Essay --

Introduction: Vietnam is a small country located in Southeast Asia with a S-curve shape. Vietnam has three sections including North, Central part and South. Hanoi, in the North part, is the capital of Vietnam but it is not the largest city as people thought. Otherwise, Ho Chi Minh City, in the South part, is not only the largest but also the most population city, the center of economy, culture, and education, which plays the important role in the development of Vietnam. Therefore, getting knows more about Vietnam is an interesting issue including historical evolution, special features, problems and some recommendations about urban studies. Body: Historical evolution: This area was originally known as Prey Nokor, a part of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which served as an important fishing village and harbor of Khmer’s people. After that it was annexed by Vietnamese, and then city was formed thanks to the exploration of the Nguyen Dynasty. When the French was in Indochina, Saigon quickly grew up to become one of the most important cities in Vietnam. At that time, Saigon was considered as the capital of the Indochinese Union in the 1887-1901 period. In 1954, Saigon was named the capital of the Republic of Vietnam. It was one of the most important cities of Southeast Asia. In 1976, National Assembly of Vietnam decided to change the name Saigon into "Ho Chi Minh City", after the first President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Special features of the city: The city’s creative dynamism is the attraction, and motivation to develop the industrialization and modernization today. After 25 years of renovation, the city has made great achievements, fundamental changes in its social life, and many important contributions to the country in... .... Overpopulation: In my opinion, HCM city should issue regulation to "tighten" immigration, which include requirements such as: immigrants must prove that he/she has been living in the city more than 3 years, with an area of housing per capita is 15 m ² etc. Moreover, while residents in the city have the right to own property and access to schools and health services for a reasonable fee. Conversely, illegal immigrants are not entitled to. In some case, they have to pay double the cost of electricity and water, or triple for tuition fee. Conclusion: Despite the fact that the city has to face so many problems and challenges, Ho Chi Minh City still developes and innovates day by day. In fact, these difficulties are obviously to all cities while expanded period. Recognizing the problems and finding proper solutions, the city will develop in a better comprehensive way.

Free Things They Carried Essays: Instinct :: Things They Carried Essays

Human Instinct in The Things They Carried Fear is a strong emotion that is constantly haunting the minds of the men in Tim O'Brien's book, The Things They Carried. Fear is handled by different men in different ways. However, through the characters of Dave Jenson and Lee Struck in "Enemies" and "Friends," two opposing reactions can be seen. HCAL defines cultural studies as something that can "...either create community or cause division and alienation"(240). By using cultural studies it is possible to analyze these two stories to understand why these two men react differently to he same emotion under different circumstances. In "Enemies," Jenson and Struck have a fight over a missing jackknife which evolves from a broken nose to a broken mind. The two men become enemies; not only are they faced with the fear of war, but also of the fear of each other. Jenson was affected the most by this. He began to loose his sanity watching both the enemy lines and his own men trusting no one. In an attempt to justify the fight with Struck, he breaks his own nose along with yelling and shooting off rounds of ammunition. The fear that built up inside of Jenson causes him to be alienated from the rest of the Army. Unlike the prior story, in "Friends," fear helps to bring Jenson and Struck closer together. They are both afraid of returning from the war dismembered in some fashion. To prevent this, the men form a agreement that if one of them is hurt in such a way, that the other would kill them. Because of this pact, the men are united with a common trust. This helps to subside the fear and allow them to not be as scared of the war. These two stories show how fear can cause the bond of friendship and community or hatred which resulted in alienation. The two character, Lee Strunk and Dave Jenson, show how a mans reaction to fear can affect him. In the story "Enemies," Jenson slowly begins to isolate himself as a way to keep away from Strunk. He views everyone as the enemy making his foxholes near the perimeter and always keeping his back covered. This constant fear ate way at Jenson until he finally lost his sanity. In "Friends," Jenson and Strunk take deal with fear in a more positive way.

