Journeys End and A Long Long Way Essays

Journeys End and A Long Long Way Essays Journeys End and A Long Long Way Essay Journeys End and A Long Long Way Essay Essay Topic: Literature From the start, Sherriffs play Journeys End and Barrys novel A Long Long Way present two very different social class viewpoints of the Great War. Sherriffs play focuses on the viewpoint of the public school educated officers of the C Company and Barry presents his novel through the eyes of an ordinary Irish boy, Willie Dunne, who not having reached the height required for him to follow his father into the police force, opted to volunteer for the war. The biggest difference between both texts is the language. The novels narrative focalisation often shows the working class viewpoint of Willie whereas the play is full of public school register. The reader and the audience are aware, as a result of the difference in social class views and are provided with ample opportunities to compare the differences in both texts. Both the texts are a reflection of the times they were written. The play being written just after the war and during a time where theatre-going was a solely upper class phenomenon would not have been at all popular if it was focused on the lives of the working class soldiers rather than the lives of the officers. Similarly, the text being very much a modern novel makes use of social changes and therefore has no qualms about portraying the true nature of working class soldiers. Also, novels are not restricted to a particular social class of people, especially in this modern day and age, where the class differences have become increasingly blurred. The first few pages of both texts are an indication of the opinion of the respective writers as well as those portrayed in the texts. A Long Long Way starts with a dark and somewhat bleak picture of the streets of Dublin. With its rain-lashed streets and its cabmen huddling in their mucky gabardines it is the epitome of the harsh grind of working class life. The language is very earthy and realistic in the sense that it does not detract from the reality of the maternity ward in hospitals circa the late 19th century. The babies who cried like wounded cats in the laps of the nurses with their aprons of butchers in the hospital with its stony ox-skulls and draperies facade resembles in the readers mind the image of abattoirs. It is very much a working class setting for the reader to delve into. On the other hand, Journeys End could not be any more different. It starts off with a conversation between the outgoing company commander and the 2nd Lieutenant of the incoming company. It is filled with public school register and very controlled language. It most importantly displays the classic stiff upper lip nature of the British upper classes. Hardy commenting on the soldiers being frightfully annoyed with dirt in their tea after a bomb, is such an example. This is therefore an explicit illustration of the differences between social class within the interactions and the lives of the Officers and the ordinary men. Social class differences portrayed within the texts are also evident. Journeys End, a play from the Officers stance, is very much discriminatory towards the generally working class soldiers. The army in those days consisted of two groups, the Officers and the men. Stanhope is very insistent on the dividing line between the two groups. He, as part of the upper class system, seems to consider the loyal soldiers under his command as separate from his staff, comprising of the lieutenants. His objective view of the soldiers below him is what causes him to separate them and portray them to the audience as a completely different entity. His reference to the soldiers as the men as well as his incredulity at Raleigh feeding with the men is an illustration of his sense of superiority and separate nature from the common soldiers. Whereas, in Journeys End the commanding officers as well the lower ranking officers remain aloof and separate from the soldiers, A Long Long Way presents a much more humanitarian side to the company commanding officers. Captain Pasley accompanying Clancy, OHara and Willie for a swim in the river running through the reserve lines is something that the audience cannot picture Stanhope doing. The company captains in A Long Long Way are much more liberal. Talking about the big liming job as well as bawling out those happy words, Can you sling them on your shoulder Like a lousy fucking soldier Do your balls hang low? seems something common soldiers would sing about. However, it is Captains Pasley and Sheridan, respectively, who talk about the farming or sing songs that are popular with the men, with obvious enthusiasm. One observation that comes to mind is that in Journeys End the company officers are English, whereas in A Long Long Way the company commanders are Irish as well as the men. It would seem that the rural nature of Ireland was the overriding factor, that an Irishman coming out of Sandhurst would never be the same as a middle or upper-class Englishman. It can be seen within the two texts that social class differences even play a role in a persons sense of honour and duty. Journeys End being a play based on the experience of the officers in a company, one would have presumed that the sense of honour and duty would be prevalent throughout. However, this is not the case. We see that Hardy is not at all concerned with any proper sense of honour and duty. His duty to his country manifests itself in his enquiry about looking every inch the soldier. However, this is contrasted by Osbornes strong sense of duty. He is dutiful and very loyal to Stanhope while Hardy being the shirking type, incredulously remarks Osborne is fussy and God! you are a worker. This difference is seen within the same class system. Both of them are obviously not working class soldiers but their attitudes on honour and duty differ. It therefore stands to reason that there will be such differences, if not more contrasting ones, from either side of the line. The audience is not disappointed, but the differences are somewhat unexpected. Hibbert, an officer of the company, is a weak and ineffectually individual. From the start Sherriff immediately establishes him as someone that does not contribute fully to the team, and because of this, we do not feel sympathy for him. In contrast to this, Mason, a fighting soldier, acts as a cook and as well as a servant. He is evidently hard-working and keen to serve, and Osborne and Trotter discussing his dirty dishcloth also provides some light humour. Mason serves as a reminder that normal activities still need to continue, and his all-round good nature endears the audience to him. He obviously has no fears of stepping on to the front line from the relative safety of his dug-out kitchen. When Stanhope tells him to finish up in the kitchen and join the platoon in the line; his reply is a simple and straightforward very good, sir. Having seen the differences that an individuals social class can have on their outlook on not only life, but also how it affect their dealings with others as well as their commitment and contribution to life in the trench; it is obviously the case that the two social classes will behave differently. We see in A Long Long Way the true nature of the ordinary soldiers. The use of foul language as well as the very realistic portrayal of men dealing with their fellow men is most apparent in the interaction of Willie, Christy Moran the Sergeant Major and Pete OHara. The sexual realism that is portrayed, such as Willies need to masturbate to stop himself from exploding worse than any bomb is also a depiction of how the common soldiers behaved. The novels Sergeant Major, the highest ranking soldier amongst the men, is by far the truest soldier amongst his men. He is a full time soldier and as a result he sees no problem in using foul language on a frequent basis. Even the most simple of directions or observations have to be interspersed with a fucking or a shite. But despite the rough demeanour, the soldiers liked him, all the guff and gristle that he was. However, when this is compared to the captains of Willies company, it would seem that their behaviour is as varied as they themselves. Captain Pasley is portrayed as the typical upper-class officer. He is seemingly unaware of the risks that come with raising your head above the parapet with alarming indifference. However