Maupassant; you choose Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Maupassant; you choose - Research Paper Example He said, â€Å"I predict that in our lifetimes astronomy will be talked about in the market-places. Even the sons of fishwives will go to school. For this city people seeking after novelty will be glad that this new astronomy now lets the earth move freely.†(Brecht 4) For his views, Galileo had to spend his life under house arrest. Some masterpieces of literature emerged out of Maupassant pen, which contained revolutionary ideas. He chiseled beautiful characters, but a Black Hole in his personality did much damage to him as an individual. Maupassant died at the young age of 48, as he suffered from serious ailments. Efforts have been made in this paper to discuss his great displeasure about the social conditions prevailing in France in 1870s, the political trends, the influence and dominance of Church on the lives of the people, corruption and predominance and duplicity of the bourgeoisie etc. Maupassant is not a porn writer. When he creates a character, he seems to know each a nd every molecule of its physical and psychological personality. He criticizes the Fourth Estate, the press—the defenders of freedom— that indulged in too-cozy relationships with politicians. He brought to the open platform, behind-the-curtain scenes pertaining to various social institutions, with sincerity of purpose. His worst enemies can not say a word against his extraordinary literary skills. He creates stories literally out of nothing! "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.† (Shakespeare, Act II, and Scene V) Maupassant belongs to the second category. His literary snapshots through short stories are profound and they say everything about the French history of his era. The conclusion mentions about the conditions obtaining in Paris in the late 19th century, and the historical and sociological contribution of Maupassant

How have groups of scholars cited the Qur'an to support their Research Paper

How have groups of scholars cited the Qur'an to support their different stances on prophetic immunity from sin - Research Paper Example Controversies arise when the revelations of God (the power that is incomprehensible to mind) are interpreted and discussed by the mind-level scholars. This is true of scholars of any religion and Islam is no exception. No scholar can reach the divine heights of prophets and as such common agreement for their different stances is impossibility. The followers of Islam have their inspiration and guidance from twin sources. â€Å"The norms and assumptions that have characterized belief and action in Islam have their initial inspiration in two foundational sources. One is scriptural, embodying the message revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad and recorded in the Qur’an. The second is the exemplification of that message in the perceived model pattern of the Prophet’s actions, sayings and norms, collectively called the sunna.† (Nanji, n.p.)) For Muslims Qur’an is the ultimate scripture, its revelations are inviolable; it contains direct communication from God. The contents of Qur’an are not debatable; as such there is no question of difference interpretations as for those revelations. Sunna comes next in the order of preference in the sense it contains historical, but divinely inspired contents as guided by â€Å"Prophet Muhammad, whom the Muslims believe that he is the last in the series of messengers from God.†(Nanji, n, p.) He is the final religious authority for the Muslims. â€Å"The late Fazlur Rahman, noted University of Chicago scholar of Islamic thought and modernist Muslim thinker, argued that in its initial phase Islam was moved by a deep rational and moral concern for reforming society and that this moral intentionality was conceived in ways that encouraged a deep commitment to reasoning and rational discourse.†(Nanji, n.p.) Qur’an is the revelation of God and it cannot be compared or estimated with the measuring scale of reasoning. Here is the origin of conflict between the scholars. Because most o f the scholars speak and write from the mind-level and they are not connected to the divine source. When revelations are weighed in the scale of human reason, the results are not going to be divine. Rational understanding and divine understanding are poles apart. Human beings may explain about their connectivity, which is not there in real terms. â€Å"The relationship between the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet, as a model of behavior, was also elaborated to create a legal framework within which values and obligations could be determined.†(Nanji, n.p.) But when the scholars intervene, no two scholars have ever given identical opinions on any contentious issue. Every scholar cites Qur’an but interprets its revelation in the light of the reasoning that one visualizes. Different stances of the scholars regarding prophetic sins need to be understood in this context. Prophetic immunity from sin: Truth needs to be followed implicitly when it has been accepted as t ruth. Truth is complete and there is nothing like partial truth. When the implementing authorities of truth, the Prophets especially chosen for the assignment, there is no question of deviation from the path of truth. They are expected to dutifully deliver truth to humankind. God has chosen them with a purpose and he has the detailed backgrounder information about the ones he has chosen. â€Å"However, Jonah (pbuh), for instance, deliberately abandoned his divinely ordained

Rizals life and works Essay Example for Free

Rizals life and works Essay Dr. Josà © Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda (June 19, 1861- December 30, 1896) He was an award winning poet, and brilliant critic of the Spanish historical accounts of the societies in his native pre-colonial Philippines. Full of intelligence and humility, Rizal gained the respect and admiration of prominent men from around the world. Yet, more importantly, Rizal’s love for his nation and his fellow men led him to spark a revolution that uplifted the welfare of so many. An outstanding academic, he originally planned on studying land surveying, but when his mother began to go blind, he decided to study medicine. Unable to continue his education at Manila’s University of Santo Tomas due to discrimination because he was a native, Rizal traveled to Spain to study at the Universidad Central de Madrid. Before the age of 25, Rizal had traveled to Paris to earn a second doctorate, and then to Germany, where he completed his eye specialization and was inducted as a member of the Berlin Ethnological and Anthropological Societies. A master in 22 languages, Rizal used his intellectual and writing talents to write about the Spanish Colonial elite and the atrocities committed towards the natives by the Friars in the name of the Church. He translated and published his writings in many languages. However, this meant Rizal faced strong public opposition from elites in many countries who wanted to protect their interests in colonialism. Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892 and formed a civic movement called â€Å"La Liga Filipina.