Poetry Nothing Is beautiful As Spring

â€Å"Nothing is beautiful as Spring†. This Italian sonnet was written to describe a natural world. God's presence is identified as an electrical current that runs through the earth. God's presence runs like the refracted glinting of light produced by metal foil, whenever it is moved quickly. The sonnet quotes God to be like rich oil. Oil is very rich and thick. Oil is needed every where around the world. If you don't believe it, drive your car month after month without getting an oil change or even oil in general.With God being identified as oil, he is measured as greatness. Given these strong proofs of Gods divine presence the poet that wrote this particular sonnet how and why do humans fail to recognize his presence and his divine authority. God's authority is described as the â€Å"rod†. This sonnet also deals with the state of human life. It also deals with human nature. God crated all things in earth and above heaven. This sonnet talks and deals with human life. W hy don't people recognize the things that God has placed in the world? He gave us these things to use for our needsPermeating the world is a deep â€Å"freshness† that testifies to the continual renewing power of God's creation. The power of renewing is seen during the morning always waits on the other side of the darkness of the night. This final image is one of God guarding the impending of the world and containing within Him the power and assurance of rebirth. Gerard Manley Hopkins is one of the most phenomenal 19th-century poets of religion, of nature, and of inner anguish. His view of nature and the world is like a book written by God himeslf.In this poem God expresses himself completely, and it is y â€Å"reading† the world that humans can approach God and learn about Him. Hopkins therefore sees the environmental crisis of the Victorian period as vitally linked to that era's spiritual crisis, and many of his poems have become man's indifference to the destruction of sacred natural and religious order. This poet harbored an acute interest in the scientific and technological advances of his day; he saw new discoveries as further evidence of God's deliberate hand, rather than as refutations of God's existence.Hopkins wrote mostly in the sonnet form. He preferred the Italian r Petrarchan sonnet, which contains of an octave followed by a sestet, with a turn in argument or change in tone occurring in the second part. Hopkins normally uses the octave to present some account of personal or sensory experience and then employs the sestet for philosophical reflection. While Hopkins enjoyed the structure the sonnet form imposes, with its fixed length and rhyme scheme, he nevertheless he constantly stretched and tested its limitations. One of Hopkins major innovations was a new metrical form, called sprung rhythm.In sprung rhythm, the poet counts the umber of accented syllables in the line, and places no limit on the total number of syllables. As oppose d to syllabic meters (such as the iambic), which count both stresses and syllables, this form allows for greater freedom in the position and proportion of stresses. English verses have traditionally alternated, stressed and unstressed syllables with occasional variation, Hopkins was free to place multiple stressed syllables one atter another or to run a large number ot unstressed syllables together (as in â€Å"Finger of a tender of, O of a feathery delicacy' from Wreck of theDeutschland). This gives Hopkins great control over the speed of his lines and their dramatic effects. Another unusual poetic resource Hopkins favored is â€Å"consonant chiming,† a technique he learned from Welsh poetry. The technique involves detailed use of alliteration and internal rhyme; in Hopkins's eyes this creates an unusual thickness and resonance. The close linking of words through sound and rhythm complements Hopkins's themes of finding a guide and design everywhere.Hopkins's form is also ch aracterized by a stretching of the convention of grammar and sentence structure, o that newcomers to his poetry must often strain to parse his sentences. Deciding which word in a given sentence is the verb, for example, can often involve significant interpretive work. In addition, Hopkins often invents words, and draws his vocabulary freely from a number of different registers of diction. This leads to a surprising mix of neologisms and archaisms throughout his lines. Yet for all his innovation and disregard of convention, Hopkins' goal was always to bring poetry closer to the character of natural, living speech.

