeding. In addition, the unconventional attitude and informal style of Branson has made him famous with his attraction to the hippie movement, especially of the 60s, basically shows his affinity for being in sync with the mood of the times. In fact, this is amongst

Financial Mangement 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial Mangement 1 - Essay Example 2008 1700 0.592 1006 2009 1900 0.455 865 2010 1300 0.350 455 2011 6550 0.269 1762 5242 Less initial cash outlay 5500 258 STEP 3 After now getting a negative NPV from step 2 above interpolate the results I. R. R = lower discounting + [N. P.V at lower discounting rate - NPV at I.R.R] HDR rate NPV at LDR - NPV at H.D.R LDR Where HDR = Higher Discounting Rate = 30% LDR = Lower Discounting Rate = 11% IRR = Internal Rate of Return & NPV at I.R.R = 0 I. R.R = 11% + [3362 - 0] (30% - 11%) 3362 - - 258 = 11% + 17.65% = 28.65% Since the internal rate of return is greater than cost of capital the project should be accepted. B The initial research costs of 500 will have to be capitalized and form past of the initial cash outlay (investment). This is because the cost can be directly attributable to the cost of the project. It is not a period cost and hence cannot be treated as a normal expense. Working capital will comprise of the salvage value of the plant and machinery and the additional capital of 1,000,000 & 5,000,000 invested on 31st Dec 2006 & 31st Dec 2007 respectively, working capital are the financial resources which shall be availed at the end of the project life. These can be invested. They are assumed to be past and pared of the economic benefits flowing onto the enterprise. But should be captured at the end of the fifth year. Depreciation is a non- cash item. Depreciation is not taxed. Instead the entrepreneurs are given a wear and tear allowance. It is excluded from taxation and their added back to arrive at the Net operating cash flows. The following factors highly affect the earlier decision of accepting the project. a) The sales are first an estimated and do not reflect the...These can be invested. They are assumed to be past and pared of the economic benefits flowing onto the enterprise. But should be captured at the end of the fifth year. Depreciation is a non- cash item. Depreciation is not taxed. Instead the entrepreneurs are given a wear and tear allowance. It is excluded from taxation and their added back to arrive at the Net operating cash flows. Raising finance through issuing of more shares will lower the gearing level of the firm. Gearing refers to the extent to which the assets of the firm have been financed using borrowed capital. The raising of more shares will make the ordinary share capital and other equity instruments in totality to outweigh the fixed charge capital in the capital structure gearing, being a ratio of fixed charge capital vs. equity will then be lower. What would happen is that the current shareholders would be diluted by an additional issue of shares. This firm has already and overdraft of 40,000 which has not been financed. Any additional borrowing would increase its financial risk. This might ultimately lead to insolvency of Barnsley. It would mean that the firm will be highly geared because shall have been increased by virtue of going for the loan. In addition the loan is short -term in nature. The providers of the loan would therefore require that it be surfaced within a short time period. This may in return affect Barnsley's working capital. Sharehold

Business Ethics Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Business Ethics - Article Example In this way they make money. The SEC put out a warning that they will be looking closing at hedge funds that make over 3%. Is it right for the SEC to do this? There are a bunch of moral questions involved in this issue. One could place moral questions on the role of hedge funds. Is it right for hedge funds to purchase stocks expecting to make a profit because they know the stock's value is overly price. 2. The SEC should not put out such warnings because they will be capping the profit initiative, the ability of people to make a profit whenever they see it. This sounds more like a right under our free market system. Another argument is that it is not possible to truely regulate the market without be unfair to those who have made an earnest buck in the market. Some investors may be lucky, or some hedge fund operators may have done good due diligence research and they should be awarded whatever profit that comes their way. 3. The SEC should put out such warnings. Hedge funds have been known to create create market changes based on pure speculation, resulting in market busts where a lot of people lose their money.

