The Basics of Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is the most important festival in Chinese culture. It is celebrated on the new moon of the first month according to the lunar calendar and is a time for family reunions and scrumptious feasts. While Chinese New Year is celebrated in Asian countries like China and Singapore, it is also celebrated in Chinatowns spanning New York City to San Francisco. Take the time to learn about traditions and how to wish others a happy new year in Chinese so that you can also partake in Chinese New Year festivities wherever you are in the world. How Long Is Chinese New Year? Chinese New Year traditionally lasts from the first day to the 15th day of the New Year (which is the Lantern Festival), but the demands of modern life mean that most people don’t get such an extended holiday. Still, the first five days of the New Year are an official holiday in Taiwan, while workers in Mainland China and Singapore get at least 2 or 3 days off. Home Decor A chance to leave the problems of the previous year behind, it is important to start the New Year fresh. This means cleaning up the house and buying new clothes. Homes are decorated with red paper banners which have auspicious couplets written on them. These are hung around doorways and are intended to bring luck to the household for the coming year. Red is an important color in Chinese culture, symbolizing prosperity. Many people will wear red clothing during the New Year celebrations, and houses will have many red decorations such as Chinese knotwork. Red Envelopes Red envelopes (ââ€" ºhà ³ng bÄ o) are given to children and unmarried adults. Married couples also give red envelopes to their parents. The envelopes contain money. The money must be in new bills, and the total amount must be an even number. Certain numbers (such as four) are bad luck, so the total amount should not be one of these unlucky numbers. â€Å"Four† is a homonym for â€Å"death†, so a red envelope should never contain $4, $40, or $400. Fireworks Evil spirits are said to be driven away by loud noise, so Chinese New Year is a very loud celebration. Long strings of firecrackers are set off throughout the holiday, and there are many displays of fireworks lighting up the evening skies. Some countries such as Singapore and Malaysia restrict the use of fireworks, but Taiwan and Mainland China still allow the nearly unrestricted use of firecrackers and fireworks. Chinese Zodiac The Chinese zodiac cycles every 12 years, and each lunar year is named after an animal. For example:   Rooster: January 28, 2017 - February 18, 2018Dog : February 19, 2018 - February 04, 2019Pig: February 05, 2019 - January 24, 2020Rat: January 25, 2020 - February 11, 2021Ox: February 12, 2021 - January 31, 2022Tiger : February 1, 2022 - February 19, 2023Rabbit: February 20, 2023 - February 8, 2024Dragon: February 10, 2024 - January 28, 2025Snake: January 29, 2025 - February 16, 2026Horse: February 17, 2026 - February 5, 2027Sheep: February 6, 2027 - January 25, 2028Monkey: January 26, 2028 - February 12, 2029 How to Say Happy New Year in Mandarin Chinese There are many saying and greeting associated with the Chinese New Year. Family members, friends, and neighbors greet each other with congratulations and wishes for prosperity. The most common greeting is æâ€" °Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¥ ¿ «Ã¤ ¹ Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ ââ€" ºXÄ «n Nià ¡n Kuà  i Là ¨; this phrase directly translates to â€Å"Happy  New Year.† Another common greeting is æ  ­Ã¥â€"Å"Ã¥ â€˜Ã¨ ´ ¢Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ ââ€" ºGÃ… ng XÇ  FÄ  Cà ¡i, which means Best wishes, wishing you prosperity and wealth. The phrase can also colloquially be shortened to just  Ã¦  ­Ã¥â€"Å" (gÃ… ng xÇ ). In order to get their red envelope, children have to bow to their relatives and recite æ  ­Ã¥â€"Å"Ã¥ â€˜Ã¨ ´ ¢Ã§ º ¢Ã¥Å'…æ‹ ¿Ã¦  ¥Ã‚  Ã¢â€" ºGÃ… ng xÇ  fÄ  cà ¡i, hà ³ng bÄ o nà ¡ là ¡i. This means Best wishes for prosperity and wealth, give me a red envelope. Here is a list of Mandarin greetings and other phrases that are heard during the Chinese New Year. Audio files are marked with ââ€" º Pinyin Meaning Traditional Characters Simplified Characters ââ€" ºgÃ… ng xÇ  fÄ  cà ¡i Congratulations and Prosperity æ  ­Ã¥â€"Å"ç™ ¼Ã¨ ² ¡ æ  ­Ã¥â€"Å"Ã¥ â€˜Ã¨ ´ ¢ ââ€" ºxÄ «n nià ¡n kuà  i là ¨ Happy New Year æâ€" °Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¥ ¿ «Ã¦ ¨â€š æâ€" °Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¥ ¿ «Ã¤ ¹  ââ€" ºguà ² nià ¡n Chinese New Year é Å½Ã¥ ¹ ´ è ¿â€¡Ã¥ ¹ ´ ââ€" ºsuà ¬ suà ¬ ping Ä n (Said if something breaks during New Year to ward off bad luck.) æ ­ ²Ã¦ ­ ²Ã¥ ¹ ³Ã¥ ®â€° Ã¥ ² Ã¥ ² Ã¥ ¹ ³Ã¥ ®â€° ââ€" ºnià ¡n nià ¡n yÇ’u yà º Wishing you prosperity every year. Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¦Å"‰é ¤Ëœ Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¦Å"‰é ¦â‚¬ ââ€" ºfà  ng biÄ n pà  o set off firecrackers æ” ¾Ã©Å¾ ­Ã§â€š ® æ” ¾Ã©Å¾ ­Ã§â€š ® ââ€" ºnià ¡n yà ¨ fà  n New Year’s Eve family dinner Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¥ ¤Å"é £ ¯ Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¥ ¤Å"é ¥ ­ ââ€" ºchà º jià ¹ bà ¹ xÄ «n Relace the old with the new (proverb) é™ ¤Ã¨Ë†Å Ã¤ ½Ë†Ã¦â€" ° é™ ¤Ã¦â€" §Ã¥ ¸Æ'æâ€" ° ââ€" ºbà  i nià ¡n pay a New Year’s visit æ‹Å"Ã¥ ¹ ´ æ‹Å"Ã¥ ¹ ´ ââ€" ºhà ³ng bÄ o Red Envelope ç ´â€¦Ã¥Å'… ç º ¢Ã¥Å'… ââ€" ºyÄ  suà ¬ qià ¡n money in the red envelope Ã¥ £â€œÃ¦ ­ ²Ã©Å' ¢ 压å ² Ã©â€™ ± ââ€" ºgÃ… ng hà ¨ xÄ «n xÇ  Happy New Year æ  ­Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã¦â€" °Ã§ ¦ § æ  ­Ã¨ ´ ºÃ¦â€" °Ã§ ¦ § ââ€" º___ nià ¡n xà ­ng dà   yà ¹n Good luck for the year of the ____. ___Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ¡Å'Ã¥ ¤ §Ã© â€¹ ___Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ¡Å'Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¨ ¿  ââ€" ºtiÄ“ chÃ… «n lià ¡n red banners è ² ¼Ã¦Ëœ ¥Ã¨  ¯ è ´ ´Ã¦Ëœ ¥Ã¨ â€ ââ€" ºbà  n nià ¡n huà ² New Year shopping è ¾ ¦Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ² ¨ 办å ¹ ´Ã¨ ´ §

Project Based Instruction A Great Match For...

Whenever I think about my own educational experiences, especially k-12, I think about all the textbooks I read and all the tests I took. I remember thinking how what I was learning in school was a separate entity from the outside world. Oftentimes this made learning difficult as I found myself finding the topics uninteresting and would say â€Å"when would I ever use this in real life?†. I found myself constantly trying to learn new information through route memorization and struggled with trying to remember information that I had previously â€Å"learned†. (1) The article â€Å"Project-Based Instruction: A Great Match for Informational Texts† by Nell K. Duke, discusses the idea of implementing project based learning and how it can greatly improve student’s education. According to Duke, project based instruction involves â€Å"working over an extended time period for a purpose beyond satisfying a school requirement†. This includes doing projects in order to â€Å"build something, to create something, to respond to a question [students] have, to solve a real problem, or to address a real need† (Duke 1). The article talks about the benefits of this type of instruction and specific examples of how it can be implemented in the school curriculum and Common Core State Standards. Duke also emphasizes how the projects that are implemented should serve a real- life purpose so that students feel more engaged knowing their work will be seen by others outside the classroom and can even help solve a real-lifeShow MoreRela tedProject Based Instruction : A Great Match For Informational Texts By Nell K. Duke Essay1561 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Those who have characterized instruction tasks express dismay about the focus on low-level facts and skills and the omnipresence of worksheets in American classrooms† (Blumefeld, 1991, p. 370). Whenever I think about my own educational experiences, I remember thinking how what I was learning in school was separate from the outside world. Oftentimes this made learning difficult as I found myself finding the topics uninteresting and wondering if I would ever use this information in real life. I constantlyRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesAshley Santora Acquisitions Editor: Brian Mickelson Editorial Project Manager: Sarah Holle Editorial Assistant: Ashlee Bradbury VP Director of Marketing: Patrice Lumumba Jones Senior Marketing Manager: Nikki Ayan a Jones Senior Managing Editor: Judy Leale Production Project Manager: Becca Groves Senior Operations Supervisor: Arnold Vila Operations Specialist: Cathleen Petersen Senior Art Director: Janet Slowik Art Director: Kenny Beck Text and Cover Designer: Wanda Espana OB Poll Graphics: ElectraRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagessmarter save money From multiple study paths, to self-assessment, to a wealth of interactive visual and audio resources, WileyPLUS gives you everything you need to personalize the teaching and learning experience.  » F i n d o u t h ow t o M A K E I T YO U R S  » www.wileyplus.com ALL THE HELP, RESOURCES, AND PERSONAL SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS NEED! 2-Minute Tutorials and all of the resources you your students need to get started www.wileyplus.com/firstday Student support from