Investigation Into Waste Management on Construction Sites

American Journal of Applied Sciences 2 (5): 980-984, 2005 ISSN 1546-9239 Â © Science Publications, 2005 Investigation into Waste Management on Construction Sites in South Western Nigeria 1, 2 O. O. Akinkurolere and 3S. O. Franklin 1 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria 2 China University of Geosciences, 430074, Yujia Shan, Wuhan Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China 3 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ibadan, NigeriaAbstract: This study aims to report investigation into the problem of waste management on construction sites in South Western Nigeria and to unveil inherent dangers material wastage poses to the construction Industry. In the construction industries, materials are very vital in building sites, but not all the materials delivered are used for the purposes for which they have been ordered and the subsequent disappearance of these materials constitutes part of the waste.The primary research instruments used was the questionnaire which contained varied questions on material wastage and management. The investigation revealed that material wastage brings about additional cost to the construction project as well as a reduction in the profit of the contractor, considering the cost of storing and transporting construction waste along with the loss of revenue from not reclaiming waste. Also, most waste that occurs at construction sites is due to poor management and lack of awareness of effective waste management.The study finally recommends that recycling and reusing of construction waste is a viable option in construction waste management and that material wastage can be reduced by giving incentives to the workers for better handling of materials and by having trained personals to supervise the works. Key words: Construction Waste, Waste Recycling, Waste Reusing INTRODUCTION inadequacies of the materials such that at the end not all the materials procured an d delivered to sites are used for the purposes for which they are ordered. This excessive loss in materials is what is called Waste[4].Material wastage is any extra cost over and above the materials used, plus their handling as contained in the estimated price for the job[5,6]. Building Research Establishment[7] divides material wastage into four distinct categories namely design waste, taking off and ordering waste, supply waste and finally, contract waste. This study will help to determine. Effective waste management is of growing significance for the construction industry. Adding the cost of storing and transporting construction waste, along with the loss of revenue from not reclaiming waste materials, it makes financial sense for onstruction companies take action to minimize waste. The use of recycled aggregate derived from concrete rubble in the production of ready mixed concrete was demonstrated in the example of an office building, erected in Darmstadt, Germany[1]. Generally, the economic interest in re-using or recycling building materials is governed by three factors listed below[2, 3]: * * * * * * * The availability and thus the cost of natural or new building materials. The availability of disposal space, the tipping charges and the taxes for dumping. The transportation cost. The inherent dangers material waste poses to the onstruction industry. Ways of minimizing waste on construction sites. Ways of keeping proper site records for accountability purposes. Finally, recommendations were made on effective waste management on construction sites. The significance of the Research: In the past, most especially in some parts of Nigeria, practices to reduce, reuse or recycle waste did not achieve widespread implementation for a number of reasons. Firstly, people were not aware of benefits of minimizing waste, nor had any experience of reusing recycled or reclaimed materials. In addition some even believed that the cost f reusing or recycling these wastes wa s prohibitive. Materials, as one of the resources employed by the construction industry, pass through a number of processes before they are finally incorporated in the construction. These processes bring about the 980 American J. Applied Sci. , 2 (5): 980-984, 2005 This research is meant to reveal various losses arising from material wastage and to propose measures that will enhance the judicious use of clients' money coupled with an overall effect on cost savings on a construction project, as well as lead to increase profit and time saving on the construction period.It will also serve as a form of enlightenment to the general populace particularly those in the construction industry. Table 1: Percentage Cost of Materials to the Cost of the Project Options Number of response % Response Below 20% 2 3 20-30% 2 3 31-40% 4 6 41-50% 16 22 Above 50% 47 66 METERIALS AND METHODS Table 2: Methods for Keeping Store Records Methods No. of occurrence % Response Using trusted people 2 3 Stock bal ance sheet 3 4 Storage in computer 3 4 Bin card system 7 10 Daily stock taking 7 10 Log book 9 13 Stock card system 15 21 No response 25 35 This research relies on primary data, which was btained using questionnaires having both closed and open-ended (un coded) questions; containing varied questions on material wastage and management. It was directed at the respondents relevant to the study including engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, builders and contractors to identify the various sources of waste encountered on construction sites and how these wastes can be minimized and managed. The data obtained were analyzed using tables and statistical indices. The scope of this research is limited to firms in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti and Ondo States. Lagos is considered to be the nerve of commercial activities inNigeria and so the relative volume of construction work there is very high. Other states were chosen to complement that of Lagos. Furthermore, a sizeable number of all firms c hosen to constitute the sample for this research were undertaken one form of construction or the other in different states of the country, therefore information gathered can be broadly applied to the entire nation. Table 3: Sources of Waste on Building Sites Sources of waste Response % Response Wrong use 6 8 Mismanagement of materials 8 11 Demolition waste 10 14 Conversion waste 14 20 Pilfering and theft 15 21 Negligence 16 23 Fixing 7 24 Wrong specification 21 30 Intra – site transit 22 31 Transport and delivery to site 27 38 Site storage 29 40 RESULTS Inventory Tools: This aspect shows the importance of materials in building projects and also highlights the need for their effective management and control. Table 1 shows the percentage cost of materials to the total cost of the project. The table shows that 66% of the respondents quoted that the percentage cost of materials to the cost of the project is above 50%, closely followed by 22% who believed that the percentage cost of materials to the cost of the project is between 41and 50%.Also, it can be observed from Table 2 that a sizeable number of firms did not respond to the method used for keeping store records, while 21% indicated that use of a stock card system is the best, 10% believed that the bin card system is the best. Furthermore 10% believed in the use of daily stocktaking, 13% expressed confidence in the use of the log book. On responses on the sources of waste, 40% of the firms agreed that the major source of waste was due to the adoption of a storage system; this was closely followed by 38% of the firms who agreed that the major source of waste was due to transport and delivery to site.Other sources were also given and the results are presented in Table 3. Other sources of waste pointed out by the respondent but not shown in Table 3 include residual wastes, overestimation of quantities required and the use of unskilled laborers. As for the incentives for good handling and minimum waste, 41 % of the firms agreed that there were incentives for good handling and minimum waste while 59% suggested that there were no incentives. The incentives identified by the firms are listed in Table 4. Also, Table 5 presented methods of minimizing waste on sites. Other methods of minimizing wastes on sites roposed by some firms are given in Table 6. Material Utilization: The section presents the methods used by firms to minimize waste on sites, sources of wastes and incentives for good handling and minimum waste. It also considered various means of reusing and recycling wastes on construction sites. Materials Stock Control and Storage: This section gives an analysis of the data collected on material stock control and storage before its movement to the site for utilization. 981 American J. Applied Sci. , 2 (5): 980-984, 2005 Table 8: Origin of Materials Supplied to Site Table 4: Incentives Identified by 41% of the FirmsIncentives for good handling and minimum waste * Commendation of hard working and careful workers in kind and in cash * Supervision and effective monitoring are experts. * Giving bonus to workers. * Regular payment of worker's salary as time due and provision of medical care for workers in case of accident * Increasing salary when deemed fit. * Promoting good handlers. * Using the right specifications. * Approving more overtime hours. * Good design, detailing and erection practice all lead to waste minimization, these should be rewarded periodically in cash or kind. * Avoid overloading trucks. Options ResponseDirect purchase from Suppliers 50 From the company’s central store 17 The company usually contracts it out 28 Others – Table 9: Responsibility for Damaged Materials in Transit Option Response % Response The Supplier 53 75 The Client 8 11 (a) and (b) 10 14 Table 10: Usage of Plants on Construction Sites Option Response % Response Wheelbarrow 68 96 Dumper 30 42 Forklift 12 17 Cranes 25 35 Hoist 15 21 Conveyors 8 11 Table 5: Methods of Minimizing Waste on Sites Options Response Locating a store very close to the Working area. 29 Sending workers on formal training. 4 Supervision by engineers or Trained personnel. 40Good site accounting. 39 % Response 41 6 Material Purchase and Delivery: On the origin of materials supplied to site, 70% of the respondents obtained their materials direct from the suppliers, while 39% usually contracted the supply out. Others (24%) purchase before use and store it central store. The results are presented in Table 8. Concerning the time of placing an order of materials prior to use, responses showed that 32% of the firms placed their orders less than two weeks before they were required, 27% placed theirs between three and four weeks while the remaining 41% usually placed immediately stock becomes less.Meanwhile, on responsibility for damaged materials in transit, the majority of the firms claimed that the suppliers were liable; they held the opinion that the materials were still in pos session of the suppliers as long as they had not arrived on site. However, a minority of firms, about 11% had a different opinion as indicated in Table 9. 56 55 Table 6: Summary of Methods of Minimizing Wastes on Sites Method of minimizing waste identified by respondents * Monitoring the supply of materials and goods to prevent damages. * Close supervision and monitoring by experts. * Provision of both day and night security. Effective planning before the commencement of any project. * Materials should be supplied to specifications and detailed drawings should be followed to the letter. * Conversion of wasted materials to other use. * Introducing incentives to make workers happy * Ensuring adequate storage facility for construction materials on site. Table 7: Materials Storage System Option Response Centralized system 36 Decentralized system 17 Mixed system 18 % Response 70 24 39 – Materials Handling: On the usage of plants on construction sites, Table 10 showed that 42% of t he firms utilized dumpers, 17% employed forklift among other options.Other equipment indicated by the respondents included concrete mixers, loaders, excavators, head pains, shovels, diggers, vibrators and tipper lorries. Meanwhile, the question on whether fragile materials should be given special attention and handling or not, 59% of the respondents opined that special attention and handling was paid to these materials, while 18% of the firms surveyed indicated that no such care was essential. The remaining 23% of the firm surveyed did not give any response, some of the methods (suggested by the respondents) of storing and handling fragile materials are listed in Table 11. % Response 51 24 25On material storage system, Table 7 shows that 51% of the firms used a centralized system of storage, while 25% used a mixed procedure, that is, the combination of the centralized and decentralized systems. On methods used in material stocktaking, most firms used a periodic stock checking proced ure, about 85%, while the remaining 15% used perpetual inventory that is, continuous stock checking. 982 American J. Applied Sci. , 2 (5): 980-984, 2005 * Table 11: Suggested Methods of Storing and Handling Fragile Materials Methods * Fragile materials should be stored separately * Supervision and handling of materials should be done by experts Materials should be stacked on pallets, with little or no access * Fragile materials should be packed amongst saw dust * Stack such materials between shock absorbing materials * Careful offloading during delivery * Materials should be stored in special packs during transporting to prevent damage. * Materials should be stored away from point of heavy traffic, passer-by’s and workers. * Adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions. * Allow only single handling. * Store in central store and carry directly to the site when needed. * * * * Cost of materials when compared to the total cost of the project may well be over 50%, hence ateri als should be judiciously utilized and handled. Manual labor is more extensively employed in most of the construction firms surveyed than the use of mechanized labor. The major sources of waste that was revealed was due to improper site storage, although a high proportion of firm surveyed also believed that the transportation and delivery of materials to the site were important considerations as well. Giving incentives to workers for good handling of materials greatly minimizes waste on construction sites as well as trying to make the workers have a sense of belonging in the firm. The most effective way of minimizing waste on ites is to have experts to supervise the work. From the above conclusion, the following are recommended: * DISCUSSION If materials handling and control are to mean anything, high control needs to be exercised between the parties involved. Mechanization of the movement of materials on the construction sites offer advantages in both cost and time saving, but from the present study, manual labor is far more extensively used in comparison to plants. Usage of manual labor for materials handling increases the level of waste that occur on sites and this can be readily observed at construction sites from the way materials litter such areas.If was observed from the study that some construction companies do not give special attention to the handling of their fragile materials, whereas in developed countries such items are treated with care because they are liable to damage quite easily[6]. The supervision of fragile materials is to be done by experts and only single handling should be allowed. More so, some of the firms studied are not in the habit of giving incentives for good handling and minimum waste of materials, this ought not be in if incentives are given to the workers, they will feel more responsible for the materials and they will take extra are in handling such items. Finally, from the research, it is obvious that nearly all construction firms in Nigeria are yet to start recycling or reusing waste materials on site. Giving contractors the option of reusing or recycling waste will determine the economic feasibility of such operations. * * * * Construction waste recycling and reusing is a viable option in construction waste management and from further studies or research, laboratory experiments can be performed on some construction wastes like broken aggregates or demolished concrete to establish the feasibility of this option[8]. It would be worthwhile extending the nvestigation to other building materials like timber, iron-mangery, broken glass, sanitary wares and similar items. The use of computers should be adapted for storing records on construction sites and for construction planning. There should be awareness programs for all construction companies on construction waste management through reuse and recycling. Also formal education should be given to storekeepers and the foremen on effective materials handling and systems. The federal government should come up with a policy on construction waste management which may include introduction of heavy tipping charges n construction wastes (particularly those that can be reused or recycled) and taxes for dumping or disposing wastes carelessly. This research is focused on the construction industry in terms of waste utilization and management. However, the methodology adopted here could similarly be extended to other fields in the context of engineering. REFERENCES 1. CONCLUSION From the analysis of the results the following conclusions were reached: 983 Grubl, P. and A. A. Nealen, 1998. Construction of an office building made from recycled demolition material. Contribution to International Symposium Sustainable Construction: Use of RecycledConcrete Aggregate. University of Dundee, Concrete Technology Unit, London. American J. Applied Sci. , 2 (5): 980-984, 2005 2. 3. 4. 5. Illingworth, J. R. and K. Thain, 1988. Handling of materials on site. CIRI A Special Publication No. 57 Service Paper No. 92, London. Watts, J. W. , 1980. The supervision of construction. 1st Edn. , Batsford Academic and Education Limited, Fitzhardinge street, London, pp: 37. Tiffin, P. J. R. , 1997. The organization of building sites. Seminar Paper Presented at Birmingham Centre Hotel, New Street, Birmingham, England, pp: 2. Hansen, T. C. , 1992. Recycling of demolished oncrete and masonry. First edition E and FN Spon Publishers, 316 Pages, London. 6. 7. 8. 984 Illingworth, J. R. and K. Thain, 1988. Materials management- is it worth it? CIRIA Special Publication No. 58, London. Sheeduzzafar and A. Khan, 1984. Recycled concrete- a source of new aggregate. Cement, Concrete and Aggregates (ASTM), USA, 6: 17-27. Grubl, P. , 1997. Die Erstellung von Bauwerken unter Verwendung von industriell gefertigtem Beton mit rezykliertem Zuschlag (Creation of Buildings with Industrially made Concrete Containing Recycled Aggregate). 18. Darmstadter Massivbau. Seminar, Vol: 18.