this could just be the typical bravado displayed by middle and upper-class men, who would suffer unbearably, sometimes for no good reason, rather than show any sign of weakness. His observation that the night and land are beautiful and of the river that he is sure is absolutely full of trout is all a caricature and Barry mocking his obvious public school upbringing. The other captain of the company, Captain Sheridan, is however vastly different. He has a very merry way about him and is insistent on keeping troop morale high. This he does by singing songs whilst on the march. He is sufficiently versed in the working class nature of the soldiers to enjoy singing Charlotte the Harlot and Do your Balls Hang Low. On the other hand, Sherriffs Journeys End does not at all mirror the way Barry has written his novel or his presentation of characters from two different social classes. The behaviour of the various characters within the play, compared to the novel, is very frigid. There is no interaction between the regular soldiers and the officers of the company. Trotter and Mason, both working class soldiers, although Trotter has been promoted to a Lieutenant, are in a sense breaths of fresh air amongst the very reserved atmosphere that can be felt within the dugout. As the plays central focus is on public school life, talk of rugby, cricket and schoolmasters, acts as a bond between the men. It helps the upper-class soldiers deal with the stresses of war if they think of the war as an extension of their public school-life. With public-schools at the time being single-sex establishments, the men having to live and work together in the small space of a dugout would not have been to fazed because they would have had undoubtedly shared rooms back in school. Such a shared background is clearly significant. Osborne measures distances by relating them to rugby fields and Raleigh relates his fatal injury to one he suffered whilst playing rugby. It is for them a way to escape from all the horrors of the war. As a result, it would seem that the rest of the officers stay aloof from either Trotter or Mason. To some extent, the separation between them and Mason is justifiable, in the sense that servant and officers dont mix. But Trotter, who is also an officer, cannot escape the stereotype associated with him by his public-school bred colleagues. He is seen by the others as a genuine sort of chap who makes things feel natural. Stanhope thinks he has no imagination and believes that Trotter is always the same or never get sick to death of everything. It is obvious that Trotter has come to terms with the slightly patronising behaviour and the presumed lack of intelligence he has to endure within the army. He shows his fierce commitment and loyalty when he is made second in command. He evidently feels honoured by the promotion and promises Stanhope that he will do his best and not let him down. The social class difference also transcends into the way the soldiers and officers talk to each other. In Journeys End, the two main working class characters are Mason and Trotter. Mason speaks in a Cockney accent and Sherriff indicates this through the spelling and dropped letter at both the beginning as well as the end of words. The meat that he serves at the beginning of the play has a noo shape and asnt got that smooth wet look that liver has. Trotter also speaks differently from the other officers. His use of the phrase I reckon where Raleigh and the others would you I suppose is a clear example of this. His exclamations are more frequent as well. They consist of damn and bloomin' as well as blinkin' whereas the other officers would say things like beastly, frightfully and, very rarely, damned. Another clear illustration of this is when Trotter comes to see Osborne just before the raid. His simple, yet crude rhymes contrast with Osbornes evocative references to Alice in Wonderland. Trotter declaims, Tell me, mother, what is that / That looks like strawberry jam? / Hush, hush my dear; tis only Pa / Run over by a tram with its obvious reference to death. While in contrast, Osborne talks of the gently smiling jaws of the little crocodile, with a more subdued indication of life and death. The two officers have different ways of expressing their response to the war. Where Trotter explicitly refers to the situation; Osborne, on the other hand, refers to it in a more controlled and implicit way, typical of most public-school characters. Moving away from the war for just a moment, it is clear that where in the trenches, social class played a major role in the way soldiers were treated by one another, it also meant that lives outside before the war were very different, to say the least. The rich upper-class, public-school educated boys would all have had their lives set out for them. For some, the war came as a welcome break from the monotonous and dreary, controlled and restrained lifestyle. For many, it was an adventure. It was a way for them to go and see the world. What also helped was the fact that many of these young lads had some sort of Combined Cadet Force training, very much in line with the old Imperial tradition. However, for the working-class men, some had no choice but to go. It was for them a way of not only gaining recognition but also a way of earning money to feed the hungry mouths within their homes. It was for some, a lifeline. It was a way to make something out of their lives. It would have been an amazing story to tell the grandchildren by the fire. Many went for aesthetic reasons, and had help making decisions from the countless pro-war propaganda campaigning that was going on. One such advert with the slogan, Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War, would have no doubt sent many a young father off to the War, some destined never to return. The life of the upper-class, public-school soldiers is clearly showed in Journeys End. Osborne was a schoolmaster who refereed Rugger games. His revelation that he played for the Harlequins as well as for England on one great occasion is greeted with an almost reverent Oh, but, good Lord! that must have been simply topping from Raleigh. In comparison, Willie from A Long Long Way is but a mere builder working for Dempsey, the most renowned construction contractor in Dublin. This again shows in full force the gap between the working-class soldiers and their public-school counterparts. In conclusion, it can be seen that social class differences played a major role in how men acted and were treated within the army. Both the texts have a wide variety of differences with regards to the social class differences within the soldiers of one company. However, it must be noted that in a way, the war made all that difference worthless. The great shadow of Death did no differentiate between who had a public-school upbringing in Eton or Repton and who was brought up on a farm or in the slums on the outskirts of Dublin. Perhaps this is why towards the end of the war the line dividing the public-schooled upper classes from the common working class man became increasingly blurred. This is shown in both texts, with Trotter, a working-class soldier, being promoted to second in command of the C Company; and in A Long Long Way, with Christy Moran being made the surrogate captain of the Dublin Fusiliers. At the start of the First World War, only men who were public-school educated could be commissioned officers. However, as can be seen from both texts, the class system was changing and the traditional officer class no longer existed. After the first year of the war, it became possible to gain promotion without having to be privately educated. It would seem that this is how Sherriff himself became a captain in the East Surrey regiment. But it did not stop there. After World War II, the people of Britain had become exasperated with the right-wing, middle-class dominated Conservative party. The political party of Churchill was overthrown by the people in favour of a more socialist party. A party, that was devoted to the fairness and equality that was demanded by so many of the people in Britain. This serves to illustrate exactly how social class attitudes can change in the face of trials and tragedy. Britain underwent a massive social change and in 1945, twelve weeks after the end of the War, the socialist, left-wing Labour party won the national election in an amazing landslide; such that it was equated to a political earthquake.

