Opinion Esay (Government) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Opinion Esay (Government) - Essay Example Most of the Americans wish to live without any debt and have the ability to retire at 65 years, but this can only happen if they accumulate large amounts of wealth. The American constitution offers equal opportunity to all citizens in achieving the American dream. However, achieving the American dream is becoming more challenging in the society today. The rising difference in the wealth gap between races is an example of how hard it has become to achieve the American dream. The difference is evident even in the racial line with the whites having better living standards and opportunities than the black Americans. The racial wealth gap in America is becoming deeper showing the inequality in the American society (Johnson, 2). Some individuals may feel to be in better position than their parents, but the whole society is experiencing increasing gaps in opportunities available. The gap shows that the future generation may not be able to have equal opportunity in achieving their

Answer 2 Q only Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer 2 Q only - Essay Example They are no longer adequate in advancing the brand. It has to be remembered that in an effective IMC unites the organization’s marketing effort to be able to have a clear and coherent message about the company and its products that is represented by its brand. TV, Radio, Bill-Board or Newsprint and Sales Promotion as marketing medium while effective in creating and reinforcing a brand, is no longer as potent as it used to be. Consumers are getting sophisticated and are now highly diversified that traditional media no longer suffices in delivering brand. New mediums such as web presence should be included in creating a brand in modern marketing keep the marketing effort of a company relevant and updated. Web presence does not only reaches the most number of people at the least cost but is also effective in creating an identity of the product through its various features. It adds value to the brand not just be efficiently delivering brand information to the market but also by delivering the right message to the market crucial in creating a brand. It can also consolidate the marketing efforts of Nestle such as in its website www.nestle.com where its web presence was able to consolidate its presence around the world giving the market a clearer picture of the brand and its reach. Q3. Find a celebrity who is currently appearing in an advertisement for a particular company and/or its brand, and then use McCrackens Meaning Transfer Model shown in Figure 6-4 to analyze the use of this individual as an endorser/spokesperson for the company and/or brand. How valuable is McCrackens model to the field of celebrity endorsement? The classic example of a celebrity who is currently appearing in an advertisement for a particular company and/or its brand that uses McCrackens Meaning Transfer Model is Manny Pacquiao, the 8 Division World Champion in Boxing. His magnificent rose from

Architecture Research Paper Kansai International Airport Essay Example for Free

Architecture Research Paper Kansai International Airport Essay The Kansai International Airport designed by architect Renzo Piano is a very fascinating and unique building. It construction combines a man-made island, a high-tech new age looking structure and creative architectural design to create one of the biggest and most expensive airports in the world as seen to right in (Figure-1a). Human use of Kansai Airport is best expressed by the lecture topics discussed in class that include: Designation and Organization of Use, Architectural Determinism, Humanism at a Personal Scale, and Humanism at the Scale of Neighborhoods / Communities/Bureaucracies and Meaning in Architecture. In the Professor Speck’s class lecture over Designation and Organization of Use, there are many themes that I feel parallel with the design of Kansai International Airport. In lecture Professor Speck said that the overall environment a building is in encourages both the behavioral aspects and the physical environment, which in turn alters the shape behavior of the building. This statement correlates perfectly to Kansai Airport, because first of all the building is built of the coast of Osaka, Japan on a made-island. So before the building is built there is already a sense of behavioral and physical difference that sets it apart from other buildings. According to the lecture space is designated for three reasons. The first reason being the practicality of the designated space, then the injection of certain cultural values and taboos and finally the intrinsic human need to claim pace- intervals and community. Also, he said that when architects are planning the zoning for building they consider time, efficiency and machines. Kansai Airport was built because of a need for a big international airport; however, Piano had to find an alternate location due to the crowdedness of the Osaka Bay area. Thus, he used the theme of designation and organization use to come to the conclusion of a manmade island. Piano decision for the island can be compared to early American houses expressed in the book The Place Houses. In the book the authors describe how the early houses in New England, Virginia and Deep South differed in design to help adapt to there environment. However, after Piano solved the problem of where the airport would be built he still had to decide how long to make the island so it could house the massive structure. The final decision was for the island to be four kilometers long and one kilometer wide. The Phaidon Press describes this well in the book On Tour with Renzo Piano when they write, â€Å"Projects such as Kansai International Airport are so large in scale that they are almost impossible to grasp. †(p. 7). The size of the island is seen from an aerial view above in (Figure 2-a). Architectural Determinism, as mentioned by Professor Speck, played an important role in the design and construction of the Kansai Airport. The interior of the building is very easy to navigate around. Transparent glass helps calm people down and at the same time speed up the process of arrival and departure. The long and narrow design allows for a nearly infinite field of vision, creating a stress free and carefree environment. This is described well in the book Renzo Piano when Emilo Pizzi writes, â€Å"The desire to maximize transparency between the various areas allocated to embarkation and arrival procedures mans that precedence is given at every point to the passengers need to find their way, as well as enabling them to see the planes parked in front of the building through windows. † (p. 228). Rather than some buildings where people can feel like a needle in hay stack and get lost easily, Kansai International is very easy to navigate through even