Lost in Translation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lost in Translation - Essay Example In the passage gave, Hoffman portrays her excursion from Europe to North America, the convergence of feelings and the sort of experience it was. She places into viewpoint what she picked up, what she lost, her second thoughts and her way forward from that point. She felt damaged at the situation of abandoning her place of youth and was over-whelmed with an inundation of profound feelings as she remained on the deck of her pontoon. As asserted in the content â€Å" †¦.I feel that my life is ending†¦and I need to break out, run back, run toward comparable fervor, the waving hands, the shouts. We cannot be leaving this behind† She felt that a significant part of her life and of her own reality is being detracted from her, is slipping from her hands and she is in no state of mind to neglect it. Regardless of how awful her experience was in Cracrow, she yet holds the roads of her youth, her companions and every one of her recollections extremely dear to her. As put in the master with respect to her emotions on displacement ..† It’s an idea of such smashing, conclusive absolution that to me it should mean the apocalypse. â€Å" She felt wistfulness overwhelming as though the last snapshots of a mind-blowing best went blazing past by her as the Polish national song of devotion was played before the boat left. That more likely than not been a connecting with second for her. She not just needed to counter the sentiment of abandoning a significant piece of her life yet needed to get the job done it with the sentiment of misery and longiness.

The Plot Line for Esperanza Rising Free Essays

Severance’s rich and cherishing father was killed by crooks. Spenserian and what is left of her family are undermine by her dad’s underhanded stepbrothers that may have contributed to his demise. So as to escape from their detestable handle they rushed to the US Of A. We will compose a custom exposition test on The Plot Line for Esperanza Rising or then again any comparative subject just for you Request Now Filling in as ranch laborers with their workers. In the midst of this she needed to desert her grandmother because of wounds likely brought about by her insidious stepsons. Likewise like Spenserian Diego De la Vega’s family was detracted from him, his girl taken, spouse killed, and sent to a Mexican likeness Augmentation Bay to plot his vengeance. Rising activity Spenserian needs to figure out how clear, care for children, and take care for her mother that has valley fever who need to go to the emergency clinic. She is making some hard memories to alter having carrying on with a real existence begrudged by princesses to a real existence that is hard not to feel sorry for upon, her bratty side is appeared. Not at all like Spenserian who manages cleaning Diego escapes from jail with just a single target discover his little girl, however his got derailed to discover a man who he help back in the days when he was Zero named Alexandra. As Hollywood would have it this man’s sibling was killed and now he is plotting to retaliate for him. So Diego sakes him in and trains him to turn into another Zero. While preparing Diego makes Alexandra go to a ball and advises him to keep an eye on Don Rafael who took Doggie’s girl and essentially murdered his significant other. Alexandra goes to the ball meets meet Elena Doggie’s tragically deceased girl and Don Rafael. After the ball Don Rafael welcomes Alexandra to see his â€Å"vision†. Peak At this pivotal point in the story Spenserian figures out how to think about her mother, she finds a new line of work to pay for her mother’s clinic costs and a ticket for her grandmother who she left back in Mexico, and she figures out how to manage all the prejudice that goes on in the camp. Likewise she has a contention with her previous worker now manor associate. He assembles all the cash she been sparing and flees. While Spenserian acclimates to her new life, Alexandra learns of a plot to purchase California from the Spanish with gold mined from California worked purchase vagrants, and arbitrary beggars, even a cleric. Outcome Severance’s mother gets more beneficial enough to return home, and the hireling who fled with her cash returned with Severance’s grandmother. Presently everybody is glad and rejoined. As Spenserian is being brought together with her family Diego attempts to get rejoined with his family. With the assistance of Alexandra Diego attacks the home of Don Rafael finds a plot to annihilate the gold mine with all the laborers tank attempts to disclose to Elena the she IS his little girl and he succeeds however Rafael tosses him in constrainment. Elena salvages her newfound dad and carries him to Alexandra where he is with Captain Love the maniacal man who murdered Alexandrine sibling and afterward made him into a refreshment. Diego then goes up against Rafael as he attempts to get his gold to the legislative head of California. As them two win their own duels for Hollywood deny them to lose, Elena at long last accomplishes something she enables the laborers with he to help of Alexandra. Step by step instructions to refer to The Plot Line for Esperanza Rising, Papers

How to Observe and Accept Your Emotions

How to Observe and Accept Your Emotions BPD Living With BPD Print Learning to Observe and Accept Your Emotions By Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University. Learn about our editorial policy Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD Updated on September 19, 2019 Bob Thomas / The Image Bank / Getty Images More in BPD Living With BPD Diagnosis Treatment Related Conditions This emotional acceptance exercise is one way to help you learn to be more aware and accepting of your emotions. Many people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and other disorders that involve intense emotional experiences have a tendency to reject their emotions as bad or wrong. Unfortunately, this can lead to some very dangerous behaviors, such as deliberate self-harm. How can you learn to be more accepting of emotions? This exercise teaches you to see your emotion from a little bit of a distance. This is different than dissociation (which involves being completely cut off from your emotions) or emotional suppression. Emotional acceptance promotes mindfulness, or the ability to see the emotion for what it is without judging it or attempting to get rid of it. The exercise is adapted from a workbook developed by Dr. Steven Hayes at the University of Nevada at Reno called “Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life.” The workbook is an excellent introduction to a type of therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which has been shown to effectively treat a variety of psychological disorders. The workbook is well worth a read if you are interested in learning more about accepting your emotions. Emotional Acceptance Exercise: Observing Your Emotions This exercise can be done when you are having an emotion that is uncomfortable. If you are just starting to practice this exercise, it is best to choose an emotion that is not too intense. Pick a time when you are having an emotion strong enough for you to recognize you are having it, but not so strong that you are feeling overwhelmed by it. After you get some practice with this exercise, you may want to try it with stronger emotions. Step One: Identify the Emotion The first step is to identify the emotion you are having. If you are having more than one emotion, just pick one (you can go back and do this exercise with the other emotions later if you want to). If you are having trouble identifying the emotion, sit for a moment and pay attention to your physical sensations and thoughts. See if you can give an emotion you are having a name (e.g., sadness, anger, shame). Once you have a name for the emotion, write it down on a slip of paper. Step Two: Getting Some Space Now that you have identified the emotion, close your eyes (if that feels safe to do) and imagine putting that emotion five feet in front of you. Imagine that for just a few minutes you are going to put it outside of yourself so that you can look at it. Later on you will take it back, but for now, you are going to allow yourself just a bit of distance so that you can observe the emotion. Step Three: Give the Emotion a Form Now that the emotion is out in front of you, close your eyes and answer the following questions: If your emotion had a size, what size would it be? If your emotion had a shape, what shape would it be? If your emotion had a color, what color would it be? Once you’ve answered these questions, imagine the emotion out in front of you with the size, shape, and color you gave it. Just watch it for a few moments and recognize it for what it is. When you are ready, you can let the emotion return to its original place inside you. After the Exercise: Reflect Once you’ve completed this exercise, just take a moment to reflect on what you noticed about your experience. Did you notice any change in the emotion when you got a little distance from it? What about changes in your reactions to the emotion? What size, shape, and color did you give the emotion? Did the emotion feel different in some way once the exercise was finished? Practice this exercise once a day for a month. It won’t take much time out of your day; so it’s not a huge investment. After a month, see if you notice any changes in how you relate to your emotions. This exercise may seem a little strange at first, but many people notice that it helps them start to think differently about  and be more accepting of their emotions. Mindfulness Meditation for Borderline Personality Disorder

