Dabur India Limited

Pillai’s Institute of Management Studies and Research Project Report On â€Å"Dabur India Limited† Submitted To: Prof. Momita mam BY: 29-Rashmi Gawand 37-Priyanka Jagtap DABUR INDIA LIMITED Dabur India LimitedDabur India Ltd. is the fourth largest FMCG Company in India. Dabur deals in Health care and Personal care products. Today, Dabur has a turnover of Rs. 1899. 57 crores. The market penetration of Dabur is of about 1. 5 million retail outlets all over India with 47 C& F agents and more than 5000 distributors.Dabur India is divided into 2 major strategic business units: * Consumer Care Division * Consumer Health Division Dabur has 3 subsidiary group companies: 1. Dabur Foods 2. Dabur Nepal 3. Dabur International- Further divided into Asian Consumer Care in Bangladesh, African Consumer Care in Nigeria and Dabur Egypt. | | Dabur has 13 ultra-modern manufacturing units in:? Jammu & Kashmir ? Uttar Pradesh ? Himachal Pradesh ? Madhya Pradesh ?Rajasthan ? Uttaranch al ? West Bengal ? Silvassa ? Nepal Dabur Health CareDabur's Health  Care range brings for you a wide selection of Ayurvedic and natural products that offer complete care for varying individual needs. Our products are derived from the time-tested heritage of Ayurveda, and backed by the most modern scientific test ;amp; trials that ensure unfailing quality and safety in anything you pick. Dabur's Brands * Activ Juice * ActiveAntacid * Active Blood Purifier * Amla Flower magic * Amla Hair oil * Babool Mint Fresh Gel * Babool Toothpaste * Badam Oil * Balm Double Action * Balm Strong * Burrst * Capsico * Chyawan Junior * Chyawanprash * Chyawan Prakash * Dazzl * Glucose D * Gripe Water * Hajmola * Hajmola Candy * Hommade * Janma Ghuti * Gulabari Face Freshner * Gulabari Rose Water * Gulabari Moisturising cream * Honey * Honitus Cough Syrup * Honitus Lozenges * Lal Dant Manjan * Lal Tail * Lemoneez * Meswak Toothpaste * Odomas * Odonil * Odopic * Promise Toothpaste * Pudin Hara * Real * Red Toothpaste * Sanifresh * Shankha Pushpi * Shilajit Gold * Super Thanda Oil * Uveda 2 in 1 Moisturising cream * Uveda Clarifying Face Wash * Uveda Complete Fairness Cream * Uveda Moisturising Face Wash * Vatika Black Shine Shampoo * Vatika Conditioner * Vatika Dandruff Control * Vatika Enriched Almond * Vatika Enriched Coconut * Vatika Root Strengthening * Vatika Smooth & Silky Exports ? United Kingdom ? Egypt ? Bangladesh ? Dubai ? Nigeria ? Nepal Dabur has its offices and representatives in America, Europe, and Africa. It exports Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients to Latin America, Europe, Africa, and other Asian countries. Dabur also exports herbal products to Middle East, Far East, and several European countries. Today Dabur is marketing its products in more than 50 countries. | Dabur Herbal and AyurvedicDabur presents a range of Herbal & Ayurvedic Personal Care products, created to make you look and feel good. Bringing together the gentle touch of nature and Ayurveda 's wisdom, the range covers categories like Hair Care, Skin Care and Baby Care, and is backed by the unfailing quality stamp of Dabur. Dabur Home Care Dabur India Ltd has a portfolio of superior products that help take care of your home. The range of Home Care products have been carefully developed to ensure that your living space not only looks good, but also smells good, all day long. And more importantly, they help keep your family healthy. Odonil keeps your home fresh and smelling great.Odomos protects your family from disease causing mosquitoes while Odopic leaves your dishes clean and smelling fresh. Sanifresh Shine keeps your toilet sparkling clean and free from germs while our latest innovation Dazzl gives a mirror like shine to your floors, kitchen and glass surfaces, while keeping them germ-free. Building on a legacy of quality and experience for over 125 years, Dabur India Ltd has introduced a slew of Ayurvedic over the Counter (OTC) products, offering traditional Ayurved ic remedies in ready-to-use formats. This is part of the company’s strategy to make Ayurveda more contemporary for the modern day consumer. Dabur, with its roots in Ayurveda, has been involved in bringing this age-old science within everyone’s reach.Dabur's Consumer Healthcare business is the Company's oldest business, and today has a growing portfolio of OTC products to address a variety of problems ranging from Women's Health to Baby Care and  Cough & Cold to Rejuvenation. Ayurveda The ancient Indian system of medicine based on natural and holistic living, derives from two Sanskrit words – Ayu or life, and Veda or knowledge. This Science of Life analyses the human body through a combination of the body, mind and spirit. Originating nearly 5,000 years ago, Ayurvedic texts were