Frankenstein: The Impact of God-like Sciences Stemming from Modern Tech

Frankenstein: The Impact of God-like Sciences Stemming from Modern Technology In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s life story is the heart of the tale. As a young Swiss boy, he grew up in Geneva reading the works of the ancient and outdated alchemists, a background that serves him ill when he attends university at Ingolstadt. There he learns about modern science and, within a few years, masters all that his professors have to teach him. He becomes fascinated with the â€Å"secret of life,† discovers it, and brings a hideous monster into the world. The monster proceeds to kill Victor’s youngest brother, best friend, and wife; he also indirectly causes the deaths of two other innocents, including Victor’s father. Though torn by remorse, shame, and guilt, Victor refuses to admit to anyone the horror of what he has created, even as he sees the ramifications of his experiment spiraling out of control. This paper focuses on the God-like sciences that are portrayed in the novel. â€Å"Learn from me. . . at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow† (Shelley 101). Victor’s attempt to play God and Creator is most plainly seen through the perceptions and actions of his creation. The creature is born into the world as if it is a baby, knowing nothing of life. This creature's first experience as a living existence is being shunned by its own creator. I beheld the wretch---the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me†¦ He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs (Shelley 43). The monster is reaching out to the only thing he knows thus far, his creator, and is met with disgust. Victor, being merely human, cannot offer this creature the unconditional love and guidance that God bestows on His creatures. This, in turn, leads to the imminent immoral actions of the creature. As technology advances, civilization grows farther from religious beliefs, attempting to become ‘God-like’. Instead of living off what is here, humans build their own habitats. Instead of accepting disease and death, hum... ...saac. "The Scientist as Villian." Asimov on Science Fiction. New York: Granada, 1983. 65-68. Brooks, Peter. "Godlike Science/ Unhallowed Arts: Language and Monstrosity in Frankenstein." New Literary History (Spring 1978) 591-605. Fellman, Gordon. "The Truths of Frankenstein: Technologism and Images of Destruction." Psychohistory Review 19 (1991): 177231. Gilbert, Sandra M., and Gubar, Susan. "Horror's Twin: Mary Shelley's Monstrous Eve." The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1984. 213-247. http://encarta.msn.com- "Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2005. http://encarta.msn.com  © 1997-2005 Microsoft Corporation. Joseph, M.K. Introduction. Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley. Ed. M.K. Joseph. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1969. i-xx. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus. Ed. M.K. Joseph. Oxford: Oxford Up, 1969. Spector, Robert Donald. Introduction. Seven Masterpieces of Gothic Horror. New York: Bantam, 1963. 1-12. Tillyard, E.M.W. Myth and the English Mind. New York: Collier Books, 1961.