Why I want to be a Cardiovascular Technologist Essay

Why I want to be a Cardiovascular Technologist - Essay Example Nutrients, waste, and other cells are carried by the blood pumped by the heart. The heart is so important and strong, first aid courses teach individuals to apply pressure in order to stop bleeding as the first action to be undertaken at an accident scene. Humans cannot survive without a heart. I have the ability to become a Cardiovascular Technologist. I am prepared to study to work under a physicians directions in order to diagnose heart (cardiac) and blood vessel (peripheral vascular) problems. I feel that being a Cardiovascular Technologist will allow me to have a chance for greater interaction with patients. I have not yet decided which of the three Cardiovascular Technologist specialties, cardiology, enchocardiography, or vascular technology, to focus on. I know that I would make an excellent Cardiovascular Technologist. Cardiovascular medicine fascinates me. Since the heart interest me, helping people with heart problems will come naturally to me. I am very personable and compassionate. Oral instructions are not a problem for me. I am also inquisitive and a fast thinker. All of these traits will help me become a Cardiovascular Technologist. The last reason I want to become a Cardiovascular Technologist is financial and job security. Since medicine relating to the heart will always be necessary, a Cardiovascular Technologist will always be in demand. This is especially true for one that has the correct training and education. With job security comes financial security. Cardiovascular Technologist make a good living, the average being $38,000 a year. This is better than minimum wage. It would be a dream come true to work at a job I love and get paid for it. I find the heart interesting and fascinating. The need to further my education is important to me, especially education in the cardiovascular field. I am determined to become a Cardiovascular Technologist. My determination, eagerness, compassion, intelligence, and interest

Strategy of Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Strategy of Zara - Essay Example According to the paper strong financial backing is provided to Zara by the parent firm Inditex. The parent firm has touched revenue of â‚ ¬13.79 billion. The retail chain however holds various trademarks. While talking about trademarks it needs to be mentioned that very recently Zara had defeated Louboutin in France in battle related to the mark of red soles. This helped the high street retailer to boost sales of the shoes.This essay discusses that the exclusive logos and brands are the resources that have helped the company to achieve product differentiation. The communication system also integrates the management, designers, suppliers, manufacturers and customers. Zara also has a very unique inventory model as the company does not hold a large amount of stock at eh stores. The ability of Zara to adapt the rapidly changing trends of the fast fashion industry along with rapid rate of inventory turnover installs a sense of freshness and exclusiveness in the brand. Zara operates thr ough a flat organizational structure and self driven leadership model. The founders of Zara Ortega and Castellano believed that in order to be successful Zara has to respond quickly to the market trends and this only possible if the company has a decentralized decision-making model.  This is why the store managers of the company hold the power to select inventory for respective stores without consulting the head quarters. The main philosophy behind such organizational policy is to save time to support the JIT delivery model of Zara.  

Wal-Mart A Progressive Success Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Wal-Mart A Progressive Success Story - Essay Example The assignment therefore greatly enhanced my prior knowledge of diverse economic terms and models, thus ensuring there is more deeply entrenched in my mind. The assignment has, therefore, made me better comprehend the classroom learning to a more practical level. the research made me come to term with the real meaning of strategic management in regards to marketing strategies as well as being able to adequately read financial data to ascertain a company’s performance indexes both in the short term (quarterly or annually) and long-term (five years). The study was, therefore, a veritable learning curve for me. The study has mostly enhanced my problem-solving skills including sharpening my analytical skills as previously formidable financial terms like strategic management, turnkey ventures, franchising, comparative industrial analysis and performance indicators as well as other diverse financial terms like earnings ratios started to make sense. The module has also enhanced my communication and team building as I realized that the success of the firm is augmented by acquiring strategic advantages embodied by skilled human resources and efficient supply chain management. Bolles (1996) describes transferable skills as, ‘skills developed in one situation which can be transferred to another situation’. This module has just as the case study firm, transferred ‘core competencies to foreign markets’, likewise imparted these same competencies in my mind.

