The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Three

Five miles away, in a small posting inn, a man sat in his room, alone, with a bottle of expensive French brandy, an empty glass, a very small case of clothing, and a woman's ring. His name was Jack Audley; formerly Captain John Audley of His Majesty's army; formerly Jack Audley of Butlersbridge, County Cavan, Ireland; formerly Jack Cavendish-Audley of the same place; and formerly – as formerly as one could get, as it was at the time of his christening – John Augustus Cavendish. The miniature had meant nothing to him. He could barely see it in the night, and he'd yet to find a portraitist who could capture a man's essence on a miniature painting, anyway. But the ring†¦ With an unsteady hand, he poured himself another drink. He hadn't looked closely at the ring when he took it from the old lady's hands. But now, in the privacy of his rented room, he'd looked. And what he'd seen had shaken him to his bones. He'd seen that ring before. On his own finger. His was a masculine version, but the design was identical. A twisted flower, a tiny swirled D. He'd never known what it meant, as he'd been told that his father's name was John Augustus Cavendish, no capital D's to be found anywhere. He still didn't know what the D stood for, but he knew that the old lady did. And no matter how many times he tried to convince himself that this was just a coincidence, he knew that this evening, on a deserted Lincolnshire road, he'd met his grandmother. Good Lord. He looked down at the ring again. He'd propped it up on the table, its face winking up at him in the candlelight. Abruptly, he twisted his own ring and yanked it off. He couldn't remember the last time his finger had been bare. His aunt had always insisted that he keep it close; it was the only keepsake they had of his father. His mother, they told him, had been clutching it in her shivering fingers when she was pulled from the frigid waters of the Irish Sea. Slowly, Jack held the ring out, carefully setting it down next to its sister. His lips flattened slightly as he regarded the pair. What had he been thinking? That when he got the two side by side he'd see that they were actually quite different? He'd known little of his father. His name, of course, and that he was the younger son of a well-to-do English family. His aunt had met him but twice; her impression had been that he was somewhat estranged from his relations. He spoke of them only laughingly, in that manner people used when they did not wish to say anything of substance. He hadn't much money, or so his aunt assumed. His clothes were fine, but well-worn, and as far as anyone could tell, he'd been wandering the Irish countryside for months. He'd said he had come to witness the wedding of a school friend and liked it so much that he stayed. His aunt saw no reason to doubt this. In the end, all Jack knew was this: John Augustus Cavendish was a well-born English gentleman who'd traveled to Ireland, fallen in love with Louise Galbraith, married her, and then died when the ship carrying them to England had sunk off the coast of Ireland. Louise had washed ashore, her body bruised and shivering, but alive. It was over a month before anyone realized she was pregnant. But she was weak, and she was devastated by grief, and her sister – the woman who had raised Jack as her own – said it was more of a surprise that Louise survived the pregnancy than it was that she finally succumbed at his birth. And that fairly well summed up Jack's knowledge of his paternal heritage. He thought about his parents from time to time, wondering who they'd been and which had gifted him with his ready smile, but in truth, he'd never yearned for anything more. At the age of two days he'd been given to William and Mary Audley, and if they had ever loved their own children more, they never allowed him to know it. Jack had grown up the de facto son of a country squire, with two brothers, a sister, and twenty acres of rolling pasture, perfect for riding, running, jumping – anything a young boy could fancy. It had been a marvelous childhood. Damn near perfect. If he was not leading the life he'd anticipated, if he sometimes lay in bed and wondered what the hell he was doing robbing coaches in the dead of night – at least he knew that the road to this point had been paved with his own choices, his own flaws. And most of the time, he was happy. He was reasonably cheerful by nature, and really, one could do worse than playing Robin Hood along rural British roads. At least he felt as if he had some sort of purpose. After he and the army had parted ways, he'd not known what to do with himself. He was not willing to return to his life as a soldier, and yet, what else was he qualified to do? He had two skills in life, it seemed: He could sit a horse as if he'd been born in the position, and he could turn a conversation with enough wit and flair to charm even the crustiest of individuals. Put together, robbing coaches had seemed the most logical choice. Jack had made his first theft in Liverpool, when he'd seen a young toff kick a one-handed former soldier who'd had the temerity to beg for a penny. Somewhat buoyed by a rather potent pint of ale, Jack had followed the fellow into a dark corner, pointed a gun a his heart, and walked off with his wallet. The contents of which he had then dispersed among the beggars on Queens Way, most of whom had fought for – and then been forgotten by – the good people of England. Well, ninety per cent of the contents had been dispersed. Jack had to eat, too. After that, it had been an easy step to move to highway robbery. It was so much more elegant than the life of footpad. And it could not be denied that it was much easier to get away on horseback. And so that was his life. It was what he did. If he'd gone back to Ireland, he would probably be married by now, sleeping with one woman, in one bed, in one house. His life would be County Cavan, and his world a far, far smaller place than it was today. His was a roaming soul. That was why he did not go back to Ireland. He splashed a bit more brandy into his glass. There were a hundred reasons why he did not go back to Ireland. Fifty, at least. He took a sip, then another, then drank deeply until he was too sotted to continue his dishonesty. There was one reason he did not go back to Ireland. One reason, and four people he did not think he could face. Rising from his seat, he walked to the window and looked out. There wasn't much to see – a small barn for horses, a thickly leaved tree across the road. The moonlight had turned the air translucent – shimmery and thick, as if a man could step outside and lose himself. He smiled grimly. It was tempting. It was always tempting. He knew where Belgrave Castle was. He'd been in the county for a week; one could not remain in Lincolnshire that long without learning the locations of the grand houses, even if one wasn't a thief out to rob their inhabitants. He could take a look, he supposed. He probably should take a look. He owed it to someone. Hell, maybe he owed it to himself. He hadn't been interested in his father much†¦but he'd always been interested a little. And he was here. Who knew when he'd be in Lincolnshire again? He was far too fond of his head to ever stay in one place for long. He didn't want to talk to the old lady. He didn't want to introduce himself and make explanations or pretend that he was anything other than what he was – A veteran of the war. A highwayman. A rogue. An idiot. An occasionally sentimental fool who knew that the softhearted ladies who'd tended the wounded had it all wrong – sometimes you couldn't go home again. But dear Lord, what he wouldn't give just to take a peek. He closed his eyes. His family would welcome him back. That was the worst of it. His aunt would put her arms around him. She would tell him it wasn't his fault. She would be so understanding. But she would not understand. That was his final thought before he fell asleep. And dreamed of Ireland. The following day dawned bright and mockingly clear. Had it rained, Jack wouldn't have bothered to go. He was on horseback, and he'd spent enough of his life pretending he didn't mind that he was soaked to the skin. He did not ride in the rain if he did not have to. He'd earned that much, at least. But he was not meant to meet up with his cohorts until nightfall, so he did not have an excuse for not going. Besides, he was just going to look. Maybe see if there was some way he could leave the ring for the old lady. He suspected it meant a great deal to her, and even though he could have probably got a hefty sum for it, he knew he would not be able to bring himself to sell it. And so he ate a hearty breakfast – accompanied by a noxious beverage the innkeeper swore would clear his head, not that Jack had said anything other than, â€Å"Eggs,† before the fellow said, â€Å"I'll get what you need.† Amazingly, the concoction worked (hence the ability to digest the hearty breakfast), and Jack mounted his horse and took off toward Belgrave Castle at an unhurried pace. He'd ridden about the area frequently over the last few days, but this was the first time he found himself curious at his surroundings. The trees seemed more interesting to him for some reason – the shape of the leaves, the way they showed their backs when the wind blew. The blossoms, too. Some were familiar to him, identical to the ones that bloomed in Ireland. But others were new, perhaps native to the dales and fens of the region. It was odd. He wasn't sure what he was meant to be thinking about. Perhaps that this vista was what his father had seen every time he'd ridden along the same road. Or maybe that, but for a freak storm in the Irish Sea, these might be the flowers and trees of his own childhood. Jack did not know whether his parents would have made their home in England or Ireland. They were apparently going over to introduce his mother to the Cavendish family when their ship had gone down. Aunt Mary had said that they were planning to decide where to live after Louise had a chance to see a bit of England. Jack paused and plucked a leaf off a tree, for no reason other than whimsy. It wasn't as green as the ones at home, he decided. Not that it mattered, of course, except that in a strange way, it did. He tossed the leaf to the ground and with a snort of impatience, took off at a greater speed. It was ludicrous that he felt even a niggle of guilt at going over to see the castle. Good God, it wasn't as if he was going to introduce himself. He did not want to find a new family. He owed the Audleys far more than that. He just wanted to see it. From afar. To see what might have been, what he was glad hadn't been. But maybe should have been. Jack took off at a gallop, letting the wind blow the memories away. The speed was cleansing, almost forgiving, and before he knew it he was at the end of the drive. And all he could think was – Good Lord. Grace was exhausted. She'd slept the night before, but not much, and not well. And even though the dowager had chosen to spend the morning in bed, Grace had not been afforded that luxury. The dowager was powerfully demanding, whether vertical, horizontal, or, should she ever figure out how to hold the position, at a slant. And so even though she tossed and turned, and refused to lift her head from the pillow, she still managed to summon Grace six times. The first hour. Finally, she had become engrossed in a batch of letters Grace had dug up for her at the bottom of her late husband's old desk, tucked in a box labeled: JOHN, ETON. Saved by school papers. Who would have thought? Grace's moment of rest was interrupted not twenty minutes later, however, by the arrival of the Ladies Elizabeth and Amelia Willoughby, the pretty, blond daughters of the Earl of Crowland, longtime neighbors and, Grace was always delighted to note, friends. Elizabeth especially. They were of an age, and before Grace's position in the world had plummeted with the death of her parents, had been considered proper companions. Oh, everyone knew that Grace would not make a match like the Willoughby girls – she would never have a London season, after all. But when they were all in Lincolnshire, they were, if not equals, then at least on something of the same level. People weren't so fussy at the Dance and Assembly. And when the girls were alone, rank was never something they noticed. Amelia was Elizabeth's younger sister. Just by a year, but when they were all younger, it had seemed a massive gulf, so Grace did not know her nearly so well. That would change soon, though, she supposed. Amelia was betrothed to Thomas, and had been from the cradle. It would have been Elizabeth, except she was promised to another young lord (also in infancy; Lord Crowland was not one to leave matters to chance). Elizabeth's fellow, however, had died quite young. Lady Crowland (who was not one for tact) had declared it all very inconvenient, but the papers binding Amelia to Thomas had already been signed, and it was deemed best to leave matters as they were. Grace had never discussed the engagement with Thomas – they were friends, but he would never talk about something so personal with her. Still, she had long suspected that he found the entire situation rather convenient. A fiancee did keep marriage-minded misses (and their mamas) at bay. Somewhat. It was quite obvious that the ladies of England believed in hedging their bets, and poor Thomas could not go anywhere without the women attempting to put themselves in the best possible light, just in case Amelia should, oh, disappear. Die. Decide she didn't wish to be a duchess. Really, Grace thought wryly, as if Amelia had any choice in the matter. But even though a wife would be a far more effective deterrent than a fiancee, Thomas continued to drag his feet, which Grace thought dreadfully insensitive of him. Amelia was one-and-twenty, for heaven's sake. And according to Lady Crowland, at least four men would have offered for her in London if she had not been marked as the future Duchess of Wyndham. (Elizabeth, sister that she was, said it was closer to three, but still, the poor girl had been dangling like a string for years.) â€Å"Books!† Elizabeth announced as they entered the hall. â€Å"As promised.† At her behest, Elizabeth's mother had borrowed several books from the dowager. Not that Lady Crowland actually read the books. Lady Crowland read very little outside the gossip pages, but returning them was a fine pretext to visit Belgrave, and she was always in favor of anything that placed Amelia in the vicinity of Thomas. No one had the heart to tell her that Amelia rarely even saw Thomas when she was at Belgrave. Most of the time, she was forced to endure the dowager's company – company, however, being perhaps too generous a word to describe Augusta Cavendish whilst standing before the young lady who was meant to carry on the Wyndham line. The dowager was very good at finding fault. One might even call it her greatest talent. And Amelia was her favorite subject. But today she had been spared. The dowager was still upstairs, reading her dead son's Latin conjugations, and so Amelia had ended up sipping tea while Grace and Elizabeth chatted. Or rather, Elizabeth chatted. It was all Grace could do to nod and murmur in the appropriate moments. One would think her tired mind would go utterly blank, but the opposite was true. She could not stop thinking about the highwayman. And his kiss. And his identity. And his kiss. And if she would meet him again. And that he'd kissed her. And – And she had to stop thinking about him. It was madness. She looked over at the tea tray, wondering if it would be rude to eat the last biscuit. † – certain you are well, Grace?† Elizabeth said, reaching forward to clasp her hand. â€Å"You look very tired.† Grace blinked, trying to focus on her dear friend's face. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said reflexively. â€Å"I am quite tired, although that is not an excuse for my inattention.† Elizabeth grimaced. She knew the dowager. They all did. â€Å"Did she keep you up late last night?† Grace nodded. â€Å"Yes, although, truthfully, it was not her fault.† Elizabeth glanced to the doorway to make sure no one was listening before she replied, â€Å"It is always her fault.† Grace smiled wryly. â€Å"No, this time it really wasn't. We were†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Well, really, was there any reason not to tell Elizabeth? Thomas already knew, and surely it would be all over the district by nightfall. â€Å"We were accosted by highwaymen, actually.† â€Å"Oh, my heavens! Grace!† Elizabeth hastily set down her teacup. â€Å"No wonder you appear so distracted!† â€Å"Hmmm?† Amelia had been staring off into space, as she frequently did while Grace and Elizabeth were nattering on, but this had clearly got her attention. â€Å"I am quite recovered,† Grace assured her. â€Å"Just a bit tired, I'm afraid. I did not sleep well.† â€Å"What happened?† Amelia asked. Elizabeth actually shoved her. â€Å"Grace and the dowager were accosted by highwaymen!† â€Å"Really?† Grace nodded. â€Å"Last night. On the way home from the assembly.† And then she thought – Good Lord, if the highwayman is really the dowager's grandson, and he is legitimate, what happens to Amelia? But he wasn't legitimate. He couldn't be. He might very well be a Cavendish by blood, but surely not by birth. Sons of dukes did not leave legitimate offspring littering the countryside. It simply did not happen. â€Å"Did they take anything?† Amelia asked. â€Å"How can you be so dispassionate?† Elizabeth demanded. â€Å"They pointed a gun at her!† She turned to Grace. â€Å"Did they?† Grace saw it again in her mind – the cold round end of the pistol, the slow, seductive gaze of the highwayman. He wouldn't have shot her. She knew that now. But still, she murmured, â€Å"They did, actually.† â€Å"Were you terrified?† Elizabeth asked breathlessly. â€Å"I would have been. I would have swooned.