† His goal was to unite Filipinos for protection from violence and injustice and to fight for change through peaceful and legal means. Rizal was declared an enemy of the state and his organization was disbanded by the Spanish governor. â€Å"†¦our liberty will (not) be secured at the sword’s point†¦we must secure it by making ourselves worthy of it. And when a people reaches that height God will provide a weapon, the idols will be shattered, tyranny will crumble like a house of cards and liberty will shine out like the first dawn† – Josà © Rizal Even when the infamous General Baleriano Weyler (who developed harsh tactics and cruel concentration camps for the natives in Cuba a few years earlier) was transferred to the Philippines to suppress the native organizing, Josà © Rizal continued speaking out and leading tenants against the injustices oppressing them, including ever-increasing rents, evictions, and the farm destruction ordered by the General. Recognized years later by Ghandi as a forefunner in the cause of freedom, Rizal never once  backed down from his beliefs that his people needed proper representation, strong education, better protection and a better government. Yet, his undaunted courage and determination to improve the welfare of Filipinos was feared by his enemies. They quickly deported him as a rebel. Where many would give up or become discouraged, Rizal used those four years of exile to build a school, a hospital and water dam and supply system that were considered engineering marvels. His sincerity and friendliness won the trust and confidence of everyone, even his prison guards. Shortly after his return, the Philippines began a full-blown revolution. In order to disassociate with the violent uprising, which he felt would not be enough to change the minds of the wealthy Filipinos, Rizal volunteered to go serve victims of yellow fever in Cuba. He was arrested en route to Cuba and sent to prison. A prime example of his character is seen in his return voyage. The guards refused to chain him or touch him because he was known for his honesty. Rizal never took advantage of opportunities to escape. Upon his return, Josà © Rizal was charged with sedition, conspiracy and rebellion and sentenced to death. Without a chance to challenge the charges, Rizal was executed by a firing squad, and buried secretly and without a casket in unholy ground. A monument now stands in the place where he was killed. The inscription reads, â€Å"I want to show to those who deprive people the right to love of country, that when we know how to sacrifice ourselves for our duties and convictions, death does not matter if one dies for those one loves – for his country and for others dear to him.† His life and death was a catalyst that sparked the revolution against Spain and six years later would change the long-held view of the U.S. government that the Filipinos were too barbaric to govern themselves. The U.S. passed a bill in support of a Democratic government in the Philippines after hearing one of his poems read in congress. â€Å"I die without seeing the dawn brighten over my native land. You who have it to see, welcome it and forget not those who have fallen during the night!† – Josà © Rizal

Service: The Main Essence Of Hospitality

Service: The Main Essence Of Hospitality Service is the main essence of Hospitality .Guest service means being attentive to the guest request and needs. Good quality service is the main essence to run a good hotel and it can achieve by creating such a environment for the guest that should give feeling of Home away from home. Guest should feel comfortable and relaxed while staying in the hotel. Every guest should be handled as special customer which help in making good relation with the guest. It does not matter how good is the ambience, how tasty the food is, its always the service and attentiveness which guest experiences which determines their return in the hotel. Hospitality is known for its generously providing kindness and care, who is in need. Knowing what exactly the customer expects is the first and most important step in delivering good quality service.You cannot give quality service without knowing customer expectations. Hotels or inns are believed to have started around 12000 years ago.Traveling concept started in Greece and ancient Rome in 800BC-146BC.Early warriors and traders were the travelers.In thosedays accommodation means offering a cot or a bench in corner of a room or astable, most of them were private residences that used to give temporary residence or give loading to strangers.In the Dark Ages travelers had little choice except to stay in monasteries that offered food and shelter.The idea of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹hosting travelers was taken even further when trade and commerce began to boom, prompting taverns and inns to arise, especially in ports cities. That time sanitation and privacy was not in exist.When money came in establishment in 6th century BC, hospitality was one of the first enterprises where money was exchanges for receiving service.Inthose days Hotels or inns not used to operate for 24 hours, after a certain hour the main door of residence would close andafte r that one cannot enter although you are a customer. These Residences or inns were generally situated near intersection of two major roads or near railway station or at the entry of a city. Since then Hospitality industry has grown into a highly competitive industry (WelingkarI., 2011). Hospitality now just not about getting from point A to point B,its about how you go to your destination forwarded by how much you enjoyed your stay. Tourism plays an important role in the growth of throughout the hospitality industry because people will never stop traveling and while traveling they always require a place to stay. Intelligent commercial planners have realized the industries potential and are taking advantage of the same by providing all the wants and needs of potential guests. Hotel operators are radically changing the service manner in which they provide food,drinks,and accommodation within the organization,the main reason for doing so is that hospitality industry is movingvery promptly. Customers are varying, technology and markets are changing rapidly.Managers are reexamining their existing service offering and deciding which innovation will create more value.Managers are researching on innovation, which are economically sustainable to the organization but also delivering additional value to their customers. Each year Market Metrix evaluates industry best practices and publishes Hospitality Trends and Opportunities. One important trend is to focus on is Personalization and it is impacting customer engagement and loyalty for hospitality companies.(Merchant, 2011) Hotel industry has changed a lot compared to recent years and is changing continuously. Numbers of changes are coming in way to give service to guest. New applications are coming in the market that is helping in providing better customer service.They make a big difference in terms of winning new businesses and new customers.Technologies continue evolving to make it as easy to use as possible for the hotels staff.In the past, the systems that hotel staff uses have been traditionally designed and required a great deal of training in order to be used successfully.Hotel technology will continue to evolve and improve so that training is minimized and the type of training that the hotels can concentrate on will be on hospitality-oriented, customer facing services.The main emphasis is on how to treat the guests, not how to deal with computer systems. Service innovation not only involves new ideas or new technology but modifying and renovating existing ideas by new and unique thinking.The main objective of innovation is to improve operations, guest service and revenues. However, Hotel industry is one of the oldest industries so it is not easy to innovate in industry with traditional methods. Service science gives us a good chance to innovate services in a new day. As a growing industry, hotel industry includes all types of accommodations from 5 star luxurious properties to youth hostels, which offers a variety of services including but not limited to food, beverage, laundry and valet services. Servqual and TQM-Total quality management are the two widely used concepts within service industries to understand the perceptions of target customers regarding their service needs. And to provide ameasurement of the service quality of the organization.Servqual is an empirically derived method that may be used by a services organization toimprove service quality.The method involves the development of an understanding of the perceived service needs of target customers.These measured perceptions of service quality for the organization in question, are then compared against an organization that is excellent.The resulting gap analysis is used as a driver for service quality improvement(lalvanzonline,2011).TQM processes are mainly divided into four