Strategy of Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Strategy of Zara - Essay Example According to the paper strong financial backing is provided to Zara by the parent firm Inditex. The parent firm has touched revenue of â‚ ¬13.79 billion. The retail chain however holds various trademarks. While talking about trademarks it needs to be mentioned that very recently Zara had defeated Louboutin in France in battle related to the mark of red soles. This helped the high street retailer to boost sales of the shoes.This essay discusses that the exclusive logos and brands are the resources that have helped the company to achieve product differentiation. The communication system also integrates the management, designers, suppliers, manufacturers and customers. Zara also has a very unique inventory model as the company does not hold a large amount of stock at eh stores. The ability of Zara to adapt the rapidly changing trends of the fast fashion industry along with rapid rate of inventory turnover installs a sense of freshness and exclusiveness in the brand. Zara operates thr ough a flat organizational structure and self driven leadership model. The founders of Zara Ortega and Castellano believed that in order to be successful Zara has to respond quickly to the market trends and this only possible if the company has a decentralized decision-making model.  This is why the store managers of the company hold the power to select inventory for respective stores without consulting the head quarters. The main philosophy behind such organizational policy is to save time to support the JIT delivery model of Zara.  

The Mirror and the Lamp Essay Example for Free

The Mirror and the Lamp Essay M.H. Abrams: The Mirror and the Lamp. It is establishes between a work and three pivotal points. -The primary focus of literature/art is to instruct which brings it into the realm of education. 1. Work represents the product itself. It is called an artefact. 2. Most important thing is artificer (artist)Â  3. Taken to have a subject derived from something 4. Lastly this comprehensive quality is absorbed by people. -There are varying literary schools of thought but they exclusively choose one. Artist If the focus is on the artist, we read Hamlet but we look at Shakespeare, the creator. Biographical criticism, the perspective that the biographical criticism reflects the event, specific experiences, personal prejudices, and life are reflected in the work. So that Hamlet is a projection of Shakespeare. The danger of this approach is that it can become a fallacy. The poet is (not) the speaker. It can and cannot be the speaker, we dont separate the work from the writer. Psychological In the world of physiological, the physiological state of the artist and the manifestations of repressed needs, desires, and frustrations are reflected in the work. We move away from the work and focus on the physiological state of the artist. Universe: Social Historic The work expresses the values, issues, and concerns of the age which produced the work. Moral/Didactic From this perspective, the art should reflect an ethical perspective. If it teaches us anything, it becomes didactic. Audience: Reader Response There is no single interpretation which takes present over another. It becomes affected, tainted by our emotions, and perspectives. We arent really talking about literature, we are taking our feelings. How we interpret literature changes the work itself. Work The work should stand alone from the artist, universe, and audience. 1. Philosophical Within the realm of PC, the work reflects an idea. We eliminate the art when we just view a work from a philosophical idea. 2. Linguistic We are forced to look at syntactical use of words and the meaning of words because its purpose is communication. It becomes too scientific and we dont take into consideration the connotation, denotation, and the metaphoric aspect. 3. Formalistic The focus is on the artful and formal arrangement of language. Our focus is then on the rhetorical. -All literature should be viewed from all four points. No piece of literature will stand alone, it will have to be viewed with all for aspects.

