Brand Loyalty Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brand Loyalty - Case Study Example Various models have been conventionally put forward to elaborate the decision making process that an individual may employ for improving the quality of his/her decisions. Good decision making is to much an extent, an in-born quality, though the integrity of a decision can be evaluated against a potential model in order to enhance its quality. It is essentially a human activity (DQI, 2008). This paper aims at comparing the decision making processes described in the case study with the traditional problem solving approach to consumer decision making process. The traditional approach: Before analyzing the way in which traditional decision making process of consumers is conceived and interpreted, it is customary to discuss the traditional problem solving approach as the former gains influence from the latter. Traditional problem solving approach: â€Å"The Problem Solving process consists of a sequence of sections that fit together depending on the type of problem to be solved† (A non., n.d.). There are various stages in the problem solving process (ITS, 2005), that are explained below: 1. Identification of problem: In this step, the problem that an individual faces is identified. 2. ... 5. Evaluation of solution: If the problem goes away, the solution works. Else, the solution has to be reselected in the step 3 and steps 4 and 5 should follow until the problem is gone. Traditional decision making process: In the traditional decision making process, consumers are conceived as highly risk averse in nature and rational in their approach. This is the fundamental reason why conventional conceptions about consumer decision making recognize it as information processing or problem solving phenomenon. The traditional models of consumer decision making presents a very logical and rational process, where, the consumer formulates and works upon a logically constructed course of action in an attempt to satisfy the very need. Therefore, the traditional decision making process of consumers consists of five basic steps, namely, need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, product choice, and evaluation of decision (Spielberger, 2004, p. 486). There also exists an alternative model of consumer decision making in which, the cognitive, behavioral and affective responses occur in a hierarchical order. The sequence is commonly known as C-A-B sequence. It is noteworthy here that the steps of the traditional problem solving process greatly resemble those employed in the traditional decision making process. This is the key reason why it is said that traditionally, consumers adopt problem solving approach to make their decisions. Identification of problem is the recognition of need. Information search for making decision is similar to visualizing the problem in context of the background. Alternate decisions are

Should Veil Be Judgemental In Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Should Veil Be Judgemental In Islam - Essay Example It is a sacred fact that in Islam, Purdah is unnecessary for every woman approaching the age of puberty or who has already reached it. Many people and especially the non-Muslims sometimes tend to believe that Hijab is in a way restrictive or rigid and is aimed at keeping the women inferior to men. However, nothing could be far from the truth. Ignorance and misunderstanding happen to be the leading causes behind such beliefs. Purdah on the one side protects the women from exploitation from the strangers and on the other hand enjoins on the women the conditions of morality and purity (Guindi, 1999). Without in any way trying to dilute or disrespect the spirit of this great religion, with all due humility, it will also be true to conclude that many a women who may not adhere to purdah in the strict sense of the term, may still show respect for the innate morality and purity signified by the true intentions behind the cause of purdah. Many people believe that purdah and Hijab ought to be binding on women and any women who refutes the constraints of purdah and Hijab happens, not to be a believer in the true sense of the word. However, though such views do have relevance, it would not be wrong to say that Islam in no way tends to confine and limit the socio-economic status of women to the mere constraints of purdah and Hijab, and has multiple other women centric aims and ambitions, allowing for the full development of a female’s personality. Considering that nobody is perfect, there may not be a dearth of women who though not affiliating to purdah as interpreted by many, may be adhering to a range of Islamic values and morals. With the passage of time, as women are moving forward with the influx of globalization and the opening up of societies, there is no dearth of Muslim women who not only qualify to be called the career women and working mothers, but who also harbor a deep seated intention to inculcate Islamic values in their personal and professional life and identify themselves as practicing Muslims (Abdo, 2000). In fact, the spread of the modern education has opened up the minds of the contemporary Muslim men and women, and one particular thing about the modern Muslim women is that they are increasingly getting reconnected with Islam (Abdo, 2000). Yet, by the virtue of being modern Muslim women, these women also have a pragmatic need to be able to be mobile and practical in