13 Cool and Creative Ways to Say I Love You

13 Cool and Creative Ways to Say I Love You That awkward moment when you feel you love someone but do not know how to express it. Sounds familiar? It all gets even worse as the Valentine’s Day comes and it is expected to be a time to declare love. Obviously, you want to make the moment special. You want to put real meaning into the usual phrase I love you. Or you want to follow the principle an action is worth one thousand words. Anyway, here are some of the most unique ways to show your special someone how important they are to you. And not only on the Valentine’s Day. 1. Love Soundwave No, we’re not talking about sending a singing telegram. Instead, consider getting a ring, medallion, or painting of the soundwave of a special phrase. Some companies can take your loved one’s name (or even a romantic inside â€Å"code word†) and turn it into a beautiful emblem of your devotion. 2. iPhone Style Love Message In our iPhone age it’s likely that your loved one spends more time on their phone than flipping through photo albums. So, why not give him or her a constant reminder of you, every time they go to check their Facebook? There are many companies like Casetify or Spreadshirt that allow you to turn your Instagram photos into a memento case for iPhone, so your loved one always has an in-hand reminder of how much you care. 3. Magic Beans If you have a partner that doesn’t mind the anticipation of waiting for your Valentine’s message, look no further than the Talking Beans. After just a few days of tender care, this real bean plant shoots from its gift-wrapped packaging with a personal message carved into the bean itself. It’s not only cute, but it’s way healthier than candy! 4. A Toast to Remember Breakfast has never been the most romantic meal of a day. Time to break stereotypes. The inexpensive silicone toast-topper allows you to print your love message directly onto the breakfast treat. Nothing can beat this for a start to the perfect day. 5. The Art of Love Why not turn love massage into piece of love? It may seem a little cheesy but it was long ago when the poems were written and portraits were painted in the name of love. Be original and revive the tradition. You may use more modern art forms. There are ready made Love Is Art kits with white canvas, red and black paint, and body scrubber. Old fashioned pencil and paper will also do as long as you use those to express your feelings. 6. Love Puzzle Who can pass up an opportunity to attempt to complete a puzzle? Now, you can show your love how much you care by giving them the gift of puzzlement in addition to the sweet love message. The options are numerous – create a puzzle out of your favourite photo or buy a ready made puzzle, like a Sweet Talk Valentine’s Rubik’s Cube. 7. Digital Style If you want to make a big impact on a small budget, this is one of the best experiences you can give your partner. All you need is to but helium-filled balloons and pack them into your paramour’s apartment. Then, turn your messages of love into unique QR codes and tape them to each dangling string. It’s a fun way to share the personal memos you’ve been longing to tell them. 8. Binary Language of Love Why settle for telling him or her how you feel in English? Take a step into the future by sharing your feelings in binary code. Although you can buy a necklace or ring with â€Å"I Love You† written in the language of computers, you can also save some money and create something all your own. QBit can help you translate your message so that you can turn it into art, food, or a tattoo to impress your loved one. 9. For Those Who Are Daring Enough Show that your love is eternal and you are not afraid to capture it foreveron your skin. Design a tattoo for you and your loved one and suggest to go to the tattoo salon together. If your darling is not much into tattoos, you can do it on your own. Just make sure you spell her(his) name right or better choose some original symbol of your relationships. 10. Level Up Your Love If you have a gamer sweetheart, they will go Donkey Kong all over you when they realize what this gift can do. The 8-Bit Dynamic Light Shirt is meant to be purchased in pairs, with each shirt showing six hearts at half-life. When the shirts get into proximity of each other, full health is restored. How’s that for a game-changing Valentine’s gift? 11. The Way to His Heart†¦ It just wouldn’t be a declaration of love without a bouquet. But, this year, spice it up by creating a Bacon Bouquet. All you need is a handful of plastic flower stems, a vase (or beer stein), and a package of bacon. Wrap each piece like a flower bud and fry for 8-10 minutes. This is a creative alternative to boring old roses, and far more delicious! 12. Go Old Fashioned There was an old good tradition to make mixed tapes for the dates. Romantic as hell. If you are into vintage and youll find the way to make a mixed tape or a vinyl with good music – be sure to do it. It will be appreciated for sure. However, there is an easier and more modern way to do it – CDs, mp3 players or any other ways to create a play list you may think of. 13. Just Say It Nothing is more romantic an sincere and nothing is able to express your feelings better than saying the words I love you. Make sure the moment is special. Probably itll be a bad idea to say it in the overcrowded public transport, though its your decision when the moment is write. Remember – your intonation and eye contact are important. If you get nervous about the idea – try practising it in front of the mirror. But no matter how you say it and where you say it – if you are with the right person youll never regret saying it out loud. We are waiting for your feedback! Which idea did you like the best? What is your own way to creatively express your feelings?