Factors Influencing The Teacher s Perspective - 1725 Words

The primary researcher and second researcher, both occupational therapists, analyzed the interview transcript independently. Both researchers identified common themes of factors influencing the teacher’s perspective. Categories from both researchers were compared and merged. Also, these categories were verified against the survey and participant observation data. Similar to findings of the interview analysis, survey participants acknowledged benefits of integrated therapies. Also, survey findings showed the teachers’ sense of control and availability of support influenced implementation of integrated therapies in classrooms. The importance of teachers’ sense of control is evident in one participant’s response, â€Å"†¦use of picture boards†¦show more content†¦Teacher’s perception of the cost and benefit ratio was crucial in considering the intervention as beneficial. Her responses, â€Å"But I think overall, the interventions help rather than letting the kid sit in the classroom and not have anything to make things better† (34-36), and â€Å"it is better than them standing and running around the room. It is less of a distraction† (248), reflect the teacher’s comparison between the cost and benefits of interventions. She identified â€Å"getting their energy out†, â€Å"calm them†, task completion, and cooperative behaviors as some of the benefits of interventions. In contrast, classroom disruptions and off-task behaviors were identified as the cost of the intervention. Similarly, the teacher’s sense of control influenced her perspective of the intervention. Her sense of control depended on the ability to negotiate classroom demands which were influenced by her personal context, the support she received, and dynamics of the classroom structure. Her personal context included her experience, knowledge of interventions, and a repertoire of strategies. Teacher’s perception of support included the availability of time, finances, a variety of available interventions, and classroom aides. The availability of support helped the teacher negotiate classroom demands and fostered her sense of control. The following response reflects the influence of the classroom demands on the teacher’s sense ofShow MoreRelatedWomen s Lack Of Women1409 Words   |  6 Pagesthis article, the factors associated with influencing women’s interest in science are examined women’s interest and participation in this module. Then, in the second part is to focus social-psychological explanations on the psychical biological bases of sex differences and women’s performance in STEM. Main Body: Factors Influencing Women s Interest in Science: To begin with women’s interest and participation throughout secondary or high school period, there are several factors to influence themRead MoreThe Strengths and Weaknesses of the Sociocultural Perspective986 Words   |  4 Pagessome of the other sciences. Over the years, social scientists have developed theories or perspectives based off of their observations, research, and the perspectives of other scientists. Although there is some overlap, each of the major perspectives of psychology is unique. As a result, they each have strengths and weaknesses and explain psychology in a different way. One theory, the sociocultural perspective, is exactly what its name suggests. It’s the idea that the society and groups that anRead MorePublic School System Of Discrimination Based On Their Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Sexual Preference, Or Age1741 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of this paper is to research two cases where a teacher was denied a promotion and accused the pub lic school system of discrimination based on their gender, race, ethnicity, sexual preference, or age. Then, find an example for two different criteria, one for each case. Last, state three reasons that her / his accusation could be legally supported after you identify the supporting case. Research two cases in which a teacher was denied a promotion based on discrimination The first case isRead MoreEssay on Education: The Roles of a Principal1013 Words   |  5 PagesSchools, Teaching, and Supervision Overview In schools everyday are many people influencing and taking the important role in education and supervision. In these roles are collaborating, teachers, principal, students, and educational supervisors, all these are the main basics of this process (Annan Ryba, 2013). In an immediate setting, with a more encompass culture is guide by educators, principals, and other staff that supports the student’s success in a daily basis. In any school the culture isRead MoreThe Second Factor Is All Domains Have A Set Course Of Developing.1243 Words   |  5 PagesThe second factor is all domains have a set course of developing. Teachers should know their grade level(s) development so they understand the skills and abilities they have. The third factor is children develop in a set pattern, but they also have individual differences. Children have a set sequence in which they develop, but certain characteristics are unique to each child, such as their temperament. The fourth factor is a child’s maturity level and their experiences create development and learningRead MoreFactors Favoring Managerial Effectiveness : A Study Of Select Public And Private Sector Organizations Essay1509 Words   |  7 PagesAbdul-Azeem, M. and Fatima, S. (2012) ‘Factors favoring managerial effectiveness: a study of select public and private sector organizations’, International Journal of Business Economics and Management Research, 2(1), Pp. 1-27. Adewuyi, D. (2002) ‘Comparison between school effectiveness characteristics and classroom instruction strategies in the United States and Nigeria’, Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, XXVI, Pp. 263-287. Agarwal, V. (1983) ‘A study of stress pronenessRead MorePersonal Reflection Paper On Social Work1451 Words   |  6 Pages feel and behave in the way that we do. Life experiences and one’s environment give meaning to how they feel and interact with themselves and others. Considering the whole person and recognizing his or her background is the starting point when influencing change to occur. Evaluation of personal assumptions, values and beliefs Graduating from college with a degree in Early Childhood Education, I had one thing on my mind - to help children and make a tremendous difference in the lives of little peopleRead MoreThe Main Components Of Language Development981 Words   |  4 Pagescomponents of language development being phonological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic. Within each component a discussion will be conducted on what roles nature and nurture have on these, this will be done through discussion of different theoretical perspectives of language acquisition. This essay will explain what roles do nature and nurture play in children’s language development. Phonological language development is the beginning of how language is formed, its consists of making sounds and recognisingRead MoreInformational Essay on Autism598 Words   |  3 Pagesexpansion,† Dr. Baker writes. Research is now delivering the answers to what causes autism. There is no one cause of autism and no one type of autism. Most cases of autism appear to be caused by a combination of autism risk genes and environmental factors influencing early brain development. (Olney, M. F, 2000) Everyday life for people with autism can be confusing, frightening and lack meaning. They often find understanding and communicating with others particularly difficult, which can leave them feelingRead MoreThe Theories Of First Language Acquisition Essay1636 Words   |  7 Pagesare not the result of direct imitation or produce unique sentences they’ve never heard before. Meanwhile, the Innatist perspective fails to take into account the importance of interactions with other people when learning a language. The Interactionist Theory best reflects the way we understand first language acquisition because it takes into account biological and social factors interacting in order for a child to learn language. This theory has both innatist and behaviorist aspects interwoven to

Military Vs. Civilian Life - 1270 Words

Many civilians end up thanking veterans for their service without knowing how their lives actually differ. Military life can offer many differences that civilian life cannot. Having lived both lives, I have an inside perspective on the differences between the two. These differences can include laws, regulations, and the different types of punishment one may receive. Although, everything between the two may seem different, there is also a similarity. That similarity, is encountering the same personality types in the military as one would as a civilian. The last, the biggest difference between military and civilian life is the benefits. Although the benefits may not seem like much, they are the key reason people switch from civilian to military life. Both military personnel and civilians must follow the local, state and federal law, except the military has their own laws; known as the uniform code of military justice (UCMJ). Both military and civilian citizens alike must follow all the laws of this land; an example of these laws could be speeding, assault, or even underage drinking. While civilians only adhere to federal/state law, members of the military obey these laws, as well as the UCMJ. The UCMJ is the basis for all military law; these laws make up the 146 articles that are the UCMJ. The articles cover an expansive amount of criminal offenses; such as rape, theft, and even murder. If a member of the military violates these laws they use a civilian court system and willShow MoreRelatedMilitary Life vs Civilian Life787 Words   |  4 PagesMilitary Life vs. Civilian Life When we think about the military these days, normally the first thing that comes to mind is war. However, when we think about the civilian world the one thing that stands out is freedom. As a result, in order to maintain that freedom we must have our military go out and fight wars. There are many differences between our military and the civilian life; nonetheless, similarities do exist. A few that will be discussed pertaining to military and civilian life are howRead MoreCivilian Life vs. Military Life Essay1053 Words   |  5 Pageshuge differences compared to being in the civilian life. There are many differences and there are some things that are the same, being in the Army and being in civilian life. The average day for a US Army Soldier consists of waking up at 0400 hours in the morning being to first formation; accountability formation by 0630 hours. Then from 0630 to 0730 hours a Soldier will do Physical Readiness training (PRT), wear as the average wake up time for a civilian would be around 0630 to 0700 hours. The SoldierRead MoreEssay about Military vs Civilian Life723 Words   |  3 Pagesjoined the military would my life be different?† Now when people think of the military they think of going to war and getting yelled at, but there are so many differences between military life and civilian. Most people sometimes believe that military life and civilian life are the same. Now there are a lot of differences their occupational life, living expense and some the freedoms they have. Occupational life is an example of differences between military and civilian life. In civilian life, you haveRead MoreSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment Barriers: Military Life vs. Civilian Life1259 Words   |  6 PagesSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment Barriers: Military Life vs. Civilian Life Marina Herrera Butte College Abstract This paper explores the interesting relationship between substance abuse and mental health problems among military and civilian life. As well as stigma barriers to treatment within a military vs. a civilian setting. The article â€Å"Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment in the Military: Lessons Learned and a Way Forward† written by Katie Witkiewitz and ArmandoRead MoreA Brief Look at Igor Sikorsky1157 Words   |  5 PagesIgor Sikorsky widened the field of aviation throughout his life with inventions that caught the interest of the world. In the early 1920’s, after successfully building a four-engine biplane, Sikorsky began his work on amphibian aircraft. The aircraft proved to be versatile with its ability to take off and land on an airstrip or in the water. Sikorsky increased the size and maximum range of his designs until producing the S-42 Flying Clipper. His line of amphibian planes became the precursor to commercialRead MoreAgent Orange : A Herbicide Mix ture Used By The Us Military During The Vietnam War Essay1350 Words   |  6 PagesAgent Orange is a herbicide mixture used by the US military during the Vietnam War. (Agent Orange Vietnam War History). The Department of defense advance project (DARPA) had an important role in the U.S development of herbicides as a military weapon (usa.gov). The first large scale defoliation by the US military took place in Fort Drum using a chemical called agent purple and a spray system that was the model for the one used in Vietnam (Buckingham). The use of chemicals in war is considered biologicalRead MoreUnited States Department Of State1748 Words   |  7 Pagestheir definitions, it is possible to get a better grasp of the concept and which organizations fit the description.   Professor Kydd defines terrorism as â€Å"politically motivated violence, usually targeted at civilians by non-state actors, but sometimes by states and sometimes towards non-civilians,† (Kydd 9/7). Kidd specifies that this violence is directed toward people, not property, does not usually involve economic motivation, is usually by a state-actor, and is performed for a broad audience inRead MoreCyber Attack And Cyber Attacks958 Words   |  4 Pagesattacks (JOAC, i), extrapolation to an era of cyberwar is unjustified as cyber attacks alone do not constitute an act of war and cyberspace should not be considered in isolation in regard to war. Increasing dependence on cyberspace for U.S. civilian and military systems and networks, combined with the ability for remote access to attack without overt exposure of the attacker’s identity or organization, make cyber attacks an attractive means against a stronger opponent. However, an act of war hasRead MoreThe Invisible War1662 Words   |  7 PagesInvisible War, many of the service members were treated as though their attire (short skirts, running shorts, etc.), behavior, and alcohol consumption encouraged the sexual assault attacks and sexual harassment they endured during their service in the military. Also known as â€Å"victim blaming†, this form of blaming often occurs because perpetrators do not want to be held culpable for their wrongdoing. It also may be used as a way to take the blame off the wrongdoer and displace it onto the victim. InRead MoreGun Control Amendment990 Words   |  4 Pagesrecent incident, several others in past few years, has s park the debate over gun control in the United States. More and more are calling for a complete ban for assault type of weapons, that to include fully automatic and semi –automatic weapons with military attachments and features. In the light of the recent surge of incident involving guns, particularly assault type weapons has call for a ban. That has created an outrage from the advocates of gun owners and the (NRA) National Rifle Association. However