with its massive size. The transparency of the interior that results in easy and efficiency of movement from one place to another is apparent in (Figure 3-a) right and above. The next issue presented in lecture related to the Kansai Airport is Humanism at a Personal Scale. The assortment of different kinds of plant life inside the terminal give let the airport connect with the people walking through it. The plants help to offset the cold, unwelcoming feeling that is given off by the vast amount of steel, high ceiling and open spaces. Also helping to offset this unwelcoming feeling is the beautiful view of the Osaka Bay. The large glass windows combined with sun reflecting off the water allows a lot of natural light into the terminal. As expressed in the book The Place of Houses natural light helps give a warm vivid feeling to room that will stay in our minds long after we walk out of that room. Another small but import feature of Kansai Airport is the small signs that give directions. While all airports have these signs, they are especially important particularly in this massive terminal. Convenience of restaurants and stores also helps the airport to connect to the people walking through it on a more personal scale. This range of activities helps everyone that is arriving or departing feel a little bigger in such a enormous place. All of the small tributaries from the restaurants, stores, etc. lead to a â€Å"canyon† area that is the focal point of the terminal. Again this is to try and make arrival and departure run more smoothly. This is explained well in the book Renzo Piano when Emilo Piano writes, â€Å"Inside, the different levels convene into the â€Å"canyon,† a tall atrium occupying the fall of the height of the building, which acts as a sorting point for those arriving or disembarking off the planes. † (p. 28). The importance of focus is also cited in the book The Place of Houses, which says that the â€Å"focus† of a room is one of the most important and critical characteristics, because they (foci) are meant help to organize the room around the center of interest. In this case is canyon is both the center of interest and the â€Å"gateway† to the re st of the terminal. In (Figure 4-a) right and above one can clearly see how the â€Å"canyon† along with the massive signs help to make Kansai International Airport more manageable and how it helps to cater to people on a more humanistic and personal scale. Humanism at the Scale of Neighborhoods/Communities/Bureaucracies is the next issue I will discuss and its connection with the Kansai International Airport. I think that buzzing, busy atmosphere makes the people in the terminal feel warm and jovial. While it could be argued that to many persons walking scurrying through the airport at the same time could be disturbing and annoying, I think that like the plants, stores and restaurant the sea of people helps to fill the gigantic inside space of the terminal. However, if Kansai were compared to a city I would definitely compare it to one of the larger metropolises in the US, simply because of number of people and the crowded feeling it gives off. I think that the feel in the terminal would be like an exaggerated effect of what west campus is like during the afternoon of a school day. Both require a lot of walking and there is almost no opportunity to drive an automobile through either. Although I do not believe that Kansai Airport is necessarily a bad environment, it is certainly not a nurturing one. In lecture Professor Speck pointed out that there are eight principles of nurturing communities. They are as follows, convenience, wide range of articles, wide range of activities, sense of human presence, personal human scale, variety of visual experiences, freedom from intrusion of disturbance and natural relief. In my opinion Kansai Airport satisfies all of them except for intrusion of distraction, which is definitely does not satisfy because of the mass amounts of people. Emilo Pizzi explains this well in Renzo Piano when we he writes, â€Å"The place seems to evoke the turmoil of Japanese cities, but also the spirit of a millenary civilization†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 228). Although Kansai is not terrible as far as its Humanism at the Scale of Neighborhood/Communities/Bureaucracies is concerned it is definitely not as personable as the examples given in lecture, such as Kresege College in California, Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England, Tapiola New Town, Finland or the Crown Fountain, Millennium Park, Chicago. The final issue that Professor Speck discussed about in lecture was the Meaning of Architecture. The issue begins with the visual culture progression in the past fifty years leading to both greater reading comprehension and greater visual comprehension; architecture had to progress as well. Thus, architects started to use certain ways to â€Å"communicate† these ways of communication include Literal Direct Communication (LDC), Literal Indirect Communication (LIC) and Abstract. An example of LDC is a billboard of a cow with the caption â€Å"eat more,† so physically the meat is depicted. An example of LIC would be a picture of Bevo with the caption â€Å"We’re Texas. † Finally Abstract is defined as depicting certain feeling, colors, shapes, etc. I believe that Kansai International Airport is a combination of LDC and Abstract, because it looks like an airport with runways, planes, etc. but also is made of very unique shapes that set it apart from any other building. The uniqueness of Kansai that make it abstract are demonstrated well in Renzo Piano when Emilo Pizzi writes, â€Å"From the air, the building looks like a shining flag that cheerfully greets the traveler from the vast artificial island. The image stays in the mind when, having landed, the plane comes to a halt in front of the large metallic facade of the building. † (p. 224). A visual Kansai is flag-like structure and its Abstract communication is clearly depicted in (Figure 5-a) below. In conclusion, Professor Speck discussed many issues in lecture that distinguished the human and personal use of buildings all over the globe. The issues consisted of : Designation and Organization of Use, Architectural Determinism, Humanism at Personal Scale, Humanism at the Scale of Neighborhoods/ Communities/Bureaucracies and Meaning in Architecture. These issues/topics are especially vital in expressing the personal and human architectural use of Kansai International Airport. Theses issue give a small sample of truly how creative and unique Kansai Airport’s Architect Renzo Piano is and how impressive and world renounced Kansai International is by both world-class architects and just the every day observer alike. This airport with its manmade island and unique high-tech look will always be remembered and will mostly definitely used as a model for airports and other buildings in the future.

Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel

Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel This report is based on my internship at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel. My internship commenced from 6/10/2010 to 15/01/2011. This is a five star luxury hotel which is situated at the heart of Kuala Lumpur which is also known as The Golden Triangle area. I was assigned to few different departments in the hotel such as The Lobby Lounge, Carlton Gourmet, Housekeeping and Front Office. I have gained more knowledge and also widen my network with people from all walks of life. I also feel that The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel is a great place to gain experience as I have acquired about new techniques and skills which I have never known. Furthermore, being able to work in one of the worlds most prestige hotel really gave me a chance to test my skills and ability to cope with the harsh environment of the hoteliers life. In my report, I will include my working experience with The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel, my views during training and overall success of the hotel. Company Profiles The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. was founded in August, 1983 following the purchase of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston and the rights to the name Ritz-Carlton throughout the United States. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. maintains its corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Although the Company was officially formed in 1983, its history and traditions date back to the 1800s. Regarding the famous logo of the Ritz-Carlton, the crown was a symbol of British Royalty and the lion was actually the logo of an insurance company. The founder of the Ritz-Carlton hotels, Cesar Ritz decided to combine the two symbols together and in 1968 the logo was redesigned from a normal looking tamed lion to a look that was more elegant and yet sophisticated. This has made a change in direction for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. in the years to come. The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel in particular is owned by a company called YTL CORPORATION BERHAD. YTL stands for YEOH TIONG LAY. This company is one of the biggest corporation in Malaysia and it is very well known for its award winning world class hotels and resorts such as JW MARRIOT , THE RITZ-CARLTON,PANGKOR LAUT AND VISTANA KUALA LUMPUR . Located within the famous Golden Triangle district, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur has won multiple 5 Star Awards with its 250 guest rooms including 30 suites, 25 meeting rooms totaling up to 30,000 square feet and four exceptional restaurants such as The Lobby Lounge, Carlton Gourmet, Cesar and award winning Li Yen. Map to The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur Hotel. C:UsersVINCENTDesktopritz-carlton_map.jpg The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel is located at No. 168, Jalan Imbi 52100 Kuala Lumpur. It is interconnected with Starhill Galery and the J.W. Marriot Hotel. This hotel is situated at a very strategic place because it is near to shopping malls such as Pavilion, Lot 10, Sungei Wang and the Menara Times Square. TYPES OF FACILITIES Facilities at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel include a general swimming pool and also a personal swimming pool for every penthouse. The operation hours for the general swimming pool are from 6.00 A.M to 8.00 P.M. The hotel also provides a gymnasium which runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hotels Jacuzzi, Sauna and Steam Bath operate from 6.00 A.M to 10.00 P.M daily. Massage and Spa services are available at Spa Village which is one of Malaysias most renowned Spa centre. Their signature treatments are the Sensory Exploration and Campur Campur. Spa Village also has their own private swimming pool catered for Spa guest and residence only. Their operating hour is from 9.00 A.M to 9.00 P.M. All of the above facilities mentioned are located on the 4th floor of the hotel wing. A Business Center can be found on the 1st floor of the hotel wing which caters mostly for businessmen, Internet users and gift shop for guest. Meeting room which can fit up to 6 person maximum is available for rental for RM 120++ per hour .As for the Suites Wing site, there are 25 more meeting rooms available for rental. For hotel guest who needs to use the internet, Internet usage is chargeable at RM 40 per hour. Other services such as fax, printing, photocopy and binding is also available at the same floor. In addition, hotel guest who wants to buy souvenirs such as postcards and hotel amenities, a gift shop is available also at the business center. Business center is open from Monday to Friday at 8.00 A.M to 10.00 P.M and Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays at 9.00 A.M to 5.00 P.M. This is a luxury hotel so therefore the facilities are very limited. ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Mr. Stephen Andrew Cokkinias (General Manager) Ms. Aishah Khalid (Rooms Division Manager) Mr. Paolo Savi (Rooms Manager) Mr. Carlos De La Barra Lascurain (Director of Food and Beverage) Ms. Cheryl Loo Su-Ann (Director of Sales) Ms. Lim Chui Fung (Director of Human Resources) Mr. Joshua Lim (Suite Wing Manager) Ms. Katrina Ong Peik See (Financial Controller) Mr. Vincent Wong (Maintenance Manager) ~DEPARTMENTS~ Organizational Chart for Carlton Gourmet Outlet Manager Assistant Manager Waiter (x3) Chef (x2) Waitresses (x1) Steward (x1) Cashier (x1) This is the organization chart for Carlton Gourmet. With revenue of more than RM 80,000 a month this outlet has really pushed its limits and raised the standards. Carlton Gourmet is a very relaxed yet refined place to be at. The operation hours are from 7.30 A.M. to 6.00 P.M. This outlet concentrates mainly on breakfast, lunch and high tea. The morning shift crew which consists of the Manager, one chef and two waiters and one cashier whose shifts start at 7.