Relaxing Place

First, the kitchen is a great place to unwind, because there's food there. Eating food is a very enjoyable thing, and it causes your body to release happy chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. For a brief moment, you are enraptured by the joy of food, and it causes all the stress of your life to melt away. Along with the dopamine produced directly by the food, your body also makes dopamine when you have successfully created a dish. You reached a goal, and your mind rewarded you for all your hard work.Not only is the kitchen a great place to relax because it has food, but it's also a place of quite introspection. I usually go there, even when I'm not hungry, just to walk around and look out the window. I think. It's a place where I can let all my thoughts come together and I can sort things out. The kitchen can also be a very social place, where everyone in the house gathers to make small talk and joke around. You feel connected with others, and it can make you realize that a lot of what you worry about, really doesn't matter. Friends and family are one of the most important things in your life.But perhaps one the most important reason that I think the kitchen is a relaxing place, is because for me it represents a place of symbolic, spiritual cleansing. The kitchen is usually dirty, and every few days I have to clean it. When that happens, I view the event as a representation of my own inner, spiritual state. When the kitchen is out of order, my life is chaotic. When the kitchen is clean, my life has order. In cleaning the kitchen, I once again bring order into my life. In conclusion, I believe that the kitchen is the most relaxing place I go. Everyone needs a place to relax. Where is your place? Relaxing place I have played basketball since I began walking, literally. Almost everyone in my family has played basketball; therefore, I grew up knowing the fundamentals of the game. My mother and father had a huge role in teaching me the basics of the game. They taught me how to hold the ball, how to move my feet, and how to mental adjust myself to the pressure. I automatically loved everything about basketball. I grew up watching several games on the television with my father. My family and I loved going to watch We've basketball games.I enjoyed the atmosphere of the surroundings. From the time I experienced that atmosphere, my dream formed. I wanted to play on that same court as all those boys. It was dream, my goal, and I was going to accomplish it. No matter how much work it took, I was going to be out there with a West Virginia University Jersey. As the years passed, the coaches changed and the teammates disappeared. I came into high school thinking I was good enough to play on the varsity basketball team. I was let down, disappointed, and my dreams were crushed.I realized that no matter how much dedication and hard work I put In to my ability, some people would never see my true potential. Therefore, I have decided that I am not going to play basketball for the rest of my remaining high school years. Unfortunately, I have had to experience emotions that I never thought I would feel. My dreams have changed and I have realized I will not be playing on that same basketball court as I had thought. Goals come and go, but basketball will always be In my blood. I will always play for fun, but never for victory. Relaxing Place Stress is a dangerous thing many people deal with on a daily basis. Some people like a quiet place to relax, while others enjoy being in the hustle and bustle of a crowded place. I always go to the mountains to relax. As soon as I walk outside, I immediately begin to calm down. Just the smell of the fresh air soothes away all of my worries. The mountains are the most relaxing place in the world. First of all, the sights one experiences in the mountains are amazing.Bustling with beautiful animals, full of vibrant trees and color the mountains are beautiful. One of my most favorite parts of being in the mountains is the sight of the beautiful creek. Its rippling water shines like bright diamonds in the sunlight. Next is the smell of the fresh air with a scent of pine from the evergreen trees as they sway with the wind. The smell of wildflowers growing in the spring, and fresh smell of a summer rain are just some of the magnificent smells the mountains provide.An escape into the mountai ns is one of the best ways to get away and relax. The sounds that can be heard in the mountains are birds chirping and singing, creeks and streams rippling down the mountain side and the wind as it blows through the trees. There are also sounds of animals as they run over the hills and valleys jumping and playing in the beautiful sun shine. And as the day comes to an end you can hear the sounds of crickets as the chirp and sing throughout the night.The mountains are not soft to the touch, as a matter of fact; they are hard surfaces everywhere you look and feel. From the sharp edges of the rocks on the cliffs to the bark on the trees, there are not too many places in the mountains that are soft. When you’re in the mountains there are a couple things you can taste. One of the things you can taste in the mountains is a honeysuckle flower. Another thing you can taste in the mountains is the maple syrup from the maple trees.It’s very relaxing to taste both of these things i n the mountains. In conclusion, the mountains are the most relaxing place on earth. The sights one experiences in the mountains are amazing, the magnificent smells in the mountains are wonderful, the sounds soothes away all of my worries, and you can touch and taste numerous things when you’re in the mountains. The mountains are the most relaxing place in the world. Relaxing Place First, the kitchen is a great place to unwind, because there's food there. Eating food is a very enjoyable thing, and it causes your body to release happy chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. For a brief moment, you are enraptured by the joy of food, and it causes all the stress of your life to melt away. Along with the dopamine produced directly by the food, your body also makes dopamine when you have successfully created a dish. You reached a goal, and your mind rewarded you for all your hard work.Not only is the kitchen a great place to relax because it has food, but it's also a place of quite introspection. I usually go there, even when I'm not hungry, just to walk around and look out the window. I think. It's a place where I can let all my thoughts come together and I can sort things out. The kitchen can also be a very social place, where everyone in the house gathers to make small talk and joke around. You feel connected with others, and it can make you realize that a lot of what you worry about, really doesn't matter. Friends and family are one of the most important things in your life.But perhaps one the most important reason that I think the kitchen is a relaxing place, is because for me it represents a place of symbolic, spiritual cleansing. The kitchen is usually dirty, and every few days I have to clean it. When that happens, I view the event as a representation of my own inner, spiritual state. When the kitchen is out of order, my life is chaotic. When the kitchen is clean, my life has order. In cleaning the kitchen, I once again bring order into my life. In conclusion, I believe that the kitchen is the most relaxing place I go. Everyone needs a place to relax. Where is your place?

