Gaming in Shanghai Essay

Overview HyperHawk, one of the world’s major providers of global supply management software and services, helps companies reduce costs through efficient product and services sourcing. It has handled more than $50 billion worth of products and services in the oil and gas, other natural resources, retail, transport, finance, and industrial sectors for customers including General Motors, Nestlà ©, Shell, Japan Energy, Mitsubishi, and Cadbury Schweppes. Shanghai-based JJM, one of the biggest gaming and hospitality companies in Asia, is owned by Chinese businessman Tan Wu Bo. This case study revolves around the period when JJM has been a HyperHawk client for six months, and the companies have signed an agreement to conducttwo projects. The first, completed in March 2005 and tremendously successful, saved JJM some $1 million, and the second one is set to start.Impressed with the results, JJM wishes to explore the possibility of other joint endeavours with HyperHawk. To this end, a meeting is arranged between JJM’s Senior Vice-President of Finance Iris Ma and HyperHawk’s RegionalManaging DirectorDrake Dubois, and attended by JJM’s Vice-President for Procurement Henry Chow and HyperHawk Sales Group Director Layton Pang. Ma is keen to explore more projects with HyperHawk and has tasked Chow to follow up with HyperHawk as soon as possible. The managing director of HyperHawk suggests that a session be arranged with key stakeholders from both companies to discuss and assess possible opportunities for other JJM projects. The Scene Ma and Chow agreed to the suggestion and asked that a proposal be submitted to JJM after the opportunity assessment meeting that was attended by Chow, his assistant Mary Xie, who is also the purchasing manager, and two members from HyperHawk. Both parties identified ten possible projects. Xie asked for a proposal to be submitted to JJM through her, and HyperHawk provided a competitive price package that included services over a twelve-month period. As is to be expected from a Chinese company like JJM, Xie asked for a reduction in the licensing fee, additional program management days (at no extra cost), and an extension of the software term from twelve months to  twenty-four months. In reply, HyperHawk put in writing its discussions to date with JJM: 1.JJM had agreed that HyperHawk could add value to the projects identified. 2.JJM would sign for a ten-project package to get a competitive price. 3.If HyperHawk could meet JJM’s demands, the latter would sign the contract by May-end 2005. Xie agreed to point one above, but was noncommittal on points two and three. After much discussion, HyperHawk agreed to lower its fee and provide JJM additional program management days at no additional cost. However, HyperHawk said it could not agree to extend the twelve month term for use of the software without charging extra. Then, to complicate matters further, Xie suggested that JJM could not commit to an agreement even if all the issues were resolved. The most recent negotiations were conducted quite hastily, since HyperHawk knew that Xie was not the decision maker and approval had to come from her top management. Negotiations to Date HyperHawk’sprimary concern was how likely JJM would be to enter into an agreement even if the issues were resolved, and within what time frame. JJM argued that the proposed price was beyond what it could afford, although it recognized the need for help from HyperHawk to implement the projects, and that it needed twenty-four months to implement the ten projects due to its lack of manpower. HyperHawk took the position that, while it was prepared to look into the fee structure and program management term as part of the total package, the request for twenty-four months was not reasonable. Although it reasoned that other organizations were able to implement ten projects in twelve months, to satisfy JJM, HyperHawk negotiated a mid-way solution: a maximum of eighteen months. When one week passed and there was no response from JJM, HyperHawk asked if it would be prepared to sign if HyperHawk acceded to its three requests.Xie replied that she would submit the proposal for approval to her superiors, Tan and Ma, but added that there was no guarantee the agreement would be signed by the end of May. From HyperHawk’s perspective, all the issues presented by JJM had been resolved—yet there was still no deal. When asked about the status of the project, JJM cited staff turnover, but then mentioned another possible IT project where there was a clear need for HyperHawk. The discussion ended with JJM requesting that HyperHawk prepare the preliminary work and submit yet another proposal.  Based on the updated information, it appeared that the IT project might get underway earlier than the previously proposed ten projects. Moreover, given that this project had an entirely different scope, there was a strong argument to negotiate a separate deal for it. Whichever proposal JJM wished to undertake first, HyperHawk was ready to negotiate and finalize an agreement, but it could not yet tell whether the latest development was a genuine project or a further stalling tactic. Observations 1.Both parties acted rationally in the way the negotiations were conducted, and it helped that the relationship between them was excellent from the start. 2.HyperHawk gave in to JJMs demands in the hope of concluding the agreement quickly and starting the projects. But JJM continued to indulge in last minute wavering and only introduced a new project, which took the parties away from the initial negotiations. 3.The way HyperHawk responded to JJM’s delaying tactics, showed it’s patience and its determination to get the deal done. 4.Meanwhile, JJM believed it was negotiating from a position of strength, having even gone so far as to assert that it had in-house a system similar to that of HyperHawk that could probably fulfil its needs, even though without the sophistication of the HyperHawk product. 5.Going forward, it was critical that HyperHawk engage with Ma, the senior vice-president and decision maker, since the groundwork had been laid with her staff. But they were finding it difficult to do so due to the complicated hierarchy of the Chinese companies. 6.HyperHawk reflected that maybe it should have asked for the agreement to be signed within a fixed time when it met JJM’s initial demands, although JJM had previously delayed decision making on other projects. Conclusions This case is typical of what vendors face in a competitive, hi-tech environment, and illustrates the opportunity they have to reduce their price. Handled appropriately, a win-win outcome is not difficult to achieve. From this case study, at least two scenarios for short-term success can be derived. First, assuming the vendor, is taking a tough stance, you can take a long-term perspective and conclude the first sale with a friendly, competitive attitude, countering the buyer’s demands with suitable offers, while never losing sight of your determination to bag the order. But,  besides showing friendliness, flexibility, and determination, you must show the potential buyer that you will be there for them over the long haul. For this you require people with leadership qualities in your team. Should one lack high-quality leaders in your team, you have the option of a second scenario. In this case, you would show, right from the beginning,that your team comprises hard workers who w ill do whatever the buyer needs. By adopting Chinese-style service orientation and dedication and making your team indispensable to the potential buyer, being available daily, and making yourself virtually a part of your opposite number’s staff—you could clinch a deal. HyperHawk failed to show the requisite service orientation and commitment. From the perspective of longer-term success, an initial achievement provides the opportunity for friendship to be cultivated with the client company’s key people, perhaps even with the CEO, the final decision maker. Should one eventually become accepted as â€Å"family,† the client will telephone you for what they want and no longer require competitive quotations. But to reach that point, you will have had to develop a genuine friendship and service orientation with those at the top of the client company.

