John Updikes A & P Essays - John Updike, AP,

John Updike's A & P The Characters of John Updike's A & P In A & P, John Updike develops his characters through the eyes of the main character, Sammy. Sammy works in a grocery store, and one day he observes three young girls as they come into the store. The whole time they are in the A & P, Sammy describes their appearance, behavior, and his impression of them in great detail. Sammy watches each of the girls as they look around the store, but there is one that catches his attention right as they walk in. He is so busy staring at her that he makes the customer he is ringing up very mad at him. Sammy describes the young girl as a chunky kid, with a good tan and a sweet broad soft - looking can with those two crescents of white just under it...(Updike, 105). He notices everything about the girl, even down to the fact that she does not have a tan line, so she must have just bought the bright green, two piece, bathing suit. He also notices that she is very conscience of being a little over weight, because she ..fumbled with the cookies, but on second thought she put the packages back(Updike, 106). Sammy describes the next girl as a pretty girl, but not pretty enough to be called beautiful. He puts great detail in describing her appearance, and describes everything about her, from her long, frizzy hair, to her long neck, and the sunburns underneath her eyes. This girl is the tallest of the three, but he says that while she is the kind of girl other girls think is very striking' and attractive' but never quite makes it....is why they like her so much (Updike, 105). The last girl he describes is the one he thinks is the leader of the three girls, and even calls her the queen (Updike, 105). Sammy describes her as being a very self-assured girl, who is trying to teach the other girls how to be just like her. He states that she had talked the other two into coming in here with her, and now she was showing them how to do it, walk slow and hold yourself straight (Updike, 106). Sammy goes into the greatest detail describing the character. He talks about the color of her bathing suit, how her straps are pulled down, the style of her hair, and the manner in which she walks across the store. He is very impressed by her, and shows this by saying, ...this clean bare plane of the top of her chest down from the shoulder bones like a dented sheet of metal tilted in the light. I mean, it was more than pretty (Updike, 106). Sammy also shows how impressed he is with her by saying, The longer her neck was, the more of her there was (Updike, 106). Mr. Updike does a great job of developing his characters through the eyes of Sammy. He puts descriptions of the girls' appearance, behavior, and impressions of them, given to the reader through Sammy's thoughts. By Sammy describing the girls in such great detail, it lets the reader get to know him as a character just as well as seeing the ones he is describing. Bibliography Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Florida: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997. Technology Essays

Free Essays on Policy Implement

Policy implementation The implementation of the selected option represents a critical aspect of the policy process. The most carefully crafted policy that is widely accepted by those it affects can flounder because of improper implementation. It is impossible to define an optimal implementation procedure because of the wide range of socioeconomic circumstances that policies are applied, and also because of the diversity of policies themselves. However, a ten step model of policy implementation can be considered as an ideal: 1. Policies must not face insurmountable external constraints. By this is meant that the policy must not exceed the jurisdictional or constitutional limits of the agency. This is a common issue in federal states, where different transport modes may be under different jurisdictions. Other examples include cases where the transport issue cannot be resolved because of international borders. However, transnational agreements, especially within the European Union have considerably reduced external constrains in transport policy implementation. The Geography of Transport Systems 8 2. In implementing the policy there must be an adequate time frame and resources. The policy may be appropriate, but may fail because its implementation took longer or was more expensive than budgeted. A recent example is that of airport and port divestiture in Canada, where the policy had similar goals but different implementation procedures. 3. The implementing agency must have adequate staff and resources to carry out the policy. A growing problem with environmental legislation is that the agencies do not have the means to ensure guidelines and standards are enforced. 4. The premises of policy and theory must be compatible. At one time public ownership was seen as a valid policy alternative. Today it may be a valid option in theory in some circumstances, but is not politically acceptable. 5. Cause and effect relatio... Free Essays on Policy Implement Free Essays on Policy Implement Policy implementation The implementation of the selected option represents a critical aspect of the policy process. The most carefully crafted policy that is widely accepted by those it affects can flounder because of improper implementation. It is impossible to define an optimal implementation procedure because of the wide range of socioeconomic circumstances that policies are applied, and also because of the diversity of policies themselves. However, a ten step model of policy implementation can be considered as an ideal: 1. Policies must not face insurmountable external constraints. By this is meant that the policy must not exceed the jurisdictional or constitutional limits of the agency. This is a common issue in federal states, where different transport modes may be under different jurisdictions. Other examples include cases where the transport issue cannot be resolved because of international borders. However, transnational agreements, especially within the European Union have considerably reduced external constrains in transport policy implementation. The Geography of Transport Systems 8 2. In implementing the policy there must be an adequate time frame and resources. The policy may be appropriate, but may fail because its implementation took longer or was more expensive than budgeted. A recent example is that of airport and port divestiture in Canada, where the policy had similar goals but different implementation procedures. 3. The implementing agency must have adequate staff and resources to carry out the policy. A growing problem with environmental legislation is that the agencies do not have the means to ensure guidelines and standards are enforced. 4. The premises of policy and theory must be compatible. At one time public ownership was seen as a valid policy alternative. Today it may be a valid option in theory in some circumstances, but is not politically acceptable. 5. Cause and effect relatio...