researched by Dabur in its quest for natural remedies. Today, its application in modern life has been renewed through the scientific research and validation undertaken at Dabur. Rea l Active Juices ContainsReal Activ is a range of unsweetened juices that contain NO ADDED SUGAR, COLOURS OR PRESERVATIVES. Real Activ juices are made from concentrated juices. After the juice is pressed from the fruit, the water is removed to reduce transportation load. At our factories, during the manufacturing of juices/ juice blends, we add back the equivalent quantity of water. Thus, Real Activ Juices have as much juice as present in respective fruit. Real Activ Juices contain * 0% Added Sugar * No Added Colour or   Preservatives * Naturally rich in antioxidant Nutrients * Helps meet 1  serve of your 5-a-day Dabur's Real Activ range includes: Antioxidant Rich JuicesAntioxidants are substances that help protect the body by neutralizing free radicals that cause cell damage. Antioxidant Nutrients like Betacarotene ;amp; Vitamin C are known to neutralize ‘Free Radicals’ and help strengthen the immune system. * Real Activ Orange Carrot Juice is a 100% juice made from Oranges and Carrots which provide the natural goodness of antioxidants nutrients like Betacarotene ;amp; Vitamin C * Real Activ Orange Carrot 1 Glass (250ml) equals: 100% RDA of Beta-carotene* 40% RDA of Vitamin C * Real Activ Orange Juice is an ideal breakfast juice rich in antioxidant nutrient like Vitamin C Activ Orange 1 Glass(250ml) = 100% RDA of Vitamin C*Refreshing Cooler Real Activ Apple Juice * Real Activ Apple juice provides you the goodness of Apples. Apples are packed with nutrients and anti-oxidants and are Very low in sodium. * 1 Glass (250ml) of Real Activ Apple juice provides juice of 4 Apples. So pick up a pack of Real Activ Apple juice for a refreshing break   Fruit-Vegetable Delight Real Activ Mixed Fruit Spinach Cucumber Juice * Real Activ Mixed Fruit Spinach Cucumber juice is a refreshing ;amp; nutritious blend of fruits ;amp; vegetables with the goodness of 8 delicious fruits (Apple, Orange, Passion Fruit, Guava, Pineapple, Mango, Apricot ;amp; Banana) and V egetables like Spinach, Cucumber.This helps you meet a serve of fruit ;amp; vegetable * 1 Glass (250ml) of Mixed fruit Spinach Cucumber is Very Low in Sodium. As per USFDA, diets low in Sodium may reduce the risk of Hypertension or High BP Real Activ Mixed Fruit Beetroot Carrot  Juice * Real Activ Mixed Fruit Beetroot Carrot juice is a refreshing ;amp; nutritious blend of fruits ;amp; vegetables with the goodness of 8 delicious fruits (Apple, Orange, Passion Fruit, Guava, Pineapple, Mango, Apricot ;amp; Banana) and Vegetables like  Beetroot ;amp; Carrot * It also provides you 1 serve of fruit ;amp; vegetable Start your day with Real Activ Juice which is deliciously tasty ;amp; gives the natural goodness of fruits ;amp; vegetables without the burden of added sugar.No wonder, with Real Activ in your life you can Say NO to all things artificial and Stay Fit the Natural Way. Dabur Chyawanprash Dabur Chyawanprash has anti-oxidant properties ;amp; strengthens your body's internal defe nse mechanism, the immune system, thereby protecting you from everyday infections, cough, cold & stress etc. At a time when flu and viruses are everywhere, your immunity system provides the best prevention from these deadly diseases. Chyawanprash, a time-tested, age-old formulation has a number of herbs like Amla, known to be one of the best antioxidants, Giloy (Guduchi) known to have immuno modulatory properties, and has more than 40 other natural ingredients, to boost immunity. |Dabur Chyawanprash, The Health Giver * Derived from 2,500-year-old Ayurvedic formula * Totally chemical-free, natural and safe * Powerful combination of herbs and plant extracts in a base of Amla fruit pulp * Refined by Dabur to provide traditional goodness with best quality * Reinforces the immune system & helps fight disease * Trusted health provider of a majority of Indian households| Hajmola Pop a Dabur Hajmola and enjoy the chatpata flavour that stimulates your digestive power. Take it regular ly, especially after a meal. The popularity of this Ayurvedic digestive can be gauged by the fact that almost 2. 