Cultural Experience Essay Example for Free

Cultural Experience Essay A friend of mine is a close friend of an Indian family who lives in the same general area that my friend and I live in. My friend told Mrs. Suayna Patel about my assignment and we were both invited over to dinner at her and Mr. Rajesh Patel’s house for Saturday dinner. My friend and I were warmly invited into their two-story really large tan blockhouse. It is actually located just yards from a hotel they own called â€Å"Passport Inn. † They also occupy the two closest/adjoining rooms to the hotel’s lobby designed as a more modest second home they live out of when there are working as the hotel clerks. Their house was very elegantly decorated in a way with an obvious female touch. It had an incense smell to it, but enjoyable, not over-powering. I was initially invited into what I believe was their living room. The house had quite a few rooms downstairs so I’m not positive it was their living room. I think all of the family’s bedrooms were located on the second floor. Mrs. Suayna Patel invited me to sit on a sofa and then she proceeded to sit down on the other end. She was very soft-spoken and I really didn’t understand everything she said. She introduced me to her husband Rajesh. Rajesh, on the other hand, almost spoke as if he were a native of the U. S. although they both came here in 1997 after his uncle purchased two hotels. Their children, nine-year old son Siva and a twelve-year old daughter, Sanirika were born in the U. S. They pretty much acted like American children but possibly with more manners. I’m only stating this because we were to keenly observe things, but both children were over-weight probably like the majority of their American peers. The only communication barriers I had or I should say we had, was between Suayna and myself. Sometimes we didn’t understand one another but my friend would subtly and courteously intervene and help. They gradually lessened but her husband was quite a bit more extraverted than she was, so he talked to us while Suayna finished cooking the dinner. Suayna was definitely more passive and mild-mannered than the typical American woman and Mr. And Mrs. Patel did assume what we refer to as traditional male and female roles, although my American parents do also. I talked with the children because they were in the room. They had very little Indian accent and were more than willing to answer questions and talk to me. They were the most extraverted and talkative members of their family, possibly partially due to that they were raised here and have no communication differences from Americans. Suayna invited my friend and I to the table and had us sit down first and then the rest of the family sat down with Rajesh being the last one to be seated. I followed their lead at the table because I didn’t want to talk much at the table if it wasn’t something that was acceptable. However, they made me comfortable and just talked like any American family at the dinner table. Suayna served the best Chicken Curry with Rice, Naan bread (Dsouza, 2006), and lentil dish I have ever eaten in my life, by the way. I do think their family was more polite between one another and in talking with me than a typical American family. It could have been because of their company but I don’t think so. This isn’t always untypical of American families but I did notice Rajesh didn’t help out with the making of dinner. He did, however assist in removing the dinnerware and utensils from the table after dinner while neither of them allowed the company to help with the work. Unlike most families of my culture, I guess part of their behavioral language could be that they didn’t seem like had felt a need to occupy every second with words. There was no usage of divergence speaking or emotive language. I feel this is at least partly due to that they didn’t speak at all in a â€Å"self-important† manner whatsoever—even the children, at least while I was there. There was no usage of gestures when talking and there was no creativity or sense of humor in their conversation. They did use relative words when they were telling us why it was easier for them to visit their relatives in India then for their relatives to visit them in America. Overall, their language was cordial and to the point. They spoke pretty succinctly without being verbose. In fact, Mr. And Mrs. Patel spoke slower and less often than the families and friends I typically would eat with. It actually felt pretty peaceful. The children spoke a little more but they never spoke loudly at the table. As far as what I learned about the culture, because this was just one Indian-American family, I can’t make too many generalizations but I do feel they relate to one another in a quieter, probably a more gentle and peaceful manner than a typical American family. Their overall home and family had a more peaceful feel to it. It was a pleasant experience of India. Source Used Dsouza, Z. (2006). Veda: the essential Indian cookbook. Baltimore [Md. ]: PublishAmerica.