Venus Figurines as Early Human Sculptural Art

Venus Figurines as Early Human Sculptural Art A Venus figurine (with or without the capital V) is the name given to a type of figural art produced by humans between about 35,000 and 9,000 years ago. While the stereotypical Venus figurine is a small carved statue of a voluptuous female with large body parts and no head or face to speak of, those carvings are considered part of a larger cadre of portable art plaques and two- and three-dimensional carvings of men, children, and animals as well as women in all stages of life. Over 200 of these statuettes have been found, made of clay, ivory, bone, antler, or carved stone. They were all found at sites left behind by hunter-gatherer societies of the European and Asian late Pleistocene (or Upper Paleolithic) periods during the last gasp of the last Ice Age, the Gravettian, Solutrean, and Aurignacian periods. Their remarkable variety- and yet persistence- within this 25,000 year period continues to amaze researchers. The Venus and Modern Human Nature One of the reasons youre reading this may be because images of the physicality of women are an important part of modern human cultures. Whether your specific modern culture permits the exposure of the female form or not, the uninhibited depiction of women with large breasts and detailed genitals seen in the ancient art is nearly irresistible to all of us. Nowell and Chang (2014) compiled a list of modern-day attitudes reflected in the media (and scholarly literature). This list is derived from their study, and it includes five points that we should keep in mind when considering Venus figurines in general. Venus figurines were not necessarily made by men for menMen are not the only ones aroused by visual stimuliOnly some of the figurines are femaleThe figurines that are female have considerable variation in size and body shapeWe dont know that Paleolithic systems necessarily recognized only two gendersWe dont know that being unclothed was necessarily erotic in Paleolithic periods We simply cannot know for certain what was in the minds of Paleolithic people or who made the figurines and why. Consider the Context Nowell and Chang suggest instead that we should consider the figurines separately, within their archaeological context (burials, ritual pits, refuse areas, living areas, etc.), and compare them to other artwork rather than as a separate category of erotica or fertility art or ritual. The details that we seem to focus on- big breasts and explicit genitals- obscure the finer elements of the art for a lot of us. One notable exception is a paper by Soffer and colleagues (2002), who examined the evidence for the use of netted fabrics drawn as clothing features on the figurines. Another non-sex-charged study is by Canadian archaeologist Alison Tripp (2016), who looked at examples of Gravettian-era figurines and suggested similarities in the central Asian group indicate some kind social interaction among them. That interaction is also reflected in similarities in site layouts, lithic inventories, and material culture. The Oldest Venus The oldest Venus found to date was recovered from the Aurignacian levels of Hohle Fels in southwestern Germany, in the lowest-most Aurignacian layer, made between 35,000-40,000 cal BP. The Hohle Fels carved ivory art collection included four figurines: a horses head, a half-lion/half-human being, a water bird, and a woman. The female figurine was in six fragments, but when the fragments were reassembled they were revealed to be the nearly complete sculpture of a voluptuous woman (her left arm is missing) and in place of her head is a ring, enabling the object to be worn as a pendant. Function and Meaning Theories about the function of Venus figurines abound in the literature. Different scholars have argued that the figurines might have been used as emblems for membership in a goddess religion, teaching materials for children, votive images, good luck totems during childbirth, and even sex toys for men. The images themselves have also been interpreted in many ways. Different scholars suggest they were realistic images of what women looked like 30,000 years ago, or ancient ideals of beauty, or fertility symbols, or portrait images of specific priestesses or ancestors. Who Made Them? A statistical analysis of the waist to hip ratio for 29 of the figurines was conducted by Tripp and Schmidt (2013), who found that there was considerable regional variation. Magdalenian statuettes were much curvier than the others, but also more abstract. Tripp and Schmidt conclude that although it could be argued that Paleolithic males preferred heavier set and less curvy females, there is no evidence to identify the gender of the persons who made the objects or who used them. However, American