the wake of the demands being enjoined on them by their professions. Thereby, demoralizing such women by interpreting the requirements of purdah in a strict and conservative way will certainly not be an act of faith, especially more so when these women have an innate and deep seated respect and allegiance to the Islamic values and morality. For instance, there may be women who may don a veil in their public life, but, who may smoke, drink and dress in an unsuitable manner in their private life, when nobody is observing them. In contrast, there also may be women, who may wear a short scarf out of the need of being mobile and professionally effective, yet, who have the potential to be religious and follow the God’s will in all possible ways except for the scarf. In a practical context, Islam lays stress on the purity of an individual’

Individual Strategic Marketing Analysis and Plan Assignment

Individual Strategic Marketing Analysis and Plan - Assignment Example History, art and culture are essential motives for a considerable percentage of the number of individuals visiting the country each year. In addition to this, they form a strong promotional feature for destinations, towards market segments that are less sensitive to heritage and culture. Not forgetting the fact that, the tourism industries and authorities until recently, have accomplished exceedingly little to render impressive stock of historic and cultural resources available. Even less has been achieved to further the accessibility of the modern Italian traditions and culture (Moller & Deckert, 2009). This then forms a basis for and explains why the traditional cultural and artistic commodities and their use by international and national tourists is the focus of the paper. Through research of the market, the paper will examine the characteristics of both the supply and demand of cultural and heritage tourism commodities, to have a sound foundation through which to set a tourism ma rketing strategy is more scientific and with decreased risk. For instance, research estimates that today 55 percent of Italians go on holiday annually. In these cases, 15 percent usually purchase a package tour for a minimum of seven days. Research shows that more young people involved in these travels are between 30 and 20 years old, though individuals aged over 55 make up for a larger percentage of the 55% of tourists. As a result, of the exceedingly high demand for arts, historical and cultural tourism in Italy, the paper will propose a project to begin a new business supplying the demand for arts, historical and cultural tourism (Consulting & Promotion 2011, p2). Company Description The company will deal with tourism in arts, history, culture and religious paths. When it comes to religious tourism, more than 3000 structures are available in Italy, more than 56 ancient and modern convents, 25 Euro house receptions, 30 Euro monasteries that are available to be exploited by this ki nd of tourism. The company will focus on these areas to supply religious tourism demands by targeting individuals between the ages of 70 and 40. The company will also deal with material culture. The key to excellence for culture tourism in Italy is in the ability to deliver and create an efficient diversification crossing the right artistic, historical and monumental traditions with food, crafts, folk territory and wine. Culture in a wide sense to harmonize the traditional view to protection with improvement of local identity in culture (Richards 1996). The company will also exploit tourism in museums, as there are not enough visitations to museums. The company needs to breathe to the tourists in Italy that the emotions and atmosphere in museums offer a unique experience worth coming back for. The company will carry out an operation to communicate the new tourism features the company is offering within the country, that is involving the people of Italy in processes of systematic red iscovery of their own traditions (Richards 1996, p. 35). Goals of the Company The main goal of the company is to supply the unsupplied tourism demands in Italy especially in the area of arts, history, religious paths and history. The company will exploit all the available and underutilized tourist features related to culture, traditions and religion. Situation Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Art, history and culture are essential motives for a significant number of tourists. The considerable casual attitude of policy

Study of Chinese Wine Consumption Essay Example for Free

Study of Chinese Wine Consumption Essay Abstract Purpose  ± This research aims to examine Chinese consumers wine consumption and purchasing behaviour. Design/methodology/approach  ± The study, conducted during the Chinese New Year in early 2006, used in-depth interviews with 15 consumers in Guangzhou, Peoples Republic of China. Findings  ± The results suggest that Chinese consume Chinese spirits for all occasions, yet consume red wine only for special occasions such as Chinese new year and other holidays. A key point for selling red wine to the Chinese is its positive image; drinking red wine is considered trendy and shows good taste. Another key point is consumer perceptions of red wine as healthier than Chinese spirits because wine contains less alcohol. Two other findings are that most Chinese consumers assume all wine is red wine and have little wine knowledge. Most respondents did not know of white wine or