general categories: plan, do, check, and act also called as PDCA cycle. In the planning ,people define the problem to be addressed, collect relevant data, and ascertain the problems root cause; in the doing phase, people develop and implement a solution, and decide upon a measurement to gauge its effectiveness; in the checking phase, people confirm the results through before-and-after data comparison; in the acting phase, people document their results, inform others about process changes, and make recommendations for the problem to be addressed in the next PDCA cycle (Margaret Rouse,2005) The boutique hotel is an excellent example of innovation offering in hospitality industry. A boutique hotel is one that is generally not chain-affiliated, features an intimate, stylish appearance and provides impeccable amenities(Cathy Rogers,2011). The target market for most boutique hotels is the 25-55 age range, most within the middle to upper income level.These hotels are generally situated in a stylish location .The goal for a boutique hotel is a level of personalized service not necessarily doable in a larger hotel. At many boutique hotels, the staff knows each guest by their name. Most offer 24-hour guest services. Some offer the comforts of canopy beds, bathrobes and fireplaces in the lobby. Others offer healthy food choices, mind and body themes and on-site bookstores.As a boutique hotel varies in other features, so does its technological amenities. While some offer the latest in technology, others focus on a calm, soothing environment. To some patrons, the bed and breakfast concept may be similar to that of the boutique hotel. Many boutique hotels have on-site, reputable dining, as well as bar and lounge areas that are also open to the public. As the trend continues to grow, many hotels market themselves as boutique; most being small, luxury type hotels worldwide. Eva Floor is also a new concept which has started in India, by The ITC group, called Eva Floor which means a floor only for ladies travelers. Seven hotels have currently been outfitted with the Eva Floors.The main concept to come up with such idea is to provide maximum safety and security to ladies travellers. Amenities on the Eva floors include extra security in the form of double latches, special floor access cards, all-women staff and a separate check-in counter. Women like pretty colors, hate harsh lighting, are prone to lay around a lot, and spend most of the time in the bathrooms, the rooms are decorated in soft pastels, have special lighting, separate day beds for an afternoon nap, larger counters for cosmetics, high-end toiletries, silk robes and bathroom slippers, more powerful hair dryers, and ironing boards (Juliana, 2005). A good and important invention in Hotel services is the use of Information Technology. IT innovation are beneficial and have future benefits for Hotels.IT is playing a very important role in hospitality industry.Technology powers and contributes to the growth to practically every industry in the present age. Hotel industry too isnt insulated from its effects. Many new technologies have invented to run the system smooth and flexible. IT has minimized the human efforts in many levels. Some of the good examples of IT innovations includes Express check In/Check Out, , internet check in/check outs, wake up system , electronic door locks ,in-room pay-per-view, electronic safe guards, express check-in/out systems, CD/Dvd Players, voice mails, multiple phone lines,electronic mini bars. Technology powers and contributes to the growth to practically every industry in the present age. Hotel industry too isnt insulated from its effects. Many new technologies have invented to run the system smoot h and flexible. Now, with the invention of the internet and other electronic channels, new media offers an avenue for hospitality companies to gain an advantage. At one time travel agents were almost controlled the hospitality industry. They were largely responsible for creating guests travel plans and offering specified rates. While large chains and big time destinations can afford traditional marketing channels, smaller, independent entities can gain an advantage through new hospitality concepts. Companies such as Expedia, Tripadvisor, and TravelCLICK help level the playing field and empower the host as well as the traveler more than ever before in the history of the hospitality industry. Globallypeople are working overtime to take advantage internet, in order to catalyze their sales and to improve customer relations.Internet is playing a key role in development of hotel industry today. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter etc. are interestingly playing a dominant role in strategies of h otels all over. User generated feedbacks and reviews on such websites play a huge role in popularizing the services of hotels by word of mouth. Further, it also becomes easier to stay in touch with and maintain relationships with ex-clients by making use of online tools. The number of travelers booking and researching online is growing impressively. According to one research, more than 114 million people will research travel online this year, while 94 million will actually book reservations. While more than 50 percent of travel bookings are made on the Internet, the online travel market has matured and expects modest growth and stabilization. More and more travelers are using their mobile devices to not only research lodging and travel options, but to book and communicate room preferences directly with the hotel. Mobile channel booking has increased four times between 2008 and 2010 according to Forrester Research. Google is projecting that mobile will overtake PCs as the most common Web-access device by 2013. With travelers adopting smartphones and tablets at such a rapid pace, its crucial for hoteliers to optimize their website for mobile usage to capture potential mobile transactions(RobertRauch,2011). About a decade ago, hotel industry was much more concern on people who are now mostly in their 50s and 60s but now hotel industry has started to anticipate a group of travelers who are in their 20s to mid-30s and are very important for economic growth. They are more attracted towards technology, social media and design. Many hotels are renovating their existing hotels or introducing new ones with free hotel wide Wi-Fi connections, large welcoming lobbies with modern age ambience, comfortable fittings, state-of-the-art fitness areas; in-room power consoles to plug in iPads, laptops and other devices; and stylish bar. Some are also coming up with night social events, like happy hours and free wine tastings, aimed at attracting smartphone generation to their hotels . The changes involves higher-quality beds, brighter lighting and bigger work spaces. And those travelers were loyal to brands that offered reliable, comfortable services. Wi-Fi service is not only demanded but expected. Hig h-speed Internet is as essential as beds and towels (Janet Morrissey, 2012).Younger travelers tend to visit three or four different restaurants and bars a night, so hotels are opening up multiple bars and lounges with different themes at different times of the day to attract new crowd . Many many new concepts are which offers free daily events, including tea tastings, yoga sessions and wine tastings etc.