The History Boys free essay sample

Beyond the immediate, beyond being a play about coming of age and the value and nature of education, The History Boys is a play about the complexities and difficulties of being a human being. Bennett goes to lengths to explore and understand the trials and tribulations of his characters, and allow his audience too to understand the character’s troubles. It would appear Bennett’s goal is for his audience to learn and develop an understanding and empathy, not only for his characters, but also for humankind and to appreciate the intricacies of human nature. One of the most obvious examples here is the character of Hector who, being a man of ‘studied eccentricity,’ whose lessons are engaging and humorous and whose generally cheerful outlook make him an immediately likeable character. However, this view of Hector is challenged extremely early on when it is discovered he has a tendency to molest his students as they ride pinion with him on the way home from school. We will write a custom essay sample on The History Boys or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This leaves the viewer in an uncomfortable situation; one cannot help but like Hector though, at the same time, one does not wish to sympathise with a teacher who gropes his pupils. Unable to fit him into convenient boxes marked ‘Good Guy’ and ‘Bad Guy’ the audience’s views are challenged. This is furthered when Hector is called upon to explain himself, when justifying his actions to the headmaster, he says that the ‘transmission of knowledge in itself is an erotic act’ which makes it so much more difficult for the viewer to justify their affinity for Hector, here he seems selfish, vain, it is as if he is trying to say ‘any contact with me is the â€Å"transmission of knowledge,†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ‘any contact with me is an â€Å"erotic act. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This conversation has a significant effect on the reader. It demonstrates that Hector is deeply flawed as a character. Though this serves to make him a more well-rounded character, more developed, it does not detract from the issue of morals, in Mrs Lintott’s words, ‘a grope is a grope’ and motivations aside, it is simply unacceptable. So why does the audience still sympathise with Hector? When he is fired for his crime, because it is a crime, we feel he has been wronged. Well that’s just it. By presenting us a character who is so easy to like and yet so enormously flawed, Bennet demonstrates that is the nature of people that they cannot be seen simply in terms of good or bad but that Hector, like everyone, is a shade of grey. This idea of people as shades of grey is seen again in Irwin, whose feeling for the character Dakin demonstrate how different his word is from his deed. Irwin has been, thus far, a supremely confident character, who knows exactly what it is he wants to say, who will turn around and convincingly explain that the fourteen foreskins of Christ is a good subject on which to base an essay, but who, when confronted with life, reveals himself to be a nervous and uncertain character. During the scene where Dakin asks him ‘for a drink’ we see a side of Irwin yet unseen, his sentences are short and hesitant, he does not formulate an argument. While this can be largely attributed to his apparent sexual inexperience, especially when compared with Dakin, though equally it is important to realise that he is simply not that character he originally seemed, that his boisterous and know-it-all appearance was a facade to hide a real Irwin who does not have to courage to live as recklessly as his teachings would have you believe. Once again this incongruity between what he preaches and his practice make him a believable and developed character, one who the audience can sympathise with, especially as some could argue the insensitive, arrogant and ‘amoral’ Irwin we have seen previously does not invoke any sympathy from the audience. Once more, by presenting us with characters as real as we are, Bennett encourages his audience to empathise with people and understand the messiness of who we are. Finally, a third character who embodies this idea is dear old Posner. From the beginning, Posner is shown to be something of an outsider to the lives of the other boys, Posner notes that because he ‘was late growing up’ he is ‘not included in this kind of conversation’ here referring to a conversation between Dakin and Scripps about being groped by Hector on the bike, combine this with his poignant and often darkly humorous and self-depreciating lines and the audience cannot help but sympathise with him. Which means that when we learn of Posner’s future, at the end of the play, it bears all the more impact.

