Communications In Observation Essays - Nonverbal Communication

Communications in Observation Women are more noticeably shy then men. Non-verbally, their "body language" seems to communicate feelings of great uncertainty and self-consciousness. For example, I observed a woman in a bus en route to the Cherry Hill Mall. Her and a young man sitting directly across from her were engaged in what was apparently a mutual flirt. But the man seemed much more confident and cocky than did the female. For one thing, he was calm and relaxed. The woman, however, kept her arms folded over a purse that she clung to rather tightly. Moreover, the female had a strong tendency to look down more often than the male and although her admiration for him was obvious,-- she seemed to be trying especially hard to conceal it. Further evidence of greater communicative differences exist between males and females in various other social settings as well. Consider, for example, those individual employed in customer service-related capacities. While in Shoprite, I noticed that female customer service representatives were more apt to offer immediately friendly assistance than were the male attendants whom I observed on another occasion. Males are not as cocky nor as confident in this sort of situation; their eyes tend to dart around the area while the eyes of a woman remain focused upon the eyes of the customer. The man seems to communicate with fewer smiles--apparently they have to get past a certain "ice-breaking" point before they will feel comfortable with a genuine look of happiness. Verbally, the actual process of speech is also quite different between males and females. The former usually tends to have a more base-orientated voice and a faster rate of speech while the latter is more calm and soft-spoken. Men seem to speak more nasally and women seem to have a better control over the English language. Over the course of a few days, I noticed hearing significantly fewer "ums" and "errs" from women than I did from men. This did not necessarily indicate that they presented themselves more confidently, just with greater fluency. Men have a tendency to use their hands more often while speaking than do their female counterparts. In one observed instance, several men and women had gathered in a local pizzeria and the amount of hand motions and gesture that the guys were using seemed to be infinite. One guy practically drew out an entire picture of his car in the air while describing it to the group of friends. Meanwhile, the girls' hands remained on their food or their drink or on the table. Girls nodded much more than boys-- but made no other gesture with as much frequency. Finally, it can be inferred from my observations that certain cultural models causes the witnessed patterns of speaking and communication. Girls are "taught" to be shy an inferior-- and this is evidenced in their non-verbal coyness while speaking in a one-to-one situations with males. But men are taught that over-happiness is "queer" and so smiles are not nearly as common on the male's face as they are on the female's face. Both sexes certainly seem to enjoy talking-- but each is more comfortable in their own different scenario.

Who Is More Powerful Prime Minister Blair Or President Clinton essays

Who Is More Powerful Prime Minister Blair Or President Clinton essays "We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it" . In co-operation President Clinton and Prime Minister Blair are renowned for being capable and powerful politicians, be it through the media or through the publics own perceptions this has been shown through high profile world politics in which both men have had major roles. An example of this has been with the Kosovan war in which both leaders joined together showing how important their decisions were. Clinton and Blair have both proved their abilities in gaining public support and retaining the approval given to them from the majority in the form of power. Equally they have retained this power in the face of austere media coverage, as with the Monica Lewinsky scandal involving Clinton or being Blair at the present time. The roles of President and Prime Minister have long been considered the highest positions of political power that resides in America and Britain. However both draw on different sources f or their power and stability in these roles. It is for this reason that the stability of these sources and the extent to which Clinton and Blair can make independent changes must be accessed if we are to understand the limitations of their power. Both Clinton and Blair have different power bases from which to be judged. Ostensibly it is President Clinton who appears to have the most significant power base as the political leader of one of the most influential countries in the world. As a significant military power, America is seen as a powerful ally in times of conflict. In addition to, as commander and chief of a military superpower Clinton has reflected power with the ability to represent America's interests abroad with substantial force as with the Gulf War, in this way Clinton can certainly be perceived to be more militarily powerful than any other leader. America's economic force is also an essential factor in establishing the importance of ...

Proposal for Callingyou Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Proposal for Callingyou Inc - Essay Example The Company provides 24 / 7 support, staff rotates in shifts, centralized administration is recommended to configure multiple accounts on each workstation, and this enables every employee to log in the computer with his / her own credentials. Topology is the framework of any network. Star topology is recommended for the current network design. It is the most widely adopted topology. The star topology supports the centralized provision of network resources and services. The support staff can manage the network administrative and troubleshooting tasks centrally. Star topology helps to implement centralized security architecture for improved and enhanced security of the network. The network implementation cost can be saved by provisioning the core systems located centrally. The security controls and backup systems are also located centrally for better troubleshooting and management. Data communication network requires a carrier for transportation of data. A simple definition is available on ‘www. T1definition.com’ that says â€Å"A T-1 line is a dedicated data line that transmits data at the speed of 1.544 megabits per second (mbps). This translates to a speed that is 27 times faster than a 56k dial-up modem, which means that multiple people can access the Internet simultaneously†. T1 consists of total 24 channels that can be used as 24 different channels for voice or data. However, 24 simultaneously logical connections can be established. A dedicated T1 line can support up to 50 to 100 users on the network. The dedicated T1 carrier is implemented to synchronize traffic within the two remote sites for Calling You Inc. Furthermore, another carrier is requisite for internal communication of the network. Data transmission is conducted on a Category 5 cables for the current network design. CAT-5 is in the form of twisted pairs. However, the cable consists of 4 copper wire pairs, connecting the