that Australia produces wine. Finally, Chinas culture of face value, mianzi, plays a key role in purchasing and consuming wine. Chinese tend to purchase inexpensive wine for private consumption and public occasions, yielding more mianzi in front of others. In some important occasions, consumers will purchase a foreign (French) red wine to impress their guests and obtain even more mianzi. In most situations, Chinese purchase and consume wine for perceived health and symbolic  ± lucky or good face  ± values. Research limitations/implications  ± The small sample size is a limitation. Another limitation is that all the respondents lived in the urban area of Guangzhou, one of Chinas most developed cities. The findings do not generalize to China. Practical implications  ± The findings suggest that wine is a symbolic product rather than a necessity product in China; therefore, image is an important attribute for selling wine in China. Furthermore, limited wine knowledge tends to make Chinese consumers rely heavily on price for their wine purchasing decisions, as price relates to mainzi. Chinese consumers high awareness of France as a wine making country and their deep-rooted positive beliefs about French wines pose difficulties for marketing other foreign wines, such as Australian wines, in China. Originality/value  ± This is perhaps the first academic study in English of Chinese wine consumption and wine purchasing. It offers important insights on the characteristics of wine consumption and purchasing in China. Keywords Consumers, Consumption, China, Wines, Red wines Paper type Research paper 98 Fang Liu and Jamie Murphy International Journal of Wine Business Research Vol. 19 No. 2, 2007 pp. 98-113 # Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1751-1062 DOI 10. 1108/17511060710758669. Introduction Chinese wine production has grown dramatically since the 1980s, with an average annual increase of 14 per cent from 80,000 tons in 1980 to 440,000 tons in 2005 (ASKCI, 2005; Snapshot, 2005; see Figure 1). Wine consumption has risen alongside the wine production. From 2004 to 2005, Chinese wine consumption reached 420,000 tons  ± 564 million bottles, which brought China into the top ten wine consumption countries (Foodmate, 2007). From 2005 to 2010, Foodmate (2007) estimates that Chinese wine Chinese wine consumption 99 Wine production in China (1980-2005) Figure 1. consumption should increase by 35 per cent, or six times the worlds overall increase in wine consumption. Chinas per capita wine consumption of under 0. 5 litres is markedly less than the world average of 7. 5 litres, and 40 times less than the 20 litres drunk in western countries such as France, Australia, and the USA ( Jin, 2004). For the past 10 years, Chinese wine consumption increased from 10-15 per cent annually, grew 20 per cent in 2005, and this strong growth should continue for the foreseeable future ( Jin and Zhan, 2006). Chinas current low per capita wine consumption, augmented by the worlds largest population (1.25 billion) and decades of 7-8 per cent annual GDP growth (NBS China, 2004) has foreign wineries keen for a share of this market. In addition, a reduced wine import duty and the Chinese governments preferential policy for foreign wines further entice foreign wineries into China (SinoCast China Business Daily News, 2002). Foreign wines, particularly from France, the USA, and Australia, are pouring into China (He, 2004). From January to February 2006, China imported around 18 million litres of wine valued at E14 million, and its annual wine imports increased 79 per cent in 2005 (Worldbydata, 2006). Chinas wine market is also becoming competitive, with many local and foreign brands available (Tang, 2005). Despite its huge market potential, academic knowledge about Chinese consumers wine consumption and purchases is scarce. This paper reviews literature on Chinese wine consumption and then discusses the results of qualitative interviews conducted in early 2006 in Guangzhou, China. The paper closes with managerial suggestions for exporting wine into China and proposed avenues for future research. Chinas wine history China has a rich wine history. Towards the beginning of the Han Dynasty, around 206 BC, Chinese started to grow grapes and produce wines in the Yellow River region of northeastern China (Winechina, 2005). Grape wine production, however, lagged other alcoholic beverages such as Chinese spirits due to weather and soil conditions. During IJWBR 19,2 100 the Tang Dynasty, about 500 AD, there was still little Chinese wine production and China began importing wines, mainly from the Middle East. Due to its scarcity, only emperors, senior government officials, and rich merchants drank wine  ± usually for important occasions such as the emperors birthday (Winechina, 2005). Chinese spirits are alcoholic beverages distilled from grains and have been the traditional drink for nearly all occasions in China. Furthermore, due to historical and cultural reasons, wine has never gained the same popularity as rice spirits or beer (Li, 2006); tradition still influences who drinks wine and on what occasion. Wine is both a luxury and image product in China. Chinese who drink wine are usually educated, wealthy, and middle or upper class (Wang, 2006). Demographics aside, many Chinese consume wine for important social or business occasions (Tang, 2006b). Wine has a favourable image in China, but most Chinese have little wine knowledge or