Blood Promise Chapter Two

He grabbed her shoulder, jerking her to him. He was fast-they always were-but I was on my game tonight. A swift kick knocked him into a neighboring building’s wall and freed Sydney from his grasp. He grunted on impact and slumped to the ground, stunned and surprised. It wasn’t easy to get the drop on a Strigoi, not with their lightning-fast reflexes. Abandoning Sydney, he focused his attention on me, red eyes angry and lips curled back to show his fangs. He sprang up from his fall with that preternatural speed and lunged for me. I dodged him and attempted a punch that he dodged in return. His next blow caught me on the arm, and I stumbled, just barely keeping my balance. My stake was still clutched in my right hand, but I needed an opening to hit his chest. A smart Strigoi would have angled himself in a way that ruined the line of sight to his heart. This guy was only doing a so-so job, and if I could stay alive long enough, I’d likely get an opening. Just then, Sydney came up and hit him on the back. It wasn’t a very strong blow, but it startled him. It was my opening. I sprinted as hard as I could, throwing my full weight at him. My stake pierced his heart as we slammed against the wall. It was as simple as that. The life-or undead life or whatever-faded away from him. He stopped moving. I jerked out my stake once I was certain he was dead and watched as his body crumpled to the ground. Just like with every Strigoi I’d killed lately, I had a momentary surreal feeling. What if this had been Dimitri? I tried to imagine Dimitri’s face on this Strigoi, tried to imagine him lying before me. My heart twisted in my chest. For a split second, the image was there. Then-gone. This was just some random Strigoi. I promptly shook the disorientation off and reminded myself that I had important things to worry about here. I had to check on Sydney. Even with a human, my protective nature couldn’t help but kick in. â€Å"Are you okay?† She nodded, looking shaken but otherwise unharmed. â€Å"Nice work,† she said. She sounded as though she were forcibly trying to sound confident. â€Å"I’ve never†¦ I’ve never actually seen one of them killed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn’t imagine how she would have, but then, I didn’t get how she knew about any of this stuff in the first place. She looked like she was in shock, so I took her arm and started to lead her away. â€Å"Come on, let’s get out to where there’s more people.† Strigoi lurking near the Nightingale wasn’t that crazy of an idea, the more I thought about it. What better place to stalk Moroi than at one of their hangouts? Though, hopefully, most guardians would have enough sense to keep their charges out of alleys like this. The suggestion of departure snapped Sydney out of her daze. â€Å"What?† she exclaimed. â€Å"You’re just going to leave him too?† I threw up my hands. â€Å"What do you expect me to do? I guess I can move him behind those trash cans and then let the sun incinerate him. That’s what I usually do.† â€Å"Right. And what if someone shows up to take out the trash? Or comes out of one of these back doors?† â€Å"Well, I can hardly drag him off. Or set him on fire. A vampire barbecue would kind of attract some attention, don’t you think?† Sydney shook her head in exasperation and walked over to the body. She made a face as she looked down at the Strigoi and reached into her large leather purse. From it, she produced a small vial. With a deft motion, she sprinkled the vial’s contents over the body and then quickly stepped back. Where the drops had hit his corpse, yellow smoke began to curl away. The smoke slowly moved outward, spreading horizontally rather than vertically until it cocooned the Strigoi entirely. Then it contracted and contracted until it was nothing but a fist-size ball. In a few seconds, the smoke drifted off entirely, leaving an innocuous pile of dust behind. â€Å"You’re welcome,† said Sydney flatly, still giving me a disapproving look. â€Å"What the hell was that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"My job. Can you please call me the next time this happens?† She started to turn away. â€Å"Wait! I can’t call you-I have no idea who you are.† She glanced back at me and brushed blond hair out of her face. â€Å"Really? You’re serious, aren’t you? I thought you were all taught about us when you graduated.† â€Å"Oh, well. Funny thing†¦ I kind of, uh, didn’t graduate.† Sydney’s eyes widened. â€Å"You took down one of those†¦ things†¦ but never graduated?† I shrugged, and she remained silent for several seconds. Finally, she sighed again and said, â€Å"I guess we need to talk.† Did we ever. Meeting her had to be the strangest thing that had happened to me since coming to Russia. I wanted to know why she thought I should have been in contact with her and how she’d dissolved that Strigoi corpse. And, as we returned to the busy streets and walked toward a cafe she liked, it occurred to me that if she knew about the Moroi world, there might be a chance she also knew where Dimitri’s village was. Dimitri. There he was again, popping back into my mind. I had no clue if he really would be lurking near his hometown, but I had nothing else to go on at this point. Again, that weird feeling came over me. My mind blurred Dimitri’s face with that of the Strigoi I’d just killed: pale skin, red ringed eyes†¦ No, I sternly told myself. Don’t focus on that yet. Don’t panic. Until I faced Dimitri the Strigoi, I would gain the most strength from remembering the Dimitri I loved, with his deep brown eyes, warm hands, fierce embrace†¦ â€Å"Are you okay†¦ um, whatever your name is?† Sydney was staring at me strangely, and I realized we’d come to a halt in front of a restaurant. I didn’t know what look I wore on my face, but it must have been enough to raise even her attention. Until now, my impression as we walked had been that she wanted to speak to me as little as possible. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, fine,† I said brusquely, putting on my guardian face. â€Å"And I’m Rose. Is this the place?† It was. The restaurant was bright and cheery, albeit a far cry from the Nightingale’s opulence. We slid into a black leather-by which I mean fake plastic leather-booth, and I was delighted to see the menu had both American and Russian food. The listings were translated into English, and I nearly drooled when I saw fried chicken. I was starving after not eating at the club, and the thought of deep-fried meat was luxurious after weeks of cabbage dishes and so-called McDonald’s. A waitress arrived, and Sydney ordered in fluent Russian, whereas I just pointed at the menu. Huh. Sydney was just full of surprises. Considering her harsh attitude, I expected her to interrogate me right away, but when the waitress left, Sydney remained quiet, simply playing with her napkin and avoiding eye contact. It was so strange. She was definitely uncomfortable around me. Even with the table between us, it was like she couldn’t get far enough away. Yet her earlier outrage hadn’t been faked, and she’d been adamant about me following whatever these rules of hers were. Well, she might have been playing coy, but I had no such hesitation about busting into uncomfortable topics. In fact, it was kind of my trademark. â€Å"So, are you ready to tell me who you are and what’s going on?† Sydney looked up. Now that we were in brighter light, I could see that her eyes were brown. I also noticed that she had an interesting tattoo on her lower left cheek. The ink looked like gold, something I’d never seen before. It was an elaborate design of flowers and leaves and was only really visible when she tilted her head certain ways so that the gold caught the light. â€Å"I told you,† she said. â€Å"I’m an Alchemist.† â€Å"And I told you, I don’t know what that is. Is it some Russian word?† It didn’t sound like one. A half-smile played on her lips. â€Å"No. I take it you’ve never heard of alchemy either?† I shook my head, and she propped her chin up with her hand, eyes staring down at the table again. She swallowed, like she was bracing herself, and then a rush of words came out. â€Å"Back in the Middle Ages, there were these people who were convinced that if they found the right formula or magic, they could turn lead into gold. Unsurprisingly, they couldn’t. This didn’t stop them from pursuing all sorts of other mystical and supernatural stuff, and eventually they did find something magical.† She frowned. â€Å"Vampires.† I thought back to my Moroi history classes. The Middle Ages were when our kind really started pulling away from humans, hiding out and keeping to ourselves. That was the time when vampires truly became myth as far as the rest of the world was concerned, and even Moroi were regarded as monsters worth hunting. Sydney verified my thoughts. â€Å"And that was when the Moroi began to stay away. They had their magic, but humans were starting to outnumber them. We still do.† That almost brought a smile to her face. Moroi sometimes had trouble conceiving, whereas humans seemed to have too easy a time. â€Å"And the Moroi made a deal with the Alchemists. If the Alchemists would help Moroi and dhampirs and their societies stay secret from humans, the Moroi would give us these.† She touched the golden tattoo. â€Å"What is that?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, aside from the obvious.† She gently stroked it with her fingertips and didn’t bother hiding the sarcasm when she spoke. â€Å"My guardian angel. It’s actually gold and†-she grimaced and dropped her hand-â€Å"Moroi blood, charmed with water and earth.† â€Å"What?† My voice came out too loud, and some people in the restaurant turned to look at me. Sydney continued speaking, her tone much lower and very bitter. â€Å"I’m not thrilled about it, but it’s our ? ®reward’ for helping you guys. The water and earth bind it to our skin and give us the same traits Moroi have well, a couple of them. I almost never get sick. I’ll live a long life.† â€Å"I guess that sounds good,† I said uncertainly. â€Å"Maybe for some. We don’t have a choice. This ? ®career’ is a family thing-it gets passed down. We all have to learn about Moroi and dhampirs. We work connections among humans that let us cover up for you since we can move around more freely. We’ve got tricks and techniques to get rid of Strigoi bodies-like that potion you saw. In return, though, we want to stay apart from you as much as we can-which is why most dhampirs aren’t told about us until they graduate. And Moroi hardly ever.† She abruptly stopped. I guessed the lesson was over. My head was reeling. I had never, never considered anything like this-wait. Had I? Most of my education had emphasized the physical aspects of being a guardian: watchfulness, combat, etc. Yet every so often I’d heard vague references to those out in the human world who would help hide Moroi or get them out of weird and dangerous situations. I’d never thought much about it or heard the term Alchemist. If I had stayed in school, maybe I would have. This probably wasn’t an idea I should have suggested, but my nature couldn’t help it. â€Å"Why keep the charm to yourselves? Why not share it with the human world?† â€Å"Because there’s an extra part to its power. It stops us from speaking about your kind in a way that would endanger or expose them.† A charm that bound them from speaking†¦ that sounded suspiciously like compulsion. All Moroi could use compulsion a little, and most could put some of their magic into objects to give them certain properties. Moroi magic had changed over the years, and compulsion was regarded as an immoral thing now. I was guessing this tattoo was an old, old spell that had come down through the centuries. I replayed the rest of what Sydney had said, more questions spinning in my head. â€Å"Why†¦ why do you want to stay away from us? I mean, not that I’m looking to become BFFs or anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because it’s our duty to God to protect the rest of humanity from evil creatures of the night.† Absentmindedly, her hand went to something at her neck. It was mostly covered by her jacket, but a parting of her collar briefly revealed a golden cross. My initial reaction to that was unease, seeing as I wasn’t very religious. In fact, I was never entirely comfortable around those who were hard-core believers. Thirty seconds later, the full impact of the rest of her words sank in. â€Å"Wait a minute,† I exclaimed indignantly. â€Å"Are you talking about all of us-dhampirs and Moroi? We’re all evil creatures of the night?† Her hands dropped from the cross, and she didn’t respond. â€Å"We’re not like Strigoi!† I snapped. Her face stayed bland. â€Å"Moroi drink blood. Dhampirs are the unnatural offspring of them and humans.† No one had ever called me unnatural before, except for the time I put ketchup on a taco. But seriously, we’d been out of salsa, so what else was I supposed to do? â€Å"Moroi and dhampirs are not evil,† I told Sydney. â€Å"Not like Strigoi.