Free Essays on Dr. Faust

Dr. Faust Christopher Marlowe's play Dr. Faustus is the story of the struggle of one man who is battling with himself over what he values most in life, and to what extent he will go to obtain his desires. There are two levels at which Faustus is in battle with during the play. He is in a physical battle with Satan, and he is in a psychological battle with himself over what is right and wrong. The battles over what are exactly good and evil and what a person values in their life are the two underlying struggles in this work. Faustus is a very educated and high member of society, but he was born in a lower class and has struggled all his life to be a wealthy person. He attains this opportunity to become wealthy when he learns how to call upon Satan, and he makes a deal with the devil to attain all the riches in life for his soul. Through out the play Faustus struggles with this decision and changes his mind back and forth with the devil to go back on the deal. Faustus is a human character theref ore he is tempted as all humans are and will be lead astray by false promises of happiness attained by wealth and knowledge. Dr. Faustus is a play dealing with the psychological effects that comes with the acquirement of wealth and knowledge in a non-ethical manner. The obvious elements of a psychological battle are in the characters of the good and bad angels, and the story line that a man sells his soul to the devil in return for riches on earth. The good angel is the trademark of the good thoughts and the Superego in the story, and the bad angel is the trademark of all that is evil and the ego in the story. The good angel is always giving Faustus the opportunity to repent and come back to God, and that God will forgive him and allow him to enter into heaven. "Never too late, if Faustus will repent...Repent, and they shall never raze thy skin". The good angel is arguing with the bad angel while Faustus is contemplating repenting his sins s... Free Essays on Dr. Faust Free Essays on Dr. Faust Dr. Faust Christopher Marlowe's play Dr. Faustus is the story of the struggle of one man who is battling with himself over what he values most in life, and to what extent he will go to obtain his desires. There are two levels at which Faustus is in battle with during the play. He is in a physical battle with Satan, and he is in a psychological battle with himself over what is right and wrong. The battles over what are exactly good and evil and what a person values in their life are the two underlying struggles in this work. Faustus is a very educated and high member of society, but he was born in a lower class and has struggled all his life to be a wealthy person. He attains this opportunity to become wealthy when he learns how to call upon Satan, and he makes a deal with the devil to attain all the riches in life for his soul. Through out the play Faustus struggles with this decision and changes his mind back and forth with the devil to go back on the deal. Faustus is a human character theref ore he is tempted as all humans are and will be lead astray by false promises of happiness attained by wealth and knowledge. Dr. Faustus is a play dealing with the psychological effects that comes with the acquirement of wealth and knowledge in a non-ethical manner. The obvious elements of a psychological battle are in the characters of the good and bad angels, and the story line that a man sells his soul to the devil in return for riches on earth. The good angel is the trademark of the good thoughts and the Superego in the story, and the bad angel is the trademark of all that is evil and the ego in the story. The good angel is always giving Faustus the opportunity to repent and come back to God, and that God will forgive him and allow him to enter into heaven. "Never too late, if Faustus will repent...Repent, and they shall never raze thy skin". The good angel is arguing with the bad angel while Faustus is contemplating repenting his sins s...