Research Proposal on Database Usability Issues

There are different types of database usability issues; you could talk about the problems that occur when a user views a database system . i. e. the user will see different from what the database contains. But with â€Å"the advance in design of highly interactive computer systems continues at an ever-increasing pace, with new developments in hardware and software being announced more frequently than ever before. † (Lawson, J. Yull, S. Anderson, H. Knott, G. & Waites, N. 2005, pg 258) So with the increasing interactive computer systems, within this research proposal I am going to talk about the problems that a user may come across in the form of virtual reality VR, graphical user interface GUI and human computer interaction / interface HCI. The aim of this unit is to provide an understanding of the importance of VR, GUI and HCI in the development of user friendly computer software and to inform the reader about the components that may be involved in these features. The Objectives that I want to achieve is to define what is meant by the terms VR, GUI and HCI. I also want to show what applications use Virtual reality, Human Computer Interaction and Graphical User Interface. The motivation I had to pick the topic of database usability issues was that I have learned about it in the past and I felt confident that it is an area that I enjoyed. It is better to write about something that you enjoy, so then the reader can feel the confidence in the review. It was also a topic I wanted to look further into especially the HCI factor. Within this initial literature review I have looked at a number of books and websites that I feel would help me in findings definitions for all usability features. I also looked at what applications use Virtual Reality, Human Computer Interaction and Graphical User Interface. According to (http://searchcio-midmarket. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci213303,00. html# ) â€Å"Virtual reality is an artificial environment that is created with software and presented to the user in such a way that the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real environment. This means that the user will have a feeling of being able to enter a virtual world. Most of the current virtual reality environments are displayed either on a computer screen, and some simulations even include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphone. All the features make a pretend virtual reality world seem real. â€Å"The uses for virtual reality are infinite. It can be used for air tra ffic control, medicine, entertainment, office work and industrial design. However, along with the good comes the bad. Virtual Reality could also be used for destructive purposes, such as war and crime. † (http://library. thinkquest. org/26890/virtualrealityt. htm) So with having the brilliant feature of being submersed into an alternative world, there can also be downsides as well. For example I would say that gaming would be one of the most popular virtual realities, and in the news you also here about how games are taking over children’s life’s, and it is contributed to make kids obese. This is true, but if used in the correct manner a VR can cause feeling of excitement. GUI or Graphical User Interface would possibly be the graphics that may be used to help create a virtual world. Galitz, W. (2007) also made a good point in saying that â€Å"GUIs are looked at in terms of their components, characteristics, and advantages over the older text-based systems. † (Galitz, W. 2007) A brilliant quote I feel was found on (http://searchwindevelopment. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid8_gci213989,00. tml). â€Å"A GUI is a graphical (rather than purely textual) user interface to a computer. As you read this, you are looking at the GUI†. I love this quote because it’s true, I know that there are no images or graphics on this document, but if you were to open this document on a web browser this would be the graphical user interface you would see. I personally feel that graphics play a major role within a program whether it is a website, database or presenta tion. I feel as if people recognise images before text. For example if we look at YouTube, people automatically recognise videos before even reading its title or description. On a website your eye is drawn to an image. So by having a program that incorporates high quality images, and maybe even videos, you will be catching the audience’s attention. HCI or Human Computer Interaction is a process that evaluates the interaction between the user and a program. For example does the user take advantage of features a program may have, do they use headphones when using a program. Everything that is used to create a VR (virtual reality) or create GUI (graphical user interface) is put into play at HCI. According to (Dix, A. Finlay, J. Abowd, G. & Beale, R. 2004) Human computer interaction â€Å"is the study of how people interact with computers and to what extent computers are or are not developed for successful interaction with human beings. † So HCI takes into account both sides of the computers users. It looks at things like the computer graphics, operating system, and programming language and on the human side according to (Cairns, P. Cox, A. 2008) â€Å"communication theory, graphic and industrial design disciplines, linguistics, social science, cognitive psychology, and human performance are relevant. † So for a program to incorporate good HCI, it could contain features such as movable interfaces with pull-down menus, dialog books, check boxes, scroll bars etc. By incorporating features like these to a program the user will feel they have mo re of a input on what they are doing, this mainly created by the fact that the user will get the feeling that they are controlling what they do. But according to (Preece, J. Rogers, Y. Sharp, H. Benyon, D. Holland, S. & Carey, T. 1994) â€Å"A decade ago, when our understanding of HCI was more limited, many systems developers might have felt that good intentions were the major requirement for producing an effective HCI design. † However with the amount of changes that computers have gone through in the past decade, HCI is now better than it ever was. HCI nowadays is about giving a user the freedom to interact fully with a program whether it be a website, a game or a database etc. With the rapid increase in new technologies and computers now smaller than ever, with more applications available and more advanced virtual reality experiences; we can only wonder what else can the future hold. We have already switched to digital photographs, mobile phones with GPRS, something that 20 years ago would have been laughed at. In fact GUI has taken a major leap into high definition. HCI has improved with the aspect of touch screens and wireless keyboards etc, and Virtual Reality has even branched out into the ergonomics sector. It has produced a chair that will receive audio and vibrations from a program on a computer or TV. For example if you get shot at in a game, you will feel as if the bullet is just passing you ear and the vibrations captivate you so you feel like you in the actual game. But there is still some questions that need answered like: 1. Why hasn’t the changes in HCI and GUI have an effect on things like teletext? 2. I would also like to research into a device that has become available in the last year and find out why it hasn’t been available before. 3. I want to find out how far Virtual Reality can stretch. 4. I would also like to know if VR, HCI, GUI has had a major impact on the obese children of Brittan. 5. What elderly people think about the change in technology today? 6. Finally I would love to know how childhoods have changed over the years with more and more computer devices available. I would use the internet mainly to gather my findings, but I would also look towards books and journals. I would use search engines to help me answer question one, and two. By doing this I could visit different sites that might give me answers. I would probably use on-line forums for question three and four, to get a prospective on other people opinions. But for question four I would also use news websites to find statistics if any. For question five I would maybe visit an elderly / retirement home, or send out questionnaires hoping to find information that will help me answer my questions, I would also use questionnaires for question six but a little less complex maybe. As well as the questionnaires for question six I would probably go to a school and ask the kids myself, to get a real response. To obtain answers from my research I would plan question six before school ends for summer, I would ask the kids what they plan to do for the summer, and when they return in September I would ask the same kids what they actually did with the summer. I would use the same concept for question four, I would ask for permission to maybe take note of different kids weight and height before they left for summer, and after they return from there break I would weigh and measure the same kids to work out if the summer has been an active one. Everything else I feel has no major rush but maybe for question three I would take note of the highest quality Virtual Reality system there is available now and in six months I would check if it has been improved any. REFERNCES Cairns, P. Cox, A. (2008) Research Methods for Human-Computer Interaction Dix, A. Finlay, J. Abowd, G. Beale, R. (2004) Human-Computer Interaction Galitz, W. (2007) The essential guide to user interface design Lawson, J. Yull, S. Anderson, H. Knott, G. & Waites, N. (2005) BTEC National Study Guide: IT Practitioners Preece, J. Rogers, Y. Sharp, H. Benvon, D. Holland, S. Carey, T. (1994) Human Computer Interaction Tech Target (2008) Virtual Reality [on-line]: http://searchcio-midmarket. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci213303,00. html# [Accessed: 22/04/09] Tech Target (2006) GUI [on-line]. (http://searchwindevelopment. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid8_gci213989,00. html). [Accessed: 26/04/09] Think Quest: Virtual Reality [on-line]. http://library. thinkquest. org/26890/virtualrealityt. htm [Accessed: 22/04/09]

Cardioversion

Cardioversion Have you ever felt like your heart was racing, fluttering or skip a beat? This can be a sign of cardiac arrhythmia and it is common especially in older adults. If you experience this occasionally they are usually harmless. However, some arrhythmias that last longer can be critical and require management and treatment. Cardiac arrhythmia is a class of conditions in which the electrical activity of the heart is abnormal. One way to correct certain arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter is by performing a medical procedure called â€Å"Cardioversion†. As a group, we will like to explain why it is important to distinguish when cardioversion will be used versus defibrillation. According to heart.com website, â€Å"Arrhythmias can produce a broad range of symptoms, from barely perceptible to cardiovascular collapse and death.† There are different diagnostic tests used to confirm arrhythmias. We will also explain the two types of cardioversion procedures used to correct an irregular heartbeat and what occurs before, during and after cardioversion. We will discuss nursing implications including patient education throughout the process of a cardioversion procedure. An arrhythmia is a change in the rhythm of your heartbeat. Arrhythmias are more serious if you have other heart problems. Cardioversion is a corrective procedure to change or convert an irregular heart rhythm back to normal sinus rhythm. This procedure is usually elective, the patient is awake but sedated and a consent form must be signed prior to the procedure. According to heart.com website, cardioversions are done to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib) or atrial flutter (AFL) and non-life threatening irregular rhythms in the top of the heart. It is also used in less urgent cases to try to convert the rhythm back to normal. Defibrillation is for immediately life-threatening arrhythmias, the patient does not have a pulse such as ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT). The goal for both is to deliver electrical energy to the heart to shock the heart temporarily allowing a normal sinus rhythm to kick in via the hearts normal pacemaker. For cases where an electrical shock is needed, if the patient is stable, and you can see a QRS-t complex you will use (LOW ENERGY) synchronized cardioversion. However, if the patient is pulseless, or if the patient is unstable and the defibrillator will not synchronize, you will use (HIGH ENERGY) unsynchronized cardioversion (defibrillation). Patients who have arrhythmias can be asystematic. When arrhythmias last long enough to upset how well the heart functions, more serious symptoms can occur such as syncope or near-fainting spells, chest pain and fatigue. In severe cases, collapse and sudden cardiac arrest can emerge. Diagnostic tests used to confirm arrhythmia are chest x-rays, blood tests, stress test and electrocardiogram. There are other tests or procedures used to determine arrhythmias; however, an electrocardiogram is the most common. ECG is used to check for signs of heart disease. Its a test that records the electrical activity of your heart through small electrode patches that are placed on the chest, arms, and legs. The ECG diagnostic test is commonly used because it’s reliable, fast, safe and painless.

No Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

No Topic - Essay Example By faithfully following these nine stages, one can develop into a critical thinker and become fully equipped with skills that are demanded for the work environment. It provides an in-depth examination of the stages that one has to attain in the quest of becoming a critical thinker. Understanding these various stages is a major step towards critical thinking. A person becomes aware of the stage they are in, what the next stage is and most importantly, they are able to gauge their progression in becoming a critical thinker. The main benefit drawn from these stages is that one is able to solve problems and make decisions, which are backed by research and information. The two strategies that would be employed are; the use of wasted time and reshaping your character (Critical Thinking Community, 2013). These two strategies will be important in growing both my career and personal life. There is a lot of time that is used unproductively. The use of wasted time strategy will help in putting into good use the time allocated for work. Furthermore, it can be used to enhance the development of my career. For example, it would helpful to further my career by taking extra lessons than to go and watch movies all weekend. Reshaping your character is the second strategy that would greatly help in my personal life. For example, it would help in developing my personal traits such as courage, dependability, and humility. As such, the strategy would be useful in developing a solid character (Critical Thinking Community,

Robbing people of the ability to see enormous opportunities directly Essay

Robbing people of the ability to see enormous opportunities directly in front of them - Essay Example In this way, three of the readings which have been engaged during the course of the semester will be utilized to prove that the current system of opportunity and potential that exists for the individual within the United States is ultimately divorced from the reality, which t is oftentimes associated with such terms as the American dream. In such a manner, it will be the goal of this author to prove to the reader why the United States, in its present form, promises a hopeless situation for many participants within its society. Although it is not hard to disagree with such talking heads as Rush Limbaugh, the point that he made with regards to disagreeing with the overall level of potential and opportunity that exists within the United States was yet another example of some of the ridiculous things that he has said during the course of his career. What Limbaugh said was the following: â€Å"Such an understanding robs people of the ability to see the enormous opportunities directly in front of them†. ... ay engage with are necessarily far different than the level of potential and opportunity that a lower class or desperately poor individual would have to leverage/draw upon. Taking the case of â€Å"The Lesson†, the reader can instantly note that the narrator of the piece effectively differentiates society into two distinct groups: those that escape desperate poverty and those that continue to struggle with the painful realities of life defined by want and hardship. Such a difference is shown with regards to some of the conversations that take place near the shop windows that exhibit goods that the girls have never seen before, nor have any idea how they should be utilized. Junebug says in her conversation with Big Butt and Miss Moore, â€Å"’What’s a paperweight?’†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢To weigh paper with dumbbell’†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Not exactly, it is used to weigh paper down so it won’t scatter and make your desk untidy’†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢I don†™t even have a desk’† (Bambara 267). This difference with regards to the way in which different cultures exist and experience life in different dimensions helps to show the fact that the opportunity that exists for one given socioeconomic class and the opportunity and reality that exists for another are entirely different. As a means of further highlighting such a truth, Barbara Ehrenreich’s piece entitled â€Å"Serving in Florida† underscores the economic realities that exist for those individuals that have not had the fortune of receiving a college degree or making a career in any other way. Seeking to perform research with regards to how individuals at the very bottom layers of the socioeconomic chain seek to make a way for themselves, Ehrenreich sets out to engage in two minimum wage jobs at 60 + hours a week just as a means to provide for herself. The