† â€Å"That’s true,† she conceded. â€Å"Strigoi are more evil.† â€Å"Hey, that’s not what I-â€Å" The food arrived just then, and the fried chicken was almost enough to distract me from the outrage of being compared to a Strigoi. Mostly all it did was delay me from responding immediately to her claims, and I bit into the golden crust and nearly melted then and there. Sydney had ordered a cheeseburger and fries and nibbled her food delicately. After taking down an entire chicken leg, I was finally able to resume the argument. â€Å"We’re not like Strigoi at all. Moroi don’t kill. You have no reason to be afraid of us.† Again, I wasn’t keen on cozying up to humans. None of my kind were, not with the way humans tended to be trigger-happy and ready to experiment on anything they didn’t understand. â€Å"Any human who learns about you will inevitably learn about Strigoi,† she said. She was playing with her fries but not actually eating them. â€Å"Knowing about Strigoi might enable humans to protect themselves, though.† Why the hell was I playing devil’s advocate here? She finished toying with a fry and dropped it back on her plate. â€Å"Perhaps. But there are a lot of people who would be tempted by the thought of immortality-even at the cost of serving Strigoi in exchange for being turned into a creature from hell. You’d be surprised at how a lot of humans respond when they learn about vampires. Immortality’s a big draw-despite the evil that goes with it. A lot of humans who learn about Strigoi will try to serve them, in the hopes of eventually being turned.† â€Å"That’s insane-† I stopped. Last year, we’d discovered evidence of humans helping Strigoi. Strigoi couldn’t touch silver stakes, but humans could, and some had used those stakes to shatter Moroi wards. Had those humans been promised immortality? â€Å"And so,† said Sydney, â€Å"that’s why it’s best if we just make sure no one knows about any of you. You’re out there-all of you-and there’s nothing to be done about it. You do your thing to get rid of Strigoi, and we’ll do ours and save the rest of my kind.† I chewed on a chicken wing and restrained myself from the implied meaning that she was saving her kind from people like me, too. In some ways, what she was saying made sense. It wasn’t possible that we could always move through the world invisibly, and yes, I could admit, it was necessary for someone to dispose of Strigoi bodies. Humans working with Moroi were an ideal choice. Such humans would be able to move around the world freely, particularly if they had the kinds of contacts and connections she kept implying. I froze mid-chew, remembering my earlier thoughts when I’d first come along with Sydney. I forced myself to swallow and then took a long drink of water. â€Å"Here’s a question. Do you have contacts all over Russia?† â€Å"Unfortunately,† she said. â€Å"When Alchemists turn eighteen, we’re sent on an internship to get firsthand experience in the trade and make all sorts of connections. I would have rather stayed in Utah.† That was almost crazier than everything else she’d told me, but I didn’t push it. â€Å"What kind of connections exactly?† She shrugged. â€Å"We track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. We also know a lot of high-ranking government officials-among humans and Moroi. If there’s been a vampire sighting among humans, we can usually find someone important who can pay someone off or whatever†¦ It all gets swept under the rug.† Track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. Jackpot. I leaned in close and lowered my voice. Everything seemed to hinge on this moment. â€Å"I’m looking for a village†¦ a village of dhampirs out in Siberia. I don’t know its name.† Dimitri had only ever mentioned its name once, and I’d forgotten. â€Å"It’s kind of near†¦ Om?† â€Å"Omsk,† she corrected. I straightened up. â€Å"Do you know it?† She didn’t answer right away, but her eyes betrayed her. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"You do!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You have to tell me where it is. I have to get there.† She made a face. â€Å"Are you going to be†¦ one of those?† So Alchemists knew about blood whores. No surprise. If Sydney and her associates knew everything else about the vampire world, they’d know this too. â€Å"No,† I said haughtily. â€Å"I just have to find someone.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Someone.† That almost made her smile. Her brown eyes were thoughtful as she munched on another fry. She’d only taken two bites out of her cheeseburger, and it was rapidly growing cold. I kind of wanted to eat it myself on principle. â€Å"I’ll be right back,† she said abruptly. She stood up and strode across to a quiet corner of the cafe. Producing a cell phone from that magic purse of hers, she turned her back to the room and made a call. I’d polished off my chicken by then and helped myself to some of her fries since it was looking less and less like she was going to do anything with them. As I ate, I pondered the possibilities before me, wondering if finding Dimitri’s town would really be this simple. And once I was there†¦ would it be simple then? Would he be there, living in the shadows and hunting prey? And when faced with him, could I really drive my stake into his heart? That unwanted image came to me again, Dimitri with red eyes and â€Å"Rose?† I blinked. I’d totally spaced out, and Sydney was back. She slid back into her spot across from me. â€Å"So, it looks like-† She paused and looked down. â€Å"Did you eat some of my fries?† I had no clue how she knew, seeing as it was such a huge stack. I’d barely made a dent. Figuring me stealing fries would count as further evidence of being an evil creature of the night, I said glibly, â€Å"No.† She frowned a moment, considering, and then said, â€Å"I do know where this town is. I’ve been there before.† I straightened up. Holy crap. This was actually going to happen, after all these weeks of searching. Sydney would tell me where this place was, and I could go and try to close this horrible chapter in my life. â€Å"Thank you, thank you so much-â€Å" She held up a hand to silence me, and I noticed then how miserable she looked. â€Å"But I’m not going to tell you where it is.† My mouth gaped. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I’m going to take you there myself.† Blood Promise Chapter Two He grabbed her shoulder, jerking her to him. He was fast-they always were-but I was on my game tonight. A swift kick knocked him into a neighboring building’s wall and freed Sydney from his grasp. He grunted on impact and slumped to the ground, stunned and surprised. It wasn’t easy to get the drop on a Strigoi, not with their lightning-fast reflexes. Abandoning Sydney, he focused his attention on me, red eyes angry and lips curled back to show his fangs. He sprang up from his fall with that preternatural speed and lunged for me. I dodged him and attempted a punch that he dodged in return. His next blow caught me on the arm, and I stumbled, just barely keeping my balance. My stake was still clutched in my right hand, but I needed an opening to hit his chest. A smart Strigoi would have angled himself in a way that ruined the line of sight to his heart. This guy was only doing a so-so job, and if I could stay alive long enough, I’d likely get an opening. Just then, Sydney came up and hit him on the back. It wasn’t a very strong blow, but it startled him. It was my opening. I sprinted as hard as I could, throwing my full weight at him. My stake pierced his heart as we slammed against the wall. It was as simple as that. The life-or undead life or whatever-faded away from him. He stopped moving. I jerked out my stake once I was certain he was dead and watched as his body crumpled to the ground. Just like with every Strigoi I’d killed lately, I had a momentary surreal feeling. What if this had been Dimitri? I tried to imagine Dimitri’s face on this Strigoi, tried to imagine him lying before me. My heart twisted in my chest. For a split second, the image was there. Then-gone. This was just some random Strigoi. I promptly shook the disorientation off and reminded myself that I had important things to worry about here. I had to check on Sydney. Even with a human, my protective nature couldn’t help but kick in. â€Å"Are you okay?† She nodded, looking shaken but otherwise unharmed. â€Å"Nice work,† she said. She sounded as though she were forcibly trying to sound confident. â€Å"I’ve never†¦ I’ve never actually seen one of them killed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn’t imagine how she would have, but then, I didn’t get how she knew about any of this stuff in the first place. She looked like she was in shock, so I took her arm and started to lead her away. â€Å"Come on, let’s get out to where there’s more people.† Strigoi lurking near the Nightingale wasn’t that crazy of an idea, the more I thought about it. What better place to stalk Moroi than at one of their hangouts? Though, hopefully, most guardians would have enough sense to keep their charges out of alleys like this. The suggestion of departure snapped Sydney out of her daze. â€Å"What?† she exclaimed. â€Å"You’re just going to leave him too?† I threw up my hands. â€Å"What do you expect me to do? I guess I can move him behind those trash cans and then let the sun incinerate him. That’s what I usually do.† â€Å"Right. And what if someone shows up to take out the trash? Or comes out of one of these back doors?† â€Å"Well, I can hardly drag him off. Or set him on fire. A vampire barbecue would kind of attract some attention, don’t you think?† Sydney shook her head in exasperation and walked over to the body. She made a face as she looked down at the Strigoi and reached into her large leather purse. From it, she produced a small vial. With a deft motion, she sprinkled the vial’s contents over the body and then quickly stepped back. Where the drops had hit his corpse, yellow smoke began to curl away. The smoke slowly moved outward, spreading horizontally rather than vertically until it cocooned the Strigoi entirely. Then it contracted and contracted until it was nothing but a fist-size ball. In a few seconds, the smoke drifted off entirely, leaving an innocuous pile of dust behind. â€Å"You’re welcome,† said Sydney flatly, still giving me a disapproving look. â€Å"What the hell was that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"My job. Can you please call me the next time this happens?† She started to turn away. â€Å"Wait! I can’t call you-I have no idea who you are.† She glanced back at me and brushed blond hair out of her face. â€Å"Really? You’re serious, aren’t you? I thought you were all taught about us when you graduated.† â€Å"Oh, well. Funny thing†¦ I kind of, uh, didn’t graduate.† Sydney’s eyes widened. â€Å"You took down one of those†¦ things†¦ but never graduated?† I shrugged, and she remained silent for several seconds. Finally, she sighed again and said, â€Å"I guess we need to talk.† Did we ever. Meeting her had to be the strangest thing that had happened to me since coming to Russia. I wanted to know why she thought I should have been in contact with her and how she’d dissolved that Strigoi corpse. And, as we returned to the busy streets and walked toward a cafe she liked, it occurred to me that if she knew about the Moroi world, there might be a chance she also knew where Dimitri’s village was. Dimitri. There he was again, popping back into my mind. I had no clue if he really would be lurking near his hometown, but I had nothing else to go on at this point. Again, that weird feeling came over me. My mind blurred Dimitri’s face with that of the Strigoi I’d just killed: pale skin, red ringed eyes†¦ No, I sternly told myself. Don’t focus on that yet. Don’t panic. Until I faced Dimitri the Strigoi, I would gain the most strength from remembering the Dimitri I loved, with his deep brown eyes, warm hands, fierce embrace†¦ â€Å"Are you okay†¦ um, whatever your name is?† Sydney was staring at me strangely, and I realized we’d come to a halt in front of a restaurant. I didn’t know what look I wore on my face, but it must have been enough to raise even her attention. Until now, my impression as we walked had been that she wanted to speak to me as little as possible. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, fine,† I said brusquely, putting on my guardian face. â€Å"And I’m Rose. Is this the place?