Livia 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Livia 2 - Essay Example This is evident since they do not disclose earnings form deposits although they account for around a third of bank’s total revenues. Although these bank charges may seem little, they are quite substantial considering the thousands or even millions of deposits that banks receive periodically. Banks however defend they action to levy deposits. They argue that deposits cost money to handle. These costs arise as a result of time and encumbrance to teller as a result of counting cash and also cost of transferring these funds. They also pay some fee to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for holding large cash amount. However, this may be more rational if they only charged deposits that are in millions. It seems quite absurd to reason out that a bank like chase bank needs 40 cents to handle every $1,000 deposited exceeding an initial deposit od 7500. According to the author, Banks should not charge levies for receiving cash. They are only seeking more profits. According to my view, banks should not charge for deposits at all. This is because deposits are part of their sources for economics surpluses. Without deposits, banks would not be enjoying benefits on credit creation (Strahan, P.E. & Weston, J.P. pg. 835). Credit creation is the process by which banks loan out credit given to an individual over and over again (Saunders, A. pg. 89). This is because borrowers do not always withdraw the entire loaned amount or redeposit it back to their accounts for safety measures. Banks take advantage of this idle cash balances and loan it again although they maintain a reserve ratio just in case a customer need this amount. When this is done repeatedly, banks make extra earnings depending on a factor known as a credit creation multiplier. A second reason why banks should not charge deposits is simply to encourage deposit inflows (Rhoades, A. pg. 280). Deposits are sources of fund that are directly loaned out even

'Can managers influence the culture of their organizations Discuss Essay

'Can managers influence the culture of their organizations Discuss with reference to at least one example.' - Essay Example Organisational culture can be a source of competitive advantage for a company. Leadership style is one the determinants of organisational culture and it can influence various dimensions of organisational culture. Managers, executives, board of directors and the people who can lead the organisations to achieve the set directions are the leaders and they have potential to influence the culture of organisations. The aim of this essay is to determine whether managers influence the culture of organisations or not, if yes, then how? Early researchers have always been interested to determine the role of managers in organisations. Most of them have studied the impact of organisational culture on effectiveness of managers. Ghiat and Willey conducted a study in which they explored the ineffectiveness of organisations in Algeria as a result of influence of personalities and styles of managers. Their findings depict that effectiveness of managers is determined by the local culture in which organ isation is set (Davies, 1989, pp.26). The competition among the businesses and organisations is increasing and today leaders appear to the major assets for organisations which have the potential to influence the organisations. ... managers) are responsible to shape the culture (Ambler, 2009). It is the influence of the managers on the organisational culture, which makes them the change agents in organisations. Managers face the challenge to determine the most effective culture for organisations and how to effectively change the culture (Baker, 2002). Baker argues that it is the responsibility of managers to ensure the existing culture of organisation relevant to present and future while ensuring some continuity with the past. The example of WMATA shows the importance of a manager in an organisation and what problems an organisation can face when a manager fails to support the organisational culture. Governor of WMATA Board, O’Malley has announced that WMATA is planning to keep Richard Sarles as an interim General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of company rather than permanent GM (Alpert, 2011). Actually the company has been facing cultural issues such as administrative structure of organisation has bec ome very strict, departments do not communicate with each other, skilled change agents are lacking the ability to achieve important tasks and employee turnover has increased. Sarles is the General Manager of company and he has been more involved in making relations with local officials and bodies and he has also launched a track progress report system however, he has been unable to solve the issues which company is facing. Moreover, the culture of company has been transformed into a secretive culture with poor relationships with press. Therefore, company is considering Sarles as an interim manager for a few years because he is already at retirements and company

Cut throat competition in business

Cut throat competition in business In this world of cut throat competition one of the most important aspects in business is marketing. The principal motto of marketing is to promote and secure the reputation of the product and the services, so that the market would recognize, acknowledge and accept the products and services. The production and distribution of goods and services is directly proportional to the quality of its marketing. The better and innovative the marketing strategy, the better is the goods and services distribution. So, then it is no wonder that businesses are hunting and scouring like anything for unconventional and off-the-wall marketing tactics. Organizations these days can choose from an assortment of marketing and sales strategies. The goal here is to make the buyers market aware of their products and services. One of the most cost effective , productive and fruitful ways of marketing these days is online marketing such as blogging and pay-per-click ads. These online marketing blogs not only make it feasible for the masses to be informed , enlightened, and educated about the motley of products and services that they can profit from but also make them more researchable and conceivable. Thus, in order to be discovered and consequently remain in the