Emirates Airlines: Key Performance Indicator Analysis

Emirates Airlines: Key Performance Indicator Analysis In this simulation you chose a sector to operate in (budget, mid-range or luxury). What have you learned about these sectors as a result of your experience in this simulation? What would you have done differently at the beginning of the simulation and why? What would you have done differently to be more successful during the simulation and why? In this sector we operated as Emirates Airlines in mid-range as a view that there is a huge population in the sector and even if circumstances favours even budget and luxury passengers would opt for mid-range. In this sense during the start we sold 3 flights which we had as it doesnt had head room and toilets and leased three flights for the operation. We started 1st quarter selling tickets for 35 cents and its a mistake that we changed to luxury airline selling for 48 cents right after the 1st quarter. As this would have changed our target customer and all the operation should also been changed accordingly. We incurred heavy expenses on Promotion and advertisement which hadnt created any impact. There were complaints from customer for poor food services which we realised and started allocating cost for quality and services. High concentration would have been made on maintenance and market research which is the important factor in competitive industry like Airline. There are certain factors which can be focused and done differently at the beginning of the stimulation: Strategic Approach: we did not have any strategic approach when we started our simulation. And that is the reason we had made unreasonable decisions like shift to luxury and sales of aircraft. if we had a strategic approach we would have sold the flights when there is huge profit and avoided lease payment to be added in the expenses. Also we would have shifted to luxury at least after the 4th quarter when we had a good customer base and market. Hence instead of having a single strategy, it would have been better if we had followed a mixture of strategies in terms of pricing, marketing and services. Systematic Approach: there is no systematic approach at the beginning of the simulation. We blindly sold the flights without ascertaining the financial position and brought new flights during 6th quarter which we wrongly numbered and resulted in the purchase of another 3 flights when the company is already in a loss and thereby realised and sold a flight at 7th quarter. The fuel, flight operation and maintenance cost got drastic increase and because of the increase in the number of passengers we did not suffer huge loss. Hence if we had a systematic approach from the beginning we would have reached a good profit. Pricing: A price cue is defined as any marketing tactic used to persuade customers that prices offer good value compared to competitors prices, past prices or future prices (Rao, 2010: 150); at first we sold the tickets for 35 cents as mid-range airline and suddenly hiked the price to 48cents as luxury airline. We did not have idea about the impact and did not take steps to offer service according rather invested in promotion and advertisement. We realised it as mistake and felt that the pricing is an important factor in attracting customers only during 5th quarter and reduce the price to 40 cents and only after that we were about to increase the number of customer. Hence if the pricing factor has given significant importance on the start of the simulation, the company would have escaped from losses. Actions would have been taken during the stimulation for success: Proper maintenance of aircraft in order to avoid fine from FAA. Good system for customer reservation system to be flexible, fast and user-friendly. Strong investment in market research to enable sales forecast and market situation analysis. Proper training and quality to make the customer feel satisfied and get the luxury in food and other services. Good systematic maintenance of accounts in loan interest repayment, lease payment, depreciation in order to have a clear view of the actual profit. Strategic allocation of expenses on promotion and advertisement, sales forecast and social performance Strategic approach on pricing and increasing the number of sales person according the number of flights operated. What were the KPIs you used in running your airline and did they change? Critically appraise the value of the information you had available to you in the results packs during the simulation. How did you use this to affect your decision making? The below are the Key Performance Indicator we as a team of Emirates Airlines believed at the beginning of the simulation which we tried following throughout the quarters but some were forced to reframe it due to companys situation and response. Thus once an organization has analyzed its mission, identified all its stakeholders and defined its goals, it needs a way to measure progress toward those goals. Key performance indicators are those measurements which help to define and measure progress towards organizational goals (Geoff, 2009: 419) Flight Operation: The important KPI we followed is in terms of flight operation. We believed that achieving 80% of maximum mileage per day would definitely yield a profit. As flights can be flew only with the maximum passenger and also includes the number of flights used. Hence it can achieve all in one KPI. We achieved this until quarter5 reaching 70% in each but it got changed due to purchase of 3 more flights without knowledge which made the company to focus on the reduction of expenses and deviated from the miles operating. Promotional and sales forecast: Emirates Airline team believed that high investment in promotion, advertisement and sales forecast can lead companys success. In terms of sales forecast, our KPI was in a correct way. But in terms of promotion and advertisement we changed and reduced the level of expense as the company started to incur loss. Financial Perspective: we thought revenue is an important factor for an airline company to be successful as there will arise uncertain circumstances due to weather or fuel price, hence had a KPI to increase the revenue through Fares. We started a s mid-range and attracted maximum customers and shifted to luxury charging huge fare as a KPI of increasing the revenue. We are badly affected till 5th quarter because of this factor and then reduced the pricing. The information we got through the value packs and incident feedback was very helpful in refining our performance and take corrective measures. Not only in terms of finance but also in terms of flight operation and service, the index feedback gave us the measures for improvement. The company was in a tough situation after the shift to luxury airline, where the incident feedback helped us to identify what was going wrong. The below are the some changes we effected from the information we got through the value packs, Increased the number of flights and number of flight routes. Decreased the ticket fares in order to increase the number of passengers. Concentrated on cabin services to increase the quality service to the passengers and reduce complaints. Taken measures and allotted funds on aircraft maintenance to avoid accidents and escape from fine. Got knowledge that the huge loss of the company is due to the purchase of 3 additional flights resulted