The New Subjects in Romantisism Free Essays

During the Romantic Period there seemed to be revolution in the air. The American Revolution and the French Revolution of 1789 had a great impact on literature of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This impact can be seen throughout Romantic literature but especially in the area of new subjects. We will write a custom essay sample on The New Subjects in Romantisism or any similar topic only for you Order Now Before the 19th century authors tended to write about the aristocratic class. There was nothing written for or about the common people. There are three areas in which the discussion will focus upon in the area of new subjects. The first area will focus on the children, the second will be women, and the third will be the new attitude towards God. The Romantic period strongly emphasized the lives of children. Authors writing at that time did not just look at children playing outside but within real life situations. Writing started to be explored in the language of the common man. The topics presented by most of these writers appealed to the general public. Today, the area of children within literary works does not seem revolutionary. At this time, however, there were no writings that reflected the everyday lives of children. The first important poem in the Romantic period with regards to children is by William Blake, â€Å"The Chimney Sweep.† This poem focuses upon the tremendous abuse of children during this time. This poem portrays visions of death throughout â€Å"were all of them lock’d up in coffins of black†(Norton 31). This quote catches the reader’s attention with a vision of death. These children talked of death very candidly because they died young. The sweeper almost inevitably would have died before he even knew how to live life. They worked in horrible labor conditions with no sign of relief because there were no labor laws. These children mainly died from consumption of the fumes within the shaft or by an accident. â€Å"We are Seven† by William Wordsworth refers frequently to children. This poem is told from the perspective of a seven-year-old girl. A young girl as the center of the poem would have been unheard of in earlier periods. The little girl has a brother and a sister who have died. The girl shows the reader the presence of another reality. The audience could not have understood this new reality we before the entrance of a child’s perspective. The child has seven people in the family but two are dead. The little girl’s reality is different than the readers. She believes her family members are with her even though they are really dead. These two poems impacted the populace to be aware of the exploitation of children and their understandings of the world. Frankenstein also addresses the concept of children in literature. Mary Shelly does it on several occasions. The first reference to children in the book is when Victor’s brother is killed. Only in the Romantic Period do readers see the concept of death of children. Also on another occasion within the novel the talk centers on children migrating because of war. In earlier novels the role of children was not predominant. Another area in which the Romantic writings were opened were the writings on and by women. The most influential work would be Mary Wolstonecraft’s work The Vindication of The Rights of Woman. There are many points that are brought to light within this work. Wolstonecraft calls for the education of all people, including women. She does not want to educate women for the amusement of men, but for intellectual stimuli. She tires to argue for women’s education in a subtle way. She argues for the education of women to be for the betterment of the populace. Wolstonecraft tries to make the point that the education of women would be in a good light. She argues that the education of women would create stability within the home. Husbands and wives will be able to hold a substantive conversation; they will â€Å"become the friend, and not the humble dependant of her husband†(Norton 113). Wollstonecraft was able to write in this way because she herself was educated. Her relationship with her husband was one of a mutual affection not a necessity, and he was not threatened by this. Women threatened other contemporary males during this time. As seen here from a journal called Gentleman’s Magazine in April 1799: In the general confusion of ideas, religious, moral, and political, we are not surprised to find claims set up for the female sex, unsupported we must say by prescription, but we are justified in saying by reason. Mrs. R. avows herself of the school of Wollstonecroft; and that is enough for all who have any regard to decency, order, or prudence, to avoid her company. She has traveled for her improvement; and what are the blessed fruits of her travels? Let the motley list of heroines subjoined to this letter, and the anecdotes of female characters, of all descriptions, interspersed in it, speak for themselves. (Randall 1) This is an illustration of how men felt at this time. This also shows that not everyone was inclined to recognize the new subjects. (The Mrs. R refers to Mary Robinson a contemporary of Wolstonecraft) One of the most intriguing works we read was â€Å"The Lady of Shalott.† This poem was in long form but it captured life in a different light. The poem depicts women looking at life only through a mirror. She watches her whole existence through the mirror, until she finally needs to see with her own eyes what has happened. The meaning of this poem can be interpreted in many ways. One way is that woman are watching the world pass them by without trying to taking part in everyday actions. Another area in which women were making their mark was writing the literature. Mary Wollstonecraft started the chain of events. She was one of the first women noticed for her writings. Her daughter Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley made great strides as a writer also at this time. These authors also made women more human. Women, not only did they cook and clean but also they even did other things. The third area to look at when addressing new subjects is God. There were many writings on the role of God before this period. The Bible being the best example tells of God the friend and God the punisher. William Blake illustrates poetry best in relation to God. The two poems that gave us the best look at, the two different versions of, God are â€Å"The Lamb† and â€Å"The Tyger.† In these two poems Blake takes two very different views. The lamb is the traditional symbol for the flock of God. He challenges the idea of Christ the lamb with the repetitive nature. He repeatedly asks the question â€Å"who made thee?† referring to who created a creature like the lamb (Norton 29). In the â€Å"Tyger† the same question of â€Å"who made thee?† comes up (Norton 37). This vicious animal and hunter is he too one of Gods creatures. This asks the question â€Å"What king of immortal hand or eye/ could frame thy fearful symmetry?† The questioning of what kind of god made you, the lamb and tyger. Then the next question asked is â€Å"Did he who made the lamb make thee?† seemingly the answer being yes it is the same god. Blake seems to question God several times within his poetry. The next one that sticks out particularly is â€Å"The Divine Image† where he continues to question what God really is. â€Å"To mercy, Pity, Peace and Love† sets the tone for the rest of the poem. He tells of how we are all God’s children so we better be good to one another. He stresses the idea of equality here. There are also two stories that come to mind when discussing God as a new subject. The first is the â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner† by Samuel Colleridge. In this short story we see a man on a journey. His journey starts not at the beginning of the trip to the South Pole, but it begins when he kills a bird. He shoots it with a crossbow. The symbolism behind the crossbow may mean he killed Jesus. Then when He goes through all the pains and anguish, he is forgiven for killing one of God’s creatures. The next story that comes to expresses God in the area of new subjects is Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. This novel shows God in a very different light. Victor is shown as a God because he has created a creature outside of his own blood. Victor is faced with a choice whether or not to destroy or create a new creature. The Frankenstein book looked at the idea of God in a new fashion. Shelly tries to show us that our obsessions draw great light upon us. Mary Shelley shows how our obsessions draw light upon us in two ways. If we are obsessed with doing something when it happens we are let down. The second way that obsession affects us is that if we do not do something it may kill us. There were many new subjects that were addressed by Romantic poets and authors alike in regards to new subjects. The subject area of children is still being explored today. Once the subject area of children was opened the writing world has not been the same. In the area of women Vindication came when that work was published. It did not free women but gave them rights that they had not ever had before. In the area of God there was a great deal of questioning taking place. The entrance of Darwin and its legitimization raised questions pertaining to god. These new subjects were vital to the Romantic period and every piece of writing afterward. How to cite The New Subjects in Romantisism, Papers