The Vampire Diaries The Awakening Chapter Eleven Free Essays

string(87) " gown in one of the books I used for my oral report, and we’re having it copied\." Elena stumbled down the dim corridor, trying to visualize what was around her. Then the world suddenly flickered to brightness and she found herself surrounded by familiar rows of lockers. Her relief was so great that she almost cried out. We will write a custom essay sample on The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Eleven or any similar topic only for you Order Now She’d never have thought she would be so glad just to see. She stood for a minute looking around gratefully. â€Å"Elena! What are you doing out here?† It was Meredith and Bonnie, hurrying down the hall toward her. â€Å"Where have you been?† she said fiercely. Meredith grimaced. â€Å"We couldn’t find Shelby. And when we finally did find him, he was asleep. I’m serious,† she added at Elena’s incredulous look. â€Å"Asleep. And then we couldn’t get him to wake up. It wasn’t until the lights went back on that he opened his eyes. Then we started back to you. But what are you doinghere ?† Elena hesitated. â€Å"I got tired of waiting,† she said as lightly as she could. â€Å"I think we’ve done enough work for one day, anyway.† â€Å"Now you tell us,† said Bonnie. Meredith said nothing, but she gave Elena a keen, searching look. Elena had the uncomfortable feeling that those dark eyes saw beneath the surface. All that weekend and throughout the following week, Elena worked on plans for the Haunted House. There was never enough time to be with Stefan, and that was frustrating, but even more frustrating was Stefan himself. She could sense his passion for her, but she could also sense that he was fighting it, still refusing to be completely alone with her. And in many ways he was just as much a mystery to her as he had been when she first saw him. He never spoke about his family or his life before coming to Fell’s Church, and if she asked any questions he turned them aside. Once she had asked him if he missed Italy, if he was sorry he’d come here. And for an instant his eyes had lightened, the green sparkling like oak leaves reflected in a running stream. â€Å"How could I be sorry, whenyou are here?† he said, and kissed her in a way that put all inquiries out of her mind. In that moment, Elena had known what it was like to be completely happy. She’d felt his joy, too, and when he pulled back she had seen that his face was alight, as if the sun shone through it. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† he’d whispered. The good times were like that. But he had kissed her less and less frequently of late, and she felt the distance between them widening. That Friday, she and Bonnie and Meredith decided to sleep over at the McCulloughs’. The sky was gray and threatening to drizzle as she and Meredith walked to Bonnie’s house. It was unusually chilly for mid-October, and the trees lining the quiet street had already felt the nip of cold winds. The maples were a blaze of scarlet, while the ginkgoes were radiant yellow. Bonnie greeted them at the door with: â€Å"Everybody’s gone! We’ll have the whole house to ourselves until tomorrow afternoon, when my family gets back from Leesburg.† She beckoned them inside, grabbing for the overfed Pekingese that was trying to get out. â€Å"No, Yangtze, stay in. Yangtze, no, don’t! No!† But it was too late. Yangtze had escaped and was dashing through the front yard up to the single birch tree, where he yapped shrilly up into the branches, rolls of fat on his back jiggling. â€Å"Oh, what’s he afternow ?† said Bonnie, putting her hands over her ears. â€Å"It looks like a crow,† said Meredith. Elena stiffened. She took a few steps toward the tree, looking up into the golden leaves. And there it was. The same crow she had seen twice before. Perhaps three times before, she thought, remembering the dark shape winging up from the oak trees in the cemetery. As she looked at it she felt her stomach clench in fear and her hands grow cold. It was staring at her again with its bright black eye, an almost human stare. That eye†¦ where had she seen an eye like that before? Suddenly all three girls jumped back as the crow gave a harsh croak and thrashed its wings, bursting out of the tree toward them. At the last moment it swooped down instead on the little dog, which was now barking hysterically. It came within inches of canine teeth and then soared back up again, flying over the house to disappear into the black walnut trees beyond. The three girls stood frozen in astonishment. Then Bonnie and Meredith looked at each other, and the tension shattered in nervous laughter. â€Å"For a moment I thought he was coming for us,† said Bonnie, going over to the outraged Pekingese and dragging him, still barking, back into the house. â€Å"So did I,† said Elena quietly. And as she followed her friends inside, she did not join in the laughter. Once she and Meredith had put their things away, however, the evening fell into a familiar pattern. It was hard to keep hold of her uneasiness sitting in Bonnie’s cluttered living room beside a roaring fire, with a cup of hot chocolate in her hand. Soon the three of them were discussing the final plans for the Haunted House, and she relaxed. â€Å"We’re in pretty good shape,† said Meredith at last. â€Å"Of course, we’ve spent so much time figuring out everyone else’s costumes that we haven’t even thought about our own.† â€Å"Mine’s easy,† said Bonnie. â€Å"I’m going to be a druid priestess, and I only need a garland of oak leaves in my hair and some white robes. Mary and I can sew it in one night.† â€Å"I think I’ll be a witch,† said Meredith thoughtfully. â€Å"All that takes is a long black dress. What about you, Elena?† Elena smiled. â€Å"Well, it was supposed to be a secret, but†¦ Aunt Judith let me go to a dressmaker. I found a picture of a Renaissance gown in one of the books I used for my oral report, and we’re having it copied. You read "The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Eleven" in category "Essay examples" It’s Venetian silk, ice blue, and it’s absolutely beautiful.† â€Å"It sounds beautiful,† Bonnie said. â€Å"And expensive.† â€Å"I’m using my own money from my parents’ trust. I just hope Stefan likes it. It’s a surprise for him, and†¦ well, I just hope he likes it.† â€Å"What’s Stefan going to be? Is he helping with the Haunted House?† said Bonnie curiously. â€Å"I don’t know,† Elena said after a moment. â€Å"He doesn’t seem too thrilled with the whole Halloween thing.† â€Å"It’s hard to see him all wrapped up in torn sheets and covered with fake blood like the other guys,† agreed Meredith. â€Å"He seems†¦ well, too dignified for that.† â€Å"I know!† said Bonnie. â€Å"I know exactly what he can be, and he’ll hardly have to dress up at all. Look, he’s foreign, he’s sort of pale, he has that wonderful brooding look†¦ Put him in tails and you’ve got a perfect Count Dracula!† Elena smiled in spite of herself. â€Å"Well, I’ll ask him,† she said. â€Å"Speaking of Stefan,† said Meredith, her dark eyes on Elena’s, â€Å"how are things going?† Elena sighed, looking away into the fire. â€Å"I’m†¦ not sure,† she said at last, slowly. â€Å"There are times when everything is wonderful, and then there are other times when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith and Bonnie exchanged a glance, and then Meredith spoke gently. â€Å"Other times when what?† Elena hesitated, debating. Then she came to a decision. â€Å"Just a sec,† she said, and got up and hurried up the stairs. She came back down with a small blue velvet book in her hands. â€Å"I wrote some of it down last night when I couldn’t sleep,† she said. â€Å"This says it better than I could now.† She found the page, took a deep breath, and began: â€Å"October 17 â€Å"Dear Diary, â€Å"I feel awful tonight. AndIhave to share it with someone . â€Å"Something is going wrong with Stefan and me. There is this terrible sadness inside him that I can’t reach, and it’s driving us apart. I don’t know what to do. â€Å"I can’t bear the thought of losing him. But he’s so very unhappy about something, and if he won’t tell me what it is, if he won’t trust me that much, I don’t see any hope for us. â€Å"Yesterday when he was holding me I felt something smooth and round underneath his shirt, something on a chain. I asked him, teasingly, if it was a gift from Caroline. And he just froze and wouldn’t talk anymore. It was as if he were suddenly a thousand miles away, and his eyes†¦ there was so much pain in his eyes that I could hardly stand it.† Elena stopped reading and traced the last lines written in the journal silently with her eyes. I feel as if someone has hurt him terribly in the past and he’s never got over it. But I also think there’s something he’s afraid of, some secret he’s afraid I’ll find out. If I only knew what that was, I could prove to him that he can trust me. That he can trust me no matter what happens, to the end . â€Å"If only I knew,† she whispered. â€Å"If only you knew what?† said Meredith, and Elena looked up, startled. â€Å"Oh-if only I knew what was going to happen,† she said quickly, closing the diary. â€Å"I mean, if I knew we were going to break up eventually, I suppose I’d just want to get it over with. And if I knew it was going to turn out all right in the end, I wouldn’t mind anything that happens now. But just going day after day without being sure is awful.† Bonnie bit her lip, then sat up, eyes sparkling. â€Å"I can show you a way to find out, Elena,† she said. â€Å"My grandmother told me the way to find out who you’re going to marry. It’s called a dumb supper.† â€Å"Let me guess, an old druid trick,† said Meredith. â€Å"I don’t know how old it is,† said Bonnie. â€Å"My grandmother says there have always been dumb suppers. Anyway, it works. My mother saw my father’s image when she tried it, and a month later they were married. It’s easy, Elena; and what have you got to lose?† Elena looked from Bonnie to Meredith. â€Å"I don’t know,† she said. â€Å"But, look, you don’t really believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie drew herself up with affronted dignity. â€Å"Are you calling my mother a liar? Oh, come on, Elena, there’s no harm in trying. Why not?† â€Å"What would I have to do?† said Elena doubtfully. She felt strangely intrigued, but at the same time rather frightened. â€Å"It’s simple. We have to get everything ready before the stroke of midnight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Five minutes before midnight, Elena stood in the McCulloughs’ dining room, feeling more foolish than anything else. From the backyard, she could hear Yangtze’s frantic barking, but inside the house there was no sound except the unhurried tick of the grandfather clock. Following Bonnie’s instructions, she had set the big black walnut table with one plate, one glass, and one set of silverware, all the time not saying a word. Then she had lit a single candle in a candleholder in the center of the table, and positioned herself behind the chair with the place setting. According to Bonnie, on the stroke of midnight she was supposed to pull the chair back and invite her future husband in. At that point, the candle would blow out and she would see a ghostly figure in the chair. Earlier, she’d been a little uneasy about this, uncertain that she wanted to see any ghostly figures, even of her husband-to-be. But just now the whole thing seemed silly and harmless. As the clock began to chime, she straightened up and got a better grip on the chair back. Bonnie had told her not to let go until the ceremony was over. Oh, thiswas silly. Maybe she wouldn’t say the words†¦ but when the clock started to toll out the hour, she heard herself speaking. â€Å"Come in,† she said self-consciously to the empty room, drawing out the chair. â€Å"Come in, come in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The candle went out. Elena started in the sudden darkness. She’d felt the wind, a cold gust that had blown out the candle. It came from the French doors behind her, and she turned quickly, one hand still on the chair. She would have sworn those doors were shut. Something moved in the darkness. Terror washed through Elena, sweeping away her self-consciousness and any trace of amusement. Oh, God, what had she done, what had she brought on herself? Her heart contracted and she felt as if she had been plunged, without warning, into her most dreadful nightmare. It was not only dark but utterly silent; there was nothing to see and nothing to hear, and she was falling†¦ â€Å"Allow me,† said a voice, and a bright flame sputtered in the darkness. For a terrible, sickening instant she thought it was Tyler, remembering his lighter in the ruined church on the hill. But as the candle on the table sprang to life, she saw the pale, long-fingered hand that held it. Not Tyler’s beefy red fist. She thought for an instant it was Stefan’s, and then her eyes lifted to the face. â€Å"You!† she said, astounded. â€Å"What do you think you’re doing here?† She looked from him to the French doors, which were indeed open, showing the side lawn. â€Å"Do you always just walk into other people’s houses uninvited?† â€Å"But you asked me to come in.† His voice was as she remembered it, quiet, ironical and amused. She remembered the smile, too. â€Å"Thank you,† he added, and gracefully sat down in the chair she had drawn out. She snatched her hand off the back. â€Å"I wasn’t invitingyou ,† she said helplessly, caught between indignation and embarrassment. â€Å"What were you doing hanging around outside Bonnie’s house?† He smiled. In the candlelight, his black hair shone almost like liquid, too soft and fine for human hair. His face was very pale, but at the same time utterly compelling. And his eyes caught her own and held them. † ‘Helen, thy beauty is to me/Like those Nicean barks of yore/That gently, over a perfumed sea†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ † â€Å"I think you’d better leave now.† She didn’t want him to talk anymore. His voice did strange things to her, made her feel oddly weak, started a melting in her stomach. â€Å"You shouldn’t be here. Please.† She reached for the candle, meaning to take it and leave him, fighting off the dizziness that threatened to overcome her. But before she could grasp it, he did something extraordinary. He caught her reaching hand, not roughly but gently, and held it in his cool slender fingers. Then he turned her hand over, bent his dark head, and kissed her palm. â€Å"Don’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬  whispered Elena, stunned. â€Å"Come with me,† he said, and looked up into her eyes. â€Å"Please don’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she whispered again, the world swimming around her. He was mad; what was he talking about? Come with him where? But she felt so dizzy, so faint. He was standing, supporting her. She leaned against him, felt those cool fingers on the first button of the shirt at her throat, â€Å"Please, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It’s all right. You’ll see.† He pulled the shirt away from her neck, his other hand behind her head. â€Å"No.† Suddenly, strength returned to her, and she jerked away from him, stumbling against the chair. â€Å"I told you to leave, and I meant it. Get out-now!† For an instant, pure fury surged in his eyes, a dark wave of menace. Then they went calm and cold and he smiled, a swift, brilliant smile that he turned off again instantly. â€Å"I’ll leave,† he said. â€Å"For the moment.† She shook her head and watched him go out the French doors without speaking. When they had shut behind him, she stood in the silence, trying to get her breath. The silence†¦ but it shouldn’t be silent. She turned toward the grandfather clock in bewilderment and saw that it had stopped. But before she could examine it closely, she heard Meredith’s and Bonnie’s raised voices. She hurried out into the hall, feeling the unaccustomed weakness in her legs, pulling her shirt back up and buttoning it. The back door was open, and she could see two figures outside, stooping over something on the lawn. â€Å"Bonnie? Meredith? What’s wrong?† Bonnie looked up as Elena reached them. Her eyes were filled with tears. â€Å"Oh, Elena, he’s dead.† With a chill of horror, Elena stared down at the little bundle at Bonnie’s feet. It was the Pekingese, lying very stiffly on his side, eyes open. â€Å"Oh, Bonnie,† she said. â€Å"He was old,† said Bonnie, â€Å"but I never expected him to go this quickly. Just a little while ago, he was barking.† â€Å"I think we’d better go inside,† said Meredith, and Elena looked up at her and nodded. Tonight was not a night to be out in the dark. It was not a night to invite things inside, either. She knew that now, although she still didn’t understand what had happened. It was when they got back in the living room that she found her diary was missing. Stefan lifted his head from the velvet-soft neck of the doe. The woods were filled with night noises, and he couldn’t be sure which had disturbed him. With the Power of his mind distracted, the deer roused from its trance. He felt muscles quiver as she tried to get her feet under her. Go, then, he thought, sitting back and releasing her entirely. With a twist and a heave, she was up and running. He’d had enough. Fastidious, he licked at the corners of his mouth, feeling his canine teeth retract and blunt, oversensitive as always after a prolonged feed. It was hard to know what enough was anymore. There had been no spells of dizziness since the one beside the church, but he lived in fear of their return. He lived in one specific fear: that he would come to his senses one day, his mind reeling with confusion, to find Elena’s graceful body limp in his arms, her slim throat marked with two red wounds, her heart stilled forever. That was what he had to look forward to. The blood lust, with all its myriad terrors and pleasures, was a mystery to him even now. Although he had lived with it every day for centuries, he still did not understand it. As a living human, he would no doubt have been disgusted, sickened, by the thought of drinking the rich warm stuff directly from a breathing body. That is, if someone had proposed such a thing to him in so many words. But no words had been used that night, the night Katherine had changed him. Even after all these years, the memory was clear. He had been asleep when she appeared in his chamber, moving as softly as a vision or a ghost. He had been asleep, alone†¦ She was wearing a fine linen shift when she came to him. It was the night before the day she had named, the day when she would announce her choice. And she came to him. A white hand parted the curtains around his bed, and Stefan woke from sleep, sitting up in alarm. When he saw her, pale golden hair gleaming about her shoulders, blue eyes lost in shadow, he was struck silent with amazement. And with love. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. He trembled and tried to speak, but she put two cool fingers over his lips. â€Å"Hush,† she whispered, and the bed sank under new weight as she got in. His face flamed, his heart was thundering with embarrassment and with excitement. There had never been a woman in his bed before. And this was Katherine, Katherine whose beauty seemed to come from heaven, Katherine whom he loved more than his own soul. And because he loved her, he made a great effort. As she slipped under the sheets, drawing so near to him that he could feel the cool freshness of night air in her thin shift, he managed to speak. â€Å"Katherine,† he whispered. â€Å"We-I can wait. Until we are married in the church. I will have my father arrange it next week. It-it will not be long†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hush,† she whispered again, and he felt that coolness on his skin. He couldn’t help himself; he put his arms around her, holding her to him. â€Å"What we do now has nothing to do with that,† she said, and reached out her slim fingers to stroke his throat. He understood. And felt a flash of fear, which disappeared as her fingers went on stroking. He wanted this, wanted anything that would let him be with Katherine. â€Å"Lie back, my love,† she whispered. My love. The words sang through him as he lay back on the pillow, tilting his chin back so that his throat was exposed. His fear was gone, replaced by a happiness so great that he thought it would shatter him. He felt the soft brush of her hair on his chest, and tried to calm his breathing. He felt her breath on his throat, and then her lips. And then her teeth. There was a stinging pain, but he held himself still and made no sound, thinking only of Katherine, of how he wished to give to her. And almost at once the pain eased, and he felt the blood being drawn from his body. It was not terrible, as he had feared. It was a feeling of giving, of nurturing. Then it was as if their minds were merging, becoming one. He could feel Katherine’s joy in drinking from him, her delight in taking the warm blood that gave her life. And he knew she could feel his delight in giving. But reality was receding, the boundaries between dreams and waking becoming blurred. He could not think clearly; he could not think at all. He could onlyfeel , and his feelings were spiraling up and up, carrying him higher and higher, breaking his last ties with earth. Sometime later, without knowing how he had gotten there, he found himself in her arms. She was cradling him like a mother holding an infant child, guiding his mouth to rest on the bare flesh just above the low neck of her night shift. There was a tiny wound there, a cut showing dark against the pale skin. He felt no fear or hesitation, and when she stroked his hair encouragingly, he began to suck. Cold and precise, Stefan brushed dirt off his knees. The human world was asleep, lost in stupor, but his own senses were knife-keen. He should have been sated, but he was hungry again; the memory had wakened his appetite. Nostrils flaring wide to catch the musky scent of fox, he began to hunt. How to cite The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Eleven, Essay examples

