February Action - creative writing Essay Example for Free

February Action creative writing Essay So, after my great holidays, back to reality. In this case, it meant moving flats. I moved out of my friends flat and in with two Mexican siblings, girl (spoilt acting student) and boy (pain in the ass lawyer student). (The statements in this part are highly influenced by later experiences with the two people, I got along with them and their family fine. ) And when I moved I found the flat under water. So the first thing I did was spend hours soaking towels. Apart from that the two were always nice to me, the guy was almost never there and the girl went home on weekends, so I had the place to myself a lot, which was great. The flat was on the ground floor, so despite great sunny weather outside, I lived in freezing conditions. But it was well-located for work and social life. My room consisted of a bed and a built in cupboard (already provided) and a very useful box (which I found on the street and stayed with me until I moved out). I started working too giving English classes in the Bank of Mexico, some 20 hours a week, all 1-1 classes with mostly enjoyable students. As I had already found a football team, it meant I had found friends who took me out, to the cinema and every sunday the PUMAS (one of the local teams) game was a must. I was introduced to the stadium, the anthem (!!!! ) and the during match entertainment (beer and crisps) and the after match entertainment (more beer, discussion of game, and strange activities like having electric shocks outside of the stadium). Although not completely my description of a great time, it was good fun nevertheless. I otherwise spent quite lazy weekends, enjoying the company of my friend Itziar and playing football. At the end of February, the football girls had a huge party, which was great great fun, a lovely, welcoming group of girls who know how to party. There I became better friends with a lot of them, which was very nice. The party was full of good food, dancing, dancing and dancing and when it ended, we decided to go to a friends house to continue the party, but we all ended up falling asleep there. So some good weekend action. I was invited by the family of my flatmates to Cuernavaca, which is the getaway for inhabitants of the big City. (btw, if New York City is the Big Apple, Mexico City must be something like the Big Papaya) I went out on the Saturday morning by bus and then spent quite a relaxed time in the house, which is quite a bit outside of the city center. We had a lovely meal and then they took me into the city center, where they, interestingly enough, put me on the tourist bus and I went around on that. Pity really, because the main square had some really interesting and fun dancing and singing going on, surrounded by people selling handcrafts and other oddities. So the bus ride was quite amusing, lots of historically interesting information that I forget while the guide is finishing the sentence. Cuernavaca is a nice city and the bus also took us on a walk through some park/ravine, which was also umm nice. Then in the evening I met the family to have supper at a very good Italian restaurant before we headed back to their house, where I fell right to sleep (tired from the party, obviously). Sunday just meant a long sleep, another nice meal and then the return journey back to the city. So I got a look at what Cuernavaca was like, which was enjoyable. Next time, Ill just go by myself to see more of the place instead of seeing it wizzing by from the Touribus.

The Birth of the International Union of Elevator Constructors :: IUEC Construction Employment Essays

The Birth of the International Union of Elevator Constructors The International Union of Elevator Constructors began inauspiciously on a hot summer day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was July 15, 1901. Eleven men were gathered in a room at the Griswold Hotel. Brothers H. McLaughlin and E. Oliver came from New York, Brothers J.S. Holmes and John Lally from Chicago, F. W. Doyle from St. Louis, Walter McIntire and Frank F. Moxon from Boston, Brothers W. Young and J. Giberson from Philadelphia, and of course, Brothers George W. Porter and David G. Barnett from Pittsburgh. It did not take this small group long to come to an agreement. These men represented locals in their cities that, they decided, would benefit from a broader base of power and representation. There were other cities that had formed unions at this time but did not attend this meeting in Pittsburgh . At the meeting in the Griswold Hotel, John Lally was appointed as temporary Secretary and was later elected 1st General Vice-President. Committees were formed to draft rules of order, by-laws, and a constitution. The representatives worked through the night and presented their work collectively in the morning. Everything was adopted, and the union's framework was in place. By lunch, the officers of the new union had been nominated, elected, and installed. The first President of the fledgling national union was F.W. Doyle of St. Louis. Election results made H. McLaughlin 2nd Vice-President, D.G. Barnett 3rd General Vice-President, Joseph Giberson 4th General Vice-President, and Walter McIntire 5th General Vice-President. William Young was elected General Secretary Treasurer. They were unanimous in their resolve and solidarity. They knew what they wanted, and they created it together in record time. The same day, charters were applied for; a $5 charter fee was paid and six locals suddenly had been transformed into a national trade union. Quickly, they made application for charter and membership in the National Building Trades Council of the American Federation of Labor. It was a no nonsense beginning. The total expense of the convention was $13.90. After the collection of the charter fees, the newly formed National Union of Elevator Constructors went home with a treasury in the black of $16.10. It had taken just three days to form an organization which would promote and protect the interests of thousands of elevator constructors across America then and now. The IUEC, like many of the building trades unions, came at the dawn of the modern technological revolution, which had as a first symbol, the "skyscraper:" But there could be no skyscrapers without elevators.