Sympathy In Richard Wright free essay sample

# 8217 ; s Native Son Essay, Research Paper English Sympathy in Wright # 8217 ; s Native Son In Native Son, Richard Wright introduces Bigger Thomas, a prevaricator and a stealer. Wright evokes understanding for this adult male despite the fact that he commits two slayings. Through the reactions of others to his actions and through his ain reactions to what he has done, the writer creates compassion in the reader towards Bigger to assist convey the desperate province of Black Americans in the 1930? s. The simplest method Wright uses to bring forth understanding is the portraiture of the hate and intolerance shown toward Thomas as a black felon. This first occurs when Bigger is instantly suspected as being involved in Mary Dalton? s disappearing. Mr. Britten suspects that Bigger is guilty and lone ceases his onslaughts when Bigger casts adequate intuition on Jan to convert Mr. Dalton. Britten explains, # 8220 ; To me, a nigga? s a nigga # 8221 ; ( Wright, Richard. We will write a custom essay sample on Sympathy In Richard Wright or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Native Son. New York: Harper and Row, 1940. 154 ) . Because of Bigger? s inkiness, it is instantly assumed that he is responsible in some capacity. This premise causes the reader to sympathize with Bigger. While merely a snatch or possible slaying are being investigated, one time Bigger is fingered as the perpetrator, the newspapers say the incident is # 8220 ; perchance a sex offense # 8221 ; ( 228 ) . Eleven pages subsequently, Wright depicts bold black headlines proclaiming a # 8220 ; raper # 8221 ; ( 239 ) on the loose. Wright evokes compassion for Bigger, cognizing that he is this clip unjustly accused. The reader is greatly moved when Chicago? s citizens direct all their racial hatred straight at Bigger. The shouts # 8220 ; Kill him! Lynch him! That black sonofabitch! Kill that black ape! # 8221 ; ( 253 ) instantly after his gaining control promote a concern for Bigger? s wellbeing. Wright intends for the reader to widen this fright for the safety of Bigger toward the full black community. The reader? s understanding is farther encouraged when the reader remembers that all this hatred has been spurred by an accident. While Bigger Thomas does many evil things, the immorality of his function in Mary Dalton? s decease is questionable. His headlong determination to set the pillow over Mary? s face is the flood tide of a dark in which nil has gone right for Bigger. We feel sympathy because Bigger has been forced into uncomfortable places all dark. With good purposes, Jan and Mary topographic point Bigger in state of affairss that make him experience # 8220 ; a cold, dumb, and inarticulate hatred # 8221 ; ( 68 ) for them. Wright hopes the reader will portion Bigger? s edginess. The reader struggles with Bigger? s undertaking of acquiring Mary into her bed and is relieved when he has safely accomplished his mission. With the disclosure of Mary? s decease, Wright emphasizes Bigger? s hereafter, turning Mary into the # 8220 ; white adult female # 8221 ; ( 86 ) that Bigger will be prosecuted for killing. Wright focal points full attending on the bewildered Bigger, coercing the reader to see the state of affairs through Bigger? s eyes. H vitamin E uses Bigger? s obfuscation to stand for the confusion and despair of Black America. The writer stresses that Bigger Thomas is a mere victim of despair, non a culprit of malicious force. Despair is the characteristic Wright uses throughout the novel to draw understanding for Bigger. A slayer with a deliberate program for hedging penalty would be viewed more negatively than Bigger, a baffled immature adult male urgently seeking a agency of flight. His first hapless determination after Mary? s decease is to fire her in the Dalton furnace. The vile and hideous class of action taken by Bigger impresses upon the reader the complete confusion of his ideas. Readers observe the absence of careful thought as Bigger jumps out the Dalton? s window, urinating on himself, and as he madly rushes from constructing to edifice, seeking for shelter. However, Wright besides includes actions that seem blameless despite Bigger? s province of head. His barbarous slaying of Bessie, the lone character willing to assist him, angers the reader. It is at that point that Bigger seems most immoral, but Wright once more shows Bigger? s weakness. Wright contrasts the # 8220 ; insistent and demanding # 8221 ; ( 219 ) desire that encourages Bigger to coerce intercourse with Bessie with the despair that causes him to kill her. Even in the most immoral of Acts of the Apostless, Wright finds a manner to stress the difference between actions borne of corruption and those borne of desperation.. The ultimate despair and hopeless nature of Bigger? s hereafter as the book stopping points and the decease sentence is imposed leaves the reader with a sense of understanding at Bigger? s predicament. Bigger? s province at the terminal of the novel analogues the despair of Black America? s nowadays and the uncertainness of its hereafter. Black Americans in the 1930s faced apparently unsurmountable challenges. Latent racism and poorness made them desperate for solutions. Wright proves this through the life of Bigger Thomas. He hopes that White America will recognize that a merely a despairing action could be expected under these despairing conditions. Wright says of Bigger: # 8220 ; Never once more did he desire to experience anything like hope # 8221 ; ( 315 ) . The writer suggests that all Blacks felt this manner when he writes of the many households who were being persecuted during the hunt for Bigger. This novel is a call to the state pressing acknowledgment of the desperate predicament of Black America. Wright affectingly tells the narrative of the immoral Bigger Thomas but is able to pull understanding for what many white Americans see as the typical black reprobate by clearly specifying his common human emotions. Bigger? s despair to protect his ain life in malice of the obstructions around him makes him a brilliant representative for Blacks in America. Wright admirations and asks the inquiry he properties to Bigger in the novel. # 8220 ; Why did he and his folks have to unrecorded like this? # 8221 ; ( 100 ) Back to School Sucks

The Woman Warrior free essay sample

A discussion of the themes found throughout Maxine Hong Kingstons memoir, The Woman Warrior. This paper is an analysis of Maxine Hong Kingstons memoir, The Woman Warrior. It examines the themes of silence, invisibility, ghosts and using words as weapons found throughout the book. Examples from the text are provided to support the claims. It may be said that each section of Maxine Hong Kingstons memoir, The Woman Warrior, may be considered a microcosm of the work as a whole. The section No Name Woman incorporates the recurring themes of silence, invisibility, ghosts and using words as weapons. It is argued, that the storys central theme is the process of finding a personal voice (Ling). This is mainly about the Aunt, but also about the mother and the narrator. It is a combination of three female characters each trying to find a voice and fighting against silence, some by choice such as the narrator, some by force, such as the mother, that makes this a powerful theme. We will write a custom essay sample on The Woman Warrior or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Free Essays on CIA

Everyone has seen a James Bond movie at some time or another. In this paper we will look at the real life James Bond’s that exist in the United States in the form of the Central Intelligence Agency. Ill cover its inception, mission, where it gets its funding, and what areas it has domain over. I will also talk about some of the controversy that surrounds this secretive organization and the ever-changing role that it has in today’s government. The Central Intelligence Agency was created on September 18th, 1947 by legislation proposed by President Truman and later enacted by Congress. It was created to replace the Office of Strategic Services or OSS, which was terminated due to opposition in the government. Up until that time the OSS was the chief intelligence gathering body for the United States. The CIA was created to replace the OSS and be a permanent and independent executive intelligence agency designed to coordinate intelligence information collected by separately established intelligence agencies. However this proved to be more difficult than it sounded. The FBI, being the CIA’s chief competitor in the intelligence field, began a bureaucratic rivalry between the two agencies that many feel still exist today. In 1948 an agreement was reached between the CIA and the FBI. The FBI would handle all domestic security matters in the United States and limited the CIA in a domestic capacity to having an Office of Policy Coordination to have direct dealings with foreign individuals and groups. The CIA was to handle the securing of national secrets and foreign intelligence. The CIA’s mission is still much the same today. It is responsible for gathering information and intelligence on matters of national security and foreign affairs. The CIA also cooperates with other various agencies to counter the attempts of other nations to gather intelligence on the United States. In addition to these responsibilities, it also engages i... Free Essays on CIA Free Essays on CIA Everyone has seen a James Bond movie at some time or another. In this paper we will look at the real life James Bond’s that exist in the United States in the form of the Central Intelligence Agency. Ill cover its inception, mission, where it gets its funding, and what areas it has domain over. I will also talk about some of the controversy that surrounds this secretive organization and the ever-changing role that it has in today’s government. The Central Intelligence Agency was created on September 18th, 1947 by legislation proposed by President Truman and later enacted by Congress. It was created to replace the Office of Strategic Services or OSS, which was terminated due to opposition in the government. Up until that time the OSS was the chief intelligence gathering body for the United States. The CIA was created to replace the OSS and be a permanent and independent executive intelligence agency designed to coordinate intelligence information collected by separately established intelligence agencies. However this proved to be more difficult than it sounded. The FBI, being the CIA’s chief competitor in the intelligence field, began a bureaucratic rivalry between the two agencies that many feel still exist today. In 1948 an agreement was reached between the CIA and the FBI. The FBI would handle all domestic security matters in the United States and limited the CIA in a domestic capacity to having an Office of Policy Coordination to have direct dealings with foreign individuals and groups. The CIA was to handle the securing of national secrets and foreign intelligence. The CIA’s mission is still much the same today. It is responsible for gathering information and intelligence on matters of national security and foreign affairs. The CIA also cooperates with other various agencies to counter the attempts of other nations to gather intelligence on the United States. In addition to these responsibilities, it also engages i...

Gustave Courbet and Edouard Manet - the Rise of Modernism Essay

Gustave Courbet and Edouard Manet - the Rise of Modernism - Essay Example As Gustave was a radical so the subjects of most of his paintings compromised of the most ordinary and humblest of people (Discover France: Online). Though Gustave was devoid of any formal training in art and painting, yet he made immense efforts to acquire the varied techniques requisite for a realistic portrayal of his subjects (Discover France: Online). In consonance with many of the Realist masters, Gustave always attempted to capture something plain in many of his works. He used a very limited palette to achieve this impact (Discover France: Online). The paintings of Gustave are marked by thick layers of paint giving way to compositions that seemed to be simplistic (Getty Museum: Online). The artist confined most of his innovation to the choice of subjects rather than on the painting technique. Actually, Gustave hit hard at the Romantic ideals by painting common people like workers and peasants (Getty Museum: Online). Gustave was a bohemian artist who resented the views of conte mporary critics and used to exhibit his paintings in pavilions constructed at his own expense (Discover France: Online). Gustave preferred a dark palette and a rough style to reject the conventional notions of Salon finish (Getty Museum: Online). ... Edouard Manet was born in a typical Parisian bourgeoisie family in 1832. Very much like Gustave, the real interest of Manet lied in the world of art and not in academic pursuits. Actually, it was his uncle Charles Fournier who nurtured and encouraged his interest in art. It is Edouard Manet who is credited for facilitating the transition from Gustave Courbet’s realism to French Impressionism (MacDonald: Online). Manet, unlike Gustave, believed in a formal exposure to the old and contemporary art and art techniques. This is why he travelled extensively across Italy, Germany and Austria to study the works and techniques of the masters of the yore. However, such an endeavour failed to satisfy the curiosity and zeal of Manet and finally, it was in the works of Goya and Velasquez that he found the requisite answers to his queries (MacDonald: Online). Not to mention, Manet was also inspired by the works of Gustave. Though Manet appreciated the works of the old masters yet he quintes sentially believed that the purpose of art in any era is to reflect the contemporary ideas and concepts by using techniques that are current and up to date (MacDonald: Online). It is no wonder that the subjects of Manet, unlike Gustave who opted for the French country life, were predominantly selected from the urban life of his age and times (Art History: Online). However, like Gustave, his subjects were common and simple and rebelled against the prevalent concept of class. Like Gustave, Manet did reject the conventional modelling and perspectives and showed now predilection for the traditional emphasis on illusionism (Art History: Online). Manet’s painting technique avoided tight details and the panache for an accurate pictorial duplication (Art History: Online).  

