Food Essay Essay

Food not only distinguishes and represents a culture, but can also reflect ones personality, lifestyle, and socio-economic status. America is made up of every kind of culture, nationality, and custom. Because America is mainly composed of immigrants and descendants of immigrants, there is no real American cuisineâ‚ ¬? only Americanized cuisine and a multitude of cuisines taken from various cultures. The diversity that makes up american cuisine is as varied as the diversity that makes up America. Also, as there are many cuisines that make up  American cuisine, there are also many roles of food in American pop culture. From classifying gender and social status to providing fuel, satisfaction, and excuses, food affects people in many ways. Since I have come to college, I have learned to appreciate Korean food, which I have grown up eating. Korean food is part of the diverse group of cuisines that make up american cuisine. Although I enjoy almost every type of food, I am partial to Korean food, the cuisine of my native land. One of my two favorite dishes is mandu soon dubu, which is a spicy tofu soup with dumplings cooked in it. The other favorite is dwenjang jjigae, which is a somewhat salty bean curd stew with tofu and various vegetables cooked in it. I like spicy or salty foods, which may explain why these two foods are my favorite, and also why I like seafood so much. When I go to my home in Torrance, I eat Korean food every day. As a result, when I am at school, I crave Korean food even when it comes time to eat the delicious food at the dining halls. Korean food style is not restricted to Korean food, but can also be incorporated into other types of cuisine, such as Chinese food. From my observations, many Chinese restaurants are owned and run by Koreans, so the food is affected by Korean tastes. The dishes are made less greasy and spicier to fit the Korean taste. At these restaurants, onions with black bean paste, kim chi, and pickled radishes called dah-ggwang, are served as small appetizers. There are even Chinese dishes that started in Korea and are now served in Chinese restaurants owned by Koreans: jjam-bbong (a spicy seafood soup with noodles), and jja jjang myun (noodles in a black bean paste sauce with beef, cucumbers, and onions).

The Merneptah Stele and Early ‘Israel’