from mistake in numbering in the software. Came to know that a flight was unused hence sold the flight to avoid maintenance expenses. We felt the importance of passenger service and allotted more fund towards it. Giving due consideration to theory, evaluate how a merger or acquisition might have changed your outcomes and the way you operated during the simulation? What additional implications would there have been for your company? Merger and Acquisition are often used inter-changeable concepts while merger is the combination of two companies in order to form a new company and Acquisition is a companys purchase of another company where there is no formation of new company (Scott C. Whitaker, 2012). Merger and acquisition have a common goal of attaining synergy. There are certain factors that should be taken care while going in for merger or acquisition as it results in cultural risk, business, employees and customer retention risk. These risks may not be applicable if Emirates would have planned the merger or acquisition in the initial stage that is before 4th quarter but if it is after that the above said risks should be taken care of. Hence it is evident that the nature of company to which going to be merged or acquired should be taken into account that it should be similar in business and should be stronger in operation as emirates are operating in a tough situation. There are many advantages for company to go in for a merger or acquisition. We as a emirates airlines can merge or acquire a financially strong airline whereby we become economically strong and can reduce the cost of capital (Donald M. DePamphills, 2009). In emirates during 5th quarter, we had a NIL balance of cash flow after the overdraft loan hence during such situation merging with company with good cash flow will be a potential decision. Also there will be a positive impact on the stock price especially for companies like emirates where we had our stock price in negative numbers. Not only in financial terms, merger and acquisition also helps in terms of operation synergy. For e.g., if we Emirates team go for a merger during our mid-quarter with a company which is technologically strong we would have had a chance for competitive advantage and fast growth platform (Scott C. Whitaker, ). We would have not made a mistake of unsystematic approach in buying a flight during our 6ht quar ter by which we suffers a heavy loss. There are major operating cost involved in terms of Airlines they are fuel, maintenance, interest expenses, lease amount, promotional activities, market research, taxes and so on. These costs would have been spread between two companies after merging. Merger and acquisition are also helpful to use the assets and skills of the other companies merging or acquiring with. We as Emirates team lacked in terms of allocation of expenses and proper maintenance of aircraft. Hence merging with a managerial strong company would have helped us to move in the right path. It helps in improving the operating efficiency with a combined activity of the merging firms thereby can enjoy the market power. This is called market power theory. With this the company can have a control on the pricing and suppliers and also can have customer base. As a team of Emirates Airlines only in the 1st quarter we were able to make a profit. It may be because of the sudden shift to luxury airlines which made us to suffer from continuous losses till 6th quarter. Our stock price also went on negative price. Hence merger or acquisition during the mid-quarter would be the better decision as it would have reduced the cost and share the total cost. We also had a reduction of pricing on 5th quarter which can be avoided when we had merger with our competitor. We lacked in many operation areas like customer satisfaction, aircraft maintenance and proper allocation of expenses, hence merger and acquisition would have been potential at early stage. Appraise how successful your company was in your industry. Were your relative success / failure due primarily to your analysis and diagnosis or the choices and decisions you made? Which models and theory did you consider when participating in the game and how did this help you? Planning, executing and monitoring are the key aspects for a company to be successful. And in industry like Airline where there are ample numbers of risks, it is important that the firm follows a strategic approach. We as a team started to operated Emirates airlines as mid-range where in the first quarter we are able to have a good level of passengers and thereby revenue. We did not have a view on the level of risk in shifting to luxury range all of a sudden in the second quarter and increased the fare at a higher rate. Only during fifth quarter we came to know the importance of price factor and reduced the fare. The team did not understand that shifting to luxury range should be accommodated with high quality service to be competitive. We felt its importance from the incident report at the time when the company is already in loss. To my knowledge the company started off well but faced tough situations and failures and also attained the survival stage where it can reach a decent prof it in the next quarters. We had a systematic approach to some extent and made many innovative measures like online reservation system which is a success to us, but the decision what we made to buy a flight when we were in deficit lead to failure. Also we are not managerial approach as we wrongly numbered and the software bought additional 3 flights which added to a further loss. We had a clear view in allocating resources for aircraft maintenance, but because of the above mistakes we made during the simulation, we were unable to allot adequate resources for maintenance which lead to engine failure and fine from FAA. At the beginning of the simulation we used resource dependency theory (Aldrich, 1977) where we believed the company can be affected to some degree with its external environment. Hence we took measure to influence the environment. Our external environments are customers, public and the airline industry. We thought investing heavily in promotion and advertisement would definitely create competitive advantage and a brand image among the customer where a hike in the fare will become a hidden factor. Hence during the second quarter we allotted $40000 on advertisement and shifted to luxury airlines with fare of 48cents. But only during the subsequent simulation we felt that there is no relation between the promotion and competitive advantage in a highly completive airline industry and understood the importance of cost and service factors. Hence we reduced the price and concentrated on quality and training. We also started concentrating on cabin services and passenger services with the rise of customer complaints which came to our knowledge through incident feedback. We as a team felt the importance of strategic approach during the simulation. During the end of the quarter we were clear about the strategies to be followed and we were sure that our company will make a good profit if it has another two quarters as we could find the changes in stock price with our corrective measures. The simulation gave us a vast experience about the concept of risk management, strategic approach and resource allocation. We also felt the importance of group dynamics in running a successful business.