SPSS Homework Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SPSS Homework - Statistics Project Example line and therefore meets the direction, magnitude, unit inter-distance, and absolute zero properties of the ratio scale (Frankfort-Nachmias and Leon-Guerrero, 2011; Anderson, Sweeney and Williams, 2011). The statistics suggests longer training among Michigan officers than among Ohio officers. The difference means of the two groups, with mean being considered the most reliable measure because of its consideration of rank and magnitude of data points, is large and therefore supports this. From the measures of dispersion, it can be concluded that training among Michigan officers is more differentiated to include a wider range of hours. A majority of Michigan officers are however trained for longer period than officers from Ohio are. Standard deviation, skewedness and inter-quartile range values shows this. I would choose the disciplinary board because while its mean has been low, its standard deviation has also been low and promises a confidence interval of less than 1. This means that the number of days will be barely 100. The warden offers an average of 115 days and with a low confidence interval of less than four, the number of days cannot be as low as those for the disciplinary board. I will therefore choose the board because its sentence will always be lower than that of the

Discussion 24 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion 24 - Essay Example Once this has been established you can determine how the visit should be reported† (Reporting the Confirmation of Pregnancy Visit par. 3). The discourse regarding coding pregnancy visit proceeds to make clarifications regarding patients who already had undertaken a home pregnancy test and was confirmed to be positive. In this instance, it was alleged that the purpose of the visit was to confirm the pregnancy; in which case, the noted E/M services code should be used. Otherwise, it was also explicitly noted that if the OB record was disclosed to have been initiated; the global OB package would be used and, as such, there is no need to bill the patient separately (Reporting the Confirmation of Pregnancy Visit). Other points that were discussed included confirming the pregnancy by another physician; the diagnostic reporting options; when global obstetrical care actually starts; guidelines to closely look into in global OB packages; and final decisions regarding initiating global OB care (Reporting the Confirmation of Pregnancy Visit). "Reporting the Confirmation of Pregnancy Visit." 2013. Americal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 12 April 2013