public memory, investing in marketing becomes indispensable for the company or the business. Another online marketing technique extensively used these days is affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing entails advertising or broadcasting the product or service online , wherein, the advertisers and the broadcasters ( i.e. the business persons who have to sell their products and services ) remunerate publishers and promoters ( i.e. the nonpartisan groups willing to publicize and promote the goods and services offered by a business person on their web site.) these advertisers pay only if the promotion leads to a deal or a transaction. Which implies that if the publisher wishes to be remunerated in a generous and handsome manner his/her marketing should be strong and effective enough to induce the visitor to make a purchase or at least fill in a form. The business persons here to trade and sell their products and services are known as â€Å"the affiliate merchants †and the parties volunteering to publicize and promote their goods and services are known as â€Å"the affilia tes† . http://www.cj.com/about/affiliate_marketing.html The merits and benefits of affiliate marketing are numerous. Affiliate marketing has led to the growth and rise of umpteen online businesses and companies, including the likes of amazon.com. the income prospects associated with affiliate markets are great and lucrative. . All one has to do is add more and more websites and advertise a potpourri of goods and services on their respective affiliate programs to reap maximum benefits. The best thing about affiliate marketing is that it allows you to be your own master. You hold the reins to your work and career , in that , you get to choose when to work , with whom to work , which product is to be promoted etc. to add to all these benefits one also gets to work from his/her home. In the best top ten affiliate marketing companies chart 2010, the top slot is occupied by Experience Advertising of Florida u.s.a . Experience Advertising boasts of more than 50 active clients and is the proud affiliate marketer of companies having illustrious reputation like BistroMD.com, Babytobee.com, Thenerds.net, Date.com etc. and has a very impressive client retention rate of 99%. Founded in the year 2007 Experience Advertisings core practice areas are affiliate marketing, social media optimization and content creation. With only 1-10 , well trained, full time employees having intimate knowledge of online marketing Experience Advertising generated a humongous revenue of $ 1 million $ 2,999,999. what makes Experience Advertising so successful are the prolific and intellectually productive services it provides like active affiliate managers, free site and blog building, regular account management and newsletters and banners of the highest quality. http://www.topseos.com/experience-advertising MARKETING CORP another affiliate marketing company coming up , in the image of Experience Advertising , intends to provide exceptional affiliate marketing services. MARKETING CORP will broadcast and advertise the web sites of product owners through Google advertisement. Like Experience Advertising , MARKETING CORP will endeavor to build relations with its affiliates on a personal level.. our amiable affiliate handlers have consummate knowledge of HTML, social media, SEO, link building , PPC management and article marketing strategies. We intend to serve our affiliates by providing all the tools , resources and assistance required to increase the likelihood of a greater revenue production. Whether you are a beginner or a virtuoso we can always help you better your prospects. One of Experience Advertisings most successful and demanded free tool is the Content Request Tool, which will also be provided by MARKETING CORPS. This tool permits the affiliate to ask for and choose between a singular article, for which they will decide the title, or a distinctive merchant review. Customers need not worry about the cost of these outstanding services because MARKETING CORP wont charge anything for any service it provides. The company has on its team some very skilled writers who will write articles and reviews for their customers. Another tool regarded with great favor by the general public is the free site/ blog building tool which builds a site online for its customer in minutes. MARKETING CORPS will also provide newsletters and banners of very high quality. The designs , patterns and emblems offered by MARKETING CORPS are professional and seemly . also, MARKETING CORPS will , just like Experience Advertising, design sites and landing pages for its customers for free. MARKETING CORPS will constantly work to improve its designs because they in turn improve the performance of the online company, as many online marketing gurus will say. Similarly when it comes to daily account management MARKETING CORPS, like Experience advertising , will make sure that online company customers will not have to stand by for examination , assessment and sanction. To ensure the satisfaction of its customers MARKETING CORPS will make it a point to assess and approve the online companies it serves many times a day, everyday. Answer ing emails without delay will also be a part of daily account management. In order to build and maintain long lasting affiliate relationships MARKETING CORPS will receive calls and answer queries even at night and also on weekends , because like its role model Experience Advertising , MARKETING CORPS also believes that affiliate marketing is a 24/7 job. Furthermore , MARKETING CORPS will also provide Paid Search Management services which is the most demanded marketing instrument on the net. MARKETING CORPS keeps in mind that the needs and requirements of each and every company is different. What suits one company might not suit other companies. MARKETING CORPS will therefore do a thorough research and learn all about your business ventures before coming up with its designs and plans. Like Experience Advertising MARKETING CORPS also believes in breaking down , dissecting and scrutinizing even the most productive and fruitful campaigns. These ideas and campaigns are then modified , honed and perfected from time to time. Thus MARKETING CORPS will bring to its online companies and businesses the expertise , skills , knowledge and experience of its affiliate managers who are all well recognized in the industry .

