The Most Remarkable and Beautiful Ancient Towns and Villages

The Most Remarkable and Beautiful Ancient Towns and Villages Architecture and building technologies are constantly developing and modern cities have a lot of stunning houses, constructions and even blocks that catch our imagination. It is comfortable to live in well-planned, up-to-date cities, since there are lot things to be considered: traffic, destinations, zoning, etc. However, if you are tired of the rush, which comes along with the modern urban locality, there are places with quite opposite atmosphere and pace of life. It is always a fascinating experience to visit such places and to feel the energy and mystery of ancient dwellings. Piodao (Portugal) Piodao is a medieval town, which distinguishes by its architecture from the rest of the country. This unique combination of the gorgeous architecture and mountainous landscape attracts a lot of tourists every year. It is unforgettable and exiting experience to witness the human history in the architectural masterpieces. Visiting this place brings inspiration, excitement and true emotions. Civita di Bagnoregio (Italy, Province of Viterbo) The history of this town dates back to Etruscans, who have established this settlement 2 500 years ago. This place attracts by its architecture, stunning views and unusual location – it is situated on the volcanic plateau above the Tiber river valley. Unfortunately, the town is under the threat of destroying due to natural processes. Consider visiting this original and astonishing place, which for sure can impress you greatly. Alberobello (Italy, Puglia) If you have a desire to see something really special, this town is quite suitable option. All ancient towns can be proud of their architecture, but this one has a unique offer for its visitors. Houses in Alberobello have cone-shaped roofs, which uncover the historical background and purpose. To avoid taxes payments, people built hunts with the conical roofs, so that the dwelling will be convenient for dismantling. In such case the settlement did not obtain the status of the town and was free from taxes. The town is an original place, which deserves your attention. Songzanlin (China, Shangri-La) Songzanlin is the Tibenatan Buddist monastery. It is situated near the city of Zhongdian and forms the entire town itself. Being built in 1679, the monastery attracts numerous visitors by its architecture, design, frescoes and atmosphere. Also Songzanlin is the place, where a lot of different events take place. There is the dancing performance held by monks in the masks on the 29th of November, â€Å"Horce Racing Festival† in June and â€Å"Minority Festival in September. Trakai Island (Lithuania) Trakai is the historical attraction and resort. It is situated near the capital of the country Vilnius and is very convenient touristic destination. The island is attractive for the visitors due the Gothic Palace, which was built in the XIV century. Everyone interested can take part in the Knight Competition, which is held there. Bergamo (Italy) Bergamo is situated in the north of the country not far from Milan. The town has rich historical background, which dates back to Celts. Besides ancient history and awesome buildings the town attracts visitors by its nature. The town is located on the hill and the Alps begin right of the town. Do not miss an opportunity to view picturesque landscapes of this location. Ronda (Spain, Mà ¡laga) Ronda is the mountain town that is located 750m above the sea level in the province of Mà ¡laga. The town is divided into two parts by the Guadalevà ­n River. Within centuries the water formed the canyon â€Å"El Tajo† with the depth of 100 meters. This city attracts not only contemporary people. Thus, Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles owned the residences and spent their summer in the town. Jodhpur (India, Rajasthan) Jodhpur is one of the largest and densely populated cities in Rajasthan. The city is beloved place for thousands of tourists due to its numerous temples, castles and forts. The city is called â€Å"Sun City†, since the weather is mostly bright and sunny during the whole year. Due to the color of the house facades in the old part of the city, the city is also known as a â€Å"Blue City†. There are a lot of things to discover for tourists in this location: national dishes, spice markets, fabrics, etc. Marburg (Germany) Marburg is a university town, which is famous not only by its university complexes. Its numerous churches and cathedrals are gorgeous masterpieces of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Walking through the narrow streets, fascinating buildings, original atmosphere – here even the most demanding tourists receive great impressions. Phoenix Ancient Town (Hunan Province, China) Fenghuang (Phoenix Ancient Town) is regarded as one of the most beautiful towns in China. It is situated near the Tiamen Mountain and fascinates by its nature, customs and culture. This town combines a lot of contradictory things: elegance, mystery and simplicity. The name of the city originates from the ancient legend about two phoenixes, which have found this town and could not leave it, being thrilled by its beauty.