(Stowe Boyd, 2011). The Arrabelle at Vail Square is implementing IntelityICE (Interactive Customer Experience) mobile technology for guests to use on Android, Apple smartphones and tablets. The Arrabelles traditional amenities, from in-room fireplaces to snuggly robes, will be complemented by the arrival of the most innovative, modern in-room technology available.After simply downloading the ICE app, all of the hotels services can be accessed directly from the palm of a guests hand. At the touch of a finger, guests can make a housekeeping request or look up information about the hotel and local attractions. They can also conveniently view signature dishes, like Executive Chef Douglas Dodds lobster mac and cheese, available at Vails hot new food and drink spot, Tavern on the Square (Hospitality Technology, 2011). Breadcrumb, an easy-to-use, powerful and affordable iPad point-of-sale (POS) system helps hotels to run their restaurants, bars and cafes more effectively. Breadcrumb combines intuitive and sophisticated software with outstanding support. Breadcrumb removes the complexities, frustrations and high costs common to legacy POS solutions. Breadcrumb streamlines all activity at local restaurants, cafes and bars, from taking and placing orders, to table management, payment processing and analyzing sales so merchants can learn about and improve their businesses.Servers can search for menu items or rearrange tables with a finger swipe, software updates are free and automatic, and we even ship new customers an all-in-one Breadbox that contains all hardware required to get started.Everything a restaurant or bar needs to operate more efficiently and deliver impeccable customer service. Breadcrumb has a full range of features that allows hospitality businesses to manage labor, take orders, proces s payments and analyze performance. Users can merge or split checks, add or adjust menu items, set employee access levels, view real-time sales and labor reports and more. The Plaza, the landmark New York City hotel located on Central Park South,have taken hotel lodging to a whole new, high tech level began by offering iPads in each of its guests rooms.The first hotel in the world to provide not only a tablet for each guest room, but a tablet with Intelitys ICE (Interactive Customer Experience) software to offer guests services and room controls.These iPads gives the abilities to guests to control hotel services and customizable content.These iPads are incorporated with the functions like to check flights, order room service, make dinner reservations, coordinate transportation, reach the concierge, request wake-up calls, explore destination guides and call a housekeeper (Katie Kindelan, 2011).Intelity has released the highlights of a two-year study of guestroom iPad usage. The first such study conducted using data from actual hotel guest usage.The study showed that 82% of guests used the tablet during their stays on a year-round basis. April had the hi ghest average guest usage at 91% (Hotel Technology, 2012). The industrys concern towards security has increased impressively due to severalterrorist attacks worldwide in recent years, and also because of the tourists kidnappings, robberies and assaults.Security of all types of hospitality and tourismoperations is critical and plans should bemade for each kind of threat.Personal safety of guests is the first priority (Walker, 2010). Increased security measures have forced hotel industry to upgraded their security measures by investingmillions of dollars in order to give the topmost security to the guests (Hall etal, 2003). Who Am I Now? Reflective Education Essay Who Am I Now? Reflective Education Essay My name is Muhammad Razin bin Amir Hamzah and I used to be called as Razin. I am 21 years old. Currently, I am furthering my study in Bachelor of Science in Computing under University of Wales, United Kingdom. Now, I am in the second year. There is only one year to go for me to complete my study. I enrolled in this course to fulfill my aspiration towards becoming the next Steve Job, the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Incorporation. It took 21 years to create where I am today. Within these years I worked hard to get where I am right now. The best way to know where am I now is by looking into my strengths and weaknesses. I have analysed, evaluated, and looked deep inside myself to determine the weaknesses and strengths of my true character. Positive attitude and patience are the two important strengths that I have built in me. These two characteristics have contributes to my career, my learning and almost everything in my personal life. On the other hand, the two aspects of myself that I need to improve are my organization skills and my public speaking skills. Having positive attitude is vital. This leads to a motivated learning team, a comfortable working environment, and a happy personal life. It is hard to find a scenario in which a person with positive attitude and full of compliments to be scolded. No negative or bad attitudes make my personal life great. I socialized with my family with happy and respectful thoughts which motivate them to share their happiness with me and others. My attitude keeps people around me in a good mood. This personal characteristic of mine allows me to manage the tense situations during my study sessions, especially when I have to answer assignment questions and submit them before the due date. Being positively motivated, I encourage others to be compliant and respectful. Positive attitude will be beneficial in my learning team because it will promote teamwork and friendship. I think a happy and friendly team will be more productive than a team that always argues and disagrees. My second strength is patience. We will feel comfortable when we speak to someone who is patient. People with patience do not interrupt others, instead they listen and try to be helpful. In my personal life, I have an autistic nephew who needs people with a lot of patience. Being bossy, angry, and snappy will only make me hard to handle him. I have to talk slowly and repeat my words several times so that he will understand me. In my study environment, it is also imperative that I have patience. I have to deal with tough and difficult assignment questions. Each question has its own degree of difficulties. Thus, I need to conquer each of the questions with my best answer and support it with reasonable evidence. I have to patiently search for the articles on the respective topics and provide my best answer to ensure that I get good results in my study. In addition, patience is a must when participating in a team environment. When many people get together in a team, things often progress very fast. However, sometimes things get sloppy or get misunderstood. With patience, I can maintain consistency and accurateness within an organization. Having described my strengths, I must now turn to reveal my weaknesses. I must say that I am not a superhuman or a perfect person. My weaknesses often frustrate and challenge me, but my positive attitude forces me to correct my weaknesses and win over them. My first weakness, I must admit, is public speaking. I get very nervous. The sign is my hands get clammy and begins to sweat. Droplets of water appear on my face and I mumble my words when I start to speak in front of large group of people. This problem neither gives a huge impact in my personal life nor affects my on-line learning team, but it does affect my daily duties at college. I speak with others in college, especially with my friends, regarding general knowledge and current issues. I am told that my nervousness does not show, but before and during every speech I feel my hands shake, my feet get clammy, and my face starts to sweat. Over the years, I have fought this battle of public speaking by doing many things. First, I h ave completed a college level English class. Second, I completed a college level speech class. Recently, I took an English tuition class to enhance my communication skill and widen my English vocabulary. My second blind spot that I must admit is my lack of organization skill. I organize my assignment papers by tossing them on my study desk. Thus, I will avoid looking at them. It is hard for me to find my belongings especially in my study room because of my unorganized attitudes. When the assignment season arrives, it will be a disaster for me. I often lose my important notes and my framework papers. These matters has made me spend twice the actual time needed to accomplish my task. I lose valuable times for this reason, whereas I could have used those precious times together with my family. Besides that, this will seriously affect my learning team. Before it gets much more severe, I have to improve my deportment and be a better organised person. I will not frighten up myself when I see papers containing college