art historian LeRoy McDermott has suggested that the figurines may have been self-portraits made by women, arguing that the body parts were exaggerated because if an artist dont have a mirror, her body is  distorted from her viewpoint. Venus Examples Russia: Malta, Avdeevo, New Avdeevo, Kostenki I, Kohtylevo, Zaraysk, Gagarino, EliseevichiFrance: Laussel, Brassempouy, Lespugue, Abri Murat, Gare de CouzeAustria: WillendorfSwitzerland: MonruzGermany: Hohle Fels, Gà ¶nnersdorf, MonreposItaly: Balzi Rossi, Barma GrandeCzech Republic: Dolni Vestonice, Moravany, PekrnaPoland: Wilczyce, Petrkovice, PavlovGreece: Avaritsa Sources Dixson AF, and Dixson BJ. 2011. Venus figurines of the European Paleolithic: Symbols of fertility or attractiveness? Journal of Anthropology 2011(Article ID 569120).McDermott L. 1996. Self-Representation in Upper Paleolithic Female Figurines. Current Anthropology 37(2):227-275.Nowell A, and Chang ML. 2014. Science, the Media, and Interpretations of Upper Paleolithic Figurines. American Anthropologist 116(3):562-577.Tripp A. 2016. A Cladistics Analysis Exploring Regional Patterning of the Anthropomorphic Figurines from the Gravettian. In: Mendoza Straffon L, editor. Cultural Phylogenetics: Concepts and Applications in Archaeology. Cham: Springer International Publishing. p 179-202.Tripp AJ, and Schmidt NE. 2013. Analyzing Fertility and Attraction in the Paleolithic: The Venus Figurines. Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia 41(2):54-60.Soffer O, Adovasio JM, and Hyland DC. 2000. The Venus Figurines: Textiles, basketry, gender, and status in the Upper Paleolithic. Current Anthropology 41(4):511-537.

Evaluation of English Lit film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Evaluation of English Lit film - Movie Review Example Black Death fabricates a trial of faith and determination between the murderous genuine devotees and a nearly similarly homicidal group of atheists. The audience will be torn between these two, and the film effectively does that. It provokes a feeling of difference and conflict. Every one of the cast endows adequate energy and life to their characters and roles. The chosen setting is ideal for the gloomy, threatening cinematography and form that excludes or prevents any shades or colors besides those that are already present in the setting’s natural environment in a damp marshland on a gloomy day. A portable camera and the realistic specifics of the setting contributed to the feeling that a film staff has one way or another visited the period of the plague using a time machine. The film attains its objectives of imitating an unenlightened, medieval Europe overflowing with pests, filth, and decaying bodies and a band of mercenaries prepared to destroy those who have the audacity not to be ill or infected by the terrible disease. It is a miserable, unhappy, dreadful period in human history and the so-called servants of God only contribute to the dilemma. Films based on the events during the medieval period, like Black Death, generally explore themes of faith and religious devotion, the concepts of morality, and the power of love, that successfully draw raw emotions from the audience. The film is quite thought-provoking and its originality is totally one of its strengths, since there are only a handful of movies that challenge such simple plot formation. The band of mercenaries under oath is generic, but seldom has this element been quite difficult to support and depicted in the barest conditions, being intimidated and marred by more than a sheer unfriendly e nvironment and adversaries, but with the disease itself hovering all around them. The character and presence of one of the leading

Indicate the divergence about social of UK in EU Essay

Indicate the divergence about social of UK in EU - Essay Example However, it was observed that the European Union failed to create effective constitutional machinery which affected the proper administration of its member countries. The making of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009 created a change in the above situation. Further expansion programs helped in the creation of a faction known as the European Communities which came into effect from 1967. It was observed that the European Community was formed by the joint collaboration of three communities which rendered its focus mainly on strengthening the economic and cultural base. The other three countries which joined the European Commission in 1973 were observed to be Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The administrative power of the European Union was given a further impetus with the enactment of the Maastricht Treaty which came into effect in 1991. People residing within the member countries of the European Union were conferred the European citizenship