† â€Å"I wouldn't have swooned,† Amelia remarked. â€Å"Well, of course you wouldn't,† Elizabeth said irritably. â€Å"You didn't even gasp when Grace told you about it.† â€Å"It sounds rather exciting, actually.† Amelia looked at Grace with great interest. â€Å"Was it?† And Grace – Good heavens, she felt herself blush. Amelia leaned forward, her eyes lighting up. â€Å"Was he handsome, then?† Elizabeth looked at her sister as if she were mad. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"The highwayman, of course.† Grace stammered something and pretended to drink her tea. â€Å"He was,† Amelia said triumphantly. â€Å"He was wearing a mask,† Grace felt compelled to point out. â€Å"But you could still tell that he was handsome.† â€Å"No!† â€Å"Then his accent was terribly romantic. French? Italian?† Amelia's eyes grew even wider. â€Å"Spanish.† â€Å"You've gone mad,† Elizabeth said. â€Å"He didn't have an accent,† Grace retorted. Then she thought of that lilt, that devilish little lift in his voice that she couldn't quite place. â€Å"Well, not much of one. Scottish, perhaps? Irish? I couldn't tell, precisely.† Amelia sat back with a happy sigh. â€Å"A highwayman. How romantic.† â€Å"Amelia Willoughby!† Elizabeth scolded. â€Å"Grace was just attacked at gunpoint, and you are calling it romantic?† Amelia opened her mouth to reply, but just then they heard footsteps in the hall. â€Å"The dowager?† Elizabeth whispered to Grace, looking very much as if she'd like to be wrong. â€Å"I don't think so,† Grace replied. â€Å"She was still abed when I came down. She was rather†¦ehrm†¦distraught.† â€Å"I should think so,† Elizabeth remarked. Then she gasped. â€Å"Did they make away with her emeralds?† Grace shook her head. â€Å"We hid them. Under the seat cushions.† â€Å"Oh, how clever!† Elizabeth said approvingly. â€Å"Amelia, wouldn't you agree?† Without waiting for an answer, she turned back to Grace. â€Å"It was your idea, wasn't it?† Grace opened her mouth to retort that she would have happily handed them over, but just then Thomas walked past the open doorway to the sitting room. Conversation stopped. Elizabeth looked at Grace, and Grace looked at Amelia, and Amelia just kept looking at the now empty doorway. After a moment of held breath, Elizabeth turned to Amelia and said, â€Å"I think he does not realize we are here.† â€Å"I don't care,† Amelia declared, and Grace believed her. â€Å"I wonder where he went,† Grace murmured, although she did not think anyone heard her. They were all still watching the doorway, waiting to see if he'd return. There was a grunt, and then a crash. Grace stood, wondering if she ought to go investigate. â€Å"Bloody hell,† she heard Thomas snap. Grace winced, glancing over at the others. They had risen to their feet as well. â€Å"Careful with that,† she heard Thomas say. And then, as the three ladies watched in silence, the painting of John Cavendish moved past the open doorway, two footmen struggling to keep it upright and balanced. â€Å"Who was that?† Amelia asked once the portrait had gone by. â€Å"The dowager's middle son,† Grace murmured. â€Å"He died twenty-nine years ago.† â€Å"Why are they moving the portrait?† â€Å"The dowager wants it upstairs,† Grace replied, thinking that ought to be answer enough. Who knew why the dowager did anything? Amelia was apparently satisfied with this explanation, because she did not question her further. Or it could have been that Thomas chose that moment to reappear in the doorway. â€Å"Ladies,† he said. They all three bobbed curtsies. He nodded in that way of his, when he was clearly being nothing but polite. â€Å"Pardon.† And then he left. â€Å"Well,† Elizabeth said, and Grace wasn't certain whether she was trying to express outrage at his rudeness or simply fill the silence. If it was the latter, it didn't work, because no one said anything more until Elizabeth finally added, â€Å"Perhaps we should leave.† â€Å"No, you can't,† Grace replied, feeling dreadful for having to be the bearer of such bad news. â€Å"Not yet. The dowager wants to see Amelia.† Amelia groaned. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Grace said. And meant it. Amelia sat down, looked at the tea tray and announced, â€Å"I'm eating the last biscuit.† Grace nodded. Amelia would need sustenance for the ordeal ahead. â€Å"Perhaps I should order more?† But then Thomas returned again. â€Å"We nearly lost it on the stairs,† he said to Grace, shaking his head. â€Å"The whole thing swung to the right and nearly impaled itself on the railing.† â€Å"Oh, my.† â€Å"It would have been a stake through the heart,† he said with grim humor. â€Å"It would have been worth it just to see her face.† Grace prepared to rise and make her way upstairs. If the dowager was awake, that meant her visit with the Willoughby sisters was over. â€Å"Your grandmother rose from bed, then?† â€Å"Only to oversee the transfer. You're safe for now.† He shook his head, rolling his eyes as he did so. â€Å"I cannot believe she had the temerity to demand that you fetch it for her last night. Or,† he added quite pointedly, â€Å"that you actually thought you could do it.† Grace thought she ought to explain. â€Å"The dowager requested that I bring her the painting last night,† she told Elizabeth and Amelia. â€Å"But it was huge!† Elizabeth exclaimed. â€Å"My grandmother always favored her middle son,† Thomas said, with a twist of his lips that Grace would not have called a smile. He glanced across the room, and then, as if suddenly realizing his future bride was present, said, â€Å"Lady Amelia.† â€Å"Your grace,† she responded. But he couldn't possibly have heard her. He was already back to Grace, saying, â€Å"You will of course support me if I lock her up?† â€Å"Thom – † Grace began, cutting herself off at the last moment. She supposed that Elizabeth and Amelia knew that he had given her leave to use his given name while at Belgrave, but still, it seemed disrespectful to do so when others were present. â€Å"Your grace,† she said, enunciating each word with careful resolve. â€Å"You must grant her extra patience this day. She is distraught.† Grace sent up a prayer for forgiveness as she let everyone think the dowager had been upset by nothing more than an ordinary robbery. She wasn't precisely lying to Thomas, but she suspected that in this case the sin of omission could prove equally dangerous. She made herself smile. It felt forced. â€Å"Amelia? Are you unwell?† Grace turned. Elizabeth was watching her sister with concern. â€Å"I'm perfectly fine,† Amelia snapped, which was enough, of course, to show that she was not. The pair bickered for a moment, their voices low enough so Grace could not make out their exact words, and then Amelia rose, saying something about needing some air. Thomas stood, of course, and Grace rose to her feet as well. Amelia passed by and even reached the doorway before Grace realized that Thomas did not intend to follow. Good heavens, for a duke, his manners were abominable. Grace elbowed him in the ribs. Someone had to, she told herself. No one ever stood up to the man. Thomas shot her a dirty look, but he obviously realized that she was in the right, because he turned to Amelia, nodded his head the barest of inches, and said, â€Å"Allow me to escort you.† They departed, and Grace and Elizabeth sat silently for at least a minute before Elizabeth said resignedly, â€Å"They are not a good match, are they?† Grace glanced at the door, even though they had long since departed. She shook her head. It was huge. It was a castle, of course, and meant to be imposing, but really. Jack stood, open-mouthed. This was huge. Funny how no one had mentioned that his father was from a ducal family. Had anyone even known? He had always assumed his father had been the son of some jolly old country squire, maybe a baronet or possibly a baron. He had always been told that he was sired by John Cavendish, not Lord John Cavendish, as he must have been styled. And as for the old lady†¦Jack had realized that morning that she had never given her name, but surely she was the duchess. She was far too imperious to be a maiden aunt or widowed relation. Good Lord. He was the grandson of a duke. How was that possible? Jack stared at the structure before him. He was not a complete provincial. He'd traveled widely whilst in the army and had gone to school with the sons of Ireland's most notable families. The aristocracy was not unknown to him. He did not consider himself uncomfortable in their midst. But this†¦ This was huge. How many rooms in the place? There had to be over a hundred. And what was the provenance? It didn't look quite medieval, despite the crenellations at the top, but it was certainly pre-Tudor. Something important must have happened there. Houses did not get this big without stumbling into the occasional historic event. A treaty, maybe? Perhaps a royal visit? It sounded like the sort of thing that would have been mentioned in school, which was probably why he didn't know it. A scholar he was not. The view of the castle as he'd approached had been deceptive. The area was heavy with trees, and the turrets and towers seemed to twinkle in and out of sight as he moved through the foliage. It was only when he reached the end of the drive that it had come completely into view – massive and amazing. The stone was gray in color, with a hint of a yellow undertone, and although its angles were mostly squared off, there was nothing boring about the facade. It dipped and rose, jutted out and swept back in. No long Georgian wall of windows was this. Jack couldn't even imagine how long it would take a newcomer to find his way around inside. Or how long it would take to find the poor fellow once he got himself lost. And so he stood and stared, trying to take it in. What would it have been like to grow up there? His father had done so, and by all accounts he'd been a nice enough fellow. Well, by one account, he supposed – his Aunt Mary was the only person he knew who'd known his father well enough to pass along a story or two. Still, it was difficult to imagine a family living there. His own home in Ireland had not been small by any standards, but still, with four children it often felt as if they were constantly crashing into one another. You couldn't go ten minutes or even ten steps without being swept into a conversation with a cousin or a brother or an aunt or even a dog. (He'd been a good dog, God rest his furry little soul. Better than most people.) They had known each other, the Audleys. It was, Jack had long since decided, a very good – and very uncommon – thing. After a few minutes there was a small flurry of movement at the front door, then three women emerged. Two were blond. It was too far away to see their faces, but he could tell by the way they moved that they were young, and probably quite pretty. Pretty girls, he'd long since learned, moved differently than the plain ones. It did not matter if they were aware of their beauty or not. What they weren't was aware of their plainness. Which the plain ones always were. Jack quirked a half smile. He supposed he was a bit of a scholar of women. Which, he'd often tried to convince himself, was as noble a subject as any. But it was the third girl – the last to emerge from the castle – who captured his breath and held him motionless, unable to look away. It was the girl from the carriage the night before. He was sure of it. The hair was the right color – shiny and dark, but it wasn't such a unique shade that it couldn't be found elsewhere. He knew it was her because†¦because†¦ Because he did. He remembered her. He remembered the way she moved, the way she felt pressed up against him. He remembered the soft breath of the air between their bodies when she'd moved away. He'd liked her. He didn't often get the chance to like or dislike the people he waylaid, but he'd been thinking to himself that there was something rather appealing about the flash of intelligence in her eyes when the old lady had shoved her at him, giving him permission to hold a gun to her head. He'd not approved of that. But he'd appreciated it all the same, because touching her, holding her – it had been an unexpected pleasure. And when the old lady returned with the miniature, his only thought had been that it was a pity he didn't have time to kiss her properly. Jack held himself quietly as he watched her move in the drive, glancing over her shoulder, then leaning forward to say something to the other girls. One of the blondes linked arms with her and led her off to the side. They were friends, he realized with surprise, and he wondered if the girl – his girl, as he was now thinking of her – was something more than a companion. A poor relation, maybe? She was certainly not a daughter of the house, but it seemed she was not quite a servant. She adjusted the straps of her bonnet, and then she (What was her name? He wanted to know her name) pointed to something in the distance. Jack found himself glancing the same way, but there were too many trees framing the drive for him to see whatever had captured her interest. And then she turned. Faced him. Saw him. She did not cry out, nor did she flinch, but he knew that she saw him in the way she†¦ In the way she simply was, he supposed, because he could not see her face from such a distance. But he knew. His skin began to prickle with awareness, and it occurred to him that she'd recognized him, too. It was preposterous, because he was all the way down the drive, and not wearing his highwayman's garb, but he knew that she knew she was staring at the man who had kissed her. The moment – it could only have lasted seconds – stretched into eternity. And then somewhere behind him a bird cawed, snapping him from his trance, and one thought pounded through his head. Time to go. He never stayed in one spot for long, but here – this place – it was surely the most dangerous of all. He gave it one last look. Not of longing; he did not long for this. And as for the girl from the carriage – he fought down something strange and acrid, burning in his throat – he would not long for her, either. Some things were simply untenable. â€Å"Who was that man?† Grace heard Elizabeth speak, but she pretended not to. They were sitting in the Willoughbys' comfortable carriage, but their happy threesome now numbered four. The dowager had, upon rising from her bed, taken one look at Amelia's sun-kissed cheeks (Grace did think that she and Thomas had taken quite a long walk together, all things considered), and gone into a barely intelligible tirade about the proper decorum of a future duchess. It was not every day one heard a speech containing dynasty, procreation, and sunspots – all in one sentence. But the dowager had managed it, and now they were all miserable, Amelia most of all. The dowager had got it into her head that she needed to speak with Lady Crowland – most probably about the supposed blemishes on Amelia's skin – and so she invited herself along for the ride, giving instructions to the Wyndham stables to ready a carriage and send it after them for the return journey. Grace had come along, too. Because, quite frankly, she didn't have any choice. â€Å"Grace?† It was Elizabeth again. Grace sucked in her lips and positively glued her eyes to a spot on the seat cushion just to the left of the dowager's head. â€Å"Who was it?† Elizabeth persisted. â€Å"No one,† Grace said quickly. â€Å"Are we ready to depart?† She looked out the window, pretending to wonder why they were delayed on the drive. Any moment now they would leave for Burges Park, where the Willoughbys lived. She had been dreading the journey, short though it was. And then she'd seen him. The highwayman. Whose name wasn't Cavendish. But once was. He had left before the dowager emerged from the castle, turning his mount in a display of horsemanship so expert that even she, who was no equestrienne, recognized his skill. But he had seen her. And he had recognized her. She was certain of it. She'd felt it. Grace tapped her fingers impatiently against the side of her thigh. She thought of Thomas, and of the enormous portrait that had passed by the doorway of the sitting room. She thought of Amelia, who had been raised since birth to be the bride of a duke. And she thought of herself. Her world might not be quite what she wanted, but it was hers, and it was safe. One man had the power to send it all crashing down. Which was why, even though she would have traded a corner of her soul for just one more kiss from a man whose name she did not know, when Elizabeth remarked that it looked as if she knew him, she said, sharply, â€Å"I do not.† The dowager looked up, her face pinched with irritation. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"There was a man at the end of the drive,† Elizabeth said, before Grace could deny anything. The dowager's head snapped back in Grace's direction. â€Å"Who was it?† she demanded. â€Å"I don't know. I could not see his face.† Which wasn't a lie. Not the second part, at least. â€Å"Who was it?† the dowager thundered, her voice rising over the sound of the wheels beginning their rumble down the drive. â€Å"I don't know,† Grace repeated, but even she could hear the cracks in her voice. â€Å"Did you see him?† the dowager asked Amelia. Grace's eyes caught Amelia's. Something passed between them. â€Å"I saw no one, ma'am,† said Amelia. The dowager dismissed her with a snort, turning the full weight of her fury on Grace. â€Å"Was it he?† Grace shook her head. â€Å"I don't know,† she stammered. â€Å"I couldn't say.† â€Å"Stop the carriage,† the dowager yelled, lurching forward and shoving Grace aside so she could bang on the wall separating the cabin and the driver. â€Å"Stop, I tell you!† The carriage came to a sudden stop, and Amelia, who had been sitting face front beside the dowager, tumbled forward, landing at Grace's feet. She tried to get up but was blocked by the dowager, who had reached across the carriage to grab Grace's chin, her long, ancient fingers digging cruelly into her skin. â€Å"I will give you one more chance, Miss Eversleigh,† she hissed. â€Å"Was it he?† Forgive me, Grace thought. She nodded.