† It was. The restaurant was bright and cheery, albeit a far cry from the Nightingale’s opulence. We slid into a black leather-by which I mean fake plastic leather-booth, and I was delighted to see the menu had both American and Russian food. The listings were translated into English, and I nearly drooled when I saw fried chicken. I was starving after not eating at the club, and the thought of deep-fried meat was luxurious after weeks of cabbage dishes and so-called McDonald’s. A waitress arrived, and Sydney ordered in fluent Russian, whereas I just pointed at the menu. Huh. Sydney was just full of surprises. Considering her harsh attitude, I expected her to interrogate me right away, but when the waitress left, Sydney remained quiet, simply playing with her napkin and avoiding eye contact. It was so strange. She was definitely uncomfortable around me. Even with the table between us, it was like she couldn’t get far enough away. Yet her earlier outrage hadn’t been faked, and she’d been adamant about me following whatever these rules of hers were. Well, she might have been playing coy, but I had no such hesitation about busting into uncomfortable topics. In fact, it was kind of my trademark. â€Å"So, are you ready to tell me who you are and what’s going on?† Sydney looked up. Now that we were in brighter light, I could see that her eyes were brown. I also noticed that she had an interesting tattoo on her lower left cheek. The ink looked like gold, something I’d never seen before. It was an elaborate design of flowers and leaves and was only really visible when she tilted her head certain ways so that the gold caught the light. â€Å"I told you,† she said. â€Å"I’m an Alchemist.† â€Å"And I told you, I don’t know what that is. Is it some Russian word?† It didn’t sound like one. A half-smile played on her lips. â€Å"No. I take it you’ve never heard of alchemy either?† I shook my head, and she propped her chin up with her hand, eyes staring down at the table again. She swallowed, like she was bracing herself, and then a rush of words came out. â€Å"Back in the Middle Ages, there were these people who were convinced that if they found the right formula or magic, they could turn lead into gold. Unsurprisingly, they couldn’t. This didn’t stop them from pursuing all sorts of other mystical and supernatural stuff, and eventually they did find something magical.† She frowned. â€Å"Vampires.† I thought back to my Moroi history classes. The Middle Ages were when our kind really started pulling away from humans, hiding out and keeping to ourselves. That was the time when vampires truly became myth as far as the rest of the world was concerned, and even Moroi were regarded as monsters worth hunting. Sydney verified my thoughts. â€Å"And that was when the Moroi began to stay away. They had their magic, but humans were starting to outnumber them. We still do.† That almost brought a smile to her face. Moroi sometimes had trouble conceiving, whereas humans seemed to have too easy a time. â€Å"And the Moroi made a deal with the Alchemists. If the Alchemists would help Moroi and dhampirs and their societies stay secret from humans, the Moroi would give us these.† She touched the golden tattoo. â€Å"What is that?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, aside from the obvious.† She gently stroked it with her fingertips and didn’t bother hiding the sarcasm when she spoke. â€Å"My guardian angel. It’s actually gold and†-she grimaced and dropped her hand-â€Å"Moroi blood, charmed with water and earth.† â€Å"What?† My voice came out too loud, and some people in the restaurant turned to look at me. Sydney continued speaking, her tone much lower and very bitter. â€Å"I’m not thrilled about it, but it’s our ? ®reward’ for helping you guys. The water and earth bind it to our skin and give us the same traits Moroi have well, a couple of them. I almost never get sick. I’ll live a long life.† â€Å"I guess that sounds good,† I said uncertainly. â€Å"Maybe for some. We don’t have a choice. This ? ®career’ is a family thing-it gets passed down. We all have to learn about Moroi and dhampirs. We work connections among humans that let us cover up for you since we can move around more freely. We’ve got tricks and techniques to get rid of Strigoi bodies-like that potion you saw. In return, though, we want to stay apart from you as much as we can-which is why most dhampirs aren’t told about us until they graduate. And Moroi hardly ever.† She abruptly stopped. I guessed the lesson was over. My head was reeling. I had never, never considered anything like this-wait. Had I? Most of my education had emphasized the physical aspects of being a guardian: watchfulness, combat, etc. Yet every so often I’d heard vague references to those out in the human world who would help hide Moroi or get them out of weird and dangerous situations. I’d never thought much about it or heard the term Alchemist. If I had stayed in school, maybe I would have. This probably wasn’t an idea I should have suggested, but my nature couldn’t help it. â€Å"Why keep the charm to yourselves? Why not share it with the human world?† â€Å"Because there’s an extra part to its power. It stops us from speaking about your kind in a way that would endanger or expose them.† A charm that bound them from speaking†¦ that sounded suspiciously like compulsion. All Moroi could use compulsion a little, and most could put some of their magic into objects to give them certain properties. Moroi magic had changed over the years, and compulsion was regarded as an immoral thing now. I was guessing this tattoo was an old, old spell that had come down through the centuries. I replayed the rest of what Sydney had said, more questions spinning in my head. â€Å"Why†¦ why do you want to stay away from us? I mean, not that I’m looking to become BFFs or anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Because it’s our duty to God to protect the rest of humanity from evil creatures of the night.† Absentmindedly, her hand went to something at her neck. It was mostly covered by her jacket, but a parting of her collar briefly revealed a golden cross. My initial reaction to that was unease, seeing as I wasn’t very religious. In fact, I was never entirely comfortable around those who were hard-core believers. Thirty seconds later, the full impact of the rest of her words sank in. â€Å"Wait a minute,† I exclaimed indignantly. â€Å"Are you talking about all of us-dhampirs and Moroi? We’re all evil creatures of the night?† Her hands dropped from the cross, and she didn’t respond. â€Å"We’re not like Strigoi!† I snapped. Her face stayed bland. â€Å"Moroi drink blood. Dhampirs are the unnatural offspring of them and humans.† No one had ever called me unnatural before, except for the time I put ketchup on a taco. But seriously, we’d been out of salsa, so what else was I supposed to do? â€Å"Moroi and dhampirs are not evil,† I told Sydney. â€Å"Not like Strigoi.† â€Å"That’s true,† she conceded. â€Å"Strigoi are more evil.† â€Å"Hey, that’s not what I-â€Å" The food arrived just then, and the fried chicken was almost enough to distract me from the outrage of being compared to a Strigoi. Mostly all it did was delay me from responding immediately to her claims, and I bit into the golden crust and nearly melted then and there. Sydney had ordered a cheeseburger and fries and nibbled her food delicately. After taking down an entire chicken leg, I was finally able to resume the argument. â€Å"We’re not like Strigoi at all. Moroi don’t kill. You have no reason to be afraid of us.† Again, I wasn’t keen on cozying up to humans. None of my kind were, not with the way humans tended to be trigger-happy and ready to experiment on anything they didn’t understand. â€Å"Any human who learns about you will inevitably learn about Strigoi,† she said. She was playing with her fries but not actually eating them. â€Å"Knowing about Strigoi might enable humans to protect themselves, though.† Why the hell was I playing devil’s advocate here? She finished toying with a fry and dropped it back on her plate. â€Å"Perhaps. But there are a lot of people who would be tempted by the thought of immortality-even at the cost of serving Strigoi in exchange for being turned into a creature from hell. You’d be surprised at how a lot of humans respond when they learn about vampires. Immortality’s a big draw-despite the evil that goes with it. A lot of humans who learn about Strigoi will try to serve them, in the hopes of eventually being turned.† â€Å"That’s insane-† I stopped. Last year, we’d discovered evidence of humans helping Strigoi. Strigoi couldn’t touch silver stakes, but humans could, and some had used those stakes to shatter Moroi wards. Had those humans been promised immortality? â€Å"And so,† said Sydney, â€Å"that’s why it’s best if we just make sure no one knows about any of you. You’re out there-all of you-and there’s nothing to be done about it. You do your thing to get rid of Strigoi, and we’ll do ours and save the rest of my kind.† I chewed on a chicken wing and restrained myself from the implied meaning that she was saving her kind from people like me, too. In some ways, what she was saying made sense. It wasn’t possible that we could always move through the world invisibly, and yes, I could admit, it was necessary for someone to dispose of Strigoi bodies. Humans working with Moroi were an ideal choice. Such humans would be able to move around the world freely, particularly if they had the kinds of contacts and connections she kept implying. I froze mid-chew, remembering my earlier thoughts when I’d first come along with Sydney. I forced myself to swallow and then took a long drink of water. â€Å"Here’s a question. Do you have contacts all over Russia?† â€Å"Unfortunately,† she said. â€Å"When Alchemists turn eighteen, we’re sent on an internship to get firsthand experience in the trade and make all sorts of connections. I would have rather stayed in Utah.† That was almost crazier than everything else she’d told me, but I didn’t push it. â€Å"What kind of connections exactly?† She shrugged. â€Å"We track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. We also know a lot of high-ranking government officials-among humans and Moroi. If there’s been a vampire sighting among humans, we can usually find someone important who can pay someone off or whatever†¦ It all gets swept under the rug.† Track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. Jackpot. I leaned in close and lowered my voice. Everything seemed to hinge on this moment. â€Å"I’m looking for a village†¦ a village of dhampirs out in Siberia. I don’t know its name.† Dimitri had only ever mentioned its name once, and I’d forgotten. â€Å"It’s kind of near†¦ Om?† â€Å"Omsk,† she corrected. I straightened up. â€Å"Do you know it?† She didn’t answer right away, but her eyes betrayed her. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"You do!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You have to tell me where it is. I have to get there.† She made a face. â€Å"Are you going to be†¦ one of those?† So Alchemists knew about blood whores. No surprise. If Sydney and her associates knew everything else about the vampire world, they’d know this too. â€Å"No,† I said haughtily. â€Å"I just have to find someone.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Someone.† That almost made her smile. Her brown eyes were thoughtful as she munched on another fry. She’d only taken two bites out of her cheeseburger, and it was rapidly growing cold. I kind of wanted to eat it myself on principle. â€Å"I’ll be right back,† she said abruptly. She stood up and strode across to a quiet corner of the cafe. Producing a cell phone from that magic purse of hers, she turned her back to the room and made a call. I’d polished off my chicken by then and helped myself to some of her fries since it was looking less and less like she was going to do anything with them. As I ate, I pondered the possibilities before me, wondering if finding Dimitri’s town would really be this simple. And once I was there†¦ would it be simple then? Would he be there, living in the shadows and hunting prey? And when faced with him, could I really drive my stake into his heart? That unwanted image came to me again, Dimitri with red eyes and â€Å"Rose?† I blinked. I’d totally spaced out, and Sydney was back. She slid back into her spot across from me. â€Å"So, it looks like-† She paused and looked down. â€Å"Did you eat some of my fries?† I had no clue how she knew, seeing as it was such a huge stack. I’d barely made a dent. Figuring me stealing fries would count as further evidence of being an evil creature of the night, I said glibly, â€Å"No.† She frowned a moment, considering, and then said, â€Å"I do know where this town is. I’ve been there before.† I straightened up. Holy crap. This was actually going to happen, after all these weeks of searching. Sydney would tell me where this place was, and I could go and try to close this horrible chapter in my life. â€Å"Thank you, thank you so much-â€Å" She held up a hand to silence me, and I noticed then how miserable she looked. â€Å"But I’m not going to tell you where it is.† My mouth gaped. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I’m going to take you there myself.†