appreciation, such as judging wine quality or taste ( Jin, 2004). Macro-factors also hinder Chinas wine market. For example, few guidelines for wine advertising have led to many wine advertisements providing exaggerated or false information (Peoplenet, 2006). Yet, despite Chinas rich wine history and growing wine consumption, few studies have examined Chinese wine consumption and wine purchasing. The next section describes a qualitative study to help bridge this research gap of Chinese consumers attitudes towards wine. Research methodology Due to the complex topic and limited literature of Chinese consumers wine purchasing behaviour, this study adopted a qualitative method (Morse, 1994). Scholars often use qualitative methods in organizational and consumer research in order to help understand complex issues that may not be immediately implicit in surface responses (Goulding, 2005, p. 301). Furthermore, the qualitative approach is particularly apt for experiences such as consumption (Goulding, 2005, p. 303). This study investigated Chinese consumers thoughts associated with wine, wine drinking, and wine purchasing. The major research questions were: (1) when and where Chinese consume wine; (2) how frequently they drink wine; (3) how much they drink per occasion; and (4) what factors influence their wine purchasing. For a qualitative approach, this study used in-depth interviews and a semi-structured questionnaire of open-ended questions. Data collection All interviewees were friends of the researcher and thus inclined to discuss frankly and openly their attitudes towards wine. Interviewing friends is common in qualitative studies as friends will accept the interview as well as share intimate thoughts (Frankel and Devers, 2000; Pottie and Sumarah,2004). The criteria for selecting interviewees were availability, that they had consumed wine, and represented a balanced crosssection of age, gender, and income. Table I profiles the nine male and six female interviewees. Four interviewees were in their 20s, four in their 30s, five in their 40s, and two in their 50s. Defining Chinese income levels is difficult; different areas have different income levels and income disparity is a serious problem (Zhou, 2006). Chinas average ID A B C D Gender Male Male Male Male Age 33 24 42 23. Highest education University University Senior high New Zealand university Collegea Senior high University freshman University Senior high College Junior high Senior high Income Median Low High Median Occupation Marketing executive Engineer assistant Restaurant owner Bank customer service officer Washing business owner Small business owner University student Retired senior executive Working in a beauty shop Airline middle management Housewife Retired government official Lecturer Entrepreneur Account manager Marital status Married with one child Single Married with two children Single. Overseas travel None None HK and Singapore Studied in New Zealand; visited Australia. None HK None Holland, South Korea and a few others None Holland, Japan, Malaysia and HK None HK, Singapore, Thailand, Australia and a few others HK and Australia None HK Chinese wine consumption 101 E F G H I J K L Male Male Male Male Female Female Female Female 43 44 19 60 40 25 40 58 High High Low Median Median Low Low Median Married with one child Married with one child Single Married with one child Married with one child Single Married with one son Married with two adult children Married with one child Married with two children Single. M N O Female Male Male 30 35 34 University High school University Median High Median Notes: aCollege degree, da zhuan, is a three-year degree. A university degree, da xue, is four years. In China, the bachelor degree is four years and a three-year degree is not a bachelor. A four-year degree is much more valued than a three-year degree Interviewee profiles Table I. personal income per month is around E40, but E120 in Guangdong, Shanghai, and a few other developed areas. Even within the same area such as Guangdong, people in urban areas could earn approximately four times as much (E480) as people living in the rural areas. Thus, differentiating low and middle income depends on developed or less developed areas as well as rural or urban areas (Sina, 2006). As the interviews took place in an urban area of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong and one of Chinas most prosperous cities (NBS China, 2004), this study IJWBR 19,2 102 classified four subjects earning E530 as high income. Regarding education, nine subjects had or were studying towards a university degree and six had a high school diploma. The profiles show that the sample has good coverage in gender, age, income, and education level. The researcher  ± a Chinese from Guangzhou, conducted and taped one hour indepth interviews in Chinas official language, Mandarin. The interviews occurred from 29 January to 12 February 2006, during the Chinese New Year, an official holiday of about two weeks. Choosing this festive period for interviewing had three advantages. Interviewees are generally in a good mood and less concerned with the time spent on an interview. Finally, during Chinese New Year, Chinese have banquets with friends, colleagues, and family once or twice a day and usually drink alcoholic beverages when eating. Interviewees were comfortable and less inhibited answering questions related to wine and other alcoholic drinks. Data analyses Transcribing and analysing