International Travel Essay Example for Free

International Travel Essay No matter how much you read ahead of time, youll be confronted with culture and custom that you are unprepared for. The farther removed the culture is from your own, the more you can expect to be surprised. Novice travelers will struggle with the basics everything from getting a cab to finding a public bathroom can offer a challenge. Veteran travelers will be more secure with the small stuff and that may offer them a firm-enough foundation to give them the confidence to try the more challenging things. That is where we were on our recent adoption trip to China: Veteran third-time travelers who were confident that we could do anything and blend right in. Our trip to the real Chinese restaurant taught us otherwise. It was our second week in China. We were there with our two previously adopted Chinese children, ages ten and eleven, and wed just added a new family member. She was a new daughter, age twelve, and she spoke not a word of English. Things had been going very well, and our new daughter was really fitting in seamlessly. This being our third trip, we felt pretty cocky. We snickered good-naturedly as first-time travelers timidly peeked outside the doors of the hotel onto the Chinese thoroughfare. They might make a run for the McDonald’s now and again, or go all the way up the block to KFC, but actually heading out into the big city, sans guide, was not on their bucket list for the time being. That was not for us. We decided that wed all head out to an authentic local restaurant, the sort frequented by the Chinese rather than by westerners; the type with plastic curtains rather than doors; a restaurant with no western influences beyond the ubiquitous presence of Coca-Cola products. Three hungry children herded between us, my wife and I set out to find just the right place. We headed out the less-frequently-used rear entrance of Guangzhous China Hotel, which spilled out onto the broad Panfu Avenue, a typical busy main thoroughfare. It was filled with small shops and stalls, looking shabby and temporary to Western eyes, though in reality, permanent centers of street commerce. We wound our way through typical robust foot traffic, straining to keep the kids together amidst the crowds. We passed up several restaurants close to the hotel in an effort to separate ourselves from the tourist-oriented places, but several blocks away we came upon the Liushen Xiguan restaurant, which translates roughly as â€Å"Traditions of the Six Gods† restaurant. It was clad in gold paint, trimmed with red cloth, and several large Buddhas smiled at us as they stood sentry on the sidewalk. The wall in the entryway was covered with awards given by the local of chamber of commerce, and as an added benefit, the awards each offered a picture of the winning dish. Velvet padded bamboo chairs lined the wall in the waiting area. Peeking through the windows, we could see that the dining area was enormous. Such a place was likely to have good food, was clearly worth a stop. It was 4:50 when we asked to be seated, but oddly, the dining room was dark and the hostess desk was empty as were the tables. No table cloths or place settings were to be seen, and the chairs were upended and sitting atop the tables. A hostess apprehensively approached us to talk. After much arm flapping and hand gesturing, we came to understand that the restaurant would not open until five P. M, although we could not see how it would do so. Not a soul was to be seen besides the hostess, and nothing was prepared for customers. We began to have second thoughts and we started to wonder if wed misunderstood the hour that service would start. We decided to wait for a bit, if only to rest. At the stroke of five the lights came on to illuminate a dozen employees rushing from the kitchen, bearing ornate livery for the tables, and tools of the trade for the hungry guests. The dining space went from abandoned warehouse to friendly, well-lit, white linen appareled eatery in a matter of moments. Once seated, we began to notice differences from what we expected in a restaurant. Soup bowls appeared, as well as a pot of tea, tea cups, and a large empty ceramic bowl. We watched the other tables to see what use our fellow diners would have for the bowl. Some diners were watching us. Perhaps they didnt know what to make of the empty bowl either? More likely, they were wondering what a couple of Americans were doing here staring at them too. Other diners were taking the cups, bowls, and spoons and washing them in the tea, using a rather practiced method. The used tea was discarded into the empty bowl. I wasnt sure if this meant we needed to do our own dishes, or if it was simply a custom. To be on the safe side, we started washing. I noticed curious grins. Was I doing it wrong? Did we appear like children playing in a wading pool? Unblemished by the bemused stares, we toweled ourselves dry, and with confidence in the cleanliness of our place settings, we dug into the menu. There were thirty pages of menu items. Many had pictures and some had English translations, though mostly the translations read â€Å"Pork and vegetables in sauce† or â€Å"Chicken with vegetables in sauce†. While Im certain that was accurate, it was of little value in helping us to choose from amongst the twenty five varieties of â€Å"Pork with vegetables in sauce†. We struggled with the pictures and each made the best possible dinner choices we could, with a few appetizers added in. The waitress took our order promptly and returned in a few minutes with my meal, and nothing else. No appetizers. No other orders. Just mine. She placed it in the center of the table and left. My meal was far larger than I expected. In fact, it was large enough to feed us all. Suddenly we grasped what we had missed. The table top was essentially an enormous lazy Susan. It appeared that we would be eating family style. Other tables were sharing food as well, so we set out to share the barbecued pork I had ordered. A few moments later the next meal appeared, and shortly thereafter, the next, and then the next, each meal large enough to feed a family of five. Even the items wed been led to believe were appetizers seemed enormous. Before