Confessions of a Host Sister free essay sample

Her name was Mona Alice. She was tall, slim, 15-years-old, and redheaded. Her interests included the flute, volleyball, and reading. She was from Hamburg, Germany. As I scanned the details on the exchange student’s profile, I instantly liked her, as I played an instrument and liked to read as well. I then turned to Mona’s personal letter, and through her writing I could see that she was a very pleasant and charming girl. Although my parents were not planning to host an exchange student anytime in the near future, I felt that I had to meet Mona; I had to be her host sister. A few weeks and a lot of discussion later, we decided to host Mona for the entire 2007-08 school year. My younger sister and I were so excited because we would get to have another sister for a year! Even though I would not meet Mona for a couple months, I was already planning on spending lots of time with her, learning about her culture while showing her mine, reminiscing about Europe (I was about to go on a six-week exchange to Poland), and becoming best friends. We will write a custom essay sample on Confessions of a Host Sister or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I had even written an essay for English class about how excited I was to meet her. When Mona arrived at Newark airport at approximately 12:30 A.M. on August 17, quite energetic and friendly despite the fact that she had probably been awake for almost 24 hours, my fantasies about having another confidante still held true. However, it was clear from the events that unfolded during the year that I was a bit idealistic. I had never thought that Mona and I might not always get along. After all, I had chosen to have her live with us. I should have known this though, considering that I had already been an older sister for almost fourteen years and was used to the inevitable bickering, sharing the bathroom and fighting for attention. Now, instead of having one younger sibling with whom to vie for space, I had two. Also, I was a junior in high school, and had more schoolwork than I had expected. I was very stressed. It was an obvious recipe for tension. The one thing that caused the most strife between Mona and I was the amount of attention people seemed to give her, and the dearth of attention I thought they gave me. As a quiet person, I had enough trouble trying to get others’ attention and feel included. While today I am happy that so many people were not only friendly to Mona but also genuinely interested in her culture, at the time I felt both jealous and jilted that random strangers, relatives, and friends would ignore me in favor of having an engaging conversation with â€Å"The German Girl.† For example, at an ice cream shop, a woman asked Mona about the activities occurring at the high school, but ignored my sister and me until Mona introduced us. I did not directly take my frustration out on Mona, but I was angry with her for being able to charm people instantly, while this was extremely difficult for me. Often, being around her made me feel like I was a supporting actor or even an extra in a movie starring Mona. It felt like I had lost my identity. I wanted people to notice me when I spoke, to think of me as â€Å"Devon,† instead of â€Å"Mona’s host sister.† Although I was often frustrated with Mona, we definitely did get along at times. Mona was always curious about how my day was, and was concerned when I was upset. When one of my friends had hurt my feelings, she made sure I was okay. When my crush had given me a ride home from an academic team event, she wanted to know all the details. Mona became one of my confidantes. I could tell her secrets or opinions that I had trouble expressing to others. We even planned to drive to the beach once I had my license. I realize that, at times, we were quite close. In some ways, we were like sisters. However, I did not admit to myself that Mona was not purposely trying to steal attention from me until it was almost time for her to return to Germany. It was then that I realized that I should have been proud that I was hosting such an amiable girl. While I did learn a lot about Mona’s culture when we were at home, I wish I had listened when she shared it with other people, instead of letti ng my anger silently stew. Mona is a very kind, funny, and genuine person who I am glad that I got to know over the past school year. She did not become homesick; she truly wanted to immerse herself in our culture. I love her adorably off-key rendition of â€Å"Bleeding Love.† I miss the fact that she was only a few steps away if I wanted to talk to her. Now, there is an ocean between us. That being said, one of my biggest regrets is not recognizing this sooner. Thus far, hosting Mona was probably one of the best learning experiences I have had. Of course, hosting an exchange student exposed me to a different culture; however, the most important thing I learned was how to improve myself. I had to adapt to sharing the house (more so the bathroom than anything else) with an extra person, which will definitely help me adapt to life in a residence hall at a college. Also, I realized that I could not gain a new best friend by simply choosing to have her live with me. Developing strong friendships can take months or years of work; we cannot develop them overnight or out of convenience. My true friends are people whose genuine interest and care in me never wavers, people who always identify me as my own person, and I am more grateful for them than ever before. Finally, I learned a huge lesson about myself. If I want people to notice me, I have to make an effort to be outgoing. I also have tell myself that there will be some instances where I may f eel ignored or boring, but I have to get past them and not let them shake my confidence. I am very grateful that Mona and I ended up getting along by the end of her visit to the United States. The last week of her stay was the probably the most bittersweet. My family packed a lot of activities into that week; we went to a water park, had a going away party for Mona, and took her to see Sex and the City the night before her very early flight. I had not gotten my driver’s license before she left, but I did have my permit. Mona wanted to go with me when I practiced driving, so I drove her around our town during one of my father’s driving lessons. We may not have made it to the beach, but Mona was still happy that I was able to drive her somewhere. Leaving Mona at the airport was one of the saddest things I have ever had to do. The first few weeks after she left were surreal. It was weird not having the house filled with her chatter. Everyone in my family instantly became sad when we heard â€Å"Bleeding Love† on the radio, but no Mona singing along. Lu ckily, thanks to modern technology, I have been able to communicate with Mona via Facebook. She may visit the United States next fall, and I hope I will be able to visit her home when I study abroad in college. The next time I see Mona, I know we will be as close as we were by the end of her stay. We will greet each other, happy, reunited, as sisters.