The Vampire Diaries The Awakening Chapter Eleven Free Essays

string(87) " gown in one of the books I used for my oral report, and we’re having it copied\." Elena stumbled down the dim corridor, trying to visualize what was around her. Then the world suddenly flickered to brightness and she found herself surrounded by familiar rows of lockers. Her relief was so great that she almost cried out. We will write a custom essay sample on The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Eleven or any similar topic only for you Order Now She’d never have thought she would be so glad just to see. She stood for a minute looking around gratefully. â€Å"Elena! What are you doing out here?† It was Meredith and Bonnie, hurrying down the hall toward her. â€Å"Where have you been?† she said fiercely. Meredith grimaced. â€Å"We couldn’t find Shelby. And when we finally did find him, he was asleep. I’m serious,† she added at Elena’s incredulous look. â€Å"Asleep. And then we couldn’t get him to wake up. It wasn’t until the lights went back on that he opened his eyes. Then we started back to you. But what are you doinghere ?† Elena hesitated. â€Å"I got tired of waiting,† she said as lightly as she could. â€Å"I think we’ve done enough work for one day, anyway.† â€Å"Now you tell us,† said Bonnie. Meredith said nothing, but she gave Elena a keen, searching look. Elena had the uncomfortable feeling that those dark eyes saw beneath the surface. All that weekend and throughout the following week, Elena worked on plans for the Haunted House. There was never enough time to be with Stefan, and that was frustrating, but even more frustrating was Stefan himself. She could sense his passion for her, but she could also sense that he was fighting it, still refusing to be completely alone with her. And in many ways he was just as much a mystery to her as he had been when she first saw him. He never spoke about his family or his life before coming to Fell’s Church, and if she asked any questions he turned them aside. Once she had asked him if he missed Italy, if he was sorry he’d come here. And for an instant his eyes had lightened, the green sparkling like oak leaves reflected in a running stream. â€Å"How could I be sorry, whenyou are here?† he said, and kissed her in a way that put all inquiries out of her mind. In that moment, Elena had known what it was like to be completely happy. She’d felt his joy, too, and when he pulled back she had seen that his face was alight, as if the sun shone through it. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† he’d whispered. The good times were like that. But he had kissed her less and less frequently of late, and she felt the distance between them widening. That Friday, she and Bonnie and Meredith decided to sleep over at the McCulloughs’. The sky was gray and threatening to drizzle as she and Meredith walked to Bonnie’s house. It was unusually chilly for mid-October, and the trees lining the quiet street had already felt the nip of cold winds. The maples were a blaze of scarlet, while the ginkgoes were radiant yellow. Bonnie greeted them at the door with: â€Å"Everybody’s gone! We’ll have the whole house to ourselves until tomorrow afternoon, when my family gets back from Leesburg.† She beckoned them inside, grabbing for the overfed Pekingese that was trying to get out. â€Å"No, Yangtze, stay in. Yangtze, no, don’t! No!† But it was too late. Yangtze had escaped and was dashing through the front yard up to the single birch tree, where he yapped shrilly up into the branches, rolls of fat on his back jiggling. â€Å"Oh, what’s he afternow ?† said Bonnie, putting her hands over her ears. â€Å"It looks like a crow,† said Meredith. Elena stiffened. She took a few steps toward the tree, looking up into the golden leaves. And there it was. The same crow she had seen twice before. Perhaps three times before, she thought, remembering the dark shape winging up from the oak trees in the cemetery. As she looked at it she felt her stomach clench in fear and her hands grow cold. It was staring at her again with its bright black eye, an almost human stare. That eye†¦ where had she seen an eye like that before? Suddenly all three girls jumped back as the crow gave a harsh croak and thrashed its wings, bursting out of the tree toward them. At the last moment it swooped down instead on the little dog, which was now barking hysterically. It came within inches of canine teeth and then soared back up again, flying over the house to disappear into the black walnut trees beyond. The three girls stood frozen in astonishment. Then Bonnie and Meredith looked at each other, and the tension shattered in nervous laughter. â€Å"For a moment I thought he was coming for us,† said Bonnie, going over to the outraged Pekingese and dragging him, still barking, back into the house. â€Å"So did I,† said Elena quietly. And as she followed her friends inside, she did not join in the laughter. Once she and Meredith had put their things away, however, the evening fell into a familiar pattern. It was hard to keep hold of her uneasiness sitting in Bonnie’s cluttered living room beside a roaring fire, with a cup of hot chocolate in her hand. Soon the three of them were discussing the final plans for the Haunted House, and she relaxed. â€Å"We’re in pretty good shape,† said Meredith at last. â€Å"Of course, we’ve spent so much time figuring out everyone else’s costumes that we haven’t even thought about our own.† â€Å"Mine’s easy,† said Bonnie. â€Å"I’m going to be a druid priestess, and I only need a garland of oak leaves in my hair and some white robes. Mary and I can sew it in one night.† â€Å"I think I’ll be a witch,† said Meredith thoughtfully. â€Å"All that takes is a long black dress. What about you, Elena?† Elena smiled. â€Å"Well, it was supposed to be a secret, but†¦ Aunt Judith let me go to a dressmaker. I found a picture of a Renaissance gown in one of the books I used for my oral report, and we’re having it copied. You read "The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Eleven" in category "Essay examples" It’s Venetian silk, ice blue, and it’s absolutely beautiful.† â€Å"It sounds beautiful,† Bonnie said. â€Å"And expensive.† â€Å"I’m using my own money from my parents’ trust. I just hope Stefan likes it. It’s a surprise for him, and†¦ well, I just hope he likes it.† â€Å"What’s Stefan going to be? Is he helping with the Haunted House?† said Bonnie curiously. â€Å"I don’t know,† Elena said after a moment. â€Å"He doesn’t seem too thrilled with the whole Halloween thing.† â€Å"It’s hard to see him all wrapped up in torn sheets and covered with fake blood like the other guys,† agreed Meredith. â€Å"He seems†¦ well, too dignified for that.† â€Å"I know!† said Bonnie. â€Å"I know exactly what he can be, and he’ll hardly have to dress up at all. Look, he’s foreign, he’s sort of pale, he has that wonderful brooding look†¦ Put him in tails and you’ve got a perfect Count Dracula!† Elena smiled in spite of herself. â€Å"Well, I’ll ask him,† she said. â€Å"Speaking of Stefan,† said Meredith, her dark eyes on Elena’s, â€Å"how are things going?† Elena sighed, looking away into the fire. â€Å"I’m†¦ not sure,† she said at last, slowly. â€Å"There are times when everything is wonderful, and then there are other times when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith and Bonnie exchanged a glance, and then Meredith spoke gently. â€Å"Other times when what?† Elena hesitated, debating. Then she came to a decision. â€Å"Just a sec,† she said, and got up and hurried up the stairs. She came back down with a small blue velvet book in her hands. â€Å"I wrote some of it down last night when I couldn’t sleep,† she said. â€Å"This says it better than I could now.† She found the page, took a deep breath, and began: â€Å"October 17 â€Å"Dear Diary, â€Å"I feel awful tonight. AndIhave to share it with someone . â€Å"Something is going wrong with Stefan and me. There is this terrible sadness inside him that I can’t reach, and it’s driving us apart. I don’t know what to do. â€Å"I can’t bear the thought of losing him. But he’s so very unhappy about something, and if he won’t tell me what it is, if he won’t trust me that much, I don’t see any hope for us. â€Å"Yesterday when he was holding me I felt something smooth and round underneath his shirt, something on a chain. I asked him, teasingly, if it was a gift from Caroline. And he just froze and wouldn’t talk anymore. It was as if he were suddenly a thousand miles away, and his eyes†¦ there was so much pain in his eyes that I could hardly stand it.† Elena stopped reading and traced the last lines written in the journal silently with her eyes. I feel as if someone has hurt him terribly in the past and he’s never got over it. But I also think there’s something he’s afraid of, some secret he’s afraid I’ll find out. If I only knew what that was, I could prove to him that he can trust me. That he can trust me no matter what happens, to the end . â€Å"If only I knew,† she whispered. â€Å"If only you knew what?† said Meredith, and Elena looked up, startled. â€Å"Oh-if only I knew what was going to happen,† she said quickly, closing the diary. â€Å"I mean, if I knew we were going to break up eventually, I suppose I’d just want to get it over with. And if I knew it was going to turn out all right in the end, I wouldn’t mind anything that happens now. But just going day after day without being sure is awful.† Bonnie bit her lip, then sat up, eyes sparkling. â€Å"I can show you a way to find out, Elena,† she said. â€Å"My grandmother told me the way to find out who you’re going to marry. It’s called a dumb supper.† â€Å"Let me guess, an old druid trick,† said Meredith. â€Å"I don’t know how old it is,† said Bonnie. â€Å"My grandmother says there have always been dumb suppers. Anyway, it works. My mother saw my father’s image when she tried it, and a month later they were married. It’s easy, Elena; and what have you got to lose?† Elena looked from Bonnie to Meredith. â€Å"I don’t know,† she said. â€Å"But, look, you don’t really believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie drew herself up with affronted dignity. â€Å"Are you calling my mother a liar? Oh, come on, Elena, there’s no harm in trying. Why not?† â€Å"What would I have to do?