Todays selection processes are impartial, rational and effective. To Essay - 1

Todays selection processes are impartial, rational and effective. To what extent is this statement a myth - Essay Example In this paper, the focus will be on the selection processes of present times and whether or not these have turned out to be effective, rational and impartial with the passage of time. It will be taken care of by providing a balanced perspective – one that is in line with the thinking ideologies of the people who matter the most. One shall believe that selection processes of late have turned out to be a myth more than anything else. This is because they are usually filled with people who are either someone’s relatives or close friends. There seems to be little impartiality attached with the notion of selection and recruitment as should be the case in the perfect scenario. The selection processes usually require a great deal of input from the human resources management department and without its due role within the thick of things, the different processes can go haphazard. This is a reality that has dawned upon different organizations as far as their selection processes are concerned. It would be correct to state that selection processes are usually marred with issues which are unethical in nature as well (Smith & Robertson 1993). What this means is the fact that these selection regimes have been unable to understand how different nuances of hiring the right people are followed and thus made a benchmar k in their own right. There are problems which must be resolved in an amicable manner so that the newly hired employees have a better feel of how things will shape up in the times to come (Laser 1994). What is most important here is to realize that the selection processes should be fair in their existence and give each and every candidate a chance to prove his mettle. If this does not come about in a proper manner, there could be issues which could mar the very basis of the selection that is being done under the aegis of an organization. It is necessary to ascertain the exact basis of success within the selection processes because these would speak

Preservation of the cut flowers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Preservation of the cut flowers - Essay Example In most of the cases, people just store these flowers in water, which is absolutely not enough if the purpose is to keep those flowers healthy for a long time. Thus, the technique of growing plants, cutting the flower and the medium used to store them are important in order to store flowers for a longer time. In this experiment, two factors were more closely studied, a) Nutrition in the water, b) pH of the water. Floral plants are grown indoors, in a garden or for floral farming. These plants need to be handled very gently. Their nutritional requirements need to be taken care of in order to get very good quality flowers. Various factors that need to be considered while growing plants are soil, temperature, light, watering and fertilizer. A good care of the plants will results in a better production of flowers. Flowers are cut from plants for two main reasons, a) to promote more flowering on the plants, b) to make a floral bouquet. In this project the focus is mainly on the science behind the preservation of the cut flowers. There are four main factors that play an important role in the storage of flowers they are as follows. Temperature is a critical factor. Photosynthesis in plants occurs from sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to produce sugars. Sugar undergoes respiration to produce energy. This energy is then utilized to produce a flower. Thus higher the respiration faster is the flower development and faster is its death. The rate of respiration is directly proportional to the temperature. Thus, higher the temperature, higher is the respiration rate. This is the reason why flowers are usually stored in lower temperature.

Causes and impacts of the UK currency devaluation Essay

Causes and impacts of the UK currency devaluation - Essay Example ng the currency with the fourth highest trading volume in the foreign exchange market behind the US dollar, the euro, and the Japanese yen respectively (Pan). The sterling has been generally regarded as one of the high value based currency reserves of the world. Its value, in respect to the other currencies, has been on the higher side. This has been because of various reasons, one of the main being the good and reliable financial markets that the United Kingdom is able to offer to investors worldwide. Due to the stability within the UK, and the ensuing level of trust, it has been able to attract massive inflows because of the bourses and financial markets, particularly in London, providing burgeoning returns. The high value further, allowed greater consumption by the people of the United Kingdom, allowing greater imports and out of country vacations. The current financial crisis however sees the Pound Sterling being drastically devalued. In recent months, the Sterlings decline in value in relation to the euro is interpreted by economists and some political elements within the United Kingdom as evidence of diminishing faith in the British economy on worldwide currency markets. Political elements, especially those belonging to the liberal side have rushed to blame the policies of the Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the collapse in the Sterling’s value (Heffer). Sources close to the treasury hinted that the decision in the pre-Budget report to increase borrowing to fund reduction in taxes had led to a downturn in economic confidence and thus had affected willingness of people to spend, ultimately leading to the drop in the Pound. A Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman observed that while the decrease in interest rates had been the main reason behind the fall in the sterling’s value, it was supplemented by the expectation that the rates would decline even further (Heffer). The sterling fell almost 17 per cent compared with the euro in 2008 as the Bank of England

Employee relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Employee relations - Essay Example The issue is that such actions can lead to insurmountable problems involving sentiments of the employee, and his or her belief of ownership within the company. It is also difficult for managers to classify misuse because often the thin line between misuse and productive use of resources is separated only by a thin line. For example, an employee may use the department vehicle for a specific purpose and satisfy his personal requirements on the way. Can this be seen as misuse? Similarly, a management may not mind an employee using the company vehicle for personal needs as long as his performance is above par. Hence, it may be seen that classification of use and misuse of company resources in certain cases is arbitrary and dependent on the valued judgment of the management. However, there are some other official resources, the definition of misuse of which is clearly defined under the company law or a higher legal body. For example the use and misuse of email and the Internet can be clearly demarcated according the usage pattern of an employee. In fact, the employees browsing pattern and online behavior is enough to determine whether he has been using the resource in an irresponsible manner. The irresponsible use of email and the Internet can pose serious losses to the company while it can be a great productive tool if used responsibly. The improper use of the Internet can also lead to situations in which the company may lose important data and valuable intellectual rights. The Internet has over the years, evolved as a very cheap alternative to other forms of communication. Employees may often misuse the Internet and the email systems because they are not aware of the cumulative costs that may accrue because of the misuse. While many people are of the view that misuse encompasses only viewing objectionable material available on the net, there are many other ways in

Theories and theorists with the causes and responses to problematic Literature review

Theories and theorists with the causes and responses to problematic behaviour in children - Literature review Example One of the most basic debates revolves around the respective importance of the features and qualities that a child is born with, and those that are acquired from the environment as a child matures in the company of other people. This is known as the nature/nurture debate (Eysenk, 1997, 305-309) and a number of psychologists have devised experiments to try and work this out, so that more can be understood about how a child learns to interact with others, absorbing the rules of society and finding ways to adapt to the demands of school. Clearly if scholars can understand how behaviour is acquired, then they have more chance of finding ways to intervene if problems arise in this process. Behaviourism is one of the most well-known theories of child development. The Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) conducted some very famous experiments on animals to research the way that learning takes place. He was primarily interested in physiology and his experiment with dogs showed that a random connection between a certain sound, and a reward of food, meant nothing to a dog at first, but with repeated association of the two, the dog could be trained to respond to the tone, in anticipation of the food, so that when the tone sounded, for the dog would salivate, even though there was no food in the room. Pavlov noted that this reflex action occurred spontaneously in the dog, whenever the stimulus was given, and this was called conditioning and it provided the basis for the theory of behaviourism. An example of the enduring truth of these theories can be observed in some typical behaviours in the context of education: â€Å"†¦ our actions may condition inappropriate a s well as appropriate behaviours, such as the automatic lack of attention to the lesson the moment the bell rings.† (Woollard, 2010, p. 12) Further work on this line of thinking was done by American psychologist Edward Lee Thorndike (1874-1949), based on the way that cats learn to solve puzzles. Thorndike focussed on repetition of tasks, showing that the more frequently an action is required, and the more often a reward is offered for completion of this action, the more likely it is that the animal will learn the action. The implications for child behaviour are that learning should be provided in well structured, rather repetitive ways, with consistency in the reward system so that the child over time learns to fit in with what is expected of him. The psychologist John Watson (1878-1958) used the tools of scientific experimentation to demonstrate the validity of behaviourism: â€Å"Based on his research on higher order animals, Watson strove to bring to psychology the same me asure of objectivity that marked some of the other traditional sciences such as physics and chemistry.† (Hart and Kritsonis, 2006, pp. 2-3) The empirical method, based on experiments and data analysis were a major part of Watson’s behaviourism and he is credited with establishing the credibility of Psychology as a discipline. Continuing in this same vein, B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) developed these ideas using rats initially, and then drawing parallels with child development. He devised experiments in which rats were required to push levers to obtain food, and this was called operant conditioning, because the rats had to actively operate the equipment to achieve the desired result. The important factor which he applied to child behaviour, was that rewards and punishments could be used to condition children to behave in certain ways. Skinner’s behaviour modification theories hold that positive reinforcements, such as praise and encouragement will work more effectivel y than negative reinforcements, such as punishment, because the associations of past experiences will gradually persuade the child

Annotated Bibiography Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bibiography - Annotated Bibliography Example This is a book that gives a succinct discussion of the criminal justice and the imperfection associated with it. Written by experienced criminologist, the books present essays that describe injustices such as wrongful conviction in various nations. The authors also outline a number of recommendations deemed as necessary to stop the trend where the innocent are being punished by the legal systems. Most important, the book gives an elaborate explanation of how exonerated individuals can be compensated. Throughout his essay, the author underscores the value of carrying out the right investigation process before charging suspects of crimes. Janet Roberts & Elizabeth Stanton. (2007, November 25). A Long Road Back After Exoneration, and Justice Is Slow to Make Amends. New York Times (Late Edition (east Coast), p. 1.38. Retrieved November 2, 2011, from ProQuest National Newspapers Core. (Document ID: 1387902671). In their article, Roberts and Stanton present reveal the challenges faced by people who have been released after being charged for crimes they never commuted. Reporting on a case of Vincent Moto, a man released from prisons 9 years after serving for a wrongful conviction. The authors also interviewed a number of people released from prison after DNA test found not guilty. The article further describes that most of the people exonerated from prison lacked compensation and had to contend with moving from one job to another. With more findings from the Innocence project, the article indicates that few people receive compensation after being exonerated. In his work, Lizotte examines the case of criminal sanctioning, which he believes to be characterized by discrimination. He further discusses three forms of discrimination that are found in the sentencing of prisoners. Using data from the Chicago trial, Lizotte reported that many of non-white were more likely to be incarcerated as compared to