Poem Analysis

Year 12 english communications External Folio Where the Sidewalk Ends|   | by  Shel Silverstein| There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black and the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,And watch where the chalk-white arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends. Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know The place where the sidewalk ends. Analysis: Shel Silverstein began writing at the age of twelve. He quickly grew his own style of writing and began to publish many stories. Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein’s first collection o f poems, was published in 1974 and attracted attention soon becoming a classic.The poem â€Å"where the sidewalk ends is about the journey of a better life. His poem is almost about the afterlife and heaven. When Silverstein says â€Å"and there the grass grows soft and white, and there the sun glows crimson bright† he is referring to the softness and unlikeliness of her world being that way. Silverstein uses the children as a representative for the beauty and innocence of the other world. Children are innocent enough enough to not see the dark road of life but the see the bliss at the end (the grass).Silverstein is trying to get us to imagine a place without the black smoke and dark street winds and bends. He is telling us to free ourselves from life’s horrors and dramas and instead telling us to go to the place where the sidewalk ends. The tone of this poem give the impression that if we try to â€Å"go where the chalk white arrows go† we can be better off. S ilverstein is saying that the children know how to be innocent and how to enjoy the better things in life. Silverstein uses darkness of the alley as a way to personify the bad things we encounter in life.Children are the representative of the innocence and the good that guides us in life. Silverstein believes that we want to be as happy and pure as children at the end of the tunnel. He believes that if we live life through a child’s eyes we will enjoy the better things and not worry so much about the bad situations. Imagery is a main feature in the poem. As a descriptive piece Silverstein uses the power of words to show not tell. Personification illustrates human qualities of nature; Silverstein shows many examples of this in the poem.Using poetic techniques help to display the setting of the place we are living in and how it differs to the place we should and want to be in; the better place. The poem seems to have a set audience of adults. The idea of the poem is to express an experience with others. Silverstein’s motive for writing the poem stems from his lonely innocent childhood and the beauty he sees within the world. Silverstein’s ability to watch the world around him and have an   deep emotional connect with the places he comes across and portray them in his poetry is one of his many talents. Poem Analysis Year 12 english communications External Folio Where the Sidewalk Ends|   | by  Shel Silverstein| There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black and the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,And watch where the chalk-white arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends. Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know The place where the sidewalk ends. Analysis: Shel Silverstein began writing at the age of twelve. He quickly grew his own style of writing and began to publish many stories. Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein’s first collection o f poems, was published in 1974 and attracted attention soon becoming a classic.The poem â€Å"where the sidewalk ends is about the journey of a better life. His poem is almost about the afterlife and heaven. When Silverstein says â€Å"and there the grass grows soft and white, and there the sun glows crimson bright† he is referring to the softness and unlikeliness of her world being that way. Silverstein uses the children as a representative for the beauty and innocence of the other world. Children are innocent enough enough to not see the dark road of life but the see the bliss at the end (the grass).Silverstein is trying to get us to imagine a place without the black smoke and dark street winds and bends. He is telling us to free ourselves from life’s horrors and dramas and instead telling us to go to the place where the sidewalk ends. The tone of this poem give the impression that if we try to â€Å"go where the chalk white arrows go† we can be better off. S ilverstein is saying that the children know how to be innocent and how to enjoy the better things in life. Silverstein uses darkness of the alley as a way to personify the bad things we encounter in life.Children are the representative of the innocence and the good that guides us in life. Silverstein believes that we want to be as happy and pure as children at the end of the tunnel. He believes that if we live life through a child’s eyes we will enjoy the better things and not worry so much about the bad situations. Imagery is a main feature in the poem. As a descriptive piece Silverstein uses the power of words to show not tell. Personification illustrates human qualities of nature; Silverstein shows many examples of this in the poem.Using poetic techniques help to display the setting of the place we are living in and how it differs to the place we should and want to be in; the better place. The poem seems to have a set audience of adults. The idea of the poem is to express an experience with others. Silverstein’s motive for writing the poem stems from his lonely innocent childhood and the beauty he sees within the world. Silverstein’s ability to watch the world around him and have an   deep emotional connect with the places he comes across and portray them in his poetry is one of his many talents.

Corporate Social Responsibility Degree Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate Social Responsibility Degree - Essay Example But, I would like to say that these employees consist of only internal society of the corporation and there is an external society too out side of our corporation's four corners. In addition to selling our brand products at home, we have been regularly exporting our items to far and wide places in the world, especially Asian and African countries, indicating strongly that our fortunes are heavily linked to those people. But, take a look at I propose that our company should take the lead at least this year in effectively fulfilling our CSR. As a first step toward this, the management should form a separate CSR wing at our corporate office for identifying proper areas of CSR at home and abroad. As a senior employee of the company, I assure you full cooperation from the employees in keeping the commitment towards CSR. On our part, we are ready to contribute a bit financially too from our salaries to supplement your funding for our CSR projects. As a second step, our company should join hands with UK's major charity organisation Water Aid which has been providing safe drinking water, sanitation and hygienic education to the poorest of the poor people in some African and Asian countries (What we do, Where we work.). Using sustainable and practical technologies, Water Aid has 4 been closely working with locals in India, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania and some other needy countries to improve quality of life of the downtrodden. Several corporate companies have already joined hands with the Water Aid and been continuously sharing the honours in alleviating the sufferings of the underprivileged around the world. Let us also join them and share the honours along with several others. Yours sincerely Mr.X (Human Resources Division) 5 References: What we do, (Water Aid UK, London), retrieved January 10, 2006 from http://www.wateraid.org.uk/uk/default.asp 1 Dated 10-01-2006. To The President ABC Corporation London Venerable Sir, As an x-corporate division head of XYZ Corporation, I feel elated in formally seeking a placement in your prestigious organisation. I have a vast experience of 20 years in the company in executing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects at home and abroad. As you know very well, XYZ is the leader in CSR and known internationally for its commitment to the society. During my tenure as head of its CSR division, we have continuously implemented several CSR projects making the XYZ Corporation much 2 more popular. Of course, the reputation of xyz Corporation on its CSR front was due to the contribution of several of its employees who participated in the programmes. Your company

Core Competencies required for all Rehab Registered Nurses Research Paper

Core Competencies required for all Rehab Registered Nurses - Research Paper Example Many nurses have been credited for playing significant roles in elevating the rehabilitation concepts. In the year 1854, Florence Nightingale was the significant figure to introduce rehabilitation concepts in England. Notably, during this period, rehabilitation practices reduced mortality rates particularly during the Crimean War. Isabel Adams Hampton introduced the rehabilitation practices and principles in North America between 1860 and 1910. In emphasizing the underlying principles and practices of rehabilitations, Hampton pointed out that it is important to be clean and asepsis throughout the rehabilitation processes in order to reduce chances of secondary infections (Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, n.d.). Therefore, it vital for the rehabilitation nurses to remain clean all through the practice as well as maintaining cleanliness within and about the rehabilitation structures. The hygiene among the key principle of nursing rehabilitation can only be achieved by meeting comp etency requirements. It should be noted that rehabilitation is the process of recovery or adaptation whereby on a person suffering from functionality or disabling limiting conditions that may be irreversible or temporary, participates to regain maximum independence, functionality, and restoration. Rehabilitation services or programs aims at assisting a person to help from trauma or illness resulting from loss of functions that may include physical, social, psychological, and vocation (Mauk, n.d.). According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (2007), rehabilitation is the process that aims at restoring an individual’s mental or physical ability lost from injuries or diseases. Rehabilitation processes may be short lived or may be practiced on an individual for the rest of their lives depending on the extent and nature of injury. Goals of a rehabilitation practices are often defined within the goals that are mutually established within each individual’s practice of re habilitation (Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, n.d.). Additionally, the underlying practices and principles within each defined rehabilitation process are often guided by the development care plan that is available or developed by a rehab nurse (Committee on the Robert Wood Johnson at el, 2011). In other words, the rehabilitation practices or goals are defined within the desired results for each rehabilitation client. The entire rehabilitation team often share or concentrate on a particular rehab area thereby sharing similar goals for the same client. The most vital purposes of the rehabilitation include maximizing self-dependence, self-care, restoring and maintaining functions, encouraging adaptation, and preventing complications (Mauk, n.d.). There are numerous goals and objectives of undertaking rehabilitation measures; however, a particular practice is often pegged on the desired outcome as per the care planning forwarded by the interdisciplinary team. Competencies and Cert ification The Basic Rehabilitation Nursing Practices Competencies were published in the 1994 by the ARN. The manual was produced to help in precept or educate, teach, and orientate new nurses on the requirements and principles of rehabilitation. The understanding of the rehabilitation was divided into three stages that cover a total of twelve months (Mauk, n.d.). Each phase has its own training goals and objects towards competency. The first phase incorporates a three months training where the