The Many Cognates of Cede

The Many Cognates of Cede The Many Cognates of Cede The Many Cognates of Cede By Mark Nichol The word cede and words with the syllable -cede share an origin with other similarly spelled words that in some sense refer to withdrawal. This post lists and defines those terms. Cede, meaning â€Å"assign,† â€Å"grant,† or transfer, is just one of multiple words descended from the Latin verb cedere, meaning â€Å"go† or â€Å"yield.† The term cession, which refers to an act of ceding, or yielding is rare. Concession is more common in that sense; the verb form is concede, and concessional and concessionary are the uncommon adjectival forms. (â€Å"Concession stand† and the plural form of the noun describe business operations in which one party grants another party the right to sell goods on the first party’s property.) Accede (â€Å"go to†) means â€Å"agree,† â€Å"approve,† or â€Å"consent,† with the sense of doing so reluctantly, or â€Å"take an office or position,† and the noun form is accession. To intercede (â€Å"go between†) is to intervene or mediate; the act of doing so is called intercession. Precede (â€Å"go before†) can refer to being ahead of or in front of, earlier, or more important. The noun form precedence applies to the quality of priority; another noun form, precession, is rare but is seen in â€Å"precession of the equinoxes,† a reference to an astronomical phenomenon. To recede (â€Å"go back†) is to move away or slant backward, or to decrease (it can also mean â€Å"give something back to the former owner†); most references to the noun form recession pertain to a general decline in economic prosperity. Recedence is a rare term for the act of going back. To secede (â€Å"go apart†) is to separate, as part of a nation from the whole; the noun form is secession. Several other words share the root -cede, but with altered spelling, such as proceed (â€Å"go before†), which means â€Å"advance,† â€Å"come forth,† or â€Å"continue.† The noun procedure describes a set of steps, or a way, to accomplish something, and proceeding can be both a form of the verb or, in plural form, a noun describing a sequence of events. The noun proceeds refers to money brought in, and procedural serves both as an adjective and as a noun describing a work of written or recorded fiction that focuses on a sequence of procedures such as the steps taken in solving a crime. Two other nouns derived from proceed are process, a synonym, as a verb, of proceed and, as a noun, of procedure (in addition, the noun process refers to a prominent part of an organism), and procession refers to a forward movement, especially an orderly, often ceremonial parade of people. (It can also be a verb referring to such a movement.) Processable and processability, meanwhile, refer to the capability or suitability of something to be processed. Succeed (â€Å"go after†) means to do well (and the act of succeeding is called success), but it also pertains to inheriting from or following another person in order; this action is known as succession, and one who follows is a successor. To exceed (â€Å"go from†) is to go beyond or extend outside of or to be greater than; excess refers to the act of going beyond but has a negative connotation. Words that don’t seem at all related but are include abscess (â€Å"go away†), which refers to pus collecting in a cavity within inflamed tissue, and ancestor (â€Å"one who goes before†), which means â€Å"one from whom one is descended†- the adjectival form is ancestral, and the noun ancestry refers to one’s forebears- and antecedent (â€Å"go before†), which means â€Å"something that precedes.† To cease (â€Å"hold back†) is to stop (and cessation refers to the act of stopping), and decease (â€Å"go from†) means â€Å"death,† though it is much more often used as a verb to mean â€Å"die.† (One who dies is a decedent.) Predecessor (â€Å"one who goes before†) refers to someone who has preceded another person in a position; it is an antonym of successor. Necessary (â€Å"not go†), too, derives ultimately from cedere; it means â€Å"inescapable† or â€Å"required.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1The Letter "Z" Will Be Removed from the English AlphabetOne "L" or Two?