Cake is a form of art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cake is a form of art - Research Paper Example After discussing the different types of cake designs that are readily available in the market, valid reasons why cake designing is considered as an edible art will be provided in details. The modern confetti cakes we can find in the market is made out of different shapes including shoes, bags, purses, a wine bottle in a crate, cameras, sports equipment, multi-tiered cups among others. A cake design can also be inspired by a comic book art wherein the different comic icons such as superman, batman, or Doctor Manhattan’s logo can be used as the main theme of cake design (The Weekly-Crisis). Mainly used for children’s birthday party, a cake design can be inspired by specific cartoon character such as the shape of Bumblebee or Optimus Prime’s head (ibid). In other words, the list of possible cake designs is endless depending on the theme the cake decorator would dream of sculpting. Cake decorating styles can be inspired by different cultures. Specifically in Europe, Victorian style which is characterized by multi-tier styled cakes with pillars of flowers are used in wedding ceremonies whereas the Lambeth style which is characterized by layers of icings applied on the cake is often used in countries like North America and New Zealand (Gitundu). In some cases, cake designing can also be inspired by Islamic or the 18th century (You Tube). Designing a cake has always been considered as an art because of the fact that cake designing requires good mix-and-match of colors, developing a strong cake designing concept, precision in making details in cake designs, and pipework (Garrett, Needham and Mathews, p. 9). Cake designing highly depends on the cake designer or the customers’ preferred motifs. In fact, most of the famous cake designers have strong background in fine arts in order to get the execution technique right (You Tube). In making different fun cake designs,

Final on Evaluation of an Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final on Evaluation of an Short Story - Essay Example Unfortunately, Tim O’Brien is unable to secure himself from the works of the Living God and his country. He sets up for the war field where he finds majority of those in the battle field with mixed emotional experiences such as love, hate and guilt. At the same time, they use tough language in an effort to reduce the impact of the war to the public and the knowledge of having been alive when their buddies have died as they continuously wonder what the war is meant for (O'Brien, 2009). Basically, the book revolves around the writer who is the main character and protagonist. His main role entails the experience he has towards bringing a sense of redemption after the tussle with his conscious on what to do. Similarly, the antagonist in the book happens to be himself, Tim O'Brien, especially when he fights back with the feelings of hatred, blame, and fear emanating from within. He is portrayed as a character who inwardly blames himself for having accepted the draft notice to go to war and having lived through the war even when many of his colleagues had died in the same war (O'Brien, 2009). In a general sense, the story reaches its peak when the main character (Tim O'Brien) is said to return to the war field where he finds out that his friend Kiowa has passed on but manages to find his daughter. It is here where he is seen to figuratively take down the anguish and anger that he is said to carry for a long time. Analysis It is apparent that, the story has been written by the main character with the main aim of expressing three themes that have vividly been utilized. These primary themes incorporate memory, imagination and the chance for mental escapement. For instance, the main character is seen to dwell on another character that is portrayed as a close friend through imaginations of been close to the character (Martha). Moreover, Tim O'Brien uses pretence as a form of telling the story. This story telling form is most prevalent to Tim O’Brien as he is seen to mostly tell stories to himself (O'Brien, 2009). Similarly, the main character who happens to be the author of this book has continuously used artifacts to put more emphasis on the actions of his character and that of the other characters. For instance, Martha, a character portrayed as Tim O’Brien close friend and lover has letters and photograph which are carried around by the author as a sign of love for her. Apart from the description that is given through the use of physical artifacts, the author uses the main characters. In essence, the description given in term of what the main characters are carrying, is meant to give more details on the foreshadow necessary in understanding what the novel is all about. In fact, the technique emphases on the full composite of the story’s characters where the audience seem to view them as real people (O'Brien, 2009). Of importance to note is that the author has been able to connect with the audience in a unique way by mak ing sure that some of the physical and emotional processes in the book are easily captured by the audience. For instance, the weight of a weapon, the weight of a grenade among other descriptions. In this regard, the unfolding of this story of Vietnam war introduce the characters one by one as their roles as portrayed according to their entry. Judgement The Things That They

Marriage Essay -- essays research papers

Marriage Marriage is the bond between two people of the opposite sex that have went in front of a minister and exchanged vows. Marriage is different for every one, and I have been influenced a great deal by my parents. My parents have been married for the past 26 years and they will probably stay that way the rest of their lives. However marriage is not what it once was, today you have people getting into a marriage for other reasons than love and knowing that they can get out of the marriage if they feel any anxiety or conflicts of interest. Marriage is a special bond that has been destabilized over the years. Twenty years ago values and beliefs about marriage were very different. People did not think about the easy way out, divorce. My mother and father have been married for the past twenty-six years and the times have not been easy for either one of them, however, they were raised in a way that divorce was not an option. Both my mother’s parents and my father’s parents have or had been married to the same person their whole lives. Parents believe that marriage is the friendship and closeness which two people share for the rest of their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am a product of my parents and I have much of the same values and beliefs that they have. I was engaged to a girl for a year and a half before I came to a realization that she was not the one that I wanted to settle down with for the rest of my life. I think marriage is a life long companionship. I am glad that I did not...

How to make a good business?