which helped them commute within the member states. However, United Kingdom showed a steady divergence to the social policy measures of the European Union which highlighted on labor and other social issues. United Kingdom was found to ‘opt-out’ from the Social Chapter of the Maastricht Treaty. (Profile: The European Union, 2010). The United Kingdom holds a prominent position amongst the European countries constituting the European Union. United Kingdom has held its permanent representation to the body of the European Union as UKRep. It is observed that the making of the UKRep helped in further enhancing the ties of United Kingdom to the European Union. The UKRep constituted helps United Kingdom to potentially represent itself in the body of European Union through the acts of its various representatives. The representatives of United Kingdom through UKRep help in the focusing of issues pertaining to the country by attracting

Big Bang Theory And Christianity Religion Essay

Big Bang Theory And Christianity Religion Essay The highly heated debate and discussion about how our universe and earth began has been going on for many centuries. In the old days many people believed that God created the universe. They even believed that the planets and the sun revolved around the earth. With todays technology scientists scientist have been able to explore our outer world. In their research some scientists scientist have begun to believe that the universe was created not by a God or a divine force but by a big explosion called the Big Bang Theory. About 15 billion years ago an explosion started the expansion of the universe. Scientists refer to the explosion as the Big Bang. What happened in this event was all the matter and energy of space contained at one point. The explosion is not an explosion of a bomb where particles are thrown outward but it consisted of an explosion of space within itself. All the galaxies and planets were not clumped together, but the explosion or Big Bang laid out the foundations for the universe. (The Big Bang) How the Big Bang theory came to existence was from the observations of Edwin Hubble. He observed that the universe is always expanding. He calculated that a galaxys velocity is proportional to its distance. This means if galaxies are twice as far from us they move twice as fast. He also found that the universe is expanding in every direction. With these observations Hubble concluded that it has taken every galaxy the same amount of time to move from a common starting position to its current position. As galaxies kept moving farther away from each other it is called the red shift. As light reaches earth from other galaxies there is a greater distance between earth and the galaxy, which leads to wavelengths being stretched. (The Big Bang) In 1964, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were two astronomers who discovered cosmic microwave radiation. The two men discovered this when one day they were trying to detect microwaves from outer space, but accidentally they discovered a noise of extraterrestrial or alien origin. The noise came from all directions and not just one direction or location. What they heard became obvious to them what they discovered was radiation from the farthest points of the universe. By discovering these microwaves they could calculate what Edwin Hubble calculated also. They concluded that everything in the universe came from the same point, which they say was the explosion which is referenced as the Big Bang. Everything in the universe moves away from each other at the same rate and velocity. NASA has sent a satellite and has been able to detect cosmic microwaves from the outer reaches of the universe proving the discovery of Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson. (The Big Bang) (Origins of the Universe) Edwin Hubbles discovery of finding that the universe is always expanding and everything is moving away from each other at the same speed was the base of the Big Bang Theory. Then when Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered cosmic microwaves radiation is just supported more evidence of the Theory Edwin Hubble created. The Big Bang Theory is the origin of our universe which means it is the theory of how our universe was created. When the universe was created billions of years ago, billions of years after the planet Earth was created. Thousands of rocks were orbiting the sun and many of them started to crash into each other. The collisions of rock created mass amounts of energy and formed Earth. Earth took its form when the initial lava mass cooled and it formed the outer crust of our Earth. But with the outer crust covering all the heat and energy of the earths core, the middle of the earth is as hot as the sun. (Earth, Earth Science, Planet