the taped interviews reinforced and clarified the interview notes. Furthermore, after reviewing the initial narratives, the researcher returned to some interviewees for a follow-up interview and clarifications (Colaizzi, 1978). General findings follow. Wine means red wine When the researcher asked have you tried wine, pu tao jiu, ten interviewees instantly asked do you mean red wine, or ni shi shuo hong pu tao jiu ma? After the researcher explained that wine could be red or white, they said they knew and had drunk only red wine. They never tried nor knew about white wine. In their minds, there were four types of alcoholic drinks: hong jiu or red wine, pi jiu or beer, bai jiu or Chinese spirits, and yang jiu or foreign spirits. Similarly, Fu (2004) noted that most Chinese think red wine represents the entire wine category. Of the five interviewees who knew both red wine and white wine, D and H mostly drank red wine, as it was more available in the market. A and C mostly drank red wines, albeit for a different reason; red is a lucky colour in the Chinese culture. The other subject, J, also drank more red wine due to availability, but she preferred white wines as they were sweeter. She added that companies should promote white wine much more aggressively in China. These results suggest that Chinese have poor general knowledge about wine; twothirds of the interviewees were unaware of white wine. White wine may be less popular because it does not fit Chinese culture. Red is a lucky colour, associated with good things such as weddings and birthdays. White is an unlucky colour, often associated with funerals. Besides the lucky association, Fu (2004) argued that red wine sold better in China as it has a stronger taste than white wine; the Chinese prefer strong taste. Given the low awareness of white wine, the following section discusses Chinese consumers attitudes towards red wine only (see Table II). Chinese attitudes associated with red wine When asked about thoughts associated with red wine, all 15 interviewees began with differences between red wine and Chinese spirits. Later, interviewees B and I compared red wine with beer and J compared red wine with foreign spirits. In these Chinese Thoughts Choosing red wine or Chinese spirits depends on the occasion Red wine is less strong and thus healthier than Chinese spirits Red wine has positive symbolic meaning (e. g. lucky and prosperous) Red wine is particularly good for occasions such as spring festivals or celebrating good things Drinking red wine indicates good social image People drinking red wine cares about their face or image Drinking wine is more elegant and gracious than drinking Chinese spirits Red wine is particularly good for occasions such as banquets with important guan xi hu. Chinese know much less about wine, than about Chinese spirits Red wine is expensive Well-educated people with good income drink red wine You can mix red wine with other drinks (e. g. sprite) so you drink less alcohol Beer tastes better than red wine Red wine cannot replace Chinese spirits Red wine is good for those who are not very good at drinking Red wine drinkers are young and modern Wine suits women more than men as it contains less alcohol People who often drink red wine like following western lifestyles Xiaozia prefer red wine Wine suits get-togethers with less familiar or new friends as nobody would get drunk. (getting drunk in public is embarrassing) Red wine tastes good You can mix red wine with other drinks (e. g. sprite) so you can try more varieties than Chinese spirits Red wine is a better gift choice than spirits People above 40, white collared, will like red wine Chinese spirits have a bigger market than red wine as people drinking red wine are a small group Wine is for appreciation not for competition like Chinese spirits (Chinese like to compete on the quantity they drink when they consume Chinese spirits) Count 11 8 8 8 7 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1. Chinese wine consumption 103 Notes: aXiaozi directly translates as small capitalist. Compared to other middle-class Chinese, this subset is extremely concerned with image and tends to consume expensive and branded goods to show that they live better than others do. They often favour western lifestyles Interviewee thoughts associated with red wine Table II. consumers perceptual maps of alcoholic drinks, red wines main competitor was Chinese spirits. Eleven out of 15 interviewees said that drinking Chinese spirits or red wine depended on the occasion or chang he. Among these 11 interviewees, eight said that red wine was particularly good for celebrating Chinese New Year and other holidays as red symbolises prosperity, luck, and good fortune. Interviewees C, E, and F, all businessmen,  ± said that red wine was good for banquets with important business connections or guan xi hu. This common thread among the businessmen suggested that red wine is starting to appear in business banquets, traditionally dominated by Chinese or foreign spirits. Besides occasion, another important thought related to red wine was attributes. Red wines health aspect was the most important, and most recalled, attribute. Some of this perception may stem from Chinese Prime Minister Zhus 1997 speech promoting IJWBR 19,2 104 red wine as healthy (Anderson, 2001). Eight of 15 interviewees believed that red wine was healthier than Chinese spirits as it contained less alcohol. Of these eight interviewees, four were