long, we had enough food for forty people. There was so much, that the server was barely able to find room for the last steaming bowl of fried rice. Ive been to weddings that served less food than wed purchased. We were clearly the center of attention now as we made an effort to at least put a dent in the spread we were responsible for. The pictures didnt do the food justice, nor were they worth the thousands words Id so often been promised. The fried rice was filled with boldly colored fresh carrots, peas and sprouts, and those turned out to be the only vegetables on the table that we easily recognized. We were served steamed and pan-fried dumplings, bursting with juices and filled with meat stuffing. There was a whole roasted chicken, the bright yellow color of a school bus. When I say whole, I mean it. Chicken in China often comes with feet, head and beak attached. It appeared that our dinner had walked straight from the barnyard to the oven. A second chicken was served in pieces which had the bright red color of a fire engine. Both birds were juicy and offered bold flavor, the yellow one having been seasoned with a curry and the red one more of a peppery spice. The seafood dish seemed a bit more tentacle-filled than we were used to, and it went largely unloved. I still have no clue to this day what was in it, though I will admit that the description â€Å"fish with vegetables in sauce† seemed unerringly accurate. Our crisp pork on a platter seemed straightforward. No sauce or vegetables, though I could swear that the translation of the dish said they were included. Our meal was rounded out by a course of tea smoked duck. The dark meat had been roasted over a tea leaf fueled fire and had a deep rich flavor. After some of our other mis-translations, I would not have been surprised to have had it served in a pipe for actual smoking, but it wound up being the best part of the meal. I do hope it was duck though. We left a great deal of food on the table. In very American fashion, we asked for containers to take the remaining food for thirty back to our hotel. That doesnt seem to be the norm in China, but we packed up our bags and loaded up with more victuals than a United Nations food convoy. I was concerned about the cost, but for all the entertainment that our endeavors provided for the patrons, perhaps they should have paid us. The price was thankfully low; bless you generous exchange rate. One last problem appeared. The tip. It is insulting to over tip in China. After having the experience of being publicly chastised by a cab driver for over tipping, I was leery. Loaded down as we were, there could be no quick escape should I insult the staff with too many Yuan, or too few. The Six Gods must have been watching out for us though. The older hostess (manager, cook, waitress, cashier no real idea) took pity on me and selected a bill to leave as a gratuity. It was far less than I would have chosen. Id have given her double that just for getting me out with my remaining dignity intact. We wound our way back to the hotel, filled with a good meal, good stories, and a good deal of new knowledge about how things are done in China. I mentioned the experience to our guide, who filled in a few of the blank spots. He was happy to hear that we were treated well by the local people. I was happy for the experience. A few days later, we coaxed some other group members to come out with us to the restaurant. We displayed our dining skills for them without ever mentioning the difficulties with which they were acquired. After all, that is how veterans maintain their mystique.

The Difficulty of Measuring the Cost of Living Essay -- Economics

The Difficulty of Measuring the Cost of Living Cost of living is designed to measure the costs of maintaining living standards of working- class households. It was first introduced in 1914. It is difficult to measure the cost of living because prices are constantly changing, meaning cost of products will change too. Prices will change for instance due to increases in costs or inflation, so if a can coke was $1 in 2000, due to an increase in wage demands, costs have increased and thus the selling price of coke has increased to $2 in 2001. This happens to many commodities in the market and as a result of that it is difficult to measure the price of products as that are constantly changing over a period of time. The quality of products also changes, however this will appear on the cost of living index. For instance computers, CD players, televisions are of better quality now than they were before and that is why their prices have increased. However only the price of the product will be mentioned in the index, not the fact that its quality has been improved. Their design and performance also changes. So a price change will accompany the introduction of a new model or an improved design. Therefore it is difficult to assess the real nature of the price change. An example is the price if BMW cars has increased by 10 percent, but the quality, performance and design of the new model is much better and superior to that of the older model, has the exchange value increased or decreased? Tax also affects the cost of living because; changes in indirect taxes will affect te goods and services we purchase. Taxes will either increase or decrease due to the fluctuating inflation rate. Changes in the indirect tax... ...uct. This is known as the need for change and it's a psychological aspect more consumers go through. Also new products are invented, consumers get curious and want to try them out and this leads to changes in tastes and fashion. This causes a problem with weighting. Therefore measuring the cost of living is very difficult, because prices change, quality changes, and consumer's tastes and fashion change. Also this is the generation of technology meaning new inventions are being developed faster than any of us can imagine, meaning the cost and living index needs to be updated regularly and meaning it is not very accurate. Also there are millions of people in each country, how can you possibly know what is the average spending habit? To assume there is one, you must neglect people who don't fit that criteria meaning, the cost of living guide is inaccurate.