Development of Nationalism in East and Southeast Asia Essay

Development of Nationalism in East and Southeast Asia - Essay Example In terms of East and Southeast Asia, critics assert that nationalism is the process that gave rise to different nationalist movements in the region in the twentieth century. The aim and objective of these movements was to rebel against the colonial ideologies of the West.Nationalism is considered to be a process, which develops with respect to time; it does not emerge abruptly or unexpectedly. â€Å"It is not a phenomenon that appears suddenly. It is the result of a process by which a people become conscious of themselves as a separate national entity in the modern world, a process by which they become willing to transfer their primary loyalty from the village, or the region, or the monarch, to the nation-state† It is this perspective, which can be found in East and Southeast Asia. In order to integrate nationalism, several steps and measures have been adopted by the government. These measures include the suppression of opposition, the selection of a mutual language and the co ncentrate on economic growth in order to sustain and maintain liberty. Nationalism and Communism in Southeast Asia is the product of colonisation. The vast majority of the East and Southeast Asian countries were â€Å"controlled either by the British, French, Dutch, Americans or Portuguese, who sought to control unnatural boundaries and had no regard for the natives of those areas† After the end of World War II, majority of the East and Southeast Asian countries declared independence from the Western imperialist. For instance, Indonesian nationalists fought with the Dutch in order to get their independence. Philippine got it independence from United States; Vietnam got its independence from France after the Indochina war. In Vietnam, the French did not have the ability to withstand Vietnamese nationalism and thus, they adopted repressive strategies in order to control it3. Majority of the Vietnamese nationalist’s politic leaders and activists were jailed. Furthermore, opposition from Vietnamese nationalists made the French to remove them from government positions and to create hurdles and obstacles in their education4. Communism is considered to be movement, which concentrates on changing the social and political structure of the society. The change is brought by creating a society in which there is no class difference among the citizens, they can freely access the goods they need and wage labour and private property concepts are disregarded1. Frequently, nationalism and communism have crossed path. For instance, the civil war in China was between these two beliefs, which concentrated on controlling China. The Chinese Civil War started in 1947 and lasted for a period of three years. China was divided into two parts; Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China. The fifties witnessed Communist China, which had gained full control of mainland China4. During the struggle for independence in Vietnam, Vietnamese nationalists fled to China, where they were ignored. However, they provided assistance to them once they realized the advantage of Vietnamese nationalists; they could be used to spy the Japanese military activities in Vietnam. In the year 1945, â€Å"the Emperor Bao Dai abdicated to Ho.   Ho Chi Minh then formed a provisional government with himself as its president and Vietnam declared independence on 2nd of September, in the year 1945†1. During this time, the Americans feared the expansion of communism and thus, provided military

The Significant Level of Success of Marks and Spencer Stores Research Paper

The Significant Level of Success of Marks and Spencer Stores - Research Paper Example In viewing the resources of the company, it is important to determine the assets that Marks and Spencer have at present. Although the data only provides consolidated assets, it is sufficient to define the capacity of the company to improve its performance. Overall, the assets of the company are higher than the total liabilities. The net assets of the company have increased from 2005 to 2006. This shows that the company continues to acquire resources that are vital for the company. The figures may its entirety, but the impact in the food retail sector is expected to be felt (Marks and Spencer, 2006). One significant observation that can be made is that the company has a wide range of quality food sources. This is in references to the responsible food sourcing that the company adopts. The supplies of the company are considered as one of its valuable resources. Because of its outstanding food production materials, the quality of the finished products has improved. Boosting the food with the finest inputs allow the company to effectively satisfy the needs of the consumers. Subsequently, quality sources also make the company more cost-effective. Another important resource of the company is its identity. This is established through the brand name of Marks and Spencer. Despite some criticisms, the brand has gained the distinction of being the most trusted retailer in the UK. Over the years, the brand name has been embraced in different areas of the world. The credibility of the company is one of its intangible resources that deserved to be recognised.