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Marketing - Essay Example However, this is not the only concern that will eventually give out the whole picture of Apple’s marketing environment. There is a substantial need to actually look in detail the two major components of marketing environment. The first component is the microenvironment which substantially deals with concerns regarding the company, suppliers, marketing intermediaries, customers and publics (Kotler et al., 1999). The second component on the other hand is the macroenvironment which consists of influential forces such as demographic, economic, natural, tefchnological, political and cultural (Kotler et al., 1999; Boone and Kurtz, 2006). The Microenvironment and Macroenvironment Since its manufacturing and logistics are relied on the third parties, Apple Incorporated tries to give significant emphasis on the level of impact of this relationship on its actual marketing operation (Apple Incorporated, 2011). This gives Apple a more meaningful approach in order to come up with effective service that could sustain the current needs and trends in the market. Apple does not need to keep too much focus on its suppliers since as mentioned earlier; it relies on its manufacturing activity on the third parties. Apple does not need to give time on where to find the needed resources in order to address effective customer value delivery system for product manufacturing. As Kotler et al. (1999) emphasised, the effective customer value system is the basic impact of suppliers in the marketing environment. It seems this is true in other organisations which have integrated manufacturing activity in their operation. However, it is definitely different from Apple. Such of this difference from other ongoing activities in other organisations of the same industry gives Apple considerable time to monitor effectively its products’ quality, innovation and substantive differentiation. This offers a competitive advantage for Apple to give more priority for its total quality manageme nt system. In fact, this can be elaborately pointed out as one of the reasons why Apple was able to reach for its competitive advantage. The good thing about this full reliance of Apple of its manufacturing activities on the third parties is a close monitoring of other related marketing intermediaries such as promotion and other marketing related activities. With this, Apple has remarkably created control over its entire marketing operation from the manufacturing point of view. Since Apple is one of the leading organisations in its industry, it can substantially demand higher quality for its line of products. It can demand the most innovative design that would greatly enhance its marketing performance. Marketing intermediaries are able to help Apple to promote and distribute its line of products to prospective customers. After all, marketing intermediaries are an organisation’s alliances prior to creating services and offerings that will substantially address the needs of cus tomers (Kotler et al., 1999). Marketing is also about the study of customer market in the first place which substantially involved customer, business, reseller, institutional, government and international markets (Kotler et al. 1999). All of these are actually considered by Apple prior to creating on-time and quality service for its customers (Apple Incorporated, 2011). It gives too much emphasis on its relationship with resellers for there is substantive control of its marketing system in here. Apple Incorporated (2011) emphasises that its performance particularly in

Human Resources Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Human Resources Strategies - Essay Example Therefore, the employee should not come under knowledge about how their pay is determined but should be aware that what performance comes under requirement to obtain a given raise in the wage amount. (Cascio, 2006) 360-Degree Feedback is one of the development tools that come under practice by the HR team that facilitates in measuring the employee performance and recognize the strengths and weaknesses that can help the employee be more productive and effective. However, according to the personal viewpoint, each job description must come under evaluation on different dimensions. This is because the every job description has different set of responsibilities and it would be inequitable and unfair to evaluate or assess them on the same set of performance dimensions. In addition, at GE/Durham, the managers are responsible only for making a dozen major decisions while the team members are liable to make all the other decisions or their inputs are the basis of the decisions. With respect to the case study, GE/Durham is an organization where the team members have their prime focus on making perfect jet engines correctly, quickly and cheaply, therefore, the contents of the 360-Degree appraisal must depend upon problem solving, planning, and organizing, teamwork, communication, and leadership effectiveness. While looking at the working style of GE/Durham, the rating format in order to make the appraisal ratings must include open-ended questions to have the written feedbacks. Apart from few open-ended questions, multiple choice questions and 5-point rating scale  questions would also be beneficial. For members of the nine production teams working at GE/Durham, performance assessments must come under evaluation by Paula Sims, as she is the plant manager of the team members. Although the evaluation would come under assessment from the feedbacks provided by the peers, the managers, and direct reports Sims is the key responsible person

Tony Blair and Crime Preventation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Tony Blair and Crime Preventation - Essay Example Blair also supports the creation of an anti-drug czar position in his cabinet and wants a total ban on the ownership of handguns by civilians". (Schmalleger Frank, 1995, p. 241) In my opinion being tough on crime means to handle crime events in such an effective and efficient manner that not only reduce crime rate but also it works in favour of the general citizens of the country. They feel protected and secure in the reign of such Government. This is only possible if crime is handled and eradicated at the grass root level and it is obvious that to handle crime at such elementary level the Government needs to know the real causes and factors behind crime. With respect to UK crime with the Government of Tony Blair, Adele Horin writes in his article of September 7, 2002 "Tough on crime means tough on the causes of crime. If instead of stealing the policies from Tony Blair, Bob Carr had paid half the attention to the causes of crime as he paid to the crackdown on criminals, NSW would be better off". He continues, "We got more jails, more inmates, more police and a higher proportion of convicted offenders sent to jail. And through it all crime continued to rise , according to reports of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research". (Horin Adele, 7 Sept 2002) In 1994, Tony Blair promised to be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime but according to Telegraph Speakers "after weeks of criticism on the growing impact of human rights legislation, Tony Blair has admitted that his government has failed to produce a criminal justice system that people can trust". (Telegraph Speakers, 15 May 2006) Now let us examine through various case studies and highlight the factors and causes of crime growth, what are the circumstances, which caused Tony Blair to admit his failure in reducing crime. On Dec 28, 2005 BBC in accordance with the BBC News, "Ian Matthews aged 19 was punished for angering his neighbours by playing football at late night. His offence was that he damaged some property by kicking football, although unintentionally he was ordered to pay the cost of 500 pounds from ASBO along with the ban of playing football at late night for three years". (BBC news, Dec 28 2005) Here I agree with Watson Steve, "After all, today's street footballer could be tomorrow's terrorist". (Watson, Jan 16 2006) This is what is happening in the current era of Blair who promised to "being tough on crime". If this is the outcome of Blair's government, who is going to reveal the real terrorists We can see the daily growing percentage of crime in UK, the false promises have given the citizens nothing but insecurity, the killers and rapists are on the loose, even they enjoy the benefit of real freedom provided under the current scenario of Government. As they are aware of the fact, in pas t they were feared at least to some extent, but today they know they will not be accounted to anyone. They have the real license to commit any crime; after all, the innocent is always blamed and sentenced. Another case followed by ASBO

MEDIA ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MEDIA ANALYSIS - Essay Example For example when the photograph of Miriam is introduced to the priest, he quickly jumps to the conclusion that Elijah is guilty of the sexual assault however upon learning more information one quickly learn that he is the least likely to be the one guilty of the crime. The narrative structure takes on a kind of ratchet formula in which the story quickly takes steps forward only to immediately takes a step back which is a common theme across many detective shows. In regards to how the narrative structure is plotted around moments of disruption there are frequent incidences that centre on this theme. For example one can quickly identify the deception from Elijah as he originally escapes from the police, when "The Devil" quickly assaults Detective Elliot Stabler in the bathroom. What these actions imply is that there is a relative moment of tranquility before the aforementioned incidents and it is the case that this affects the narrative insofar as it causes moments of excitement. Lastly there is the case of issues of resolution. Whilst several resolutions were in fact brought about they brought with them severe consequences. By having Elijah identifies â€Å"The Devil of Ghulu† it in fact would bring resolution to the countless people that he harmed but will cost Elijah his freedom. By having Miriam identify the war criminal she in fact can help aide in his conviction however she would bring about her own unpleasant feelings. By Elijah taking refuge in the Church he in fact eliminates his chances of ever gaining American citizenship. As such the narrative of the story implies that there is in fact not supposed to be any clean and clear resolution. The character types that are utilized to effectively tell this story are the dynamic character as epitomized by Elijah who was the child soldier who ends up doing everything he can to help Miriam. The ‘Foil