Everyone would like to have a good business that would bring him or her a lot of money, a high life position and satisfaction. But how to make it? How should you begin to get round to it? It is hard to answer the question but there are some principles that can help us. First and foremost we must have some capital. Let's establish – we need around 50000 zlotys. If we want, we can look for a partner but as for me I would like to do it on my own. So when we have got some money we should invest them. We can for example open a shop. But there are a lot of shops so there is a large competition and we should be aware of it and get ready to it. WE have to think what goods would sell best. Perhaps some second-hand clothes that are so popular recently in Poland? Everything depends on us, our ideas and involvement in the matter. We can also invest in education. Why not? Lots of people think about their future and want to become well-educated in order to find a good job. That is why we can open a foreign language school. To make our potential school attractive, we should think about some interesting solutions that would attract people's attention. Maybe low prices of courses, a possibility of taking part in interesting discussions during classes etc. We must remember that at the beginning the profit is not the most important. First we ought to encourage people, to make them believe that we are special and unique. We must have well-trained staff, good conditions of work and what is important – high quality of teaching. If not, we will not become successful. A client is our sir! We cannot forget about it. We cannot let him leave us. That is why it is very good to organize competitions or promotions. Happiness, competence and optimism will bring us success and a lot of money. Advertising appeared for the first time in Europe early in the 17th century and Britain was the pioneer. Nowadays we can observe a great development of different means of information transfer. The mass media are connected not only with the show business, entertainment and science but also with trade, the stock exchange and other fields of economics. That is why during TV serials or other broadcasts, in nearly every magazine and newspaper, one can find, read, see or hear hundreds of advertisements. What does the phenomenon of the advertising consist in? First and foremost, it is connected with special techniques for creating adverts, striving for maximum impact on people's minds by using psychological methods. According to a poster maker Benetton – advertisements do not sell products or ideas but a false and hypnotizing model of happiness. Half-truths rule the world of advertising. It means that commercials and advertisements creators can use metaphors and embellishments while presenting the advantages of their products. But in some countries it is forbidden as for example in France where one cannot use in commercials and advertisements adjectives and adverbs in the superlative degree. But who is able to resist the temptation created by commercials and advertisements? Sometimes it is very hard, as we want to have the best products, to be modern. With enthusiasm we let ourselves be persuaded to follow various fashions and cults. For some time now the fashion for techno music in the Polish advertising industry has been growing more and more intense and it influences young people. Moreover, some people claim that techno music is a very popular youth subculture thanks to which it is easy to win over young people. It is commonly known that one of the most important aims of the advertising industry is to attract people's attention. That is why most commercials and advertisements feature the young and the beautiful. It contracts with all disasters in the world: war, hunger. To form an opinion on the problem given in the topic, it is worth watching the TV programme by Tomasz Kamel – â€Å"Kup pan cegle†. The programme exposes the mechanisms of advertising and tries to show its true, dual nature. To sum up I would like to say that advertising is both manipulation and a marketing tool. Some psychologists say that advertising can be dangerous, as excessive submission to standards does not always bring favourable effects. And even if it seems to be impossible to avoid the contact with advertisements and commercials we can defend ourselves from its influence by treating it â€Å"with a pinch of salt†. Speech about environment. We approach to welcome twenty-first century. Everyone is happy because world is going to be better. The horrible illnesses and problems of population, poverty and wars started to disappear. World starts to change and everybody think: Yes, maybe tomorrow it will be better. People go to their jobs and they earn money. The most important for them it is to have a good car, big home with swimming pool. Only a few people think what happens with our environment. With trees, with rivers, with woods. Now everyone is busy and not many people see that everything what is round us is going to die. Have you ever asked yourself how environment can be damaged? Do you think about it when you leave the light in your room when you go out? Do you read a note on the packets of some products that you buy in supermarket? I'm sure that you don't. You don't want to waste your time so you use deodorant with CFC, you throw the rubbish into the sea and you don't mind when all lights at your home are switched on, do you? So, you see that everyone damages environment although he is unaware of it. Now the most important dangers are: sun's radiation, devorestation and pollution. Sun's radiation are bad, very bad for our skin. If the ozone layer disappeared we would have burns and our skin wouldn't be just like before. The burns of sun's radiation leave horrible scars and later we could have problems. So the scientists scream: use less electricity, don't smoke, use less products with CFC. All these things damage the ozone layer, which protects us from sun's radiation. We should use bicycles, we shouldn't burn forests, we should throw litter on beaches. We should be †green† and protect our planet. We have to use ozone friendly things because holes in the ozone layer might become bigger. Poland is a country where it is a big problem with pollution. Our beaches, sea, rivers and forests are polluted and it looks horrible. People don't want to swim or walk there. So I think that we must organise an action called Clean up the world At least for one week we could clean our hausing estates , we could put in more rubbish beens. We might join ecologists and then our planet will be beautiful. Can the problem of crime be solved? There is a lot of crime in our world. We meet it every day. We read about it in newspapers, hear in radio and TV, we watch films full of murders and violence. People murder other people, even children in age 12, even less, become killers. They often do it without any available and reasonable reason. They have strange requirement , they like to see blood and pain on their victim's face. There are a lot of lawbreaker: arsonists, shoplifters, muggers, vandals, kidnappers, pickpockets, drug dealers, assassin, hooligans, smugglers, forgers, etc. It is dangerous to walk alone at night. We can became a victim of crime. We can meet group of young people with sticks and if we won't give them money they will beat us. In large cities there are a lot of unemployed people who have no useful work skills , they don't work, can't work, don't pay taxes. There are also alcoholics and drug addicts. Those people steal money or goods to pay for their drugs, alcohol, food. Their crimes cost people a lot. There are also angry young people who destroy property and commit violence. In this time more popular, on the wrong meaning, become terrorism. All world is under impression of assassination on World Trade Center. Everybody knows, who Osama bin Laden is. But there are also many crimes which aren't public, which haven't got witnesses. They pass in private houses, flats. We don't know how many women and children are beaten by husbands and fathers. Those men very often overuse alcohol or do it sobered. Women and kids are