best polical candidate essays

best polical candidate essays According to the U.S Constitution, a president is elected every 4 years. We elected our new president in 2000, which was President George W. Bush, the son of former President George Bush. Is he doing a great job so far in his term? Lets see, 1 year after he was elected the United States was attacked by terrorist and went into was. Economy goes down, people loose their jobs, unnecessary war cost, etc. If you dont want all that to happened, for our next election, vote for John Kerry. He is the best Presidential Candidate for this upcoming election. He is a man trust, honor, and will never let you down John Kerry was born on December 11, 1943 in Denver Colorado. Most of his life, he was raised in the Catholic Church. He graduated from Yale University magma cum Laude. After he graduated, he entered the U.S Navy. He fought in the Vietnam War and earned purple star, Silver Star, Bronze with Combat V. Since he got wounded in the Vietnam War, he became the co- fonder of Vietnam Veterans of America. Kerry was a co-founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America and became a spokesperson for the Vietnam Veterans against the War. Fourteen years later, Kerry graduated from Boston College Law School and found different ways to fight for those things in which he believed. Time and again, Kerry fought to hold the political system accountable and to do what he believed was right. As a top prosecutor in Middlesex County, Kerry took on organized crime and put the Number Two mob boss in New England behind bars. He modernized the District Attorney's office, creating an innovative rape crisis crime unit , and as a lawyer in private practice he worked long and hard to prove the innocence of a man wrongly given a life sentence for a murder he did not commit. In 1984, after winning election as Lieutenant Governor in 1982, Kerry ran and was elected to serve in the United States Senate, running and winning a successful PAC-free Senate race and defeating...

Music research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Music - Research Paper Example As of yet, K Pop musicians have held a plethora of successful concerts internationally in major cities such as Chicago, New York, Paris, London, and Barcelona. With their unique style and multiple talents, two K Pop stars including Psy and the Rain have swept international audiences with their hit music and performances in films. The famous K Pop singer, Psy shot to popularity in 2012 when his single Gangnam Style went hit with over one billion views on YouTube within a few weeks of its release. His single went viral over YouTube reaching millions of international fans with approximately two billion views as of yet (Gruger, n.pag. (a)). Subsequently, his signature dance move to the lyric â€Å"Oppa Gangnam Style† became so popular that sports players, politicians such as Mitt Romney (Perera, n.pag.), and TV hosts could not get away from maneuvering to the renditions of Gangnam Style. The song made new records of worldwide popularity and engagement with international audiences which even earned Psy’s lyric, ‘Oppa Gangnam Style’, an entry in The Yale Book of Quotations as being one of the most famous quotes of the year 2012. Psy’s music video was a huge success all over the world. With its dancy music, hilarious yet interesting dance moves, funny lyrics, and catchy video, the single made it to the top of the charts as a dominant musical entry. The immense popularity of the song and its video reached worldwide audiences taking Psy to new heights of fame and recognition. Another popular K Pop star, Rain is an actor, singer, producer, and model. The Rain is also known as the ‘King of K Pop’ due to his popular music and his influence outside South Korea. The Rain starred in a 2009 movie called Ninja Assassin where he performed a physical role of the assassin belonging to the Ozunu ninja clan. For his role in the movie Ninja Assassin, the Rain even won an MTV Movie

A Key Role of Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Key Role of Culture - Essay Example The following sections examine the importance of national culture in the business context.How People See Themselves: In some countries people are viewed as basically honest and trust worthy where as in others as suspicion and distrust. This may result from the way people see themselves. They assume others are like them; they set certain schemas about different people. For example, it took Mc Donald’s a year to realize that Hindus in India does not eat beef, this hamper their sales initially until they get shifted to lamb meatEthical Decision Making: Society continues to be apprehensive about the impact of ethics on decision making. The increased globalization of today's business suggests that more emphasis should be given to the potential impact of culture on ethical decisions. Understanding of cross-cultural ethical differences is quite important in today’s world because the ethical standards are variable in different cultures.Individualism versus Collectivism: Individ ualism refers to people regarding themselves as individual like USA, Canada, Britain etc, while collectivism refers to people regarding themselves as a part of a group like Japan, China, Israel etc. The differences between the two reflect in many ways, such as in hiring practice. In countries where individualism is important, job applicants are evaluated on the basis of personal, educational and professional achievement where as in group oriented societies applicants are evaluated on the basis of trustworthiness, loyalty.