assignments. What I need to help me overcome my problem are a desk together with filing cabinets and a day planner calendar. The fears of obtaining a bad result in my diploma level made me realize that organization skill is crucial to succeed in life, especially in my study. WHAT DO I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH? My short term goal is to finish my undergraduate program with a first class honours. In other words, I want to complete my study with flying colours. This is because the only commitment that I have now is being a full time student. So, my part is just to concentrate on my studies and struggle hard to achieve my ambition towards becoming the Information Technology lecturer. By building up a good academic base, I can hunt the job I wanted very fast without any resistance. Besides, by achieving good results, I will be exempted from paying back Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) loan. This will surely reduce my family burden to settle off my carried loan. My long term goal is that I will be counted among successful lecturer. I do often ask myself, what a better job would be than to be a lecturer. The answer is none. I believe that the ability to change and improve the world to be a better place for people to live starts from the effort and idea given by the educator. So, it will be my huge contribution to the society. I set high objectives for me as an educator and put a very great effort to accomplish my goals. I began to realize that awesome teachers have their own distinctive skills which I need to learn. Following their examples can make me become someone in the society. To be good at elucidating the contents of a subject, to be firm and patient towards students, to be always fair to students, to set high and realistic expectations, to have the skills to advice and motivate others are some of the indicators that are needed to become a great teacher. A great teacher will explain questions asked by their students and make them fully understand, and not let their students walk away in doubt. Brainstorming will be the best tool used by extraordinary teachers to convey particular lesson plan if their student did not understand. He or she would think, How am I going to explain this particular concept to my student and they need to understand clearly what I am teaching? This is the type of teacher I intend to be. Ability to inspire others is not just a gift or an opportunity but its a challenge. Currently, we can see that there are thousands of educators still with their old mind-set and do not like to accept this challenge. This serious matter need to be changed. Nowadays, students are being forced to school. Most of the time, students will think that learning is not their main priority but teaching is a teachers job. Students always learn but they may not be interested with the lesson taught by their teacher. An excellent teacher is not just an expert in his or her field, but he or she must be aware of the current issues and prepare himself or herself to teach something else. Some things can prove to be more valuable than knowledge itself, which are morals and character. I want to inspire the children who will represent the future of our great nation. In life, I tried to make many spectacular teachers that have taught me to be my role models. From the characteristic listed, I intend to grab them to become an excellent teacher. HOW DO I ACHIEVE IT? During my undergraduate program, I took a Computer Science course. This will help me to dual master myself, in Information Technology and in teaching. Most of the minor classes that I enrolled were communication and psychology, which would help me in my career as a teacher. Other than that, I also taught in a private tuition centres as my part-time job. During that time, I spent considerable amount of time observing classrooms. With strong education background and wide range of experience which I gained in the classroom, I realize that teaching will be the most suitable career for me. Meanwhile, I work as a personal Information Technology consultant for Smart Academic Management for about two years. This company was doing motivation work for universitie and college students. During this period of time, I am polishing my programming skills. Sometimes, I was given the opportunity to enrol in motivation programmes together with students. This exposes me to different range of human behav iours and life backgrounds especially those involving youngsters. Other than that, I do read a lot of articles regarding teaching methodology, student behaviour, and psychology. There are around 19 encyclopaedias in my book rack regarding software development and psychology. I often make my readings at night after performing my night prayers. I will make my own mind map to make me understand more and to get clear picture about the contents of books that I read. I do virtually contact my foreign friends via internet. This will help me keep in touch with their education line in Australia and Russia. Now, I need to start planning where to open my own private learning centre and how to enhance my marketing strategies. WHAT MIGHT STOP ME? I believe that, the time I set my goal there will be the obstacles to stop me achieving it. The most common barrier to reaching my potential is my mind-set, that is, what and how I think about myself and what I wish to achieve. I limit myself by the negative thoughts that I think and I may say. If I think and believe that I cannot accomplish something, then that will come true and I will fail. However, when I think that I can accomplish a task, or overcome a situation and I put in the effort, my future will turn bright. I will only succeed when I start to take control and action to change my destiny towards the goal rather than leave it to fate. Some people said that they have done some work and failed in their first trial. Thus they have not continued working on it anymore. This is just an irrelevant excuse. The solution for this is to reset our mind-set to believe in ourselves and achieve our goal in any way possible. Having failed in the past, does not mean that I will fail again and again for the rest of my life. I should think of things that happened in past in terms of what I can learn from them; seeing all the pass experience as feedback rather than as failure. I should think in this way Yesterday mining is for todays goal. The failure in my past will make me more matured. The past will be beneficial as I can learn from my mistakes. The only thing I can do about my past is to learn from it because the past is over and I cannot change them. Thinking negatively can really stop me from reaching my potential. Negative influences are always around us. Mass media such as radio and idiot box may pass some inappropriate message that can predispose our mind-set. Sometimes I do get negative feedback from family members and friends who are trapped in a negative mind-set. They believe that they are helping me by being realistic but it is not helping at all. The best solution is that I should make myself surrounded by positive minded people, people who work hard to a chieve their goals. Having positive support is vital. On the other hand, another obstacle that stops me from reaching my potential from being successful is inadequate of plan. Too many people including myself walk through their life simply by taking what is handed to them. The decision made by others will be the decision for themselves. I seldom make my duty plan for the weeks or months ahead. It is so essential that I take some time to start setting up my goals. During the process I can find out how to accomplish those aims, and make suitable timeline for me to have it done. This vital process is often neglected. To set goals starts with listing out what am I going to accomplish. They are those people who set their goal just to float along without any attention to better their situation. There is also people who have goals but they are unfamiliar with the correct way and proper plan to make their goal come true. I think I can be categorised under this type of person.

