Dorian Gray and the Theme of Beauty

Commonly deformity is symbolic†¦ whether it represents the good and purity in someone or the corruption in their very soul is a different story. In the book, â€Å"Dorian Gray† by Oscar Wilde, deformity is used to symbolize the corruption and degradation of Dorian’s soul. Dorian’s own beauty could be considered a deformity and this deformity destroyed Dorian’s life. He has an unnatural, surreal beauty and it’s this beauty that causes him to become so evil and corrupted. It’s the reason behind his madness. He actually traded his soul to keep his youth and beauty; â€Å"†¦If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that- for that- I would give everything! I would give my soul for that! † His beauty was so symbolic because it was pure, innocent and divine at the beginning of the novel yet it ended up causing the decay and destruction of a young man’s life. Though his looks should have been a gift it became a curse that corrupted his soul and destroyed his life. He became too obsessed with his looks and thus lost his soul. When Dorian saw the portrait painted he soon begins to loath it because â€Å"I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day in June†¦ I am jealous of the portrait you have painted of me. † He in turn wishes that he was to stay young and beautiful and the portrait was to show all the signs of aging and sin. This is the beginning of Dorian’s troubles. He goes through his life looking young and innocent but all the sins he commits shows on the canvas, â€Å"The terrible portrait whose changing features show him the real degradation of his life†¦He had a secret pleasure of the misshapen shadow that had to bear the burden that should’ve been his own. Any time Dorian does something sinful, selfish, cruel, or falls to temptation it all shows up on the canvas to mar his idyllic beauty. â€Å"A sense of infinite pity, not for himself, but for the painted image of himself, came over him. It has altered already and would alter more. For every sin he committed, a stain would fleck and wreck its fairness. † Dorian knew that his soul was being corrupted because he could see it on the painting, but he took no notice. Since the signs of sin don’t show up on him (but rather the painting) he participates in immoral temptations, He uses the painting as an outlet for all his desires. One example of his corruption is when he is cruel to Sibyl Vane; that is the first act of evil he commits and it’s when the first sign of deformity shows on the painting. Dorian only loved Sibyl for her acting and when she acted badly in Romeo and Juliet, even though she did it because she loved Dorian enough to learn that true love isn’t what she had been acting, he completely abandons her and breaks her heart. He said that, â€Å"There is always something ridiculous about the emotion of people whom one has ceased to love. Sibyl Vane seemed to him to be absurdly melodramatic. Her tears and sobs annoyed him. As soon as Dorian got home he first noticed that the portrait changed, it revealed his cruelty. It was described that â€Å"The face appeared to him to be a little changed. The expression looked different. One would have said that there was a touch of cruelty in the mouth. This was the beginning of the corruption of Dorian’s soul, the corruption of the painting. He was unnecessarily cruel to Sibyl Vane and his soul was changed as a result; the deformity of the mouth on the painting was a visual resemblance to Dorian’s soul and the corruption it was beginning to feel. Dorian Gray was the definition of beauty; he was pure, innocent and stunning but he had a soul as corrupt as the seven deadly sins. He traded his soul to stay young forever but in turn a portrait of himself was a visual representation of his soul. Over time it grew deformed and hideous and this showed that Dorian’s own soul was also becoming deformed, corrupted and hideous. The degradation of the painting shows that corruption of the soul is a type of deformity.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 40

Mad Nipper When I wake, the rain has stopped, but I am shivering. I sit up, and my whole body hurts. My overcoat is gone. My leather loafers are gone. All the money I had in my pocket is gone. My leather belt is gone. The new watch my mother gave me for Christmas is gone. I touch my fingers to my face, and they turn red. Looking around, I see that I am on a narrow street full of parked cars. Row houses on either side. Some are boarded up, many of the porches and steps attached to the fronts are in need of repair, and the streetlights above are not on – maybe smashed by rocks – making the whole world look dark. I am not in a good neighborhood, with no money, shoes, or any idea where I am. Part of me wants to lie on the sidewalk forever, but I'm afraid those bad people might come back to finish me off, and before I can really think about anything, I'm on my feet, limping down the block. My right thigh muscle feels locked in place, and I cannot bend my right knee very well. One house on the block is decorated for Christmas. On the porch is a manger scene with a plastic Mary and Joseph – both black. I limp toward Baby Jesus, thinking that people celebrating the holiday are more likely to help me than people without Christmas decorations, because – in the Bible – Jesus says we should help shoeless people who have been mugged. When I finally get to the decorated row house, a funny thing happens. Instead of knocking on the door, I limp over to the black Mary and Joseph because I want to look into the manger and see if Baby Jesus is black too. My cramped leg screams with pain and gives out just as I reach the Nativity scene. On my hands and one knee, between His parents, I see that Baby Jesus is really black and plugged in – his dark face glows like amber, and a stream of white light blasts up through His little baby chest. Squinting, taking in the light of Baby Jesus, I instantly realize that I was mugged because I cursed God, so I pray and say I'm sorry and I understand what God is telling me – that I need to work on my character some more before I will be allowed to find apart time's end. My pulse is pounding so hard in my ears that I do not even hear the front door open, nor do I hear a man walk out onto the porch. â€Å"What you doin' to Aunt Jasmine's Nativity scene?† the man says. And when I turn my head, God lets me know He has accepted my apology. When they first brought Danny to the bad place, he wouldn't talk. Like me and everyone else, he had a scar, but his was much larger and on the back of his head, making a bright pink line in his Afro. For a month or so, he just sort of sat in a chair by the window of his room as speech therapists visited and left frustrated. Me and the boys would stop in and say hello, but Danny only looked out the window when we talked to him, so we thought he was one of the people whose brain trauma was so bad he was most likely going to be a vegetable for the rest of his life – sort of like my roommate, Jackie. But after a month or so, Danny started taking his meals in the cafeteria with the rest of us, attending music and group therapy sessions, and even going on a few group excursions to the shops by the harbor and the Orioles games down at Camden Yards. It was obvious that he understood words and even was pretty normal – he just wouldn't talk. I don't remember how long it took, but after a time, Danny started talking again, and I happened to be the first person he spoke to. A girl from some fancy college in Baltimore came in to provide what we were told were â€Å"non-traditional treatments.† We had to volunteer for the sessions, as this girl was not a real therapist yet. We were skeptical at first, but when she came to promote the program, we were soon persuaded by her girlish figure and cute, innocent-looking face. She was very nice and quite attractive, so we all did whatever she said, hoping to keep her around – especially since there were no women patients in the bad place and the nurses were extremely ugly. For the first week, our college student had us look into mirrors a lot as she encouraged us to really get to know ourselves, which was pretty out-there. She'd say things like, â€Å"Study your nose. Look at it until you really know it. Watch how it moves when you breathe in deeply. Appreciate the miracle of respiration. Now look at your tongue. Not just the top, but underneath. Study it. Contemplate the miracles of taste and speech.† But then one day she paired us randomly, had us sit facing each other, and told us to stare into our partner's eyes. She had us do this for a long time, and it was quite weird because the room was completely silent, and men do not usually look into each other's eyes for long periods of time. Then she started telling us to imagine that our partner was someone we missed, or someone we had hurt in the past, or a family member we hadn't seen for many years. She told us to see this person through our partner's eyes, until that person was in front of us. Looking into another person's eyes for an extended period of time proved to be a powerful thing. And if you don't believe me, try it yourself. Of course I began to see Nikki, which was strange because I was staring into Danny's eyes, and Danny is a six-foot-three black man who looks nothing like my ex-wife. Even still, as my pupils remained locked on Danny's, it was as if I were looking directly into Nikki's eyes. I was the first one to start crying, but others followed. Our college girl came over, said I was brave, and then hugged me, which was nice. Danny said nothing. That night I woke up to the sound of Jackie's grunting. When I opened my eyes, it took a few seconds for my pupils to adjust, but when they did, I saw Danny standing over me. â€Å"Danny?† I said. â€Å"My name's not Danny.† His voice scared me because I was not expecting him to speak, especially since he had not spoken to anyone since he arrived. â€Å"The name's Mad Nipper.† â€Å"What do you want?† I asked him. â€Å"Why are you in our room?† â€Å"I only wanted to tell you my street name, so we could be boys. But we're not on the streets right now, so you can keep calling me Danny.† And then Danny walked out of my room and Jackie quit grunting. Everyone in the bad place was pretty shocked when Danny began speaking regularly the next day. The doctors said he was experiencing a breakthrough, but it wasn't like that. Danny just decided to talk. We really did become boys and did just about everything together in the bad place, including our exercise routine. And little by little I found out Danny's story. As Mad Nipper he was a rising gansta rapper from North Philadelphia who had signed on with a small record label in NYC called Tougher Trade. He was playing a club in Baltimore when some beef broke loose, and somehow – Danny often changed the details of his story, so I can't say what happened for certain – he was struck in the back of the head with a tire iron, driven to the harbor, and thrown in. Most of the time Danny claimed that a Baltimore rap group – one that was scheduled to perform before Mad Nipper – asked him to smoke up in an alleyway behind the club, but when he went outside with these other rappers, they started giving him some shit about headlining in their neighborhood. When he brought up his superior record sales, the lights went out, and he woke up dead, which is actually true, as his file says he was dead for a few minutes before the EMTs managed to revive him. Lucky for Danny, somebody heard the splash Mad Nipper made when he entered the harbor, and this person fished him out and yelled for help right after the other rappers left. Danny claims that the salt in the water kept his brain alive, but I don't understand how that could be, especially since he was thrown into the filthy harbor and not the ocean. After an operation that removed tiny parts of his skull from his brain, and a lengthy stay at the hospital, Danny was brought to the bad place. The worst part was that he lost his ability to rap – he just couldn't make his mouth rap anymore, at least not as fast as he used to – so he took a vow of silence, which he broke only after looking into my eyes for a very long period of time. Once, I asked Danny who he saw when he looked into my eyes, and he told me he saw his aunt Jasmine. When I asked him why he saw his aunt Jasmine, he told me she was the woman who had raised him up until he became a man. â€Å"Danny?† I say, kneeling before the manger. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"It's Pat Peoples.† â€Å"White Pat from Baltimore?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"You're bloody. What happened?† â€Å"God punished me, but then He led me here.† â€Å"What you do to make God angry?† â€Å"I cursed Him, but I said I was sorry.† â€Å"If you really Pat People, what's my name?† â€Å"Mad Nipper, a.k.a. Danny.† â€Å"You eat Christmas dinner yet?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"You like ham?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You wanna eat with me and Aunt Jasmine?† â€Å"Okay.† Danny helps me stand, and when I limp into Aunt Jasmine's home, it smells of pine needles and baked ham and pineapple sauce. A small Christmas tree is decorated with popcorn strings and colorful blinking lights, two green-and-red stockings are hung on a fake fireplace mantel, and on the television the Eagles are playing the Cowboys. â€Å"Sit down,† Danny says. â€Å"Make yourself at home.† â€Å"I don't want to get blood on your couch.† â€Å"It's got a plastic cover, see?† I look, and the couch is really covered with plastic, so I sit down and see that the Eagles are winning, which surprises me, since Dallas was favored. â€Å"I've missed you,† Danny says after he sits down next to me. â€Å"You didn't even say goddamn goodbye when you left.† â€Å"Mom came and got me when you were in music relaxation class. When did you get out of the bad place?† â€Å"Just yesterday. Out on good behavior.† I look at my friend's face and see that he is serious. â€Å"So you get out of the bad place yesterday, and I just happen to run to your neighborhood and get mugged on your street and find you here?† â€Å"Guess so,† Danny says. â€Å"It sort of seems like a miracle, doesn't it?† â€Å"Miracles happen on Christmas, Pat. Everybody knows that shit.† But before we can say more, a petite, serious-looking woman – who is wearing huge black-rimmed glasses – walks into the living room and starts screaming, â€Å"Oh, my Lord! Oh, Jesus!† I try to convince Aunt Jasmine I'm okay, but she calls 911, and then I am in an ambulance being driven to Germantown Hospital. When I arrive at the emergency room, Aunt Jasmine prays for me and yells at a lot of people until I am taken to a private room, where my clothes are removed and my wounds are cleaned. I am given an IV while I tell a police officer what happened. After X-rays, the doctors tell me that my leg is really messed up; my mother, Caitlin, and Jake arrive, and then my leg is put in a white cast that starts at my heel and ends just below my hip. I want to apologize to Danny and Aunt Jasmine for ruining their Christmas dinner, but my mother tells me that they left soon after she arrived, which makes me really sad for some reason. When I am finally released from the hospital, a nurse puts a purple sock over my bare toes and gives me a pair of crutches, but Jake pushes me in a wheelchair to his BMW. I have to sit sideways in the backseat, with my feet on Mom's lap, because of the cast. We drive through North Philadelphia in silence, but when we pull out onto the Schuylkill Expressway, Caitlin says, â€Å"Well, at least we'll never forget this Christmas.† She means it as a joke, but nobody laughs. â€Å"Why isn't anyone asking me how I ended up in North Philadelphia?† I ask. After a long pause, my mother says, â€Å"Tiffany called us from a pay phone and told us everything. We were driving around North Philadelphia looking for you when the hospital called your father. He called Jake's cell phone, and here we are.† â€Å"So I ruined everyone's Christmas?† â€Å"That crazy bitch ruined our Christmas.† â€Å"Jake,† Mom says. â€Å"Please.† â€Å"Did the Eagles win?† I ask Jake, because I remember that they were winning and am hoping my father will be in a decent mood when I get home. â€Å"Yeah,† Jake says in a clipped way that lets me know he is upset with me. The Eagles beat T.O. and Dallas – in Dallas – on Christmas Day, locking up a play-off spot, and Jake, who has not missed a game since he was in elementary school, misses perhaps the best game of the season because he was searching all of North Philadelphia for his mentally deranged brother. And now I realize why my father is not with the search team – there was no way he'd miss such an important Eagles game, especially against Dallas. I can't help feeling guilty, as it probably would have been a really nice Christmas, especially since my father would have been in a phenomenal mood, and I am sure my mother prepared food, and Caitlin is even wearing an Eagles jersey, and I keep messing up everyone's lives, and maybe it would have been better if the muggers had killed me, and †¦ I start to cry, but quietly, so that my mom won't be upset. â€Å"I'm sorry I made you miss the game, Jake,† I manage to say, but the words make me cry even harder, and soon I am sobbing into my hands again, like a baby. My mother pats my unbroken leg, but no one says anything. We ride the rest of the way home in silence.

Chinese Traditions Essay

Values for one society may seem strange to another society, but nonetheless, they are important to that society. For instance, the painful and debilitating Chinese tradition of foot binding, as bizarre as it may seem to our culture, to the Chinese people, it was the esoteric essence of pure beauty and signified status within the family structure, allowing young women with lotus feet better opportunities for marriage with well-to-do families. Traditional Chinese courtyard life – in existence until the early 1900’s, was a unique lifestyle where Chinese families and neighbours lived in very close quarters – sharing a common courtyard and everyone knowing everyone else’s business. Special rules applied for who occupied which space in certain directions Chinese Courtyards Chinese courtyards are the traditional folk house of China. Courtyards reportedly date back to the Han Dynasty, however none remain from that time period. The oldest among the surviving courtyards are from the Ming Dynasty, while the majority still found today are from the Qing Dynasty. Chinese Chopsticks – born of necessity in the earliest times, highly influenced the eating and cooking traditions still followed today in China. Chinese Knots – One of the most popular knots is double happiness, which in Chinese tradition is given to newlyweds, signifying a wish for their luck and happiness to double. Chinese family names – Xing, Shi and Ming are the most common. There are only 22 ancient Chinese surnames still in use today. The family name indicated a blood tie within the Chinese social structure and was a symbol of class. In ancient China, 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, women were the clan leaders and marriages were only allowed among certain classes. Chinese Festivals Chinese New Year/Spring Festival Gong Xi Fa Cai! Is the greeting that wishes you great prosperity. You’ll hear it constantly during Spring Festival, better known as the Lunar New Year. This is a time when everyone tries to get back to their ancestral home to celebrate with their families, perhaps visit the local temple, pay off debts, buy new clothes, drive off evil spirits with firecrackers and start off the new year with a great feast. Qing Ming Festival Qing Ming is the time when the Chinese honour their ancestors. They visit the family graves to clean them and share a picnic with the spirits of the dead. (12th day of the 3rd moon) Dragon Boat Festival Over 2000 years ago, Qu Yuan, a righteous mandarin, threw himself into a river to protest against the corruption and mismanagement of the government. His friends took to the water in boats, thrashing at the fish that would devour his body. Today he is remembered with the Dragon Boat Festival, which features races by long skiffs bearing dragon heads and tails. (5th day of the fifth moon) Qi Xi Festival. A special Chinese Valentine’s Day. Qixi is the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day. It’s celebrated on the seventh night of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Usually that happens sometime in August on our calendar. And that’s why it’s also called the Double Seven festival. Mid-Autumn Moon Festival The Mid-Autumn moon is the biggest and best of the year, so the Chinese try to watch it from the vantage point of hills or open fields. At the same time they eat moon cakes in memory of an uprising against the Mongols, which was secretly coordinated by messages hidden in the cakes. (15th day of the eighth moon) October 1st – Founding of the People’s Republic October 1st is the day when China celebrates the founding of the People’s Republic. It has been a week of holiday time when many travel as tourists to other parts of China or Asia – or make their way back to their hometowns for a family holiday. Other Ethnic Minority Chinese Festivals Throughout China, minority peoples have their own ancestral festivals when they dress in traditional costumes and celebrate. In Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan, the Dai minority (cousins to the Thai) welcome the Lunar New Year with the Water Splashing Festival. For 3 days in mid-April, everyone can expect to have water thrown over them. There are also parades, fireworks and dragon boat races. The Tibetan New Year is celebrated with a week of horse races, archery contests, carnivals and temple rituals, in all the major towns. In the wild west of Xinjiang, the Kazhakh communities have their own Chinese festivals that celebrate the life of the grasslands. There are breathtaking displays of horsemanship, including shooting contests on horseback and buzgashi, a form of polo, plus huge feats that include whole roast sheep and fermented mare’s milk. Beijing Opera. Beijing Opera is the most widely known Chinese theatrical style with over 200 years of history. Although the art form started in China’s Yangtze River Yan’an region, it only became fully developed in Beijing, and that is how it’s name came to be. The form employs song and dance with exaggerated movements that leave a strong impression on viewers. While this Chinese style opera is a comprehensive art form utilizing diverse elements such as drama, acting, music, song, props, make-up and costume, it is distinguished from western performance art by its use of such elements for symbolic and suggestive purposes, rather than realism. Performers must adhere to a variety of stylistic conventions and rules. They must master songs, acting and their lines, in addition to dance. The art form uniquely combines traditional song, music, narration, dance, circus and martial arts, contrary to the western tradition that separates song, dance and theatre. Chinese Shadow Puppetry Is an ancient form of storytelling which was popular during the Song Dynasty during the holiday season. The stories of the shadow puppets told of events that had happened elsewhere in the country and stories with a Buddhist background. Chinese Culture Chinese Culture – Special 10th Birthday On the day a child turns 10, most families will hold a party for the child. It is common to have this party in a hotel and invite everyone you know – which could be more than 100 people. There is a western style birthday cake served – and all the guests are invited to a meal. Each guest is subtly expected to make a donation of about $20 and before leaving, each guest receives a small gift. The one birthday party I attended in 2000, I received a box of facial tissue. Others in attendance received rolls of toilet paper – and the gifts were happily received and highly appreciated. Chinese Culture – Common Greetings Ni hao – is the common greeting for â€Å"hello† (sounds like KNEE-HOW) There are some terms for good morning(zao- sounds like ZOW), good afternoon (xia wu hao), good evening (wan shang hao), but most often you will hear just ni hao. Good–bye is zaijian. Mintian jia – is also very common – â€Å"see you tomorrow†. Chinese Culture – Children are Pension Plan With the one child policy enforced in China, most families will rely on that one child to support them in their old age. All the money the family can afford is spent on the best education that they can buy for their child – in hopes that their child will make it into a good university and have a good paying job in the future – thereby, being able to support his own family and his parents. This puts an extreme amount of pressure on the child to perform well amidst tremendous competition for a place in a prestigious university. If a child does not do well in school, he is scorned by his parents and family and loses face. Those parents lucky enough to have a government party job will enjoy a small pension when they retire. But most Chinese have no social support to look forward to as they age – so they must rely on their family. It is common for families to live together. The older parents will take care of the house, the cooking and any grandchildren, while their child and his spouse go out to work each day. Chinese Culture – Chinese Men Carrying Handbags You will see Chinese men carrying two different types of handbags. They might carry a small personal bag – like the French men do – or you may see them carrying their girlfriends handbag – as they walk or shop together. I found this quite amusing – and even more so after I married my Chinese husband . . . as before we would go out – he would choose for me which handbag I should carry –so that his things could fit inside too – and of course, he would carry it for me! It is almost like a sign of affection – like a boy carrying a girls schoolbooks for her. Chinese Culture – Best Chinese Hangover Cure If you’ve had too much to drink with your friends – don’t be surprised if you end up in a restaurant and are served pig intestine soup – sworn to be the best cure for a hangover. Chinese Culture – One Child Policy Most families in China have adhered to the one child policy. In the autonomous provinces, where Beijing does not have absolute control over the ethnic groups, they don’t have to adhere to the one child policy. However, if you have the money, or if your family is connected to the right people – for a price – you can pay a fee to have a second child. The one child policy has caused a lot of female babies to be abandoned – so that the mother could have another chance to try to have a boy baby. A large part of the Chinese population still believe it is better to have a boy than a girl – because a boy is more likely able to support his family in later life, than a girl. There are a lot of Chinese baby girls up for adoption – and North American families are scooping them up. This one child policy, however, is creating a new problem. There is becoming a shortage of Chinese females in the population. Already, there have been kidnappings of women – to make them into wives in mountain villages. The situation is predicted to grow worse in the future – with many young men unable to find a woman to marry. Chinese Dress: Qipao * The one-piece dress featured a high neck and straight skirt. It covered all of a woman’s body except for her head, hands, and toes. The qipao was traditionally made of silk and featured intricate embroidery. * The qipao worn today are modeled after ones made in Shanghai in the 1920s. The modern qipao is a one-piece, formfitting, floor length dress that has a high slit on one or both sides. Modern variations may have bell sleeves or be sleeveless and are made out of a variety of fabrics. Sports Martial arts. * China is one of the main birth places of Eastern martial arts. Chinese martial arts are collectively given the name Kung Fu ((gong) â€Å"achievement† or â€Å"merit†, and (fu) â€Å"man†, thus â€Å"human achievement†) or (previously and in some modern contexts) Wushu (â€Å"martial arts† or â€Å"military arts†). China also includes the home to the well-respected Shaolin Monastery and Wudang Mountains. The first generation of art started more for the purpose of survival and warfare than art. Over time, some art forms have branched off, while others have retained a distinct Chinese flavor. Regardless, China has produced some of the most renowned martial artists including Wong Fei Hung and many others. The arts have also co-existed with a variety of weapons including the more standard 18 arms. Legendary and controversial moves like Dim Mak are also praised and talked about within the culture. Tai Ji Quan Tai Ji Quan, which is also known as Chinese shadow boxing, is a major division of Chinese martial art. Tai Ji Quan means â€Å"supreme ultimate fist†, and is a kind of Chinese boxing, combining control of breath, mind and body. It emphasizes body movement, following mind movements, tempering toughness with gentleness and graceful carriage. The traditional legend goes that the wise man, Zhang Sanfeng of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), created Tai Ji Quan after he witnessed a fight between a sparrow and a snake. Most people agreed that the modern Tai Ji Quan originated from Chen style Tai Ji Quan, which first appeared during the 19th century in the Daoguang Reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Chinese Wedding Traditions Welcoming the Bride: * The Chinese wedding ritual begins with the groom going to the bride’s home. Younger brides often have a few girlfriends at the home who will tease the groom before handing over the bride. The girls will barter with the groom who must beg and bribe the girls with small gifts or red envelopes stuffed with money are handed over in exchange for the bride. * Before leaving her home, the bride and groom bow before the bride’s parents. Then, they head to the groom’s home. In the past, the bride was picked up from her home and taken to the groom’s home in a sedan chair with trumpets blaring to announce her arrival. Today, most brides arrive in a car. Bowing to Heaven and Earth: * Once at the groom’s home, the bride and groom bow to heaven and earth in front of the groom’s family’s home altar or at a local temple. Then, the couple bows before the groom’s parents before bowing to each other. Traditional Tea Ceremony: * At the groom’s home, the couple offers tea to their elders including the groom’s parents. Acceptance of the tea is confirmation that the family has welcomed the bride into the groom’s family. Auspicious Days The Chinese still rely on fortune tellers to predict the most auspicious days (and years) to marry. Many couples will postpone their wedding plans until the right day or right year that promises success. In some provinces, you will find very large groups of couples getting married the same day – because they believe in the luck of that day – for most success in their marriage. In China, it is common for many young couples live together the year before they are actually married and start on the paperwork process. The most common time to celebrate a marriage is at Chinese New Year or on auspicious days. Chinese Cuisine. The history of Chinese cuisine can be traced back to primitive societies and their use of fire. Cuisine was invented some 400,000 years ago. Some other accounts of the history of Chinese cuisine takes the beginning to the Chinese stone age, when the cultivation of rice and the production of noodles, both typical representations of Chinese cuisine as we have known today, are understood from archaeological findings. Over the centuries, as new food sources and techniques were invented, the Chinese cuisine as we know it gradually evolved. Chopsticks, which are made from all sorts of materials and which are one of the hallmarks of Chinese cuisine, have been used as eating utensils at least as far back as the Zhou Dynasty. Stir-fried dishes became popular during the Tang Dynasty. The stir-fry method of cooking was invented out of necessity, in order to conserve expensive and scarce fuel. As early as the 7th century B. C. Chinese cuisine began to be separated as Southern and Northern cuisines. In general, the southern dishes emphasize freshness and tenderness. Northern dishes, due to its colder climate, have more fat and garlic which is offset with vinegar. During the period of the Tang (618-907 A. D. ) and the Song (960-1279 A. D. ) dynasties, people went in a great deal for nutritional medical value of different plants: fungus (mushrooms), herbs, vegetables. At this time â€Å"medicinal food† for prevention and cure of diseases, for overall health became important. Cantonese/Guangdong Cuisine Guangdong cuisine is characterized by their cooking methods of mostly steaming, boiling, saute and stir-frying with thick gravy. Dishes are lightly cooked and not as spicy and hot as the other 3 groups. Due to the long duration of summer, they prefer light and refreshing foods and seafood. Only in the winter do they eat fatty foods and strongly flavoured foods. Shandong Cuisine The third major Chinese cuisine is Shandong cuisine – also known as Lu cuisine. It has a long history and wide popularity and was developed from the Qi and Lu culture of ancient China. It is said to have traces of palatial cuisine. Dishes are strongly flavoured and made of costly ingredients such as shark fin, abalone, sea cucumber, deer meat, white fungus and others. Due to the long duration of the cold winter in north China and a shortage of vegetables, Shandong cooks are skilled at making high-calorie and high-protein dishes. Sichuan Cuisine The second major Chinese cuisine is Sichuan. World famous Chan cuisine traces back to the ancient Ba Kingdom (modern day Chongqing) and Shu Kingdom (modern day Chengdu) and is known for it’s oily, hot and spicy taste. The uniquely hot, pungent flavour is created with a mixture of red pepper, garlic and ginger. Su Cuisine. The forth major Chinese cuisine originated from Shuzhou, Yangzhou and Hangzhou area and is known as Su cuisine. It is an exchange of northern and southern cuisines, dating back to the time the region was the home of Emperors during the Six Dynasties and the Southern Song Dynasty. It is a combination of high-heat and high-protein dishes, plenty of lake fish and seafood, and exquisite refreshments and snacks such as pine nut crystalline meat sweet cake, crab yellow soup bun, crab yellow steamed dumpling and Ningbo dumpling, all of which are famous throughout China.

Bottled water commodity chain Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bottled water commodity chain - Research Paper Example ny bottled water companies have been faced by numerous challenges, with others even being forced to close down due to excessive competition that exists in this industry. To evaluate the issues that exist in this industry, it is important to carry out a commodity chain analysis using FWC as an example. Fiji water has always been ahead of other companies when it comes to the production of bottled water. The production process begins with the tapping of rain water that is purified by the equatorial winds after travelling through the Pacific Ocean. The water is then filtered for a long period during which essential minerals such as ions and silica are gathered to increase the health of the consumers. The company’s marketing structure has been one factor that has enabled them to gain popularity and acquire a competitive edge against rival companies such as Dasani water from Coca Cola, Nestle’ water among others. FWC bases its strategy on the premise that when the consumers understand that their product originates from a remote aquifer in Fiji, they will have a liking towards it since it would represent an â€Å"untouched water with untouchable taste,† (Sorrells, 2012, para.1). This therefore implies that creating an identity to the customers would increase the cus tomer reliance on the product. Fiji’s marketing strategy has been a success over the last few years. This success can be attributed to the use of ideal aspects such as perfect market timing, a unique product positioning, premium product pricing, creating image publicity, innovative packaging and effective distribution. For instance, they have created a notion to the customers defining that their premium product is far from pollution, acid rain, industrial waste, and it is uncontaminated, untouched and uncompromised. According to Jessop, this product has been â€Å"preserved and protected by geography and geology† (2013, p. 10). This therefore results to a fine taste and mineral properties that are enjoyed

Website Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Website Analysis - Essay Example I believe this was probably because blogging and social networking is a very common tool nowadays. The â€Å"Business Intelligence† section was useful for corporate visitors and had enough material to keep people interested in business intelligence tools busy. The IT Management section was probably the best as it kept me on the hook for the longest time period during my visit. The website’s look was professional and the color, images, texture, font sizes, and arrangement of different modules are best suited with the purpose for which this site was built. Furthermore, I felt that the website I feel that the website graphic developers did an excellent job and designed the website so that long and returning users would not get bored of a single style. With a white background, a lot of rotations are possible and the way the content was laid out was seemingly a temporary arrangement a combination that was simple yet powerful and that could be expected to attract and most importantly retain users on the website who would ultimately create earnings for baselinemag by clicking on the advertisements that were lined up in a strategic manner along the website.

How will an MBA degree will benefit the Company and me Essay

How will an MBA degree will benefit the Company and me - Essay Example The completion of the course means that I have a better understanding of the day to day issues that we face at the company. I believe that completing the MBA course will help me to be better prepared for the opportunities and threats that are as a result of the dynamic business culture or environment. The MBA will prepare me for the new opportunities that will come up in the environment. This is because the course will provide me the much needed understanding of the functional aspect of the company. Working at the company often calls for one to motivate the other members of the team, and I believe that having an MBA qualification will enable me to organize, lead, as well as motivate other members of the Tech Company to produce the best possible results at any given time. Upon the completion of the MBA, it is my belief that I will be able to understand the economic pressures that the company may face. The understanding of the financial condition of the Tech Company will help me in helping the management in the company to come up with policies that will ensure profitability of the company. Having completed my Bachelor of Science in Network Communication Management while still at the company, I believe that the MBA will further enhance my ability to predict the needs of the different clients at the company. This will in turn help me gain insight into how to build lasting and fulfilling relationship with the clients. The MBA program, as well as the combination of my education background and work experience enables me to effectively advance the different technologies as opposed to looking at new technologies as a threat. The MBA will enable me to change my attitudes about the business to be in tune with the international dimension of doing business. This will be of benefit to me as an individual, and the benefit will also extend to the business. The program I intend to enroll in is a part time.

The Making of Buddhist Modernism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Making of Buddhist Modernism - Assignment Example A considerable number of Buddhists believe in modernist tradition. The followers of non-convertible Buddhists are against the hold of western countries in leading the Buddhism. Therefore, they are trying hard to keep its originality from diluting by the converted Buddhists. In other words, it is being shifted from historical traditions to de-traditions (Lopez 264). Yes, it is correct to say that the mentioned characteristics introduced by modern reformists have no coincidence with the teachings of Lord Buddha (Lopez 267). 2. Blavatsky, Arnold, Olcott, and Carus have thoroughly studied the teachings of Buddhism and traveled to India and Sri Lanka before its transformation to modern Buddhism, which is easily understandable and accessible to the westerners. Yes, there is a difference between modern Buddhism and the actual Buddhism in view, that many rituals of original Buddhism are not performed by the modern Buddhists. In accordance with Professor Lopez and Christian missionaries, the lives of Buddhists are under the command and control of superstitious and exploitative forces. The mentioned segments of the society believe that time has come for ethnic and non-ethnic Buddhists to return back to the essence of real Buddhism. The foundation of Buddhism lies within the text and philosophy of Buddha and not in the regular round of monks, chanting sutras, performing rituals for the demise and keep intact monastic properties (Steinfels 2012). In modern Buddhism, the major shift was meditation. It has now become a practice for the modern western Buddhists who do not have confidence in old age rituals of solemn commitments for the cherish purpose of life, purification, expiation, and binding by faith which are so common and in vogue throughout Asia and considered as an external ingredients which made its way to the traditions (Steinfels 2012).