Analysis on “A Horse and Two Goats”

R.K. Narayan’s story entitled â€Å"A Horse and Two Goats† is a story of innocence and poverty. The narrator of the story illustrated how the main character was pushed into terrible situations due to poverty.Narayan discussed in his story the culture of India as it portrays some of the important traditions that exist within the whole country. It is a depiction of social construction that emerged through the issue of poverty and cultural differences.In the beginning of the story, the narrator illustrated the simple life of the main character and its wife. The couple is rich during their younger days together but as they grow old, all their richness slowly decreased until the time when only 2 of their 40 goats and sheep remain. It shows how poverty in India develops as its people grows old, which is different from other countries that older people are richer that younger people because they already established their lifestyle.In the latter part of the story, humorous atta ck emerged and developed as the author’s way of resolving the conflict of the protagonist. Based on my reading of the story, I have seen that the resolution caused another problem for the couple. It means that it is not a permanent but temporary resolution. It was depicted the humor of the author as he unravel the resolution of the conflict.Another thing is that the conflict lies within the middle part of the story and not in the beginning, which is somehow illogical in the field of literature. That is why confusion started to exists. However, I can see that the author imposed the conflict in the middle part of the story because he wanted to discuss the culture and tradition of India.Nevertheless, it can be seen that the author could not able to incorporate the things that he wanted to justify in the beginning of the story to the main conflict in order to make the audience hang from the beginning up to the end.ReferenceNarayan, R.K. A Horse and Two Goats. 273-290

Compare and contrast the education system in Saudi Arabia with UK Essay

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) holds the principle that the best investment a nation can make is in its human resources. On the basis of this belief, the Kingdom has made tremendous efforts to devote all possible resources to the development and improvement of its educational system. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the right of education is guaranteed to everyone.in fact, the state encourages people to enroll in any part of the education system by providing financial aid and rewards to students. The change that has happened in the past few years have occurred up very much recently. The population in KSA has increased compared to the past years of my grandfather’s generation. Therefore, the economy of knowledge emphasizes primarily continues human development. The changes are effectively obvious through these years in KSA, even though compared with other countries for example, USA. Life style and other human needs have changed over time. Education of the past few years has c hanged because of the development my country is making. In addition, my grandfather’s stories were about how the class was, and how the education has changed very much since they were young until they saw the changed now. For example, in the past, the schools have one building and few classes all over the city, however the schools now have many buildings that are divided into elementary school, intermediate school, and secondary school building. In the classes there were few students and no chairs to focus. The development needs motivation from an individual and government. The Education system in the past was very difficult to understand, and the teachers got the basic information. Today the teaching is much easier, and the human mind were replaced with the new technologies we live on today. Statistically, the number of students has increased in KSA in the past 10 years by approximately 56 percent, especially for those who study Masters and PhDs degree