International Urben Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Urben Policy - Essay Example The paper tries to analyse the problems facing the growth of this unplanned city and tries to formulate measures whereby these can be tackled so as to make it more progressive and habitable. Nairobi is a city that faces a major influx of refugees moving into its urban areas. Interestingly, this migration pattern into Nairobi is not only for economic opportunities. Apart from economic migrants, the country also has hordes of people who move out of camps providing assistance to them, as the quality of aid is very low. Regarding this, it would be worth observing that whereas the period 1997 - 2001 was characterised by a 24 percent decline in the global refugee population compared to the pervious five years, the share of refugee from Africa rose from 20 to 45 percent during the same period. Also, as the demographic status of refugees varies across regions, and even within countries, it is dependent on the normative value of the refugees themselves. By end of 2001, Kenya was home to over a quarter of a million refugees. And out of this, almost about 50% of the refugees were aged above 18 years while about 45% of the total population were female. These refugees including thos e in urban areas posed a challenge not only to the government, but also to the indigenous populations. The host country saw them as an imposing and alarming threat to their own sovereignty, security and global stability. The governmental failure to unify the various clans and tribes of the city along with the influx of the refugees is inter-related to the demographics of the inter ethnic relations of the city. Research involving the various tribes such as the Luyia, Kuria, Suba, Luo, Maasai, or the Kalenjin and their inter racial interactions has shown that the relation of these refugees with the people, as well as the relation within the tribes themselves is pretty complicated. What makes it more dangerous is the existence of separate political affiliations of ethnically defined groups to political parties in the multi-party system of Kenya. Even with the coming of self governance, the colonial power is still considered to be an important influence on ethnic identification. Among the Luo, Maasai and their Bantu neighbours, there is a cultural gradient or a culture prestige gradient with the Nilotes at the upper end, and this status differentiation in several cases is stabilised by the appointment of chiefs from high status groups by the colonial power. This intra racial differentiation leads to a process of social exclusion. This, on the other hand, is also propagated by what has been termed as the 'filtering down process' of educational facilities being provided to the people of the different groups: broadly speaking the 'haves and the have nots'. Put in a nut shell, the educational policy in Kenya is such that it is generally the children from educated and well to do parents who can pursue higher education. The process of filtering down ensures that even when the government adopts a policy of educational expansion, it fails to lead to intergenerational job mobility. As Hazlewood puts it, the much greater expansion of secondary education, drawing in many more, and a much higher proportion, of the children of the uneducated in Kenya than in Tanzania, has made access to secondary educatio

Caribean Ensemble Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Caribean Ensemble - Essay Example Choosing only one student performance within the group, it is possible to show bright interactions between this popular/classical theme and the history of music, cultural backgrounds, instrumental history, where all factors help to get a deeper understanding of --- at first sight --- famous and well-known composition. These interactions will find out the deeper layer of these compositions' reasoning, definitely. Additionally, except the aforesaid ones, there also were such as: 'Take 5: Dave Brubeck;' 'Tomorrow: Annie (The Musical);' 'Oye Como Va: Tito Puente;' 'Footsteps: Machel Montano;' 'Rolling the Deep: Adele and Paul Epworth;' 'I'll be There: Berry Gordy, Bob West, Hal Davis, and Willie Hutch;' 'Under the Sea: The Little Mermaid;' 'Oh, What a Night: The Four Seasons;' 'Hungarian Dance: Johannes Brahms;' 'No One: Alicia Keys;' 'Habanera from 'Carmen:' George Bizet;' 'One Note Samba: Antonio Carlos Jobim.' As we could see, the program of the World Festival, 2013, was so ambitious that every single should be regarded as a 'special event' in it. G1/4. I Shot the Sheriff: Bob Marley 'I Shot the Sheriff: Bob Marley' belonged to the first group of the Carribean Ensemble at York University. ... Having had many subgenres --- early reggae, roots reggae, dub, etcetera, --- this genre exploited drums (for example, snare drum and tom-tom drum), bass, guitars, keyboards, horns, and vocals. (We will evaluate all these items within Marley and The Wailers' song and its student interpretation.) From the perspective of music theory, reggae had 'lower tempo' than ska and rocksteady. (Bradley, 2000, p. 41) Accordingly, it could be characterized by the 'offbeat rhythms', (Barrow, 2004, p. 21) and by a prominent fact that reggae was played in '4/4 time.' (Manuel, 2006, 11) Harmonically, it used 'simple chord progressions;' (Barrow, 2004, p. 23) furthermore, its 'rhythmic pattern accents the second and fourth beats in each bar,' with the drumer's 'emphasis on beat three.' (Manuel, 2006, p. 12) First of all, 'I shot the Sheriff' was a social-oriended song about sheriff's (not deputy's) murder, which was made from the narrator's face. In the composition it could be heard synthesizer, The Wai lers' horus, bass, drums, guitar, and leading vocal. It used offbeat rhythms, 4/4, lower tempo, and simple chord progressions; second and fourth beats have been emphasized in each bar, with the drumer's accent on beat three. These means of musical expression, along with the offset and syncopated rhythm-section, producted relaxive, but ideologically very intensive, reggae hit. Moreover, aforesaid suggestions on reggae music and particularly on current musical form should be applied to the student performance. Therefore, it could be stated that the very motif was maintained successfully, overall tempo was lower, than in ska and rocksteady; there was constant reggae offbeat, 4/4. From the other point, students were not always in the right time-space presence of the current