† said Elena doubtfully. She felt strangely intrigued, but at the same time rather frightened. â€Å"It’s simple. We have to get everything ready before the stroke of midnight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Five minutes before midnight, Elena stood in the McCulloughs’ dining room, feeling more foolish than anything else. From the backyard, she could hear Yangtze’s frantic barking, but inside the house there was no sound except the unhurried tick of the grandfather clock. Following Bonnie’s instructions, she had set the big black walnut table with one plate, one glass, and one set of silverware, all the time not saying a word. Then she had lit a single candle in a candleholder in the center of the table, and positioned herself behind the chair with the place setting. According to Bonnie, on the stroke of midnight she was supposed to pull the chair back and invite her future husband in. At that point, the candle would blow out and she would see a ghostly figure in the chair. Earlier, she’d been a little uneasy about this, uncertain that she wanted to see any ghostly figures, even of her husband-to-be. But just now the whole thing seemed silly and harmless. As the clock began to chime, she straightened up and got a better grip on the chair back. Bonnie had told her not to let go until the ceremony was over. Oh, thiswas silly. Maybe she wouldn’t say the words†¦ but when the clock started to toll out the hour, she heard herself speaking. â€Å"Come in,† she said self-consciously to the empty room, drawing out the chair. â€Å"Come in, come in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The candle went out. Elena started in the sudden darkness. She’d felt the wind, a cold gust that had blown out the candle. It came from the French doors behind her, and she turned quickly, one hand still on the chair. She would have sworn those doors were shut. Something moved in the darkness. Terror washed through Elena, sweeping away her self-consciousness and any trace of amusement. Oh, God, what had she done, what had she brought on herself? Her heart contracted and she felt as if she had been plunged, without warning, into her most dreadful nightmare. It was not only dark but utterly silent; there was nothing to see and nothing to hear, and she was falling†¦ â€Å"Allow me,† said a voice, and a bright flame sputtered in the darkness. For a terrible, sickening instant she thought it was Tyler, remembering his lighter in the ruined church on the hill. But as the candle on the table sprang to life, she saw the pale, long-fingered hand that held it. Not Tyler’s beefy red fist. She thought for an instant it was Stefan’s, and then her eyes lifted to the face. â€Å"You!† she said, astounded. â€Å"What do you think you’re doing here?† She looked from him to the French doors, which were indeed open, showing the side lawn. â€Å"Do you always just walk into other people’s houses uninvited?† â€Å"But you asked me to come in.† His voice was as she remembered it, quiet, ironical and amused. She remembered the smile, too. â€Å"Thank you,† he added, and gracefully sat down in the chair she had drawn out. She snatched her hand off the back. â€Å"I wasn’t invitingyou ,† she said helplessly, caught between indignation and embarrassment. â€Å"What were you doing hanging around outside Bonnie’s house?† He smiled. In the candlelight, his black hair shone almost like liquid, too soft and fine for human hair. His face was very pale, but at the same time utterly compelling. And his eyes caught her own and held them. † ‘Helen, thy beauty is to me/Like those Nicean barks of yore/That gently, over a perfumed sea†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ † â€Å"I think you’d better leave now.† She didn’t want him to talk anymore. His voice did strange things to her, made her feel oddly weak, started a melting in her stomach. â€Å"You shouldn’t be here. Please.† She reached for the candle, meaning to take it and leave him, fighting off the dizziness that threatened to overcome her. But before she could grasp it, he did something extraordinary. He caught her reaching hand, not roughly but gently, and held it in his cool slender fingers. Then he turned her hand over, bent his dark head, and kissed her palm. â€Å"Don’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬  whispered Elena, stunned. â€Å"Come with me,† he said, and looked up into her eyes. â€Å"Please don’t†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she whispered again, the world swimming around her. He was mad; what was he talking about? Come with him where? But she felt so dizzy, so faint. He was standing, supporting her. She leaned against him, felt those cool fingers on the first button of the shirt at her throat, â€Å"Please, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It’s all right. You’ll see.† He pulled the shirt away from her neck, his other hand behind her head. â€Å"No.† Suddenly, strength returned to her, and she jerked away from him, stumbling against the chair. â€Å"I told you to leave, and I meant it. Get out-now!† For an instant, pure fury surged in his eyes, a dark wave of menace. Then they went calm and cold and he smiled, a swift, brilliant smile that he turned off again instantly. â€Å"I’ll leave,† he said. â€Å"For the moment.† She shook her head and watched him go out the French doors without speaking. When they had shut behind him, she stood in the silence, trying to get her breath. The silence†¦ but it shouldn’t be silent. She turned toward the grandfather clock in bewilderment and saw that it had stopped. But before she could examine it closely, she heard Meredith’s and Bonnie’s raised voices. She hurried out into the hall, feeling the unaccustomed weakness in her legs, pulling her shirt back up and buttoning it. The back door was open, and she could see two figures outside, stooping over something on the lawn. â€Å"Bonnie? Meredith? What’s wrong?† Bonnie looked up as Elena reached them. Her eyes were filled with tears. â€Å"Oh, Elena, he’s dead.† With a chill of horror, Elena stared down at the little bundle at Bonnie’s feet. It was the Pekingese, lying very stiffly on his side, eyes open. â€Å"Oh, Bonnie,† she said. â€Å"He was old,† said Bonnie, â€Å"but I never expected him to go this quickly. Just a little while ago, he was barking.† â€Å"I think we’d better go inside,† said Meredith, and Elena looked up at her and nodded. Tonight was not a night to be out in the dark. It was not a night to invite things inside, either. She knew that now, although she still didn’t understand what had happened. It was when they got back in the living room that she found her diary was missing. Stefan lifted his head from the velvet-soft neck of the doe. The woods were filled with night noises, and he couldn’t be sure which had disturbed him. With the Power of his mind distracted, the deer roused from its trance. He felt muscles quiver as she tried to get her feet under her. Go, then, he thought, sitting back and releasing her entirely. With a twist and a heave, she was up and running. He’d had enough. Fastidious, he licked at the corners of his mouth, feeling his canine teeth retract and blunt, oversensitive as always after a prolonged feed. It was hard to know what enough was anymore. There had been no spells of dizziness since the one beside the church, but he lived in fear of their return. He lived in one specific fear: that he would come to his senses one day, his mind reeling with confusion, to find Elena’s graceful body limp in his arms, her slim throat marked with two red wounds, her heart stilled forever. That was what he had to look forward to. The blood lust, with all its myriad terrors and pleasures, was a mystery to him even now. Although he had lived with it every day for centuries, he still did not understand it. As a living human, he would no doubt have been disgusted, sickened, by the thought of drinking the rich warm stuff directly from a breathing body. That is, if someone had proposed such a thing to him in so many words. But no words had been used that night, the night Katherine had changed him. Even after all these years, the memory was clear. He had been asleep when she appeared in his chamber, moving as softly as a vision or a ghost. He had been asleep, alone†¦ She was wearing a fine linen shift when she came to him. It was the night before the day she had named, the day when she would announce her choice. And she came to him. A white hand parted the curtains around his bed, and Stefan woke from sleep, sitting up in alarm. When he saw her, pale golden hair gleaming about her shoulders, blue eyes lost in shadow, he was struck silent with amazement. And with love. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. He trembled and tried to speak, but she put two cool fingers over his lips. â€Å"Hush,† she whispered, and the bed sank under new weight as she got in. His face flamed, his heart was thundering with embarrassment and with excitement. There had never been a woman in his bed before. And this was Katherine, Katherine whose beauty seemed to come from heaven, Katherine whom he loved more than his own soul. And because he loved her, he made a great effort. As she slipped under the sheets, drawing so near to him that he could feel the cool freshness of night air in her thin shift, he managed to speak. â€Å"Katherine,† he whispered. â€Å"We-I can wait. Until we are married in the church. I will have my father arrange it next week. It-it will not be long†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hush,† she whispered again, and he felt that coolness on his skin. He couldn’t help himself; he put his arms around her, holding her to him. â€Å"What we do now has nothing to do with that,† she said, and reached out her slim fingers to stroke his throat. He understood. And felt a flash of fear, which disappeared as her fingers went on stroking. He wanted this, wanted anything that would let him be with Katherine. â€Å"Lie back, my love,† she whispered. My love. The words sang through him as he lay back on the pillow, tilting his chin back so that his throat was exposed. His fear was gone, replaced by a happiness so great that he thought it would shatter him. He felt the soft brush of her hair on his chest, and tried to calm his breathing. He felt her breath on his throat, and then her lips. And then her teeth. There was a stinging pain, but he held himself still and made no sound, thinking only of Katherine, of how he wished to give to her. And almost at once the pain eased, and he felt the blood being drawn from his body. It was not terrible, as he had feared. It was a feeling of giving, of nurturing. Then it was as if their minds were merging, becoming one. He could feel Katherine’s joy in drinking from him, her delight in taking the warm blood that gave her life. And he knew she could feel his delight in giving. But reality was receding, the boundaries between dreams and waking becoming blurred. He could not think clearly; he could not think at all. He could onlyfeel , and his feelings were spiraling up and up, carrying him higher and higher, breaking his last ties with earth. Sometime later, without knowing how he had gotten there, he found himself in her arms. She was cradling him like a mother holding an infant child, guiding his mouth to rest on the bare flesh just above the low neck of her night shift. There was a tiny wound there, a cut showing dark against the pale skin. He felt no fear or hesitation, and when she stroked his hair encouragingly, he began to suck. Cold and precise, Stefan brushed dirt off his knees. The human world was asleep, lost in stupor, but his own senses were knife-keen. He should have been sated, but he was hungry again; the memory had wakened his appetite. Nostrils flaring wide to catch the musky scent of fox, he began to hunt. How to cite The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Eleven, Essay examples