5 crore Hajmola tablets are consumed every day in India. An Ayurvedic digestive medicine, Dabur Hajmola was the first to be branded as a product.It has a mix of traditional Indian culinary herbs, spices and edible salts. Dabur Hajmola is a market leader with 60% share of the digestive tablets segment in India. Dabur Pudin Hara Dabur Pudin Hara gives quick relief from stomach ache, gas and indigestion. It is a trusted, fast-action remedy for stomach disorders. Pudin Hara is completely natural and safe. Dabur Glucose D Get a jump start on your day by filling up with the extra energy of Dabur Glucose-D. Enriched with Vitamin-D and Calcium for easy assimilation and quick replenishment of essential vitamins, minerals and body salts, Dabur Glucose is a ready source of energy to fight tiredness. It refreshes you instantly.Besides helping in quick recovery of energy lost due to f atigue, Dabur Glucose also provides essential nutrients that refresh and energizes you to fight tiredness and fatigue caused by summer heat. Extremely good for growing children and sportspersons, Dabur Glucose also helps in all-round development of kids. Dabur Honey Honey has been used for its medicinal and therapeutic value for centuries in India. Dabur India Limited saw the potential of honey beyond its remedial value, helping every household imbibe the goodness of this natural wonder liquid in their day-to-day life * Dabur Honey launched as a food product * Largest player in the branded honey market, commanding over 75% of the total share   * Recently launched in convenient, easy-to-use squezee pack * Focusing on promoting food-led usage.Dabur Vatika Black shine Shampoo Vatika Black Shine shampoo is packed with the goodness of Black Olives and Amla that help maintain the black colour of your hair and give it incredible shine. Unlike normal shampoos, Vatika Black Shine Shampoo d oes not have any harmful chemicals. Its active natural ingredients help maintain the black colour of your hair without damaging them. Dabur Vatika Smooth & Silky Shampoo Vatika Smooth & Silky Shampoo is a natural shampoo that conditions from deep within, while gently cleansing and nourishing your hair. Its offers the gentle & caring touch of nature that leave your hair soft, silky and radiant.It has the perfect balance of natural ingredients like Henna, Green Almonds and Shikakai that turn your dull & lifeless hair into smooth & silky without damaging them. Dabur Vatika Dandruff Control Vatika Dandruff Control Shampoo removes dandruff without being violent on hair. Discover non-violence, the new beauty mantra captured in Vatika Dandruff Control Shampoo range. Enriched with the goodness of nature, Vatika gently removes 100% dandruff and prevents recurrence, without causing any damage to hair. So what you get is dandruff-free, beautiful hair. That's the power of no n-violence. Dabur Vatika Conditioner Dabur now  presents a range of natural conditioners under brand Vatika.The Vatika range of conditioners is packed with active natural  ingredients that nourish your scalp and hair to ensure that your crowning glory shines with health. Dabur’s in-depth knowledge of nature ;amp; natural ingredients has helped us create a range of conditioners that offer the goodness of nature without any side-effects, and give you problem-free hair. These nourishing conditioners from nature come in two SKUs of  100ml and 200ml, and are available in two variants: Vatika Smooth ;amp; Silky Conditioner Vatika Smooth  ;amp; Silky Conditioner has active natural ingredients   like  Henna and Amla that ensure natural conditioning of hair,   and Green Almonds, which  help nourish scalp and hair. Vatika Root Strengthening ConditionerVatika Root Strengthening Conditioner is packed  with natural  ingredients like Coco Milk, which  provides conditi oning, and  Almonds that  help strengthen the hair from root to tips. Dabur Hair Oil Dabur's range of natural Hair Oils have an array of specialized products that offer you problem-free hair, making your crowning glory grow healthy, lustrous and full of life. Give hair the nourishment of Amla (Indian gooseberry) with Dabur Amla or add the magic of white flowers to your mane with Dabur Amla Flower Magic. Enrich your hair from root to tip with Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil, or  up your hair's style quotient with Vatika Enriched Almond Hair Oil. Dabur Uveda 2-in-1 Moisturiser 24-Hour soft and hydrated skin that glows from within Dabur Uveda 2-in-1 Moisturiser presents an alternate way to skin moisturising.It has unique Ayuredic ingredients that help build a reservoir of moisture in the inner layers of the skin that keeps skin hydrated for 24 hours and also protects the skin from damages due to the sun's radiation. Complete Fairness Cream Fair skin that glows from within Dabur Uveda Complete Fairness Cream presents an alternate way to fairness. With unique Ayurvedic ingredients, it works on the inner layers of the skin, making it lighter, nourishing it with every use to give complete fairness that glows from within. Moisturising Face Wash Dabur Uveda Moisturising Face Wash presents an alternate way to skin cleansing. Its Ayurvedic ingredients not only help clean your skin but replenish moisture in the inner layers, giving you clean, soft skin that glows from within.