Organizational Conflicts and Building Coalitions

Conflict within the organization is an every day reality as no one individual will have the same opinion or style. The differences found amongst people in the workplace has required perceptions to change when it comes to leading a team and implementing strategy. One's attitude must be flexible and tolerant of change and conflict. Conflict must be an accepted factor or otherwise the organization will not survive. In many ways, leaders and management look at conflict as a positive. Because conflict taking time and effort to resolve, it also allows for critical thinking and opening the path for new ideas and solutions. This works to the company's advantage over the long run as it continues to think outside the box or get do away with the box entirely. This leads to innovation. The attitude toward knowledge has evolved because more than one type is needed in order to implement a new idea. This changes the needs of workers and organizations as diffusion of innovation takes place as many different points of view are considered. While the idea that conflict can be a positive, leaders must also keep in mind the other side of the spectrum or the negative. While conflict can lead to innovation, it can also open up the employee to too many opportunities, which can influence their creativity and productivity. It produces a whole new reality that employees may not be prepared to handle. Product diversification could mean failure. Technology, while it is wondrous and makes jobs easier, can also be dangerous. With telecommunications, a new breed of crime has been created with identity theft and corporate brand protection becoming important. Technology can be disastrous if put in the wrong hands. With innovations come new inventions that make our lives easier but also have a higher risk when used. This is the nature of the realm of possibility. This can backfire as it can also destroy and impose new rules of conduct upon communities. As much as many like the idea of innovation, for those scared of change, it is difficult to embrace fully. This leads to further conflict or counter movements to conserve what is left because the longer a conflict goes unresolved, the harder it is fix. This like a lack of communication can lead to a break in the cycle for the organization. Still organizational conflict and change is about the future. However, as more products and services are produced and distributed throughout the world, debate continues regarding leaders' obligation to take on more social responsibility. To change the way business is conducted, we may need to establish new operational styles that set new expectations for both today's work force and corporate accountability. Looking at a corporation like Johnson and Johnson, one realizes within a team everyone has a function to meet production quotas and the harmony produced translates into efficiency. Total Quality Management (TQM) is still evident as companies push to analyze productivity as it reflects success, profit, as the numbers still remain the bottom line. Change means introducing new players to the reality, which one takes the risk, could lead to further conflict or creation. This means the possibility of interacting with outsiders or traveling in other countries for opportunities. One such situation can arise when an American company sets up shop in England. How will the locals react to such international involvement and on what levels will this be tolerated? How much will gained by so much change or resulting conflict? It is the ability to accept the new reality of today's workplace that makes an organization competitive. A company like Johnson and Johnson faces many challenges in the future due to this new reality.

Japan Food Production Sustainability - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 688 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/08/02 Category Biology Essay Level High school Tags: Sustainability Essay Did you like this example? Iconic for the unique culture and extensive history, Japan is an incredibly interesting country. Japan consists of 6,852 islands with the largest being Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Hokkaido and Ryukyu Island Chain (JICC, 2018). Its located in the northwest quadrant of the Pacific Ocean, adjacent to South Korea and China. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Japan Food Production Sustainability" essay for you Create order Due to the proximity of these other countries, you can find cultural influence, with the exception the historical isolation from 1603-1867 (New World Encyclopedia, 2017). Today, Japan is home to over 126 million residents and 98.5% are Yamato Japanese (Global Sherpa, 2018). Japan has the longest life expectancy at birth which is 83.2 years (Worldbank). The capital city is Tokyo where the population is 13 million in the city and 32.5 million in the metropolitan area. Japan has a shrinking population, due to a large elderly population, low fertility rate for women, and minimal net immigration. It is predicted that Japans population will decrease by more than 25% (95 million people) (Global Sherpa, 2018). Relative to other countries, Japan is fairly small. However, its culinary arts and foods have reached all corners of the world. Traditional Japanese cuisine is known as Washoku and is characterized by an emphasis on sea food and soybean products and little animal fat or meat. Flavors are enhanced by umami, or the savory taste. Umami flavor is primarily achieved by the amino acid glutamate (Gabriel et al., 2018). This healthy diet is possibly linked to the long lives of people in Japan (Worldbank). Typical foods include noodles, rice and fish. The basic structure of a Washoku meal is a staple, either rice or noodles accompanied by various side dishes, including vegetables and soup. Almost every meal in Japan is served with rice (Gabriel et al., 2018). It can be served boiled, steamed, or fried. A very popular combination with rice is curry. The most typical noodles are soba, white, and ramen noodles (Food by Country). As an island nation, Japan has a ready supply of fish. Fish is grilled or fried and served with rice. Popular fish are salmon, tuna, and mackerel. Others prefer to eat fish cold in the form of sushi; fish rolled up in rice, served cold or hot and with in many varieties. Sashimi is cold fish without rice and dipped in wasabi or soy sauce (Ro, 2016). Farmland is scarce and precious in Japan and the vast majority of it is devoted to rice fields. Minor crops include soybeans, wheat, barley, and vegetables (USDA). As of 2017, Japans top 2 partner countries for food exports include China and the United States. The three main food exports from Japans gross domestic product are seafood, prepared foods, and cereal, flour and starch (Globaledge). Japan has a total export of 644,932,439.50 in thousands of dollars from United States. Japan has 606,924,046.81 total imports which leads to a positive trade balance of 38,008,392.68 in thousands of dollars from the United States (Worldbank). The top three imported commodities are soybeans, wheat, and maize. Most of the maize is used as livestock feed for an increasing beef industry (Barrett, et al., 2012). Other imported foods are seafood (1.78% of GDP), meat (1.5% of GDP), and prepared meats (0.926% of GDP) (Globaledge). One major challenge for Japan is food self-sufficiency. Japan produces only about 39% of consumed calories, with the other 61% coming from imported foods. As a comparison, the United States has 124% calorie-based self-sufficiency, Canada has 168% and Australia has 173% (Barrett et al., 2012). Another problem Japan is facing is a decline in their agricultural communities. Japans rural population has declined to only 2.6 million farmers in a population of over 125 million. This declining population is also aging; the average farmers age is 65. This pattern arises from both the shrinking population discussed above and the continued urbanization of the Japanese population (Barrett et al., 2012). The Japanese government is also starting to consider problems that may arise in the future such as what the effect rising oil prices will have on the countrys food supply. Rising oil prices will lead to an increase in the cost of producing food (due to oil-fueled machinery) and therefore a potential decline in agricultural productivity. Expensive oil will also increase the cost of importing food, which will increase the price of food for the Japanese people (Barrett et al., 2012).