Issues Of Deviance And Social Control Sociology Essay

Issues Of Deviance And Social Control Sociology Essay Deviance is a term used by society to define behaviors that differ from the everyday social norm, this means that majority of people in a society must agree or conform to a certain action or behavior. In 1906, William Sumner came up with the concept to categorize norm into three different groups: folkways, mores, and laws. He defines folkway as the simple day-to-day norm which was based on customs, traditions and mannerisms. If one were not to follow the way of folkway norm it would probably cause others to believe that they are strange or abnormal but would not cause fury. Typical folkway norms include style of dressing, character, physical distance or closeness with others, and eating patterns. Moving on, mores are norms which reflect wide-ranging social ethics. Interracial marriage, having an illegitimate child, and abusing drugs and alcohol would violate the mores laws and would cause a havoc and produce more serious social denunciation. Being in an interracial marriage may make one seem racially impure, bearing an illegitimate child can threaten social definition of a marriage, and abusing or being addicted to drugs and alcohol shows victory of hedonism over prudence. Those who dont comply with mores norm may seem sinful, and set themselves up as a potential threat to society. Furthermore, the laws norm is the strongest custom out of the other two norms. This is because it is backed up by codified social approval. Those who infringe this norm are punished in ways ranging from a fine to imprisonment. Although one may break laws and regulations, it wouldnt necessarily label the offender as deviant. With this said, deviance and crime can respectively fall into one category. Consider this, if certain individual decides to burglarize or vandalize someones property, or even causing harm to another being, it considered both deviant and a crime. Also, there are many other deviant acts that are not considered criminal, such as being over or underweight, being physi cally or mentally handicapped, being in an interracial marriage, and having an illegitimate child. To restate a prior point, these can be considered deviant because although it is not considered a crime, it violates the norm accepted by society. With that said, we can consider crime and deviance as overlapping categorizes with its own individual magnitudes. Attitude, behavior, and condition are the ABCs of deviance. People may be labeled deviant based on their attitudes or belief system which includes religion, political views and beliefs in the supernatural. Having a mental sickness can also fall into the deviant category. The B in the deviant ABCs stands for behavior which people are the most familiar with. Deviant behavior can happen intentionally or unintentionally, for example, one might unintentionally violate a dress-code, or a couple may intentionally engage in bizarre sexual activities, or one may commit murder. Lastly, the C stands for condition. Those who are considered d eviant because of their condition probably acquired it from birth such as being born un-wealthy, being a person of color in a mainly Caucasian dominated community, being born physically handicapped, or being height deviant. In this case, the individual has done nothing wrong or taken any negative actions to be labeled deviant; this also makes it almost impossible to change their deviant status. Although some actions that an individual chooses to take will be universally labeled as deviant behavior, others are judged strictly based on social customs. Heckerts idea of positive deviance would primarily refer to engaging in less selfish actions and more devotion toward the society. Heckert has defined many different ways in which positive deviance is evitable such as altruism, pacifism, cooperation, temperance and many more. Altruism is one of the most cherished form of positive deviance because it brings out the loyalty. All the martyrs fall under this category as they sacrificed themselves for their nation and they can never be forgotten. Those who spread the sign of peace throughout the societies also fall under positive deviance such as Gandhi. Positive deviance is clearly evident in every community where certain individuals or groups are more successful than other when everyone has received same resources but the approaches were different. Positive deviance is how successfully a person, a group or a community move forward to a better future and creates an example for other. Societies require positive deviance so they could move on with the rest of the world. Example of positive deviance could be to move forward and stop child labor in developing countries and putting them in a school for education. Labeling theory which is also known as social reaction theory suggests that deviance is not an inherit to act instead its the people who obtain labels from how other view their tendency or behavior. Its the society that makes the criminals by keep being either unfair or by false accusations. Suppose a person does commit a crime under very difficult circumstances and later on gets the label of a criminal will have negative effect on his personality and this person will be always considered as a criminal. If the society has choose to consider a person dangerous for reasons such as past criminal record or the color of his/her skin than perhaps it wont be any harder next time for this person to commit crime. Our societies also look for auxiliary traits within a position or career. For example, a doctor is consider as an white male, upper middle class and more. On other hand, black people were more attached to criminal activities and those who turned out to be doctors were hard to believe by the society because they were never seen in that form. Basically , an individuals past action create or shape his/her future and this lacks the fairness in sense this person could have adopted better human traits. Students who study deviance should not make an assumption if the person is actually a criminal or broken rule because the process of labeling may not be infallible. According to the conflict perspective, deviance is a social creation and the power structure in any society defines what to be consider normal and what is not. So basically there is no such thing as human nature, hence deviance is the creation of the social structure rather than something build into our nature. On the other hand, functional deviance approach believes that its the majority members of the society who defines what is normal and what is not. Both approaches look at the society as a whole rather than on individual level. Conflict theory mainly defines societies made up of powerful or powerless. Powerful has no right to be in power but manipulates other convince public about their legitimacy. This can be related to Durkheims state of anomie. Anomie is the result of collective conscious being collapsed. In this situation, people tend to look away from fundamental social expectations and solely focus on their self-interest. The long term collapse of order and harmony in both approaches are harmful to the society. In conclusion, Human norms refer to the set behavioral standards on which human are supposed to act. Deviance is a study that helps understand the reason behind violation of human norms. There is not one particular answer that is enough to justify human norms violation, hence many sociological scholars have presented different set of theories that can help us understand deviance with broad perspectives. Some of the scholars that have played tremendous part in understanding deviance are Erikson, Hackerts and lastly the father of Sociology Emile Durkheim. Deviance will be present no matter how perfect the society is, as Durkheim explained about the society of saints which is perfect but the identification of deviance level would be so high that even smallest error can be regarded as a strong disapproval from the society.