Earth) Earths distance from the Sun allows the ability to absorb solar energy and create photosynthesis. When photosynthesis occurs it lets off oxygen and this began the accumulation and storage of oxygen in the Earths atmosphere. With all the build up in the atmosphere it lead to the development of what is now called the ozone layer. With the ozone layer around Earth, it blocks out all the harmful ultraviolet radiation waves from the Sun. With the ozone protecting the Earths surface, multicellular organisms slowly became populated to the planet Earth. (Earth, Earth Science, Planet Earth) The explosion known as the Big Bang started the origin of the universe, which created the universe, earth and eventually human beings. Without the great observations and calculations of Edwin Hubble humans would not know how the universe might have begun. With his discoveries he developed the Big Bang Theory which was the origin of the universe. Edwin also got some back up when Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered cosmic microwaves radiation, which helped support Hubbles thought of everything in the universe starting at the same point. The Big Bang theory has some evidence that might make the theory true but it is still a theory, and it cannot be proven. Many people may believe that there was a Big Bang that started our universe and our earth, but there are also billions of Christians and other religions in the world that believe in their own God and that he created the universe. Christians are monotheists which means they believe in one God. Some Christians believe that the Big Bang theory is totally false and that God their creator made all the planets, stars, our earth and the people who live on the earth. But, other Christians believe that God did create everything, but they also believe he could have made the universe any way he wanted to. He could have done it like it says in the Bible in the first two chapters of Genesis. In chapters one and two of Genesis it describes how God made light and dark and all the planets, stars, Heaven and earth, or God could have created everything with an explosion. But those Christians believe that God still created all the particles in the explosion and he controlled the explosion and it was all a part of his greater plan which was to create man and woman in his image. So, many Christians believe that there was no Big Bang or explosion, but rather that everything was created by a higher force which is God. But, there are also some Christians who see and believe some of the evidence Hubble and Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson found, but they challenge the Atheists and ask them where did the energies and powers come from. The Christians who believe in God and the Big Bang theory say that the powers and energies in the explosion came from God and was the entire plan God created to make our universe, our planets, earth and moon. Although there are billions of Christians in the world who believe God is the creator of everything, there are also many Atheists who dont believe in God. Atheists are people (many of them are scientists ) who believe that everything was all started and can be explained by science. Atheists believe that the Big Bang theory was a likely origin of our universe. Atheists believe that science is the answer to everything and that science can explain everything. They believe that there is no higher power or God. They believe that there is no way there is a God. Atheists believe that you have to see it to believe it. They believe in science because science is something they can see and they can prove everything by science. But still many things in science are theories and have not been fully proven. When Atheists are challenged by Christians they are often asked where did the energies and the particles come from? Did they just appear? Atheists come back with the counter question of where did the Christians creator God come from? Did he just appear? That is the mystery of life and the Atheists believe that everything began with science and everything can be explained through science, which is why Atheists believe in the Big Bang Theory. On the other side of the argument , the Christians believe in a God and that this is a higher power that created the universe, planets, moons, stars, and humans who live in this massive universe. THE BIG BANG. University of Michigan. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. . Origins of the Universe. National Geographic. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. . Earth, Earth Science, Planet Earth at SPACE.com. Learn More at Space.com. From Satellites to Stars, NASA Information, Astronomy, the Sun and the Planets, We Have Your Information Here. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. .