Sec1 Literature Poetic Techniques used Essay Example for Free

Sec1 Literature Poetic Techniques used Essay ?TASK IN 5 STAGES: ?1 CHOOSE a song with English lyrics that use at least TWO literary techniques from the six elements we have learnt, namely simile, metaphor, personification, rhyme, alliteration or onomatopoeia. Here are some examples you may choose: 1. â€Å"SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW† BY ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWO’OLE 2. â€Å"100 YEARS† BY FIVE FOR FIGHTING 3. â€Å"SWALLOWED IN THE SEA† BY COLDPLAY 4. â€Å"DIAMONDS† BY RIHANNA 5. â€Å"I AM A ROCK† BY SIMON AND GARFUNKEL 6. â€Å"THE RIVER† BY GARTH BROOKS ?2 PRINT out at least 2 stanzas of the lyrics of the song you have chosen. ?3 IDENTIFY at least 2 literary techniques and LABEL these neatly on the printout. ?4 COMPLETE the given table and answer the following question based on the techniques used in the song. An example (based on â€Å"Firework† by Katy Perry) has been done for you. Please do not use this same song for your holiday homework. ?5 ATTACH the printout of the lyrics to the back of your completed table and submit it (in hard copy) to your Sec 2 Lit teachers in TERM1 WEEK1 2015. ?TAKE NOTE: 1) You may use any one of the given songs above – or – you may choose any other ENGLISH song lyrics for this assignment. Remember to include the name of the singer and source (weblink) alongside the title of the song. 2) CHECK that you have chosen ONLY SONGS that: ? DO NOT contain any rude, insensitive or inappropriate references. Check with your Literature teachers if you are still unsure as to whether you can use a particular song owing to its lyrics. ?DEADLINE: Term 1 Week1 in 2015 ? TABLE OF ANALYSIS of Literary Techniques in Songs? ? TITLE: â€Å" Heart Attack † ? Singer: Demi Lovato ? Literary Techniques used: Simile , Personification and Rhyme. ? INCLUDE at least TWO STANZAS in your printout When I don’t care  I can play him like a Ken doll Won’t wash my hair Then make him bounce like a basketball The feelings got lost in my lungs They’re burning, I’d rather be numb And there’s no one else to blame So scared I’ll take off and run I’m flying too close to the sun And I’ll burst into flames ? Video link and lyrics (source): https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=gLGtKw_UQCk ?1 COMPLETE THIS TABLE based on your chosen song lyrics: Quote Literary Devices (Technique) SIMILE/ METAPHOR/ PERSONIFICATION/ RHYME/ ALLITERATION/ ONOMATOPOEIA? Function (WHICH QUALITY IS BEING COMPARED? ) Effect   (EXPLAIN THE IMPLIEDMEANING IN YOUR OWN WORDS) ‘I can play him like a Ken doll†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Then make him bounce like a basketball’ ‘The feelings got lost in my lungs. They’re burning, I’d rather be numb’ SIMILE PERSONIFICATION Playful Painful, Overwhelmed She toys with other guys’, making them almost like a game with a toy, the Ken doll, She does not want to fall in love though she can get a man easily with her attractiveness. She made use of personification by giving ‘ feelings ‘ the ability to get ‘ lost ‘. And the fact that they got ‘lost ‘in her lungs suggests that these ‘ feelings ‘ are so overwhelming that it becomes hard to  breathe as they seem to linger within each breath that she takes in. Personification is also seen in the phrase â€Å"They’re burning â€Å"which refers back to those ‘feelings ‘that the singer is currently experiencing. The word ‘burning’ suggests that the emotion has an excruciating impact on the singer, to the point that they seem to burn. ‘And there’s no one else to blame So scared I’ll take off and run I’m flying too close to the sun And I’ll burst into flames’ RHYME Love, Romantic Because she is unable to take the pain and suffering, â€Å"I’d rather be numb† suggests the that singer prefers to  not feel anything at all because the emotions are just too much for her to handle. It suggests that the singer views her crush like the ‘sun ‘because he shines so brightly in her eyes. This however has a setback as seen in the last sentence, â€Å"And I burst into flames†. He shines so much that she is unable to contain her own emotions because she likes him so much, to the point where she ‘ explodes’. Also the word ‘flying’ shows the extent of her love for her crush, to the point that she feels like she’s ‘flying ‘. Thus she is unable to get close to him. ?2 What is the overall meaning of the song? (Personal Interpretation based on your answers above :)) I think that in this song, the songwriter is trying to tell us about†¦ T he feeling of a woman who comes to a point where she feels very vulnerable in falling in love. She is also trying to tell us to tolerate even though when going through any emotional struggles. Also, she wants to let us know to consider our choices wisely and carefully. ANALYSIS DONE BY: Isaiah Leong, 2H, 27. (Your Name, Class and Index Number) SUBMITTED ON: 12 January 2015 (Date of submission) Heart Attack by Demi Lovato Putting my defenses up Cause I don’t wanna fall in love  If I ever did that, I think I’d have a heart attack Never put my love out on the line Never said yes to the right guy Never had trouble getting what I want But when it comes to you I’m never good enough When I don’t care I can play him like a Ken doll Won’t wash my hair. Then make him bounce like a basketball But you make me wanna act like a girl Paint my nails and wear high heels Yes you, make me so nervous that I just can’t hold your hand You make me glow But I cover up, won’t let it show So I’m putting my defenses up Cause I don’t wanna fall in love If I ever did that, I think I’d have a heart attack  I think I’d have a heart attack I think I’d have a heart attack Never break a sweat for the other guys When you come around I get paralyzed 5 ? HAVE FUN AND ENJOY ANALYSING THE LITERARY (POETIC) TECHNIQUES USED IN YOUR CHOSEN SONG ? ? Prepared by Ms Banu (AHS 2014 Literature/ Poetry Unit) ? And every time I try to be myself It comes out wrong like a cry for help It’s just not fair Brings more trouble than it all is worth I gasp for air It feels so good, but you know it hurts But you make me wanna act like a girl Paint my nails and wear perfume For you, make me so nervous that I just can’t hold your hand. You make me glow But I cover up, won’t let it show So I’m putting my defenses up Cause I don’t wanna fall in love If I ever did that, I think I’d have a heart attack I think I’d have a heart attack I think I’d have a heart attack The feelings got lost in my lungs They’re burning, I’d rather be numb And there’s no one else to blame So scared I’ll take off and run I’m flying too close to the sun And I’ll burst into flames You make me glow But I cover up, won’t let it show So I’m putting my defenses up Cause I don’t wanna fall in love If I ever did that, I think I’d have a heart attack.

International Marketing Plan For Allianz Marketing Essay

International Marketing Plan For Allianz Marketing Essay Allianz is an international company specializing in the provision of financial services, and the companys headquarters is in Munich, Germany. In the global business world of today, companies cannot afford to just remain domestic, as this could lead to a decline in the companys reputation and business. Serious companies have to work hard on their international presence, to ensure that their stakes in the market are maintained and increased. Founded in the year 1890, Allianz has branches in more than 70 countries and more than 180,000 employees worldwide. The company has acquired about 60 million customers to whom it provides property and casualty insurance services, health insurance, life insurance asset management and banking services. Allianz started to go international in the late 19th century when the company opened a branch office in London. Allianz now also has branches in Paris, Italy, Great Britain, Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, and USA. Allianz hopes to expand into Eastern Euro pe and establish branches either in Hungary or turkey. Since international marketing plans revolve around certain factors, the company will have to complete a thorough analysis of the countries in question, so as to determine the feasibility and viability of international services in these countries. This report will also discuss the viability of establishing branches in the Turkish or Hungarian market place. The Company is aiming to establish the organization in a global market. In order to do this an effective international marketing plan would have to be developed. Situation analysis The goal of this international marketing plan is the provision of specific directions for the companys marketing activities. Research will be carried out in various areas like segmentation, marketing, pricing strategy, targeting and positioning, promotional strategy, control and implementation, in order to achieve set goals. This marketing plan will also detail what the company can achieve with such an international marketing strategy and hoe this plan will help in realizing company objectives. When an organization has decided that it is beneficial to go international and start operations in another country, it is necessary to define company policies on international marketing and the companys objectives for creating promotional campaigns that are efficient. As long as Allianz continues to offer superior services that are efficient, then the company will be better than a domestic company. As the global market continues to grow bigger and population increase continues, the company must engage in effective international marketing, in order to acquire and maintain more clients. (An in depth analysis of Insurance Industry) Interest in Hungary and Turkey Numerous variables function within an international company such as this, which deals in a global market. These variables can influence the companys strategy either directly or indirectly. Being well implanted in various parts of the world Allianz seeks to invest other markets in Europe. Marketing strategy At Allianz, the goal of business is the acquisition of clients and maintaining these clients as customers. The companys international marketing strategy should reflect this, as the company continues to build its reputation. The strategies that would be used for this international marketing will be a push/promotional strategy and pull/selling strategy. The push/promotional strategy will use the companys trade promotion activities and sales force to create consumer demand internationally. The pull/selling strategy involves expenses on promotions for consumers and advertising in order to build up consumer demand for services SWOT analysis The sections highlighted below constitute the most relevant issues for Allianz, and the success of the company. Strengths The companys strengths include: a brand new international approach, staff experience, targeted focus and marketing prowess. Allianz would have to take advantage of these strengths in order to utilize the companys opportunities and also manage threats effectively. Possible weaknesses to the companys international campaign are basically those problems inherent in new product and financial services marketing. Allianzs Strengths also include Product differentiation Superior experience: since the Allianz team is quite experienced in marketing, the company has to capitalize on this experience and bring it to bear on the international market Popularity of the company: strong companies like Allianz tend to have a kind of cult or customer loyalty for many years, which will be brought to bear on the international scene Weaknesses Launching new products and services internationally brings disadvantages of having to build a whole new market structure Opportunities A growing international market Potential for continued improvement Vertical integration: Allianz also has the potential to integrate more services into its international presence and add more branches in various parts of the world Threats The latent competition ensures that there would be other companies who will begin to offer similar services internationally. Unforeseen economic downturn may also reduce fluid/disposable income in spite of a strong domestic economy and anticipated continuous growth. Marketing mix The company should Endeavour to employ a wide range of advertising promotions and communications in order to achieve set out international marketing goals Marketing budget The companys marketing budget must be reviewed and the marketing director would assume responsibility for the budget, excluding the budget for developing the company website. The budget for the international marketing campaign needs to be evaluated on a quarterly basis, with adjustments made to media vehicles, advert schedules, and effective frequency as required Promotion As part of international marketing promotions, there should be grand PR parties and sports events held and organized for prospective clients. Local, national and international media will also be used and sales personnel will be stationed in target market locations like shopping malls and concerts and other related events Financial projection In order to make Allianzs financial services more appealing internationally, the company will have to look towards market segmentation. In looking towards market segmentation, the company will be able to identify specific customer characteristics of interest in specific financial services. As noted on the website of the Center for Business Planning, the purpose of for segmenting a market is to allow the sales/marketing program to focus on the subset of prospects that are most likely to purchase what the company offers, and this can help to ensure the highest yield/return for sales/marketing expenditures, if done properly. (Center for Business Planning, 2009) The international marketing plan developed by Allianz must make a careful analysis of market research to lead to useful decisions regarding the nature of the market in hungary, and of the potential clients in that country. To be able to satisfy the needs of these customers, the company must identify ways to understand its internal and external situation, including the market environment, the customer and the capabilities of the company PEST Analysis Political Factors Increased service tax on premium 5% discount on corporate premium Hike in FDI limit Pricing control in general insurance Favorable regulation for rural insurance Economic Factors Increase in Gross Domestic Savings Social Factors Low insurance coverage Rise in elderly population Growth of insurance Technological Factors Automation of processes Increase in CRM solutions Internet driven information era (Insurance Industry: An Analysis) Implementation and control Allianzs international marketing efforts will be designed to launch and provide sales of goods and services. The marketing director will be in charge of tracking the various programs and changes might be made to the marketing mix if there are no appreciable results. Attention should also be given to some other factors like economic recession, extremely low sales, and the expensive nature of certain types of media that will be used for the international marketing plan, as these factors might influence the budget and marketing mix. The companys international marketing efforts will be reviewed quarterly. Differences between revenue and sales goals during the first year of operation will be the main source of comparison. Customers feedback will also be sought on marketing efforts and there will be surveys and focus groups organized to evaluate the efficacy of adverts. Conclusion Assessment of external factors can help a company to position itself within the environment in which the company operates. Although there are various macroeconomic factors that can affect a company like Allianz, the direction and strength of major industry shaping trends can be gauged by environmental factor assessment. This type of assessment may seem to pose a threat on some occasions but on the other hand, this assessment can create new opportunities. During the environmental assessment, it is vital to seek out new opportunities for business, feasible market places and other companies with which some form of cooperative arrangement can be built. In order to be successful internationally, Allianz needs to understand, anticipate and take advantage of the changes in the business environment. The international environment does have a big impact on the determination of market decisions. A large part of international marketing requires the scanning of the external environment that affec ts Allianz, so that the company can respond profitably to the trends and market requirements of the targeted market. Allianz hopes to expand into Eastern Europe and establish branches either in Hungary or turkey. Due to Global currency issues and the effects of previous economic recessions which have created problems for the company and the services it renders, I believe that Hungary will be a more viable location for the company to invest internationally, as this country is more open to foreign investment. Industries in this country are also expanding and this represents more opportunity for the companys financial services. The firm has also been advised to take a long term view. This is a good strategy for the company, as most emerging markets are long term based, to guard against the negative effects of economic downturns