Christian Response to John Proctor and The Crucible :: Essay on The Crucible

The Crucible John Proctor is the protagonist in The Crucible. He becomes the person who fights for what is right. As the story goes on, the secrets of Proctor are revealed, and it is discovered that he committed adultery with Abigail Williams. In prison, before he is hanged, Proctor asks, â€Å"Who will judge me? God in Heaven, what is John Proctor, what is John Proctor?† John Proctor was a confused soul who discovered what he truly believed, and did not disobey what he decided to believe. As the play starts off, and John Proctor is introduced, it becomes know that he committed adultery with Abigail, the antagonist of the play. At this point, the play tells that John has gone against his own values by committing adultery, as well as the town’s values. He starts off seeming as though he is a very confused man and does not know what to think about his relationship with Abigail. â€Å"Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again.† (22). This is showing how he still likes her, but he feels he cannot commit adultery with her again. Nearing the end of The Crucible John Proctors position on his relationship has changed a good deal. He has realized how evil Abigail really is, and he has rejected their relationship. But now he must decide if he will lie about being a witch or not, and is questioning his wife on what to do. â€Å"Would you give them such a lie? Say it. Would you ever give them this? You would not, if tongs of fire were singeing you you would not! It is evil. Good, then it is evil, and I do it!† (128). At this point Proctor is unsure as to his position on whether or not he will lie an say he is a witch. Proctor’s values are being questioned. Will he lie and save his life, or die and tell the truth? On this question hinges the values and beliefs of John Proctor. As the play continues, John is still in prison, but is now signing the paper confessing he is a witch. Doing this will save his life, but it will be a lie. After he has signed this he realizes that this is horrible decision to make.