Water Pollution Must Be Stopped :: Environmental Pollution Essays

Water pollution must be stopped. Pollution of lakes rivers, streams, and oceans has been killing land and water animals for years. Polluting water is a horrible act and will be stopped. Water pollution kills all kinds of animals every year. Just the EXXON VALDEZ oil spill near anchorage Alaska caused over 3,000 otters to die 36,000 different kinds of seabirds were killed and over 100 eagles. Oil spills are one of--if not the worst types of pollution. They happen most often in the ocean and then get spread around by tides and currents where they enter streams and rivers and cover everything. They kill life and pollute more in a short amount of time than pesticides and human waste combined in about 1 year. (See graph on page 2 for more inf.) Radioactive Waste is a very serious problem polluting the lakes and oceans. Submarines release some radioactivity into the water. If a submarine ever crashed enough radioactivity would be released to destroy a region of about 300 sq. miles (this happens because of the nuclear engines) Human waste is when people dump their.... deification in the water and have sewer lines leading to water which also pollutes a lot (little streams lead to big lakes). Human waste is also when we dump garbage in the ocean because we cannot find places on land to dump it. Some more types of pollution are.. Infectious Gases, Plant nutrients that can simulate growth of aquatic plants which then interfere with water uses and, when decaying, deplete the dissolved oxygen and produce nasty odors. Exotic organic chemicals including: pesticides, various industrial products, detergents. petroleum, inorganic materials, nuclear power plants, industrial sites, medical and scientific use of radioactive materials. Water pollution was originally caused by need of space (to dump trash). I can say that the major sources (in general) that cause water pollution are: Municipal, Agricultural, and Industrial. The dumping of garbage was caused by the lack of space in landfills. Instead of recycling some people started dumping the trash in the water, that slowed in 1956 when the Federal Water Pollution Control Act was created. It slowed almost to a halt in 1977 when the Clean Water Act was created. But, it still happens. Company's still dump waste in the ocean, streams, and rivers even though it is against the law. Eventually water pollution will cause there to be no life in the ocean, lakes, and rivers.