high income earners (C, E, F, and N) and four were middle income (A, H, I, and M). Living healthy is an emerging trend for Chinas middleand upper-income classes, so red wines health aspect probably attracts wealthier Chinese. Comments from subject C, a businessperson, covered the major perceived benefits that Chinese consumers had regarding drinking red wine (see below). Due to his age, he appeared to emphasise the health aspect of the red wine. If I had a choice, I would drink red wines in most social get-togethers. Red wines contain less alcohol so it is not as lie (strong) as Chinese spirits or foreign spirits; therefore, it is better for health. You know, at my age, when you reach 40, you must take care of your health. You cant drink alcohol as if you drank when you were 18 or 20 year old. Also, there are different ways of drinking red wine such as straight red wine or red wine mixed with something else like a cocktail (so it is less alcoholic). Even elderly people and young kids can drink red wines whilst these people wont be up for Chinese or foreign spirits. In addition, red wine indicates good luck so it is good for important occasions such as birthday parties and festivals. Other attributes mentioned were red wine indicates good social image; people who drink it have good taste (B, C, E, G, I, M, and O). Red wine is expensive (B, G, and O), beer tastes better than red wine (B and M), and red wine is not strong enough (B). Compared with the health and social image, the other attributes seemed less important. Consumers evaluate products on intrinsic and extrinsic cues (Ophuis and van Trijp, 1995). Wines intrinsic cues include physical attributes such as colour, aroma, and taste, which cannot be changed without changing the physical product itself; extrinsic cues associate with the product but are not physically part of the product such as brand, price, and distribution (Dimara and Skuras, 2001, p. 692). Healthy seems an extrinsic attribute as it stems from the perceptions that red wine contains less alcohol than Chinese spirits, and red wine is a fruit- rather than rice-based drink. Good social image is also an extrinsic cue. The above analyses indicate that extrinsic rather than intrinsic attributes dominate Chinese consumers perceptions. This also suggests that Chinese consumers know little about wine and aligns with studies of intrinsic vs extrinsic cues. Expert consumers, knowledgeable about the product, rely more on intrinsic product cues, while novice consumers with little product knowledge tend to rely more on extrinsic cues (Maheswaran, 1994; Laroche, 2005). A final category of thoughts related to who consumes wine. The most frequently mentioned statement was red wine drinkers are conscious about their face or image (B, H, I, J, and M). Being conscious of mianzi, directly translated as face (Graham and Lam, 2003), is a key Chinese characteristic; people are conscious of what other people think about them (Zhang, 1996). Four respondents (D, G, J, and I) noted that drinking wine was more elegant and gracious than drinking Chinese spirits. Two subjects (M and O) commented that people who often drink red wine like to follow the western ways of life as red wine indicates something non-Chinese or, in particular, western. These results confirm the importance of extrinsic cues. Drinking red wine suggests good social image, elegance, and grace, all of which indicate good mianzi. However, the perception that red wine drinkers are conscious about their mianzi could be negative. For example, Subject M, a well-educated female in her early 30s, told the researcher that: Red wine is particularly attractive to those Xiaozi (Small Bourgeois) people but I am not a Xiaozi type of person. (Why? ) Well, I will consider myself a middle-class person with good income and education but a Xiaozi person is different. Xiaozi is not decided by education or income, but rather by the xingtai (values). Some people may not have high income but they are very concerned with their public image. They want to be seen as unique and different. When they speak, they will always use a few English words in a Chinese sentence. They would also speak Chinese with a somewhat different qiangdiao (intonation). They like to follow the trends and fashions from western countries. For example, they would drink Cappuccino rather than tea. A Xiaozi type of person may earn only 3000 yuan a month but he or she could spend 4000 yuan on a Luis Vuitton bag. Frankly speaking, Cantonese (Chinese living in and around Guangdong province) people seem to be less xiaozi because Cantonese are very shiji (practical or down to earth) so they care more about the actual functions or benefits of a product rather than the image. For example, a rich Cantonese man may drive a BMW (an expensive car in China) but he will stop in a small takeaway at a street corner to buy a bowl of beef noodles if he thinks the noodles are good. This will never happen with a Xiaozi type of person. Chinese wine consumption 105 The drinking scent When asked how often they drank wine, the responses were one to three times a month (A, C, D, E, and F), one to three times a year ( J, K, L, M, N, and O), and once or twice in their life (B, G, and I). Four out of the five heavy drinkers, albeit light drinkers compared to Australians, were businessmen over 40, and had the highest income. They had more opportunities to drink red wine as they attended more business and social functions.