Obesity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Obesity - Research Paper Example Most Americans have adopted a culture of taking fast/convenient foods instead of cooking food at home. This behavior is particularly extravagant among children. Children prefer taking sweetened drinks and snacks for lunch instead of taking full meals. Sweetened drinks and snacks contain a high content of calories. Routine taking of high calories foods leads to accumulation of fats in the body and thus children become obese. Due to the addictiveness of convenient foods, children end up taking more fast foods and lesser healthy foods. The lifestyles that most American families have adopted contribute to obesity. Children are not involved in physical activities. Children have little or no play time. Physical exercise activities have been proven to reduce effectively accumulated calories in the body. The same children who take high intake of junk food do not participate in any forms of physical exercise. The children thus end up being obese. USA’s economic status has improved. The rates of unemployment have reduced and thus a large percentage of the population is in a ‘good’ socio-economic status. Therefore, most American children can afford to buy fast foods. Moreover, mot junk foods are associated with people of a certain higher social class, and, therefore, most children want to take them. Purchasing and taking a lot of junk food leads to children being obese. The business of selling fast foods is doing very well in the USA. The kind of advertisements being used is very appealing. Most of the advertisements make an impression that the foods are very sweet and healthy. The health risk of these foods is not included in the advertisements. Most people fall into the advertisements trap and end up purchasing them and, in the long run, suffer from obesity. There is little education among the children and the parents on the dangers of taking junk food and the need for physical exercise. This has led to the current imbalance in

Tennessee WilliamsCat on a Hot Tin Roof Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tennessee WilliamsCat on a Hot Tin Roof - Essay Example The author develops a series of both intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts, which sustains the story to completion. The plot begins with the Brick trying to recapture his glory days as an athlete. He is in a drunken state and therefore loses his control and fall thus obtaining an injury that leaves him dependent on crutches. This depicts underlying conflicts in the life of the play’s main character. The scene reveals his dissatisfaction with his marriage a major trend that compels him to alcoholism. Meanwhile, Big Daddy, Brick’s father, is being discharged from the hospital and the event coincide with his sixty-fifth birthday thus prompting his extended family to organize him a grand birthday party. The grand birthday become s major issue in the play as every character becomes absorbed in the organization thus concealing the underlying differences among the characters. The author does not develop a tragedy in the story; he appreciates the difference among the character but simply develops conflicts from such. The author strives to maintain a jovial mood in the play with the characters enjoying themselves. At first is Brick having a fun moment on the track trying to relive his high school years then the scenes shift to the organization of the grand birthday party for Big Daddy. The party is a great success and manages to conceal the disease the old man is suffering from. By covering the disease in deceit, the characters seek to maintain the jovial mood of the play, which is unlike in tragedies where characters live sorrowful lives. The conspiracy is revealed and the entire family later learns that Big Daddy is suffering from cancer. The news depresses the family for a while but they eventually heal. In fact, the news compels Brick to reconcile with his father thus solving their differences. By reconciling their differences, the two characters liven the mod of the play

The Role of the Exchange Rate Regime in Contributing to the 2001 Essay

The Role of the Exchange Rate Regime in Contributing to the 2001 Crisis in Argentina - Essay Example Argentina underwent structural changes in the 1990’s. In the late 1980’s, Argentina suffered high levels of inflation. Thus, in the 1990’s, the administration of president Menem implemented several reforms to overcome the country’s macroeconomic instability through the Convertibility Plan (Rodriguez – Boetsch 2005, p.302). Inflation dropped to single digits, whereas economy remained stable (Rodriguez – Boetsch 2005, p.302). Moreover, the country underwent privatization, deregulation, and trade liberalization (Rodriguez – Boetsch 2005, p.302). Until the crisis in 1998, Argentina was viewed as a success story and a role model. The currency board was created to conquer inflation and create deflationary expectations among the general populace. As part of the Convertibility Plan, the board was created to enhance confidence among investors, population, and anyone in power to set prices in the Argentinean market (IMF 2003, p.4). To stabilize the economy, the board pegged the Argentine peso to the US dollar at 1:1 (Rodriguez – Boetsch 2005, p.307). Moreover, it linked the supply of pesos to the quantity of US dollars held in Central Bank reserves (Rodriguez – Boetsch 2005, p.307). Money supply depended on the US dollar reserves. Since the Argentinean peso was pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, the money supply was determined in the same way. For example, assume there was only one dollar in the Central Bank’s reserves. Then the money supply would be one Argentinean peso times the money multiplier. Now assume that an additional dollar is bought by the Central Bank and put in reserves. This increase in reserves translates into an increase in money supply. Namely, one additional peso is put into circulation. However, this is not the end of the analysis. In every economy, a stock of value changes hands several times within a given time period. Thus, this additional peso needs to also be multiplied by the money multiplier. This relationship is described in equation (1) below, where is money supply, is monetary base and is the money multiplier (Gokbudak 1995, p.111). (1) Money multiplier, in return, is determined by the required reserve ratio (Rodriguez – Boetsch 2005, p.308). This definition can be seen in equation (2), where is the money multiplier, and is the required reserve ratio determined by the Central Bank. (2) The board eliminated previously available options. Monetary policy was no longer an option. Under a floating regime, the central bank can sell or buy securities and so through open market operations control the interest rate, which in turn determines the cost of money and can offset inflation. Since this policy was not an option, only fiscal policy remained. The labor market also needed to become flexible in order to absorb some of the possible shocks (IMF 2003, p.8, 26). However, with 70 percent of federal budget going to social security and provinces, little maneuve ring space was left for the fiscal policy (IMF 2003, p. 13). There are several causes of the crisis. The IMF (2003) considers this crisis to have been caused by the interaction between fiscal policy and the currency board arrangement. The crisis is also seen as an outgrowth of fragile balance sheets in the undeveloped banking sector and lack of political strength to implement a reform. Public sector debt is seen as a trigger which, coupled with previous history of economic slumps, led to the above causes (IMF 2003, p. 4). Following

Argument of After Shock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Argument of After Shock - Essay Example The book Aftershock is a manual that illustrates the declining state of US economy, its consequences and after effects although the authors justly verify the purpose pf the book as stated in the text, â€Å"It ’s only bad news for your personal economy if you don ’ t do anything about it† Hence this book suggests methods and remedies through which personal economic damage can be minimized even when the economy on the whole is falling apart. As the authors say in the book, â€Å"All we can offer is realism, based on facts and logical analysis† (10) and the rest depends on the reader and his interest in benefiting from the writers’ perspective Every fact that is stated in the book is based on, â€Å"a reliable theory of economic evolution, backed up by cold, hard facts, and not random guesses† (11). So such an analysis helps in providing the readers an in depth and logical account of the current situation. The writers use the concept of a †˜Bubble’ as a metaphor to illustrate the unpredictability and the temporariness of the economic conditions of the United States. As stated in the text, â€Å"†¦economic bubbles, by nature, do not stay afloat forever. Sooner or later, economic reality, like gravity, eventually kicks in, and bubbles do fall. After they burst, they never are able to re - inflate and lift off again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (4). In their point of view the US economy comprises of six bubbles, â€Å"These bubbles included: the real estate bubble, stock market bubble, discretionary spending bubble, dollar bubble, and government debt bubble† (5).... The fundamental advantage of this bubble economic system was that, â€Å"†¦these six linked economic bubbles helped co – create America ’ s booming bubble economy†¦ these bubbles helped us ignore slowing productivity growth, boost our prosperity, disregard some fundamental problems, and keep the party going† (31). However once the decline started there was no possible solution to stop the decline and this decline is explained in the following words in the text, â€Å"First, we had the fall of the U.S. housing bubble and its downward impact on the stock market bubble, the private debt bubble, and the discretionary spending bubble†¦ Next, in the Aftershock, the dollar bubble and the U.S. government debt bubbles will begin their unavoidable descents†¦ And as the final bubbles in America’s bubble economy begin to burst, so will the world’s bubble economy† (33). The real estate or the housing bubble was the first pillar of the economic system that collapsed because the price and expenditures of making a new house increased greatly and outpaced the increase in an individual’s salary and eventually its decline started in 2006 and hence resulted in the rest of the downfall of the economic system. The private debt bubble involves the bank loans and the mortgage payments. When the stock market and the housing economic system crumpled the private debt sector also suffered a severe shock that ultimately led to its decline. The discretionary spending bubble is concerned with the total sum of money spent by the consumer. However due to recession when people started losing their jobs and the rate of unemployment increased consequently people started cutting their

Healthy fear Essay Example for Free

Healthy fear Essay Fear is a feeling; it is a reaction to something we are frightened of, a natural instinct when faced with something we feel may endanger us. However, fear can be healthy and/or unhealthy; for instance, being afraid of spiders is slightly unhealthy as they can not actually do any harm but if a person is afraid of developing cancer and as a result of this they stop smoking, this is a healthy fear. In biological terms, when any fear is experienced, certain areas of the brain such as the amygdala and the hypothalamus are activated which control the initial, physical response to fear. Chemicals such as adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol are then released into the blood stream causing certain physical reactions such as; a rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, tightening of muscles, sharpened or redirected senses, dilation of the pupils (to let in more light) and/or increased sweating. (Native Remedies) Having a phobia is a fear of something. Whatever this phobia may be, it creates a feeling of fear and causes irrational and sometimes inexplainable behavior. Being afraid of confined spaces can cause some people to avoid travelling in elevators at all costs, others who are are fearful of flying may never travel abroad. There are fears in everyone, a fear of growing old or a fear of dying is possibly an unhealthy fear as ageing and death comes to us all. Fear can present itself when feeling nervous about something, perhaps before an important occasion or a speech in front of people; there may be a fear of forgetting what to say or a fear of embarrassing oneself. Apprehension is fear and sometimes an apprehensive manner is due to the unknown, expecting something bad will happen creates a sense of apprehension. Anxiety is also fear, having experienced something that created dissatisfaction or dislike, there can be a fear in this feeling recurring, therefore an anxious fear is felt. In some people anxiety can control their lives and medication is necessary, normal worries and healthy fear are less likely to make you feel this way. Fear in children is slightly different to fear in adults. As they are unable to rationalize and compare their fears to anything other than the way they feel, a child feels an actual threat by what they are in fear of, sometimes this can cause inconsolable behavior, only rationalized when they are able to understand they are not in any real danger. Fear can be controlled by the mind. It is the brain that gives the message of something to be afraid of; if that fear is an irrational fear (spiders), then it is possible to overcome this fear by thinking logically. Unless you are faced with a wild tarantula, the tiny spider can do no harm. By telling yourself that the spider is more fearful of humans may put your fear in its place. Fear is completely normal and is a useful tool when recognizing and distinguishing danger; how we respond is according to our fear.