Reflexivity :: Enthnography Anthropology Essays

Reflexivity Anthropologists research and write. They participate and observe in order to produce ethnographies. While some anthropologists venture to â€Å"exotic† lands to study the â€Å"natives,† others conduct ethnographic research within their own culture. Despite the diverse cultures they examine and the use of a tape recorder instead of a pen and a notebook, the ethnographic process is virtually the same. Or is it? Although similarities between ethnographies exist, when it comes down to it, ethnographies differ from one anthropologist to the next and one culture to the next based on the writing techniques applied by the ethnographer, the position of the anthropologist (age, gender, class, culture), and his or her life experiences. Some ethnographers use reflexivity, a writing tool that personalizes ethnography as the anthropologist writes about his/herself in the work. In a reflexive ethnography, the anthropologist positions his/herself in relation to the examined c ulture and writes about his/her ethnographic experience, an experience which hopefully bridged the gap between the anthropologist’s culture and studied culture, converting the â€Å"outsider† status of the anthropologist to an â€Å"insider† position. Reflexivity allows the ethnographer to show how and why it is that he/she empathizes with a culture and to allow the audience an opportunity to identify with a culture that is not his/her own. Ultimately, reflexivity conveys the importance to acknowledge the similarities and differences that exist between cultures. In a reflexive ethnography, anthropologists locate their position in another culture and outline their experiences inside and outside of the examined culture. George E. Marcus describes reflexivity as â€Å"the practice of positioning† (Marcus 198). Reflexivity â€Å"locates the ethnographer . . . his or her literal position in relation to subjects† (Marcus 197-198). In other words, reflexivity conveys to the audience that the ethnographer â€Å"was there.† In most cases the ethnographer uses phrases such as, â€Å"I realized,† or, â€Å"I examined,† or simply â€Å"I.† This declaration of first-hand cultural knowledge grants the ethnographer authority to write about and understand a culture because he/she participated and observed the culture in action. Renato Rosaldo writes about positioning and the authority it gives him to write about the Ilongot tribe. In â€Å"Grief and a Headhunter’s Rage,† he writes, â€Å"The ethnographer, as a positioned subject, grasps certain human phenomena better than others. He or she occupies a position or structural location and observes with a particular angle of vision .