Infrastructure Which Sustains Civilised Life Engineering Essay

Civil Engineers create the substructure which sustains civilized life, yet the public frequently perceives building undertakings as impacting the natural environment Introduction Civil Engineers create and construct substructure that is necessary in order for civilized life to happen as we know it at present twenty-four hours. If we take a normal Londoner as an illustration, bulk of his actions throughout the twenty-four hours will hold trust on some signifier of civil technology substructure. This can be seen from a first thing that a individual does in the forenoon, which is the usage of a lavatory. Water running from a pat and ability to blush the lavatory are all possible thanks to substructure that is created by Civil Engineers. Adequate sewage systems allow for soiled H2O to be distributed off from such topographic points as families, and leting for H2O to be treated doing certain that other H2O beginnings such as rivers are non polluted by the soiled H2O. Sewage systems have contributed a great trade to healthful issues forestalling H2O borne diseases such as cholera, enteric fever and many others. It is let downing to state nevertheless, despite knowl edge how to work out and cover with soiled H2O that around four kids die every minute in developing states because of diseases developing from unequal sanitation and insecure H2O [ 1 ] . This job is chiefly due to miss of finance to make substructure that can cover with sanitation issues. Cities such as London and people that live in them frequently take these things for granted. In developed states such as United Kingdom, H2O supply is treated as a basic human right and support is allowed wherever the demand for it occurs. As population is invariably increasing, of all time turning demand for H2O supply besides increases as people become munificent with usage of H2O for indoor lavatories, baths, rinsing machines, rinsing their autos, garden hosieries and many other intents. Apart from substructure that deals with supply and disposal of H2O, there are many other illustrations where Civil Engineers have contributed to prolonging civilized life. This can be portrayed by adverting the edifice of roads, rail links, Bridgess, canals, tunnels, airdromes and docks, all which help transposing for people easier, either it being from place to work or leisure to other states. However, it does non merely halt here, diverseness of undertakings is tremendous which sustain life as we know it, and for intent of this paper alongside other substructure already mentioned, energy is the one issue that peculiarly has to be pointed out. Taking lone electricity as an illustration, sum of topographic points it can come from, is besides really diverse. Coal power and atomic Stationss are merely an illustration along with many renewable beginnings such as hydro ( i.e. dike ) , air current and solar. Civil Engineers would most decidedly be involved in constructing any of these ins tallations that can bring forth electricity. It would be impossible to believe of a present life as we know it today without electricity. Everything that we do, either it being at place, work or outside our place ( i.e. commutation by train ) will affect usage of electricity. Therefore, if our every twenty-four hours activities comprise and rely on usage of substructure that helps keep civilized life as we know it at present, why do people object when there is a proposal to construct something that will assist us travel about our every twenty-four hours activities. Could a typical Londoner conceive of his life without electricity and H2O to blush his lavatory or H2O to imbibe and lavish? If constructing a dike can assist turn to these issues and convey with it many other benefits why would he or anyone else as a affair of fact object to it and comprehend it as a bad thought? Answer to this inquiry is non easy because there are many facets that have to been taken into an history originating peculiarly from political and sustainability issues every bit good as economical and societal grounds. The staying content of this paper will be to measure negative issues with constructing a big graduated table undertaking such as a dike, and besides measure why societ y should see and let edifice of such a undertaking.Benefits of DamsFirst, allow us concentrate and measure some of the benefits that dikes can convey and hold brought to societies. They can supply them with H2O to imbibe and utilize, protect from implosion therapy ( both river and marine implosion therapy ) , create recreational country, irrigate H2O necessary to turn nutrient and in some instances enhance the environment. Dams have been constructed for many 1000s of old ages, and during different times, demands of societies has changed and so has the dike building. In the past basic construct would hold been to construct some signifier of a barrier across the river. Because of deficiency of cognition and stuffs, bulk of the past dike would hold been some kind of an embankment dike. Typically they would hold been on little graduated table and constructed of excavated natural stuffs ( Earth dams ) . In United Kingdom little reservoirs constructed from such dikes were by mediaeval monasteries to supply supplies of fish, by and large carp [ 2 ] . Back so fresh nutrient could hold been a chief ground, therefore the nutritionary benefit from entrapped fish. As clip went on find of concrete and better apprehension of technology rules allowed for bigger dike. Most of dikes today are multipurpose for grounds mentioned earlier. Arch dikes are concrete or masonry dikes, which are curved upstream to convey the major portion of the H2O burden to the abutments. Their form has the benefit that it can keep back big sum of H2O. Hydropower dike uses the difference in H2O degree between the reservoir pool lift and the tailwater lift to turn a turbine to bring forth electricity [ 3 ] . These are merely two of many other more modern dike design constructs. Coming back to benefits that dams bring, we need to look at back peculiarly around clip of industrial revolution in late eighteenth century, to see how much decease rate has fallen by presenting domestic H2O supply. Provision of clean H2O supply and disposal of sewerage brought down many deceases related to soiled H2O. In Britain in 1832 there were 30,000 deceases from cholera and in 1849 60,000 [ 2 ] . This merely comes to demo how bad the job was