Lord Rama as a Leader in Ramayana

Lord Rama as a Leader in Ramayana LORD RAMA AS MARYADA PURSHOTTAM- A LEADER IN WAR AND PEACE, AS NARRATED IN RAMAYANA Israelmore Ayivor has said, â€Å"True leaders are like statues, whether it rains or it shines, they never bend their necks to look backwards! They never run away from challenges!†[1] Lord Rama is one such leader who is also known to be the avatar, incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Swami Vivekananda has described the immortal character of lord Rama in these words, Rama, the ancient idol of the heroic ages, the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, and above all, the ideal king, this Rama has been presented by the great sage, Valmiki.[2] Shri Ramchandra exhibits exceptional qualities of religious behaviour and therefore is fondly termed as ‘maryada purushottam’. Maryada meaning the inner moral principles, ethics, customs or rules and Purushottam relates to being the best amongst all men. He personifies the highest of human values, never deviating from the virtuous path in thought, or action, even in the most critical situations. He has shown many qualities of a righteous king and a noble human being. His model behaviour and conduct made him a leader par excellence and that is why he is popularly termed as Maryada Purushottam (perfect man). Transformational leadership and lord Rama. The transformational leadership has been long demonstrated by Lord Rama thousands of years ago before the introduction of this concept and model by Burns (1978)[3] and latter by Bass and Avoilio (1994)[4]. Burns emphasized on the mutual process between a leader and a follower, wherein each one makes an effort to increase the other’s level of motivation. In the first book (Bala Kand) itself, the qualities and characteristics of Rama as a true leader have been dealt with in detail, which resulted in acquiring love, admiration, respect, and trust of all the people of Ayodhya. He as a transformational leader inspired his followers to imbibe his values and connect with his ideologies. There can be quite a few other valuableleadership lessonsfrom the ‘ideal’ man and the warrior prince Lord Rama, which can be imbibed by the military leaders of all the three wings of any defence organisation. Lord Rama as a leader was exceptional and led the way. The best way to create a positive work atmosphere is by leading through example and by ensuring that the team is highly motivated. This is exactly what Rama did with his threebrothers. As the eldest, he set an example for theyounger ones by always being fair and courteous yet stern when required. The whole of Ramayana is full of such examples, especially during the last leg of the Ramayana battle, Rama inspired his army to inculcate virtues like intelligence, skill, commitment, strategy to succeed. Lord Rama as leader was a participative leader and didn’t force his decisions upon others. Rama being a participative leader knew how to tackle situations with a cool-headed attitude and listen to others to encourage frank and open discussion on every aspect. Rama gives a patient hearing to advice from his allies while preparing for war against Ravana and thus, managed to extract valuable clues of Sita’s whereabouts. It is evident in Ramayana that Lord Rama inspired his army to fight an epic battle and be jubilant! He never forced his decision of leaving the palace for exile, not even on his own wife Sita and brother Laxman. Instead, he dissuaded both of them to stay in Ayodhya and let him proceed. Rama was a humble leader and followed ethics and a code of conduct. Lord Rama was a solicitous and a humble man. In fact, Rama declared his dedication to dharma when he offered Ravana a final chance to make peace on the battleground.[5] When Ravana walked to battle on the first day due to inadequate preparations and was rendered weaponless, Rama being a leader by ethics followed the code of chivalry during war and stipulated that an unarmed enemy should not be attacked. Humility was Rama’s most outstanding virtue, which made him so popular. He had no hesitation in eating the tasted fruits offered by Shabri during his exile. When Lord Rama finally reached Lanka, he welcomed Vibishana, the brother of his own enemy King Ravana to his side and embraced him like a brother. In spite of knowing that Vibishana was the brother of the demon King Ravana, he identified true and pure devotion and love. He welcomed him warmly and made him his best friend instantly in spite of some differenc es and arguments against this in his camp.Lord Rama being a humble leader, smiled and helped everyone to show genuine concern, and managed to fight a war on his own terms and conditions and finally win it. Rama was an unbiased leader. A leader has a personalised point of view which is exhibited in his own unique way. In Ramayana, Lord Rama shared his views and thought processes and opinions with Lakshmana, Hanumana, Sugriva and Vibheeshana. But that doesnt do any harm to anyone else. There was no prejudice against anyone as far as the king-subject relationship was concerned. It is a well-known fact that the Vanara sena (monkey army), proved to be one of the most essential links to win the epic battle. A leader also creates more leaders. Rama as a true leader in war believed in his army’s abilities and hence strengthened them as per the overall objective. Lord Rama helped Sugriva and Vibheeshana to establish their own kingdoms, similarly able military leaders should create and inspire effective potential leaders for the future. Rama was a leader having a clear vision. The mission of the army led by Lord Rama had a clear vision to rescue his wife Sita from the clutches of the Lanka king Ravana. This clarity of thoughts enabled the army to put their best to win the battle and finally achieve the positive desired outcome. Rama was a leader full of integrity. Lord Rama, despite his immense hardships and misfortune, never stepped aside from his chosen path. He always maintained a certain yardstick for himself and his team, thereby gaining big dividends in terms of achieving his ultimate goal. Rama was a learning leader. Rama kept himself under the guidance of the learned sages and ascetics, and frequently learned much about the nature of life. Significantly, he