Supremacy :: essays research papers

THE NATURAL DESIRE FOR THE SUPREMACY OF ONE â€Å"The frogs, grieved at having no established Ruler, sent ambassadors to Jupiter entreating for a King. Perceiving their simplicity, he cast down a huge log into the lake. The Frogs were terrified at the splash occasioned by its fall and hid themselves in the depths of the pool. But as soon as they realized that the huge log was motionless, they swam again to the top of the water, dismissed their fears, climbed up, and began squatting on it in contempt. After some time they began to think themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so inert a Ruler, and sent a second deputation to Jupiter to pray that he would set over them another sovereign. He then gave them an Eel to govern them. When the Frogs discovered his easy good nature, they sent yet a third time to Jupiter to beg him to choose for them still another King. Jupiter, displeased with all their complaints, sent a Heron, who preyed upon the Frogs day by day till there were none left to croak upon the lake.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aesop’s fable tells of a problem that has existed throughout history, the need for supremacy. Someone always has to be the best, the leader, the ultimate judge, and without this ranking, the people are never satisfied. There is a need for humans to classify others into the general categories of inferior and superior and the ultimate superior is necessary. This tendency has led many nations to create a form of rule with only one leader which although can at times be beneficial is always a waiting disaster. This has been a tendency through out history that has led to the downfall of many civilizations and is also a basis in religion and can be seen in many aspects of today’s society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before civilization began, humans existed as nomadic wonderers. People looked nothing like the people of today and they spent their existence surviving. Not only did they look different, they lived differently as well. Very little would be recognizable to the people of today and their way of life was altogether different than the human way of life today. However, supremacy still existed in these nomadic tribes. Evidences have been found, showing there to be a chief or key person who looked over the tribe and served as the ruler. This shows that from the beginning of time people have had this desire to rule or be ruled over.

Macbeth Illness Motif

PD:3 Macbeth Motif: Illness Motif statement: Shakespeare utilizes the motif of illness to highlight how Macbeth’s thirst for power has led Scotland into tyranny. Illness symbolizes the decay of Macbeth’s morals along with the fall of Scotland. Quotations with explanations: 1. Scene 4 Act 3 Lines 169-181 Context: Malcolm and Macduff are speaking; the doctor enters and reports on the well-being of a cured patient. Macduff asks about the illness, Malcolm explains that the English King has healing powers. Explanation: This depiction of the king of England stands in an obvious contrast to descriptions of Macbeth.The king is shown to be one of the best of men, illustrated by his healing. His â€Å"heavenly gift of prophecy† allows his country to prosper. However, Macbeth’s forsight has led into a dark cave that it cannot escape from until Macbeth is dead. â€Å"Sundry blessings† hang around the English throne, while curses hang around the Scottish. 2. Sce ne 5 Act 4 Lines 62-64 Context: Just after Macbeth receives news of the soldiers marching against him, the doctor delivers a short but horrendous report of the condition of Macbeth’s wife.Macbeth compares the shambled state of his country to the unfortunate state of his wife. Explanation: In asking the doctor for a cure for Scotland, Macbeth displays that he finally notices the consequences of his actions. However, he is not admitting to his own actions being the cause of his country’s â€Å"disease. † This is said just after Macbeth has been told of the army marching toward the castle, and of the desertion of his nobles, which illuminates that the real illness in the country is him, Macbeth.By asking the doctor to purge Scotland of her disease, Macbeth is really asking the doctor to cure Scotland by removing him. 3. Act 3 Scene 4 Lines 51-55 Context: Lennox and another character are speaking of the political terror in Scotland, and Lennox comments on the desire for Macduff to return soon and save Scotland from the tyranny of Macbeth. Explanation: Before Macbeth’s thirst for power overcame his good nature, these two lords were close followers of Macbeth and obeyed his every command.Now that Macbeth has been utterly corrupted, Lennox is praying that the English rescue Scotland from their tyrant of a leader. Lennox describes Macbeth as having â€Å"a hand accursed† showing that any respect that he had for him has now vanished. Macbeth has shed all of his supporters and has put the country that he once longed to rule in terrible suffering. Quotes with context only: 1. Act 5 Scene 1 Lines 75-77 Context: The doctor sees firsthand the sleepwalking, and talking, and crying that Lady Macbeth does while asleep and says why he thinks she is doing it. . Act 5 Scene 3 Lines 49-55 Context: The doctor announces to Macbeth that his wife is not physically ill, but that her minds troubles are preventing her from sleeping. Macbeth then asks th e doctor why he does not just drug her so she could sleep. 3. Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 18-20 Context: After receiving the letter from Macbeth about the witches’ prophecy, Lady Macbeth wonders whether Macbeth has the courage and brutality to kill Duncan to become king, as the witches said. 4.Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 68-70 context: Macbeth returns from killing Duncan and is not able to put the knives back in the room. Lady Macbeth insults Macbeth by calling him weak and places the knives by the guards herself. 5. Act 2 Scene 3 Lines 25-26 context: Macbeth has just sent two murderers to kill Banquo and is now haunted by his past treasons. He dwells on how even through the pain that he had run Duncan through with his dagger, at least Duncan is able to rest, unlike him.