Culture of Sri Lanka Essay

Ceylon Tea The culture of Sri Lanka has been influenced by many factors, but has managed to retain much of its ancient aspects. Mostly it has been influenced by its long history and its Buddhist heritage. The country has a rich artistic tradition, embracing the fine arts, including music, dance, and visual arts. The Sri Lankan lifestyle is reflected in the cuisine, festivals, and sports. South Indian influences are visible in many aspects. There is also some influences from colonization by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British. Sri Lankan culture is best known abroad for its cricket, food, holistic medicine, religious icons like the Buddhist flag, and cultural exports such as tea, cinnamon and gems. Sri Lankan culture is diverse, as it varies from region to region. Sri Lanka has had ties with Indian subcontinent from ancient times. Demographics: Sinhalese 74.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.23%, Indian Tamil 4.16%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.21%, Other 0.6%. History Main article: History of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka boasts of a documented history of over 2000 years with the first stone objects dating back to 500,000 BC mainly due to ancient historic scriptures like Mahawansa Several centuries of intermittent foreign influence, has transformed Sri Lankan culture to the present outlook. Nevertheless ancient traditions and festivals are celebrated by mostly conservative Sinhalese people of the island, together with other minorities that make up the Sri Lankan identity. Visual arts A royal palace in Polonnaruwa. Frescoes at Sigiiriya. Architecture Main articles: Architecture of Sri Lanka and Architecture of ancient Sri Lanka See also: List of Sri Lankan architects The architecture of Sri Lanka displays a rich variety of architectural forms and styles. Buddhism had a significant influence on Sri Lankan architecture, since it was introduced to the island in 3rd Century BCE. However techniques and styles developed in Europe and Asia have also played a major role in the architecture of Sri Lanka. Ritigala Arts and crafts Gilded bronze statue of the Bodhisattva Tara, from the Anuradhapura period, 8th century. Many forms of Sri Lankan arts and crafts take inspiration from the Island’s long and lasting Buddhist culture which in turn has absorbed and adopted countless regional and local traditions. In most instances Sri Lankan art originates from religious beliefs, and are represented in many forms such as painting, sculpture, and architecture. One of the most notable aspects of Sri Lankan art are caves and temple paintings, such as the frescoes found at Sigiriya and religious paintings found in temples in Dambulla and Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. Other popular forms of art have been influenced by both natives as well as outside settlers. For example, traditional wooden handicrafts and clay pottery are found around the hill country while Portuguese-inspired lacework and Indonesian-inspired Batik have become notable. Its has many different and beautiful drawings. Performing arts Traditional Sri Lankan harvesting dance. People in Sri Lanka love the performing arts. The main style of performance is Bollywood. Dance Main article: Dances of Sri Lanka See also: Kandyan dance Sri Lanka is famous around the Indian ocean for Kandyan dancing. Music Main article: Music of Sri Lanka The two single biggest influences on Sri Lankan music are from Buddhism and Portuguese colonizers. Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka after the Buddha’s visit in 300 BC, while the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century, bringing with them cantiga ballads, the ukulele, and guitars, along with African slaves, who further diversified the musical roots of the island. These slaves were called kaffrinha, and their dance music was called baila. Traditional Sri Lankan music includes the hypnotic Kandyan drums – drumming was and is very much a part and parcel of music in both Buddhist and Hindu temples in Sri Lanka. Most western parts of Sri Lanka follow western dancing and music. Cinema Main article: Cinema of Sri Lanka The movie Kadawunu Poronduwa (The broken promise), produced by S. M. Nayagam of Chitra Kala Movietone, heralded the coming of Sri Lankan cinema in 1947. Ranmuthu Duwa (Island of treasures, 1962) marked the transition cinema from black-and-white to color. It in the recent years has featured subjects such as family melodrama, social transformation, and the years of conflict between the military and the LTTE. Their cinematic style is similar to the Bollywood movies. In 1979, movie attendance rose to an all-time high, but recorded a gradual downfall since then. Undoubtedly, the most influential and revolutionary filmmaker in the history of Sri Lankan cinema is Lester James Peiris, who has directed a number of movies which led to global acclaim, including Rekava (Line of destiny, 1956), Gamperaliya (The changing village, 1964), Nidhanaya (The treasure, 1970), and Golu Hadawatha (Cold Heart, 1968).There are many cinemas around Sri Lanka in city areas. Media and technology Radio and TV See also: Telecommunications in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka was introduced with many technologies. Lifestyle Cuisine Main article: Sri Lankan cuisine Kiribath with lunumiris The cuisine of Sri Lanka draws influence from that of India, especially from Kerala, as well as colonists and foreign traders. Rice, which is usually consumed daily, can be found at any special occasion, while spicy curries are favourite dishes for lunch and dinner. A very popular alcoholic drink is toddy or arrack, both made from palm tree sap. Rice and curry refers to a range of Sri Lankan dishes. Sri Lankans also eat hoppers (Aappa, Aappam), which can be found anywhere in Sri Lanka. Much of Sri Lanka’s cuisine consists of boiled or steamed rice served with spicy curry. Another well-known rice dish is kiribath, meaning milk rice. Curries in Sri Lanka are not just limited to meat or fish-based dishes, there are also vegetable and even fruit curries. A typical Sri Lankan meal consists of a â€Å"main curry† (fish, chicken, or mutton), as well as several other curries made with vegetable and lentils. Side-dishes include pickles, chutneys and â€Å"sambols† which can sometimes be fiery hot. The most famous of these is the coconut sambol, made of scraped coconut mixed with chili peppers, dried Maldivian fish and lime juice. This is ground to a paste and eaten with rice, as it gives zest to the meal and is believed to increase appetite. In addition to sambols, Sri Lankans eat â€Å"mallung†, chopped leaves mixed with grated coconut and red onions. Coconut milk is found in most Sri Lankan dishes to give the cuisine its unique flavor. As noted above many of Sri Lanka’s urban areas are host to American fast food corporations and many of the younger generation have started to take a liking to this new style of cuisine although it is rejected by many, particularly the more traditional elder members of the commu nity. Spices Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its spices. The best known is cinnamon which is native to Sri Lanka. In the 15th and 16th centuries, spice and ivory traders from all over the world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and techniques. Lamprais rice boiled in stock with a special curry, accompanied by frikkadels (meatballs), all of which is then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked as a Dutch-influenced Sri Lankan dish. Dutch and  Portuguese sweets also continue to be popular. British influences include roast beef and roast chicken. Also, the influence of the Indian cooking methods and food have played a major role in what Sri Lankans eat. Sri Lankans use spices liberally in their dishes and typically do not follow an exact recipe: thus, every cook’s curry will taste slightly different. Furthermore, people from different regions of the island (for instance, hill-country dwellers versus coastal dwellers) traditionally cook in different ways. Sri Lankan cuisine is known to be among the world’s spiciest, due to the high use of different varieties of chili peppers referred to as amu miris (Chili pepper), kochchi miris, and maalu miris (Banana pepper) (capsicum) and in Tamil Milakaai, among others. It is generally accepted for tourists to request that the food is cooked with a lower chilli content to cater for the more