at that clip because of deficiency of sanitation, as overcrowding occurred since people were coming into metropoliss for occupations. Larger towns such as Manchester, Liverpool and London than started building upstream reservoirs to provide of all time increasing population with clean H2O. The benefit of this can be seen by looking at Enteric deceases ( high febrility unwellness ) in Figure 1 [ 4 ] , in England and Wales.Figure 1It can be seen that debut of clean H2O supply, decease rate fell aggressively right across the state and that by 1940 ‘s it was virtually at nothing. One of the other benefits that dams provide is the inundation protection from river implosion therapy. This can be achieved in two ways. One of them is by direct protection while 2nd is by routing the inundation through a reservoir provided for other agencies, therefore cut downing the extremum flow in the river downstream of it [ 2 ] . At present EA ( Environmental Agency ) in United Kingdom is peculiarly indicating out that it does non desire new development to increase deluging downstream. By building a dike and holding and empty reservoir, allows for storage of H2O to be provided at important times when there is high precipitation, and the storage reservoir acts as a inundation defense mechanism. Constructing a dike without holding increased deluging downstream can be possible therefore carry throughing Environmental Agency ‘s petition. Good illustration where building of a dike has brought inundation protection to a really big population is The Three Gorges Dam in China. The Yangtze River on which the dike is constructed has claimed 300,000 lives of people that have drowned due to inundations in the last century. It has besides displaced 1000000s of people. At the minute, dike provides flood protection to fifteen million people that live in the inundation field [ 2 ] . Land reclaimed from sea can be used for either agricultural intents or for land development. This can merely be achieved by maintaining sea H2O out and merely manner to this is by building dikes, called sea defense mechanisms. Water from reservoirs can be used for irrigation. This is when H2O from the reservoirs is supplied to set down where harvests and workss are, enabling them to turn. This is peculiarly of import in states with hotter clime and which suffer great trade from dry seasons, hence trusting throughout the full season on irrigation H2O. In 1877, low Nile inundation failed to water adequately, doing dearth and decease among the six and half million Egyptian population [ 2 ] . Reservoirs created from dikes can offer Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Making manmade ( unreal islands ) which allows for birds to rest free from marauders such as foxes, and lagunas can be found along the offshore to keep shallow wetlands for wildlife even during drawdown. Woodland plantations along the shore can thrive thanks to provide of H2O offering dramatic and really beautiful home grounds that can back up really big figure of wildlife that can happen it hard to last in wider countryside. Commercial benefits arise from recreational chances that can be created. Since reservoirs allow for fish to boom, angling on such lakes is a immense potency and beginning of touristry. Not merely this but since most reservoirs are rather large, they offer a safe environment to sailing nines, besides boating and even swimming. Such activities as bird observation, bike equitation, nature walks, bivouacing and others can be possible around the reservoir, all which can heighten touristry. One of the chief benefits associated, for intent of this paper is the hydro power induced from constructing dike. Since turbines that generate electricity are fuelled by H2O, it is a clean fuel beginning offering no emanations. Because it relies on H2O rhythm, which in bend relies on series of events in nature one of them being the Sun, it is considered as a renewable power beginning. The reservoir behind the dike can be used to turn the turbines particularly when the demand for electricity leaps [ 5 ] . Taking United States as an illustration, 80 % of the renewable energy is accounted by hydroelectricity. This is because no emanations are released by combustion of fuels which is the job with atomic and coal discharged power Stationss. Just to show how much C dioxide released into the ambiance is saved by usage of hydropower, National Hydropower Association ( in USA ) , estimates it to be at 77 million metric dozenss. This sum would be tantamount to emanations released from driving 60 two million autos for one twelvemonth [ 6 ] . Production of electricity from hydro power is non fouling for other grounds excessively. Since no chemicals are involved with production, none have to be disposed of which is another great benefit to the environment. In add-on, noise pollution is non of a major concern since many dikes are located in stray countries.Negative facets of DamsDespite benefits that dams have brought, they have besides caused major environmental impacts. Even though they are regar ded as non fouling beginning of electrical power and really of import in H2O supply systems, better apprehension over the old ages of environmental impacts it causes makes many people want to oppose their building. Not merely does the environment suffer from building dikes, there are besides major economic, societal and political issues or concerns. Possibly the best manner frontward to depict negative side of constructing a dike would be to concentrate on one of the most controversial dikes of all time built. This is doubtless The Three Gorged Dam in China. From the really first phase, at proposal, it raised all of the concerns already mentioned. It has to be noted nevertheless, benefits are ever much easier to place and quantify, where as costs on the other manus manifest themselves over many old ages and in assortment of ways. Three Gorges Project Before we proceed onto depicting disadvantages of the Three Gorges, we need to understand more about the existent undertaking. The dike stretches 2.3 kilometers across the great river Yangtze. The tallness of the concrete wall reaches about 200 meters, has a volume of 40 million three-dimensional meters, and has created a reservoir 600-kilometres long with a entire storage capacity nearing 40 billion three-dimensional meters [ 7 ] . The reservoir is about twice the size of the Isle of Weight. So far 20 one generators have been installed, bring forthing about 