Apocalypse Now, Apocalypse Forever Essay -- Movie Film comparison comp

Apocalypse Now, Apocalypse Forever Francis Ford Coppola's magnum opus Apocalypse Now was ladened with problems and difficulties before and after filming. These problems ranged from those having to do with the cast and crew, to those having to do with the circumstances surrounding the filming, to those having to do with the script, to those dealing in direct regard to the very sanity of all of those involved with Apocalypse Now. Despite the myriad of problems that contributed to this acclaimed film's failure, Apocalypse Now still became a success in its own right, and a true classic by any director's standards. Joseph Conrad's 1902 novel Heart Of Darkness is the striking story of Captain Marlow, an English ship captain who is sent into Africa to track down and collect the debts of an ivory trader identified as Mister Kurtz, a man who may or may not have gone insane along his eventful journey (Conrad). In this novel Marlow is faced with treachery from the Company, hostile as well as friendly natives, and the impending meeting with Kurtz himself. Marlow becomes obsessed with meeting Kurtz and communicating with him after reading the personal history of the man, and hearing all the remarkable stories about Kurtz told by Englishmen and Africans alike (Conrad). This fascinating story is the one that inspired original screenwriter John Milius to write the first drafts of Apocalypse Now in 1969 (Behr). Orson Welles originally planned to write, direct, and star in his own version of Heart Of Darkness back in 1939 (Behr). The problem arose when the Mercury movie company pulled out of the project cit ing Welles' inability to keep the film to be within their strict budget (Virtanen). Welles decided to give up on the project and decid... ... all signs pointed to Apocalypse Now's sure failure, that failure never came. Francis Ford Coppola not only did not receive the "F" he assured himself that he would, he created a film that is uniquely his, and that remains loyal to its many parents, but also reflects Coppola's inner self unlike any other artists mirror. Works Cited Behr, Fax (Writer, Director), & Hickenlooper, George (Writer, Director). 1992. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse [Film]. Showtime/ Paramount. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer. 1986. Buccaneer Books, inc. Cutchogue, NY. Coppola, Francis Ford (Director, Co-author). 1979. Apocalypse Now [Film]. American Zoetrope/ United Artists. Virtanen, Panu S. (1997). Apocalypse Now Tribute Page. Retrieved July 2nd, 1997 from the World Wide Web: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/9067/apocal.html.