A Report on Lifeline for Children’s Choir Directors Essay -- Choir Cho

Mrs. Bartle employs a little bit of four of each of the methods shared in (the vocal pedagogy) class. She uses a lot of the Westminister method but borrows from the others. The others she borrows from are Christiansen, Fred Warning and Wilson/Klein. Much of what she writes, is from her own life’s career experiences as a choral director. The first subject she deals with is the director’s attitude. A director should have a positive attitude. (p. 3, Bartle) In chapter two she discusses the development of a child’s voice in a mechanistic way. She wants the ’flutety’ sound of a child’s voice developed, between the ages 6-8. (ps. 7-9) This reminds me of the Westminister method. She tells how to help a child that has problems sing on ’center’. (ps. 13-15.) She tells how to help children pronounce their vowels when they sing. She does this by demonstrating the position of the jaw with a rubber band. She also teaches children how to form vowels and diphthongs with their mouths. (ps. 19-21) She gives some mechanistic methods on how to develop good diction with nonsense word drills and by exaggerating consonants as they whisper words. (ps. 22-3) This reminds me of the Fred Warning emphasis on good pronunciation. She gives some reasons why a children’s choir may sing flat or sharp, and then gives some mechanistic ways to fix them. (p. 27) A choir director must fix his own hearing, before they can get to ’first base’, with their choir members. They can do this by listening to some Bach chorales, then leave them for a week, come back and play them several times, then write them down on a manuscript. (p. 27) She discusses the many ways of teaching children rhythm, but she also advises, †let us not disregard the old†. (ps. 28-9) She a... ...aguar the loyalty of a Dog the charm of a Kitten and the appearance of a Sea It would also be helpful if he has: a bag full of tricks a head full of Tools a lifetime of Ideas a background of a few failures as well as success and a heart full of hope and faith in people.† (ps. 155-6) At the very end of the book, she has a bibliography of twenty-six sources, and six commentators of note such as Sir David Willcocks. (ps.157-9) I enjoyed reading this book. This book would be a handy aid in assisting any Children’s Choir Director. I like the way she borrows from a lot of methodologies to develop her own. By burrowing she has developed a very good way to direct choirs. Work Cited. Bartle, Jean Ashworth Lifeline for Children’s Choir Directors. Published by Gordon V. Thompson Music, a Division of Canada Publishing Corporation. Toronto, Canada. 1988.

Biblical Symbolism In Rime of the Ancient Mariner :: Samuel Taylor Coleridge

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," written in 1797, has been widely discussed throughout literary history. Although critics have come up with many different interpretations of this poem, one idea that has remained prevalent throughout these discussions is the apparent religious symbolism present throughout this poem. "The Ancient Mariner" contains natural, gothic, and biblical symbolism; however, the religious and natural symbolism, which coincide with one another, play the most important roles in this poem (Piper 43). It is apocalyptic and natural symbolism that dominates the core of this poem (43). The biblical symbolism found in this poem mainly reflects the apocalypse, as it deals with the Mariner's revelation that good will triumph over evil, and his acceptance of all nature as God's creation. It is impossible to believe that Coleridge was not thinking of the mysterious wind that blows on the Mariner, without any awareness of the wind as a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit. Coleridge could also not associate the murder of the albatross with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The reader is told that the Polar Spirit "loved the bird that loved the man who shot him with his bow." It is doubtful that someone with Coleridge's Christian background and faith could fail to see here an analogy with God who loved his son who loved the men that killed him. Another example of symbolism is the fact that the albatross is hung around the Mariner's neck like a crucifix. Event the "cross" in "cross-bow" hints at the murder of Jesus, which logically paces the albatross as a symbol for Christ. It is thought that Coleridge deliberately created these symbols and images with Christian meaning in mind. The apocalypse is heavily reflected upon throughout this poem as Coleridge combined the vivid colors, the ocean, and the death fires of "The Ancient Mariner" with the terror and desolation of the days of wrath in the apocalypse. The section of the poem after the Mariner kills the Albatross is a description of the emptiness and desolation that the Mariners experience, and the curse that is over the ship. This section of the poem has tremendous correspondence to the apocalyptic story. The language and form in this part of the poem represent the images and words, which have traditionally described the wrath of God and the guilt of man in Christian term s. Its is at this point in the poem that the Mariner feels guilty for having killed the Albatross and for the deaths of his shipmates.