The mention of ‘Israel’ as a people rather than a region in the Merneptah Stele identifies them as an important socioeconomic entity and therefore a political threat to a hegemonic Egypt. The resilience of the people ‘Israel’ was established through a segmented tribal coalition, formed as a religious and social identity that attributed to their survival in the turbulent times of the early 12th century . The inclusion of ‘Israel’ in the Merneptah Stele demonstrates the importance of these people. It was not in the traditions of the Egyptian scribes to mention an entity that was considered socially inferior or of little importance in the political environment of the era. Poetic licence and propaganda was employed to ensure the Egyptian people regarded the Pharaoh with illustrious fervour. Only events of ‘political significance’ were narrated and only in the context of the will of the Pharaoh not as miscalculated occurrences . Although it is recognised the scribes employed propaganda, this does not take away from the historical reliability of the narration. The traditions of the ‘New- Kingdom Pharaohs’ included daily journals being kept on papyrus, which subsequently were transcribed on to stone for the ‘public record’. Once the rhetoric was completed the plain text of the conquest of the Pharaoh was there and basically reliable . The literary interpretation of ‘Israel’ as a people in the inscription is supported by the determinative used by the scribe and the Egyptian word prt as ‘seed’ correlates with the assumption of Israel existing as a ‘†¦. rural sedentary group of agriculturalists’ . Ahlstrom and Edelman propose the people determinative could be attributed to scribal carelessness or a lack of knowledge of the area but this is contradicted by Kitchen who maintains ‘†¦. the writing and engraving of the ‘Israel Stela’ was executed extremely accurately†¦. ’ . In separating ‘Israel’ by the use of the people determinative from the city-states Ashkelon, Gezer, and Yanoam, the scribe is identifying the differences of the socio-political structures and allowing us a brief glimpse of a specifically defined group of people. Hjelm and Thompson suggest that ‘seed’ is understood to mean descendants or offspring and arguments to support this theory are referenced to Bible traditions and Egyptian texts , however in the context of ‘Israel’ the people being farmers, it would be feasible that the inference would mean their grain was decimated rather than the population being slaughtered in battle. The implication of prt, understood as ‘seed’ is very important in so much that it identifies the people from an occupational and economical perspective. In the context of the inscription the scribe portrays the message of taking away the core of the people’s existence, their sustenance, culture and framework of the agricultural society identifiable as the people ‘Israel’ . If we are to assume the people ‘Israel’ were a sedentary group of agriculturist strong enough to be a threat to Egypt we must also make the assumption the group were firmly established and had been for some time. The Egyptian scribe must have already been aware of the existence of ‘Israel’ as mentioned above and this would imply some former experience with this group that obviously made an impact on Egyptian society . The most noteworthy event would have to be the Exodus. Brown argues the Exodus took place in the time of Merneptah as the result of his father Rameses II being referred to as ‘the persecutor of the Jews’ . Support is given by Brown on the content of a document held in the British Museum known as the papyrus Anastasi VI. Briefly this states that the tribes of Shasu have been given permission to graze their cattle in the Crown lands of Goshen where it is assumed the tribes of Israel previously inhabited, therefore confirming the Israelites had left the domains of Egypt sometime within the first seven years of Merneptah’s reign, loosely around the time of the inscription. Within Brown’s argument lies his acceptance of the literary translation of ‘seed’ meaning children or offspring therefore relying on the premise of the Bible as denoting the Israelites as ‘the children of Israel’ and the orrelation with the inscription to mean that the expulsion from Egypt was the true interpretation of the text . This view contradicts the theory of ‘seed’ meaning grain so although appearing to be a sound hypothesis relies too heavily on hyperbole and does not fit with ‘Israel’ as an established socioeconomic entity that posed a threat to Egypt. We may ask the question of why a group of people that were perceived as a hill dwelling rural sedentary group of agriculturalists threatened the power of hegemonic Egypt. From a geopolitical perspective Egypt’s agenda was to control the coastal highway that included Ashkelon, Gezer and Yanoam to fortify military strongholds and control the trade route. ‘Israel’ situated in the hill country posed an autonomous threat, as had the other city-states so it stands to reason it needed to be conquered to fulfil the Merneptah’s campaign goals. It must also be pointed out that it was not unusual for unrest and rebellion to occur when a new ruler came to the throne. Vassals would have used this opportunity to test the governing body and try to extricate themselves from the yoke of the oppressor. The ‘†¦. sly rhetorical device’ used by the scribe in the inscription and the literary translation ‘Israel is laid waste, his seed is not’ encourages investigation into the transparency of the language used. The scribe infers that the success of Merneptah’s campaign was complete but a closer analysis may indicate otherwise. Leuchter posits a strong argument based on the tool of warfare that was favoured by the Pharaohs, namely the chariot. To clarify, a hill dwelling community would be hard to conquer with chariots as the dominant weapon of conquest. This may also explain why the Israelites had chosen to inhabit the hills, obviously a calculated strategy to provide a safe refuge for the tribal coalition and a stronghold that served them well in the unsettled times of the early Canaan region. Different interpretations of the line mentioning ‘Israel’ also support Leuchter’s claim a full victory may not have been achieved. Egyptologist Joseph Davidovits refutes the accepted translation of ‘Israel is laid waste, his seed is not’ and proposes a new translation on the basis of the hieroglyphs being read incorrectly (the owl being read as a vulture in line 27), therefore the new translation is ‘existing is Israel the people’. If the Israelites were not conquered and their ‘seed’ was not laid waste then this would also allow for a solid framework for the establishment of the Hebrew monarchy and much to the consternation of minimalist scholars, a loose confirmation of the biblical traditions . The location of ‘Israel’ in the central highlands, protected them from conquering factions and larger armies, and also set them apart from the people of the Canaan lowlands . The other factor that constituted a strong coalition of the people was the common identity shared by the Israelite entity. The unrest in the lowlands ‘forged alliances’ between the highland people for the obvious reasons of survival. The only way to prosper in an area that would have involved a sustainable existence of a rural nature would be to co-operate and maintain a certain amount of egalitarianism . Another element that set ‘Israel’ apart was in the simplest of forms to identify one self and that was by their name. The name is West Semitic and can be translated to mean ‘El persists’ or ‘El rules’ when placed in ‘the divine element’. Sparks posits the common element of El in the name denoted a sense of common religious identity which would set them apart from others and one that would afford a cohesive front to would be conquerors and oppressors . This would also explain why the scribe recognised ‘Israel’ as a people rather than a region and was very precise in his usage of the determinative for such. The one line in the inscription is so brief that theories about coalitions and tribes existing in the hill country can only be speculations formed from placing pieces of the puzzle together at this early stage of ancient Israel, and the recognition of them in the context of the Merneptah Stele as evidence of Israel outside the biblical texts. We can assume that this league of people were resilient and were held together by more than just the will to survive. Religious faith would have played a very real role in their survival. K. Sparkes disagrees with K. van der Toorn’s assertion that there is no evidence of a common ethnic identity in regards to a common religious faith by the simple premise of the name ‘Israel’ meaning a shared devotion of the god ‘El’ . A suggestion on the premise of a group of people living in a segmented community and accepting to be known as the one name, may also point to the social structure of tribes that existed autonomously but came together for a common purpose such as the threat of conquest. This as mentioned above suggests a pre-monarchic foundation for the early ‘Israel’ entity and the monotheist culture followed by ‘Israel’. The worship of Yahweh was a collective faith and a strength drawn on through adversity giving the people a meaning for their existence and an explanation for hardships encountered or successes granted. In conclusion the mention of ‘Israel’ in the Merneptah Stele in one line suggests a strength and resilience of a people that identified themselves by their name and their faith. This inclusion also reflects the importance of this tribal coalition to the hegemonic Egypt and Merneptah’s campaign to extend Egypt’s territory through Canaan and the highlands. We should take note about the importance of faith and the willingness to lead an egalitarian existence if it means the survival of the greater community when faced with adversity and oppression.