My Motivational Touchstone Essay Example for Free

My Motivational Touchstone Essay I once spoke to a very well educated man whom I had never met before, have only spoken to him on the phone and found that he gave me some compelling thoughts that would change my life forever, He gave me courage and conviction that hopefully will make me whole again as a person. I am coming to the conclusion that I am writing a letter to myself and will be my personal motivational journal and success within myself. I could write for hours, days and weeks and tell a never ending story; however I must begin somewhere and end somewhere. My life of failure and true disappointments has been what I would call an educational disaster. I believe in the foundations of education, the roots of learning which stems from the roots of your soul and the passion in which you strive for. I pray for success and courage that I will make it. I want to do my best and like Florence Chadwick when she swam in the mighty ocean, she never saw the bottom, she only saw the shore line and sometimes that was even difficult, but with motivation, determination and most of all strength, she braved the darkest hours as well as the shining moments. Her arms and legs may have given out, but it certainly was her heart that did not quit. I will be brave in my mind, for I do not want my mental diseases to take over my heart and make me a quitter again. I have PTSD, and I have come up with an anagram for the 4 letters, Positive Thinking Shall Develop. This will be one of my motivation words that I will put by my mirror to make me smile and strive for that tassel of hope. I feel these two quotes represent my personality, the standards in which I live by and most of all, that I feel is motivation for me because it inspired me for two reasons, number one is education. I will find solace in knowing I have found my calling in health psychology with a concentration in PTSD and emotional, mental as well a physical abuse. (This happened to me). We cannot live better than in seeking to become better. † ? Socrates The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. Aristotle The above quotes will forever be my shore line and the sand will never be rocky, only perfect with beautiful sea shells.