How Are Women Represented in British Sitcom Peepshow

How are women represented in the British Sitcom PeepShow Introduction I have looked at how women are represented in Peep Show, a British Situation Comedy based around two very different friends that share a flat in London. The majority of situations they get into involve their attempts to seduce or gain affection from the women they either love or have a fleeting obsession with. The reason I decided to analyse Peep Show is because its two main characters are so contrasting in ethics, morals, life style choices and attitudes towards women that it allows for an interesting look into how women are represented.I also feel that women in comedy on a whole are underrepresented. Literature review The literary resources I will be drawing upon include and article by Jack Glascock from the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media(2001). In which he looks at gender roles on primetime television and focuses on the shift in representation from the seventies gender roles on primetime television . The article is both theoretical and statistical and provides an interesting overview of gender on screen. I will also be looking at the work of Brett Mills.I will look at two of his works one is a journal article in the Oxford Journal Screen. Also looking at his book, The Sitcom. Brett Mills is an expert in the sit com arena, with several journals and books on similar subjects, he offers a contemporary look at British sitcom, including Peep Show. Methodology I had several issues when approaching the method of my research. The first issue was that in order to do a focus group, I would have to pick specific episodes to show people. By choosing a specific episode, I would by default be cherry picking the content and with that content cherry picking the ideology of the episode.I therefore decided to pick an episode at random, so I could try to eradicate the possibility of me picking an episode that would reinforce my own opinions. The episode â€Å"The Local Zero† was then sho wn to two male and one female. These three participants had never seen an episode of Peep Show before, they there for were briefed on the general narrative: i. e that Mark and Jeremy are friends that live together in a flat. I also did not tell them specifically what I was trying to find out; I then asked them a series of questions.Not all specific to gender, however the majority were pin pointed towards gender. The focus group gave me an unbiased first account of what people thought if they were to just turn on the television for the first time and see an episode of Peep Show. Would they think that the show they had just watched represented women positively or negatively? They would have no bias or favouritism towards the characters. So it was a raw first thoughts approach, that was both useful and a hindrance. I balanced this out with a general textual analysis of the series. AnalysisAs I mentioned in my methodology the focus group consisted of people that had not seen Peep Show p reviously. I showed them an episode in which Jeremy is troubled by his girlfriend’s new found wish for abstinence and Mark is still trying to win the heart of Sophie, the woman he works with, by fighting off the competition. The two female characters we are then presented with are Sophie and Nancy. Nancy is an American Christian who wants Jeremy to break sexual taboos after being criticised by Mark for not following her religion; she decides abstinence to be the last sexual taboo.When I asked the focus group who the least likeable character was they all eventually agreed on Nancy, when asked why a participant stated she was â€Å"just annoying† a statement again that was agreed on. In the episode she comes across as a bit stupid. In response to her abstinence Jeremy pretends that he is fine with it, although in Peep Show you can hear the thoughts of Mark and Jeremy. One of the participants noted when how positive the interaction between men and women was, one participa nt said â€Å"not very as they think one thing and tell the women another. It is the deceitful attitude towards women they use in order to gain either affection or sex. In Jeremy’s case he lies about being religious in order to continue to have sex. However Jeremy was not the least likeable character even though he lied to his girlfriend. I asked the question whether they felt the interests and attitudes of female characters reflected real interests and attitudes of real women, the response was undecided. Feminists of the 1970s were concerned about the narrow range of representations of women offered in the media and argued that these were often ‘negative’ stereotypes.So, for instance, much advertising was taken to task for restricting representations of women to only a few roles, primarily the wife and mother, the housewife and the sex object. This approach focused on the power of ideology as a force and a mechanism. (Fisk, 1987) Although Peep Show is a contemp orary text, we have to wonder whether there is that diverse roles with the characters within. Nancy can be seen as the sex object, although throughout the series there are many similar characters that Jeremy has fleeting relationships with.Sophie (Marks love interest) in later episodes becomes the â€Å"nagging wife† as he decides he doesn’t want to marry her and doesn’t want her child. There are very few female characters in Peep Show that seem to break theses boundaries. Gender issues have been of concern within the study of television. These concerns have primarily