The Fire Station Essay -- Descriptive Essay, Descriptive Writing

I was sitting at my dinner table and suddenly the TV program was erupted in with an irritating noise. An announcment ran across the bottom of the TV screen, "There will be a fire meeting tonight, 7:30." I quickly finish my supper and head into town. I turn my engine off and got out of my car. I walk up the cement ramp towards the door of the metal-sided fire station. The steel door is cold and I carefully enter the door lock's code and turn the reluctant knob. The room is dark and I blindly reach around the corner and hit the light switch. Instantly the buzzing light of fluorescent bulbs fills the room. My nostrils also fill but with the smell of machines. Slowly as I walk further into the station, I can feel the loose grit and sand underneath my feet. Directly in front of me is an undersized crimson fire truck. It is a Dodge pickup truck, fitted with a boxy accessory tool bed. The hood is ironically raised, as if being repaired. How strange that an emergency vehicle appears broken down. On the end of the truck, a trailer is attached, which stows a six-wheeler. The truck and trailer, inconveniently, cuts access to the rest of the station. Along the wall, yellow firefighter uniforms hang beneath their wearer's name. An ash smell radiates from the fibers. There is a narrow passageway between the racks of protective clothing and the aft of the trailer. This serves as not only a hallway but also a fitting area. My uniform, technically called "bunker gear," is on the rack closest to the entrance door. Located at the entrance of the station, I manage only to be a burden to people entering, unlike the firefighters who have to dress in the tight passageway. Once through the small walkway between the trailer and wall, there are tw... ...d the instructions on the pager. Am I forgetting something? I went into the other room reached around the corner and flipped the light switch. I grabbed a hand-held radio, got in the truck and started it up. I wait anxiously for someone else to arrive. I pace and mull over the situation. Will anyone else show up? Will I have to go alone? Am I sure of where the fire is? After what seemed like hours of waiting, the man with the cowboy hat arrives. With great excitement, he hips and hollers as if he was going to fight Indians. I helped him get ready, grabbing a handheld radio for him. I hopped in the with him and we drove out of the barn. As the heavy truck proudly drove around the corner, I hit the switch for the siren. I then got on the radio, called dispatch, and told them " Crawford is in route." A voice replied saying, "10-4 Crawford, time is 13:22," squelch.

Essay --

Sigmund Freud, probably the most famous psychologist and most controversial of the twentieth century, has helped shaped how we consider our views of the world. His theories bring forth a new kind of thinking to the psychology world and show why we think them. It’s a way many don’t think but may put forth the reasoning to it. There are many though that think Freud was just another crazy psychologist that was on drugs. Though his many proofs behind his major theories such as: the conscious and unconscious mind, the Id, Ego, and Superego, psychosexual theory, and others as well, can prove why it wasn’t just a drug trip Freud was on. The mind is divided up into three sections according to Freud. It consists of the conscious, preconscious, and the unconscious mind. In Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, the conscious mind consists of everything inside of our awareness. (Psychology) This part of the mind is known for keeping hold of our senses, memories and perception in our awareness. This part of our mind can tie into our preconscious mind as well, through the things we aren’t aware of though when thought about its presence is in our conscious mind now. The preconscious mind is the part of the mind that represents ordinary memory. (Psychology) We can remember this stuff and always pull it back into our conscious mind whenever needed. This makes much sense towards Freud’s thinking bringing forth a tie between the conscious mind and preconscious, showing how we can do things in our conscious mind and be stored in our preconscious for later use. The third part of our mind is the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of our conscious awareness. (P... ...st of a person's life and the individual develops a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex. (Psychology) This stage represents how an individual is most interested in one’s pleasure seeking thoughts such as relationships and or sexual thoughts. This can compromise how we humans think and how we react to many things. It all does seem like this information doesn’t make sense though it all seems to tie in to each other. All these theories tie into each other and have some proof behind each one. It all seems reasonable when too many and is always used as a reference in the psychology world. There are many critics towards Freud’s work due to the time period he was living in and how much it influenced his thinking. Others put forth how the drugs he was on may have caused to him to think all these theories though with the proof behind some of them it can go either way.

The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West Essay -- Day Locust nathanael

The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West In The Day of the Locust, Tod Hackett undergoes an internal development relative to his migration. Tod, an architect living in Connecticut, moves out to Hollywood to build scenery for movies. Yet, once he moves, Tod is transformed into a lethargic, non-artist who can no longer create his own drawings on paper. His surroundings drive these changes, as all characters in the novel are depicted in a similar fashion. Tod becomes one of the grotesque as well, laughing at the disturbing rather than the humorous. These new features signal Tod’s incapacity to return to his old self, as he constantly suffers from his migration. This comes full circle at the end of the novel when Tod is led away from the mob scene at the Hollywood premiere: â€Å"He was carried through the exit to the back street and lifted into a police car. The siren began to scream and at first he thought he was making the noise himself. He felt his lips with his hands. They were clamped tight. He knew then it was the siren. For some reason this made him laugh and he began to imitate the siren as loud as he could.† (185) This excerpt depicts Tod’s migration in full: from an active artist to a grotesque and lazy Californian who will never recover from his experience. Tod’s movement into the police car parallels his transformation to laziness in Los Angeles. When the National Films talent scout carries him off to Hollywood to learn set and costume design, Tod disregards the unusual fact that he is â€Å"hired by telegram† rather than in person (60). This provides a clue early in the novel into the indolent nature of Los Angeles that will eventually cause his own laziness. Even after only three months of living in Hollywood, ... ... artistic vision and the disorganization relating to the Hollywood mob. Ultimately, Tod can no longer recuperate from the brutal crowd and the cacophonous sound of the siren. Instead, he loses his artist status by conforming to the status quo, more specifically, becoming like all the people he wants to paint. In The Day of the Locust, Tod Hackett evolves from an innovative architect to a lethargic imitator. Tod likens the other people in his painting of the destruction of Los Angeles to a grotesque, jarring mob. The final scene in the police car perfectly captures this transformation as the police carry a laughing, siren-screaming Tod off away from the Hollywood premiere. Unfortunately, Tod can never recover as his artistic abilities have been destroyed through migration. His migration is thus complete and final; he has truly become a hopeless Californian. The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West Essay -- Day Locust nathanael The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West In The Day of the Locust, Tod Hackett undergoes an internal development relative to his migration. Tod, an architect living in Connecticut, moves out to Hollywood to build scenery for movies. Yet, once he moves, Tod is transformed into a lethargic, non-artist who can no longer create his own drawings on paper. His surroundings drive these changes, as all characters in the novel are depicted in a similar fashion. Tod becomes one of the grotesque as well, laughing at the disturbing rather than the humorous. These new features signal Tod’s incapacity to return to his old self, as he constantly suffers from his migration. This comes full circle at the end of the novel when Tod is led away from the mob scene at the Hollywood premiere: â€Å"He was carried through the exit to the back street and lifted into a police car. The siren began to scream and at first he thought he was making the noise himself. He felt his lips with his hands. They were clamped tight. He knew then it was the siren. For some reason this made him laugh and he began to imitate the siren as loud as he could.† (185) This excerpt depicts Tod’s migration in full: from an active artist to a grotesque and lazy Californian who will never recover from his experience. Tod’s movement into the police car parallels his transformation to laziness in Los Angeles. When the National Films talent scout carries him off to Hollywood to learn set and costume design, Tod disregards the unusual fact that he is â€Å"hired by telegram† rather than in person (60). This provides a clue early in the novel into the indolent nature of Los Angeles that will eventually cause his own laziness. Even after only three months of living in Hollywood, ... ... artistic vision and the disorganization relating to the Hollywood mob. Ultimately, Tod can no longer recuperate from the brutal crowd and the cacophonous sound of the siren. Instead, he loses his artist status by conforming to the status quo, more specifically, becoming like all the people he wants to paint. In The Day of the Locust, Tod Hackett evolves from an innovative architect to a lethargic imitator. Tod likens the other people in his painting of the destruction of Los Angeles to a grotesque, jarring mob. The final scene in the police car perfectly captures this transformation as the police carry a laughing, siren-screaming Tod off away from the Hollywood premiere. Unfortunately, Tod can never recover as his artistic abilities have been destroyed through migration. His migration is thus complete and final; he has truly become a hopeless Californian.