Philosophy on Followership free essay sample

In this paper I will discuss what followership is to me and what is expected out of a follower. I will introduce followers from different realms and show what they did to become the famous people they are today. Also I will be introducing bad followership. Values on Followers No one is born a leader, and for sure no one jumps into a leadership role without first being a follower. No matter how many times you here the phrase â€Å"A good leader is also a good follower† or if you never heard of it before, it still holds itself to be true. But before a follower can become a leader, one must be a good follower to prove their self to become that leader. There are plenty different aspects of a good follower. Some for example according to The Latimer Group would be to carry one’s own weight, celebrating performance of others, and contributing to the process. We will write a custom essay sample on Philosophy on Followership or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are also plenty of leaders in history who showed excellent followership before they went on to become a leader. Good followers are important because bad ones could cause problems both internally and externally within an organization. The aspects listed above show what it is like to be a leader. The Latimer Group explained the aspects like this: why celebrate the performance of others, because followers congratulate the success of their team members, or squad, or what have you. Good followers love to see their team succeed. Followers should be thinking â€Å"we† as a group, and rarely should be thinking of just â€Å"I† as an individual. It gets to a point though when a follower should realize that cheering on others is good but they should also be carrying on their own weight and not just watching others do the work for them. The follower should be part of the process, not just along for the ride, but putting in work for the team, and contributing whenever possible and appropriate. The Latimer Group brought up some good points, but I personally think there were a few things that they missed. For instance I believe a good follower should understand communication. By communication I mean the chain of command and that a good follower understands and respects it. When a good follower shows that he or she understands the chain of command they understand where to go to ask questions and they understand the ine of authority and responsibility within the organization. Not only are there plenty of leaders in history who were once followers but there are also great followers who serve just as important roles as the leader and are just as acknowledged as much. The website michaelhyatt. com, gave the example that Joshua followed Moses for many years, forty to be exact, before he finally led the children of Israel int o the Promised Land. Another famous one but also a fantasy is the well-known Batman and Robin duo. There were plenty of instances when Robin had to save Batman out of a tight squeeze. More importantly Batman chose the follower Robin, also considered to be Batman’s sidekick, to be his relief when it was time for Batman to hang up the cape. This brings the point that many times a follower would be set so he or she could surpass or one day become that leader their self. After all, people age and eventually the old gets replaced with the new so it is up to the leaders of today to inspire and teach the followers to become the leaders of tomorrow. Bad followership could be a major problem within an organization. I stated that it could cause problems internally and externally. The fact is that the two resemble one another, meaning that internal problems within an organization will harm getting the work done and then causing an external problem to where others can see that there is an issue. The key is to acknowledge the bad followers before they can become an influence within a group. An example of bad followership that was pointed out well by Phillip S. Meilinger in his article â€Å"The 10 Rules of Good Followership† a follower shouldn’t blame their boss for an unpopular decision. This could be bad because a follower may not realize it but he himself may be looked up upon by other people within the organization and in turn they start to become a bad follower as well, thus becoming a bad influence in the organization against the mission at hand. It is the follower’s job to support decisions that have been made not to undermine them and throw it away just because the person didn’t like it. The aspects that were explained showed what it takes for a person to be a great follower. It pointed out key factors that should be recognized. â€Å"A good leader is also a good follower† is proven to be in true both in history with Joshua and Moses and in other ways such as through TV shows with Batman and Robin. Good followers are important because bad ones could cause bad influences within organizations and ruin the mission at hand. Ultimately it is up to the leaders of today to instruct the leaders of tomorrow.