The Product In Service Marketing Mix

The Product In Service Marketing Mix The service marketing mix is also known as an extended marketing mix and is an integral part of a service . The service marketing mix consists of 7 Ps as compared to the 4 Ps of a product marketing mix. Simply said, the service marketing mix assumes the service as a product itself. However it adds 3 more Ps which are required for optimum service delivery. servicemarketingmix Service Marketing Mix The product marketing mix consists of the 4 Ps which are Product, Pricing, Promotions and Placement. These are discussed in my article on product marketing mix the 4 Ps. Product The product in service marketing mix is intangible in nature. The product element of the marketing mix includes the tangible good and all of the services that accompany that good to produce the final product. A product is a package, or bundle, of goods and services that comprise the total offering. For example, the purchase of a hotel room includes the guest room, fitness center, pool, restaurants, valet service, concierge, housekeeping service, etc. A restaurant meal consists of the actual food, host/hostess, and waiters, etc. Finally, a travel experience consists of a chain of products and services starting atthe time of purchase and ending upon returning from the trip. Everything in between, such as hotel service, restaurants, and transportation (including taxis and buses), affect the overall experience. Some of the variables that are part of the product decision include variety, quality, design, features/amenities, brand name, packaging, supporting services, and warranties. As stated earlier, the decision regarding the proper mix of goods and services is based on the wants and needs of consumers (the concept of marketing. Place The place element of the marketing mix includes the distribution and logistics of producing a product or service and making it available to the final consumer. The location of a manufacturing or wholesaling facility is determined by considering the costs of resources such as labor, raw materials, and real estate. In addition, it is necessary to have access to the preferred mode(s) of transportation for delivering the products to wholesalers and retailers. The location of a retail establishment is based mainly on accessibility to the final consumers. Services have relatively short channels of distribution and focus most of their efforts on finding retail locations that are convenient for consumers. For example, restaurants tend to choose high traffic areas close to shopping and other attractions. Similarly, hotels locate their facilities in areas such as airports, urban centers, industrial centers, and tourist attractions that are accessible to their respective target markets. Some of the variables that are part of the place decision include the type of channel, location, assortments, coverage area, inventory, and transportation. Many service providers overlook the importance of this variable in the strategic planning process. The channel of distribution tends to be shorter for the marketing of services than that for goods, and most service providers act as manufacturer and retailer. Many managers in service firms assume that once the initial location is determined this variable diminishes in importance. However, hotels and restaurants do switch their operations to a more favorable location on occasion. This is a major decision involving company time and resources, but it can result in long-term growth and increased profit if handled properly. Another good example of a place decision for a hotel is the Harborside Hyatt in Boston, Massachusetts.. Promotion The promotion element of the marketing mix includes all of the communications associated with marketing a product or service. The promotion mix consists of four elements: advertising, personal selling, publicity, and sales promotion. Advertising and publicity are forms of mass communication using a variety of mediums such as television, radio, newspaper, magazines, direct mail, and the Internet. Advertising is a paid form of mass communication with an identified sponsor, while publicity is a non-paid form of mass communication without a sponsor (i.e., it is free and objective). Personal selling is a form of interpersonal communication sponsored by the firm. Sales promotion is a short-term inducement to purchase a product or service. Some examples of sales promotions are contests, sweepstakes, premiums, and product bundles. Pricing Pricing in case of services is rather more difficult than in case of products. Price. Price is the value placed on a product or service. Other terms that can be used to refer to the price component of the marketing mix are: fee, rate, tuition, premium, and toll. There are non-monetary elements to price as well as the more obvious monetary elements. Some examples of non-monetary price are the time it takes to search and evaluate alternative products or services and the convenience of location. If a consumer drives to several locations to shop for a product or service, then there are costs associated with time, gas, and depreciation on the car. Also, there could be tolls for highways, bridges, or subways. In the end, it is the perceived price or the perceived value the consumer associates with a product or service that influences the purchase and the level of customers satisfaction. Value is the trade off between price and quality the benefits the consumer receives for the pr ice paid. Here on we start towards the extended service marketing mix. People : The role of the service employee becomes much more critical since to a very real extent the employee is the service, given the absence of any tangible artifact. They carry the responsibility of projecting the image of the service firm. Because of the inseparability of production and consumption of services, service delivery is characterized by interactions between customers and service employees. Service employees who experience positive human resource practices can devote their energies and resources to effectively serving their customers. The service firms human resource management practices can create an environment that elicit more positive, courteous and helpful behavior from the employees toward customers. In turn, the behavior that employees display will positively impact on service quality. Physical Evidence : Physical evidence of service includes all the tangible representations of service such as clear signage, good ventilation, adequate space, internet presence, equipment and facility. As services are intangible, customers are searching for any tangible cues to help them understand the nature of the service experience. For example, in the hotel industry, the design, furnishing, lighting, layout and decoration of the hotel as well as the appearance of its employees will influence customer perceptions of the service quality and experiences. For theme parks, restaurants, health clubs, hospitals or schools, the physical facility is critical in communicating the service and making the entire customer experience positive. Ambient conditions include background characteristics of the environment such as temperature, air quality, lighting, noise, music, and scent affect the five senses. Spatial layout of the equipment, and furnishings arranged, the size and shape of these items, and the spatial relationships among them are also crucial to influence customers perception. Process : Process is referred to as the procedures, mechanisms and flow of activities by which the service is delivered i.e. the service delivery and operating systems. Delivering customer expectations depends on how well various steps function together. Highly bureaucratized services frequently follow complicated and extensive series of actions, and the logic of the steps involved often confuse the customer. Customers may complain that service firms are slow in response and bureaucratic with the many steps involved. They want easy access to the service process, and they want things to be handled quickly, preferably by the first service employee. Customers describe frustrating experiences when they have to run from pillar to post to complete a simple transaction, experience long waiting time, rules and regulations, and personnel who decline to serve them with the excuse Im not allowed to do this or this is against our policy. Service LIC An Ordinance was issued on 19th January, 1956 nationalizing the Life Insurance sector and Life Insurance Corporation came into existence in the same year. The LIC absorbed 154 Indian, 16 non-Indian insurers as also 75 provident societies-245 Indian and foreign insurers in all. The LIC had monopoly till the late 90s when the Insurance sector was reopened to the private sector. History Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) was formed in Sep 1956 after the Parliament of India passed the Life Insurance Corporation Act in Jun 1956. The company was created with the objective of spreading life insurance more widely, especially to reach all the insurable people in the rural areas and provide them with adequate financial cover at a reasonable cost. Apart from its corporate office, LIC had five zonal offices, 33 divisional offices and 212 branch offices in 1956. The nature of life insurance contracts being long-term coupled with the need to provide a variety of services during the term of the policy, LIC re-organised itself by opening a number of new branch offices. After its re-organisation, servicing functions were transferred to branches which were converted to accounting units. Operations As on Mar 2008, LIC had 2,048 fully computerised branch offices, 109 divisional offices, eight zonal offices apart from its corporate office. LICs network connects all the branches through wide area network. The company also has tie-ups with certain banks and service providers to offer on-line premium collection facility in select cities. Besides, ECS and ATM premium payment facility to its customers, the company has also commissioned IVRS and information centres at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, amongst other cities. LIC has also launched Satellite Sampark offices in order to provide easy access to its policy holders. The company had 340 such offices as on Mar 2008. LIC also provides housing finance through LICHFL. It has also formed an asset management company known as LICMF AMC. The corporation has also extended its operations to the international arena; through various JVs and subsidiaries it operates in as many as nine countries. Products Services LIC offers a wide array of insurance products to its customers such as insurance plans, pension plans, unit-linked plans, special plans and group scheme. During FY08, the company introduced certain new products such as Profit Plus, Fortune Plus, Jeevan Akshay, Jeevan Amrit Amulya Jeevan. As of Mar 2007, total number of agents of the company stood at 1.1 mn while the total number of policies issued was 38.2 mn. The premium earned by the company reported a growth of 41% in FY07 when compared to the previous year. During the year, the company insured 34.28 mn individuals for the first time 7 P`s of Services Marketing in LIC The marketing mix is the combination of marketing activities that an organization engages in so as to best meet the needs of its targeted market. The Insurance business deals in selling services and therefore due weight-age in the formation of marketing mix for the Insurance business is needed. The marketing mix includes sub-mixes of the 7 Ps of marketing i.e. the product, its price, place, promotion, people, process physical attraction. The above mentioned 7 Ps can be used for marketing of Insurance products, in the following manner: PRODUCT: A product means what we produce. If we produce goods, it means tangible product and when we produce or generate services, it means intangible service product. A product is both what a seller has to sell and a buyer has to buy. Thus, an Insurance company sells services and therefore services are their product. In India, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is the leading companies offering insurance services to the users. Apart from offering life insurance policies, they also offer underwriting and consulting services. When a person or an organization buys an Insurance policy from the insurance company, he not only buys a policy, but along with it the assistance and advice of the agent, the prestige of the insurance company and the facilities of claims and compensation. . In short, the formulation of product-mix should be in the face of innovative product strategy. While initiating the innovative process it is necessary to take into consideration the strategies adopted by private and foreign insurance companies through various plans like Endowment plan, pension plan, ULIP. PRICING: In the insurance business the pricing decisions are concerned with: i) The premium charged against the policies, ii) Interest charged for defaulting the payment of premium and credit facility, and iii) Commission charged for underwriting and consultancy activities. . The pricing in insurance is in the form of premium rates. The premium rates are revised if there are any significant changes in any of the below factors. a) Mortality b) Expenses c) Interest PLACE: This component of the marketing mix is related to two important facets i) Managing the insurance personnel, and ii) Locating a branch. . While locating branches, the branch manager needs to consider a number of factors, such as smooth accessibility, availability of infrastructural facilities and the management of branch offices and premises. In addition it is also significant to provide safety measures and also factors like office furnishing, civic amenities and facilities, parking facilities and interior office decoration should be given proper attention. Thus the place management of insurance branch offices needs a new vision, distinct approach and an innovative style. This is essential to make the work place conducive, attractive and proactive for the generation of efficiency among employees. The branch managers need professional excellence to make place decisions productive. PROMOTION: Advertising and Publicity, organization of conferences and seminars, incentive to policyholders are impersonal communication. Arranging exhibitions, participation in fairs and festivals, rural wall paintings and publicity drive through the mobile publicity van units would be effective in creating the impulse buying and the rural prospects would be easily transformed into actual policyholders. PEOPLE: Understanding the customer better allows designing appropriate products. Being a service industry which involves a high level of people interaction, it is very important to use this resource efficiently in order to satisfy customers. Training, development and strong relationships with intermediaries are the key areas to be kept under consideration. Training the employees, use of IT for efficiency, both at the staff and agent level, is one of the important areas to look into. PROCESS: The process should be customer friendly in insurance industry. The speed and accuracy of payment is of great importance. IT Data Warehousing will smoothen the process flow. IT will help in servicing large no. of customers efficiently and bring down overheads. Technology can either complement or supplement the channels of distribution cost effectively. It can also help to improve customer service levels. The use of data warehousing management and mining will help to find out the profitability and potential of various customers product segments. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE: The physical evidence are includes such as policy document, statements, intimation letter, uniforms of personnel, vending machine of LIC enquiry option , LIC logo and their awards. AXIS BANK Axis Bank Limited was the first of the new private banks to have begun operations in 1994, after the Government of India allowed new private banks to be established. The Bank was promoted jointly by the Administrator of the specified undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (UTI I), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) and other four PSU insurance companies, i.e. National Insurance Company Ltd., The New India Assurance Company Ltd., The Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. and United India Insurance Company Ltd. The Bank today is capitalized to the extent of Rs. 358.56 crores with the public holding (other than promoters) at 57.60%. The Banks Registered Office is at Ahmedabad and its Central Office is located at Mumbai. Presently, the Bank has a very wide network of more than 701 Branch offices and Extension Counters. The Bank has a network of over 2854 ATMs providing 24 hrs a day banking convenience to its customers. This is one of the largest ATM networks in the country. The Bank has strengths in both retail and corporate banking and is committed to adopting the best industry practices internationally in order to achieve excellence. Axis Bank Limited has been promoted by the largest and the best Financial Institution of the country, UTI. The Bank was set up with a capital of Rs. 115 crore, with UTI contributing Rs. 100 crore, LIC Rs. 7.5 crore and GIC and its four subsidiaries contributing Rs. 1.5 crore each. THE SERVICE MARKETING MIX OF AXIS BANK PRODUCT The main products of AXIS Bank are Saving Account, Current Account and Demat Account. The other products are Home loan, personal loan, Insurance, Credit cards, etc. For better marketing of products, the products are categorized under Axis Bank and Axis Sales. Products under Axis Bank are Saving Account Current Account Forex Department Salary Accounts Products under Axis Sales are Home loan Personal loan, Demat Account PRICE The price of the product depends upon the services provided by the Bank on the respective product to the customers. Detailed pricing changes from time to time and the same can be found on the website of Axis bank. PLACE Place plays an important role in tangibilizing service offerings. Quality of service is perceived by many customers in the form of place of delivery- locational appeal, interiors, ambience, etc. If a bank is located in a crowded market the place or location will be a negative tangibilizes. Providing excellent tangibles in the form of place or location and interiors is particularly important for appealing to the customers segment. More recently, some of the private banks in India like AXIS Bank are providing very attractive tangibles in the form of their locations, exteriors and interiors. PROMOTION Promotion can tangibilize services in different forms: Visualization Association Physical representation Documentation. Visualization tangibilizes services through hoardings, TV and print campaigns or advertisements. Physical representation in services has a good promotional appeal to customers like use of colors to symbolize wealth and status. Service providers use documentation in their promotions in support of their claims for dependability, popularity and responsiveness PEOPLE People are a common factor in every service. And people tangibilize services. Good people (means good performance) make good or successful services. Bad performers deliver bad services. PROCESS Customer defined business process- Process innovations and continuous improve- ment through people involvement. Result oriented approach- Each process has been designed by first planning the desired results. Axis Bank is constantly taking initiatives to offer the best in class service that seek to enhance customer experience. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE Reduce paper usage- Due to technological innovations such as use of Finacle software for core banking solutions. It has positioned it self as a bank which gives higher standard of services through product innovation. Satisfies the diverse need of individual and corporate clients. It is customer centric, and service oriented . Now we will compare the strategies of both axis bank and adlabs, LIC provides life insurance policy, like Endowment plan, pension plan, ULIP. Axis bank also offers variety of products like Saving Account, Current Account and Demat Account. The other products are Home loan, personal loan, Insurance, Credit cards In LIC the pricing decisions are concerned with :i) The premium charged against the policies, ii) Interest charged for defaulting the payment of premium and credit facility, and iii) Commission charged for underwriting and consultancy activities. . The pricing in insurance is in the form of premium rates. The price of the product depends upon the services provided by the Bank on the respective product to the customers. LIC consider a number of factors, such as smooth accessibility, availability of infrastructural facilities and the management of branch offices and premises Quality of service is perceived by many customers in the form of place of delivery- locational appeal, interiors, ambience, etc. If a bank is located in a crowded market the place or location will be a negative tangibilizes. AXIS Bank are providing very attractive tangibles in the form of their locations, exteriors and interiors. Advertising and Publicity, organization of conferences and seminars, incentive to policyholders are impersonal communication. Arranging exhibitions, participation in fairs and festivals, rural wall paintings and publicity drive through the mobile publicity van. Visualization tangibilizes services through hoardings, TV and print campaigns or advertisements. Physical representation in services has a good promotional appeal to customers like use of colors to symbolize wealth and status. Service providers use documentation in their promotions in support of their claims for dependability, popularity and responsiveness .LIC being a service industry which involves a high level of people interaction, it is very important to use this resource efficiently in order to satisfy customers. Training, development and strong relationships with intermediaries are the key areas to be kept under consideration. In axis bank Good people (means good performance) make good or successful services. Bad performers deliver bad services. The process should be customer friendly in insurance industry. The speed and accuracy of payment is of great importance. IT Data Warehousing will smoothen the processflow. IT will help in servicing large no. of customers efficiently and bring down overheads Customer defined business process- Process innovations and continuous improve-ment through people involvement.Result oriented approach- Each process has been designed by first planning the desired results.Axis Bank is constantly taking initiatives to offer the best in class service that seek to enhance customer experienc The physical evidence are includes such as policy document, statements, intimation letter, uniforms of personnel, vending machine of LIC enquiry option , LIC logo and their awards In Axis bank physical evidenceReduce paper usage- Due to technological innovations such as use of Finacle software for core banking solutions.It has positioned it self as a bank which gives higher standard of services through product innovation. CONCLUSION There is littile bit similarity in the service marketing mix of LIC and axis bank but there is difference in the marketing strategy of the both companies

Boracay Island Essay -- essays research papers

The scent of the ocean assaulted my nostrils as I had walked passed it. The palm trees blew in the mist of the cool sudden gust of the tropical, morning air, like smooth feahers swaying side to side.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the majestic giant Philippine eagle swoops past my shoulder I suddenly found myself in my most favorite place to visit on the face of this planet; the island paradise of Boracay in the Philippines. Boracay Island combines crystal clear waters, sugary beaches that squeak, and lush hilly landscapes into an idyllic tourist haven, that's guaranteed to fascinate anyone into tranquil harmony with its simplistic beauty. Boracay is a breath-taking, unbelievably magical Island. A spectacular paradise set in the unspoiled South China Seas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Boracay Island is a paradise indeed. The beach is amazing with its white sand, it is wide and stretched on for kilometers. The northern and southern parts of the island rise into picturesque hills that face the sea with weather worn cliffs. The Island has numerous scattered villages interconnected by a maze of intriguing jungle trails.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Boracay boasts one of the world's finest beaches (at least in my opinion.) White Beach, a stretch of white - pebble sand, bathed by a strip of perpetually turquoise water allures me in every sense in my body. Bor...