also learnt advanced techniques of archery and other techniques of warfare, which served him well during his final battle with the evil king Ravana. Rama was a role model and inspired everyone. Lakshmana, Rama’s younger brother, constantly looked up to his elder brother, and thus was willing to help him through all the challenges life threw at him. So all the military leaders should motivate their teams and continuously reward success and initiative. Rama was an understanding leader. It is evident in Ramayana that Rama was a true leader, as he understood the problems faced by his team members and thereby helped them in whichever ways he could. Like for instance, during his time spent in the forest he met Sugreeva who was abandoned by his own brother Bali. He then went ahead and helped Sugreeva in regaining his throne. In addition, he was instrumental in killing the demons that used to often regularly trouble the sages in the forest. APPLICATION OF LEADERSHIP TRAITS OF LORD RAMA IN A MILITARY ORGANISATION The above-mentioned leadership lessons as exhibited by Lord Rama in the epic Ramayana, if applied and implemented properly can form the basis of success of all types of organizations especially the military organization (Army, Air Force, Navy). Leadership in military is not just restricted to some handful of seniors with high-sounding titles, but permeates all across organizational levels managing personnel. It has been evident that a good leadership example like Lord Rama can enhance the overall motivational level and productivity in any military set-up. In the military scenario, one can succeed and many a battles can be won, if there is relevant knowledge for the same. Like Rama, military leaders have to be confident and show no signs of desperation. Military leaders have to be on top and keep a track of what is happening and gain full control of the war scenario. They should look confident and behave as one too, so that they are able to communicate to their subordinates that they are determined to extract positive outcomes for the benefit of their nation and their territory. The impact of an alert, agile and action-oriented leadership cannot be underestimated. A good military leader should ensure that his men give him a patient hearing and conduct themselves on the battleground to win the hardest of battles. This would allow his team to find a proper base ground and explore its full potential. Military Leadership believes in bearing the brunt most of the time and led the way through model behavior. Military leaders in particular are leaders with a vision, and have the ability to see and put into perspective what others cannot. Communicating this vision to their followers and motivating them to work towards fulfilling it, is an extended challenge for a military leader. The chief ingredients of good leadership as portrayed by Rama in Ramayana primarily are character, courage and competence, which undoubtedly form the essence of success for any military organization. Character, in military context, is understood as self-discipline, loyalty, readiness to accept responsibility, and willingness to sacrifice whenever required. These qualities of Lord Rama can help in minimizing fear and maximizing sound judgement in any critical military situation thereby bringing success from a seemingly hopeless situation. For a military leader humility is one of the most difficult trait to exhibit, especially during war time. However, there is no denying the fact that it is also one of the most fru itful traits if used in the correct direction. Moreover, a foreseen vision will always be a motivating factor to focus on the goal and not be deviated. Every military leader needs to have a clear vision of what he is aiming for and what will it bear him in the future.[6] He also must be in sync with his followers or team members in order to attain his goals. A military leader should avoid cutting corners and everything, which makes him uncomfortable. This will ensure long-term organizational sincerity and loyalty. Today’s world is all about dynamism and keeping pace with new developments, which surely is a tough challenge. In the current information age where knowledge is wealth, an informed modern military leader should constantly strive to learn, and explore new subjects, deepen the understanding of old ones, and continuously upgrade him. Keeping abreast of the latest developments and advancements in modern means of warfare is the need of the hour and is expected of all con temporary military leaders. Contemporary military environment requires leaders who can perceive what is right and know how to mobilize people and resources to accomplish mutual goals.[7] Understanding individual team members and ensuring the requirements to keep each one ticking, is what is required in our present day defence organization too. Leaders of the armed forces should back their teams under all circumstances. They should know how to deal with their subordinates in order to make many of the followers, leaders in their own right thereby creating options and opportunities for their subordinates to inculcate self-confidence and optimism. In today’s military world the one man show does not promise success like the earlier days. Intelligently distributed responsibility and empowerment creates changes for good and more chances to win. So naturally it becomes quintessential for every department, every unit in the armed forces to create more and effective leaders than ever before. It surely would ensure more uniqueness; more tasks completed, more projects concluded, more missions accomplished, more promises achieved and most of all more trust build than ever before. [1] The Great Hand Book of Quotes, Israelmore Ayivor [2] Hinduism, By Hiro G. Badlani, pg 103, 01-Sep-2008 [3] Transformational Leadership, Burns, J. M. (1978). New York: Harper Row [4] Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership, Bernard M. Bass,Bruce J. Avolio, SAGE Publications, 1994 [5] https://www.sunzu.com/articles/building-leadership-skills-lessons-from-the-ramayana-22687 [6] http://www.mensxp.com/work-life/leadership/20918-leadership-lessons-from-lord-rama.html [7] http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/navy/reflections_on_leadership.htm