Intermediate Goals MBA Sample Essay

Intermediate Goals MBA Sample EssayIf you are interested in acquiring an MBA and don't know where to start, you may want to look into reading an MBA sample essay. You may have seen these samples on websites like This is MBA or MBAschools.com.These sample essays give you a good idea of how an MBA student should write a comprehensive paper in order to successfully complete the course and graduate. The writing samples are written for an audience of MBA students, so the focus is squarely on the goals, methods, and process of writing a sample essay. Some even include sample exam questions for you to test your skills on.An essay for an MBA course usually has several sections. It will start out with an introduction, which explains the reason for writing the essay. Then, it will follow with the goal of the essay, the information you intend to convey, and the personal experiences that reflect what the purpose of the essay is all about. At this point, you'll also add in a few points regarding the topics that you intend to address in the essay.Next, you'll begin the second part of the MBA sample essay, which usually starts off with the method of writing the essay. This section will provide some detail on the format of the paper. The end of the section will provide specific examples of how to construct a paper in various ways. This section also provides tips on how to get your point across.Next, the sample essay will move onto the essay's key details. In this section, you'll provide a brief description of each topic or point that you plan to cover in the paper. You will also describe the relationship between the topic and your reasons for writing the paper.Finally, the final section will bring your points together.You will provide the reader with examples of how these topics can be discussed. This final section will also provide you with examples of how the writer can formulate a cogent argument. You should discuss your essay in great detail in order to convince the reader that they have a good understanding of your paper's content.While writing an MBA sample essay is not the only way to write an MBA paper, it can be a helpful tool for learning how to write. A written essay will provide you with a means of articulating your points, and it will help you develop the skills you need to effectively present your ideas.In addition, if you have an MBA, you know that the subject matter of your class often involves a lot of current issues and events that might prove to be difficult to write about without some experience in the area. Fortunately, you can still gain some skills in this area through an MBA sample essay.