Decomposition Lab 5

Lab 5 DECOMPOSITION (Nov 2, 2011) Introduction: Decomposition is the breakdown of organic material into its smaller molecules and elements. (This term is generally considered as a biotic process but one may find it also used to describe an abiotic process, e. g. , due to weathering. ) The decomposing organisms may use the release of elements for nutrients and by breaking apart the carbon-carbon bonds in organic matter this can release energy for them. These smaller molecules and nutrient elements may also become available for use by the primary producers (i. e. , plants and phototropic microorganisms). Decomposition is an important step in the food chain and contributes to the nutrient cycling within an ecosystem. Most of the organic matter in an ecosystem ultimately passes through the decomposer subsystem. Decomposition of organic matter is a major ecosystem process involving an array of different organisms. The catabolism (breakdown of molecules into smaller units) of the organic compounds is mostly accomplished by bacteria and fungi. However if one considers decomposition as the disappearance or breakdown of organic litter then the soil fauna (invertebrates such as the springtails, mites, isopods, etc) must be included in this array of soil biota that contributes to the decomposition of organic matter. Wood decomposition is also influenced by the fungal species that break it down. Some of these species form brown rot (where only cellulose and hemicellulose are broken down leaving lignin which is brown), while others form white rot where all three are broken down). The majority of fungi are white rotters, but brown rot fungi are ecologically important because they form long-lived nurse logs. Decomposition rates vary due to abiotic factors such as moisture level, temperature, and soil type. The rates also vary depending on the amount of initial breakdown caused by the prior consumers in the food chain. The more broken down the organic matter (greater surface area exposed), the faster is the final decomposition. There are a variety of methods to determine decomposition rates. For example, 1) weight loss (a change in organic matter mass over time) – such as using litter bags or core sampling; 2) organic tissue or component substrate changes (e. g. , weight or concentration changes of cellulose or lignin); 3) microbial populations (fingerprinting the microbial populations present and their changes) and/or their activity (e. g. CO2 evolution using alkali traps [eg, soda lime, sodium hydroxide] or detection of CO2 in gaseous samples [e. g. , InfraRed Gas Analyzer-IRGA, gas chromatography-GC]. Objectives 1. Determine CO2 evolution as an indicator of decomposition and microbial populations from the hardwood, conifer and garden soils using a static soda lime trap. 2. Determine the effects of isopods on decomposition of vine maple leaves 3. Examine differences between brown and white rot in wood  decay 4. Solve a problem set using conifer needle mass loss data from litterbags. . Soil CO2 evolution using the Soda Lime technique (a static-chamber method)   CO2 evolution will be determined from the soil surface beneath conifer trees (Douglas-fir and cedar), deciduous hardwood trees adjacent to Winkenwerder Hall, and a nearby garden soil on campus using the static trap soda lime technique. Soda lime gains weight when exposed to CO2. The main components of soda lime are  : †¢ Calcium hydroxide – Ca(OH)2 (about 75%) †¢ Water – H2O (about 20%) †¢ Sodium hydroxide – NaOH (about 3%) Potassium hydroxide – KOH (about 1%) The method is based on the adsorption of CO2 by soda lime that is measured by a weight gain. The following absorption reactions occur: 2NaOH+CO2[pic]Na2CO3+H2O Ca(OH)2+CO2[pic]CaCO3+H2O Procedure: 1. Obtain soda lime 2. Dry the soda lime in a clean beaker at 105 C in a drying oven to remove adsorbed moistur e (212 Bloedel) 3. When dry (probably overnight or until it stops losing weight), weigh out approximately 10 g into a soil can (record to at least the nearest 0. 001g). 4. A plastic container (16 cm diam) is used as a chamber to trap CO2 evolving from the soil. 5. At the field sites place the soil can with soda lime on the soil and then place the plastic container upside down over it and push its edges into the soil to form a seal around the beaker to trap CO2 from the soil respiration. 6. Also place a control (blank) sample of soda lime in a soil can in the field also under a plastic container, but one that has a bottom on it (aluminium foil) so that it does not allow CO2 evolving from the soil to be adsorbed. This control (blank) is treated as all other samples except that it is not exposed to soil CO2 evolution. 7. Incubate for 24 hr (leave in situ so that CO2 evolution has been subjected to abiotic/biotic fluctuations occurring over the diurnal period). 8. After 24hr remove the soda lime from under the can and put the top on the soil can to keep CO2 exchanges from occurring. 9. Dry the soil can of soda lime (uncovered) in the drying oven at 105 C (overnight sufficient) and then reweigh. 10. Three replicate samples are used for the conifer, hardwood and garden soils as well one blank at each site. 11. At each site record pH and temperature in the upper 5 cm of mineral soil. Make general observations about the amount of roots you see at each site Calculation: The difference in weights before and after incubation is an estimate of the grams of carbon dioxide evolved from the soil. Multiply this weight by a correction factor* of 1. 69 (due to 1 mole of water generated by each mole of CO2 absorbed by the lime) (Grogan 1998). The units are g CO2 per ‘container area’ per 24hr. This is converted to g CO2 m-2 hr-1. S = (Wsl x 1. 69) / (Ac x T) where, S is CO2 evolution (g CO2 m-2 h-1), Wsl is the soda lime weight gain, 1. 69 is the C absorption rate of soda-lime, Ac is the chamber area (m2), and T is the sampling time in hours. Do the same calculation for the control (blank) and subtract that value from the sample calculation to derive the correct CO2 evolution from the soil. In Excel conduct an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to determine if there are significant differences (P