Boo Radley

Everybody in Maybcomb County’s impression of me, Arthur â€Å"Boo† Radley, is through neighborhood fairy tales; I’m described as someone defenseless to society’s significant judgment. Everybody thinks of me as a monster, they’re all petrified of me. I can’t really say I blame them though; anybody would be crazy if they were kept in here as long as I’ve been. I’ve heard a few rumors about me; the one that struck me the most was the one rumor where I apparently stabbed my dad with a pair of scissors in his leg†¦ what kind of person would make such lie up? I have no doubts that all of Maycomb County believe what they think is the â€Å"truth†, but its absolutely crazy how somebody would go that far to make something like that up. â€Å"Wouldn’t you stay in the house if you didn’t want to come out? † (Chapter 5, p. 58). I wanted too! I really did want to come out for once; I do absolutely nothing all day long, spending it only with me, myself and I. I’m restricted from reading the newspaper, watching television, going out on the front porch or even opening a near by window for a breath of fresh air. I feel like I’m in prison; in fact, I literally am! â€Å"Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he would catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained – if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time. † (Chapter 1, p. 6). I look nothing like that; everything is quite the opposite to be honest. I’m six’1, I eat normal food, like all normal people; I brush my teeth everyday which makes them white, not yellow; and I absolutely do not drool. And how would they know that my hands were bloodstained or not? Did they not mention that nobody has seen me in approximately 15 years? It all just doesn’t make sense to me; somehow people in Maycomb County enjoy and believe the little myths about me. Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chapter 1, p. 10). Me? A malevolent phantom? They clearly have no idea what they’re talking about; last time I checked, I was human. Just because nobody has seen me in a while that doesn’t mean I’ve turned into a ghost over the years. These people all just don’t get it. They don’t understand the fact that I’m a somebody; that I’m pretty much the same like everybody else – other than the fact that I haven’t been out of my house for about 15 years. They don’t understand that I have feelings as well; everything they say, all the rumors and little stories of theirs offends me. I just hope that everybody in Maycomb County realizes and finds out somehow who I truly am. That I’m a human, just like they all are, not some kind of a monster, who goes out at night, and eats children and cats or whatever their nonsense is. And maybe, just maybe, I have the courage one day to finally get out of the house, go out in the open, where every single neighbor of mine can see me, and show people who I really am. Boo Radley Everybody in Maybcomb County’s impression of me, Arthur â€Å"Boo† Radley, is through neighborhood fairy tales; I’m described as someone defenseless to society’s significant judgment. Everybody thinks of me as a monster, they’re all petrified of me. I can’t really say I blame them though; anybody would be crazy if they were kept in here as long as I’ve been. I’ve heard a few rumors about me; the one that struck me the most was the one rumor where I apparently stabbed my dad with a pair of scissors in his leg†¦ what kind of person would make such lie up? I have no doubts that all of Maycomb County believe what they think is the â€Å"truth†, but its absolutely crazy how somebody would go that far to make something like that up. â€Å"Wouldn’t you stay in the house if you didn’t want to come out? † (Chapter 5, p. 58). I wanted too! I really did want to come out for once; I do absolutely nothing all day long, spending it only with me, myself and I. I’m restricted from reading the newspaper, watching television, going out on the front porch or even opening a near by window for a breath of fresh air. I feel like I’m in prison; in fact, I literally am! â€Å"Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he would catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained – if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time. † (Chapter 1, p. 6). I look nothing like that; everything is quite the opposite to be honest. I’m six’1, I eat normal food, like all normal people; I brush my teeth everyday which makes them white, not yellow; and I absolutely do not drool. And how would they know that my hands were bloodstained or not? Did they not mention that nobody has seen me in approximately 15 years? It all just doesn’t make sense to me; somehow people in Maycomb County enjoy and believe the little myths about me. Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chapter 1, p. 10). Me? A malevolent phantom? They clearly have no idea what they’re talking about; last time I checked, I was human. Just because nobody has seen me in a while that doesn’t mean I’ve turned into a ghost over the years. These people all just don’t get it. They don’t understand the fact that I’m a somebody; that I’m pretty much the same like everybody else – other than the fact that I haven’t been out of my house for about 15 years. They don’t understand that I have feelings as well; everything they say, all the rumors and little stories of theirs offends me. I just hope that everybody in Maycomb County realizes and finds out somehow who I truly am. That I’m a human, just like they all are, not some kind of a monster, who goes out at night, and eats children and cats or whatever their nonsense is. And maybe, just maybe, I have the courage one day to finally get out of the house, go out in the open, where every single neighbor of mine can see me, and show people who I really am.

Blood Promise Chapter Fifteen

â€Å"Just like that?† I asked in disbelief. His lips quirked into a smile. â€Å"Rolan knows who I am. He knows who works for me. Once Pavel makes my†¦ ah, wishes known, that will be the end of it.† I shivered, knowing Abe spoke the truth. Considering what a smartass I’d been to Abe this whole time, it really was a wonder I hadn’t had my feet set in cement and been tossed into the ocean. â€Å"So why aren’t you forcefully dragging me out of here?† â€Å"I never like to make anyone do anything they don’t want to. Even Rolan. It’s much easier if people simply see reason and do what I ask them to, without the use of force.† â€Å"And by ? ®see reason,’ you mean, ? ®blackmail,'† I said, thinking of what I’d just agreed to. â€Å"We made a trade,† he said. â€Å"That’s all. Don’t forget your end of the bargain. You promised to leave here, and you don’t seem like the type to go back on your word.† â€Å"I don’t.† â€Å"Rose!† Viktoria suddenly appeared at the door. Wow, that was fast. Pavel was calmly dragging her by her arm. Her hair was mussed, and a dress strap was slipping from her shoulder. Her face was a mixture of incredulity and anger. â€Å"What did you do? That guy came and told Rolan to get out of here and never see me again! And then†¦ Rolan agreed. He just left.† I found it slightly funny that Viktoria immediately blamed me for this. True, I was responsible, but Abe was standing right there. It wasn’t a secret who his employees were. Nonetheless, I defended my actions. â€Å"He was using you,† I said. There were tears in Viktoria’s brown eyes. â€Å"He loves me.† â€Å"If he loves you, then why did he hit on me as soon as your back was turned?† â€Å"He did not!† â€Å"He’s the one who got Sonya pregnant.† Even in the alley’s dim lighting, I saw her face pale. â€Å"That’s a lie.† I threw up my hands. â€Å"Why would I make that up? He wanted to make plans with me as soon as you were out of town!† â€Å"If he did,† she said, voice shaking, â€Å"it was because you led him on.† I gaped. Beside me, Abe listened quietly, a smug look on his face. He was so self-satisfied and probably thought he was being proven right. I wanted to punch him, but Viktoria was my concern. â€Å"How can you think that? I’m your friend!† I told her. â€Å"If you were my friend, you wouldn’t be acting like this. You wouldn’t try to stand in my way. You act like you loved my brother, but there’s no way you could have-no way you really understand love!† Didn’t understand love? Was she crazy? If she only knew what I’d sacrificed for Dimitri, what I’d done to be where I was now†¦ all for love. She was the one who couldn’t understand. Love wasn’t a fling in a back room at a party. It was something you lived and died for. My emotions surged, that darkness welling up within me that made me want to lash out in return for her horrible accusation. It was only through the strongest of efforts that I remembered she was already hurting, that she only said the things she did because she was confused and upset. â€Å"Viktoria, I do understand, and I’m sorry. I’m only doing this because you’re my friend. I care about you.† â€Å"You aren’t my friend,† she hissed. â€Å"You aren’t part of this family. You don’t understand anything about us or how we live! I wish you’d never come here.† She turned and stormed away, pushing back inside through the long line of partygoers. My heart ached as I watched her. I turned to Abe. â€Å"She’s going to go try to find him.