How Has the Globalization of Markets and Production Benefitted Ikea?

How has the globalization of markets and production benefitted IKEA? Globalization as we know it is the phenomenon of the world economies becoming reliant and integrated with one another. This is otherwise known as the trend characterized by denationalization where the world now becomes a global marketplace. IKEA is recognized to be a globalized brand with the ability to spread their own culture and values to over 300 stores in over 38 countries. The globalization of market refers to the merging of taste and preferences of consumers from all around the world resulting in an emergence of a single global marketplace.IKEA has thus used this occurrence to their advantage by shaping their business model to emphasize on standardization, customization and functionality. IKEA’s motto â€Å" One design suits all† is a simple yet effective business model that has helped them cater to all the diverse markets around the world today. In general IKEA products are standardized across markets and have high functionality that cater to the needs of people in every country. IKEA also functions on the principle of offering furniture at low and affordable prices.Despite its low costs, products are still of high quality due to the ability to mass produce their products. Similar to Macdonaldization, IKEA has been able to answer to the uniform taste of consumers in todays society and at the same time spread its own culture identity internationally. IKEA only uses different marketing and advertising strategies for their various markets to better cater to the local consumers. Globalization of production refers to the outsourcing of raw goods and services to other locations around the world in order to maximize quality and minimize costs of various factors of production.In the case of IKEA, due to the high levels of standardization in all their products they are able to manufacture products in bulk and thus enjoy the cost savings from the economies of scale. This way, cost of production is kept low and goods are always efficiently produced. Furthermore, IKEA is also known to use a unique supply chain strategy where they outsource productions of product/furniture parts to low cost developing countries located nearby their store locations (e. . China, India). From this, IKEA is also able to establish good relations with local suppliers in many locations to negotiate mutually beneficial contracts to get high quality products at lower costs. This method of merging intercultural communication into their business model allows IKEA overcome potential problems and succeed in globalizing their production. At the same time this also helps IKEA drive local competition out of their way.

International trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International trade - Essay Example In essence, China’s strategy of protecting the domestic agricultural sector can be seen as an attempt to restrict the importation of agricultural goods from other countries. Different economic models used to analyze the Chinese agricultural sector such as GTAP do not contain any reliable information on the effects of high tariff rates on the Chinese economy. However, several studies have shown that the WTO accession would have positive effects on the Chinese economy. Many economists have asserted that the removal of tariffs and subsidies will have an impact in the production and trade of agricultural goods in the country. Further, several studies on the Chinese agricultural sector show that the country’s agricultural policies have made agricultural producers spend more time in the production of more valuable crops such as wheat, corn and oil seeds as opposed to crops such as fruits and vegetables. It is evident that these policies are aimed at making China self sufficie nt in the production of wheat, corn and oil seeds. However, several economists have suggested that these policies are extremely expensive to the economy since the prices of most Chinese agricultural products are above the prices in the international market. The policies put in place by the government hinder resources from benefiting some of the most influential sectors of the economy such as agriculture. International Trade Background Information The common accord, instituted in 1978, that was aimed at opening up the Chinese economy was a significant factor in invigorating the country’s economic growth. Faster economic success is normally followed by a relative decrease in the agricultural sector. However, in China, this was initially affected by the implementation of the agricultural domestic accountability system. This system contributed to the substitution of collective agricultural holdings with individually administrated holdings. Later, there was the introduction of les s taxation in the agricultural sector, an initiative that was followed by most developed countries in their early years of development (Snape 1991, p. 67). Developments in the agricultural sector grew faster in a similar manner as the other sector of the economy such as industries from 1979 to 1984. However, the benefits of moving to the household responsibility system and the increment of relative prices for farm products were realized later, in the mid 1980s. After the 1980s, agriculture did not experience any significant growth like the service and industrial sectors. The industrial sector experienced faster growth on the eastern seaboard. In addition, trade in the rural townships boomed, which led to rising employment rates. In as much as there was the decline in agriculture’s contribution in the country’s GDP, and employment in the 1980s, there was a subsequent increase in the contribution to GDP in 1990s (World Bank 2005, p. 34). Introduction China is currently a signatory to WTO according to Pigott (2002). This enables the country to take an active part in new rounds of bilateral trade discussions. The country can, for example, demand improved market penetration for its agricultural exports and other products in the global market. If WTO membership improves China’s chances of increasing its access to agricultural products more than other markets in the global market in the future, that would be a significant benefit for China’