62 billion kWhr of electricity and this is merely two tierces of the maximal degree that is being aimed at accomplishing [ 7 ] . Under original programs, the power generated from The Three Gorges was meant to fulfill some 10 per centum of entire electricity consumed in China. This mark has n't really been realised because demand for electricity in China has gone up at a higher rate than it was estimated for during design phase. T his figure would look to be at approximately 4 per centum fulfilling current demand. Economy Economic facet in footings of cost is difficult to quantify. Latest estimations of the entire building say that entire cost has been around $ 30 billion. Support has come from four internal beginnings in China and a figure of international moneymans. This is a really big sum of money that has been plugged into the undertaking and its estimated that after 2010 when all the proposed 26 turbines are installed and power production is at full capacity, it will take ten old ages to refund the loans [ 7 ] . However, existent cost are difficult to calculate because of after intervention plants and menaces such as landslides and temblors, political corruptness and monolithic resettlement and ecological losingss, all which might necessitate significant sum of money for remedial action. Fisheries Ecological jobs include impacts on the piscaries of the Yangtze River basin and deposit issues. The basin contains 30 six per centum of all freshwater fish species in China. Twenty seven per centum of all of China ‘s endangered fresh water fish are in the Yangtze basin [ 7 ] . Fish population are capable to fluctuations because of the break that the undertaking has on chemical and temperature composing of the H2O. Dam blocks migration of fish and entree to engendering evidences, and besides blocks nutrient resources available to those fish. The major kineticss of how river plants are altered by the dike and as a effect fish are non being able to accommodate to alter in environment. From WWF ‘s Living Planet Report, from 1970 to 2000, freshwater fish species have declined drastically. Fifty four per centum of 195 index species have exhibited a population diminution, which can be seen in Figure 2 [ 9 ] .Figure 2Dams are called up as one of the most influential in this diminution because they impact fish migration and downstream wetlands. Datas released from Three Gorges Dam corresponds to publish as after building one-year crop of carp was slightly 50 per centum below pre-dam statistic [ 7 ] . Deposit River deposit and deposit flow is another job. Traditionally Yangtze river has transported big sum of deposit from its upper reaches all the manner to China ‘s sea. Completion of the dike calls cause of concern for operational issues every bit good as environmental. Sediment has decreased at Yangtze delta by 30 three per centum of what it was before dam building. Decrease in deposit flow to the delta, allows for job of coastal eroding. How large the job is can non be determined at present but will be debatable most surely in decennaries to come [ 7 ] . China has approximately 83,000 reservoirs that are built for assorted intents, and 330 of these are major in size. Sediment deposition in 230 of them have become a important job, ensuing in a combined loss of 14 per centum of the entire storage capacity. Some have even lost up to 50 per centum of possible storage capacity [ 10 ] . Increased deposit degrees can greatly act upon hydroelectric power end product and flooding bar. Seismicity and Geological Instability Filling up of big reservoirs can do seismal activity and besides due to coerce it builds up on local mistakes. Such an action was predicted for Three gorges Dam aboard increased landslides which are related to seismal activity. Major landslide occurred shortly after the reservoir was filled near town of Qianjiangping on the the Qianggan River near its meeting with Yangtze mainstream. Twenty four million three-dimensional meters of stone and Earth slid into the Qinggan river, killing, destructing belongings and barricading way for boats. In 2007 functionaries and experts have admitted that Three gorges reservoir has caused more frequent landslides. Mayor of Chongqing, said that the shore of the reservoir had collapsed in 90 one topographic points and sum of 30 six kilometers of shoreline caved in. as danger zone extends new relocation of the people have to be made which non merely affects the societies but the cost to the authorities of resettlement. Water pollution Pollution of H2O in Three Gorges reservoir besides has to be accounted for when looking at negatives of building a dike. Harmonizing to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangtze river has become the biggest cloaca system in China. Around Three Gorges reservoir country, there are around three thousand industrial and excavation endeavors which release more than one billion dozenss of effluent yearly, incorporating more than 50 different pollutants. Included in the waste H2O are such poison elements as quicksilver, Cd, Cr, lead and nitrile. Industrial beginnings account for the bulk of the pollution, but big sums besides come from agricultural tally away, residential effluent, urban cloacas and pollution from ships. Surveies that are curried out for pollution do non even see township-level endeavors. There is really small intervention of industrial effluent fluxing into the reservoir country, and no intervention of residential effluent. Everyone so far has been trusting on the rivers cap acity to blush pollutants out to sea to maintain it clean. Following building of the Three Gorges dike, the rivers flow is greatly reduced and with it the blushing capacity of the river [ 10 ] . What is besides dismaying is that there are a figure of unknown diseases that have afflicted local workers on the river, perchance from the increased pollution within the river. Worrying besides is the issue of these harmful pollutants distributing farther into the environing environment particularly into other H2O beginnings, since subsiding of pollutants in the reservoir has possible for belowground H2O motion. Resettlement The biggest cost of the building of Three Gorges dike is the relocation non merely in footings of fiscal cost but in loss to societies and civilizations every bit good, since 1.6 million people had to be abandon their places or otherwise be flooded. The job is that one tierce of those people that had to be moved are husbandmans, and