† He still wore that damnably knowing expression. â€Å"It won’t matter. He’ll have nothing to do with her anymore. Not if he values that pretty face of his.† I was worried for Viktoria but kind of had a feeling Abe was right about Rolan. Rolan would no longer be an issue. As for Viktoria’s next guy†¦ well, that was a worry for another day. â€Å"Fine. Then we’re done here. Do not follow me anymore,† I growled. â€Å"Keep your promise to leave Baia, and I won’t have to.† I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"I told you: I always keep my promises.† And as I hurried back to the Belikov house, I suddenly wondered if that was true. The blowout with Abe and Viktoria was like cold water on my face. What was I doing here? To a certain extent, Abe had been right†¦ I had been deluding myself, pretending Dimitri’s family was my own in order to soothe my grief over him. But they weren’t. This wasn’t home. The Academy wasn’t my home either, not anymore. The only thing I had left was my promise-my promise to Dimitri. The promise I’d somehow lost sight of since coming here. Some of the Belikov family was in bed when I got home, but others were still in the living room. I slipped upstairs to my room, waiting anxiously for Viktoria to get home. A half hour later, I heard footsteps on the stairs and the sound of her door closing. I knocked gently on it. â€Å"Viktoria,† I said in a loud whisper. â€Å"It’s me. Please talk to me.† â€Å"No!† came the response. â€Å"I don’t ever want to talk to you again.† â€Å"Viktoria-â€Å" â€Å"Go away!† â€Å"I’m just worried about you.† â€Å"You aren’t my brother! You aren’t even my sister. You have no place here!† Ouch. Her voice was muffled by the door, but I didn’t want to risk a fight in the hall and let the others hear. Going to my room, my heart breaking, I stopped and stood in front of the mirror. It was then that I knew she was right. Even Abe was right. Baia wasn’t my place. In a flash, my meager belongings were packed, but I hesitated before going downstairs. Viktoria’s closed door stared at me, and I had to fight the urge to knock again. If I did, it would only trigger another fight. Or, maybe even worse, she would forgive me-and then I would want to stay forever, lost in the comfort of Dimitri’s family and their simple life. Taking a deep breath, I headed downstairs and walked out the front door. I wanted to tell the others goodbye but worried the same thing would happen, that I’d look at their faces and change my mind. I needed to go, I realized. I was angry at both Viktoria and Abe. Their words had hurt me, but there’d been truth in them. This wasn’t my world. I had other things to do with my life. And I had a lot of promises to keep. When I was about eight blocks away, I slowed down, not because I was tired but because I wasn’t sure where I was going. Leaving that house had been the biggest step. I sank down on the curb in front of a neighbor’s silent, dark yard. I wanted to cry without knowing why. I wanted my old life back. I wanted Dimitri and Lissa. Oh, God, I wanted them. But Dimitri was gone, and the only way I’d see him was if I truly set out to kill him. And as for Lissa†¦ she was more or less gone to me too. Even if I survived this, I didn’t think she could forgive me. Sitting there, feeling lost and alone, I tried reaching out to her one more time. I knew it was foolish, considering what I’d seen before, but I had to try one more time. I had to know if I really could have my old place back there. I slipped inside her mind instantly, my runaway emotions making the transition easy. She was on a private jet. If Jill had been stunned by meeting St. Vladimir’s A-list students, going on a trip with them made her downright comatose. She stared at everything wide-eyed and barely said a word during the whole flight to the Royal Court . When Avery offered her a glass of champagne, Jill could barely stammer out, â€Å"N-no thanks.† After that, the others seemed to forget about her and got carried away by their own conversation. Lissa noticed Jill’s uneasiness but didn’t do much to remedy it. That was a shock. The Lissa I had known would have gone out of her way to make Jill comfortable and be included. Fortunately, the younger girl seemed perfectly entertained by watching the others’ antics. I also took comfort in knowing Jill would be okay once she met up with Mia. Lissa had sent word ahead to Mia to come pick up Jill when they landed, seeing as Lissa and the others had to attend to one of Tatiana’s functions right away. Mia had said she’d take Jill under her wing for the weekend and show her some of the innovative things she’d learned to do with her water magic. Lissa was glad for this, happy she wouldn’t be babysitting a freshman all weekend. Even if Jill was totally off of Lissa’s radar, one person wasn’t: Avery’s brother Reed. Their father had decided it would be a good idea for Reed to go with them, and seeing as Mr.