Movie Reflection Ordinary people Essay Example

Movie Reflection Ordinary people Essay Families can go along for years without ever facing the underlying problems in their relationships. The Academy Award drama, Ordinary People, depicts this tendency through the life of a white upper-class family living in the suburbs of Chicago dealing with several life issues such as, love, loss, depression, marriage, family life and renewal. In this essay I will explain the concept of perception, self-esteem belief and the hidden self relate to these real life experiences and give examples from the film that correlates to the concepts of character, situation or issues in the text. As the movie unfolded I discovered that its main problem is focused fearfully around the difficulties of love. Each member of the family all â€Å"love† each other, but all perceived it differently. The most obvious case of perception was between son Conrad and his Mom Beth. Beth displays somewhat a cold withdrawal from Conrad, which left him to believe she loved his deceased brother more than him.On page 62 of the text, Devito defines perception as the process by which one becomes aware of objects through senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. He also went further to explain how important perception is in interpersonal communication because of how it influences your communication choices. A scene that demonstrated the concept of perception is when Conrad’s mom avoids taking a picture with him. To some she might have been viewed as being nice and offering to take their picture instead, however, Conrad perceived this as his mother withdrawing from him and in r eturn became hostile with his dad. We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Reflection Ordinary people specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Reflection Ordinary people specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Reflection Ordinary people specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The second concept from the film was about self-esteem. On page 59 of the text, self-esteem is described as a measure how valuable you think you are. The concept of self-esteem took shape through the multiple scenes where Conrad attended psychiatric counseling sessions with Dr. Berger. During one session, Conrad felt overwhelmed with emotions to the point

When to Walk Away

When to Walk Away A few years ago I saw an announcement for the Tony Hillerman contest. Named after the great mystery novelist, the contest has very specific rules, including where the novel must take place. The winner receives a publishing contract with St. Martins and a nice advance. With the deadline three months away, I dove in and wrote Wink of an Eye like a madwoman. But forty-thousand words into the manuscript, I realized there was no way I could complete it, have it edited, and polish it for submission in such a short time. I was not going to submit a very rough first draft. So I chucked the contest but kept the manuscript, kept working with it, hoping to submit somewhere, someday. My critique group edited the story, but I wound up shelving the book for a while as I moved on to other projects. Then two years ago at a conference, I had the opportunity to pitch to an agent. The agent loved Wink of an Eye, saying the voice had tremendous potential. But her next words made me blink. â€Å"I know I can sell this to a small press.† At the risk of sounding arrogant, I knew I could sell it to a small press. But when the agent told me to send the entire manuscript, excitement urged me to oblige. A week or so later, I received an email from the agency intern saying, yes, she loved it too! But we had a few problems. Good voice, but too much dialogue. Excessive description because it was too visual; per the intern, having readers say they can â€Å"see it as a movie† isnt a good thing. Oh, and the beginning had to change. But they loved it and knew it would sell to any number of small presses. I scratched my head at what was supposed to be my big break. A real agent wanted to represent my work. So why wasnt I doing back flips? I went to work on the suggested revisions and soon had several documents named Wink rewrite, Wink rewrite2, Wink rewrite3, and so on . . . until I said enough. Some of the changes I agreed with- like changing a passive verb- but the dialogue and descriptive imagery stayed. This story was my ba So what happened to Wink of an Eye? I submitted it to the St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books Best 1st Private Eye Novel Competition and the darn thing won. With all its dialogue and descriptive imagery and even the occasional passive voice. It will be released November 18, 2014. I knew I had something good, and I stood