Herrmann Last Name Meaning and Family History

Herrmann Last Name Meaning and Family History The German Herrmann is a patronymic surname which means soldier, army man, or warrior derived from the Germanic elements heri, meaning army, and mann, meaning man. Harmon and Hermon are common English variants of this surname. Alternate Surname Spellings:  Herrman, Hermann, Herman Famous People With the Herrmann Surname Bernard Herrmann  - American composer  best known as the author of scores for Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock films including Citizen Kane and PsychoAlexander Herrmann  - French magician known as Herrmann the GreatHans Herrmann -  Ã‚  Former Formula One driver from Stuttgart, GermanyEdward Herrmann - American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch, Richard, on Gilmore Girls  Jakob Hermann - Swiss mathematicianWalter Herrmann - German nuclear physicist Where Is the Herrmann Name Most Common? According to Forebears, the  Herrmann surname can be traced back to Brandenburg, and is still most commonly found in Germany, ranking as the countrys 38th most common surname. It is also somewhat common in Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg. Data from  WorldNames PublicProfiler  indicates the Herrmann surname is equally prevalent throughout much of Germany, with a slightly higher incidence around Saarland and Sachsen. Surname maps from MyHeritage.de indicate the Hermann  last name is focused in scattered pockets around Germany and is most common in the counties and cities of Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Region Hannover, Ortenaukreis, Reutlingen, Dresden, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Leipzig, and Saarlouis. Family Crest or Coat of Arms Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Herrmann family crest or coat of arms for the Herrmann surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Genealogy Resources Meanings of Common German Surnames - Uncover the meaning of your last name with this free guide to the meanings and origins of common German surnames.Harmon/Harman/Herman  DNA  Surname Project - Individuals with the Harmon  surname, and variations such as  Herman, Herrmann, Herrman, Harman and Herman, are invited to participate in this group DNA project in an attempt to learn more about their family origins. The website includes information on the project, the research done to date, and instructions on how to participate.HERRMANN  Family Genealogy Forum - This free message board is focused on descendants of Herrmann ancestors around the world. Search or browse the archives for information on your ancestors, or join the group and post your own Herrmann query.FamilySearch - HERRMANN  Genealogy - Explore over 2.4 million results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Herrmann surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Je sus Christ of Latter-day Saints. GeneaNet - Herrmann  Records - GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. Sources Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. https://www.thoughtco.com/surname-meanings-and-origins-s2-1422408

Aquaculture And Fisheries Industry In Malaysia

Aquaculture And Fisheries Industry In Malaysia INTRODUCTION Aquaculture industry in Malaysia nowadays has become one of engine of growth that contributes to the improvement in the economy of our country. Fisheries industry is one of the main sectors of food supply in Malaysia. At 2008, aquaculture has achieved about 20.8% contribution in fisheries industry   [ 1 ]   . Among various types of aquaculture activities, brackish water aquaculture is the predominant practise in the industry. Aquaculture is becoming one of ways to enhance food security and increase export revenues of Malaysia. Thus, commercialisation of aquaculture industry is the great concern give by government and private sectors to promote a better life and standard of living of people despite of increasing the economy development. I want to investigate how far the commercialisation of shrimp does contribute in the aspect of economy development and Human Developing Index. I have the idea to do this research initially because I’ve seen that farmed shrimp h ave been demanded by people for many reasons. This research was done to investigate the effect of commercialisation of shrimp farming in aquaculture industry towards the area in Merbok, Kedah. Most of the shrimp farmers choose various type of shrimp in their farm according to demand by people. I chose to do this research in Merbok initially because it is one of important aquaculture area of in Kuala Muda, Kedah. Moreover, Kedah is poised to become a major shrimp aquaculture zone   [ 2 ]   . The research is significant to investigate the effect of commercialisation towards the surrounding area including farmers, households and private sectors in Merbok. The Malaysian government assists the shrimp culture industry through the Department of Fisheries, which provides advice and technical assistance. In addition, aquaculture industry is become to produce high value species for domestic market as well as for the export market. About 80 percent of the Malaysian shrimp culture productio n is exported, mostly to Singapore, Japan, the United States, and Europe. Export market contributes mainly towards increasing revenues in economy of Malaysia. But, in this research, there is no numerical data about export of shrimp because most of farmers in Merbok do not export their products directly. Besides, this research is significant to make the community realise the steps taken by government to improve income and standard of living of poor people in Malaysia in order to reduce poverty. Most of Malaysian does not aware of it. Commercialization is the main purpose did by government to attract more people involve in this profitable sector. Furthermore, I also include the challenges faced by farmers in shrimp farming. 1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This study is attempted to make a further study of the effects of commercialism of tiger shrimp farming towards economy of Merbok. The objectives of study are: To investigate on how and how far has the aquaculture industry brought to improve ment in the economy development of Merbok, Kedah. To study the demand and supply of tiger shrimp before and after commercialization. To investigate the government intervention to improve this industry as one of important industry in Merbok, Kedah. To investigate the role aquaculture industry in increasing the standard of living of farmers, graduates and etc.