happening new land for them that can be used for agriculture is hard. Chinese authorities has tried to carry husbandmans to give up agriculture and travel into urban lodging and take up employment in metropoliss [ 8 ] . Over 100 towns have been flooded wholly and some 100 archeological sites have been lost to the reservoir. Some of the metropoliss have had a cultural history traveling back to good over one thousand old ages. With new jobs non accounted for such as increasing danger zones from landslides new estimation suggest that farther four million people are to be effected with resettlement [ 7 ] . It is non merely the loss of place that is an issue, tensenesss and struggles on a regular basis occur with local population and new migrators that have arrived. Inadequate planning has left people with bad farming land, nutrient insecurity, joblessness and societal position. Other issues Although the universe is going a more peaceable topographic point, the menace of an onslaught on the Three Gorges dike can non be dismissed. If it were destroyed by military onslaught, the effect for military, and for the full state, would be black particularly because its built in cardinal China. Large metropoliss, atomic power workss, and hydro undertakings are routinely considered premier military marks. Looking back at history, British have bombed Germany ‘s Mohne and Eder dikes during WWII and the US has bombed North Korean dike during the Korean War [ 11 ] . Another issue that will merely be mentioned and non greatly elaborated on is the dike failures. Failure of a really big dike carries with it a much larger possible to do decease than any other major adult male made structure/facility. Due to sudden prostration, inundation moving ridge can be generated that can be really black. Finally, it has to be mentioned that in many democratic states such a undertaking as The Three gorges would hold ne'er been approved. Human rights of the people to be resettled and more significantly many intellectuals would hold been taken into an history which can non be said to be the instance with building of Three Gorges in China. It can be comfortably said that the lone ground undertaking was of all time allowed is because of Chinese Communist leading, which lacks hearing and debating. By commanding the media and intelligence blackouts jobs and desolations are non known and minimised from a full graduated table. Such a government is determined to forestall the full truth from being revealed. If people speak against the determination they risk fring their occupations or worse. This is all due to the one-party system ( communism ) , where politicians have features of dictatorship, and no respect for single leting no democratic treatment at all [ 12 ] .DecisionDuty of Civil Engine ers is to supply people with suited substructure that will let people and societies they live in to transport out their activities. Societies should make up one's mind, sooner through democratic advancement, whether they want development to come on or non [ 13 ] . They should non be forced to accept development of any undertaking. Building of dike has many benefits that have been described most of import of those is that they have possible for clean non fouling production of electricity and proviso of H2O for healthful intents. In some parts of the universe, such as China it can hold a immense potency for forestalling implosion therapy. One of chief thrusts for building of Three Gorges Dam was flood bar for 15 million people. If 1.6 million had to resettle, but 15 million people guaranteed that opportunity of implosion therapy is one in a 1000 many would reason for it to be a good thought. Although there are figure of benefits, it is largely environmental impacts that concern bulk of people. Because dams inundation big sum of countries, it can impact ecological stableness in rivers, particularly for fish, local climatic conditions ( i.e. excess H2O vaporizing from the reservoir ) , and it can do landslides and seismal activity. These are merely some of many environmental issues. Social, economic and political facets are of the same importance and must non be overlooked. Equally long as equal stairss are taken to understate the environmental impacts, doing certain that environment can prolong the substructure, and people to be affected in bulk agree to take resettlement compensation, it is a good thought to construct dikes, but possibly non on such a big graduated table as the Three Gorges.

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Non-CSD beverage: Non-CSD beverage Coke and Pepsi are attacking these categories themselves, each trying to become a â€Å"total beverage company. † Will this approach lead to brand dilution? Do CPs risk becoming a less profitable business if they do not extend the brand? No good answers yet to these questions: Pepsi, so far, has had more success and has been more aggressive with non-CSDs. 7/20/2011 32 Session led by Prof. J. K. Mitra, FMS, Delhi Non-CSD beverage: Non-CSD beverage The business model for non-CSDs is somewhat different from the classic CSD model (pp. 1-14) The supply chain and bottling requirements add complexity to the value chain, compared with the relatively simple CSD model. 7/20/2011 33 Session led by Prof. J. K. Mitra, FMS, Delhi Non-CSD beverage: Non-CSD beverage The basic principles of the business remain the same: Coke and Pepsi own the brand and control product development; Dedicated bottlers leverage economies of scope in distribution (selling to same outlet, same trucks). There are exceptions—e. g. , Gatorade is delivery through food wholesalers. As niche products, non-CSDs carried prices and margins that are higher for everyone in the value chain. /20/2011 34 Session led by Prof. J. K. Mitra, FMS, Delhi The Implications of Bottled Water: The Implications of Bottled Water Will Coke and Pepsi be able to repeat their success with CSD in the water segment, or will a new competitive dynamic emerge? (page 14) 7/20/2011 35 Session led by Prof. J. K. Mitra, FMS, Delhi Bottled Water: Bottled Water Repeat of CSD New (less attractive) Industry Structure Economies of scale in advertising Hard to create brand loyalty Barriers to entry in distribution Highly fragmented, competitive structure Similar economics of concentrate firm High price sensitivity Little differentiation (e. . , taste) 7/20/2011 36 Session led by Prof. J. K. Mitra, FMS, Delhi Bottled Water: Bottled Water Unless Coke and Pepsi can generate brand loyalty and establi sh their brands, water is more likely to become a commodity-like product, where despite the scale and barriers in distribution, most of the profits will be extracted by the distribution channel (retailers) rather than by the concentrate companies or (especially) the bottlers. 7/20/2011 37 Session led by Prof. J. K. Mitra, FMS, Delhi Summary of the Case:Summary of the Case 1. One of the clearest examples on how firms can create and exercise market power. 2. To really understand the opportunities for strategy, we have to look at the underlying economics of the firm and the industry, and its related (upstream and downstream) parts. Without understanding the economics of the CP and bottler, we cannot understand the motivations and the likely success of moves like vertical integration. 7/20/2011 38 Session led by Prof. J. K. Mitra, FMS, Delhi