Tourism in India

www. Yesbank. in The Travel and Hospitality Industry India’s travel, tourism and hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing service industries in the country thanks to a burgeoning middle class, increasing purchasing power, a rising inflow of foreign tourists, and successful government campaigns promoting ‘Incredible India'. In 2011 alone, travel and tourism contributed to 6. 4% of the GDP, and is forecast to rise by 7. 3% in 2012. In terms of employment, travel and tourism directly supported 24,975,000 jobs (5% of employment) in 2011, and is expected to rise by 3% in 2012. Also read: Importance of Advertising in Tourism IndustryForeign Exchange Earnings (FEE) from tourism in 2011 were $16,564 million with a growth of 16. 7% over 2010. 14 Clearly, India is fast becoming a popular tourist destination world over. Between April 2000 and December 2011, the hotel and tourism sector generated a total of $3,195. 70 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). 15In 2011 alone, the country welcomed 6. 29 million foreign tourists, compared to 5. 78 million in 2010. 16By 2022, international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 11,276,000, generating an expenditure of `1,382. 6 billion. 7 In 2010-11, the travel and hospitality industry faced the challenge of a significant decline in corporate travel due to serious cost cutting by global corporate houses, as well as the fear of terrorism, and a lack of a sense of safety post the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. However, the hospitality sector has shown resilience, improving its security management and performance. With the growth of budget hotels along with low cost airlines, online travel bookings, and group travel, SMEs in the travel and tourism sector have shown rapid progress.They have been targeting niche markets specializing in corporate travel, leisure travel, and even hitherto unheard services like wedding travel and planning. â€Å"IATA statistics show that today, maximum business is generated in Asia. Asia and particularly India now have a major role to play in shaping this sector while also enjoying maximum share. However, with more disposable income, Indians prefer to travel overseas rather than within the country.We have over 14 million Indians traveling overseas, but the figure for inbound tourism stands at a dismal 6 million – this can definitely increase if we begin to seriously promote India as a destination to be explored and discovered. †, says Vivek Dadhich, Managing Director of Noida-based Bluemoon Travels, a new age travel company offering leisure travel and MIC E – travel planning services for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions. As per an analysis done by retail consultancy Technopak, at the end of 2010 the Indian hotel industry’s worth was estimated around US$ 17 billion.The share of hotel and restaurant sector in the overall economy is still below 2 per cent. For the last five years the total contribution of the hospitality sector has remained stagnant. Although the overall share increased from 1. 46 per cent in 2004-05 to 1. 69 per cent in 2007-08, but then after the phase of economic meltdown in US the total share again decreased to 1. 45 per cent in 2009-10. India ranks in the 153rd position spending 0. 9% for tourism. The hotel and tourism industry’s contribution to the Indian economy by way of foreign direct investments (FDI) inflows were pegged at US$ 2. 5 billion from April 2000 to February 2011, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). As per an analysis done by r etail consultancy Technopak, at the end of 2010 the Indian hotel industry’s worth was estimated around US$ 17 billion. The share of hotel and restaurant sector in the overall economy is still below 2 per cent. For the last five years the total contribution of the hospitality sector has remained stagnant. Although the overall share increased from 1. 46 per cent in 2004-05 to 1. 69 per cent in 2007-08, but then after the phase of economic meltdown in US the total share again decreased to 1. 5 per cent in 2009-10. India ranks in the 153rd position spending 0. 9% for tourism. The hotel and tourism industry’s contribution to the Indian economy by way of foreign direct investments (FDI) inflows were pegged at US$ 2. 35 billion from April 2000 to February 2011, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). www. oifc. com overseas Indian facilitation center According to the Tourism Satellite Accounting (TSA) research, released by World Travel and Touri sm Council (WTTC) and its strategic partner Oxford Economics in 2011: * The direct contribution of Travel ;Tourism to GDP is expected to be INR 1,570. billion (US$ 35. 4 billion) (1. 9 per cent of total GDP) in 2011, rising by 8. 1 per cent per annum (pa) to INR 3,414. 8 billion (US$ 77. 0 billion*) (2. 0 per cent) in 2021 * The total contribution of Travel ;Tourism to GDP, including its wider economic impacts, is forecast to rise by 8. 8 per cent pa from INR 3,680. 4 billion (US$ 83. 0 billion) (4. 5 per cent of GDP) in 2011 to INR 8,523. 1 billion (US$ 191. 2 billion*) (4. 9 per cent) by 2021. Total Contribution of Travel ; Tourism to GDP Source: World Travel ; Tourism CouncilThe TSA research also states that the sector is expected to support directly 24,931,000 jobs (5. 0 per cent of total employment) in 2011, rising by 2. 0 per cent pa to 30,439,000 jobs (5. 2 per cent) by 2021. Hotel Industry Due to increasing number of foreign tourist arrivals, together with the growth of dome stic tourism in the country, the hotel industry is also witnessing continued momentum. The Indian Hospitality industry contributes around 2. 2 per cent of India’s GDP. The industry is expected to reach INR 230 billion (US$ 5. 2 billion*) by 2015, growing at a robust CAGR of 12. per cent. India will be investing around INR 448 billion (US$ 10. 1 billion*) in the hospitality industry in the next five years, according to a report ‘The Indian Hotel Industry Report – 2011 Edition’ by CYGNUS Business Consulting ; Research Firm. The industry also witnessed an increase in the number of hotel rooms with a growth of 5 per cent during the last three to four years. In the next two years, a total investment of US$ 12. 2 billion (INR 545. 2 billion*) is expected that will add over 20 new international brands in the hospitality sector.Rise of budget hotels in the country, like Ginger Hotels, Lemon Tree, Sarovar Hotels, Fortune Hotels, Ibis and Choice Hotels clearly sugge st a huge growth potential in the sector. The Growth Path Foreign tourist arrivals in the country have increased substantially during the past decade motivated by both, business and leisure needs and are further expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 8 per cent during 2010-2014, as per a research report ‘Indian Tourism Industry Analysis’ by research firm RNCOS.In fact, the Tourism sector enjoyed strong growth during 2010, as indicated in the data released by the Ministry of Tourism in January 2011. As per the data, in 2010, the country experienced a strong rebound in the Tourism industry. Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) * FTAs in India during 2010 were 5. 58 million with a growth rate of 8. 1 per cent as compared to the FTAs of 5. 17 million and growth rate of (-)2. 2 per cent during 2009. * The 8. 1 per cent growth rate in FTAs for 2010 over 2009 for India is much better than UNWTO’s projected growth rate of 5 per cent to 6 per cent f or the world during the same period. FTAs during the month of June 2011, was 3. 96 lakh as compared to FTAs of 3. 70 lakh during the month of June 2010 and 3. 52 lakh in June 2009. There has been a growth of 7. 2 per cent in June 2011 over June 2010 as compared to a growth of 4. 9 per cent registered in June 2010 over June 2009. FTAs during the period January-June 2011 were 29. 19 lakh with a growth of 10. 9 per cent, as compared to the FTAs of 26. 32 lakh with a growth of 8. 9 per cent during January-June 2010 over the corresponding period of 2009. * FEE from Tourism in INR terms during 2010 were INR 648. billion as compared to INR 549. 6 billion during 2009 and INR 507. 3 billion during 2008. FEE from tourism in US$ terms during 2010 were US$ 14. 2 billion as compared to US$ 11. 4 billion during 2009 and US$ 11. 7 billion during 2008. * The growth rate in FEE in INR terms during 2010 was 18. 1 per cent as compared to the growth rate of 8. 3 per cent in 2009 over 2008. Therefore, t he growth rate observed in 2010 over 2009 was substantially high. The growth rate in FEE in US$ terms during 2010 was 24. 6 per cent as compared to a decline of 3 per cent in 2009 over 2008.Therefore, in US$ terms, also growth rate observed in 2010 was positive and substantially high. * FEE in INR terms during the month of June 2011 were INR 54. 4 billion as compared to INR 47. 5 billion in June 2010 and INR 38. 0 billion in June 2009. FEE in US$ terms during the month of June 2011 were US$ 1. 2 billion as compared to FEE of US$ 1. 0 billion during the month of June 2010 and US$ 0. 7 billion in June 2009. * The growth rate in FEE in INR terms in June 2011 over June 2010 was 14. 5 per cent as compared to 25. 0 per cent in June 2010 over June 2009.The growth rate in FEE in US$ terms in June 2011 over June 2010 was 18. 9 per cent as compared to the growth of 28. 1 per cent in June 2010 over June 2009. * FEE from Tourism in INR terms during January-June 2011 were INR 351. 6 billion with a growth of 12. 1 per cent, as compared to the FEE of INR 313. 7 billion with a growth of 27. 1 per cent during January-June 2010 over the corresponding period of 2009. * FEE from Tourism in terms of US$ during January-June 2011 were US$ 7. 8 billion with a growth of 14. 2 per cent, as compared to US$ 6. billion with a growth of 36. 6 per cent during January-June 2010 over the corresponding period of 2009. Visitor exports are a key component of the direct contribution of the sector. According to the TSA research, India is expected to attract 6,179,000 international tourist (overnight visitor) arrivals in 2011, generating INR 678. 6 billion (US$ 15. 3 billion) in visitor exports (foreign visitor spending, including spending on transportation). By 2021, international tourist arrivals are forecast to total 11,149,000, an increase of 6. per cent pa generating expenditure of INR 1,344. 7 billion (US$ 30. 3 billion*). Visitor Exports and International Tourist Arrivals Hospitalityindia. c om Tourism in India is the largest service industry, with a contribution of 6. 23% to the national GDP and 8. 78% of the total employment in India. Indiabiz. com According to Economic Survey of 2010-11 the average annual growth rate of hotel and restaurant sector has been 8. 8 per cent for the period during 2005-06 and 2009–10. However, last two years have not been quite pleasant for the sector as growth faltered badly.Till five years ago, the sector was registering a growth of around 15 per cent but slowdown in the economy has affected the growth prospects of the sector badly and the growth rate has dropped into single digit level. The sector registered negative growth (-3. 41 per cent) in 2008–09 over the year 2007–08, which was due to the adverse global economic conditions in this year. But, the sector is back in the positive growth territory and clocked a growth of 2. 2 per cent in 2009-10. Annual growth rate (in per cent) Year|   2005-06|   2006-07|   2007-08|   2008-09|   2009-10| Hotels ; Restaurants| 17. | 14. 4| 13. 1| -3. 1| 2. 2| Source: Economic Survey 2010-11 Growth Prospects Healthy economic growth recorded in past few years, especially in the services industry, has led to increase in business travel. Higher disposable income and affordability have increased domestic leisure travel in India. Foreign tourist arrivals in India have also grown. The industry’s performance was hit in 2009 due to the global economic slowdown, terror attacks in Mumbai (November 2008) and H1N1 virus. However, the industry has shown signs of recovery in the first half of 2010.This is a clear indicator that the long-term prospects for the Indian travel and tourism industry are bright. India is expected to witness increased tourist activity both in the business and leisure segments in the coming years. International inbound traffic is expected to grow rapidly with increasing investment and trade activity. India has been identified as on e of the fastest-growing countries in terms of tourism demand. The travel and tourism demand is expected to reach US$ 266. 1 bn (` 14,601. 7 bn) by 2019. During 2004–2009 travel and tourism demand in India increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16. % to US$ 91. 7 bn (` 4,412. 7 bn) and foreign exchange earnings from tourism increased ~13% to US$ 11. 39 bn. Some prominent players : Sahara group, viceroy hotels,Carlson, UAE based Istithmar hotel, Netherlands based Golden Tulip Hospitality group, IRCTC, Leela Palace and resorts, DLF Universal Major players: Indian Hotels Company Limited (the Taj group) EIH Limited (the Oberoi group) ITC Hotels Limited Indian Tourism Development Corporation Small chains: Hotel Leela Venture Asian Hotels (Hyatt International Corporation) Bharat Hotels Public Sector Chain:ITDC and HCI Govt initiatives: Incredible India Atithie devo bhava Porter’s five forces: Threat of substitute goods: Presence of many hotels around the corner Hotels have varying price ranges and amenities and it is difficult to predict customer’s choice of choosing a hotel. The internet makes the overall market more efficient while expanding the size of the potential market and creating new substitution threats. Another hotel chain may erode your customer base with a newly formulated internet approach or marketing campaign. Bargaining Power of Buyers:Business persons choosing a hotel are tech savvy and find it easy to search for cheaper hotels in internet and book them. This eliminates middle men and intermediaries which in turn increases the bargaining power. The cost of switching is very low, which is again a high bargaining power on the side of buyers. This industry has numerous customers who are  relatively very small in size. Loss of  a single customer has little impact on a hotel company and this drives down the buyers  bargaining power. Rivalry among existing competitors The rivalry among competitors in the hotel ind ustry is fierce.When potential customers can learn about a hotel on line, the internet reduces the differences among competitors. People tend to seek the best price for the best experience and the tendency is to reduce price to be competitive. The internet covers wide geographical areas so the market is widened increasing the number of competitors. Barriers to entry: Initial investment cost is very high. A vital barrier would be differentiation. A hotel that can differential itself by location, by service, amenities or some other quality has the potential to attract and keep its clients.Another barrier to entry would be expertise. Unfortunately, in a mobile society employees frequently leave one hotel chain to work in another and they take that expertise in terms of training or of experience with them. It is in the areas of expertise and of differentiation that a hotel can make the greatest impact on its client and thereby on its bottom line. Economies of scale are also a huge facto r in this industry. Profitability of hotel chains is  drastically higher  than individual operations.A new entrant cannot  compete with established players in terms or quality and price  if they cannot establish significant economies of scale. High exit barriers because of the specialized assets. Bargaining power of suppliers: Two key suppliers for hotel industry are labour and real estate. The number of suppliers for  the Hotel industry is quite large and each supplier  is very small in size compared to the leading players in the industry. These few  powerful players are indispensible to the suppliers. Substitutability of the suppliers is also quite feasible and inexpensive.Switching between real estate agents is not going to affect  a particular Hotel company significantly. However in terms of quality, training centers for employees and ICT  manufacturers who provide IT systems that for property management are relatively more difficult to replace. Therefore in te rms of  substitute suppliers industry attractiveness is  moderately high. Industry’s threat of backward integration is pretty high since large hotel chains like ITC or IHCL  would have no qualms expanding into the real estate  business or developing employee training facilities in-house. Technology:Innovative designs, technological advancements and next generation interior concepts are keys to maintaining the Indian hospitality industry's success and to attract the next generation of customers. The concept, design, plan, materials, technology each aspect used in a hotel, restaurant or any property is ever changing and breaths technology for advancement and recognition. The brand loyalty increases with the concept and luxury of the hotel, no more with names. Technology plays a vital role in helping hotels expand and provide great services to the next generation of travellers.Availability enquiries, travel arrangements, local transport, gate entry, reception desks, elev ators, room, in-room features and everything travellers see and touch hotel are enhanced with the right technology and concept. To harness India’s tourism potential, several efforts are being taken for opening new destinations and exploring niche segments. However, infrastructure facilities such as air, rail, road connectivity, and hospitality services at these destinations and the connecting cities are inadequate.This remains a major hurdle for development of tourism. Roadways form a vital network in the tourist industry with almost 70% tourists in India travelling by road. Moreover, many tourist circuits depend on roads. Despite numerous efforts to improve road infrastructure, connectivity remains a major problem. There is a greater need for strengthened road and rail network, development of more expressways, and tourist-specific routes to improve connectivity to various locations across different regions.Aviation infrastructure is also critical since it is a major mode of entry for inbound tourism. Passenger traffic is expected to increase in the coming years; however infrastructure facilities at airports are cause for concern. Expansion and development of airports at major gateway cities is underway to cater to the increasing passenger traffic. However, in addition, airport facilities at important secondary cities and tourist destinations also need to be improved to be able to handle greater passenger traffic.