Why the US Is Said to Have a Mixed Economy

Why the US Is Said to Have a Mixed Economy The United States is said to have a mixed  economy because privately owned businesses and government both play important roles. Indeed, some of the most enduring debates of American economic history focus on the relative roles of the public and private sectors. Private vs. Public Ownership The American free enterprise system emphasizes private ownership. Private businesses produce most goods and services, and almost two-thirds of the nations total economic output goes to individuals for personal use (the remaining one-third is bought by government and business). The consumer role is so great, in fact, that the nation is sometimes characterized as having a consumer economy. This emphasis on private ownership arises, in part, from American beliefs about personal freedom. From the time the nation was created, Americans have feared excessive government power, and they have sought to limit governments authority over individuals including its role in the economic realm. In addition, Americans generally believe that an economy characterized by private ownership is likely to operate more efficiently than one with substantial government ownership. Why? When economic forces are unfettered, Americans believe, supply and demand determine the prices of goods and services. Prices, in turn, tell businesses what to produce; if people want more of a particular good than the economy is producing, the price of the good rises. That catches the attention of new or other companies that, sensing an opportunity to earn profits, start producing more of that good. On the other hand, if people want less of the good, prices fall and less competitive producers either go out of business or start producing different goods. Such a system is called a market economy. A socialist economy, in contrast, is characterized by more government ownership and central planning. Most Americans are convinced that socialist economies are inherently less efficient because the government, which relies on tax revenues, is far less likely than private businesses to heed price signals or to feel the discipline imposed by market forces. The Limits to Free Enterprise With a Mixed Economy There are limits to free enterprise, however. Americans have always believed that some services are better performed by public rather than private enterprise. For instance, in the United States, the government is primarily responsible for the administration of justice, education (although there are many private schools and training centers), the road system, social statistical reporting, and national defense. In addition, the government often is asked to intervene in the economy to correct situations in which the price system does not work. It regulates natural monopolies, for example, and it uses antitrust laws to control or break up other business combinations that become so powerful that they can surmount market forces. The government also addresses issues beyond the reach of market forces. It provides welfare and unemployment benefits to people who cannot support themselves, either because they encounter problems in their personal lives or lose their jobs as a result of economic upheaval; it pays much of the cost of medical care for the aged and those who live in poverty; it regulates private industry to limit air and water pollution; it provides low-cost loans to people who suffer losses as a result of natural disasters; and it has played the leading role in the exploration of space, which is too expensive for any private enterprise to handle. In this mixed economy, individuals can help guide the economy not only through the choices they make as consumers but through the votes they cast for officials who shape economic policy. In recent years, consumers have voiced concerns about product safety, environmental threats posed by certain industrial practices, and potential health risks citizens may face; the government has responded by creating agencies to protect consumer interests and promote the general public welfare. The U.S. economy has changed in other ways as well. The population and the labor force have shifted dramatically away from farms to cities, from fields to factories, and, above all, to service industries. In todays economy, the providers of personal and public services far outnumber producers of agricultural and manufactured goods. As the economy has grown more complex, statistics also reveal over the last century a sharp long-term trend away from self-employment toward working for others. This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

Assess, Plan and Design Possible Teaching and Learning Interactions Essay

Assess, Plan and Design Possible Teaching and Learning Interactions that Promote Acquisition and Learning of Oral, Visual Art - Essay Example Persisting with difficulty: When she realized that the drip stand was empty, she persisted in searching for a bag of fluid to attach to it so that the drip station would look authentic. She even suggested to put clamps so that the fluid will not run down. Expressing an idea or feeling. Her play emulated a nurse administering an IV to her own hand and this was observed when she pretended to prick her finger. Taking responsibility. She asked that a note be placed on the medical equipment she was playing with so that no one will touch it and that it will still be available when she comes back to it next time. 2. Assessment: The assessment framework adopted is the Learning Stories Framework (Carr, 2001). It is an approach that tells a story about a child in action as observed and documented by a teacher or practitioner. It is a more holistic approach in assessing a child’s knowledge, skills and attitudes, which are reflective of the child’s competencies (Carr, 2006) 3. ... She has displayed adequate verbal communication skills as she was able to express herself when she requested for some things she needed in her play (Communication, 2, p. 76) She showed ownership of her play by asking her teacher to write a note not to touch her drip. She realized that the note can be read by others and is a form of communication (Communication, 3, p. 78) Observing Daneka gave the teacher ideas on how to help her in her language development. She seems to be open to learning because she is very curious and applies her ideas directly to her play (Communication 4, p. 80) In her play, Daneka learned that her ideas have value and with a responsive environment, she can pursue it. She realized that the practitioner respected her ideas and cooperated with her requests. She has learned that a real life experience can be reproduced in play. Daneka has shown that she has developed confidence in pursuing her ideas further by exploring what the drip would feel like if it were on h er. Daneka’s opportunity to observe her brother gave her ideas regarding the use of medical equipment thus supporting and extending her understanding of what is happening to her brother. (Indexed for Mind Map) *Emergent literacy is the term used to refer to the earliest period of a child’s literacy development, specifically the time between birth and when the child can read and write (Sulzby and Teale, 1991). According to emergent literacy theories, the child is the central figure in the construction of learning. His life experiences directly affect his literacy. One theoretical perspective in the area of emergent literacy is that children are innately predisposed to

Kodak & Fujifilm Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Kodak & Fujifilm - Research Paper Example In order to gain sustainable competitive advantage, the company builds its innovation platform on its technological heritage. The company has a unique design strategy which is always looking for opportunities across every product’s entire life cycle. As a result, the company is able to offer unique solutions at every stage of the product life cycle. For instance, customers are offered to choose among various applications such as offset plates, printing solutions, packaging solution and workflow systems in order to enhance the efficiency of their services and products. The company’s capabilities in material science and deposition have also resulted in innovative and alternative products such as fuel cells, batteries, solar panels and biotech products such as films for tissue regeneration, disposable sensors, and antimicrobials. The innovation expertise of the company has also forayed into fields such as biochemistry and bio-fuels. Â  In order to gain sustainable competi tive advantage, the company builds its innovation platform on its technological heritage. The company has a unique design strategy which is always looking for opportunities across every product’s entire life cycle. As a result, the company is able to offer unique solutions at every stage of the product life cycle. For instance, customers are offered to choose among various applications such as offset plates, printing solutions, packaging solution and workflow systems in order to enhance the efficiency of their services and products.