Informational Interviews

Informational Interviews Informational Interviews Informational Interviews By Mark Nichol So, you think you want to work for a certain company or in a particular profession in a specific position or department. How do you know for sure? How do you find out? Conducting informational interviews is a good place to start. What’s an informational interview? It’s a meeting with someone in a position, department, company, or profession that intrigues you. You’re not certain whether you are suited for or interested in that career, so you ask someone who knows what working in such an environment involves. (Equally important is what an informational interview is not: It is not a stratagem for finagling an opportunity to ask for a job under the guise of merely obtaining information.) How do you go about setting up an informational interview? Brainstorm, and check with friends and family, to find someone who works in a position or a company in the profession you’re interested in learning more about. Ask for an introduction, or contact the person directly. If you can’t identify a friend of a friend to interview, search online for contact information for a likely candidate and make a cold call (or, better yet, send a cold email, and then follow up with a call if you haven’t heard back from the person within a few days). To get the interview, write or say something like this: â€Å"I’m exploring new career opportunities, and I’m intrigued by your job description/your company/your profession. Before I seek employment as a (blank), I’d like to make sure that it’s the right fit for me, and I’d appreciate the opportunity to ask you a few questions about your work. â€Å"Could we meet for coffee, or at your office, for thirty minutes? This is not a stealth effort to ask for a job. It’s premature for me to seek employment in (job area) until I’m certain I have the aptitude and skills, and I am not deceitful. I’m genuinely interested in benefiting from your knowledge and insights.† If the recipient declines (which is unlikely most people are willing to share their professional know-how with a newcomer), thank them for their consideration and reply with a request for the name of someone else in the same company or profession who might be amenable to an interview. Here are questions to ask (but find out what you can through your own research first): 1. How do you spend your workday, and what are the weekly, monthly, and yearly cycles, if any, of your workload? 2. What is the balance of routine and novelty in your job? Does your work largely follow a set pattern, and does that appeal to you, or is it mostly unpredictable, and do you like that? 3. What type of skills and knowledge did you bring to your job, and what have you acquired? What skills or knowledge do you apply most often? 4. (Briefly outline your educational/work history.) How would one start out in this profession, and what other coursework or job experience would you recommend or would you consider indispensable? 5. Are there any other qualifications, such as union or association membership, tests or examinations, or certification or licensing? 6. What are the advancement opportunities, and are there any external requirements for advancement, like certification or advanced degrees? 7. What are the challenges and rewards in your position? 8. How would you describe the workplace culture? 9. What do you wish you had known about this profession when you were exploring it like I am now? 10. Is there anything else I should have asked you? 11. Do you mind if I follow up with other questions or requests for clarification? 12. Who else in this company, or in the profession, do you know who might be able to help me explore further? The most important thing to say, of course, is â€Å"Thank you I appreciate that you took the time and effort to help me in my research† and to do so again in writing (in a mailed note or postcard, not an email message). If you promptly set up an interview with one of the people your interviewee recommended, you can share that news, too a tangible sign of your initiative and persistence. Be sure to follow up, as well, if you decide not to pursue work in the person’s profession or to send your contact information when you do get a job in it (an achievement you managed in part, you’ll certainly emphasize, because of the information and advice the person gave you). The most important thing to do is to honor your pledge not to exploit the person’s offer to meet with you as a pretense for hinting about employment. However, if you are professional and polite, and show a genuine interest in the person’s responses (and don’t just recite your questions the interview should be more of a conversation), the person may ask you to email a copy of your resume â€Å"in case anything comes up.† If not, you’ll use the response to item number 12 to keep the chain unbroken and continue your investigation. So, where’s the writing tip? Please forgive the deviation from the format, but this career-research technique is so useful, and so many people are (surprisingly) unfamiliar with it, that I had to write a post about it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Punctuate References to Dates and TimesList of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and AdultsCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Erbium Factsâ€Er Element Properties