Economics-Sectors of the Indian Economy

CH-2-ECONOMICS-SECTORS OF THE INDIAN ECONOMY Chapter –2—Economics SECTORS OF THE INDIAN ECONOMY In order to understand the functioning of any economy, we need to study various sectors that it comprise. All around us we find people engaged in different types of activites. CLASSIFICATION OF THE ECONOMIC SECTORS: The classifications are based on 1. Nature of activity being performed. —Primary, Secondary & Tertiary 2. Working conditions of the workers—Organised & unorganized. 3. Who own the assets/ on the ownership basis. —Public & Private PRIMARY SECTOR:  1. Activites undertaken by directly using natural resources. . Example—Agriculture, Mining, Fishing, Forestry, Dairy etc. 3. It is called primary sector because it forms the base for all other products that we subsequently make. 4. Since most of the natural products we get are from agriculture, dairy, forestry, fishing it is also called Agriculture and related sector. SECONDARY SECTOR: It cov ers activities in which natural products are changed into other forms through ways of manufacturing that we associate with industrial activity. 2. it is a next step after primary, where the product is not produced by nature but has to be made.Some process of manufacturing is essential, it could be in a factory, a workshop or at home. 3. Example: Using cotton fibre from plant, we spin yarn and weave cloth; using sugarcane as a raw material we make sugar or gur; we convert earth into bricks. Since this sector is associated with different kinds of industries, it is also called industrial sector. TERTIARY SECTOR: 1. These are the activities that help in the development of the primary & secondary sector. 2. These activities by themselves do not produce good but they are an aid and support to the production process. . Example: a)Transportation–Goods that are produced in the primary sector need to be transported by trucks or trains and than sold in the wholesale and retail shops; b) Storage–at times it is necessary to store these products in godowns,which is also a service made available. c)Communication –talking to others on telephone); d) Banking–borrowing money from the banks. 4. Since these activities are generate services rather than goods it is also called Service sector. Q. How do we count the various goods and services and know the total production in each sector?As thousands of goods and services are produced, it is an enormous task to add up all these. To get to this problem economists suggested that the value of goods and services should be used rather than adding the actual numbers. But only one precaution is to be undertaken ie. , only final value of the goods and services should be counted as it already includes the value of all intermediate goods. GDP—  The value of final goods and services produced in each sector during a particular year provides the total production of the sector for that year.And sum of productio n in three sectors give Gross Domestic Production—GDP of the country. –It is the value of all final goods and services produced within the country during a particular year. –GDP shows how big the economy is. Q. Who measures the GDP in India? This mammoth(huge) task in India is carried on by the Central government ministry , with the help of various govt. Departments of Indian states and union territories. The information relating to total volume of goods and services and their prices is collected and then estimates the GDP. Historical change in the sectors: three stages. INITIAL STAGE:After observing the changes that have come in the development patterns of the sectors, it has been found that – in the Initial stages of the development the Primary Sector was the most important sector of economic activity. -As the methods of farming changed and agricultural sector began to prosper, it produced much more food than before and many people could takeup many oth er activities which led to the increase in number of activities. -However at this stage most of the goods produced were natural products from the primary sector, hence most people were employed in this sector. SECOND STAGE: Over a long time(more than hundred years or so) because new methods of manufacturing were introduced, factories came up and started expanding. -People began to work in factories in large numbers, and also people started using factory goods in large numbers as they were cheap. -Secondary sector gradually became the most important in total production and employment. There was a shift and the importance of the sectors also changed. THIRD STAGE: In past hundred, there has been a further shift from Secondary to Tertiary sector in the developed countries. -The service sector has become the most important in terms of total production.Most of working people are also employed in the service sector. Q. What does the history of developed countries indicate about the shifts that have taken place between sectors? (book question) It indicates that both secondary and tertiary sectors are developing and are becoming major contributors of the GDP. -This shift has come up with the improvement in the agricultural sector, people now had more time for other activities and the number of craft persons, traders (SECONDARY) increased and also buying and selling activities also increased . Now there were many transporters, administrators, army etc. TERTIARY) Rising importance of tertiary sector in production: Over thiry years between 1973 and 2003, production in the tertiary sector has increased the most, and it has emerged as the largest producing sector in India replacing the primary sector. Q. Why the Tertiary sector is becoming so important in India? There are several reasons to it: 1. In any country several services such as hospitals , educational institutions, post and telegragh services, police stations, courts, village administrative offices, municipal corpo rations, defence, transport, banks, insurance companies etc. are required.These services are called the’ Basic services. ’ In the developing countries the government has to take the responsibility for provision of these services. 2. The development of the agriculture and industrial leads to the development of services such as transport, trade, storage and the like. Greater the development of primary and secondary sectors more will be demand of such services. 3. As the income level rise, certain sections of people start demanding many more services like eating out, tourism, shopping , private hospitals, professional training etc. This is found especially in the big cities. 4.Over the past decade or so certain new services such as those based on the information and communication technology have become important & essential. INDIAN SECTORIAL GROWTH: It is a remarkable fact that while there has been a change in the share of three sectors in GDP, a similar shift has not tak en place in employment. –Service sector in India employs many different kinds of people—at one end there are a limited number of services that employ highly skilled workers and on the other end there are a very large number of workers engaged in services such as small shopkeepers, repair persons, transporters etc.Hence only a part of sector is growing in importance. — More than half of the workers in the country are working in primary sector, mainly in the agricultural, producing only a quarter of GDP. In contrast to this secondary and tertiary sector are producing three-fourth of the produce whereas they employ less than half the people. Q. WHERE ARE MOST OF THE PEOPLE EMPLOYED? WHY? The primary sector employs the largest number of people in India. –It is because not enough jobs were created in the secondary and tertiary sectors. Q.Even though primary sector employs largest number of people yet its share in GDP is less. Why? –More than half of the workers in the country are working in primary sector, mainly in the agricultural, producing only a quarter of GDP. In contrast to this secondary and tertiary sector are producing three-fourth of the produce whereas they employ less than half the people. –This also means that there are in agriculture more people than necessary and even if we move a few people out, production will not be effected. In other words, workers in the agricultural sector are under-employed.UNDER-EMPLOYMENT: It is a situation, where people are apparently working but all of them are made to work less than their potential. –if few people move out , it will not effect the production. –it is hidden in contrast to the open unemployment where a person is clearly or visibly without job. –it is also called disused unemployment. –this underemployment also happens in the other sectors for example there are thousands of casual workers in service sector in the urban areas as painters, plumbers, repair persons etc. HOW CAN WE CREATE EMPLOYMENT? There are various ways in which govt. an create employment opportunities as†¦ 1. The govt. can spend some money or banks can provide loans to construct well ect. Which will reduce the dependency of farmers on rains, and they will be able to grow two crops a year. 2. Construction of Dams and Canals can lead to lot of generation of employment in agricultural sector itself. 3. If govt. invests some money on transportation and storage of crops or makes better rural roads, it can provide productive employment not just to farmers but alsoto other who are in services like transport or trade. 4.If local banks give credits at reasonable rates to the small and marginal farmers ,they will be able to buy necessary inputs for their crops in time. 5. Another way to solve this problem is to identify , promote and locate industries and services in the semi-rural areas where a large number of people maybe employed. Example:many farmers grow arhar &chickpea for them a dall-mill to procure and process these & sell in the cities;opening a cold storage will give an opportunity to thefarmers to store their produce like potato &onion and sell them price is good; villagers near forests can start with honey collectionect. . To improve health situation we need health centres, hospitals & for that doctors, nurses, workers. 6. Similarly to provide education to all children we would need lot of schools which can also generate employment. 7. Tourism:every state or region has the potential for increasing the income and employment for people in that area. This can also be done by promoting tourism or regional craft industry. 8. News services like IT are also creating jobs.All these are the long term projects but govt also has certain short term projects for people as:NREGA-2005. NREGA—2005 –National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005. –started by the Central govt. — made a law implementing Right to work in 200 districts of India. –all those who are in need of work will get guaranteed 100 days work and if the govt. fails to do so, it will give unemployment allowances to them –the work will of the type which will in future help to increase the production from land.