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. As for the afternoon shift crew it consists of the Assistant Manager, one chef, and three waiters whose shifts start at 10.00 A.M. to 6.00 P.M. Only the steward stays from the start of the operation till the end. For breakfast, it is a semi-buffet selection which consist of a continental bar and a selection of Eggs and Omelets or From the Griddle. The continental bar consists of items such as fruits, salads, compote, cereal and many others. In the Eggs and Omelets menu there are six different types of selection to choose from which are two eggs any style, western omelet, smoked salmon omelet, egg white omelet, eggs benedict, and corned beef hash with two eggs. All of those six choices will come with a hash brown. As for the From the Griddle menu, you could choose from the silver dollar pancakes or French toast with Belgian waffles. The breakfast menu will only be served from 7.30 A.M. to 10.30 A.M. after that continued by the lunch menu until 6.00 A.M. which serves a variety of salads, pastas, sandwiches and wraps, sausages and from the grill such as burgers and grilled meats. At Carlton Gourmet, a variety of snacks, drinks, pastries, bakeries, chocolates and tea are sold there. They use the finest coffee from Italy which is illy coffee and serves a range from cappuccino to latte or even espresso. Sunkist oranges are used to make juices for the guest and in a day almost a whole box of oranges will be used. Carlton Gourmet also specializes in hamper packing. Hampers for occasions such as Arab Season, Hari Raya, Christmas, and Chinese New year will be packed for the hotel and suite guests. Roughly 200 hampers are handmade by the staff of Carlton Gourmet for each and every occasion mentioned. This are the duties needed to be carried out by the morning shift crew: Collect petty cash money from Accounts Department Collect newspapers and In House Details from Front Desk On all the lights in the outlet Overturn the coffee cups Prepare milk and butter for each table Prepare the breakfast semi-buffet bar Collect bakeries from Cesar restaurant Prepare Mise-en-place Count and send all their dirty napkins to laundry during their lunch break Fold all clean napkins and store in cupboard And most importantly attend to the guests This are the duties needed to be carried out by the afternoon shift crew: Collect bakeries and pastries from J.W. Marriot Clear morning setting on table to replace with lunch setting Ensure the drinks stock is at par Serve guests and make drinks Peel oranges for juices Wipe dry cutleries, cups, glasses and saucers Do table setting for the next day breakfast Sweep and mop the floor during closing time Arrange bills into orderly manner Log off cashier and return money back to Accounts Department Ensure all the lights are off except the entrance light Ensure all doors are locked and return keys back to Security Department My experience at Carlton Gourmet I have been training at this Food and Beverage outlet since 06/10/2010 to 17/10/2010. Working for two weeks at the Carlton Gourmet has given me an inside look on how to run a small yet successful dining outlet. The experience that I have gained over the days working there had made me a more knowledgeable person. Although this outlet is small and not really busy during normal days, I still managed to input a huge amount of working skill in me. Learning the different types of pastries and bakeries from names such as chicken pie, to names that my tongue cannot even pronounce, this is the one place where I learnt about food from all over the globe. This outlet normally caters to suite wing guest rather than hotel guests. There are many long term guests at the suite wing so one of my hardest challenges was one- remembering their names and how to address them correctly, two- remembering their room number and how many complimentary breakfast do they have, and three- remembering their food and drink preferences. For example, Ms. Mink Ong is a lady who is in her late 40s and she owns three shops at the Starhill Gallery. Every morning roughly around 10.00 A.M. she would come to Carlton Gourmet and no questions asked, she should be served her croissants and fresh cut of papaya (with a bowl of hot water for her to wash it in). After eating her fruits, clear her soiled plates and serve her one cup of coffee and a small jug of hot milk. What I have realized and noticed is that the little things that you take initiative to care about the guest make a very big difference. Because other than the staff of the hotel, the guests are also the ones who could make or break the revenue of the hotel and eventually the pay that goes into our pockets. Organizational Chart for The Lobby Lounge Outlet Manager Supervisor Bar Captain Bartender Server (X4) This is the organization chart for the Lobby Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. With revenue of more than RM 120,000 monthly, this is an outlet where working standards had to meet with quantity and quality. The operation hour for this outlet is from 10.00 A.M. to 1.00 A.M. Morning shift staff and trainees starts at 9.