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 21

Education - Essay Example The conference provided comprehensive and interactive sessions whereby all the parties involved cultivated their cross-cultural, listening and communication skills and experiences and learns about diverse systems of education, education significance, and various ways of developing and implementing it. The friend I met shares my leadership passion. The conference was more educating and I learned different aspects of a leaders and the entire aspect of leadership that is beneficial to me as a student and a future leader in community development. Of these leadership attributes, resilience distinguishes a great leader because a great manger perseveres. This lesson was inspiring and I will apply it as a student to inspire my colleagues at collage to become great leaders. Similarly, the panel discussion was increasingly informative to me since it equipped me with different perspectives on kind of the experience the conference holds. It was increasingly beneficial and amazing to meet, share, and learn from people from different backgrounds, education levels, and experiences in the discussion panel. During the panel discussion, the teamwork aspect was outwardly evident, and every person in the panel mentioned on the benefits of teamwork, importance of listening skills and respecting other people’s opinions as a leader. The networking lessons serves as revelation on how groups and society operates and how leaders should utilize communication skills in their leadership. Since is enjoy communicating and making friends, this networking session has fully prepared me to be a better networker and employ excellent networking skills. Additionally, I learned something about types of personalities and their effects on leadership style, for example, extroverts cherish in spending time with people, and they speak before thinking, while introverts are lone rangers and like thinking before speaking. The understanding on difference personality types will help me when

Executive Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Executive Summary - Essay Example Once this is achieved, the productivity will be enhanced automatically. This approach was selected to solve the problem of the Polska Pipe Works and make it a successful joint venture between the Americans and thee Polish because the pros of this approach far outweigh the cons. The approach would improve communication system which in turn, will enable the management to identify issues in their nascent stage by addressing them immediately. This will eradicate differences between the management and the employees and a culture of mutual harmony would materialize. The threat of this approach was of the opportunity cost of resources and time which were to be allocated to the various production aspects. This challenge has been met by staging the approach into six parts, and preparing a schedule covering 14 months for that. This planning and scheduling helps lower the costs of resources. This paper discusses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of establishing a joint venture named â€Å"Polska Pipe Works† in Poland between a renowned American company named â€Å"Stewer Technologies† and a Polish company. The strengths of the business include an opportunity for the Polish to benefit from the experience and technological expertise of the Americans. The weaknesses of the business include difficulty of cultural integration and addressing of the employees’ motivational concerns. Opportunities include government support to the foreign investors in Poland, and huge market value of the product. Threats include lost quality of work and productivity because of the weaknesses of a joint venture between the Americans and the Polish. While the American employees are facing difficulty adjusting in the Polish culture, Polish workers are more concerned about benefits of working with the American employer than learning skills

Client Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Client Letter - Essay Example However, on the flip side, there is an advantage that de loan payment is tax deductible and that means that the corporation ends up savings on its tax burden as the progressing payment are made. Given above considerations, the issue is which of the two, debt financing and equity capital in relation to the new corporation; it is advisable to use equity for capital formation. This choice would reduce the risks for the corporation given that it is a new venture. Since the corporation is venturing in a new territory, it is advisable to consider the high risk involved as well as the tax obligations. In this respect, equity capital formation is advised because the corporation will not be in the hook in case of failure. It also offers a flexible payment regime for the corporation .On the same note; the choice would have a positive attribute to the new venture if it is able to acquire investors. That would boost the chances of future prospects for the