Intercultural Communications Essay Comparing New York, California and Italy

New York City Suburbs, Middle Class Orange County, And Italy: Explored There are many definitions for â€Å"culture. † The best definition and the definition that we use is â€Å"Culture is a learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, norms and social practices which affect the behaviors of a relatively large group of people. † Culture is often times taken for granted because we aren’t constantly reminded of our culture. It is not until we leave our culture and our everyday norms that we start to realize our own culture and the variances in cultures.This experience will help to expand our knowledge of other cultures, as well as allowing us to understand our own culture better. The first culture that we look at is Zach’s culture. When looking at my own culture, it is difficult to identify which culture that I belong to the best. I think I best associate myself with the culture of my hometown. In a small town just outside of New York City, a variety of different ethnicities occupy this town. Although this is the case, the vast majority of the inhabitants are Italian-Americans, and everyone lives quite a similar lifestyle.As a young adult in this culture, you either start working or go to school. It is expected of both men and women to do one of the two options. Considering the fact that everyone does one of the two, or both, it is unusual and frowned upon to being doing absolutely nothing. The individual in my culture is very important. Everyone is expected to be the best they could be. So, if school isn’t their forte, then getting into the workforce is the path they should take. Whether you go to school or go straight to work does not determine whether you are a success or a failure.Being successful just means that you are doing something that you want to do and making a substantial amount of money to live. People in my culture are glorified more when they have white-collar jobs. Being just outside of New York City, many families have someone that works there. The idea of taking the train to work is something that many adolescences strive before because that is what they believe is what it means to be successful at the time. Young adults in my culture all partake in similar activities and ways of life. There are minor differences in some areas, but for the most part we are quite comparable.In my culture, young adults are always keeping busy. Activities include: from working out, playing sports, going to movies, attending ball games, going out to bars and relaxing at a friend’s house. It is very common in my culture to have a very large friends group, especially guys. A typical day off for anyone could include any of those activities. The day in a life of any person in my culture is busy and stressful. Work and school take up the majority of the day and then other activities, like attending the gym or being part of team, occur post work and school.Dinner is the only time of day tha t everyone has a little bit of time to relax and enjoy family time. During dinner, families converse about events that took place during the day and about upcoming events. Family is very important in my culture. Family always comes first. Whenever a family gathering is taking place, it is more common to attend that event than it is to do some other activity. Pride is something that is in full affect in my culture and any culture in my area. Although everyone associates himself or herself with our local culture, they are still very proud to be a New Yorker.Often times we are thought of as overly confident or cocky. This is probably because we have this mentality that we are the only people on the earth and everything else revolves around us. My culture accurately defines me. I lived in my hometown and with my culture my whole life and I have been surrounded with the norms and beliefs of my community. I am a part of a friends group that partakes in every activity that is common in my culture. We love sports and fitness, as well as going to the movies or a ball game. Although I take pride in having such a strong friends group, I don’t forget where I come from.I love spending time with my family and always dedicate adequate time to seeing them. For example, every weekend I go out to dinner with my parents and my sister. I look forward to events where I can hang out with my extended family because I don’t get to see them often due to how far they live from me. I like to think I have a successful future ahead of me because I am attending a university and have plans of working and living the American dream. Conclusively, my life and personality coincide greatly with my culture and community.Next we take a look at Troy’s culture. In my culture, I have noticed that making a connection with someone, even if they are a stranger you may never see again, is extremely prevalent. Common â€Å"small talk† like asking how their day’s going is highly valued in my culture and to me personally. I have taken small acts of politeness for granted growing up in Orange County and did not notice them until entering other cultures around the world. For example, I find it rude to not hold the door open for someone behind you even if they are ten feet away from entering.Basically everyone does it in my culture but this is not the same everywhere else. For example, I noticed that it is common for people from the East coast to not even realize this small aspect of everyday life. One thing I have begun to miss is the absence of eye contact and smiling at random strangers during everyday activities in public. It personally brightens my day when someone I don’t know passing by gives you a genuine smile without a specific reason. Here in Italy, I have noticed that it is common for Italians to avoid eye contact if possible and it is rare to randomly smile at a passerby.At first I viewed it as they were cold or in a bad mood, but no w I understand that