Grief Therapy: Nature and application Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bereavement is viewed as a normal part of human experience and considered as well as a vital aspect to the human state. Many of those who experience the loss of a loved one receive support and care from significant others and friends. A marginal number of bereaved people face critical and at times lasting consequences while the rest of the majority manages to prevail over their grief in the course of time. Those who find this time of bereavement and mourning incapacitating therefore need professional therapeutic help (Corr, 1999). A lot of those Psychotherapeutic interventions for bereavement differ extensively, and comprise individual and group techniques. Among the numerous intervention programs which were devised to diminish the anguish and distress connected with mourning is grief therapy and has been reviewed for its effectiveness. This paper outlines the use of grief therapy, the statistics surrounding its use, such as how prevalent grief therapy is, the populations which utilize it and to what degree it helps resolve issues and other relevant matters to grief therapy. Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Who uses grief therapy? Social worker Dennis M. Reilly states, â€Å"We do not necessarily need a whole new profession of . . . bereavement counselors. We do need more thought, sensitivity, and activity concerning this issue on the part of the existing professional groups; that is, clergy, funeral directors, family therapists, nurses, social workers and physicians† (Worden 1991, p. 5). Trained therapists may be physicians, junior hospital or clinical medical students. Barclay et al (2003) were able to study general practitioners in Wales to ascertain how well prepared they are to care for the dying.  Ã‚   It is likely then that although there are several available professional therapists, with various support groups sprouting these days, help for the sufferer is no longer elusive. Where is grief therapy conducted and in what format? Grief therapy by and large is carried out in a constrained area (usually an office setting). These areas may be located in hospitals (for both inpatients and their families and for outpatients), mental health clinics, churches, synagogues, chemical dependency inpatient and out-patient programs, schools, universities, funeral home aftercare programs, employee assistance programs, and programs that serve chronically ill or terminally ill persons. Additional sites might include adult or juvenile service locations for criminal offenders. Private practice (when a counselor or therapist works for herself) is another opportunity to provide direct client services (Barclay et al., 2003).    When Is Grief Counseling or Therapy Needed? Based on studies by many experts, including John Jordan, grief counseling and grief therapy techniques are put to test and redesigned by new research. In their article published in the journal Death Studies, Selby Jacobs, Carolyn Mazure, and Holly Prigerson state, â€Å"The death of a family member or intimate exposes the afflicted person to a higher risk for several types of psychiatric disorders. These include major depressions, panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorders; and increased alcohol use and abuse† (Jacobs, Mazure, and Prigerson 2000, p. 185). They encourage the development of a new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) category entitled â€Å"Traumatic Grief,† which would facilitate early detection and intervention for those bereaved persons affected by this disorder. Researcher Phyllis Silverman is concerned that messages dealing with the resolution of grief, especially a new category entitled â€Å"Traumatic Grief,† may do more harm to the mourner. She states, â€Å"If this initiative succeeds (‘Traumatic Grief’), it will have serious repercussions for how we consider the bereaved—they become persons who are suffering from a psychiatric diagnose or a condition eligible for reimbursed services from mental health professionals† (Silverman 2001). She feels the new DSM category may help provide the availability of more services, but believes it is important to consider what it means when predictable, expected aspects of the life cycle experience are called â€Å"disorders† that require expert care. When one thinks of grief counselors and grief therapists one is again reminded that grief and bereavement is a process, not an event. How do persons cope and adapt? Grief counseling or grief therapy intervention can be useful at any point in the grief process, before and/or after a death.  Ã‚   Grief counseling and therapy do not only begin after death. Then again, is this actually accurate? According to clinician, researcher and writer Therese Rando, Anticipatory grief is the phenomenon encompassing the process of mourning, coping, interaction, planning, and psychosocial reorganization that are stimulated and begun in part in response to the awareness of the impending loss of a loved one and the recognition of associated losses in the past, present, and future. It is seldom explicitly recognized, but the truly therapeutic experience of anticipatory grief mandates a delicate balance among the mutually conflicting demands of simultaneously holding onto, letting go of, and drawing closer to the dying patient. (Rando 2000, p. 29) Based also on in-depth studies made by Schut and Stroebe, grief therapy, when applied soon after bereavement may not alleviate but instead render therapy ineffective or else even interfere with the â€Å"normal† grieving manner (p.141,2005).. These scholars further say â€Å"intervention is more effective for those with more complicated forms of grief.† This is further confirmed from expert psychotherapist-researcher Worden who believes grief therapy is most proper in conditions that fall into three types: (1) The complicated grief reaction is manifested as prolonged grief; (2) the grief reaction manifests itself through some masked somatic or behavioral symptom; or (3) the reaction is manifested by an exaggerated grief response. People experiencing this kind of bereavement may not be that easy to recognize hence diagnostic techniques are crucial tools for the practitioner (Zisook, 2000). Grief therapy is not for everyone and is not a â€Å"cure† for the grieving process, Worden concludes.    Recent investigations as to the efficacy of therapy or interventions were made in response to criticisms made a decade ago by Robak (p.701-702, 1999). He held that the bereavement research field failed to provide empirical studies on psychotherapy and counseling. According to Schut and Stroebe (p.142), researchers must determine that the psychological remedies or therapies for bereaved persons have been demonstrated to be successful in controlled research with a delineated population. However, in the area of grief counseling and therapy, â€Å"†¦well-established interventions (i.e. those well-described and transferable, with treatment manual, tested, replicated and found effective, and accompanied by indications and counter-indications) are not available. This is largely based on stringent criteria adopted for efficacy studies (p.143). This implies that sources for the use of grief therapy, its efficacy and who practices this treatment program is therefore limited. As Schut and Stroebe (p.146) declare â€Å" †¦ although small steps in the right direction are now being taken, this fundamental message still holds; to create a body of sound scientific knowledge , the research agenda for the future must expand the number of well-designed and executed empirical studies on the efficacy of bereavement intervention. Synthesis and Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a major new †Report on Bereavement and Grief Research† made by the Center for the Advancement of Health which settled, †A growing body of evidence indicates that interventions with adults who are not experiencing complicated grief cannot be regarded as beneficial in terms of diminishing grief-related symptoms.