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. The afternoon shift trainee comes in at 3.00 P.M. to 11.00 P.M. where by the afternoon shift staff comes in at 5.00 P.M. to 1.00 A.M. The manager of this outlet only comes in from 11.00 A.M. onwards. This outlet can be quite slow in the morning because normally all the guests that comes in will only have tea or coffee. But when he sun sets and night approaches, usually the Lobby Lounge will be packed with guests. At the Lobby Lounge, we serve a variety of FOURTHY different types of tea which are broken down into 4 categories which are Black Tea, Fruit Tea, Green Tea, and Herbs Tea. All of the teas are imported from different countries such as Europe, USA, China, Japan, India and many other places. The bar consists of more than 30 brands of wine. The liquor served at the bar is based on a full bar set up which has vodka, rum, whisky, cognac, gin, liqueurs, and bitters. We have more than 20 different types of whisky brands ranging from single malt whiskies to blended whiskies. As far as beverages goes, we serve our famous Afternoon Tea. It is a very exquisite English tea tradition carried out by English people back in the days. It starts from 3.00 P.M. to 5.00 P.M. from Mondays to Saturdays. There is this watch/ jewelry shop in Starhill Galery named Mouawad. They signed a one year contract for us to deliver the Afternoon Tea set to their shop everyday from Mondays to Saturdays. Usually the Afternoon shift staff will send it to them. We also have an occasion called The Sunday Roast. It is a very elegant event which is strictly conducted by our FB Director Mr. Carlos De La Barra Lascurain. This event only takes place on every Sunday and no staff can take off for this weekend event. The Sunday Roast starts from 11.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. which will be accommodated by a three-piece jazz band consisting of a grand piano, double bass and a saxophone. This event is serves a semi-buffet style. With one main course to choose from which could either be the Angus Prime Black Beef, Scottish Salmon or Darling Roast Lamb. The main course will be placed on a portable trolley which the chef will push to a guests table and cut in front of them. As for the buffet counter, it consists of cheese from around the world, sausages, chocolates, salads, puddings, seafood, soup and sushi. The Afternoon Tea will not be served on this day. This are the duties needed to be carried out by the morning shift crew: Take petty cash money from Accounts Department at 2nd floor Opening of cash register Set up the bar and arrange all the alcohol beverages. Wipe all the glass tables and bar top. Prepare Mise-en-place and garnishes for drinks. Arrange magazines and daily newspapers. On the coffee machine. Ensure enough hot water is boiled for tea. Make welcome drink (to be placed at hotel wing lobby). Do cigar and cigarette inventory. Ensure all cups and glasses are clean and arrange neatly on shelf. Collect ice cubes for bar from main kitchen (Cesar, 1st floor). Tidy up the pillows and sofas. Write down inter-transfer list for Afternoon Tea. Send soiled napkins to laundry at 3rd floor. Collect Afternoon Tea from cold kitchen and pastry kitchen. Send a set of Afternoon Tea wit cutlery and plates to Mouawad by 2.30 P.M. Serve guest. Do inventory for sales closing. Do handover of cash register to afternoon shift staff. This are the duties needed to be carried out by the Afternoon shift crew: Do 2nd cigar and cigarette inventory of the day. Check for stock of bottled beer and juices. Light tea-light candles at 7.00 P.M. and to be placed on each table. Dim down the lights at 7.00 P.M. Push out the cup cake trolley. Ensure enough hot water is boiled for tea. Serve guest. Do closing of cash register. Do inventory for sales closing. Hand over petty cash money to Accounts Department (in an Elsafe) Bundle up all customer receipts of the day and placed at pigeon hole at Accounts Department. Clean up for next day. My experience at The Lobby Lounge I have been training at this Food and Beverage outlet since 18/10/2010 to 06/11/2010. My experience at the Lobby Lounge was a fantastic one. I felt very comfortable when I was doing my internship there. Yes there were some rough and pressured times but the staff at the Lobby Lounge felt like a little family to me. Everyone was so knowledgeable regarding the beverage that was sold at The Lobby Lounge. I had the privilege to study cocktail and mocktail making by the bartender. I also learnt how to pour a perfect glass of beer by the Captain. I also learnt how to make Latte and Cappuccino. I learnt about the different types of alcohol, wine and its origins too. There was abundant of things for me to learn in so little time. I also learnt that standing behind the bar and being a bartender, one has to have a very joyful and friendly attitude. Because for the guest sitting at the bar counter, they expect to be conversed with. There was this one time where this guest name Josh from the US came to the bar everyday to have a few drinks because he felt comfortable sitting and chatting with me. Working front of the house meant you have to have a positive attitude and attend to guest professionally while thinking What would I want if I was in the customers shoes?. As for the way of serving food and beverages to the guest, I learnt that the method practiced over there was Serve from the right, clear from the right. Many things I learnt at Tunku Abdul Rahman College, did not really apply to the work method in this outlet. But still, I was very thankful because now I know different ways of serving a guest/ customer. Having done my internship here at The Lobby Lounge thought me that I would WANT to be in this line of duty. Serving and mingling with the customers and guest of the hotel. It was a great pleasure working with my little family at The Lobby Lounge. They are the best at what they do. Organizational Chart for Front Office Front Office Manager Assistant Front Office Manager Duty Manager (X6) Guest Service Assistance (X 11) Concierge (X3) Bell Men (X9) Rooms Controller Door Man (X5) This is the organization chart for the Front Office Department at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. Basically this department is broken down into 3 groups which are Concierge counter, Bell Counter and the Reception. Only for the Bell counter (which includes the Door Men) and the Reception group operates continuous on a 24 hours basis. As for the Concierge, it only operates from 7.00 A.M. until 11.00 P.M. As for the working shifts in this department, only four shifts are provided which are: A.M. Shift 7.