it simply is a cultural difference between our countries. One of my best friends from elementary school through high school is a perfect example of an Orange County middle-class male. His name is Robbie Jepson and he possesses a majority of the qualities of a young male from Southern California. He has long beach blonde hair and tan skin all year round. He loves to skateboard, snowboard, and surf depending on the season. He listens to alternative rock while recognizing the popular Top 40 music.He is unbelievably genuine and extremely close with all our group of friends. Plus, his family is not just his family; they are his best and closest friends. He was always very popular with everyone at our high school, which is why he won Prom King our senior year. He works at Active Ride Shop, which is a well-known skateboarding company, and is training to become a Real Estate Agent. He attended a junior college for two years and then transferred to a university, which is extremely common for students in Orange County trying to save money.He is religious and values meeting people who are equally as genuine as him. He enjoys volunteering in his free time and will always hold the door open for you no matter what mood he is in. All of these aspects I just previously mentioned are extremely common for males in my culture. Over the years, I have viewed him as a role model and try and imitate some of his qualities to become a â€Å"better† person. A typical day for a middle class male in Orange County must be adventurous. I feel that we share a common desire for some sort of adrenaline rush no matter what it involves.We consistently go to the beach, mountains, or desert depending on the time of year. For example, in my life, I have been skydiving, bungee jumping, zip lining, and parasailing which all result in an adrenaline rush. However, there are aspects of my culture that I tend to differ with. For example, country music is unbelievably popular w ith my culture but I cannot stand listening to this genre of music. There are country concerts that basically everyone goes to during spring break every year called Stagecoach, which I never plan on attending even if it was free.I cannot explain exactly why I dislike country music; I just cannot stand when I hear some play it. Another aspect I differ from my culture is the popularity of eating â€Å"fast food† like Taco Bell, Carl’s Jr, McDonalds, etc. I use to eat at these places as a child but I have now realized how unhealthy they are for my body so I choose not to anymore. The only â€Å"fast food† places I will eat at now are Subway and Chipotle and these are not unhealthy like the places I mentioned already. I enjoy cooking at home and would rather save my money to spend on something else.Overall, I have enjoyed being a part of my culture growing up and learning the values and ethics that are apart of being from Orange County. There are still aspects of ou r culture that can be improved upon when comparing to others but that can be said for every culture no matter where you are in the world. This course has broadened my understanding of my culture in a positive way because I had never put much thought into it before because I have grown up in it so it is difficult to question why things work the way they do.Before, I looked at our culture with the mindset of â€Å"it’s just the way it is† which correlates with the story of a fish knowing if it’s wet or not. After reflecting on our own cultures, we interviewed Italians and read articles and books to take a deeper look at the Italian culture. The Italian culture is a fascinating entity. Their norms, beliefs and values are remarkable. The three most highly valued aspects of Italian culture are: religion, food and family. Religion is very important to the Italian culture. The Catholic Church is something that â€Å"present in every community† (Solly 54).The Pop e is highly recognized amongst Italians. The Catholic Church is preferred to tangible and visual, hence pictures of Madonna, the Pope, local saints, and football stars are posted everywhere† (Solly 55). This goes to show the importance of religion and the big part that it plays in the household. Sunday is a day where everyone gathers at the local parrish for Sunday Mass. This is another way of bringing the family together, all dressed in their â€Å"Sunday Best. † As Lisa Anna Izzo describes in an interview regarding Italian culture, â€Å"the fact that Italians are usually always together and eating says a lot! This is nothing short of the truth. Food is so important to Italy and a conversation about Italians and Italian culture cannot end without the talks of food. Pasta is a staple of an Italian meal. It is also one of three course of the Italian lunch. This three-course meal includes a lot of food, like pasta, meat and vegetables. As Lisa Anna says â€Å"You will never go hungry in an Italian household. † Lunch is the meal during the day where the family gathers. Over this three-course meal, they enjoy each other’s company and talk about all different topics, including politics, religion, and calcio.Giuseppe D’Aloisio comments on the importance of family in an interview regarding his idea of the Italian culture by saying â€Å"the town that I am from is very small, therefore everyone is extremely close to each other and sometimes we consider people who truly aren’t family as family. † This is a very interesting quote because in the United States and in my culture it isn’t that common to have such a small town where everyone is that close. But, it just goes to show how important family is for the Italians.For one of my classes, I had the opportunity to go on a field trip to the Grevi hat factory and interview the owners and a few of the employees. Bepe Grevi, the main owner today, talked a good amount about the family company, which was started in 1875. The fact that the company has been in the same family expresses the Italian’s high-context culture. This