Crocker on Ethnocentrism Essay Example for Free

Crocker on Ethnocentrism Essay David A. Crocker asks the question of who should be tasked with the development of moral ethics on a global level, especially in regions where ethical thought is relatively shallow. If there was one way he would answer this question, he would state that a combination of insider and outsider ethicists would find the best and culturally sensitive form of morality for particular cultures. For this to have any meaning however, a description is required for both insider and outsider. An insider, as termed by Crocker, is one who is counted, recognized, or accepted by himself/herself and the other group members, as belonging to the group (Crocker, 29). In regards to ethical thought of the group, Crocker outlines several advantages and disadvantages of being a predominant insider. When a development ethicist is an insider of a group they understand their past, present, and goals when it comes to moral thought, and can therefore help the group to develop (with ease on the topic of communication) in the most beneficial ways foreseeable in tandem with their beliefs. Along the lines of communication of an insider, they have a foundation from which to criticize and rebuke negative actions of a group because of their familiarity with said groups customs and beliefs. However, insiders do not come without inhibitions as well. Insiders may become so immersed in their society and its customs that they are unable to expand their own, and their societys horizon on the topic of moral thought. Crocker argues that because of the familiarity of the culture, an insider may be blind to factors that define a culture in an existential manner, Like a f ish unaware of the water in which it continually swims (Crocker, 33). In essence, an insider has an easy time familiarizing with their culture, but may have trouble assessing the culture from an unbiased manner. Outsiders are the direct opposite to an insider meaning they do not have a recognition or acceptance of the culture, or themselves within that culture. An outsider can be beneficial to a social group in the way the outsider can  assess the culture in an unbiased manner, and with this perspective, outsider-ethicist strengths are the mirror image of an insider-ethicist weaknesses and therefore the outsider is able to give insight on the things the culture may be unaware of (Crocker, 35). Outsiders are also able to bring out new ideas to a group based on their own culture, ideas the culture in assessment may not have even considered. The last advantage of an outsider is that they are not bound by the insiders commitments to the group or status quo, and can therefore say things, or criticize things that a member of the group would not. Being an o utsider has a list of negative attributes as well. Outsiders do not have the same familiarity with the customs of the group and how certain actions affect them, and Crocker argues that these key understandings are relevant for progressive social change (Crocker, 34). Outsiders who come from a more developed region and culture tend to put more trust in their own ideas and disregard the ingenuity of the group under assessment. In the long term, the groups that have an outsider ethicist may become dependent upon them for ideas, and thereby never becoming able to express their own ideas, and their own norms become weakened. David Crocker explains ethnocentrism as having 2 main concerns. The first he describes as being a habitual disposition to judge foreign peoples or groups by the standards and practices of ones own culture or ethnic group, and the second is described as the tendency toward viewing alien cultures with disfavor and a resulting sense of inherent superiority (Crocker, 27). Crockers accounts of insiders and outsiders do answer some of the concerns raised by ethnocentrism. Not one, nor the other is predominantly to blame for ethnocentrism, rather both insiders and outsiders demonstrate these negative aspects. Insiders can reject any advice from an outsider with the existence of an a priori that gives the insider the notion that nothing can be learned from an outsider. Outsiders exhibit ethnocentrism in the way they give more credit to the ideas of their own culture because it is often socio-economically more developed. Ethnocentrism in cross-culture assessment and dialogue, Crocker states, can be diminished by things like achievement of more equality between various centres and their corresponding peripheries, the recognition of dangers peculiar to insiders and outsiders, respectively, and the promotion of appropriate kinds of insider/outsider combinations in  development ethicists (Crocker, 35). Essentially an equilibrium in insider and outsider ethicists. This is how he answers his question of whom is responsible for ethical thought, the correct combination of insider and outsider ethicists. Bibliography Koggel, Christine M.. David A. Crocker.Moral issues in global perspective. Volume II: Human Diversity and Equality ed. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press, 2006. 27-35. Print.