Neighbor’s Apartment

I didn’t have any second thoughts when my neighbor in the apartment invited me to come along and spend the night with his party celebration. It is at least two years now since the last time I joined one when my friend had a farewell party who was to leave out of the country. For such reason, being invited by my neighbor was a good chance for me to experience once again what it is like to get acquainted with people and celebrate a particular special moment in the celebrant’s life. My neighbor’s party was all about his successful promotion at work. He was once a sales agent for realty properties in a medium scale company in the city. He has worked for the company for about 10 years as a sales agent and was really very satisfied with his work and the amount of money he has been getting. Suddenly, he was promoted by the general manager as the new site supervisor. To celebrate such achievement, he threw a party in his apartment one night. Since we’ve known each other for about five years now, it was easy accepting his invitation. My neighbor invited his guests from different segments of his life background. All of the apartment’s tenants were supposedly invited but I saw only at least a few known neighbors present that night. Maybe some of the tenants had some other commitments or things to do for not attending the party. Apart from the neighbors, his office mates were also invited. A couple of them seem to have already worked for the company for a long time while some are still young professionals. Also, some of the party owner’s relatives were invited as I saw a few of his cousins and siblings at the living room. I’ve also known them in the past five years since they frequently visit my neighbor. Generally, the party was a very formal one in my opinion. The event provided a very good relaxing atmosphere for conversation and small talks in knowing acquaintances. There were no loud sounds but very smooth types of music were played the entire night. I didn’t see any children in the party. Also, the food was great with a whole set of catered meals and some light liquors. On a personal observation, my neighbor’s apartment seemed to me a little crowded in terms of fixtures. At the living room, some of his office stuffs were to be found only that they were set aside at the corners to provide more spaces for the guests. The furniture were also a bit old but were still comfortable especially the sofa. When I got a chance to go to the kitchen, it was really very small and cluttered compared to mine back home. The lighting for the entire unit was a little dim. This gloomy feel of the apartment was also enhanced by the pale colors of the walls which were at a brownish state of deterioration. The two windows of his room were also covered with dark colored curtains which used heavy fabrics. The unit’s atmosphere would have been hot during that night if not for an air conditioning unit. That equipment too seemed to be a very old one with some rusty parts in the control panel while the case was a bit yellowish. All of these factors simply provided a good impression that my neighbor’s unit was very old fashioned in terms of style. I just wondered if my neighbor’s earning were really at an optimum level before his promotion since I didn’t really saw improvements in his unit compared to the last time I went there. Even though my personal outlook of the unit was a little gloomy, I noticed that he has some very good appliances in his apartment. I thought the flat screen LCD TV in his living room was at least brand new. It really gave a very contrasting side on the situation of the unit’s atmosphere. He also has a state of the art music system just beside the television unit. It was a bit odd for such old apartment unit to see a complete home theater system more expensive than mine at a home.