† The report indicated that there is very little support for the effectiveness of interventions like crisis teams that call on family members within hours of a loss, self-help groups that seek to foster friendships, efforts to show the bereaved ways to work through grief and a host of other therapeutic approaches believed to help the bereaved (The New York Times, Oct.9, 2006). Counseling and therapy are opportunities for those who seek support to help move from only coping to being transformed by the loss—to find a new â€Å"normal† in their lives and to know that after a loved one dies one does not remove that person from his or her life, but rather learns to develop a new relationship with the person now that he or she has died. In A Time to Grieve: Mediations for Healing after the Death of a Loved One (1994) the writer Carol Crandall states, â€Å"You don’t heal from the loss of a loved one because time passes; you heal because of what you do with the time† (Staudacher 1994, p. 92). Even when bereavement therapy is needed, however, the benefit may depend on the approach used. For example, most bereavement groups focus on emotional issues. These are most helpful to women. But men tend to grieve differently, and they are more likely to benefit from an approach that focuses on their processes of thinking. Caring friends and relatives often coax those who have just suffered the loss of a loved one to seek professional help, either by taking part in a bereavement group or through individual psychotherapy. But Dr. Robert A. Neimeyer, professor of psychology at the University of Memphis, editor of the scientific journal Death Studies and chairman of the committee that prepared the new report, said in an interview: †Not everyone requires the same thing. Dealing with grief is not a ‘one size fits all’ proposition.† Moreover, Dr. George Bonanno, psychologist at Columbia’s Teachers College, has found that the bereaved who naturally avoid emotions should not be forced to confront grief. Even three years later, such people show no traumatic consequences as a result of suppressing it, he reported. In more than half the cases, Dr. Neimeyer explained, far more useful than therapy to the bereaved are the empathy and emotional and physical support that friends, relatives and caring people in the neighborhood and at work can provide in the first weeks and months after a death. Only when grieving is †complicated† — intense and protracted, associated with deep unrelieved depression and interfering with normal enjoyments, life tasks or an ability to work — is there a clear-cut need for grief therapy, Dr. Neimeyer said. Dr. Hansson of Tulsa observes that many people who experience complicated grief have neither faced their losses nor allowed themselves to work through the emotions that naturally ensue. If, months down the road, a bereaved person is still grieving intensely, therapy should be sought, Dr. Neimeyer said. Among the hallmarks of complicated grief he listed are †intrusive thoughts about the deceased, recurrent images of how the person died, a continual quest to reconnect with the deceased, corrosive loneliness, feeling purposeless and empty, difficulty believing the death ever happened and feeling that the world cannot be trusted. Treating people with these symptoms is important because their unresolved grief can have serious, even life-threatening health consequences, including high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, substance abuse and suicide. †Such people can literally die of a broken heart,† Dr. Neimeyer said.   Ã‚   Perhaps the most revealing study of the varying courses of bereavement was undertaken by Dr. Bonanno, Dr. Camille B. Wortman, a psychologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and six co-authors. They evaluated 1,532 people (all married, with at least one partner of each couple over age 65), then followed them for up to eight years. When a spouse died, they assessed the bereavement experiences of the widow or widower over time. This is what they found: 1) Forty-six percent of the survivors were †resilient.† They experienced transitory distress, but scored low in depression both before the death and at 6 and 18 months after losing their spouses. 2) Eleven percent followed a common grief course, with rather severe depression at 6 months that had largely disappeared by 18 months. 3) Sixteen percent, who were not initially depressed, nonetheless were devastated afterward, experiencing prolonged depression. 4) Eight percent were chronically depressed beforehand, with the depression worsened by the death. 5)But 10 percent who had been depressed before the death did very well afterward, perhaps because they had been in bad marriages or were relieved from the burdens of taking care of ill spouses. 6) The remaining 9 percent did not fit into any category. , people may require very different therapy or no therapy at all.†Ã‚   The available evidence therefore, points out that interventions for individuals at risk for complications of bereavement may result in some benefit for a short while. However, the findings are inconsistent and they vary based on the factors such as the gender of participants and whether they were first screened before participating in the studies, which appears to increase the likelihood that the interventions would be successful (e.g. Schut et al., 2001). The concepts of complicated grief are fairly recent in bereavement research and this is the reason that no controlled studies exist that pertains directly to its treatment (Jacobs & Prigerson, 2000, p.479). References Casarett D, Kutner JS, Abrahm J, et al: Life after death: a practical approach togrief and bereavement. Ann Intern Med 134 (3): 208-15, 2001. Corr, Charles A. â€Å"Children, Adolescents, and Death: Myths, Realities and Challenges.† Death Studies 23 (1999): 443–463. Bonano GA, Boerner C, Wortman B.: resilient or at Risk? A 4-year study of Older Adults Who initially Showed High or Low Distress following Conjugal Loss. J. Gerontol B. Psychol.Sci.Soc. Sci, March 1, 2005; 60(2):p67-p73. Hansson R., Stroebe M: Grief, Older Adulthood. In: Gullota T, bloom M (eds): Encyclopedia of Primary Prevention & health promotion. New York: Plenum, 2003, pp.515-521. Jacobs S & Prigerson H. (2000) .Psychotherapy of traumatic grief: a review of evidence for psychotherapeutic treatments. Death Studies, 24, 479-495. Jacobs, Shelby, Carolyn Mazure, and Holly Prigerson. â€Å"Diagnostic Criteria for Traumatic Grief.† Death Studies 24 (2000):185–199. Neimeyer R. (2000).Searching for the meaning of meanings: grief therapy and the process of reconstruction. Death Studies,24:531-558. Neimeyer, Robert. Lessons of Loss: A Guide to Coping. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Rando, Therese A. Clinical Dimensions of Anticipatory Mourning. Champaign, IL: Research Press, 2000. Rando TA: Treatment of Complicated Mourning. Champaign: Research Press, 1993. Schut H, Stroebe M, van den Bout J, & Terheggen M, (2001). The efficacy of bereavement interventions: Determining who benefits. In Stroebe, M et al.eds., Handbook of bereavement: consequences, coping, and care. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, pp. 705-737. Schucter SR, Zisook S: Treatment of spousal bereavement: a multidimensional approach. Psychiatr Ann 16 (5): 295-306, 1986. Staudacher, Carol. A Time to Grieve: Mediations for Healing after the Death of a Loved One. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1994. Stroebe, Margaret, and Henk Schut. â€Å"The Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement: Rationale and Description.† Death Studies 23 (1999):197–224. Worden JW: Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 1991. The New York Times, Oct.9,2006 Zisook S & Schuchter S. (2001). Treatment of the depressions of bereavement. American Behavioral Scientist, 44(5);782-797. Zisook S: Understanding and managing bereavement in palliative care. In: Chochinov HM, Breitbart W, eds: Handbook of Psychiatry in Palliative Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, pp 321-34.