frightened and they don't have courage to go at the police station. Can the problem of crime be solved? I don't think so. It is long and hard work. We can't battle violence overnight. I think that criminals should suffer punishment. If they don't take penalty more people will commit violence. They will think, that they can avoid responsibility. I think that prisons which are only for punishment don't change criminals into good citizens. They live in bone cells, in a severe regime. When they are released they commit other crimes. The prisoners should cooperate with psychiatrists, group therapy sessions. But it is also hard work. Results depend on a person. If the criminal wants a change, he will do it. But usually they don't want any changes, because they think, that their â€Å"job† is good. I think that good way of rehabilitation is giving sentences to serve in the community. But not for every prisoner. Some of them, for example the one who murdered another man, shouldn't take such punishment, because they can once again make many damages. I don't know what to think about death penalty. On the one hand I support it, because it is a good punishment for someone who committed hard crime. On the other hand we haven't got a law to kill other people. We hurt their families, we deprive children of fathers or mothers, wives of husbands, parents of children, etc. Huge variety of tourist attactions Thanks to the liberalization of regulations, the elimination of visas, and improved standards, of tourist services, as well as a favourable geographical location and competitive prices, Poland is witnessing promotion in the world ranking of attractive destinations for tourists. It is estimated that the number of foreign tourists to Poland will increase by 3-4% per year. Every year the number of tourists in Poland is growing. Are Polish tourist organisations currently capable of providing suitable conditions and safety for foreign visitors? Our office is doing its best to satisfy the demands and needs of tourists. However it is not always easy as the total number of hotels in Poland is only 844 with 80,000 beds, which in comparison with almost 20 million tourists visiting Poland is a drop in the ocean. However there is more accommodation than the official number reported by the Main Statistics Office (GUS). The majority of these are rooms in private houses. Despite the fact that they do not provide a suitable standard of services, they are the only way to fill the gap in the market. Experts in the tourist market believe that Poland needs about 200 two star hotels, with at least 120 beds each. In connection with the growing number of tourists visiting Poland every year, we have witnessed an increase in the number of places available to house tourists (in 1995 it was 9,345, 199611,075, and 1997 12,000). The biggest increase was the number of hotels, increasing from 686 in 1995 to 844 in 1997. Motels increased from 95 in 1995 to 102 in 1996 up to 120 in 1997. Guest houses increased from 305 in 1995 to 372 in 1996 up to 433 in 1997. Rooms in private houses rose from 1,760 in 1995 to 3,312 in 1996 up to 4,221 in 1997. The number of holiday camps has also increased from 224 in 1995 to 245 in 1996 up to 266 in 1997. As a result in the increase in the tourist market, research was conducted in 1997 to examine the sport and recreational facilities provided with the accommodation. The findings revealed that 3,023 places have volley or basketball courts, 3,012 offer table tennis, 1,411 offer boat hire 1,315 offer billiards, and 1,007 rent bicycles. Nine hundred and fourty nine have play rooms for children, 840 tennis courts, 817 have a sauna and 721 have a gym. A small a number of places provide solariums (318) and ind.oor swimming pools (170) and mini golf (145). From these statistics we can see that tourist facilities in Poland are so diverse that they can satisfy all types of tourists. In the last few years there have been major changes in Polish tourism. What are the directions of these changes and what can foreign visitors expect as a result of them? One of the signs of the transformation in Polish tourism is the new law regulating tourist services, which came into force on July 1st 1998. The purpose of this law is to protect the interests of tourists in line with western standards. Based on this law we are introducing a classification system for places offering tourist accommodation. The law also provides a legal basis for using the terms hotel, motel, guest house, youth hostels, holiday camps, camp sites etc, specifying a definition and requirements for each category. The law also includes penalties for misuse of these names. The new law also regulates the requirements surrounding tourist agencies and intermediaries, to comply with the European Union Directive No. 90/ 314. The Directive emphasizes the obligation of association member states and tourist agencies to insure financial security for its clients. This insurance should. cover all payments by clients and the ability to return tourists home. The law also envisages increasing the skills and qualifications of employees and directors of tourist agencies, hotel employees and tour guides. We very often hear how Poland is slow to adopt West European norms for protecting the environment. Relatively little is said about those many regions in Poland, where large scale pro-ecological projects are underway. How do you, Mr President, view the situation? One of the regions particularly attractive for tourists because it has a great unspoilt variety of wildlife is called â€Å"The Green Lungs of Poland†, located in the north-east of Poland and compromising some 18% of the total area of Poland. It is a re.gion of unprecedented. natural beauty, which is relatively unpolluted. and with great geomorphologic and landscape variety. It is characterized by a great number of fore.sts and farmland, as well as a low level of urbanization and industrialization, and has a low population density. Many protected areas are also located here, such as National Parks, nature reserves, and areas of protected landscape which makes this region particularly important, not just for Poland, but for the whole of Europe. This unique area of nature, its spa qualities and varieties of wildlife and culture make the â€Å"Green Lungs of Poland.† attractive for various forms of tourism, leisure and recreation, and spa centres. This all provides immense potential for both domestic and foreign tourism. The basic concept of â€Å"Green Lungs of Poland† initiated by the members of the Polish Tourist Country Lovers' Association, was the harmonious and stable social and economic development of the North-east region of Poland. The publicizing of this idea led to the signing of an agreement between regional authorities and has been taken up in government documents. The President of State Sports and Tourism Administration is one of the thirty signatories of this agreement. The administration is interested in the possibilities for tourism in this region and in introducing various forms of tourism that would fit in with the local ecology and the needs of nature. Will foreign visitors find favourable conditions and varied attractions during their holiday in Poland? The World Tourist Organization (WTO) places Poland 7th in the ranking of tourist travel. It is a very good position which makes it possible to satisfy tourist expectations and meet world tourist market trends. Some of these trends include: taking more than one holiday a year, city-break holidays, which are now the second low season type of travel, the increased demand for trips including an educational aspect, and the growing demand for active holidays and agrotourism, particularly by tourists from Western Europe for short stay holidays. Trends in the world tourist market have an influence on the development of tourism in Europe, including Poland. Taking into account the present demand for tourism in Poland on the primary market, as well as the potential resources and possibilities, Poland has concentrated its efforts to create and promote quality in the areas of city and culture tourism, recreational, active