Marketing Islamic Travel Destinations A Religious Perspective Tourism Essay

Marketing Islamic Travel Destinations A Religious Perspective Tourism Essay Literature on tourism and destination marketing research is rich with key themes which seek to explain why people travel and select specific destinations. Many of the studies are based on the theory of pull and push motivations. The theory posits that tourists are pushed by internal desires or emotional factors to travel as well as pulled by external factors in the form of the attributes of various destinations. While many studies have been conducted to investigate the various types of destination attributes, there has been a lack of research on the religious attributes of the destination and its impact on tourists choice as well as satisfaction. Moreover, when it comes to Islamic religious attributes, the lack of study is more noticeable and profound. The objective of this study is to investigate whether there exists a basis for segmenting the tourism market by Islamic religious attributes through studying the views and opinions of tourists visiting Malaysia. 2. Significance of the Study The Muslim tourism segment may consider a target for destination marketers. Assuming religion represents one of important factors in the decision-making process in regards to travel destinations(Collins Tisdell, 2002), it is important to ensure that Islamic religious attributes are available in those destinations. This may lead to tourist satisfaction as well as encourage multiple return visits. Muslims are well-ordered to follow Islamic teachings which directly and indirectly impact on their decisions concerning leisure and travel plans (Hamira Henderson, 2009). In this regard plans to market destinations for Muslim tourists should be guided by Shariah (Islamic code of life) rules specifically those that pertain to tourism activities. In recent years, it has been observed that there is a growing interest in new tourism concepts such as Islamic tourism. Another concept is Halal hospitality which is akin to the concept of Halal food, a concept already recognized in many countries including those in the Middle East(WTM, 2007). Newspaper articles consider this to be a new phenomenon in the United Arab Emirates and Middle Eastern countries. Halal tourism has attracted many tour packages entirely based on what they term Islamic culture (Javed, 2007) which is defined as a type of religious tourism which is in conformity with Islamic teachings regarding behaviourisms, dress, conduct and diet (WTM, 2007). Heyers (2008) elaboration on the rapid large-scale development of Shariah-compliant hotels is but another expression of the existing trends towards increased Islamisation of activities which in the past focused more on banking, insurance and finance. Thus, tourism is generally encouraged by Islamic law as following the re ligion entails etiquettes, mannerisms, rules and regulations regarding conduct, dress, food, and prayer(Hamira Henderson, 2009). Halal tourism operators target families from the Gulf region known for their conservative interpretation of the teachings of Islamic Shariah. The World Travel Market Report (2007) shows that Halal tourism has the potential to develop into a resilient market. Promising market potentialities cause it to be targeted by industry operators and market researchers. Focus on this market is further increased by a forecasted increase in growth whereby tourist income for the Middle East is expected to grow 108% to a staggering US$ 51 billion while domestic tourism is expected to grow by 82% to reach US$24 Billion by 2011. Much of the forecasted growth is due to increased numbers of Middle Eastern tourists which underlines the need for tailored Halal tourist packages offering services catering to Muslim needs. The negative side of western tourism causing Halal tourism to be increasingly popular among Muslims is issues which have a negative impact on the Muslim community such as the consumption of alcohol, prostitution, inappropriate dressing, kissing in public and open affection between sexes in public (Sindiga, 1996). However, non-Muslim countries continue to attract Muslim families, including those from the Gulf region interested in visiting attractions such as nature parks as these comply with Islamic Shariah. In response to this the current study is an attempt to greater understand the new concept of Halal tourism. Muslims constitute a global market of 1.82 billion potential customers (Muslim population worldwide, 2009). Islamic religious attributes are bound to be very important considerations when a Muslim decides to travel abroad. Given the potential problems expected from non-Halal tourism, the Muslim tourist may decide not to travel to a particular destination due to the absence of these attributes. According to Uysal et al. (2008, p. 413) a study of a the particular attributes of any given destination would provide clues and/or insights that destination marketers could use in developing and promoting their tourism destinations. Bogari et al.(2004) claim that destination attributes and issues pertaining to Islamic culture were not sufficiently covered by researchers. In effect, the study focuses in the Islamic attributes of destinations which could be used as a base to attract Muslim tourists in destination marketing programs. The marketing of Islamic destinations is certainly not an easy task(Henderson, 2008b) because of the variance between the demands of western tourists and the Islamic teachings. Therefore, exploring Islamic attributes may help destination marketers to tailor products and services that satisfy Muslim tourists in addition to using them in promotional programs. In addition, this study attempts to offer insights into the tourism expectations and experiences of followers of the Islamic religion. Muslim tourists could be influenced by religious aspects in their destination choice. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore which Islamic attributes of destinations such as worship facilities and Halal food that may be important to the Muslim tourist; especially in the Muslim world. 3. Literature review: Religion plays a large influence on many peoples behaviour as customers (Essoo Dibb, 2004). In the context of tourism, religion may influence the choice of destination and tourists product preferences(Adi Ron, 2008). According to Poria et al. (2003), the effects of religious belief on behaviour come from two main sources First, there are the yes and nos, dos and donts of a persons religion which are to be observed. Examples consist of the religious rules prohibiting Muslims from consuming pork, or Hindus from consuming beef. The second means by which behaviour is influenced is the fact that religion shapes the culture, attitudes and values of society. This is supported by Grigg (1995) whose research provides evidence on the influence of religion and religiosity on dietary habits. Further support is found in Essoo and Dibb (2004) who demonstrated the influence of religion on consumer behaviour by identifying the differences in consumer spending between Muslims and Hindus. Although the relationship between tourism and religion has been addressed in the literature on tourism, there remains a shortage of theoretical publications in the area of tourism in the context of Islam. Religion and religiosity are acknowledged factors influencing behaviour according to various social settings. In spite of this widely acknowledged fact, research that explores relationships between religion, behaviour and tourist destination choice remains highly limited (Adi, 2006; Adi Ron, 2008; Din, 1989; Fleischer, 2000; Howe, 2001; Poria et al., 2003; Rinschede, 1992). Din (1989) argues that social scientists have tended to overlook the importance of religion in tourism studies. Its importance is emphasized by Adi and Ron (2008) who underline the general importance of the relationship between tourism and religion. For this reason Heo et al. (2004) recommend more related studies that identify and discuss special tourist requirements and preferences. Although neglecting to menti on religion specifically, Fang et al. (2008) conclude that tourists are more likely to choose destinations believed to best satisfy tourist push needs and preferred destination attributes. Studies conducted in this area include Adi (2006) which investigates the religious needs of Christian tourist in the hospitality industry and Fleischer and Nitzav (1995) which investigates the religious needs of Christian pilgrims in the tourism industry. Likewise Hoffmann (1994 Cited in Adi 2006) conducts research on Jewish ultra-orthodox tourism segment. In addition to this, some papers complement the aforementioned research by discussing the religious requirements in the tourism food sector. For example, Dugan (1994) presents the religious necessities in food supply for Muslim, Christian, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists. When it comes to the relationship between tourism and religion, particularly Islam, the lack of literature is more obvious especially regarding Islamic religious attributes and their impact on tourist needs in general and Muslim tourists in particular. The only studies available typically focus only on the needs of Muslim pilgrims (when they visit Makkah for the Haj) rather than the needs of tourists. However, Adi and Ron (2008) forecast increased number of religiously-minded tourists who join dynamic multipurpose packages especially from developing countries many of which are Muslim countries. 3.1 Religious Attributes What does the term `religious attributes of destinations really mean? There are many aspects that can constitute `religious attributes of destinations. The following sections present the literature on the matter: 3.1.1 Hotels Meeting the Religious Needs of Patrons Additional religious services and provisions in hotels may result in attracting new markets and improved hotel rates (Adi, 2006). A study in Israel conducted by Mansfeld et al. (2000) recommended placing Makkah stickers or `Qibla stickers (stickers with ornamented arrows pointing towards the city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia for prayer directions) as well as placing a copy of the Quran in every room occupied by Muslim visitors. Din (1989) found that hotels in Kuantan, Malaysia catered to Muslim needs in the hospitality industry by requiring first class hotels to provide prayer rooms fully equipped with prayer mats, the Quran, Suruh Yasin, and Tasbih, plus Qibla stickers. Adi (2006) presented a number of suggestions to improve the religion-friendliness of hotels. The suggestions begin by simply providing a bible in hotel rooms along with providing information on religious activities and institutions. This keeps religiously-minded tourists in direct contact with scripture and informed of available services. Employment of Christian workers creates a religious atmosphere in the hotel. The hotel may choose to organize its own religious activities. It should provide a place of worship within the hotel itself or be in close proximity to a church. Christian symbols within a hotel such as a cross and images of the Virgin Mary help to provide a religious environment and dà ©cor. Religious values play a role in catering to religious needs. For example, Collins-Kreiner Kliot (2000) hypothesizes the Protestants need for a bible in hotel rooms based on their belief in direct communication with God. Fleischer (2000) compares between Catholic and Protestant pilgrims in terms of the peculiarities of their tourist needs. The study reveals that Protestants appreciate religious symbols and opt for religious-sensitive tourist packages more so than Catholics. Moreover, Adi (2006) recommended catering to such Christian needs in the hotel room as that may increase the satisfaction of Christian tourists Empirical studies on the impact of catering to Islamic religious needs and the level of satisfaction of Muslim tourists are very few. Some of the studies discuss services of this nature which may include Muslim religious restrictions such as activities of vice and forbidden entry for unmarried couples (Din, 1989; Hamira Henderson, 2009; Henderson, 2003) . They also found that hotels may provide religious information such as the location of nearby mosques or prayer times and nearby Halal restaurants (Henderson, 2003). Furthermore, as Muslims avoid free mixing between the sexes, hotels could offer separate swimming pools and recreational facilities (Al-hamarneh steiner, 2004; Henderson, 2003; Timothy Iverson, 2006). Hashim et al. (2007) suggest that providing Halal food on the hotel menu or information on nearby Halal restaurants would enhance the holiday experience. Timothy and Iverson (2006) also suggest that hotels should educate their staff on cross-cultural communication to all ow them to treat Muslim tourists with respect and consider recruiting religious staff. 3.1.2 Places of worship The five daily prayers are of great importance to practicing Muslims. Therefore, the mosque (a Muslim house of worship) or prayer room is considered to be one of the most crucial facilities for Muslims (Al-hamarneh steiner, 2004; Syed, 2001). Adi (2006) suggests that proximity to a mosque may influence Muslim tourist preferences when making hotel reservations. Mohsin (2005) conducted a study to assess Peninsular Malaysians attitude towards choosing the Northern Territory of Australia for a holiday as a tourism destination and found that Muslim respondents were concerned about the availability of mosques. Mohsin and Ryan (1997) recommend that the ease of access to Islamic services are important when they explored the attitudes of Malaysian and Indonesian business people towards the possibility of holidaying in Australia. It is also suggested that Middle Eastern countries take concrete steps to develop Halal tourism internally by having prayer rooms at tourism sites (WTM, 2007). Syed (2001) also suggested that the availability of mosques at tourist destinations may increase satisfaction levels. The mosque itself may be considered as a tourist attraction if they are unique and outstanding (Henderson, 2003). 3.1.3 Availability of Halal food Dugan (1994) presented findings on food service requirements by Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. Evidence from Browns (1996) ethnographic study shows the influence of religious prohibitions on determining their expectations regarding services provided by a hotel such as appropriate ingredient choice and preparation. This is further supported by Williams (2002) who identified the role of the Jewish Kashrus (Jewish religious requirements) in prohibiting certain foods and regulating compliance procedures for food preparation. For Muslims, the issue is centred on the concept of Halalness. Halal food refers to food that can be lawfully consumed when conditions for Islamic food preparation are met. Food that is unlawful to Muslims includes pork, pork-derived foods including lard and bacon and meat and other products from carnivorous animals or those that feed on carrion. Consumption of any food or drinks with alcoholic content is also prohibited (Dugan, 1994). One important distinguishing feature of the Halal label is that animals must be slaughtered in the name of Allah (God). There are many studies that show the importance of the availability of Halal food to Muslims in choosing their tourist destinations (Adi, 2006; Adi Ron, 2008; Mohsin, 2005; Mohsin Ryan, 1997; Syed, 2001). The importance of this to some Muslims is reflected by the fact that even when served halal food, many are still concerned over whether the food is genuinely halal. Henderson (2003) found that some firms in the Western tourism industry are concerned over this issue. Some Muslims ask about the ingredients the meal is made up of because pork and alcohol in all its many forms are forbidden. Therefore, meals which are provided to Muslim have to be alcohol and pork-free and the utensils have to be uncontaminated by these two elements (Dugan, 1994). Catering to Muslim tourists needs in terms of providing Halal food in any particular destination may increase their overall satisfaction and loyalty. Mansfeld et al. (2000) gives explicit recommendations for providing food which complies with Shariah laws. Therefore, a caterer who is aware on how to satisfy Muslims or who offers religious groups dietary needs will attract more Muslim customers (Dugan, 1994). 