Pronoun

Read in your textbook or in any other available resource on the topic of Verb BE. 3. Write a personal ad describing yourself, activities you do, hobbies, where you work, where do you live, etc. Focus on two or three questions available in Appendix A to write your ad. 4. Bring the ad to class. Prep-04-26-04 Carmen L. Lambda, De-D. 7 program O'Hara 5. Carry out some research on someone famous. Think of a person you would like to interview and do some research on the Internet on that person. It could be an athlete, and actress or actor, or the president. Make sure you have enough information on this person. Activities 1. Ice breaker activity will be carried out.In order to do this, have students read their ads. Ask students to listen to the ads and have them jot down any similarity or striking fact they would like to hear more about. After everyone reads their ad, have students get up and go about the room and ask each other about specific details they thought were interesting. Let them converse among themselves. . After that, have students talk about something they found out or thought interesting about the people they talked to. Facilitator can participate in this activity. 3. Facilitator provides an overview of the course. Particular emphasis should be placed on objectives, evaluation criteria, student participation, and group work.If any changes are made to the grading evaluation criteria, these should be given in writing to the student and the office program during the first workshop. 4. Discuss evaluation criteria. 5. Select Student Representative. 6. Tell students they are going to review the alphabet and most of all review alphabetical order. Tell them you are going to give each student a card. Each card has the name of a different animal, or thing. Ask students to look at their card, but tell no one what they have. By acting (walking, acting, or making sounds) like the animal or thing they should go around the room and try to place themselves in correct a lphabetical order.Facilitator should create his/ her own list of things and animals, but these are some examples: a. Kangaroo b. Ostrich c. Tiger d. Bear 8 e. Clock f. Snake g. Bird h. Train 7. Provide students with about 10 minutes to try to sort themselves alphabetically. Once students are sorted, have them read out their card. Did they get it right? Be sure to review any alphabetizing questions they may have. 8. Present students with a review of the VERB BE in present tense. Am am from Mexico City (l am) What's your name? (What is) My name is Maria Where are you from? 9. Have students pair up. Ask students to interview each other, making sure each student gets the name, phone number and address of the person he/ she is interviewing. 10.Have students introduce the person by providing the details requested (phone number, name, and address). Have them use the phrases: This is (name). His/Her address is His/Her phone number . 11. As students say the information help them and guide th em to say the addresses and phone numbers correctly concentrating on the numbers and on using the verb be correctly. 12. Have students again pair up. Facilitator should try pairing them up with someone different each time. Ask them to decide on a famous person they would like to interview. This famous person could be an athlete, actor, actress, or president. Use the research you carried out prior to the workshop. 13. Write up an interview for that famous person.Have One of the students portray the famous person and have the other person be the interviewer. Practice your interview and present the role play to the class. Be sure to use verb be correctly. 9 14. Have students complete the assignment presented in Appendix B. Students should hand in during the next workshop (Workshop 2). (HINT: Make copies of the assignment and hand in once you complete it. 15. Offer a preview of Workshop 2 and discuss upcoming homework. In order for students to complete the homework, ask them to work in groups. Make sure the composition of the group has been decided before they leave the classroom. Ask them to provide you with a list with the group members. Groups should not have more than four students.

