Paper on Gift-Giving in Japan essays

Paper on Gift-Giving in Japan essays Never before have I considered the complexity and calculation of gift giving. When holidays and birthdays came around, I made my typical trip to the local mall and bought whatever I thought another could use as a present to him or her. If I was going to a wedding, Id get a blender; Valentines Day, chocolates; my fathers birthday, a new tie. But after reading Gift-Giving in Japan by Katherine Rupp, I see how amazingly calculating a present can be and the sheer repercussions of such a gift. In Japan, they can strengthen or cutoff relationships, establish or demolish hierarchies in a family, and promote or weaken a husbands position at a company. With such vital consequences on the line, I find it ironic that in a system that looks at women as subordinate to men, such a crucial job would be laid upon the feet of women. I have decided to write this paper on the important roles women play in their husbands careers, their families positions in the community, and the families places in their clans. With mens relationships being of paramount value, especially in the work place, the role women play in molding a smooth relationship between worker and boss is extremely important. Through the exchange of gifts from wives of workers to their husbands boss, the wife must convey appreciation for good treatment while at the same time respecting the authority with whom she is giving a gift to. As Rupp puts it: It is women who must explicitly acknowledge the higher status of the other person and ask for that persons continued favor and assistance (161). Women must not only give gifts on behave of their husbands, but also on behave of their children. Through this exchange of gifts in the workplace, women not only give gifts to superior men, but to other women. Knowing that men bring home these gifts to their wives, an interesting dynamic is established. No longe...

The Dream essays

The Dream essays It was late December, the drifts were piling up in collusion against the rails of the porch. Little could be discerned above the sound of the wind, wrapping itself around the northeast corner of the house. Restless, it continued to bully what remained of the brittle branches of last summers honeysuckle, a loose shutter, and my grandmothers wind chimes. In the midst of this late afternoon concert, the sun was descending unnoticed toward its mountain crypt. Already the sky was filtering the light with its angular sieve suggesting the beginnings of the golden hour. Soon it would lend itself to blazing oranges and finally a pastel pink adieu. In that moment of silence, when the wind stops to take an in breath, I stirred. As I rallied myself from the daybed, throwing my coverlet aside, I grabbed the poker in hopes of being able to stir up the starving fire a little longer before an inevitable trip to the mud room. Arming myself with boots, gloves, and coat, I would soon enough be staggering out toward a chaotic woodpile in order to replenish the famished fire. My thoughts were still troubled. Clouded and confused. The images, rich with texture, numinous with meaning, affronting my conscious sensibilities. Between worlds, as if stepping on the edge of a great secret, I found the strength to twist an aberrant piece of wood back on itself to re-inspire the licking heat out of tired smoking embers. How long had I been sleeping? Years.... or minutes? The sounds of branches against glass beckoned my attention outward. The wisp of her hand, still reaching out to me.... the color of the garden hose, surrealistic in its green undulating wetness..... and the receding scent of roses..... I knew it would be a mistake to surrender to my impulses now. The warmth I had managed to coax out of the fireplace would not last long. I gathered up my sweater and moved toward the boots in the anteroom, having accepted my fa...

Responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Responses - Essay Example As far as the language is concerned, I felt it was not the language that hindered the communication between Yolanda and her partners rather it was the difference in cultural values and personality types that hindered their understanding of each other, the way I see it. Rudy had made himself quite clear and so had Yolanda that she needed some time and space in order to be more intimate with him. Yolanda’s fear of losing Rudy kept her from being very open with him in this matter as to the fact that she felt that there needed to be more to love than just sexual needs. Similarly with John, she was not able to tell him straight that she wanted more to their marriage than just physical attraction and that she wanted someone with whom she could talk to for hours. I also agree with the fact that the chapters we read do portray Yolanda’s quest for identity, just as â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God† describes the identity quest for Janie. Response to Kerriann Salatti: I like your mention of Joe and her confusion with the word love. This reminds me of her allergy which she tries so hard to overcome. This fact that she is determined to get over her allergy shows the strength of her character.

Retail Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Retail Marketing - Case Study Example "We want to be the best clothing retailer in the United Kingdom. We strive to exceed our customers' expectations, for our customer is our king. Our stores are well situated and easy to reach. The environment is to be treated with care. We sell fashionable clothes of excellent quality and price. Our employees are our treasure. Our goals are double-digit sales growth and satisfaction of our shareholders in the long run." Next Retail Limited has 383 stores in the UK and Ireland and also 1 in Denmark as in January 2006. Apart from these Retail Stores Next also has 80 franchise stores overseas, operated by eight franchise partners. Next franchise stores are spread across 14 countries namely: Bahrain, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malta, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic and United Arab Emirates. Next products can also be ordered online by the help of Next Directory which is their mail order and internet shopping service. Orders can be delivered to customers' homes or to a store of their choice for collection. Next Directory has approximately 1,905,000 active customers showing an increase of 14.8% from the previous year. NEXT operates through five divisions: NEXT Retail operates the high street shops through more than 330 stores covering the UK and Ireland; NEXT Directory is the mail order division which also contain the e-commerce platform; NEXT Overseas operates retail outlets in the United States, Asia, Continental Europe, and the Middle East through franchise agreements; Ventura runs the financial services division. Other activities include telecommunications software services and property management. Other Departments of NEXT include: Next Distribution Limited is Next's warehousing and distribution service. It is responsible for maintaining the appropriate inventory levels in its warehouses and provide distribution services their designated stores on as and when needed basis. Next First Retail Finance Limited - operates a funded credit business for a limited number of stores and mail order customers. Next Financial Service Limited - provides support services to the business operations of Next Retail Limited. It does not offer any consumer credit. Next Sourcing Limited (NSL) - a sourcing company working exclusively to design, source, buy and merchandise Next branded products. It employs over 1,000 people in China, Hong Kong, India, Romania, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey. NSL also owns and operates a garment factory in Sri Lanka which manufactures exclusively for Next Retail Limited and employs a further 2,000 people. NEXT Retail accounted for