The swine flu clean up Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The swine flu clean up - Essay Example It is noteworthy that the earlier SARS outbreak as well as the Hurricane Katrina were at threat level three and four respectively. Though the current administration has not been found wanting in its response, there are nonetheless several steps that could have been taken to counter the threat of transmission. Swine Flu is a virus that spreads from pigs to humans and then from humans to humans as well. The typical symptoms are coughing, fever and headache with muscular atrophy as well. The greatest risk is not from eating pork but from the spread of the virus from person to person. There has been a widespread belief that the current hype over the swine flu outbreak has largely been media driven and in reality, the outbreak is not as severe as it seems. As the ABC news website puts it, â€Å"As the swirling national media coverage of swine flu nears the end of its first full week, signs are emerging that a certain degree of panic may be gripping the public† (ABC News, 2009). Further, the website adds that, â€Å"While the official case tally in the United States hovers at 64, according to data presented by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today, even suspected cases are edging their way into the public eye†. Thus it is apparent that people by and large are worried over the pandemic and are taking preventive steps to protect themselves and their families against the outbreak. The WHO or the World Health Organization responded immediately to the new threat by convening an emergency meeting where the threat level was raised to 5. According to a prominent news website, â€Å"The World Health Organization called a third emergency meeting in response to a spike in swine flu cases and said the expert panel will discuss Wednesday whether to raise the worldwide flu alert level. After the panels first meeting Saturday, WHO declared the outbreak an international public health emergency and on Monday it raised the pandemic alert level from

International Differences in Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Differences in Accounting - Essay Example IFRS 8 which replaced IAS14 (Deloitte & Touche, 2007), is the standard that deals with similar issues under IAS. Some of the major differences observed between SFAS 131 and IFRS 8 include the following: (Deloitte & Touche, 2007): While IFRS requires that measures of segment liabilities be disclosed if those measures are provided regularly to the chief operating decision maker, under SFAS No. 131 such disclosures are not required. Under IFRS 8, the core principle is used as the basis for determining the operating segments of an entity while under IFRS the products or services are used as the basis for determining the operating segments. Differences may also arise as a result of different interpretation of rules by companies in different countries despite the similarities that may exist between the rules. (Roberts et al, 2005). For example because many areas of accounting require the use of estimates, forecasts or judgments companies may differ in the way they estimate, forecast or judge in different situations. (Roberts et al, 2005). A distinction must be made between accounting r... (Roberts et al, 2005). For example because many areas of accounting require the use of estimates, forecasts or judgments companies may differ in the way they estimate, forecast or judge in different situations. (Roberts et al, 2005). iii. Differences in Preferred Accounting Practice. A distinction must be made between accounting regulations or de jure issues, and actual practices, or de facto issues. (Weetman et al, 1998; Roberts et al, 2005). A number of options are contained in accounting regulations as well as there may also be a large number of issues which are not covered by accounting regulations at all, giving companies even more choice. (Roberts et al, 2005). While it is relatively straightforward (although not necessarily easy) to compare the accounting practices of two countries, this may tell us relatively little about how similar the accounting practices of two companies actually are in areas were discretion exists. (Roberts et al, 2005). De facto practices may differ considerably across countries, even if there are few de jure differences. Alternatively, all companies, irrespective of country domicile, choose wherever possible to use similar methods, de facto differences may be less than de jure differences. (Roberts et al, 2005). b). Having identified the ways accounting practices may differ, the study will now take a look at the importance of the differences to preparers of financial reports and user groups. The main preparers identified by Roberts et al (2005), include companies while users include companies, investors and other user groups. Companies that carry out trade in different carries such as multinational companies are