and agrotourism, specialized holidays, cross-border tourism as well as for business travel, and transit traffic. Poland has a huge variety of tourist attractions. For nature lovers there is the sea, the mountains, the lakes, national and landscape parks, nature reserves, rivers, forests and numerous spas. Poland also has many historical and cultural attractions which belong to the world heritage of culture. These include ancient ruins, monuments, old towns, castles, palaces, parks, churches and museums. Another feature that makes Poland an attractive destination for tourists is the many international sports and cultural events which even by themselves are very attractive. All these attractions have tremendous potential and make people curious to visit new places. For the sports and specialized holidays which are increasingly popular, Poland offers great facilities for water sports, such as sailing, and canoeing, winter sports (such as cross country skiing as well as mountain skiing), cycling, hiking, climbing, caving, horse riding, etc. Polish traditional hospitality and openness means that Pol and is a friendly country for every visitor and our tourist attractions make Poland a good destination for tourists. Do the favourable changes in Polish tourism create opportunities for foreign investors? If so, in what areas and how are they used? At the moment we have been witnessing the dynamic development of catering, accommodation, and recreational facilities. At the same time almost every Polish gmina and town located in attractive tourist regions has a range of offers for investors to help develop these kinds of facilities and infrastructure. Another area of foreign investment is, for example, the construction of conference centres. East-Central Europe enjoys a lot of interest from people all over the world. That is why many international organizations hold events in Prague or Budapest. Unfortunately Warsaw is less frequently the destination for these events due to a lack of facilities. I earlier mentioned the increase in the number of accommodation and catering facilities in Poland. This is also due to foreign investors, who can see the great demand for such places and realize that Poland is a country with good opportunities for investment. Tourism in the Nation's Economy The Word Tourist Organisation (WTO) places Poland 7th in the ranking of tourist travel. It is very good position, which make it possible to satisfy tourist expectation and meet world tourist market trends. Some of these trends include: taking more than one holiday a year, the increased demand for trips including an educationally aspect, and growing demand for active holiday and agrotourism, particularly by tourists by Western Europe for short stay holidays. Trends in the word tourist market have an influence on the development of tourist in Europe, including Poland. Taking into account the present demand for tourist in Poland on the primary, as well as the potential resources and possibilities, Poland has concentrated its effort to create and promote quality in the areas of city and culture tourism, recreational, active and agrotourism, specialised holidays, cross-boarder tourism as well as for business travel, and transit traffic. Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of ind ustry of Poland. Every year the number of tourists organisation are doing their the best to satisfy the demands and needs of tourists. However is it not always easy, as the total number of hotels in Poland is only 844 with 80000 beds. It is a drop in ocean in comparison with almost 20 million tourists visiting Poland. The rooms in private houses fill the gap in the market. The sport and recreational facilities provided with the accommodation include volley and basketball, tennis courts, playrooms for children. Many places offer table tennis, boat hire. Some of them have sauna, have a gym or hire bicycles. A small a number of places providers solarium and indoor swimming pool and mini golf. We can see that tourist facilities in Poland are so diverse that we can satisfy all types of tourists. Poland has a huge variety of tourist attractions. For nature lovers there is the sea, the mountains, the lakes, national and landscape parks, nature reserves, rivers and forests. Poland has many historical and culture attraction, which belong to the word heritage of culture. These include ancient ruins, monuments, old towns, castles, palaces, churches and museums. Another features that makes Poland an attractive destination for tourist is the many international sports and cultural events, which even by themselves are very attractive. All these attraction have tremendous potential and make people curious to visit new places. For the sports and specialised holidays, which are increasingly popular, Poland offer great facilities for water sports, canoeing, winter sports (such as cross country skiing as well as mountain skiing), cycling, hiking, climbing, horse riding etc. Polish tradition hospitality and openness means that Poland is a friendly country for every visitor and our tourist a ttraction make Poland a good destination for tourists. In 1996 Poland attracted almost 23 million tourists and visitors who spent at least one night in our country (as classified by the Word Tourism Organisation). Many of them were transit visitors but the majorities were day-tripper shoppers. According to central bank's official cross boarder shopping generated approximately 6,3 billion USD in 1996. The average length of stay of tourist in Poland stands at 4,7 nights per person. Since 1995 foreign visitors have decelerated their main reason for visiting Poland as being relaxation and tourism and spent around $ 8,4 billion. In terms of revenue from tourism Poland holds 14th position in the world. Around 10 million Poles over 15 years old went on holiday in 1996. The majority of domestic travels stayed in private accommodation. The average Polish tourist spent 9,2 nights abroad, half of this number organised their trips individually. Most popular were trips to the neighbouring countries. Around $ 2,5 billion spent by Poles abroad in 1996. The tourism industry is comprised of services rendered by travel agents and hotels. In practice its revenue is made up both directly (by transport companies, the catering industry, and telecommunications) as well as indirectly by companies from many sectors of economy. The latter group includes furniture manufactures, house building services, the food industry and agriculture. According to assessment of Polish Chamber of Tourism, there is room for between 8000 to 10000 travel agents on the Polish market. Approximately a third of services rendered by travel agents by major tour operators as Orbis, PTTK, Gromada and others. The Polish market ha not created a major tourist company which could operate on a European scale. A few foreign companies have invested in the hotel business in Poland by building luxury hotels in the largest Poland cities (examples include the Marriott, the Holiday Inn). This sector is expected to grow rapidly. The largest owner of hotels in Poland is Orbis also being the largest Polish travel agent. Its network includes 53 hotels, all situated in attractive location. Poland is likely to at least maintain its current position on the global tourism market, providing the more expenditure for the development of tourism infrastructure, improving its quality and increasing on promotion. Business in Poland For several years now, Poland has been arousing interest as an attractive place for investment and commerce. The private sector is currently experiencing dynamic growth: both home-grown firms basing themselves on their own financial resources and joint ventures launched together with foreign capital, which is entering Poland in increasing amounts. Some 7,000 joint ventures have already been established in Poland, engaged in production, distribution, consultancy and other services. The giants of West European and American manufacturing and commerce are also taking part in the privatisation of Polish industry. Firms already operating in Poland include such household names as