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. P.M. Shift 3.00 P.M. to 11.00 P.M. Night Shift 11.00 P.M. to 7.00 A.M. Relief Shift 12.00 P.M. to 8.00 P.M. My experience at Front Office My intern at this department began from the 7th of November 2010 to the 12th of December 2010. I had five weeks in this department and first week of this department started off at being a Door Man and a Bell Man. Being a Door Man is quite simple because all you have to do is open and close the lobby door for the guests as they walk in and out of the hotel, call for taxi which are on standby opposite the hotel for the guests and sometimes help the Bell Man to carry some luggages. Being a Bell Man has thought me to be sharp on the job because we had to tag and watch after guest luggages. We had 2 types of tags. One was for the Arrival Tag whereby when the guest checks into the hotel, the name and room of the guest will be written on the Arrival Tag so that the Bell Man can bring the luggages up for the guest. As for the Departure Tag, it could be used for either during guest check out or storing the luggages for guest. Then came to the second week of being at Front Office where I spent two whole weeks at the concierge counter. I really gained a lot of information about Malaysia that I did not even know about. Did you know that the Petronas Twin Tower serves a luxury lunch and dinner at the 86th floor which overlooks the city skyline? Well now I know. Being in the concierge had widened my knowledge regarding the little wonders that Malaysia has to offer and I had to learn about almost anything and everything in Kuala Lumpur regarding all the tourist sights. Every day, the staff at the concierge counter has to print out the arrival and departure list some guest arrive at the hotel with their own mode of transport but for those who like to be pampered, a Mercedes Limousine transport can be arranged for the guest but for those who wants a more cheaper but yet luxurious alternative, a VIP Train Service can be arranged to pick up guest all the way from the airport to KL Central followed by a limousine pi ck up directly to the hotel. Wai Kong Tours is a tour company where by it works in conjunction with the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel. Wai Kong Tours would provide the concierge counter with their broachers for us to promote their tours for them. What would happen is, if the guest would want to go for a tour from the broacher, we (the concierge) have to ask Wai Kong Tours whether there is any available tour that the guest wants for that that day. Because sometimes the tours may be full and the policy for Wai Kong Tour is that if a guest wants to go for a certain tour, it has to be two person and above. Basically being in the concierge meant you had to have a vast amount of knowledge regarding the area that surrounds you, not only that but also have knowledge about the operating hours of tourist locations and new promotions. For the first few days when I was in concierge, I was even too scared to answer the phone. But as the days progressed, I started to gain a certain amount of confidence in myself. As for the staff of the concierge, hats off to them because they are the ones that thought me a lot. After my training at the concierge, I moved on the reception counter where I was to be as a Guest Service Assistant. I had to learn the HIS System and learn how to check in guest. To check in a guest, I had to fill in their particulars on the registration card (which will be printed by the afternoon shift staff the day before). Guest particulars included their home address, mobile number, e-mail address, double check the name, credit card details (if they were to pay with it) and last but not least, get the guest signature. Once I have collected all the information that I needed, I would ask the guest how his or her mode of payment would be. If he or she is using a credit card, we had to explain that an amount of RM200 per night will be blocked from the credit card so that the guest can just sign the bill if he or she is ordering in room dining or paying for laundry. For example, if Mr. Guths room rate is at RM600 per night and is staying for three nights, so all together a Guest Ser vice Assistant (GSA) has to hold an amount of RM1,200 of the credit card. If a guest pays cash for their room, then we have to write the words COD on the registration card and alert all the outlets such as the Food and Beverage outlets and laundry department that the guest would and should pay cash for anything purchased. After collecting the mode of payment from the guest, we issue a key card to them and escort the guest to their room. While escorting the guest, the GSAs would brief them regarding the facilities at the hotel and some famous tourist spots around Kuala Lumpur. The GSAs would then open the room door for the guest and explain about the rooms complimentary internet and mini bar or the Kiblat sign for Muslim guest. We also had to do departure calls to know what time the guest is leaving and whether they would need any luggage assistance or transportation upon departure. As for guest wake up calls, it will be recorded down and at the end of the day handed over to the operator. If there is a VIP checking in, an express check in is done where by the GSA would pre-check in the guest, escort the guest up to his or her room with the credit card machine and take down the guest particulars in the room itself. At the end of every shift, the GSAs will submit all their check out receipts to the Duty Manager for inspection in case there has been any mix up. Being at the reception was somewhat pressuring because you had to face the guest day in and day out even matters that is not your fault but the guest just wants to let all his frustrations out on you. But on the sunny side up, the Front Office crew is a bunch of people that really knows how to work under pressure yet they can maintain to be lively and cheerful each and every day. The Front Office may be a small department but it is a powerful one. The whole hotel mainly relies on it to generate more income. The Front Office IS the brain of the hotel industry.