3.1.4 Banning of Alcohol Consumption and Gambling According to Islamic Shariah, it is completely forbidden for Muslims to drink or sell alcohol. Muslims are also prohibited from gambling and being involved in the gambling industry. It is stated in Al-Quran: O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satans handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper. (Al-Quran, 5:90). Moreover the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Alcohol is the mother of all evils and it is the most shameful of evils. (Ibn Majah, 2004). It is also not permissible for Muslims to visit places where alcohol is consumed and gambling is practiced (Al-hamarneh steiner, 2004; Din, 1989; Hamira Henderson, 2009; Hashim et al., 2007; Henderson, 2003, 2008a). Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia implement very restrictive policies related to gambling and the sale of alcohol. Other countries are not so restrictive. For example, in most states in Malaysia alcohol is freely available although Muslims can be punished for drinking in public. 3.1.5 Sexual permissiveness The Shariah expressly forbids Muslims from engaging in fornication or adultery. Activities deemed conducive to sexual permissiveness are not allowed to take place in public. This is based on many verses in The Holy Quran including like: Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). (Al-Quran, 17: 32). Many Muslim scholars take the view that it is Haram or not permissible to visit, for the sake of tourism, places where sexual permissiveness is rampant. Their opinion is based on the principle that Islam came to impede all roads leading to evil. If some tourist activities result in the facilitation or the commission of sins then it is not permissible for Muslims to be involved in such tourist activities (Rasma, 2008). Most Muslim countries including Malaysia prohibit adultery. The Malaysian licensing policy prohibits prostitution and behaviours such as public or indecent displays of affection (Din, 1989; Hamira Henderson, 2009; Henderson, 2003, 2008a). Moreover, in some Malaysian towns municipal enactments for lodging establishments explicitly forbid unmarried couples from being in close proximity (Din, 1989). Many Muslim authorities frown on tourism in general due to the perception that tourism is associated with sexual permissiveness (Din, 1989). Therefore, some Muslim scholars prohibit sex tourism as practiced by some Arab Muslims from the Middle East in travelling to Europe or Bangkok (Din, 1989). What is more, using sexually provocative images in marketing tourist destinations to Muslim customers is also frowned upon. According to Shariah, promotion techniques must not use sexual appeal in international marketing (Mohammad et al., 2001). Female images are therefore not featured in tourism promotion in some Malaysian states like Terengganu (Henderson, 2003). Mohsin (2005) is of the opinion that the use of sexually provocative images of bikini-clad girls to promote a destination will not attract Muslim tourists. 3.1.6 Dress code According to Shariah Muslim women must not expose their hair and body. The Holy Quran states: O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Al-Quran, , 33: 59) Men are supposed to cover their thighs (Timothy Iverson, 2006). In deciding tour destinations, Muslims look at the local dress codes in that particular region of the world being considered. Such considerations are to gauge the level of conformity to Islamic dress norms in order to determine if they will or will not be comfortable visiting that particular destination. This is particularly so for Arab tourists who have to observe strict dress codes in their native countries and prefer not to expose themselves and families to environments that may threaten their sense of proper dressing. Hashim et al (2007) demonstrates the Malaysian Tourist Boards awareness of Islamic dress sensitivities by restricting their marketing campaigns to present only traditional Malay Muslim dress codes. Women with headscarves and men wearing Songkoks-a black rimless hat worn by Malay men usually for praying-were depicted on advertising billboards and home pages. Some conservative Malaysian states enforce appropriate dress norms prohibiting people from disturbing cultural norms by wearing revealing clothes such as bikinis. Furthermore, western tourists are expected to adorn the Islamic attire when visiting religious places like mosques (Henderson, 2003). Hamira and Henderson (2009) claim that Shariah laws prohibit improper dressing. Al-Hamarneh and Seiner (2004) assert that considerations of the religious conservatism of any particular region including prescribed dress codes should be respected. Such cultural considerations are expected more so of tourism operators in all aspects of the tourism industry as they are interacting directly and regularly with foreign tourists (Adi Ron, 2008). 4. Methodology The objective of this study is to explore Islamic religious attributes which may be important to Muslim travellers. In order to achieve this objective, focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted and were followed up with interviews to explore opinions and travel experiences in more depth. This combination of the FGD and the interviews has its advantages. Firstly, in identifying a range of Islamic religious attributes from the FGD. Secondly, to explore in depth, by conducting interviews using a relatively wide range of participants in order to discover more Islamic attributes and to check the conclusions with the FGD (Morgan, 1996). The FGD and the interviews are research techniques pertaining to qualitative research (Myers, 2009, p. 121). The aim of the FGD is to collect information through group interaction but the interview is considered an opportunity to discover new information from individuals (Cavana, Delahaye, Sekaran, 2008, p. 138). Semi-structured questions were designed in this study for the purpose of conducting interviews and focus group discussions. Semi-structured questions were designed in this study for the purpose of conducting interviews and focus group discussions. The participants were asked about the Islamic attributes they would require when traveling in a Muslim country or a non Muslim country. They were then asked specifically about these attributes when visiting Muslim countries. This was followed by probing questions that sought to explore in detail specific attributes generated from FGDs such as access to worship facilities, availability of Halal food, services provided in hotels, and morality. Two focus group discussions were conducted in June 2009. The participants of these focus groups were international PhD students currently studying in Malaysia in different areas of research. The participants of FGD1 consisted of eight males from Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Mauritania, Oman, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt and Sudan. The duration of FGD1 was one and a half hours. The participants of FGD 2 consisted of seven females from Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Nigeria, Oman, Turkey, and Algeria. The duration of FGD 2 was one hour and fifteen minutes and the participants did not agree to record the session digitally. The reason for this may be culturally related. All FGD participants had overseas travel experience for various purposes such as tourism, business, learning, and visiting friends. A total of 53 interviews were conducted with tourists in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia; 27 interviews in July 2009 and 26 interviews in October 2009. Thirty of the interviewees were males, and twenty three were females. Only those who professed to be Muslims were selected. 38 tourists did not accept to be interviewed. The duration of most interviews was between 35 to 45 minutes. 41 interviews were recorded digitally. The rest were unable to be recorded due to objections from the interviewees who were females from the Middle East. The interviewer transcribed both the FGDs as well as all interviews session. Some interviewees from the Middle East preferred to communicate in Arabic while the rest were conducted in English. The interviewer adopted the probing technique during the session to encourage the participants to provide more details. Some demographic information was also gathered. The digital recording of the interviews was changed into text. The data was organized fo r easy categorization and systematic data analysis. 5. Findings Results of the analysis were categorized into two major aspects which are tangible and intangible. The tangible aspect consists of Islamic religious facilities such as, worship facilities, Halal food, and Islamic recreational facilities: (A)Prayer facilities: Mosque: all interviewees were concerned about the availability of Mosques (Masjid) or prayer rooms for their tourist destination. Easy access to a mosque/prayer room is considered a vital aspect for Muslim tourists and should not be ignored by tourism planning but should be considered a necessary service. This can be shown in the following response: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Masjid or prayer room must be available in the streets and public places. In other words, a prayer room should be available in all places which I may visit in the destination such as hotels, shopping malls, and airports. Even in the airplane to destination, it should allocate a place for prayer. (FGD No. 1) Masjid is available in most of the places in the destination during my journey, in shopping malls, highwaysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and of course in the hotel. (Int. No.1, USA) It is noticed from the previous responses that Muslim tourists expect easy access to a Masjid and/or prayer room to be a primary requirement in Muslim countries. They also highlighted that they expect to find prayer facilities readily accessible during tourist activities. Islamic call (Azan) for prayer: 31 interviewees were concerned about the need for public calling of the Azan (prayer time). Destination operators should provide information about Muslim prayer times. 17 interviewees recommended a prayer time call during flights or journeys to their destinations, hotels, shopping malls and parks. Some also requested prayer time clocks (which ring with each prayer time) or a prayer timetable in the hotel room. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I need also Prayer time call in the airplane, airport, hotel or at least prayer timetable in hotel room. (Int.No.2, Canada) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Prayer timetable or Alfajr clock (Prayer time clock brand) should be found in hotel room. (Int.No.4, Saudi Arabia). In Islam Muslims should pray five times daily but they are permitted to merge and shorten the prayers while travelling according to the length of the journey and other Islamic legal rules and requirements. As such, the participants preferred that they be reminded about prayer times in order that they may choose between praying at the usual times or merge them. Quran and Qiblah direction pointer: all interviewees emphasized the importance of the provision of Qurans and Qiblah direction pointers in hotel rooms. Some proposed that one or two simple Islamic books to be provided in hotel rooms and in aeroplane seat pockets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦It will be fine if I find Quran book in hotel room, some Islamic leaflets in the airplane seat pocket, Makkah direction pointer, Sejadda for prayer (prayer mat), simple Islamic book in hotel room à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (FGD No. 1) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I need the Holy Quran book inside the hotel room, some Islamic books which I can read; I dont want any statue or sculpture like a Buddhist. I found that in India when I was there. Also direction of Qibla is important to meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Int. No.15, Djibouti) The Quran is the Holy book for Muslims. Muslims are requested to read the Holy Quran. Although most of Muslims have a soft copy of the Quran on their hand phones, the hard copy represents the preferable option for reading. Moreover, the Makkah direction pointer is a basic demand of Muslims as they perform their prayers elsewhere even though in public places. Some hotel industry practitioners, even some hotels in non Muslim countries, already provide Qiblah pointers inside their hotel rooms but some participants report that they did not find it in some hotels in Muslim countries. Muslim toilets: 36 interviewees who have travelled to western destinations complained about the bath room because they could not perform ablution (Muslim mandatory washing before performing prayers). There is no such facility inside airport toilets and hotels. Therefore, they requested Muslim toilets to be provided in all airports, hotels and public places. Muslim toilet is very important in airport because the regular toilets provide only tissue. As Muslims, we need water supply inside the toilet. It should be found in public places because in the hotel you can find water but in public it is difficult. (Int. No.14, Thailand) I will be very happy if I find à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and Bidet in the bathroom (Int. No.2, Canada). Muslim followers must do ablution before prayers. They are required to clean themselves with water when using the toilet. Some countries adopt modern toilet designs which do not enable users to wash themselves using water; providing only tissue. However, some Muslim countries have modified this style and have adopted a Muslim design for their bathrooms which provide water. From previous participant responses, they find it satisfying when water facilities are made available in toilets. (B)Halal food: all interviewees reported that the availability of Halal food is a basic need for all destinations. It is noticed that all interviewees need Halal meals in flights to their destination. Moreover, they recommended that hotels and restaurants in the destination should provide Halal meals free from pork and alcohol. Some of them were worried about the preparation of Halal meals. Seven interviewees highlighted that the kitchen should also be Halal which means that Halal and non-Halal foods cannot be cooked together in the same kitchen and with the same utensils. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I need Halal food to be available. The mosques and Halal food restaurants, mostly they are close to each other. Last week, I was in Cambodia. Once I was close to the Masjid I found Halal restaurants. (Int. No.13, Turkey) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Some hotels, in breakfast they provide Halal food and non-Halal food from the same kitchen that means the Halal and non Halal food are cooked together using the same facilities. I need Halal kitchen. Moreover, some Arabian tourists cant read English so they eat non-Halal meat. (Int. No.12, Egypt) The travel experiences of some participants highlighted that easy to find Halal food is one factor in choosing the destination for their vacation. Some are very sensitive regarding Halal issues and go well beyond Halal labels. They want to make sure the meat and ingredients used in cooking are Halal and do this by usually asking the service providers. On top of this they also ask whether the kitchen is Halal or not. In response to this some hotels in Malaysia allocate two kitchens; Halal and non-Halal. (C)Islamic entertainment: 39 interviewees gave high priority to finding Islamic-oriented recreations s