sensitive Western palette. Food cooked for public occasions typically uses less chillie than food cooked in the home, the latter where the food is cooked with the chilli content preferable to the occupants. Tea culture Tea plantation near Kandy Being one of the largest producers of tea in the world, Sri Lankans drink a lot of tea.There are many tea factories around mountainous areas. Many Sri Lankans drink at least three cups a day. Sri Lanka is also one of the best tea-producing countries in the world and the Royal Family of the United Kingdom has been known to drink Ceylon tea. Tea is served whenever a guest comes to a house, it is served at festivals and gatherings or just for breakfast. Festivals and holidays New Year Main article: Sinhala and Tamil new year The Sinhala and Tamil new year (â€Å"Aluth Avurudhu† in Sinhala, â€Å"Puthiyathandu† in Tamil) is a very large cultural event on the island. The festival falls in April (also known as the month of Bak) when the sun moves from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries). Unusually, both the end of one year and the beginning of the next occur not at midnight but at separate times determined by astrologers with a period of some hours between (the â€Å"nona gathe† or neutral period) being a time where one is  expected to refrain from all types of work and instead engage solely in relaxing religious activities and traditional games. During the New Year, festivities both children and adults will often don traditional outfits. But the clothes must be washed and very clean because it should be southam (pure). List of holidays January Tuesday Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day (In honour of Lord Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka) *† # January Tamil Thai Pongal Day *† # 4 February Monday National Day *† # February Navam Full Moon Poya Day (The Buddha proclaims for the first time a code of fundamental ethical precepts for the monks) *† # March Thursday Maha Sivarathri Day *†  March Thursday Milad-Un-Nabi (Muhammad’s birthday) *†  March Medin Full Moon Poya Day (Commemorates the visit of The Buddha to his home to preach to his father King Suddhodana and other relatives) *† # March Friday Good Friday *†  13 April Day prior to Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day (the month of Bak) when the sun moves from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries) Sri Lankans begin celebrating their National New Year) *† # 14 April Sinhala and Tamil New Year Day *† # April Friday Additional Bank Holiday †  April Bak Full Moon Poya Day (commemorates the second visit of The Buddha to Sri Lanka) *† # 1 May Thursday May Day *† # May Vesak Full Moon Poya Day (The Buddhist calendar begins) *† # May Day following Vesak Full Moon Poya Day *† # June Poson Full Moon Poya Day (Commemorates the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka) *† # July Esala Full Moon Poya Day (Commemorates the deliverance of the first sermon to the five ascetics and setting in motion the Wheel of the Dhamma by Buddha) *† # August Nikini Full Moon Poya Day (conducting of the first Dhamma Sangayana (Convocation)by Buddha) *† # September Binara Full Moon Poya Day (Commemorates The Buddha’s visit to heaven to preach to his mother and celestial multitude) *† # October Wednesday Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day) *†  October Vap Full Moon Poya Day (King Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka sending envoys to King Asoka requesting him to send his daughter Arahat Sanghamitta Theri to Sri Lanka to establish the Bhikkhuni Sasana (Order of Nuns)) *† # October Monday Deepavali Festival Day *†  November Il Full Moon Poya Day (Celebrates the obtaining of Vivarana (the assurance of becoming a Buddha)) *† # December Tuesday Id-Ul-Adha (Hajj Festival Day) *†  December Monday Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day (Sanghamitta Theri established the Bhikkhuni Sasana (the Order of Nuns)) *† # 25 December Saturday Christmas Day *† # * Public holiday, †  Bank holiday, # Mercantile holiday All full-moon days are Buddhist holidays referred to as Poya. The actual date on which a particular Poya day will fall changes every year. Religion Main article: Religion in Sri Lanka See also: Hinduism in Sri Lanka, Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Islam in Sri Lanka A Hindu temple in Colombo Sri Lanka’s culture also revolves around religion. The Buddhist community of Sri Lanka observe Poya Days, once per month according to the Lunar calendar. The Hindus and Muslims also observe their own holidays. Sri Lankans are very religious because the history of the island has been involved with religion numerous times. There are many Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka associated with ancient times. The religious preference of an area could be determined by the number of religious institutions in the area. The North and the East of the island has several notable Hindu temples due to majority Tamil population reside in those areas and ethnic conflict has severely affected other communities living on these areas during the times of LTTE strife. Many churches could be found along the southern coast line because of former Roman Catholic or Protestant colonial heritage. Buddhists reside in all parts of the island especially down south and in upcountry and western seaboard. They are the largest religious group in Sri Lanka. Languages of Sri Lanka Main article: Languages of Sri Lanka While the Sinhalese people speak Sinhala as their mother tongue, the Tamil people speak Tamil. English is also widely spoken. Sinhala is spoken by about 16 million people in Sri Lanka, about 13 million of whom are native speakers. It is one of the constitutionally-recognized official languages of Sri Lanka, along with Tamil, which originates from South India. Sports Main article: Sport in Sri Lanka Cricket in Sri Lanka Sports plays a very big part in Sri Lankan culture, because the society was quite rich in educated people, therefore the people had found playing a sport is an important thing in life. Sri Lanka’s main sport is cricket. But after the age of Englishman’s cricket, being the most popular sport event in Sri Lanka. Every child in Sri Lanka knows how to play cricket, and there are many cricket fields scattered across the island for children and adults to play the sport. The biggest pastime of the Sri Lankan population, after cricket, is watching the Sri Lankan national team play cricket. It is common for businesses to shut down, when very big matches are televised. This was the case in 1996, when the Sri Lankan team beat Australia in the finals to win the Cricket World Cup. The whole country was shut down, although there was a curfew imposed upon the whole island. Cricket Main article: Cricket in Sri Lanka Cricket is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka. After the 1996 Cricket World Cup, triumph of the Sri Lanka national cricket team, the sport became the most watched event in the country. But in recent years, the politicians and the businessman getting into the sport has raised many concerns. Volleyball Volleyball is not a popular in Sri-Lanka, because Cricket is one of the popular sport in Sri-Lanka. Rugby Main article: Rugby in Sri Lanka National symbols Main articles: Flag of Sri Lanka, Coat of arms of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan anthem This section requires expansion. (January 2012) Tourism Main article: Tourism in Sri Lanka This section requires expansion. (January 2012) World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka Anuradhapura Central Highlands Galle and its Fortifications Golden Temple of Dambulla Kandy Polonnaruwa Sigiriya Sinharaja Forest Reserve Sri Lankan people Sri Lankan literature Henry Parker (author), British engineer who studied and compiled the oral tradition of Sri Lanka. References 1. http://www.statistics.gov.lk/abstract2010/chapters/Chap2/AB2-13.pdf 2. http://bookonsrilanka.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/growing-up-white-in-south-asia.pdf 3. http://mahavamsa.org/ 4. â€Å"LANKALIBRARY FORUM †¢ View topic – Home and family in ancient and medieval Sri Lanka†. Lankalibrary.com. 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2012-06-29. External links [1] Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 of â€Å"Village Folk-tales of Ceylon† by Henry Parker (Public Domain) Sri Lanka a cultural profile Sri Lanka culture Cultural Festivals and Public Holidays in Sri Lanka