Cultural Diversity and the Impossibility of a True Melting Pot Essay

Cultural Diversity and the Impossibility of a True Melting Pot The core standards of America are founded, in principle, on the basis of its diversity and equality among citizens. Begin- ning with its Declaration of Independence, the United States distinguished itself from other modern nation-states by establishing a country of men who were different but equal. Yet, despite the unifying images America projects within and beyond its borders, the idea behind E Pluribus Unum does not resound as one might assume it would. E Pluribus Unum was originally intended to be both a representation of the union of the thirteen colonies and an expression of the United States as a country formed by immigrants of many different backgrounds. Today, just the literal size of America would suggest the existence of a largely varied social atmosphere, even before one considers its influx of immigration from countries all over the world. In a way E Pluribus Unum-"out of many, one-is a contradiction. Many different cultures are represented within American citizenry and within the country's physical borders, and they remain distinctive. The outmoded idea of America as the "melting pot" has been replaced precisely because people are not going to disregard their first cultural traditions to adopt "American" ones. Rather, their differences tend to perpetuate separatist notions and delineate cultural groups as clearly as borders delineate the end of one country from the beginning of another. I believe that there are many advantages to embracing the diversity America has within its borders. Members of different cultures within the borders of one nation can benefit from each other, for example, by learning more about themselves through their varieg... ... I, too, have traveled outside of the United States and have discovered the advantages of being open to cultural differences. My experiences have allowed me to accept people on their own terms more easily than I would have were I not able to break out of my culture, even though only for a short period of time. I wish others could realize that cultural differences run only so deep-Middle Eastern Americans have as much pride for this nation as do Americans of non-Middle Eastern descent. Nevertheless, I remain confident that time will ameliorate problems associated with cultural difference. Notes 1. Name changed to ensure anonymity. 2. Name changed to ensure anonymity. 3. Elizabeth Fernea. Guests of the Sheik (New York: Anchor Books, 1969). 4. Ibid., 6. Bibliography Fernea, Elizabeth. Guests of the Sheik. New York: Anchor Books, 1969. Cultural Diversity and the Impossibility of a True Melting Pot Essay Cultural Diversity and the Impossibility of a True Melting Pot The core standards of America are founded, in principle, on the basis of its diversity and equality among citizens. Begin- ning with its Declaration of Independence, the United States distinguished itself from other modern nation-states by establishing a country of men who were different but equal. Yet, despite the unifying images America projects within and beyond its borders, the idea behind E Pluribus Unum does not resound as one might assume it would. E Pluribus Unum was originally intended to be both a representation of the union of the thirteen colonies and an expression of the United States as a country formed by immigrants of many different backgrounds. Today, just the literal size of America would suggest the existence of a largely varied social atmosphere, even before one considers its influx of immigration from countries all over the world. In a way E Pluribus Unum-"out of many, one-is a contradiction. Many different cultures are represented within American citizenry and within the country's physical borders, and they remain distinctive. The outmoded idea of America as the "melting pot" has been replaced precisely because people are not going to disregard their first cultural traditions to adopt "American" ones. Rather, their differences tend to perpetuate separatist notions and delineate cultural groups as clearly as borders delineate the end of one country from the beginning of another. I believe that there are many advantages to embracing the diversity America has within its borders. Members of different cultures within the borders of one nation can benefit from each other, for example, by learning more about themselves through their varieg... ... I, too, have traveled outside of the United States and have discovered the advantages of being open to cultural differences. My experiences have allowed me to accept people on their own terms more easily than I would have were I not able to break out of my culture, even though only for a short period of time. I wish others could realize that cultural differences run only so deep-Middle Eastern Americans have as much pride for this nation as do Americans of non-Middle Eastern descent. Nevertheless, I remain confident that time will ameliorate problems associated with cultural difference. Notes 1. Name changed to ensure anonymity. 2. Name changed to ensure anonymity. 3. Elizabeth Fernea. Guests of the Sheik (New York: Anchor Books, 1969). 4. Ibid., 6. Bibliography Fernea, Elizabeth. Guests of the Sheik. New York: Anchor Books, 1969.

James Cook

James Cook Essay Alice Holder James Cook Essay Alice Holder In 1788, the Europeans invaded Australia after the First Fleet of British ships landed in Botany Bay on the 18th of January, but then docked in Port Jackson, which we know as Sydney, New South Wales. At the time, there were Over 750000 Aboriginal people in Australia. Lieutenant James Cook had declared Australia to be terra nullius (no one’s land) in 1770 after which the colonists agreed together that they could make the land their own. Cook believed that the Aboriginals lived well.They had everything they needed in that time, and were in his view to be healthier and happier than most Europeans. Cook’s opinion can be considered valid because in 1788 the indigenous people had very complex social structures, and communication was a strong part of their lives. There were various different tribes or group gatherings around this period of time, and the Aboriginals loved to get together to talk and see each other, whe ther they were talking about their day, their problems, or anything. They had many different groups of people to talk to, or refer back to, and most of these relationships were fairly strong.A few of these groups were kinships, religious groups, nations, and moiety and physical structures. Family is a very strong aspect in the aboriginal culture. Most of the time they had extended families and the eldest few in the family took on major roles in looking after the family and helping out. Communication and gatherings were taken for granted in the families, except the mother-in-law rule, which is when you cannot speak directly to your mother in law. This rule applies to both men and women, and if communication was necessary, then they would talk via third person, but never make one on one communication with the person.This is an example of Cook believing that the aboriginals were rich in friendship, family and communication, because they had so many different tribes to refer back to, an d are great at communication and getting involved with other people and groups. In this time of life, there wasn’t the local shop to go and buy your food and basic needs. There wasn’t a dance school nearby to learn the latest moves. There wasn’t spearing classes to learn how to fight for your food, everyone had to learn everything by themselves, or learn off each other.The Aboriginal culture was very fortunate in having the skill to get what they want, wether that was fighting for food, making weapons, etc. They kept warm by sleeping or just sitting in between two small fires, and they also had dingos, which is a camping dog which they slept next to keep warm. They developed spearing skills because that was the only way they could get food to live off. They were never sick and just seemed to make the most of what they had, and never had bad thoughts about what they had, because they knew they had the best, and all they needed to survive; and they were wealthier than the average European.In summary, Cook’s view that aboriginals were not savages is most certainly correct. They had everything they needed to live a long and happy life compared to the Europeans. Many people did not believe this, and had a clear stereotype of the Aboriginal culture in their head, but this was wrong. Traditional Life, Housing, (date unknown), Aboriginal Culture, [web page], <http://www. aboriginalculture. com. au/housing. shtml>, [accessed 8th May 2012]