Coca Cola, Johnson and Johnson, Ikea, Siemens, Philip Morris, and many others besides. Although this expansion of international commercial activity is affecting the entire country, Warsaw's status as the national capital makes it the city most frequently visited by foreign businessmen. It is Warsaw which offers easiest access to all manner of legal and economic information, and it is here that we find the headquarters of various Polish business organisations which provide organisational and legal assistance to foreign business partners. In addition to the expert knowledge which is available, those interested in doing business in Poland also have ready access to all necessary technical facilities. Orbis hotels provide professional business centres offering suitable premises, communications facilities, secretarial services and state-of the-art office equipment. Poland has also become an interesting and convenient place for all kinds of meeting, conference, congress and exhibition. All inclusive assistance in arranging the requisite facilities is available from the ORBIS Incoming Tourism Bureau, which has nearly thirty years of experience in this field. The Bureau can boast the successful organisation of hundreds of events involving thousands of participants, and has taken part in organising undertakings of such size as the visits of Pope John Paul II to his homeland. Depending on the number of participants, meetings in Warsaw can be held in the Victoria, Holiday Inn or Novotel hotels, or in the Congress Hall of the Palace of Culture and Science, which seats 2,500. Events can also be arranged in the Holiday Inn in Cracow, the Gdynia Hotel in Gdynia, and in numerous other stately homes and small hotels throughout the length and breadth of Poland. The Orbis Incoming Tourism Bureau is involved in the provision of three types of service: * the organisation of participants' stay in Poland, including hotel accommodation, transport, short sightseeing excursions, tickets for cultural and artistic events, receptions, special activities, etc.; * the organisation of meetings/conferences, including the co-ordination of programmes and financial budgeting, the hire of halls, the provision of secretarial, technical and interpretation/translation services, the supply of photo-copying equipment and buffet facilities, the preparation of press conferences, etc.; * the organisation of exhibitions, including the hire of display space, the construction and decoration of stands, the provision of technical assistance, advertising, publications, etc. Over the years, the Orbis Incoming Tourism Bureau has earned itself the recognition of many international organisations, including the major agencies of the United Nations and the International Congress and Convention Association. The Polish National Tourist Office (PNTO) in London is succeeding in putting the message across that Poland is the natural choice as a tourist destination. â€Å"Over 217,500 people from the UK visited Poland in 1996. This makes the UK the second most important market after Germany. The rise in the number of tourists from the UK continues unabated. We estimate that by the end of 1997 Poland will receive about one quarter of a million UK visitors†, says Czeslaw Jermanowski, Director of the PNTO. He is aware of the increasing importance of business travel to Poland and promotion of the country's diverse holiday attractions as a range of products. â€Å"Within two years we have accomplished a lot. Poland is now a more interesting travel destination to the British public†. Since the PNTO launched its London office in 1994 the number of tour operators featuring Poland in their brochures has increased dramatically. In total, more then 86 L1K tour operators have been selling trips to Poland in 1997. Thompson Holidays, one of the major players in British market, includes Warsaw and Krakow City Breaks in its 1997 catalogue, and has planned to extend its offer to include Polish nature resorts – lakes and mountains – in 1998. Jermanowski points out that Warsaw is in fact 2 miles closer to London than Madrid. Poland is also moving up the list of important business venues. He emphasises the Polish governments support for business tourism. Two years ago Polish authorities established a tourist board committee on business travel. It helped to create new facilities for meeting, conferences and a high standard of service for individual business travellers. This year Britain's prestigious â€Å"Business Travel World† Magazine has once again awarded LOT Polish Airlines the title of † Best Eastern European Business Airline† LOT emerged clear winner in this category; ahead of Lufthansa and British Airways. This year LOT has carried more passengers than ever before. Non-stop London Heathrow – Warsaw flights are being increased from 13 to 16 a week. In addition, April 1997 saw the start of the Manchester-Warsaw air-link, three days a week. There is also a London Gdansk-Krakow service. Travellers arriving from the UK into Warsaw or Krakow find the rest of Poland easily accessible. LOT Polish Airlines maintain regular and seasonal connections with major Polish cities such as Szczecin, Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Krakow and Rzeszà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½w. â€Å"One part of the Polish tourist infrastructure which has already been developed is Poland's rail network which is one of the most comprehensive in Europe†, says Jermanowski. The Polish government has recently realised that tourism gives the country a great opportunity. Jermanowski, who was Vice-President of the State Sports and Tourism Administration in Warsaw before coming to London in 1995, was responsible for compiling the government's tourist development plan and for establishing a world-wide network of national tourist offices. Now tourism is part of Polish economic policy. VAT has been reduced from 22 to 7% on four and five star hotels. Furthermore, tax exemptions of up to 50% for creators of tourist infrastructure have been introduced. The 1990-1996 period has seen the number of hotels in Poland grow by 30% as more and more Polish and foreign chains have taken advantage of the burgeoning tourist industry and favourable tax law. Major chains such as Marriott, Holiday Inn, Radisson, Forte, Intercontinental and Sheraton are all represented in Poland in Addition to the Polish chains of Orbis and Gromada. The range of medium and smaller private hotels is growing fast. â€Å"Poland used to be perceived as very distant, small, grey and underdeveloped country†, says Jermanowski. â€Å"We've tried to improve its image. Today, Poland is a modern sophisticated country, with an air of optimism and development. We've worked hard to ensure that Poland is unpolluted and environmentally friendly. Our logo – Polska, the natural choice – shows that Poland can offer sandy coastlines, mountains, primeval forest and lake districts, along with cities rich in history and culture†. According to the PNTO's research, the city-break Polish market is strong. Krakow recorded the highest percentage of travellers, higher then the 26 per cent visiting Warsaw, in the first half of 1997. This reflects the increased ease of access to the â€Å"cultural capital† of Poland, soon to be â€Å"Capital of Culture† in year 2000. Market research shows that Southern Poland, including Zakopane and the Tatra mountains, is a prime destination for LTK travellers. Pomerania and Central-East Poland are the second most popular destinations. The growth in tourist traffic to Poland is being reflected by the increase in the number of operators offering Poland in their brochures and the growth of travel arranged by their agencies. For instance between 1996 and 1997 Peltours turnover has increased by nearly 100 %, Page & Moy – 60%, and Wallace Arnold – nearly 50%. â€Å"This indicates increased business opportunities for the UK travel industry†, says Jermanowski. The Polish National Tourist Office in London intends to continue its efforts to promote Poland as an attractive travel destination. Nothing succeeds like success.

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