Commonly Confused Words for ESL Students and Classes

Commonly Confused Words for ESL Students and Classes Here are some of the most commonly confused English word pairs. They have been chosen especially for ESL learners. beside / besides beside: preposition meaning next to, at the side of Examples: I sit beside John in class.Could you get me that book? Its beside the lamp. besides: adverb meaning also, as well; preposition meaning in addition to Examples: (adverb) Hes responsible for sales, and a lot more besides.(preposition) Besides tennis, I play soccer and basketball. clothes / cloths clothes: something you wear - jeans, shirts, blouses, etc. Examples: Just a moment, let me change my clothes.Tommy, get your clothes on! cloths: pieces of material used for cleaning or other purposes. Examples: There are some cloths in the closet. Use those to clean the kitchen.I have a few pieces of cloth that I use. dead / died dead: adjective meaning not alive Examples: Unfortunately, our dog has been dead for a few months.Dont touch that bird. Its dead. died: past tense and past participle of the verb to die Examples: His grandfather died two years ago.A number of people have died in the accident. experience / experiment experience: noun meaning something that a person lives through, i.e. something that someone experiences. - also used as an uncountable noun meaning knowledge gained by doing something Examples: (first meaning)His experiences in Germany were rather depressing.(second meaning) Im afraid I dont have much sales experience. experiment: noun meaning something that you do to see the result. Often used when speaking about scientists and their studies. Examples: They did a number of experiments last week.Dont worry its just an experiment. Im not going to keep my beard. felt / fell felt: past tense and past participle of the verb to feel Examples: I felt better after I had a good dinner.He hasnt felt this well for a long time. fell: past tense of the verb to fall Examples: He fell from a tree and broke his leg.Unfortunately, I fell down and hurt myself. female / feminine female: the sex of a woman or animal Examples: The female of the species is very aggressive.The question female or male means are you a woman or a man. feminine: adjective describing a quality or type of behavior that is considered typical for a woman Examples: Hes an excellent boss with a feminine intuition.The house was decorated in a very feminine manner. its / its its: possessive determiner similar to my or your Examples: Its color is red.The dog didnt eat all of its food. its: Short form of it is or it has Examples: (it is) Its difficult to understand him.(it has) Its been a long time since I had a beer. last / latest last: adjective usually meaning final Examples: I took the last train to Memphis.This is the last test of the semester! latest:  adjective  meaning most recent or new Examples: His latest book is excellent.Have you seen his latest painting? lay / lie lay: verb meaning to put down flat - past tense - laid, past participle - laid Examples: He laid his pencil down and listened to the teacher.I usually lay my pies on the shelf to cool. lie: verb meaning to be down - past tense -lay (be careful!), past participle - lain Examples: The girl lay on the bed asleep.At the moment, hes lying on the bed. lose / loose lose: verb meaning to misplace Examples: I lost my watch!Have you ever lost anything valuable? loose: adjective meaning the opposite of tight Examples: Your trousers are very loose!I need to tighten this screw. Its loose. male / masculine male: the sex of a man or animal Examples: The male of the species is very lazy.The question female or male means are you a woman or a man. masculine:  adjective  describing a quality or type of  behavior  that is considered typical for a man Examples: Shes a very masculine woman.His opinions are just too masculine for me. price / prize price: noun - what you pay for something. Examples: The price was very cheap.Whats the price of this book? prize: noun - an award Examples: He won a prize as best actor.Have you ever won a prize in a competition? principal / principle principal: adjective meaning the most important Examples: The principal reason for my decision was the money.What are the principal  irregular verbs? principle: a rule (usually in science but also concerning morals) Examples: Its the first principle of aerodynamics.He has very loose principles. quite / quiet quite:  adverb  of degree meaning very or rather Examples: This test is quite difficult.He was quite exhausted after the long journey. quiet:  adjective  meaning the opposite of loud or noisy Examples: Could you please be quiet?!Shes a very quiet girl. sensible / sensitive sensible: adjective meaning having common sense i.e. not stupid Examples: I wish you would be more sensible about things.Im afraid you arent being very sensible. sensitive: adjective meaning to feel very deeply or to hurt easily Examples: You should be careful with David. Hes very sensitive.Mary is a very sensitive woman. shade / shadow shade: protection from the sun, a dark area outside on a sunny day. Examples: You should sit in the shade for a while.Its too hot. Im going to find some shade. shadow: the dark area created by something else on a sunny day. Examples: That tree casts a large shadow.Have you  every  noticed your shadow getting longer as it gets later in the day? some time / sometimes some time: refers to an indefinite time in the future Examples: Lets meet for coffee some time.I dont know when Ill do it - but I will do it some time. sometimes:  adverb of frequency  meaning occasionally Examples: He sometimes works late.Sometimes, I like eating Chinese food.