taken two forms. First, there has been the question of representation, which initially focused on how television stereotyped, under-represented or misrepresented women.As a extremely popular show I felt it was important to analyse how women were represented, especially in comedy as a whole, the lack of strong female characters in comedy is apparent not only on television and in film, but also on th e stage although it in improving. If you look at Space (c4,1999) the representation is balanced, the formatting is the same in that two friends share a flat but one is female and one is male, the minor characters are also more balanced and interestingly the writing was done by both Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevens something I will touch upon later.In later series Mark befriends a colleague called Dobby. Nick naked so because of her likeness to the â€Å"house elf† from Harry Potter. A nickname that does not associate with beauty or power but that of an elf and a male elf. Dobby is the tom boy character, she is not referred to as attractive, is into typically male orientated activities such as computer games , Mark begins to like her because she makes references to things that he would also make reference to. She is like him and he is amazed that a woman knows about or is interested in the same things as him.So it would be interesting to note that while she is a character that M ark relates to and befriends rather than obsesses over, she is considered strange looking. This can be seen throughout films and television, the idea of desexualised women because she gains male characteristics. The representation of women in Peep show can be assessed in two ways, by looking literally at the roles of female characters and by looking at the attitudes and relationships men have with women and vice-versa.Peep Show’s two main characters are male; the female characters are not necessarily permanent, although Sophie is in it from the beginning. The other female characters tend to come in depending on the episode. Female representation in the media and in television in particular, may correspond to inequities behind the scenes. (Glascock,2001 ) If as Glascocks findings show the direct correlation between women behind the scenes and women on screen could it be then that this explains the lack of female representation on screen, or the lack of solid and permanent fema le characters at least.By looking at the cast and crew information as listed on IMDB, all episodes have been written by men, all episodes have been produced by men , however it also states that it was a female that has directed a majority of the episodes. Interesting to note that as stated earlier Spaced ( c4, 1999) was co wrote by a female. The interaction between Mark, Jeremy and the female characters has two sides to it. You have Mark who is ultimately the â€Å"romantic† he obsesses with women down to minute details; he is the shy and awkward geek looking for the one. However you have Jeremy who is a hap hazard womaniser.Yet what makes them so likeable is their foolish nature. While the progression of female characterizations on television has been noted, the pendulum may have swung the other way for male depictions. Frequently criticized have been made-for-television movies featuring males as abusive psychopaths (Kloer, 1996; Stein, 1994; Zurawik, 1996) and situation com edies in which â€Å"guys run the gamut from insufferable to useless† (Glascock,2001) Due to Peep Shows popularity it could be said that the characters are not â€Å"insufferable† however because they never fail to make tremendous mistakes, it could be said that they are â€Å"useless†.This contrast with the useless, clumsy and likeable Mark and Jeremy, and the uptight relatively rigid female characters creates an overall impression of forgettable female characters. In some respects the women in Peep Show act as mother figures and Mark and Jeremy act as the child, the relationships are there for usually relationships that don’t last because they are told off or make a mistake and the women are then completely repelled by them.In order to see what extent the female characters in Peep Show can be deemed stereotypical I first looked at the definition of stereotype : A process involving the expression of an exaggerated belief about a group that serves to qual ify of justify the conduct towards that group of those who hold and express that belief (Long and Wall, 2009) Using this definition I applied it to the female character â€Å"Nancy† in the episode I showed focus group. Starting with Nancy, the beautiful blonde, does she fit the dumb blonde stereotype? I would say yes, in the program she says â€Å"God wanted us to have fun that’s why he invented pills†¦ in a genuinely serious voice. Is this an â€Å"exaggerated belief†? I would propose that very few religious people would actually claim that God condones drug taking. Sitcoms; the genre criticised for its simplistic use of stereotypes, outmoded representations and an apparent failure to engage with social or political development (Mills, 2004) Yet I wouldn’t say the character are stereotypical men. They are very self-aware, self-depreciating, they also make frequent remarks about there in lack of strength, lack of manliness. In the episode shown to t he focus group, Mark says â€Å" ‘Mate’†¦ he universal word for befriending taxi drivers, and bouncers† as he tries to fit in with some security guards. He has a sort of inferiority complex and yet acknowledges at the same time that he is middle class. Perhaps then