Risk Assessment in Residential Care Home

Risk Assessment in Residential Care Home PART A The group selected the COSO ERM programme to be used as the basis for making the policies and processes of the Kindly Residential Care Rest Home. The following are the main risk drivers for a healthcare business. STRATEGIC RISKS Risk is always included when talking about health care organizations. The organizations should have a well-defined risk management to mitigate and monitor critical threats to the health of clients; also to understand and identify the causes of the risks. Risk can be external or internal based, these can become major setbacks for the organization that can affect the attainment of objectives.[1] Strategic risks are those risks that can derail organizations which make the strategic plans useless. Some examples are competition, market changes, availability of capital, disasters, reputation issues, trends on regulations and technology. Variables like market or economic condition, corporate governance and stakeholders are strategic risks relating to the long-term performance of the organisation. The economic situation of a country can change suddenly, as well as the market. Corporate governance risk relates to the reputation of the organisation. And stakeholder risk refers to the risk associated with the shareholders, business partners, customers and suppliers. Shareholder decisions can change quickly if dividends fall. These things surely will affect the organization as a whole if anything happens. [2] Strategic risks should be handled by an approach which emphasizes on the overall health of the organization. There are two ways to keep the healthcare organization on track. The first one is to lessen uncertainty by identifying possible strategic risks then increasing the knowledge of the whole organization. And the second is the utilisation of performance enhancement tools to make adjustment of the strategies. FINANCIAL RISK Financial Risk relates to budget, cash flow, tax obligations, credit and debt management, remuneration and the organisation capital structure. There are two areas of financial risk that must be considered. Charges relating to non-fulfillment of duties and responsibilities of Directors: The shareholders or other stake holders like creditors may file suit against the BOD under Companies Act for inappropriate conduct in the fulfillment of directors and officers duties. Also, the entity itself may be sued by shareholders or by creditors Therefore it is important for risk management professional to be knowledgeable of the organization structure, the requirements imposed by the charter, bylaws or other documents. And he/she should discover the chances to transfer such risk through insurance policies to protect the assets of the organization. A situation in which the financial risk will arise is when the organisation use debt to finance for risk reduction eventually increasing the possibility of financial distress and the variability of the return to shareholders. The organisation must be very careful in considering the decisions regarding capital structure and the development of strategic planning objectives that will lessen the risk. There are four strategic planning goals to avoid increase in financial risk. First is to analyse and improve management information systems to make sure that enough information is available. Second is to involve administrators and support staff to make them understand the process of care and the outcomes of care. Third is to assess the cost benefit of shifting operations risk to another organisation. And lastly, to analyse the effect of changes in tax policy on the business risk of the health care organization.[3] OPERATIONAL RISK The risk associated with the operation includes breaches of patient privacy, diagnostic, medical, surgical or medication errors and other harmful situations. The responsibility of the manager is to identify risk by making a review of past incidents, reports as well as losses. Also, monitoring the activities of the staff in the work place is important to make sure the compliance to the policies and procedures. The manager should report any findings, issues and solutions regarding the problems. Also, he/she observes the management program to aid in developing improvement in the procedures and help department managers to educate other staff about the policies and procedures. HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK Risk relating to health and safety always exist in a workplace even in a healthcare organization. This includes physical, biological and chemical agents. Things that can affect the health and safety in the workplace are ventilation, temperature and humidity, positioning of equipment and work area, lighting, space and cleanliness of work area. Safety measures to be utilised involves regular maintenance, safe route for people, control of hazardous like chemical and biological agents, and stress. HAZARD RISKS A hazard is any source of possible damage or adverse health effects on someone under certain circumstances at work. In some instances, it is considered as the actual harm or the health effect it caused rather than the hazard. The hazards in a workplace come from various sources. It can be any substance, material or practice that can cause harm or adverse health effect to a person. INFORMATION RISKS As the technology progresses, many organisations nowadays are utilising innovations especially on information technology. Business entities heavily rely on information systems using networks and computers, exposing them to threats such as viruses, hardware and software failure, suspicious electronic mails, incorrect data processing, and accessing infected mails. Criminal IT threats are also risk that relates to hackers who enter the systems illegally, alter data, accessing password, and do online attacks to prevent access of authorised users. And natural disaster such as fire, flood, damages to buildings and computer hardware are also a threat in information which can result in loss or corruption of customer records[4] HEALTHCARE BUSINESS AREAS WHICH ARE HIGH RISK Operational risk is one of the high risk areas of a healthcare business. Rest homes operate everyday dealing with residents including their health and safety. A singular error can lead to negative effects for the organisation. And another area is the information matters, the occurrence of health information security breaches, fraud, and privacy violations can affect the balance of the organisation. POTENTIAL IMPACT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF RISK ON THE HEALTHCARE BUSINESS ORGANISATION’S OBJECTIVES The potential impact of the various risks on the healthcare business can be positive and negative for the organisation. If these identified risks are managed effectively and efficiently, the well-being of the facility will be good and can bring more clients and opportunities; and lessen the exposure to losses. However, if these factors are neglected, the organisation will face the consequences. PART B RISK MITIGATION MANAGEMENT PLAN AND STRATEGIES EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES A professional work environment is essential between the manager and employees. Managers need to have a good understanding of the laws and regulations regarding employment and shall comply with it to lessen claims. And policies are needed to maintain order in the workplace. The healthcare organization needs a clear written policy and process when hiring new employees, the policies and procedures should be implemented consistently, performance management tools to evaluate employees, trainings for both the employees and managers and considering retention of valuable staff. The aforementioned practices will decrease the exposure of the healthcare organization to employment liability claims eventually mitigating risks. FRAUD PREVENTION MEASURES A fraud is untruthful representation of a substance of fact; it can be by words, by conduct or misleading allegations. This kind of event can affect a healthcare organization that can lead to misunderstanding and conflicts. The following are measures to avoid fraud in a business. The facility must have a checklist of suggestions for best practices to lessen the possibility for fraudulent activity. Next is operational control to be implemented such as setting limit to employee transaction and access to administrator, and making policy and procedure to disable access for the employee who is no longer employed in the organization. Then putting a management policy and procedure will come next to update network services, security software and operating system. And last is establishing policy listing acceptable use regarding uses of mail, web browsing and social networking to make sure that the employees are aware of the hazards or risk in opening attachments or clicking unknown links. HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY The law relating to health and safety is the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act). Under this Act, organizations are legally required to make sure are not hurt in their workplace. Therefore, this Act requires the Kindly Residential Home Care to make sure their staff and employees have a safe place of work and that no visitors are harmed in the workplace. Included within the Act is the eliminating, isolating or minimizing workplace hazards for the facility. The healthcare organization should record all the incidents, and training and supervision the staff had to prove to a Health and Safety Inspector in case of an incident. PROTECTION OF PHYSICAL ASSETS The physical assets of an organisation are utilised to achieve the business goals and objectives. These assets should be protected and used in compliance with the policy of the company. Physical assets include office facilities, equipment, supplies, furniture, information systems and technology assets. In a healthcare organization, where high value equipment is being used, management of these things is significant. The equipment must be tracked down across the facilities with the right procedures. The assets should have routine maintenance schedule to make sure they are operating well. And of course, the organization needs a great security procedure in place and accountability as well. The above activities will lessen the costs for a healthcare facility by providing an up to date inventory of equipment and meet the financial and security audit requirements. Also, these solutions uplift the accountability of equipment, sharing of high cost equipment and enhance the maintenance of the critical assets. DISASTER MANAGEMENT Disaster has classification depending on its onset. Some are slow or creeping such as drought and HIV/AIDS. Others are sudden or rapid like earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, fire and strikes. In relation to healthcare facilities however, disasters can be internal and/or external. Internal includes those relating to structural such as building damage, oxygen leakage, and faulty electrical systems. Also is functional disaster such as strike action, or surge of patients. External are those relating to floods, mass casualty incidents, natural and human induced disasters. The people in charge of healthcare facility must keep in mind that disaster preparedness planning is a continuous process. Written preparedness plans must be vigorous in order to be effective. Training must be done on regular basis. The disaster preparedness planning process involves the development of an emergency plan within the healthcare facility by the authority. Then establish planning committee to call representative from significant department and services. Next is conduct hazard risk assessment such as internal and external hazards, detailed vulnerability analysis to determine the scope and priorities. Set planning objectives based from the results of analysis and determine the disaster management strategies. The next step is determining of responsibilities among the departments and personnel of the organization. Followed by, analysing of the resources of the facility. The planning committee must point out the sources of personnel and equipment which can be utilised speedily. Development of systems and procedures is next. Strategies for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery must be identified. This includes communication systems, public information, education, relations and resource management systems. Writing the plan is the next step of the process. It must be relayed to all concerned individuals. It must be simple and straight to the point. Then, the facility will train the personnel, test the plans and procedures. Lastly, plans must be tested, reviewed and amended if needed regularly. Remember, planning is a continuous process. PART C VULNERABILITY FACTORS AND IMPACTS ON KINDLY RESIDENTIAL CARE REST HOME BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING A sudden incident can interrupt a business and affect the whole operation that can lead to revenue loss, increase costs and decrease in productivity. Being prepared is significant for the organisation to keep things running again as quickly as possible. The business continuity planning will aid in the recovery of the business. Business continuity planning (BCP) is the process and procedure that are carried out by a business or organization to make sure that critical functions continue to operate during and after a disaster. It should include procedures for protecting the employees as well as protecting the business. BCP usually cover most of the critical business processes and operations of an organisation such as emergency contact details, communication strategies, HR policies, alternate premises, strategies to lessen the impact of an incident, alternate hardware, information back-up and the implementing procedures during an incident. These are some benefits of BCP in the healthcare facility; protect patients, initiate continual improvement, increase commissioner confidence, reduce risk of financial loss and protect the reputation. IMPACT AND CRISES ASSESSMENT The Kindly Residential Rest Home needs to assess regularly their capability to withstand a disaster. The buildings should be checked on regular basis; the protection of equipment is also a priority; supplies, medicines and food should be assessed as well in order to lessen the impact and possibility of crisis if a disaster happens. One important thing is providing training for the staff to response effectively during a disaster. Guidelines should be assessed; it is important in order to save lives. THREAT ASSESSMENT SCENARIO DEFINITION Threat-based vulnerability assessment emphasizes on the different kinds of threats a healthcare facility security encounters. The threats include those low frequency, high impact like patient abduction and wide emergencies like typhoons, fire or earthquakes. The threat-based assessment estimates vulnerability through the ways a patient may be abducted, how the healthcare facility is prepared if the materials and supply are cut off for a period of time or how any interruption of utilities will affect the patient care. The assessment team must be knowledgeable and has a good understanding of historical events of the facility especially the conceptual threats. Although history is a primary indicator, not all future threats can be anticipated based from the past. Scenario-based assessments are advantageous because they are better in assessing high value assets and high consequence threats. Unfortunately, this advantage also creates a problem whereby lesser threats may be ignored and security measures not implemented. RECOVERY SOLUTION DESIGN The disaster recovery plan is intended to make sure that the crucial business processes is continuous if any disaster happens. The plan will give a real solution that can be utilised to recover all the vital processes inside a time frame. In a residential care rest home, the major concern is getting the people to safety when a disaster occurs considering that the clients are all elderly. It is a huge challenge because the residents will have hard time to get to a safe location. The disaster plan should be in place and the staff can use it to ensure the safety of the residents when there is a disaster. First step in disaster plan is the assessment of possible risk of a disaster such as fire, earthquake, flood, typhoon or landslide. Each type of disaster involves different procedures. For instance, in an earthquake, there is a need of evaluation of the building for damage and utility interruptions before moving the residents. However, in a fire incident, speedy evacuation is required due to the nature of the event. Equipment should be checked in order to secure the safety of residents as well staff. Next is planning such as making arrangements beforehand to transfer residents to the evacuation place with a transportation company. In case of fire, flood or damaged buildings, there must be an alternative facility ready for the patients. Also, the transfer of important files and records, and medications should be made. Supply of food and water must be enough to last for one week for both the residents and staff. Detailed evacuation maps are important during disasters highlighting the possible routes. And provide a section for communicating with families of residents and staff who are off-duty. IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNICATION Specific procedures should be developed to notify staff to implement the disaster plan. The manager must describe the hierarchy of the decision makers in the facility. For a weather-related disaster, train staff that will monitor conditions and start preparing to perform their roles and responsibilities during a disaster. And assign a staff to contact important agencies to alert them of the situation and express the actions of the facility. TESTING It is important to rehearse and test the business continuity plans; exercises should be conducted at set intervals and top management should be involved. There must be a clearly defined objective for each exercise. Scenarios should take into account both internal and external incidents and supply chains. All work streams should be tested through a programmed approach; exercises should include trigger points, escalation procedures, communications and plan execution. MAINTENANCE AND UPDATE After the testing of the procedures, make a report specifying the upside and downside to make improvements. An action plan appointing responsibility for each action should be developed, including timescales. REFERENCE http://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/running/risk-management/information-technology-risk- http://www.dnv.com/binaries/BCP%20Top%2010%20Steps_tcm4-575649.pdf http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/risk-management/ http://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/insurance-risk-management-plan/#step1 Paterson M. A., Wendel J. 1996. Managing risk in a changing health care system. Retrieved from http://www.aspenpublishers.com/books/kongstvedt/Readings/Chapter 28/JHCF 22-3.p15-22.pdf Roberts, A., Wallace, W., McClure, N. 2003. Strategic risk management. Retrieved from http://www.ebsglobal.net/documents/course-tasters/english/pdf/h17rk-bk-taster.pdf Stephen, B. 2007. Understanding strategic risks. Retrieved from http://www.wipfli.com/resources/images/5023.pdf [1] Stephen, B. 2007. Understanding strategic risks. Retrieved from http://www.wipfli.com/resources/images/5023.pdf [2] Roberts, A., Wallace, W., McClure, N. 2003. Strategic risk management. Retrieved from http://www.ebsglobal.net/documents/course-tasters/english/pdf/h17rk-bk-taster.pdf [3] Paterson M. A., Wendel J. 1996. Managing risk in a changing health care system. Retrieved from http://www.aspenpublishers.com/books/kongstvedt/Readings/Chapter 28/JHCF 22-3.p15-22.pdf [4] http://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/running/risk-management/information-technology-risk- management/information-technology-risk