The Personification Of Food In Literature

The Personification Of Food In Literature Since food is created from recipes that have been passed down from one generation to the next, the art of cooking was taught by mothers to daughters, they reawaken the past by reminiscence. It is not a surprise that we find frequent references to the epitome of human characteristics in novels of magic realism, such as Kitchen and Like Water for Chocolate. Food in literature can be used as symbolism for many aspects of things, but its most likely that it represents the ideal voice of a character or the personality of themselves. This is because certain aspects of a character reveal themselves in the personal choices of consuming food and the effects afterwards on the characters. Since eating consists of numeral pre-activities to be performed; the preservation, preparation, presentation, and performance of food as well as the food product itself is what leads characters to behave ambiguously. More abstractly, in addition to giving insights within a character, both Yoshimoto and Esquive l use food to symbolize significant relationships amongst the characters and the association in fact or thought. Therefore, by analyzing the human attributes given to food, we can gain insights into numerous ideas that the writers are exemplifying. This paper will compare the ways in which food is used for the above purposes in both novels. Early in Kitchen we are shown a brief introduction to the main character Mikage and her adoration for the kitchen. Mikage is portrayed as a caring and generous character through her food preparation activities and presentation. While preparing food for others, she upholds a feeling of contentment and happiness because the warmth of food and the company of her loved ones. We see that through the death of Mikages grandmother whose death has left a heavy impact on her. She describes to have slept in the kitchen after her grandmothers death, which indicates her association with warmth and food was what she needed to comfort her worried soul: Steeped in a sadness so great I could barely cry, shuffling softly in gentle drowsiness, I pulled my futon into the deathly silent gleaming kitchen. Wrapped in a blanket, like Linus, I slept. The hum of the refrigerator kept me from thinking of my loneliness. There, the long night came on in perfect peace, and morning came. Furthermore, being a culinary teachers assistant, Mikage has a particularly refined taste for food and always seems able to make eating an event that upholds optimism and hope under any circumstances. She makes it a social experience for Yuichi, an acquaintance of her grandmothers funeral whos family Mikage goes to live with after her grandmothers death. He had been mournful after his own mothers death and Mikage had prepared a magnificent feast in order to cheer him up. And its true that for the whole summer I went about it with a crazed enthusiasm: cooking, cooking, and cooking. I poured all my earnings from my part-time job into it, and if something came out wrong Id do it over till I got it right. Angry, fretful or cheery, I cooked through it all. (56) Mikage is also shown to reveal her inner emotions through the use of preservation and presentation of food to express her sincerity and concern. As a young woman who had been taught by her grandmother to cook, she does not limit herself to only traditional recipes. She prepares food with vast quantities of materials and tries to expand on her options of cooking a good meal. She questions her love for the kitchen, Perhaps to me a kitchen represents some distant longing engraved on my soul. As I stood there, I seemed to be making a new start; something was coming back (56). The intensity of culinary had given her opportunities to express her inner feelings and to maintain a steady relationship with the people in her life. Mikage prefers finely detailed meals which consist of dishes with lots of color and shapes, reflecting her personality within the final product. Her preservation of food reflects her thoughts and concerns for the people in her life, such as her friendship with Yuichi. She identifies his loneliness and sets out to be a better friend by Finding myself standing alone in the standing alone in the street, close to midnight, belly pleasantly full, a hot takeout container of katsudon in my hands, completely bewildered as to how to proceed. (93) From this we can perceive the importance of friendship from Mikages generosity of supplying food for a friend. On contrary, Yuichi is grateful of having Mikage in his life and the food would taste so good because he feels loved and happy amongst his isolation. It is exactly the notion that distinguishes Mikage from other characters in Kitchen. Though Mikage also has a humble taste for food that shes accustomed to, The food was so delicious, and I realized how very, very hungry I was. It occurred to me I always enjoyed what I ate when I was with him. How wonderful it is, I thought (142). In contrast to other characters in the book, Mikage does not care for her social environment. This is evident in which she describes her eating experiences with Yuichi, her very close friend. This shows that Yuichi has bonded with a person who cares very much about him through her expressive eating behavior. The affectionate attitude to food is related to their genuine friendship, and more specifically, conveying their emotions. In a cafà ©, sensible Mikage drank tea with Yuichi, confessing that it was their first time sitting down in such a setting, Yuichi bluntly blurts out Mikages feelings about her grandmothers death versus his feelings towards his mothers death. The literal description of Mikages profoundly response was Yuichi, the fact that youre relaxed enough with me now to tell me how youre really feeling is a source of comfort to me. It makes me very happy. So happy I feel like shouting it from the rooftops (76). It can be interpreted metaphorically with tea being