A Lesson Before Dying :: essays research papers

The lady that appears after the first 100 pages of the book turns out to be Vivian, Grant’s secret lover. Grant and Vivian take a walk and after their walk they visit Grant’s aunt, aunt Emma. Aunt Emma and her friends are very fond of Vivian and they give her many compliments. Aunt Emma, and the reverend go to visit Jefferson and they find that Grant’s previous account of Jefferson’s recovery was lie; Jefferson still eats and behaves like a “hog';. Aunt Emma and the reverend confront Grant regarding his faulty account of Jefferson’s recovery. Once again, Grant visits Jefferson and tries to convince him that he is not a hog and he is a man. After a couple more visits from the ladies and Grant, the chapter ends off with the whole town watching a Christmas play on the birth of Jesus. After the play, Grant is tired of watching the same play and seeing the same people dressed in the same kinds of clothing year after year. The hermeneutic view means the dominant interpretation to a text. In “A Lesson Before Dying,'; they end off the chapter with a Christmas play about the birth of Jesus. This is significant because Christmas to Christian’s is a symbol of birth. This could mean that there might be new hope for Jefferson. This is because Jefferson is currently on death row. Christmas does not symbolize death, but symbolizes birth. This could mean that Jefferson could get a new chance in life or at least will not be executed in the near future. Another important point is that everyone knew that this play is dedicated to Jefferson/. This could mean that the whole community is praying for Jefferson. The reverend started to pray and asked God to watch over everyone including the ones in jail who were innocent or guilty. At the end of this, Grant says, “Vivian said things were changing. But where were they changing?'; This is an important quote because Vivian might be implying that racism is beginning to stop, but Grant cannot see these changes. He only sees racism as a part of life. According to the political view, there is a hierarchical structure underneath the construction of race. When Grant has a talk with his teacher, his teacher said, “I am superior to you. I am superior to any man blacker than me.'; His teacher is possibly implying that lighter skin color is racially superior in society.