he fits the stereotype of the middle class man, Jeremy often attacks him for his love of typically â€Å"middle class food† such as olives and humus. Yet they share a flat together and don’t really have much money. Additionally Peep Show has been noted for its naturalistic style, it is set in a point of view narrative, where we are positioned as different characters at different times.Bret Mills further explore Peep Show in his book The Sitcom. In which he suggests: Peep Show is better placed in the realist/naturalist category than as a comedy of distinction, because of its gloomy colours for its downplayed performances suggests a kind of naturalism. If we see Peep Show as a realist text then we are to assume to sort of ideology that must also closely reflect the real world. As Mark says in the episode where he marries Sophie â€Å" this has to be a dream, nothing this bad happens in real life. † He reinforces the realist feel of the comedy. Representations give substance to ideology.Textual analysis reveals ideology in action. The femme fatale is about gender and power. It is about the male fear of being; unmanned; by the sexual power of the woman, a fear of losing control. (Burton,2004) If Peep Show is a realist view, the ideology within it by default must also be deemed a natural point of view. Although they are exaggerations of characters like them, there interaction with the world are deemed quite natural and realistic. As Burton quotes â€Å"that representation gives substance to ideology† how we represent certain groups of society gives force to ideology.Because of Peep Shows critic of society I would say that it did not promote dominant id eology. I would however say it was negotiated; it promoted new and forward thinking ways, yet with regards to women, it does not promote anything other than dominant ideology. It remains true that in critical studies the concepts of difference and of otherness are often used to emphasize the negative: sameness and difference are marked both symbolically through representational systems, and socially through the inclusion or exclusion of certain groups of people Conclusion.To conclude, I feel that Peep Show does not necessarily represent women in a bad way, it rather under represents them. What is shown in a derogatory light is the relationships between men and women, the women are often sexualised. Whilst the research I have done has proved useful it has not necessarily helped me to come to a solid conclusion. Bibliogrpahy Books 1. CALVERT, Ben; Lewis, Justin; French, Liam; Casey, Bernadette; Casey, Neil. (2007). Television Studies: The Key Concepts. Taylor & Francis. 2. BURTON. (20 04). Media And Society: Critical Perspectives.Open University Press. 3. FISKE, J. (1987): Television Culture. London: Routledge 4. MILLS, B. (2009). The sitcom. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press. 5. LONG, P. , & WALL, T. (2009). Media studies: texts, production, and contexts. Harlow [u. a. ], Pearson Longman. . Journals. 6. GLASCOCK,J 2001, ‘Gender Roles on Prime Time TV’, Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Fall 2001. 7. MILLS, B 2004, ‘Comedy Virite’ Oxford Journal Screen, Vol 45, no 1, Pp 63-78 Websites 8. Wikipedia, List of Peep Show episodes, http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/List_of_Peep_Show_episodes (as of May 22, 2011, 16:05 GMT). 9. International Movie Database, Full Cast and Crew, Peep Show, http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0387764/fullcreditscast (as of May 22, 2011, 16;06 GMT). Television Programs PeepShow, September 2003-, video, Channel Four, United Kingdom Spaced, 1999-2001, Video, Channel Four, United Kingdom Appendices. Focus Group Transcript. Peep Show Episode â€Å"Local Zero† What kind of relationships do you think are explored in Peep Show? Participant A: Friendship. Participant C: Sexual, love.How positive is the interaction between men and women? Participant B:They were all being fake to one another they were thinking one thing and saying something else†¦ made up. Which character including minor characters would you say was the most like able? All: Mark. Lest Likeable? Participant A: The homeless man†¦ he didn’t do anything [laughs] Participant B :No I would say the girl†¦ the American girl.. Participant C: Yeah she doesn’t do anything. Yeah even Sophie doesn’t. Partcipant A: Actually yeah, Nancy. Would you say peep show was a realistic portrayal of men’s attitudes towards women.Partipant B: I think so†¦ Participant A: I would say some not most Participant c: Yeah but guys think that even if you say no that really you would like them its just a matte r of time, What social class would you place Jeremy? Participant C: What are the classes? Participant B: I would say lower class he doesn’t work Participant A:No i would say he is middle. Particpant B :He would be middle but lazy. Participant C: Yeah manybe. What are the main concerns of Mark of Jeremy? Particpant C: Women [laughs] Particpant B: Yeah sex.Participant A: I agree Just sex, women. Do you think the characters Mark and Jeremy have a respectable attitude towards women? Participant C: Yeha maybe Mark, not the other one. Jeremy he just lied. Participant A:Yeah I agree Mark maybe but not Jeremy. Would you say that the female characters attitudes and interests reflect real women’s attitudes and interests? Participant C: It is hard to say, they were extremes. Participants B: Yeah, It is not really clear what they think. Participant A: You don’t hear their thoughts so you don’t get any idea about them.

First Five Years/ Descriptive Essay Essay

I was born on the island of Sao Miguel, Azores which is part of Portugal. Sao Miguel is also known as â€Å"Green Island† due to its lush meadow landscape, rain forests and waterfalls. I was blessed in being born to Eduardo & Olga Pereira. The story begins with my father; he entered the military â€Å"Army† as soon as he was of legal age. My mother was a live-in nanny for a wealthy family who lived in a white house on the hillside overlooking the city. She has told me how she loved being a nanny for the little boy who was called Roberto Reis. She often talks about the family because she has found memories of caring for the little boy. Also, being of a young age of 15 the family cared for her as one of their own children. This was the beginning to how my parents met. According to dad he was walking one day down a cobblestone road and spotted my mother on the grey iron veranda†¦ she was wearing a white dress, slim with long dark hair and very pretty and holding the l ittle boy. He tried talking to my mom at the time but she said she couldn’t be bothered. At least that’s how she tells the story. Nonetheless he started walking by every day at high noon in hopes of talking and courting my mom from the veranda. The family that she worked for had strict family values when it came to respecting someone’s daughter. The father figure in the house†¦said to my dad, Olga lives underneath our roof so I’m held accountable for her safety and well-being. She is a part of our family so I expect only honorable intentions. My dad respectfully informed him, his interest were for a long-term commitment. A couple of years later my father and mother got married and I came along shortly a year later. When I turned 2yrs of age my mother told me the story of how my maternal grandmother told her that she would not watch me again because I’d given her a heart attack. It seems that I was fond of kittens so I apparently saw one outside and decided to follow it right to a 2ft rock wall which I climbed and began crawling towards the orange colored kitten. When my grandmother finally noticed me she’d just about had a heart attack because behind that wall was 25 foot drop over rocks into grapevines. She slowly and carefully walked slowly calling my name to come to her and get off the wall. As she inched her way close enough she grabbed me and held so tight. She was just so  thankful that nothing happened to me. So as I stated earlier no more quality time at vovo’s house for me without my mom being present and accounted for. Once I reached 2  ½ years of age is when my parents and I migrated to the United States of America in April 1971. The â€Å"American Dream† is what my parents were in pursuit of which led them to the City of Fall My father’s sister lived here with her husband and children. It was very early on as to the goals my parents had set for themselves. My dad was a carpenter and built sailing yachts, and mom worked in a mill as a sewing machine operator. It was all about working hard and long hours and saving money to buy a car and then a house. Both parents didn’t go to college in Portugal but had enough education to reach the goals they set for themselves. I remember we always had everything we needed at least that’s what they showed growing up. The culture Roman Catholic was an enormous part of life. Going to church weekly and participation in church functions â€Å"The Feast of Our Lady of Health† were celebrated every August. The church held Saturday night dinner dances the men wore casual bell bottom pants and women wore white gogo boots†¦..it was all for raising money for the church often usually once a month as well as the New Year Party which brought the parishioner’s together to celebrate the new coming year. I was enrolled at SS Peter and Paul School. Learning Religion was very important to my parents. One memory in the 2nd grades I remember was the annual Halloween party at school. The PTA would decorate the hall with black and orange streamers and setup a witch’s cauldron with smoke coming out of it and we would bob for apples and get tricks or treat bags. It was such fun. I also enjoyed when we did fundraisers at school I liked bringing home the huge boxed kits full of items to show and sell on tracking sheet. I would constantly take items out and repack them I remember enjoying to the touch, the feel of things and even the smell of these little blue car erasers. I was so proud of selling my items I was known as the little brown haired girl who was assertive in selling all the different trinkets. I remember long ago how my parent’s friends would many times say to me â€Å"How time passes so quickly with respect to growth and time â€Å" I didn’t realize  how many fond memories I had of my early childhood until today. As I finish this essay the sun is shining bright yellow and my background music is calm meditation.