Extra Curricular Activities

Megan Gilmore Mrs. Jones AP English 11 January 30, 2012 Students’ Behavior and Extra Curricular Activities Over the course of my high school career, I have encountered many different types of people and have learned that the opinions of each are as varied as the individuals they correspond with. Every single one has his or her own perception about staying after school for a multitude of reasons and activities. Some, like me, have a stronger opinion than others. I maintain the belief that, when a student stays after school, he not only experiences benefits mentally but also physically.A number of researchers have questioned, hypothesized, and examined the effects of after-school activities on children’s health as well as on their grades. Studies have been completed over the past few decades, and many interesting facts have been discovered. One example being â€Å"a big increase in the number of school children participating in after-school programs: 8. 4 million youngst ers compared with 6. 5 million in 2004,† according to Home Alone. This dramatic increase in the number of students staying after school can be the result of several things.One possibility is that transportation is readily available to the students if a parent or guardian is unable to pick up the child. Students could also be coming to the realization that staying after school gives them energy to go home and actually finish the homework that was assigned. For example, let’s say that a student loves playing basketball but the school doesn’t offer a team. This student is missing out on the opportunity to exercise both his body and his mind. Now if the school did offer a basketball team and the student joined, every time he had to stay after to practice, he stimulates his body, which includes his brain.Then, when practice was over, he would have the energy and brain stimulation to finish his homework. When choosing a school for their children, many parents have to t ake into consideration the charges for education, in addition to any fees for participation in an after-school program. In fact, cost is one of the major factors that play into the reasons why parents keep children from participating in after-school functions. Costs can include actual charges for the program, either in time or dollars, and expenses incurred for providing transportation.However, according to Home Alone, â€Å"After-school programs are a cost-effective way to boost student achievement, reduce juvenile crime and help overstressed working parents. † Yes, if parents pick up their children from the school, the expenditure for gas money is less than the outlay to pay a babysitter every day or to arrange weekly accommodations at a daycare center for watching the children. A more constructive alternative would be to let them stay at school to either continue their education or play a sport to release built up stress; then parents could just pick them up on their way h ome from work.Now there are some parents that, even if they have the time or money, will not let their children stay after school. Reasons for this include not wanting to expose the children to the delinquents that have to stay for detention afterwards. Some even say that playing sports will distract children from his/her studies because the student will focus on the game and not the school work. According to Bill Varian, â€Å"Students involved in extracurricular activities receive better grades than those who are not involved in extracurricular activities. In addition, activities improve the overall student.Therefore, they help students to receive better grades by teaching them character building lessons, teaching them lifelong skills, saving some at-risk students who would possibly drop out of school, and helping students develop social skills. † We can reasonably ascertain, then, that after-school activities not only help children grow and develop now, but participating i n the undertakings also prepare them for a better, more fulfilling future. Another major factor that plays a role is the effect that the programs would have on a student’s life.Each and every student has a different life when he/she leaves school. Some have to go to work to help their parents pay the bills, while others can sit back and relax while a butler makes a snack, finishes their homework, and cleans the house. I have even seen some children go home to parents who think the child was a mistake and want nothing to do with him/her. According to Lee Shumow, â€Å"The children that are the most prone to actually gaining anything, in particular educational achievement, from after-school programs are the ones from high-risk backgrounds.Although, children that come from these backgrounds are the ones to have the least availability to the programs. † Many of the children that are classified in the high-risk background are the ones that people think will be the troublema kers in the community. But, if you take these children off the streets and keep them after school a few extra hours a day, they can develop bonds with other children so that ultimately they will stay away from drugs, alcohol, weapons, and the people who would tempt them to encounter and develop such habits.According to Mary Rombokas, including high-risk children in after-school activities â€Å"lessens the number of disciplinary problems later down the line. † Some parents turn to the school to provide a â€Å"day care† in essence. So that if the parents are not home, then they can let the children stay at school a few extra hours so that they don’t have to worry about leaving them at home. According to Home Alone â€Å"In 2009, over 15. 1 million children were left home alone and unsupervised after the school day had finished. This is more than a quarter of America’s school children and an 800,000 increase from 2004.These statistics includes 4 percent o f elementary and 30 percent of middle school students. † Many of these parents more than likely don’t like leaving their children at home, but they have no other choice; it may be the only thing they can do unless more programs became available to students. â€Å"Parents of 18. 5 million students say they would enroll their children in an after-school program if one were available. These numbers represent a hugely missed opportunity. A majority of publicly financed after-school programs serve low-income students.They offer help with schoolwork, sports activities, and other enrichment known to translate into improved school attendance and higher graduation rates and lower rates of teenage pregnancy, drinking, delinquency and drug use,† according to Home Alone. I realize that there are some parents who, no matter how much documentation is provided, will never change their minds about allowing their children to stay after school. However, there are alternative optio ns for their children to having them staying on school grounds after the school day has ended.Some students have the buses drop them off at facilities that will look after the children and have them play games or do homework in groups so that social skills can be developed. In addition, playing sports or group games help the children use their mental abilities by having them think on their feet so that later in life they will be able to overcome a problem not only with better results but also more quickly. Many of these places cost little to no money at all. Some parents may want to personally take some time to play or work with their children.There are places available to help them in their endeavors. Almost every community has a center called the YMCA. For a nominal fee, parents can share a variety of activities with their children. Or, if a student is having difficulties in school that a parent cannot help with, older children can provide tutoring while the parents work out in an other room. In a case like this, both sides benefit. Works Cited â€Å"Home Alone. † New York Times. 20 Oct. 2009: A30(L). Infotrac Newsstand. Web. 5 Jan. 2012. Lee, Shumow. â€Å"Academic Effects of After-School Programs. Champaign, IL:ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. Print. Narine, Shari. â€Å"Federal funding for after school program. † Alberta SweetgrassOct. 2010: 6. Infotrac Newsstand. Web. 5 Jan. 2012. O’Dea, James. â€Å"The Effect of Extra-Curricular Activities on AcademicAchievement. † Drake University; 1994. Print. Varian, Bill. â€Å"Kid programs returning; Commissioners agree to draw up a plan forafter school programs in 18 more parks. † St. Petersburg Times[St. Petersburg, FL] 25 Aug. 2011: 1B. Infotrac Newsstand. Web. 5 Jan. 2012.

The United States And The Middle East - 834 Words

For decades, the United States and fellow western nations have been heavily involved with and invested in the Middle East. Geographically, the Middle East region contains a large percentage of the industrialized world’s most prized resource, oil. Throughout this time, the United States has participated in Gulf War I, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch, and numerous other contingencies and operations. Most recently, the region fell further into turmoil with the civil unrest and uprising in Syria, the formation of ISIS, and the injection of influence from competing world superpowers. Within this latest conflict, the United States government faces significant challenges to vital national interests due to the high geopolitical stakes in the region. In 2011, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s forces opened fire on the civilian population during a peaceful Arab Spring demonstration. 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