Interview Qaisra Shahraz

Aquaria Sahara visited many places in India and gave talks on her two books. Her trip was made possible by her Indian publishers Penguin. I chanced to read her work and I found It Interesting. Later my colleague and the co -editor of this book Professor A. R. Sidewalk suggested that we could Interest many people to contribute essays on the art and craft of Aquaria Sahara. The response simply overwhelmed us. In almost no time we received the consent of a great many colleagues in India and elsewhere in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Europe and the United States to write for this volume. Most of them have kept their word.We are indeed grateful to them for their interest. Out of so many post-colonial Indian and Pakistani writers writing In English, what, In your pollen. Is special about Salsa Sahara as a remarkable fiction writer? Of the postcolonial writers it is only Indian writers who hog all limelight. The Resides, the Gosh, the Despise. The fact is a lot of new and interesting writing is e merging from unlikely places. From Pakistan, from Bangladesh. And whatever be the mage of Pakistan in the media, Western and Indian, an interesting thing is that a lot of new writers are emerging from Pakistan.Most of this writing Is very political which Is not surprising since Pakistan faces problems which are essentially of political nature. However, there are some writers who focus attention on issues of a different nature. Aquaria Sahara is one such writer. She has charted a different territory. Issues of identity-rural, regional, gender -are her basic concerns. How has she contributed to the discourse on the gender Issue with specific reference o Pakistani society, especially in view of her being based in the UK/West?Most writers maintain their link with their country of origin. Pakistan never disappeared from Aquaria Ashram's imaginative space. As a woman who has lived her life In two countries her writing is only enriched by her experience. The diasporas Identity has Its own advantages. In her case It Is not lack of something but rather the an open eye. In her work she shows the limitations of both Western and non-western feminism. Does Aquaria Sahara typify the Feminist perspective? She goes farther than that. She redefines feminism for Pakistani society.Call it Islamic feminism, Muslim feminism or by whatever name she does not mindlessly indulge in Islam and Muslim bashing which is the motif in lots of ,what has been called, oppressed women's novels. Her target is rather the agrarian system, some oppressive customs in Kinds and the subversion of Islam to serve one's own interest. What is Aquaria Ashram's attitude to patriarchy which is rife in Pakistani Culture? She has a very critical view of some patriarchal institutions. Some of her characters are self-consciously feminist. Professor Night Sultana, for instance.Even Karri Banjo's supposedly meek capitulation to a patriarchal institution can be read as a criticism of patriarchy. In this instance she shows both the power and the evil nature of patriarchy. What are your comments on Aquaria Ashram's understanding and depiction of Pakistani village life and Islamic culture? For a person who has mostly lived in cities Aquaria Sahara shows remarkable understanding of rural life. The character of Kanji, Skull's and Amanita bib' and others are products of rural set-up. While reading her novels I was myself transported back in time and place.I was thinking of a woman in Titular,( my native place in Attar Pradesh) who passed invitations by word of mouth, fixed matches and spread gossip in her own inimitable ways. I was reminded of the institution of village match maker, a task which is now done on the net. The close- knit community, oppressive customs, force of gossip, the distrust of the corrupting ways of the city-?these are all beautifully captured by Sierra's narrative, especially in Typhoon. Sierra's language is very different from other Indo-Anglican writers like Rushed, Koran Ide as Iranian Ideas for instance.Could you elucidate? Of course it is different room what Rushed calls citified English. Others have Jokingly referred to the fortification of English. Aquaria has her own share of non English words because she is translating an entire culture. Words like Zeta and Kismet add a richness to English vocabulary. I especially liked the papacy style of Sahara in Typhoon. It is her choice of words and English structures which is responsible for the leisurely pace of the Holy Woman and the fast and furious pace of Typhoon – the contrast in the pace of the two books is so remarkable.How do you think this volume of Critical Essays on Aquaria Ashram's craft will intricate to literature and cultural studies? I must confess that the multiplicity of perspectives offered by the contributors has far exceeded my initial understanding of her work. The contributors have analyses her work from all critical angles possible-? pedagogical. The varied backgrounds of the contributors-?British, American, Arab, African, German, Indian and Pakistani-?add some more dimensions to the critical discourse on Sahara.What are some of the main conclusions of the critical scholarship on Aquaria Ashram's work. This is certainly not the final word on Aquaria Ashram's work. It is Just the beginning. Other critics, most certainly students of literature, can take this work forward and explore ideas treated by the contributors to this volume. Some critical opinion quotes on Aquaria Ashram's work. China Aquaria Sahara, a Pakistani-born English writer and scriptwriter, is such a wonderful story teller that readers can hardly put her stories down once they begin them.Reading her works is like starting a Journey with her unforgettable characters to Pakistan and gaining a deep insight into their lives, in particular the poignant lives of Pakistani women. Living in the I-J since she was 9 years old, but deeply rooted in her own Pakistani culture, she bridges the understand ing between the East and the West. More importantly, through her excellent novels The Holy Woman and Typhoon, she clarifies many Westerns' stereotypical misconceptions about the Islamic cultures. I hope that Ms.Ashram's fascinating works will soon be introduced into China so that they will reach an even wider readership and arouse the academic interest among Chinese academia, also in view of the fact that China also has a large population of Muslims. Tinting Going, Associate Professor of English, Southwest University of Science and Technology( Managing) and translator of Holy Woman and Typhoon, China Germany My reading of Aquaria Ashram's The Holy Woman and Typhoon offered me my first real insight into the lives of women in Pakistani villages and into the types of story which symbolism rural and urban society in that country.It was a revelation and I read both books back to back. The Holy Woman in particular has rightly attracted global attention through its non-partisan portrayal o f the ambivalent relationship teen Islamic culture and Western consciousness as seen through the eyes of a woman. It is a very significant book indeed and Aquaria Ashram's is a voice of mediation which should be more widely heard. Robert Scrimshaw, KulturwissenschaftlichesKolleg, University of Constant, Germany. India transmutable.The migrant imagination produces texts that cross geographic, national, ethnic, and even linguistic boundaries and make connections with the past and the present. Aquaria Sahara who describes herself as a British Muslim of Pakistani origin retains her sensitive understanding of Pakistani society and culture, ND in living away from it, benefits from the distancing perspective which enables her in her fiction to nuance characters, situations and events; negotiate with history and memory; Juxtapose and examine old traditions and new sensibilities.She weaves flavors of life and the sense of living into the texture of her writing. Each of her stories becomes a metaphor for complex exploration of identity formations and self- definitions. In her remarkable novels The Holy Woman and Typhoon and in her short stories, fictive imagination and historical inscription blend significantly to produce reared texts that invite deep engagement and innovative strategies of reading. Tune Musketeer, Professor of Comparative Literature, University of Hydrated, India.Indonesia As a citizen of a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world, I found Aquaria Ashram's works as an eye opener about the diversity of the world Muslims. And I think I am not alone in this opinion, since we witnessed how her two novels, The Holy Woman and Typhoon got a very good response from the Indonesian readers–that's why we plan to republish the two in a product line that we call Gold Edition (novels).I do think that the Indonesian readers got the same enlightenment, that even when we are united as Muslims, we might grow on a different soil of culture that very much influences our interpretation about Islam. And because of that, we need more and more constructive dialogue, not only between the Muslim world and the West (non Muslim world), but also between world-Muslims itself – to bridge differences to gain understanding between cultures. Mrs..Payments Innings, Chief Executive Officer, Mizzen Publishing House – Indonesia Morocco Aquaria Sahara is a voice of light whose piercing scream faces the dark continent of ultra blindness and patriarchal and ideological manipulation. Her feminist writings vehemently uncover the weight of the patriarchal order in an ideologically- biased Pakistani Islamic context, unveil the misuse of Islam in depriving women of their human and sexual rights and, consequently, invite a complex post-colonial and post-harem critical perspective on women's predicaments in the Arab-Islamic sphere as a whole.Ashram's feminist commitment calls for an urgent re-consideration of sexual politics and women's invo lvement in dismantling various areas of masculine animation and building up a modern and gender-democratic Muslim society. Hosannas Cirri, Professor, School of Humanities, Pakistan Aquaria Sahara is one of the most important category English fiction writer of Pakistani origin. Her fiction writing has created its own distinctive place by virtue of its quality and relevance to the contemporary issues.She has an extraordinary skill of raising some delicate and fundamental questions related to women issues in general and in particular about those women who are struggling to discover their individual identity in a polarize world. She presents some important aspects of the infiltration of values between different civilizations through her powerfully conceived characters. Though her characters and setting may represent a certain class or section but her themes overwhelmingly remain universal and humanism formulates the basic fiber of her fiction.Karma Charisma Squid, Editor (English), Paki stan Academy of Letters, Islamabad, Pakistan Turkey The works of Aquaria Sahara, Actual Caddy (The Holy Woman) and Tiffany (Typhoon), have attracted attention with their striking themes and contemporary topics in Turkey. When Ms. Sahara visited our country in 2005 for *Istanbul Book Fair, I got the hence to know her better. I saw that although writers, scientists or intellectuals from the East live in the West, they don't lose touch with their own culture.Aquaria Sahara is one of those intellectuals, who has the ability and experience to interpret the East truly. She is a writer who can deftly read the East while she lives in the West. In this respect, I can say that her novels are important examples to be analyzed academically. Since they were published in our country at a time when discussions were ongoing on the theme of the clash of civilizations, they have also been reliable ND useful sources of information for those who interpret the West differently from the East.We hope that Ms. Sahara, who deserves to be praised in terms of her literary insight, will go on writing books which will take their place among Eastern Classics books with their insightful themes. Burk Fuzzy kabuki, Chief Editor Para Publishing House, Istanbul, Turkey Aquaria Ashram's writing, which has delighted and inspired readers all over the world for the past two decades, is finally receiving the scholarly attention it deserves.This exciting new collection of articles surveys the diverse range of themes and issues treated in Ashram's work – feudalism and modernity; female sexuality, romance and divorce; religious faith and the wearing of the veil; the Pakistani homeland and its Diaspora – and pays tribute to the emotional depth and moral complexity of her gathered from across the globe -? will be of especial interest to non-Muslim readers wishing to understand more about the historical and political context of Ashram's work.Just as Aquaria Ashram's writing has touched the l ives of many thousands of general readers around the world, so will this collection most surely win her new fans within the academic community. Lynn Pearce, Professor of Literary Theory and Women's Writing, Lancaster University, I-J United States of America I was caught by the drama, the romance, the traditions, the shibboleths and the descriptions of town, village, house and home in her novels The Holy Woman and Typhoon.I could see so well the settings and characters Aquaria Sahara described so vividly. She let me into and behind the scenes so far from those in western homes but still of common human interest. I hope to read the further adventures of her protagonists! Ann Nicholson, Radio Host/Producer, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA