Importance of Time in Chinese Culture Essay Example for Free

Importance of Time in Chinese Culture Essay The importance of time is always dependent on the different perspectives of people’s origin, particularly culture. â€Å"Time is one of the most important bases by which culture rests and all other activities revolve† (Riggs et al 31). Different cultures handle time differently. In the past, time was measured in daylight, darkness, or in seasons; however, nowadays, time has become more important and more complicated. Yet, no matter how complicated it has become, it always boils down to the influence of culture, just like China, one of the countries with a very rich culture. The impact of modernization in China on the changes of Chinese’ behavior is significant. However, these changes in their behavior have had a more significant impact on their values. Indeed, Chinese seem to have never given up one of their most important cultural characteristics, Guanxi, which up until now, remains as an important Chinese business element. In the advent of globalization, Chinese has kept and reinforced this unique characteristic even in the most important socio-cultural changes. Yes, China has indeed undergone substantial cultural changes; nonetheless, with regards to the thinking and dealing process, modern China remains rooted to its traditional Yin Yang approach, and this is reflected on their shrewd use of time to keep their relationship intact. Because Chinese people value relationship more than anything else, as they believe that this could lead them to success, it is logical to expect that the Chinese society concentrates on fluid/multi-focus time value. Chinese people are both famous and infamous in different negotiations for their wise use of time as their bargaining tool. Chinese are known to have adept ability to run down the clock because they prioritize their relationships with their associates or business partners first. This way, they know that the value of relationship or guanxi continues. Moreover, Chinese can afford or stand to play the waiting game, provided that there is always someone left to invest and spend for them. Cultures around the world have developed their own way of responding to time. The dimension for time orientation is based on two aspects; the relative significance the culture gives to its past, present, and future, and its way of approaching the time. China has indeed embraced globalization since the last three decades. Despite this, its stronghold to its culture is still very evident. This is because China is considered as a past-oriented culture country. Countries that fall under this category have a culture that is largely leaned towards the past; they see their future as a repetition of their past experiences. Moreover, they have high respect and regard for their collective historical experiences and their ancestors. As per David Thomas’ description of the country, China embraces its tradition and culture of ancestor worship and has strong pride of its customary and cultural persistence for over thousands of years (73). The Chinese society holds the perspective that their past is their guide on how to live their lives in the present. According to an old Chinese proverb, â€Å"Consider the past and you will know the present† (Quotations). Work Cited Riggs, James, et al. Industrial Organization and Management. Manila, Philippines: McGraw-Hill, Inc. , 1980. Lo, Vincent. Chinese Business Culture: Guanxi, An Important Chinese Business Element. 17 March 2005. 01 May 2009 http://chinese-school. netfirms. com/guanxi. html Thomas, David. Cross-Cultural Management: Essential Concepts Second Ed. California: Sage Publications. 2008. Quotations. 14 February 2008. 01 May 2009. http://www1. bbiq. jp/quotations/past. htm

JFK and the Warren Commission :: American America History

JFK and the Warren Commission Why did the Warren Commission decide that John F Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, acting on his own? On 22 November 1963, President John F Kennedy was shot dead as he took part in a motorcade through the streets of Dallas, Texas. Soon afterwards a man named Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested and accused of having shot Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas school Depository building . Even though Oswald refused to co-operate and denied all knowledge of the assassination, he was formerly charged the next day, on the 23 November. However, he never stood trial as just two days later Oswald himself was shot dead by Jack Ruby, a Dallas night club owner, as he was being taken from police headquarters to court. As Jack Ruby went to prison and the police had no longer a suspect to question, President Lyndon Baines Johnson, set up a committee led by chief justice Earl Warren, to conduct an official investigation into Kennedy's murder. They were under immense pressure by the public to come up with a conclusion. On 24 September 1964, the Warren Commission finally issued a report of their findin gs. They concluded that President Kennedy was murdered by a single gunmen, Lee Harvey Oswald. There were numerous reasons why the Warren Commission came to this conclusion, varying from Oswalds background and most predominantly the hard evidence there was against him. In fact, there was a substantial amount of evidence that linked Oswald to the murder weapon and the crime scene which, undoubtedly helped a great deal in his conviction. The main evidence against Oswald was a unique Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, which was recovered on the sixth floor of the school depository building and had allegedly been used for the shooting. Witnesses claimed that three shots had been fired. Three spent cartridges were found alongside the rifle. Ballistics proved that the fragments from two bullets that were recovered from the Presidents limousine and from the wounds of Kennedy and Governor Connally, came from the same unusual type of rifle, made in Italy during the Second World War. Forsenic evidence also linked Oswald to the weapon. Fibres found on the rifles stock matched those on a shirt Oswald was wearing when he was arrested. Oswalds palm prints were also found on the underside of the gun barrel. His prints were found on a part of the rifle that was exposed only when it was taken to pieces.

Angels with Dirty Faces Film Review

Madden 1 Sarah Madden 18 November 2012 Film Review: Angels with Dirty Faces, USA 1938 The film I have chosen to review and analyse under the theoretical frame Genre is Angels with Dirty Faces, a gangster film directed by Michael Curtiz starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. In Andrew Tudor’s book â€Å"Theories of Film†, he argued that genre is â€Å"what we collectively believe it to be†. I believe that when Tudor says â€Å"we† he means the audience. Audiences have an expectation of what they assume a film to be like and this is down to genre.According to Jill Nelmes, â€Å"Genre is a fundamental means by which we communicate†. Characters, setting and events are made predictable to assist the audience in fulfilling their expectations. The study of Iconography also has a lot to do regarding genre and how such things like props, costumes and settings can tell the audience what genre a film is supposed to be in. When films are placed in certain g enres, recurring events and characters are expected.The likes of Al Capone and James Cagney were recurring actors on contract used for the gangster genre in the Hollywood Studio System around the 1930s and this entertained the audiences as they knew what to expect from their idealised actors from the roles they played. Angels with Dirty Faces epitomises the gangster genre during the 1930s. Made in 1938, the Michael Curtiz film followed rules and conventions that were expected of the genre around that time. The gangster film emerged from the Great Depression and the First World War, as gangsters of America, and more precisely New York began to â€Å"run† urban cities.In â€Å"A World History of Film†, Robert Sklar wrote: â€Å"These [Gangster] films responded to the changes in urban crime as a result of the post-World War 1 amendment to the United States Constitution prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, or sale of alcoholic beverages. Prohibition fostered powerfu l criminal organizations that supplied illegal liquor, their highly publicized exploits found their way into films in the later 1920s. † Madden 2 There is an obvious question regarding gangster films about whether they suppress criminality or encourage it.In Angels with Dirty Faces, we see how the gangster lifestyle is having a bad effect on the youths, but how the main gangster, Rocky Sullivan, is punished in the end for his rebellion against the law. In his review of the film, Jeremiah Kipp wrote: â€Å"It begs the question of how much the gangster movie star persona affects our youth. † The film fits the genre it is categorised in as it follows the conventions of other gangster films. It is set in the slums of New York City where the Dead End Kids grow up and where Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connolly grew up.There is a loyalty present between Sullivan and Connolly that goes back to when they were delinquent children, although Connolly betters his life by joining the pr iesthood, whereas Sullivan spends his childhood in the society for juvenile delinquents and much of his life in prison. Connolly is coined as the hero in this story and he follows the characteristics of the hero in Schatz’ â€Å"Genres of Order†, whereby Schatz lists the general characteristics related to the heroic figure in the gangster and also western genres.The hero, Schatz describes, is male dominant, located in a contested space usually unstable, surrounded by externalised conflict expressed through violence and takes it upon himself to resolve the problems and eliminate the villain, usually leading to the death of the villain. Connolly possesses all of these traits as he is indeed male, the location is in the slums of the city, he is surrounded by figures like Sullivan who use violence as a solution and he, being old friends with Sullivan, tries to stop him on his own, without police assistance, as we see in the final scenes of the film.This shows how character s in a certain type of film genre can help define that genre as they follow similar characteristics. Another aspect common within the gangster genre and present within Angels with Dirty Faces, is the rise and fall of the gangster, which we see from when Sullivan is released from prison at the start to when he is executed at the end. The message in almost all of the gangster films is that crime doesn’t pay, which is shown by the demise of the gangster at the end. Films within the gangster genre also follow certain themes such as Betrayal, Self-destruction and Loyalty.We can see these themes emerging in Curtiz’ film as Connolly betrays Sullivan, for the benefit of the Dead End Kids, by giving information to the newspapers and police and going public in a bid to stop the crime in the city, starting with Sullivan. The theme of Self-destruction is also evident as Sullivan does no favours for himself by rebelling against the law and by shooting at the police. Madden 3 Sulliv an continually makes bad choices which end up in his own self-destruction as he is eventually caught and punished for his actions.The theme of Loyalty is also introduced in gangster films, usually with the gangster mobs being loyal to one another, but in Angels with Dirty Faces, we see Sullivan’s loyalty to Connolly. Sullivan respects Connolly and shows this at the end of the film when Connolly asks Sullivan to be a coward at the time of his death, so as not to be a hero to the Dead End Kids, which Sullivan reluctantly does. The study of Iconography ties in with the defining of genre as an audience can tell the type of genre a film is within the opening sequence, looking at clothing, props, music and settings.The visual signifiers of a gangster film include weapons such as guns; the setting being usually in a big city, smart clothing on the successful, superior gangsters and shabby clothing on the younger figures living in a gangster lifestyle. The visual signifiers of Angels with Dirty Faces which helped determine it was a gangster film was the enclosed urban city setting, the troublesome youths stealing from a cargo train and the fast and anticipating music when they are running from the police, followed by the downbeat, ominous tone of music when one of the youths are caught.The verbal signifiers also helps one determine the genre of a film, as the dialogue and language used can indicate the film. The way the two young boys speak, along with how they are dressed, shows their upbringing in an unprivileged, urban lifestyle. The first shot shows a newspaper headline, which reads â€Å"Harding nominated for President† reveals to the audience that the film was set in 1921. The film shows many front page newspaper close-ups throughout, which helps the audience follow what is going on without having to show a clip-by-clip action.Angels with Dirty Faces follows the pattern of other gangster genre films by the execution of Sullivan at the end, showing the rise and fall of the gangster. This portrays a message to the audience that the gangster never wins. For morality purposes, the gangster cannot be seen as glorified and must always be seen to be defeated or killed in order to protect society. In his article, â€Å"Teaching through Genre†, Tom Ryall says that â€Å"Genres may be defined as patterns/forms/styles/structures which transcend individual films, and which supervise both their construction by the film maker, and their reading by an audience.Madden 4 Ryall is saying that although films are made individually, they follow some patterns or structures which categorises them into certain types of genre. The gangster film follows certain aspects regarding iconography, setting, events etc. which make it fall into the gangster genre. Angels with Dirty Faces follows some of the forms and structures of other gangster films such as the use of weapons, the violence, the slick clothing of the higher gangsters and the death of the gangster at the end which all show why it locates itself in the Gangster genre.Iconography is also used when defining genre as it helps an audience fulfil their expectations. Madden 5 Works Cited Angels with Dirty Faces. Dir. Michael Curtiz. Perf. James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, Humphrey Bogart. Warner Bros, 1938. DVD. Sklar, Robert. A World History of Film. Ed. Katherine Rangoon Doyle. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. , 2002. Print. Hollows, Joanne, and Mark Jancovich, eds. Approaches to Popular Film. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1995. Print.Nelmes, Jill, ed. An Introduction to Film Studies. 2nd Ed. New York: Routledge, 1999. Print. Kipp, Jeremiah. â€Å"Angels with Dirty Faces†. Rev. of Angels with Dirty Faces, dir. Michael Curtiz. Slant Magazine Online: 2 Feb. 2005. Web. 17 Nov. 2012. Tudor, Andrew. Theories of Film. New York: Viking Adult, 1974. Print. Schatz, Thomas. Hollywood Genres: Formulas, Filmmaking, and the Studio System. New York, N. Y. : McGraw- Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 1981. Print.

Ielts Speaking Mat Clark - 3214 Words

IELTS SPEAKING PART 1: General first topics are in two paths: * Where you live ( your city, area where you live, street, house) * Your studies, work, job There are 2-5 topics are asked, and about 6-15 questions, in 4- 5 minutes Longer responses, fewer questions Longer answers are preferable than short answers 1. Possible topics Where you live | Collecting things | Cooking | Your studies | Dancing | Weddings | Your job | Learning language | Public transport | Hobbies | Rain | Traveling | Sports | Hotels | Names | Television | Relaxation | Restaurants | Music | Outdoor activities | Food | Reading | Memories | Birthdays | Email | Childhood | Seasons | Learning English | Weather | Flowers | Writing | Happiness | Birds |†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"I like† or â€Å"I don’t like† do not display any ability to skillfully or flexibly express these functions. For these questions, the first step is to find some alternative language for â€Å"liking†. The following are some expressions can be used: I’m fairly/pretty keen on†¦. I’m really into†¦. I’m quite a big fan of †¦ I simply adore†¦ I’m quite enthusiastic about †¦ I generally prefer †¦ (use only when comparing) Most of the adverbs are interchangeable in this list. Look at the following answer for the previous question: Do you like animals? â€Å"Well to be quite honest, in general I would say that I’m actually quite keen on animals, but in particular I would probably have to say that I’m really into domestic pets like dogs. I guess the reason why I’m a fan of dogs is because I adore their loyalty and companionship. In addition to dogs I suppose I’m also pretty passionate about endangered species, especially dolphins and things like that and this is due to the fact that I feel some degree of responsibility towards wildlife protection.† Possible starting phrase for â€Å" liking† questions: Well in general I would say that†¦ Actually, I suppose that for the most part I’d probably say that †¦ Well, to be honest I should really say that†¦ Of course I think