Monitoring Individual Accounts Receivable Accounting Essay

The name that looms largest in early accounting history is Luca Pacioli, who in 1494 first described the system of double-entry clerking used by Venetian merchandisers. Of class, concerns and authoritiess had been entering concern information long before the Venetians. But it was Pacioli who was the first to depict the system ofA debitsA andA creditsA inA journalsA andA ledgersA that is still the footing of today ‘s accounting systems. The dual entry system was foremost used in Genoa, Italy around the thirteenth century and was farther polished in Venice. Luca Pacioli wrote about the â€Å" Method of Venice † in his 1494 book, The Summa and this caused him to be called â€Å" the male parent of accounting † . This method called for three books to be used when entering minutess ; a memoranda book, a diary and a leger. Entries where posted from the memoranda book to the diary with debits on the left and credits on the right. A test balance was required at the terminal of a fiscal period. TheA industrial revolutionA spurred the demand for more advancedA cost accountingA systems, and the development of corporations created much larger categories of external capital suppliers -A shareownersA and bondholders – who were non portion of the house ‘s direction but had a critical involvement in its consequences. The lifting public position of comptrollers helped to transform accounting into a profession, foremost in the United Kingdom and so in the United States. In 1887, 31 comptrollers joined together to make the American Association of Public Accountants. The first standardised trial for comptrollers was given a decennary subsequently, and theA foremost CPAs were licensed in 1896. With the Industrial revolution concerns expanded to great size, both in footings of gross revenues, purchases and staff. These larger concern required capital and capital required investors who in bend required proper coverage of financess. They were besides capable to increased authorities ordinance and revenue enhancement. Accounting kept on progressing to the present twenty-four hours and involves the standardisation of reportingA and the development of international accounting criterions. The cognition economic system along with the on-going information engineering alterations is impacting the manner we are making concern. We are going clients of each other, and the economic value concatenation is incorporating our concerns with our providers, clients, and authoritiess. As accounting is concerned, these peculiar alterations are being reflected in the present tendencies of switching our attending from an disused quantitative attack to a qualitative compulsion where quality, client satisfaction, and invention become the most of import constituents. What is Accounting? Accounting is by and large considered to be the procedure of maintaining path of a concern ‘ fundss by logging itsA histories collectible, A histories receivableA and other fiscal minutess – frequently with accounting. Accounting is besides a profession consisting of persons holding the formal instruction to transport out these undertakings One portion of accounting focal points on showing the information in the signifier of all-purpose fiscal statements ( balance sheet, income statement, etc. ) to people outside of the company. These external studies must be prepared in conformity with by and large accepted accounting rules frequently referred to as GAAP or US GAAP. This portion of accounting is referred to as fiscal accounting. Accounting besides entails supplying a company ‘s direction with the information it needs to maintain the concern financially healthy. These analyses and studies are non distributed outside of the company. Some of the information will arise from the recorded minutess but some of the information will be estimations and projections based on assorted premises. Three illustrations of internal analyses and studies are budgets, criterions for commanding operations, and gauging selling monetary values for citing new occupations. This country of accounting is known as direction accounting. Another portion of accounting involves conformity with authorities ordinances refering to income revenue enhancement coverage. Today much of the recording, storing, and screening facets of accounting have been automated as a consequence of the progresss in computing machine engineering. What is bookkeeping? Bookkeeping involves the recording, hive awaying and retrieving of fiscal minutess for a company, non-profit-making organisation, single, etc. Common fiscal minutess and undertakings that are involved in bookkeeping include: Charging for goods sold or services provided to clients. Recording grosss from clients. Verifying and entering bills from providers. Paying providers. Processing employees ‘ wage and the related governmental studies. Monitoring single histories receivable. Recording depreciation and other seting entries. During the clerking procedure the bookkeeper must pay attending to inside informations on papers that is base for recording ( for illustration, amount, kernel of dealing, spouse of the company ) . In some legal systems there are prescribed demands sing information that must be included in papers. If all necessary information is non included, so papers may be invalid and can non be used for clerking. There are two bookkeeping systems: single-entry clerking system and double-entry clerking system. Single-entry system normally is used by persons and double-entry system is used by companies. A individual that does clerking is called bookkeeper, while a individual that does accounting ( uses informations provided by bookkeeper to fix revenue enhancement studies ) is called an comptroller. Bookkeeping requires cognition of debits and credits and a basic apprehension of fiscal accounting, which includes the balance sheet and income statement. The relationship between accounting and clerking. The footings accountant and bookkeeper are frequently used interchangeably, but they are non the same business. Bookkeepers are the line employees of the accounting map, executing invoicing, paysheet, hard currency aggregation and other everyday undertakings. Accountants supervise bookkeepers and have many other duties. Accountants and bookkeepers are responsible for entering the day-to-day activities of a company in the accounting records. These minutess are normally recorded by concern rhythm, and in larger companies a separate employee may be in charge of each rhythm. Everyday minutess are normally recorded by the bookkeepers, and more complex minutess are recorded by comptrollers. In fact, bookkeepers in organisations may be referred to as accounting clerks. Accountants vs. bookkeepers Book maintaining is merely record of dealing, but accounting is immense scientific discipline of recording, categorization, analyze and summarizing of concern dealing and reading of different consequence. 2. A book keeper ever works under caput comptroller and book keeper is frequently said history helper. 3. Calculation of revenue enhancement and filling of revenue enhancement return is the portion of responsibilities of comptroller. But, he can take aid from book keeper for tracking the sum of the incomes of concern. 4. Book maintaining is merely similar machine work in which book keeper passes the verifiers into books but accounting work is to the full professional and need high experience for analysis and reading of fiscal statements. 5. Most hard portion of book maintaining work is to rapprochement of bank history with base on balls book, hard currency balance with physical hard currency in manus, stock in books with physical stock in Go down. Most hard work of comptroller is to do concluding history and analysis of fiscal statements. Both bookkeepers and comptrollers play a cardinal function in your concern. The chief users of accounting information Accounting is frequently called the linguistic communication of concern because all organisations set up an accounting information system to pass on informations to assist people make better determinations. The accounting information system serves many sorts of users who can be divided into two ( 2 ) groups: External and Internal users. External information users External users of accounting information are non straight involved in running the organisation. Yet many of their of import determinations depend on specially information that is dependable, relevant and comparable. They include: Stockholders ( investors ) Lenders Customers Directors Suppliers The media Lawyers Each external user has particular information demands depending on the types of determination to be made. Lenders ( Creditors ) They loan money or other resources to an organisation. Lenders look for information to assist them assess whether an organisation it likely to refund

The fonts that make you remember more - Emphasis

The fonts that make you remember more The fonts that make you remember more We are more likely to remember information when it is written in a hard-to-read font, according to psychologists at Princeton and Indiana universities. Researcher Connor Diemand-Yauman and his colleagues wanted to explore how fonts affect how much we remember from the text we read. They found that learning materials set in slightly harder-to-read fonts produced significantly higher scores in students’ assignments. Arial vs Comic Sans The researchers presented 28 participants with information about three species of aliens, and gave them 90 seconds to learn the features that identified them. For half the participants, the information was presented in clear 16-point, black Arial font. Information for the remaining participants was presented in Comic Sans or Bodoni fonts, both in grey and 12-point. Participants were later tested on the identifying features of the alien species. Those who had learnt from the harder-to-read fonts answered 86.5 per cent of questions correctly, compared with 72.8 per cent by those who learnt from the easy-to-read fonts. The researchers replicated the findings in a similar study at a school in Chesterland, Ohio. Levels of processing So why did the participants remember more about the harder-to-read samples? Diemand-Yauman suggests that when we find something easy to read, we tend to take it as a sign that we already have mastery of the material. But when fonts make reading slightly harder, we often doubt whether we instantly ‘get’ it. As a result, we are more likely to go over the information again to make sure we fully understand it. This encourages deeper processing in the brain, which makes us remember more about the text. But that doesnt mean you use Cloister Black for your reports from now on. Improving readability One of the main challenges of writing is producing a document that people actually read. The participants in the studies above were more likely to read than normal. This is because text was given to them by people in authoritative positions (psychologists, teachers) and in test conditions. But your report isn’t an experiment. And your target audience may not feel obliged to read your piece at all, especially if it’s that little bit harder to read, or it’s set in an inappropriate font. Besides, there’s more to business writing than getting people to remember the details in your documents. It is about setting a good impression too. Much like wearing a suit, your clients will judge your written output on presentation, and one way to get this right is to use the best fonts. Serif vs sans serif fonts Serif fonts are those with the twiddly strokes at the ends of characters (eg Times New Roman, Minion). There is an argument that serif fonts are more distinctive than sans serif fonts (without strokes, eg Arial, Calibri), and are therefore easier to read. However, there are plenty more studies that show there is no difference between them in terms of legibility. Interaction designer Alex Poole thinks most mainstream typefaces are equally legible. He says, ‘It makes much more sense to argue in favour of serif or sans serif typefaces on aesthetic grounds than on the question of legibility.’ Fonts help to set the tone of your professional identity. For business writing, they need to be formal but approachable; sensible but not staid; and consistent, not erratic. That’s why at Emphasis we prefer Arial, a sans serif font, because it is plain, clear and simple – just the qualities we recommend in writing. Reference: Fortune favors the bold (and the italicized): effects of disfluency on educational outcomes, Connor Diemand-Yauman et al, Cognition, Vol 118 (January 2011). To learn more about how we can help you, your team or your entire organisation transform your writing at work, download our free course catalogue today.