Freedom and Virtue in John Miltons Comus and Areopagitica :: Comus and Areopagitica Essays

Freedom and Virtue  in John Milton's Comus and Areopagitica  Ã‚  Ã‚      The martyred author of Utopia, Sir Thomas More-executed for treason against the king-is credited with the final words, "If I must live in a world in which I cannot act within my conscience, I do not wish to live!" Generations later, the fiery patriotism and explicit candor of Patrick Henry led him to utter the renowned "Give me Liberty or give me death!" Along the same lines of these two men, John Milton's "Areopagitica" argues that the essence of life is freedom to choose how one lives it. In another of Milton's works, the masque play Comus, the Elder Brother's statements concerning virtue establish some of the foundations for his argument in the work he wrote "in order to deliver the press from the restraints with which it was encumbered" (716).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The root of Milton's assertions lies in his complete hope in the prevailing of virtue. In these two works, confidence in virtue and in the ability of good men to practice it is crucial. The first part of the Elder Brother's statement is, in fact, a comment on confidence, in response to his brother's question concerning the unfavorable odds stacked against the Lady, their sister. He says, "Yes, and keep [confidence] still,/ Lean on it safely . . . against the threats/ Of malice or of sorcery, or that power/ Which erring men call Chance" (584-588). The Elder Brother's remarks show that he believes in the triumph of the Spirit against all odds, including the Fates and Fortune. As he states, "this I hold firm;/ Virtue may be assail'd but never hurt,/ Surpris'd by unjust force but not enthrall'd," because it is founded upon the "will and arm of Heav'n" (588-600). Milton's argument in the "Areopagitica" holds true to these ideas also, that we must have confiden ce in virtue and its ability to triumph over all trials and temptations because-if it is truly of God-it will stand predominant over all evils. In outlining his argument, Milton reminds his audience over and over of the duty they have to trust in the virtue of their fellow men; just as God allowed Adam to have the choice to err, so must the state give men the right to choose, to try their own ideas of virtue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Spirit describes: Great Comus . . . whose pleasing poison

The Australian Aboriginal People: Dating the Colonization of Australia :: Biology Biological Colony Essays

The Australian Aboriginal People: Dating the Colonization of Australia Abstract The colonization of each continent by modern human populations remains an important question in our history as a species. Studies of variations in mitochondrial genomes, Y-chromosomes, satellite DNA, and other genetic markers can be used to estimate the time of divergence of one population from another. Recent advancements in technology have advanced our capabilities in genetic analysis. In particular, PCR can be used to amplify, study, and sequence DNA from long-deceased specimens. Ingman and Gyllensten studied 101 complete mitochondrial genomes from contemporary populations in Australia and many other regions. The mitochondrial genetic diversity of Aboriginals is remarkably high, similar to that found in Asia. Ingman and Gyllesten estimated colonization of Australia at 40,000-70,000 years ago and supported multiple waves of migration. Another study by Adcock and others indicates that anatomically modern humans were present in Australia before complete fixation of the mtDNA lineage, but does not establish a colonization date. A study of Y-chromosome variation by Vandenburg and others in 1999 revealed two haplotypes unique to Australian Aboriginals. Most (78%) of Aboriginal haplotypes fell into two clusters, possibly indicating two original, separate lineages of founding Aboriginal Australians. As recently as the 1960’s, anthropologists predicted the colonization of Australia at less than 10,000 years ago. Advancments in thermoluminescence dating pushed back the estimated colonization time to 50,000-60,000 years ago in the early 1990’s. Improvements in thermoluminescence and carbon dating techniques adjusted previous colonization dates of 50,000-60,000 years to approximately 45,000 years. The results of morphological dating best-support the multiregional evolution hypothesis of modern humans, and further complicate the possible ancestry of modern Australian Aboriginals. Mitochondrial DNA analysis, recent thermoluminescence dates, and the history of ocean levels coincide roughly to indicate a colonization of Australia at approximately 50,000 years ago. Introduction Throughout recorded history, humans have been defined by a desire to know ourselves: Where did we come from? How did we get here? Where are we going? Many questions are directed towards our appearance as a species and subsequent populating of the earth, -- piece by piece. One particularly large piece of the earth is Australia: a continent, a country, and a mystery in human history. Though the major events in Australian natural history have been revealed, for the most part, human history remains a great topic of debate.