exemplifies their strong interpersonal bonds, their high commitment, and their closeness between families. In the United States, family businesses do not exist for as long because children often do not want to follow in their parent’s footsteps.They would prefer to branch out and create their own legacy and encourage their children to do the same. It is intriguing to see a day in the life of a young adult in the Italian culture. Football is very prominent in the Italian culture. Most kids and young adults are always kicking a football around with each other. Lisa Anna states, â€Å"kids usually go to the football field and play and everyone goes to hang out and watch them. † Even the people that do not play football are still involved with it because it becomes a retreat for all the youngsters to gather.It is extremely common for friends and family to get together on Sundays to eat a big meal with each other and watch their local football team on TV during the afternoon according to Solly’s Xenophobe’s Guide to the Italians. Spending time with friends is a common practice my young adults. Giuseppe talks of â€Å"riding around on vespas with friends until everyone has to go home for dinner. † Other regular routines included relaxing in the piazza or going to a bar or discotecca at night. Drinking is something that occurs amongst teens and young adults in Italy.There is no drinking age in Italy allowing for teens to start drinking a lot earlier than in the States. In Italy, however, teens and adults, alike, are consuming alcohol in a different manor. They are casual drinkers. For example, it is very common for teens in Italy to have a glass or two of wine with dinner and their families. They are not going out and binge drinking, like teens and young adults often do in America. When comparing the United States and Italian cultures, Italians are much more high context than Americans. Small aspects of their everyday life will provide evidence to back up this statement.For example, when looking at Hall’s taxonomy, Italians tend to use more indirect messages than Americans who rely on direct messages, especially in the classroom. My classes abroad have been much less structured than back home and give far fewer directions for assignments. By no means is this is a negative aspect because it allows students to be more creative with their projects and essays. Another aspect of Hall’s taxonomy is the Italian culture’s orientation to time. It is far more loose and flexible when compared to the American’s orientation to time.An example of this would be the commonality for an Italian to be late to lunch with you because they saw one of their friends on the way and talked to them for twenty minutes because of the combination of their strong interpersonal bonds and their flexible and open time schedule. Whereas, an American would be offended if you showed up late to lunch because they view it as wasting their time. The well-known concept of â€Å"time is money† could explain the difference of cultures more effectively. Americans always have to be on the go and productive or else they feel like they are wasting money in a sense.Whereas Italians are comfortable going through the day â€Å"wasting† their time talking to someone because they enjoy making strong personal connections with friends and family, which I strongly prefer over the hectic American way of life. In our interviews, we unfortunately did not ask anyone about superstition, but it is something we have noticed since coming to Italy. Even as baseball players while growing up, which is a game that involves a great amount of superstitious habits, we have realized that Italians are even more superstitious just by observing them over a couple month span.One example is when talking about their local football team, Fiorentina. They do not like to seem overconfident or say anything before it happens because they do not want to â€Å"jinx† their team. There are other aspects of life that they are superstitious but this is what we felt was strongest and most prevalent when coming to superstition. The Italian culture has a lot of captivating aspects to it. The prevalence of religion, family and food are great intriguing. These three highly valued aspects of their life all work together.The family is a huge staple in Italian culture. Lunch is an important three-course meal that brings together the family with a large quantity of food. The Catholic Church is highly recognized and has great power in the Italian culture. Sundays are dedicated to relaxation and attending Sunday Mass, where again the family is brought together. Italy has a much different view of time, as it is much more lackadaisical than back in the U nited States. Superstitions are widespread in the Italian culture, especially with soccer.Soccer in the Italian culture is a way of life and many youngsters could be seen playing at the field or in the streets or piazza. Conclusively, by looking at the Italian culture and its different aspects has allowed us to strengthen our intercultural competence and overall knowledge of a different culture than our own. After looking at these three different cultures, we came to realize the differences that occur between each. The high importance of friends and friendship is a common ground between all three cultures. A difference amongst the three is the meaning of food and the different types of food.New York City suburbs and Orange County both have their many fast food businesses as well as local restaurants. Food in the Italian culture is all about quality and appearance. Their famous three-course meal supplies an abundance of food for families to gather and feast. In conclusion, by explori ng the social norms, beliefs and values of these three cultures we are now have a stronger sense of intercultural competence and have a better understanding of not only our own culture, but the Italian culture and a different culture within our own country.