a symbol for relaxation but conveys acknowledgement between people. Contrariwise, Mikages goal in a genuine friendship is shown in her attitude towards her association with food. When she began to sob audibly, everyone in the place turned to stare at her. Chikas shoulders jerked spasmodically, racked with grief. Tear s fell into her soup (86). Again, the fundamental presentation of food is associated with emotions and memoirs. Mikage, who witnesses his touching scenario can identify that the human heart is unquestionably precious and genuine. The human nature of Mikage shows itself in the reply: the experiences of the last months had changed me. In the mirror I could see only a trace of the spoiled princess I had been, the one who took Eriko for granted. I was so far from that now (87). The death of a friend led her to realization that it was too late to say goodbye. Experiencing a similar fate to Mikage, Tita shows her affections through her preparation and presentation of food. However, she is denied of love from her mother and she is used as a tool to compensate the happiness of the rest of family members while not being able to experience her own. While all the food she prepares does not center on her, most of it was having to do with her entity. So it seemed that Tita was destined from the very beginning to learn the traits of cooking since birth, allowing her emotional connection to the food she cooked later in her life as a form of realism. The establishment of traditional recipes being handed down from one generation to the next is relevant to Tita and her emotions. Since her mother has denied her marriage to Pedro, her lover; he has brought her roses which she used for their family dinner. A sense of alchemical process, this is ominously displayed at the dinner: with that meal it seemed they had discovered a new system of communication , in which Tita was the transmitter, Pedro the receiver and poor Gertrudis the medium, the conducting body through which the singular sexual message was passed (52). Her resilient behavior concerning her preparation of food and drinks shows her frustration and insatiable character; on her knees, was bent over the grinding stone, moving in slow regular rhythm, grinding the almonds and sesame seeds (67). Tita finds her sexual satisfaction in passionately committing adultery with Pedro and this is symbolized by the eating of rose petal quail. Without any mention of romantic love, the presentation of food reflects the intensifying emotions during the preparation. This example adds to Titas profile to have affectionate characteristics. The way that food can be used as a literary effect is evidence in both novels Kitchen and Like Water for Chocolate, Yoshimoto and Esquivel seem to share a similar view on the literary use of food symbolism. The reason that something as generalized as food comes to represent the characters and their need to transform the food with their own emotions. Instead of describing directly what kind of character one is or stating how the plot will develop, both authors use the personification of food to convey the ideas. It is this sort of literary technique that makes a novel enduring.

Hazardous Materials Incident Response Essay -- Hazardous Waste

Hazardous materials can be important in everyday life when properly handled. However, when improperly handled, they can result in injury, death, and destruction as well as have lingering effects that may last for years to come. To address the risk of an uncontrolled hazardous materials release, there must be a coordinated effort to identify, locate, and quantify the hazardous materials in a particular location (Drexel University Safety & Health, 2001). Typically, industry and government agree that a hazardous materials incident is one where †¢ The intentional or accidental release of a hazardous material is responsible for major injury or fatality †¢ The release of the hazardous material or exposure to the fire that ensues results in the need to evacuate 25 or more people †¢ Closure of a major transportation hub as a result of the release of the hazardous material †¢ The hazardous material is radioactive or a biohazard †¢ Whenever there is a release of over 11.9 gallons or 88.2 pounds of a severe marine pollutant, or hazardous material (Hazmat Incidents and supplies, n.d.). Any single organization or group cannot solve hazardous materials response planning successfully. Rather it must be accomplished through the efforts of local, state, and Federal authorities and in cooperation with the private sector. Because of various limitations, one cannot prepare for every type of release, however, the plan can be written to address those releases that can most likely occur. Regardless, hazardous materials response plans must be designed to minimize hazards to human health and the resulting environment during the intentional or accidental release of a hazardous material. The plan should be written under the authority permitted b... ...(2001, March 15). Drexel Safety and Health. Retrieved June 3, 2010, from Drexel Safety and Health: www.drexelsafetyandhealth.com/hazmat/hazmatplan.doc Hazmat Incidents and supplies. (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2010, from Safety Supplies-Work Gloves-Spill Containment-Janitorial Supplies: http://www.bestvalsup.com/v/vspfiles/hazmat_response_tips_and_supplies.asp Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center. (n.d.). Emergency Response Planning: Disaster Preparedness for Small Businesses | pasbdc.org . Retrieved June 3, 2010, from Helping Businesses Start, Grow, and Prosper | pasbdc.org : http://www.pasbdc.org/index/resources/emergency.asp#envemergency Washoe County LEPC. (2006, March 1). Washoe County Local Emergency Planning Committee. Retrieved June 3, 2010, from Washoe County Local Emergency Planning Committee: http://www.washoelepc.com/pdf/Section1.pdf

February Action †creative writing Essay

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