Political Risk Essay

Political Risk: is what happens when a company or companies face a series of political changes that could threaten its situation in a country. †¢Political Threat: is a situation when a company would eventually suffer a series of bad conditions on a certain market. †¢Political Changes: are a series of changes within the government of a country. †¢Micro Risk: a type of political risk that threatens the activities of a certain industry. Macro Risk: a type of political risk that threatens all the industries. †¢Violent Situations: Situations that risk the integrity of the people, the infrastructure, the economy among others in the country. †¢National Requirements: when a country forces a company to modify its circumstances to stay in the market. Introduction We studied the influence of political risk in business all around the world analyzing its definition through it. It is important to take into account that in business it is crucial to know about the political situation of a country because political risk is not always presented in the same way, it depends on the characteristics of the countries involved in the problem. We had a previous knowledge given by the teacher and we also had information obtained from the news we are constantly reading, but we did not have many examples of that because all the cases that could be examples of political risk took place in Latin America; all of them were extremely valid and onsonant with the definition we had of political risk, however we concluded that it could be less inspiring for our classmates because those cases are very well-known. That is the main reason we had to search cases that were not part of the public domain in the Colombian context and we decided to focus on cases from different parts of the world and in that order of ideas we could understand how companies face political risk. This study w ill help us to improve our knowledge in business and politics. Arguments First of all is very important to understand the definition of political risk. It is what happens when a company or companies face a series of political changes that could threaten its situation in a country. Any company could be affected by political changes, as well as any country could be affected by political risk situations derivative of political changes. The factors that lead to political risk are revolutions, wars, general elections, political reforms, among others. There are two types of risks that could affect a company, a market or an industry. Macro risk and micro risk; the first is the one that affects every company in every industry, and the second is the one that affects a specific industry and its companies. Another factor that threatens the development of an industry within a country is violence; it could be classified in three different kinds: terrorism, open-war and kidnapping. The national requirements are also a reason for political risk; this is when a country has a very high and strong protectionism or when the government forces companies to have a determined number of local products. When companies are victims of political risk there are some ways to fight it. If the company has security problems, the solution would be to contract a security agency and also an insurance agency; if the problem is because of the local or national requirements, the company should get a partner from that region or country; and the last one would be to create political pressure to fight the political problems. The first study case we found is about a Ukrainian company that was affected by political risk in Russia. Ukrainian iron and steel company Azovstal made its debut in the international bond markets this week, successfully selling $175m of bonds in loan participation note format yesterday (Thursday) through joint leads ING and Russia’s Moscow Narodny But while the company wanted to raise up to $200m in five year funds, Ukraine’s political volatility and the threat of further disputes with Russia over gas put paid to those ambitions as investors shied away from buying that typo and length of risk without a concession. (Ukraine’s Azovstal overcomes politics to sell $175m. (2006). Euroweek, 1-1. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/231056813? accountid=45662) This Company was the third largest steel producer in Ukraine by the year 2006, it had plans for expansion into the international market beginning with Russia. When Azovstal finally entered into the Russian market it had to face many problems from Moscow and Kiev. Both nations reached one of its worst moments in their relations during that time. Viktor Pynzenyk, then the finance minister resigned as a protest over the decision of Kiev to pay $95 per 1000 cubic meters of gas to Russia when they used to pay $50. That decision was made very close to the parliamentary election of that month and it was very bad for the then president of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenco. This crisis, at its worst moment, generated the worst threat from the Russian government to not sell more gas to Ukraine. Here we can see the Macro risk situation that Azovstal went through because the lack of gas supply could totally affect every Ukrainian company. Azovstal, which had already planned to convert its machinery to use coal, decided to anticipate it to prevent itself of shortage; after many weeks both governments reached an agreement, even so, Azovstal had to make many reforms, it had to modify its internationalization plans that were based on the entrance into the Slavic countries because of the frequent diplomatic conflicts that it had with Belarus; finally they decided to enter into the Middle East market. The second study case we found was about a Chinese company; when it tried to enter into the Vietnamese market it had to face a prices war, very high tariffs and the lack of help from the government and people. â€Å"The Lifan Group would particularly welcome new opportunities. Competition in motorcycles has become intense, and profit margins are falling. The group has a big share of the export market to Vietnam, but there too it faces rapidly growing competition and vicious price wars. (Business: The communist entrepreneur; face value. (2003, Mar 29). The Economist, 366(8317), 74-62. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/224030774? accountid=45662). Lifan Group entered into the Vietnamese market in the late 90’s but it had to face very bad conditions because it was a foreign company, besides this, Hanoi implemented very strong protectionist politics to prevent the national industry to be affected by foreign companies; this is a Macro risk situation against Vietn amese politics. Another fact that did not help too much was that Lifan was a Chinese company and the relations between Beijing and Hanoi were not the best. To face this situation Lifan company countered by two fronts; in first instance it allied with a Vietnamese company for assembling cars in Vietnam, they do that in a direct way in order to improve their situation and they obtained good results because it reduced the high tariffs and the negative influence from the ones who don’t trust in China. If the cars were assembled in Vietnam it would help more to Hanoi than if they imported them. The second fact that helped Lifan Group to face this situation of political risk was the gain of political influence in the original China when the directives of Lifan reached positions in the Chinese communist party, they ensure the Chinese help in case of any misfortune. Conclusion As future business people we know the importance to keep in touch with the daily information of the world. Political Risk rates in a country are an essential part of a business, by them we could know if it is feasible to invest in a country or in a company in a determined country, also if the debut of a company in another country will be successful or not and if the people in that foreign country will accept the company and its products or services based on their politics or government.