Media Campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media Campaign - Essay Example With the continuous technology advancements and subsequently altering as well as widening reach of mass media campaigns today, non-profit organisations have also taken a footstep ahead to use the communication tool for channelising their messages to the targeted audiences. In many instances, mass media campaigns have proved as beneficial in persuading the audiences to believe the message communicated and thereby alter their behaviours accordingly (Johnston, â€Å"Can Mass Media Change Behavior†). Contextually, there are various factors associated with a media campaign designed to promote a public service goal, which tend to impose significant influences in determining the success of the organisation in effectively conveying the intended message. Based on this particular learning, the discussion henceforth will focus on identifying, discussing and evaluating the influencing factors associated with a planned campaign intended towards the attainment of a public service goal of Co rporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to â€Å"promote an educated and informed civil society through high-quality content and services delivered across multiple platforms† (CPB, â€Å"CPB's Goals and Objectives†). Thesis Statement The discussion will begin with a brief overview of the planned campaign moving forth towards the identification of the most important elements or factors associated with its overall designing, construction and execution. With this objective, the discussion will address the most pertinent factors associated with the planned campaign with adequate rationalisation on the basis of the role played by mass media. The potential disadvantages of using media campaigns, both from a generalised perspective and specific viewpoint in relation to the planned campaign will also be studied in the essay. Before concluding on the key specifications of the essay, moral and ethical considerations attached to the media campaign will also be elaborated in the d iscussion. Overview of the Media Campaign CPB is renowned internationally as a non-profit private organisation which was established in the year 1967 by Congress. Since then, it has been serving the worldwide communities with various services, rendering praiseworthy support to mitigate various issues. Stating precisely, the broadcasting organisation intends to ensure high-quality journalism and reporting transparency with the aim to aid contribution from the society in facilitating the overall growth of the economy and prosperity of the mankind. In its course of strategic executions, the organisation has been focusing on various objectives amongst which, one particular public service goal can be considered as quite crucial which focuses on the promotion of an educated, liberalised and adequately informed society based on multiple platforms for the applications of high-quality contents as well as services. The objectives determined by the organisation for the attainment of this parti cular goal further emphasises on satisfying the public needs for education and information, especially among the diversified cultural groups in particular, which can be attained

Festival and events Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Festival and events - Essay Example In addition, we have also approached for additional funding from the Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd that offers sponsorship based on their internal evaluations for events that deliver community benefits that align to the direction of the company (n.d). In this note, the company agreed to donate $1000 to sponsor the night trivia. Further, we were keen in controlling the costs of organizing the event by ensuring that we select a venue that is cost effective. Our choice of venue for the event is Apple cross Anglican Church where it is possible to reduce the total cost for holding the event while still making the guests to have fun. The main hall areas in the Apple cross Anglican Church can host a maximum of about 230 guests at a cost of $20 per hour after 6pm for non-profit events (Applecross Anglican Church, n.d). In addition, the venue has other additional offers such as tables and soft drinks. Further, we have approached the Sound Guys Company where we have obtained discounted sound system at a cost of $70 for the event. All these additional resources make the cost of holding the event in the venue to be within our limited budget. In order to attract a large number of guests, we have organized some prizes and gifts that will be given to the participants of night trivia. For instance, we have approached Dymocks book shop who agreed to donate different types of books in order to support the event. In addition, we have also approached Coles Supermarkets who agreed to support the night trivia by donating food hampers that will play great part in attracting more participants. Further, we were able to get some gifts such as soaps, perfumes and lotions from Elizabeth Shop that will also constitute the prizes to be given out. In order for the participants to win the gifts, the trivia will be organized in such a way that groups in a table will compete

Human and Animal Interrelationships Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human and Animal Interrelationships - Term Paper Example This essay has its primary concern being to investigate the interrelationship between people and animals (both domestic and wild animals) since the olden days up to date. Here in lies the importance of human and animal interrelationships. In addition, it involves an outline of the factors that bring about the changes. Further, it includes suggestions of how to improve the interrelationship of human and animals. Finally, it ends by the summary and a conclusion of the essay. Interrelationship of human and animals In the olden days, human beings neglected animals and considered them (animals) harmful to human health. The interrelationship varies in different societies. For instance, in some societies, there was the use of domestic animals specifically cattle, for the purpose of transportation. In other societies, the use of cattle was principally to give support to farm work. Due to this (farming activities), human beings reared bulls with the purpose of using them to plough big farms. On the other hand, animals depended on human beings for resources such as food. This brought about dependability in that they (animals and particular individuals) relied on each other for various needs (Jonge 154). The interaction between man and wild animals is different from the relationship of man and domestic animals. This is due to activities such as hunting, whereby man continue to humiliate the lives of wild animals. This leads to wild animals hiding away from hunters. This denotes a poor interaction between human and wild animals. Today, there is prohibition of hunting activities since such an act is termed to be illegal and leads to decrease in animals within the ecosystem. Continuity in relations of human beings and animals changed due to diverse reasons. For instance, change in technology contributed to a decrease in dependability level. This is because technology leads to establishment of better farming methods. It leads to adoption of modern farming machinery, which in turn resulted to rearing animals for domestic purpose (beef and milk). Importance of human and animal interrelationships Several positive effects result from the relations of human and animals. For instance, there is reduced fatigue on the side of human kind. This is due to less energy used when undertaking tasks like farming, and it is because human kinds use animal energy to perform specific farming activities. The interrelationship helps to improve performance capability of animals as well as their welfare. This is evident in that Jensen states that, â€Å"poor relationship interactions elicit negative emotions such as fear† (114). This necessitates human beings to be keen when handling animals. Factors influencing human and animal interrelations Better relations exist only when both human and animal are in good health. Health amongst other factors determines the ability of both humans and animals to have a better co-relationship. Health is the source of morale required by all living beings to undertake designed tasks with less impeding characters. Unhealthy human beings will tend to have less concern on the welfare of animals. Due to an unhealthy status, animals lack potential to perform tasks (for example farming) requiring application of much efforts. The use of sign language is vital especially when directing animals on the farm (Jensen 113). This helps improve the level of understanding on animals. How to improve human and animal relations Improving the relations between human beings and animals is vital for the well-being of the society. It signifies the degree of understanding between human and animals. This leads to less economic defects resulting from poor interrelations. Some of the strategies to improve the relationship

Dai Sijies book Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Essay Example for Free

Dai Sijies book Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Essay In Dai Sijies book, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, the two main characters are brought together to experience the hardships of re-education but even then they manage to stay hopeful. Dai Sijie focuses on the survival and the power of human spirit and imagination to endure of Luo and the narrator, Ma. The boys stay hopeful by finding solutions to their problems during the re-education. Luo feels physically tired and so turns back the hands of the clock to get some extra sleep so he can get through the day. The Little Chinese Seamstress tries and cures Luo of his disease even though she doesnt have the proper medical equipment. Four-Eyes on the other hand continues to try and impress the peasants by risking the chance of getting caught with all the banned books by leaving his door open just to display his trust in the peasants and by hiding away meat and pretending that he doesnt eat meat to please them. The boys can be viewed as hopeful in the ways in which they adapt to and find solutions to the hardships of re-education such as manipulating the start of the working day with the alarm clock. The boys confess a few days after getting to the mountain and carrying the buckets of shit up and down the mountain, in the end we had changed the position of the hands so many times we had no idea what the time really was. The boys take advantage of the peasants ignorance of technology to cheat the village of their labor. But they are only doing this because of the harshness of re-education that led them to be this physically drained out. They were being forced to turn into cheaters but for them this wasnt deceiving, it was merely how they believed they could bring their bodies back to normal and start adapting to the change. By saying losing track of what the time really was, Dai Sijie also symbolizes their fear of never returning to their families and leading their old lives. Besides Luo finding a solution to the hard working conditions during the re-education, the Little Chinese Seamstress found a solution to curing Luos malaria and stayed hopeful. Although during the time of the re-education, there were no proper medical care and due to that Luo may have suffered from malaria for a long time. On the way to the Little Chinese Seamstresss house for the oral cinema in her town, another attack struck Luo and when they arrived at, Luo looked really sick so the Little Chinese Seamstress used a natural medicine on him and hoped that it worked. She didnt panic and act irrationally. The remedy that used was a natural paste made of the leaves of a plant called Broken-bowl-shards. This shows that the Seamstress believes in nature and tries her luck wherever she can. She says In my opinion you cant believe in them totally, but you cant deny them either. This just proves that whether or not the results are going to be as desired, it is definitely worth a shot. Four-Eyes is a representation of a character who would do anything to escape re-education and his continuous tries are what make him seem hopeful that one day he will succeed. Ever since he has been living on the mountain, he doesnt lock the doors of his house. When the readers first hear from him about this he claims that he is so anxious to demonstrate his trust in the revolutionary peasants that he never used to lock his doors. This just proves how desperate he is for their trust. He leaves his door unlocked even though he has a hidden suitcase of books that if found, can get him into serious troubles but he is willing to take that risk. He is also abstaining from meat. He would spring to his feet, quickly hide the pan in a corner as if it were contraband, and put out a dish of marinated vegetables. This not only portrays his fear, but the use of the word contraband by Dai Sijie is interesting as it brings up other suggestions. Contrabands are illegally smuggled goods and the comparison between the meat and the contraband shows how scared Four-Eyes is. To Four-Eyes, eating meat struck him a crime typical of the bourgeois class to which his family belonged so he decided to sacrifice eating meat. Four-Eyes stops at nothing to gain his pleasures. This single-mindedness in the face of adversity (when he breaks his glasses and the boys find him trying to carry the rice sacks alone) could be viewed as a form of hopefulness. To conclude, I have to say that the boys need to be credited for having dealt with their situations so optimistically. They only had a three in a thousand chance of returning home but even then they have stayed hopeful through the novel and took things as they came their way. I believe that the characters main way of staying hopeful is by finding solutions to the problems and hardships of their life currently during the re-education at the Phoenix Mountain. What the two boys have taken from this experience definitely has been the ability to be independent and solve situations they are faced with and most importantly learnt that success can be achieved by staying hopeful. Also the books and their passion for literature has indeed played a part in this as the books is what has kept them going for this long and they work so hard all day only knowing that later at night they have the book to go back to and relax. Their hope to keep them going through the day is the thought of knowing that this means they can go home to reading. Four-Eyes on the other hand has this obsessive pursuit of freedom and his hope is what is keeping that driving force in him going but in this battle, he has lost his temper and feels agitated as his results are not coming out positive.