Erbium Facts- Er Element Properties The element erbium or Er is a silvery-white, malleable  rare earth metal belonging to the lanthanide group. While you may not recognize this element on sight, you can credit the pink color of glass and man-made gems to its ion. Here are more interesting erbium facts: ErbiumBasic Facts Atomic Number: 68 Symbol: Er Atomic Weight: 167.26 Discovery: Carl Mosander 1842 or 1843 (Sweden) Electron Configuration: [Xe] 4f12 6s2 Word Origin: Ytterby, a town in Sweden (also the source of the name of the elements yttrium, terbium, and ytterbium) Interesting Erbium Facts Erbium was one of three elements found in yttria that Mosander separated from the mineral gadolinite. The three components were called yttria, erbia, and terbia. The components had similar names and properties, which became confusing. Mosanders erbia later became known as terbia, while the original terbia became erbia.Although erbium (along with several rare earths) was discovered in the mid-19th century, it was not isolated as a pure element until 1935 because the group of elements had such similar properties.  W. Klemm and H. Bommer purified erbium by reducing anhydrous erbium chloride with potassium vapor.Although a rare earth, erbium is not all that rare.  The element is the 45th most abundant in the Earths crust, at a level of about 2.8  mg/kg. It is found in seawater at concentrations of 0.9  ng/LThe price of erbium is approximately $650 per kilogram. Recent advances in ion-exchange extraction are bringing the price down while increasing uses of the element drive the pr ice up. Summary of Erbium Properties The melting point of erbium is 159 °C, the boiling point is 2863 °C, specific gravity is 9.066 (25 °C), and valence is 3. Pure erbium metal is soft and malleable with a bright silvery metallic luster. The metal is fairly stable in air. Uses of Erbium Recent studies indicate erbium may help stimulate metabolism. If the element has a biological function, it has yet to be identified. The pure metal is slightly toxic, while the compounds tend to be non-toxic to humans. The highest concentration of erbium in the human body is in bones.Erbium is used as a neutron absorber in the nuclear industry.It may be added to other metals to lower hardness and improve workability. In particular, it is a common addition to vanadium to make it softer.Erbium oxide is used as a pink colorant in glass and porcelain glaze. It is also used to add a pink color to cubic zirconia.The same pink ion used in glass and porcelain, Er3, is fluorescent and appears to glow under daylight and fluorescent light. Erbiums interesting optical properties make it useful for lasers (e.g., dental lasers) and optical fibers.Like related rare earth, erbium shows sharp absorption spectra bands in the near-infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. Sources of Erbium Erbium occurs in several minerals, along with other rare earth elements. These minerals include  gadolinite, euxenite, fergusonite, polycrase, xenotime,  and blomstrandine. Following other purification processes, erbium is isolated from similar elements into the pure metal by  heating erbium oxide or erbium salts with calcium at 1450  °C in an inert argon atmosphere. Isotopes:  Natural erbium is a mix of six stable isotopes. 29 radioactive isotopes are also recognized. Element Classification: Rare Earth (Lanthanide) Density (g/cc): 9.06 Melting Point (K): 1802 Boiling Point (K): 3136 Appearance: soft, malleable, silvery metal Atomic Radius (pm): 178 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 18.4 Covalent Radius (pm): 157 Ionic Radius: 88.1 (3e) Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.168 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 317 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.24 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 581 Oxidation States: 3 Lattice Structure: Hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 3.560 Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.570 Erbium Element References Emsley, John (2001). Erbium. Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford, England, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 136–139.  Patnaik, Pradyot (2003). Handbook of Inorganic Chemical Compounds. McGraw-Hill. pp. 293–295.Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001)Crescent Chemical Company (2001)Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952)CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.)

To what extent is fate part of the protagonist in Woman at point Zero Essay

To what extent is fate part of the protagonist in Woman at point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi and Chronicle of a death foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez dictat - Essay Example In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, the moral value in question is honour, whereas in Woman at Point Zero it is attainment of power. These values determine the characters actions and thereby shape their fates: â€Å"The work of Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Chronicle of a Death Foretold reads much like a Greek tragedy in that events proceed in an unforgiving inevitability† (website). In Woman at Point Zero, the protagonist Firdaus is manipulated and dishonoured by a number of people in her life. She has no power over the events that happen to her. She gradually learns the value of power and money which enables one to gain control over others and that becomes the utmost aim in her life. "All my life I have been searching for something that would fill me with pride, make me feel superior to everyone else, including kings, princes and rulers." Her life as a prostitute provides her a source of power she wields over men. She finds that men throughout her life mistreat her and use her until eventually she kills one of them. Firdaus is manipulated by all the elders in her life. All the major decisions in her life are taken on her behalf by her elders or the men. Firdaus life becomes a resistance against her male dominated society. She never takes delight in relationships with men. She needs to be treated as equal which in no way occurs within the respectable life of an office assistant. As a prostitute Firdaus has no need to show respect toward even the most powerful of men and thus gains her own dignity and free will. In Firdaus world, men wish to subjugate women, stripping them of all of their power. In this society, a respectable woman is one that submits to a man’s will and depends upon him for protection. By rejecting these values, Firdaus claims a sense of power and freedom over those that wish to imprison her mentally. The motif of captivity is central to