Exchange Student in Japan

Being an exchange student in Japan is considered as a life-changing experience for me. It's like a great prize I've been given. My whole experience so far has been abosolutely wonderful. Studying abroad is not a general education. It taught me life and gave me a lot experinces. Having a year during exchange allowed me to think out of the box and think deeply about what I desire to achieve in the future. Moreover, I've learnt many new things such as Japanese language which has improved very fast as time has gone, solving problem skill, or receiving an education in another teaching style which is completely different from my home. I'm very thankful for everything. However, there were some problems and obstacles happened to me. I was experienced a bit of home sickness because it was my first time living really far from home so it was very hard at first. But I got recovered very quickly because I had nice friends and Kyoto people are very nice and welcoming. And other problems that I wasn't expected before. After I retuned home, I wish that I could use what I've learnt from this exchange program to fulfill and to lead my life to a better position. Accomplishment of Objectives 1. Objectives and Significance: Describe the objectives and significance of the overseas study you implemented. First, I would like to have an opportunity to learn new languages apart from English which could be a special skill in the future. I believed that being in a language society that we want to learn will improve language skills in real life rather than studying in Thailand. As I was being surrounded by Japapese language every day including speaking and listening in the right context. Language learning took place very quickly under these environments. As the result, I am be able to communicate in Japanese even I'm not so fluently but it has improved much more than I expected. The second is I think that studying abroad would help me to open up the new worldview that I never had before both inside and outside classrooms. Studying in Japan gave me an experience with different education systems. There was an opportunity to choose courses that are not taught in Thailand and I got a very good education by studying in particular subjects with professors who have different teaching styles which are totally different from my home university. This allows me to study more effectively in the new way and extend my ideas and attitutes. Third, I would like to have an opportunity to make friends with people all around the would who speak different languages and have different backgrounds so we could learn something new and exchange ideas, attitudes to each other because culture is more than just a language but include lifestyle, belief, values and habits of people in the society. I learnt how to communicate in new more ways. Not only speaking but also using body-languages and gesture in order to express my own opinions and to interact with people who have different background to understand others clearly. And these have been developing my interpersonal skills. I feel like I could communicate easily with anybody right now. The last is I expected to improve myself to be more mature and more stronger. As when I was in Thailand, my parent always give me supports whenever I need help so that I want to practice to rely on myself and I want to try seeing things differently. Plus, I got a chance to discover new strengths and face new challenges including solving problems under unfamiliar situations. Finally, I returned home with a wider perspective and I've became more open-minded, confident in myself and choices I've made. Future Perspectives Describe briefly whether you could achieve your goals as they were initially planned. Also, explain clearly how to utilize the accomplishments of this opportunity, such as scholarly paper, dissertation or presentation at a conference. As I've gained so many experiences and life-long knowledge from this exchange program, I wish these experiences could help me achieve my future goals which are the future career and I want to further my study abroad. When I was in Japan, I've seen the interesting study style and saw how other students do presentations in class. Therefore, I've got many interesting ideas and that was really attract me to continue my studies abroad because I think there're so many things that I haven't explored yet. Moreover, It helped me working on my dissertation more efficiently since I've talked to many professors in Kyoto university and they gave me a lot of suggestions about doing a dissertation.