CMG490 MOD 2 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CMG490 MOD 2 SLP - Essay Example There is also a poor life cycle and workflow in the visibility of the contract. In the contract processes and procedures, there are no guidelines or templates that are proven for particular terms and clauses needed for different types and value of dollars in the contract. There is also an inadequate and insufficient reporting system to the senior management. Finally, there are high costs of staff that are incurred in the routinely carried out review or administrative tasks. Contract management is responsible for the excessive costs due to lack of the expiring contract dates that result into low rates of contract renewal. Insufficient performance monitoring and terms of contract lead to late fees, overpayment, and failure to collect discounts or rebates, and penalties. However, this inefficient monitoring may lead to failure in collecting late fees, underpayment, and awarding of unearned rebates and discounts on the part of suppliers. There are high risks involved in the contract resulting from non compliance. This is due to the lack of policies documented and incapability to show adherence to the written policies related to the contract. The company is also unable to determine if the supplier is complying with the contract terms and conditions. The contract risks also result from inadequate controls of ensuring that those writing contracts possess appropriate legal and risk management and/ or other appropriate mode of authorization before making changes to the terms and language of the contract. The contract risks are also associated with lack of automated reconciliation and integration with the financial systems. This may be due to the company’s inability to rapidly and routinely identify high risk clauses in the contract. In addition, the organization has no monitoring and reporting tools of contract

European Expansionism Essay Example for Free

European Expansionism Essay Identify and discuss the factors responsible for European expansionism from the 15th century. What were the social, political and economic effects of this expansionism on Europe, Africa and the Americas? There were three chief factors in the 15th century European expansionism. European nations such as Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, and England sought out to expand to new lands in an effort to spread Christianity, reap economic benefits, and to gain notoriety and respect throughout the world as World leaders. The expansion caused the world to change socially, politically and economically. As a result of many trade routes passing the coasts of Africa, Asia and the Americas, European adventurers began to report their findings and sightings of new lands to the monarchs of their home countries. European countries saw the potential of economic growth and market development in the new lands that they traveled to, so it became necessary for them to establish settlements and ownership in these new lands in order to capitalize on the potential. The Europeans were attracted to the natural, human, and technological resources that these new worlds possessed and knew that obtaining them would give them a new level of control in the world. Europeans would travel to parts of Asia in search of spices in order to flavor and preserve their foods. They explored America after its â€Å"discovery†, by Christopher Columbus, for its vast landscape and potential to build colonies and use the lands natural resources to maintain and run an econom. Africa was first ventured to by Europeans for trade of jewels, gems  and other sought after commodities, but then became targeted for its native people to be used as workers in their new lands. Once Europeans began to take action in moving into these new worlds, it became necessary for them to set up colonies, economic systems, rules, and almost most importantly, religion. Since all law was governed by the church in European countries, the need to establish the same type of system in colonized lands was very important as a form of maintaining control and discipline. Many European conquests throughout the world stemmed from or led to the forcible spread of religion. The method used by Europeans was a sure-fire way to recruit new converts. They would tell the natives of which ever land they were conquering that they had no choice but to convert to Christianity, or else they would be killed as an example for anyone else who refused their new religion. By conquering and exploring new l ands scattered throughout both the eastern and western hemisphere, European powers now had control in every area of the world. The colonies that were set up in the continents outside of Europe were governed by the same laws, language, and principles of those in their home countries. This social change caused regions to adopt new languages, and accept new, usually oppressive, lifestyles. Political systems were added and changed in colonized countries as well. A country that may have had its own ruler within the country or region now had to answer to the law of the country colonizing it. This completely took the power out of the hands of native people, for they had no connection or true knowledge about the form of government they had been forced to live in. In most cases of European expansion, the colonized country was exploited for economic gain. In some cases the countries people were used as enslaved workers for production of goods, while in other cases Europeans would obtain control of the resources that were indigenous to the land in order to trade with other countries as well as have a supply for their home countries. The European expansionism changed the way the world worked up until that time. Though many negative events took place in the expansion, it cau sed the world to become a global marketplace. Looking at the way the world began to change during the expansion of European powers lets us see today how the world and its economy have been shaped by it. What is the Columbian Exchange? Discuss its effects on both sides of the  Atlantic Ocean. The Columbian Exchange (Term coined by historian, Alfred W. Crosby) was a global exchange of goods and ideas between the Old World (Europe, Asia and Africa) and the New World (America). When Columbus first discovered America, Spain wanted to set up colonies. Columbus found some people that he named â€Å"Indians.† They colonies started to trade with each other, and by doing do, they started the Columbian Exchange. Many countries were involved in this trade, including China, Africa and Italy. This exchange of new ideas, traditions, food, religion and diet changed cultures everywhere. The Native Americans gave and received many items. One of the most important items that the Indians received was horses. Before horses, Indians had no way of carrying heavy loads from place to place. When the Europeans arrived in America, they gave them the horses, and then transporting goods was much easier . The plains Indians also used horses to hunt and herd the buffalo. Another important item was that the Europeans introduced to them were different types of medicine. The Indians already had medicine and healing (herbs) of their own, but the European way was much more effective. In return, the Indians also gave the Europeans some herbal treatments. Europe, Asia, and Africa received many goods, such as sweet potatoes, potatoes and tobacco. Both types of potato influenced many countries diets including China and Ireland. Tobacco was another important addition to Europe and other places in the Old World. Many people loved it. They could chew it, smoke it and snuff it. These who sold the tobacco made a lot of money. Also, many new vegetables from the New World such as tomatoes, peppers and corn went to the Old World and added to people’s diets, which resulted in better health because they received more nutrition and vitamins from the new foods. Along with all the positive things that the Columbian Exchange, there were negative things passed between the two worlds. Europeans diseases came to the New World. Diseases such as typhus, chicken pox, small pox and influenza plagued the Native Americans. Since they had never been exposed to these diseases, most of them were virtually wiped out from the sickness. In Europe, tobacco love was growing and soon it became a problem. Many people were getting sick or dying from starting to make and smoke cigars with the tobacco. Today, America, Asia, Europe, Japan and Africa still trade with each other. Many goods are received, like chocolate. Every country used chocolate in some way. Europeans had used sugar for what  they called â€Å"a cup of chocolate.† So instead out going out for a cup of coffee, they went out for a cup of chocolate. The Indians had coco. They pounded it and then added peppers and put the mix into water and drank it. Chocolate is one of the most popular trade items that are traded today. As you can see, the Columbian trade is still active and important today. Christopher Columbus Columbus was the Italian navigator who is given credit for the discovery of the Americas. He originally set out to find the West Indies, but miscalculated his routing. He is noted as the first person to come in contact with America’s Native People, which he called Indiana because of his misunderstanding of where the West Indies actually was. He completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean which gave him vast information to return to Europe with about America. The voyages, along with his efforts to colonize Hispaniola, led to the Spanish colonization of the New World. The Reconqusita The reconqusita was a 781 year long period in the Iberian peninsula after the original Islamic conquest to the fall of Granada. It began with the battle of Covadonga, where a small army led by Visigothic nobleman Pelagius defeated an Umayyad army in the mountains of Iberia. Captain James Cook James Cook was a British explorer, captain, and navigator. He Joined the British merchant navy and saw action in the Seven Years war. He is noted for making detailed maps of Newfoundland before making several voyages to the Pacific Ocean. While traveling the pacific, he became the first European to contact with the Eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, as well as the first to cricumnavigant New Zealand. The Seven Years War The seven Years War was a war that involved Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines. The war took place between 1754 and1763, with its main years of conflict taking place in the seven year period of 1756 through 1763. The war is known in America as  the French and Indian War. The war was driven by all of the World Powers at the time competing in interests, usually being over trade of colonies or control of territories. Vasco Da Gama Vasco Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who is famous for being the first European to reach India by sea. This navigation helped Portugal establish a colonial empire in Asia. His newly discovered route meant that the Portuguese would not need to cross the highly disputed and dangerous Mediterrianean and that they would no longer have to travel by land to make it to India.