Free Essays on The Tell Tale Heart

Edgar Allan Poe is acknowledged today as one of the most brilliant and original writers in American literature. His skillfully wrought tales and poems convey with passionate intensity the mysterious, dreamlike, and often macabre forces that pervaded his sensibility. He is also considered the father of the modern detective story. The Tell Tale Heart is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator remains nameless and sexless in the story. H/she takes care of an old man with whom the relationship is unclear. At the beginning of the story, the narrator says that he loved the old man but he hates his eye and h/she believes that the eye is evil. H/she confesses that the one and only reason for killing the old man is his eye: â€Å"Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man†. The narrator begins the story by trying to convince the reader that h/she is not insane. The fact that the old man’s eye is the only motivation to murder proves the narrator is mentally unstable. For seven nights precisely at midnight, the narrator enters the old man’s room to observe the eye. On the eighth night the narrator enters the room and the old man sat suddenly in his bed, crying out â€Å"who’s there?† the narrator stood still for over an hour, as did the old man who did not lie back down. Then h/she opened the lantern slightly and the ray was on the eye only. This made the narrator go furious and he moved to the old man who shrieked once, he/she dragged him off his bed and killed him. The old man’s body was chopped and buried under the planks of the floor. The police came because of a shriek reported by a neighbor. H/she invited them and they sat chatting, after a while the narrator started hearing the old man’s heart beating from under the flooring. The heart beat grew louder and louder, finally h/she confesses of killing the old man. At the beginning of the story t... Free Essays on The Tell Tale Heart Free Essays on The Tell Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe is acknowledged today as one of the most brilliant and original writers in American literature. His skillfully wrought tales and poems convey with passionate intensity the mysterious, dreamlike, and often macabre forces that pervaded his sensibility. He is also considered the father of the modern detective story. The Tell Tale Heart is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator remains nameless and sexless in the story. H/she takes care of an old man with whom the relationship is unclear. At the beginning of the story, the narrator says that he loved the old man but he hates his eye and h/she believes that the eye is evil. H/she confesses that the one and only reason for killing the old man is his eye: â€Å"Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man†. The narrator begins the story by trying to convince the reader that h/she is not insane. The fact that the old man’s eye is the only motivation to murder proves the narrator is mentally unstable. For seven nights precisely at midnight, the narrator enters the old man’s room to observe the eye. On the eighth night the narrator enters the room and the old man sat suddenly in his bed, crying out â€Å"who’s there?† the narrator stood still for over an hour, as did the old man who did not lie back down. Then h/she opened the lantern slightly and the ray was on the eye only. This made the narrator go furious and he moved to the old man who shrieked once, he/she dragged him off his bed and killed him. The old man’s body was chopped and buried under the planks of the floor. The police came because of a shriek reported by a neighbor. H/she invited them and they sat chatting, after a while the narrator started hearing the old man’s heart beating from under the flooring. The heart beat grew louder and louder, finally h/she confesses of killing the old man. At the beginning of the story t...

HMV music retailer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HMV music retailer - Essay Example The retailer must have had several issues that were affecting its performance in the market, which led to the distraught performance. First, there is a need to analyse the politics that govern the retailer (Boddy, 2008:21). The politics of the administration affected the running of the retailer in a number of ways. For example, after entering into administration, there was change in the way the business was being conducted. Since new administration comes in with different performance strategies, these strategies failed. Similarly, the political environment of the new administration was not conducive for business. It brought loss of interests as most of the workers and employees were not contented, which brought dire consequences to the retailer.The retailer’s economic position was adversely affected with introduction of administration. In such an instance, the retailer had to incur other costs that are used in running the businesses of the retailer. In this instance, the retai ler’s income was stagnant while the expenses of administration increased. Therefore, the budgets of the retailer were skewed as they had to get more resources to run the business (Boddy, 2008:14). This was a disadvantage to the business. The third aspect that affected the performance of the retailer was the social environment. Previously, the retailer had concrete business bonds with the market. This strengthened its businesses across the competitive market (Johnson and schools, 2008:18). This ultimately led to dismal performance by the retailer.... With introduction of new and sophisticated technology, the retailer is well prepared to make better and improved products. Similarly, the retailer is able to serve a large number of customers in minimal time (Mennen, 2011:11). However, with the introduction of the administration, there was minimal investment directed toward technological improvement. This ultimately led to dismal performance by the retailer. SWOT Analysis HMV as a retailer was well prepared to tackle the market in making substantial accruals in terms of profits and returns. The most prudent decision the retailer should have taken is relying on the strengths and utilising the opportunities it had (Boddy, 2008:23). Similarly, the retailer should have generated strategies to reduce the effects of its weaknesses and reduce the threats that would drive the retailer out of business. In the first place, the retailer had a strong point in that it was well-established in the market. The retailer had opened numerous branches i n many countries across the globe. Similarly, it was a strong retailer in that the demand for its products was escalating. However, the retailer had an internal weakness with the inception of administration. The administration was not apt in executing its tasks. Similarly, the retailer was not keen on extending its market share. This led to murky performance after the threats surpassed its strengths. The retailer had an opportunity in investing in technology and making superb approach to the market. Since it is a music retailer, it had an opportunity to invest in current and sophisticated technology (Pearce, 2009:14). A perfect example is Apple’s iTunes. Apple’s iTunes are appreciating a greater market share due to their compatibility with the new technology. Apple

Hunffington Posts review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hunffington Posts review - Essay Example This was a bit of a bold move considering the outcome AOL’s previous merger with Time Warner, which ended in disaster. It is not difficult to understand the reasons for it. AOL gets access to all of the HuffPost’s readers (i.e. customers) to sell its other products to and HuffPost gets the opportunity to be part of a major new media company. In the context of the newspaper industry, I feel that this merger has both a positive and a negative aspect. As a member of the ‘internet’ generation, I like to see innovation and change. The internet has truly democratized the exchange of information in a way that the printing press or the telephone could not, despite their historically meaningful contribution to the same. If AOL and HuffPost can become sustainably profitable, the new company will provide a model for what journalism and journalists need to do in the future in order to not only survive but actually thrive. That of course brings me to the negative side of the merger. The merger has occurred in an environment which has witnessed the near collapse of the newspaper industry (and the homologous printed book industry). As an avid reader of both books and newspapers, I do not find great pleasure in their disappearance. The printed word has been at the center of human cultural growth over the last few centuries . Personally I love the smell of old books and a freshly printed newspaper. That smell brings up memories of rainy afternoons spent devouring books and mornings spent watching my father read the paper before going to work. The idea that Kindles and websites will replace all that is displeasing and even frightening. You can touch paper. You cannot touch a computer-generated image. The Dewey-Lippman debate in some ways presaged the 21st evolution of the news media. Lippman once said that the â€Å"average American [reader]† is similar to the â€Å"deaf spectator in the back row† in that â€Å"[h]e does not