Cherish the Childrens Thinking Essay Example for Free

Cherish the Childrens Thinking Essay Do you think teachers should cherish the children’ s thinking? Most people think the teachers should treasure the children’s thinking and give the children a space to think freely. It is important for children to cherish their chance to think freely, because they may lose the imagination when they grow up. If all people in the world do not have imagination, this world would not have some new technology products and this society won’t progress. This world needs to keep the pace of progress because no progress is backwards, for example the gasoline is less and less in the world, if scientists can’t create a new energy, then gasoline will disappear. So, this world need to progress by imagination and creativity. The teachers should train and treasure the children’s imagination in order to develop this world and keep progressing. Nowadays, most people have lost the ability of imagining because they had seen too many real things, for example they can’t believe there are some aliens in this world. However, the children believe that the aliens are real in the world because the children are naà ¯ve and willing to trust anything. Thus, teachers should cherish the children’s freedom to think and make their thinking positive in order to develop their own better, earn more academic knowledge and change their lives in the future. Firstly, in order to get a better development of children, the teacher should make children’s thinking more positive. Ho (2007) argues that the American education is not advanced, but it is better in other ways than other countries from the article called â€Å"We Should Cherish Our Children’s Freedom to Think†. (page112) He compares the education of him and his son and discovers they are very different. He had to memorize something about academic knowledge, for example the main cities in the world, lines for Hamlet and a number of math formulas. In contrast, his son studied everything by some experiences, for example he drew a map from his home to school and label every street and building he passed when he was six years old. (Ho, 2007, page112) He agrees this learning method because this kind of education can help the children develop their ideas and creativity. The children are the hope of world, so the teacher must use current and suitable methods to educate the children in order that children develop better. Secondly, if the teachers make students study in the process of playing games and answer the questions actively, the children will earn more academic knowledge. If the children’s ideas are accepted by their teachers and their teacher praise them, the children will keep their thinking and want to get more praise. In this case, the teachers should praise the positive ideas of the children and veto the negative thinking. Ho’s teachers answered the question and gave them a correct answer only when they asked, and he didn’t have a chance to make a decision in many cases. However, his son got a good laugh and an A grade from his teacher when he asked his teacher question and told his teacher his ideas. (Ho) And Ho’s son learned the knowledge of history through play the role. (Ho) Those are good ways to educate, b ecause this way can make the student more confidence, more interested in study and study more industriously. Thus, they will get more academic knowledge. Finally, the people will be able to change their life through some original ideas if they keep their imagination and creativity. Nowadays, this world needs more new products that can attract your eyeballs. If you have the abilities of imagination and creativity, you can change the world. For example Steve Jobs, who is a legend in the world, changed the whole world. Because of his ideas, he created many technology products called iPhone, iPod, iMac and so on. Those products all changed the habits of people, for example many people always put the iPhone in the hand and watch it. Thereforeï ¼Å'the people of the whole world are fond of his product designed by him. Then he had become a rich and excellent man. Thus, we should treasure the thinking of childrenï ¼Å'either kill the imagination in order that they can get a better life in t he future and change this world. In conclusion, American education can make children think freely. For example Ho’s son drew a map when he was six years ago. Special method that is to praise children and play the role can make children earn more knowledge. Keeping the children’s thinking may make them get better life and become a person who can change the world such as Jobs. I think most countries can change their system of education and the teacher should use other ways to educate children. They should respect the children’s ideas and do not kill their imagination and creativity in order that children develop better, earn more knowledge and change their lives and world.

Perception of Body Image Among Adolescents

Perception of Body Image Among Adolescents CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background of study Obesity is a state where the natural energy preserve, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and it is increased to a level where it is connect with certain health state or increased mortality (Sidik Rampal, 2009). Obesity is a vital public health problem especially in developed countries like United States where half of the adolescents are afflicted (Sidik Rampal). Today’s adolescents in most parts of the world emphasis on the value of physical attractiveness. They focus more on physical appearance. Hence, body image has become an issue among adolescents who strive fully to obtain the shape they wish for. Body image can be defined as a person’s perception, attitude and feeling about his or her body. There are two types of body image. Firstly, perceptual body image. According to (Lee, Yee, 2013), perceptual body image is associated to the precision of self- estimation from body size to actual size, meanwhile attitudinal body image is evaluated through four components: satisfaction (evaluation of the body), affect (feelings associated with the body), cognitions (investment in appearance, beliefs about the body), and behaviors (avoidance where the body will be exposed). Adolescence is a transitional stage and many changes take place at physiological and behavioral level. In the West, body image is perceived as an important issue as they emphasis more on elegant body. The concerns about body image have been critized that it is a female problem, however that fact is certainly not true anymore. (Wagner, 2008). Just like females, males also wish to have excellent body image of muscul ar men through media, athletics and magazines such as sport magazines. Stout Frame’s study (2004), as cited in Wagner (2008), points out people has a bold awareness of the consequences of body image on females compared to males. This awareness allows for a developed sensitivity towards females; however that sensitivity tends to neglect males emotions and thoughts. According to Ricciardelli, McCabe, Lillis, Thomas’s study (2006), as cited in Wagner (2008), the development of muscularity has arose over the last decade and the concern towards body image by males are of sudden interest. As we know, poor body image can affect a particular individual confidence to achieve their goals and subsequently impacts the happiness of that particular individual. Poor body image occurs due to unhealthy eating habits which include dietary supplements, binge- eating and so on. (Lee,Yee,2013). Due to this phenomenon, adolescents are struggling every single day in order to achieve the ideal body image they wanted. Malaysian adolescents are increasingly eating foods which are high in fat and calories thus leading inactive lives. According to Ismail Tan’s study (2004), as cited in Pon, Kandiah, Taib (2004), more adolescents are obese than ever before. Statement Problem In this new era of globalization, the flawless body image is affecting almost every males and females, peoples from different cultural background, different group of ages and many more. It is harmful to have body image dissatisfaction as it always leads to eating disorder and psychological distress. This is because they tend to use harmful weight- control behaviors such as skipping meals, consuming slimming pills or applying cream on their body as to slim down in order to have the same body image as the model characterized in media. Therefore it is important to take prevention action and intervention in order to inhibit and treat body image since this issue can affect both individuals and society. Last but not least, exploring this research problem also allows us to focus more on body image issue especially among adolescents in Malaysia. Significance of Study Body image is a very important issue to most of the adolescents especially when they grow into adulthood. Many studies that focused on the body image have been conducted over the decade. However, while body image has been the focus of study in many countries such as United States and Korea, it is not immensely studied in Malaysia. This is because the studies on body image are restricted in Malaysia (EssayUk, 2013). Therefore, the current research proposed additional information on the difference in the perception of body image among adolescents. More importantly, the difference in the perception of body image between adolescents and pre adolescence has not been studied (Wagner, 2008) as been cited in McCabe Ricciardelli (2006). Thus this study will focus on the perception of body image among ethnicity group, gender as well age group. It is important to know the differences in perception of body image in these groups because the result can produce understanding in order to further discussions and this can help on how the development could change perceptions on body image. Purpose of the study The purpose of the study is to evaluate on the differences in the perception of body image among Malaysian adolescents in the aspects of gender, age and ethnicity. The differences been evaluated between adolescents and pre adolescents, males and females and ethnicity which involved three races Chinese, Indian and Malays. Analyzing these differences could produce insight on creating with a better prevention and intervention program for adolescents who have problem with their body image. Research Question The research question has been presented below as follow: RQ 1: Is there any significance differences in the perception of body image between male and female. RQ 2: Is there any significance differences in the perception of body image between pre adolescence and adolescence. RQ 3: Is there any significance differences in the perception of body image among Malays, Chinese and Indian. Operational definitions Body Image. As mention earlier, body image can be defined as a person perception, attitude and feeling about his or her body. Body image plays an important role for both the genders male and female (Pon, Kandiah, Taib, 2004). When adolescents focus too much on their body image, they will skip their meals and this subsequently leads to eating disorder. Gender. Gender refers to the characteristics of people as males and females. Gender also bears a special mention which is the gender role (Santrock, 2011). Gender role describes on how females and males should think, act and feel. For example, should males be more dominant than females and should females be more emotional than males to others’ feelings? Although individuals are aware of their gender in early childhood, a new stage been added to gender with the onset of puberty and the sexual maturation. Race. It refers to all humans belonging to the group of Homo sapiens, biological differences of human due to the interactions between hereditary and environmental factors and the non-existence of homogenous population. Genetic element of a population was subject to change as a result of diverse factors, history of migration in the past prevented the used of domination of certain geographical area to serve as basis for race and no national, religious, linguistic, cultural group or economic class that constitutes a race (American Association of Physical Anthropologists, 1996). The examples of dominant racial groups in this study consisted of Malay, Chinese, and Indian. This is the main races in Malaysia. Adolescent. According to Cardwell’s study (2003), as been cited in Jennifer,(2011), adolescence is known as the stage of development arise between puberty and adulthood. This is the stage where the adolescence entered imprecisely 10-12 years and ends at 18-21 years old. There is little view about this period of development by different psychologists. For example, Erik Erikson clarifies the period of adolescence through the Identity versus Identity Confusion stage in his psychological stages (Berk, 2009). Utar. Utar is known as University Tunku Abdul Rahman. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), established under the UTAR Education Foundation, a not-for-profit organization. It was launched on 13 August 2002. UTAR is a dynamic University with four thriving Campuses- three in Klang Valley and one in Kampar, Perak. The Campuses in Klang Valley are located in Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Bandar Sungai Long. The largest campus is the Kampar campus. We are focusing adolescents from Perak Campus between eighteen to twenty four groups of ages. SMK Sentosa Kampar. SMK Sentosa Kampar is located at Taman University. This school is near to Utar hostels. They have students from form one to form five. It’s a multiracial school consists of Malays, Chinese and Indians. In our research, we are focusing on pre adolescents among these races and age range of thirteenth to fifteenth. Pre adolescence. Is a stage of human developmentfollowingearly childhoodand prior toadolescence.It subsequently ends with the beginning ofpuberty, but may also be defined as ending with the start of the teenage years.For example 10–13 years.It can also be defined as the period from 9–14 years.It can also distinguish middle childhood and preadolescence middle childhood from approximately 5–8 years, as opposed to the time children are generally considered to reach preadolescence (age 9–14 years). Reference Dittmar H. (2009). How do body perfect ideals in the media have a negative impact on body image and behavior?. Journal of Social Clinical Psychology, 28(1), pp. 1-8. Wagner,R.R. (2008).Body Image Perceptions of Adolescents Males, pp. 44 . Wan,P.L., Kandiah,M., Mohd Taib,M.N. (2004).Body Image Perception, Dietary Practices and Physical Activity of Overweight and Normal Weight Malaysian Females Adolescents,10(2), 137-147. Wong,L.M., Say,Y.H. (2013). Gender Differences in Body Image Perception among Northern Malaysian Tertiary Students. British Journal of Medicine Medical Research, 3(3), pp. 727-747. Sidik,S.M., Rampal,L. (2009). The Prevalence and factors associated with obesity among adult women in Selangor, Malaysia. doi:10.1186/1447-056X-8-2 Yau,J.P. (2011).Perception of Body- Esteem Among Adolescents And Adults. Santrock, J.W. (2009). Life-span development (12th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill American Association of Physical Anthropologists.(1996). AAPA statement on biological aspects of race. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 101, 569-570. Retrieved April 10, 2010 from http://www.virginia.edu/woodson/courses /aas102%20%28spring%2001%29/articles/AAPA_race.pdf Berk, L.E. (2009). Child development (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education.