-excuse me-Headmaster Lazar had played a key role in working with Tatiana to arrange this trip, there was little argument. Avery had rolled her eyes and spoken to Lissa about it covertly, just before boarding. â€Å"We’re all riding your reputation,† Avery said. â€Å"Part of the reason Dad let me come was because you’re in good with the queen, and he wants it to rub off on me. He’s then hoping I’ll get in good with her, and then that’ll rub off on Reed-and the rest of the family.† Lissa tried not to over think the logic too much. Mostly, she was bothered because Reed Lazar was still as unpleasant as he’d been the first day they met. He wasn’t really mean or anything; it just made her uncomfortable being around him. Really, he was the polar opposite of Avery. Whereas she was animated and could always strike up conversation, he stayed tight-lipped and spoke only when spoken to. Lissa couldn’t really tell if it was shyness or disdain. When Lissa had tried asking him if he was excited to go to Court, Reed had simply shrugged. â€Å"Whatever. I don’t care.† His tone had been almost hostile, like he resented her for asking, so she’d given up all other attempts at conversation. The only person, other than his sister, that Lissa saw Reed ever speak to was Avery’s guardian Simon. He had also come along. When the flight landed, Mia was as good as her word. She waved enthusiastically when Lissa stepped off the plane, her blond curls whipping around in the wind. Lissa grinned back, and they gave each other quick half-hugs, something that never failed to amuse me given their former enemy status. Lissa made introductions for those who needed them as an escort of guardians led them away from the landing strip and toward the inner portion of Court. Mia welcomed Jill so warmly that the younger girl’s uneasiness faded, and excitement glowed in her green eyes. Smiling fondly, Mia glanced away from Jill and over to Lissa. â€Å"Where’s Rose?† Silence fell, followed by uncomfortable glances. â€Å"What?† demanded Mia. â€Å"What did I say?† â€Å"Rose is gone,† said Lissa. â€Å"Sorry†¦ I thought you knew. She dropped out and left after the attack because there were some things†¦ some personal things†¦ she needed to take care of.† Lissa feared Mia would ask about the personal things. Only a few people knew about my search for Dimitri, and Lissa wanted to keep it that way. Most thought I’d just disappeared from post-battle trauma. Mia’s next question completely shocked Lissa. â€Å"Why didn’t you go with her?† â€Å"What?† Lissa stammered. â€Å"Why would I do that? Rose dropped out. No way am I going to.† â€Å"Yeah, I suppose.† Mia turned speculative. â€Å"You guys are just so close-even without the bond. I assumed you’d follow each other to the ends of the earth and figure out the details later.† Mia’s own life had gone through so much upheaval that she took that kind of thing in stride. That weird, fluctuating anger I’d been feeling pop up in Lissa every so often suddenly reared its head and turned on Mia. â€Å"Yeah, well, if we were so close, then it seems like she wouldn’t have left in the first place. She’s the selfish one, not me.† The words stung me and clearly shocked Mia. Mia had a temper of her own, but she sat on it and simply held up her hands in an apologetic way. She really had changed. â€Å"Sorry. Wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything.† Lissa said nothing else. Since my departure, she’d beat herself up about a lot of things. She’d gone over and over things she could have done for me before or after the attack, things that might have made me stay. But it had never occurred to her to go with me, and the revelation hit her like a smack to the face. Mia’s words made her feel guilty and angry all at the same time-and she wasn’t sure who she was the maddest at: me or herself. â€Å"I know what you’re thinking,† said Adrian a few minutes later, once Mia had led Jill away and promised to meet up later. â€Å"What, you read minds now?† asked Lissa. â€Å"Don’t have to. It’s written all over your face. And Rose never would have let you go with her, so stop agonizing over it.† They entered the royal guest housing, which was just as lush and opulent as it had been when I’d stayed there. â€Å"You don’t know that. I could have talked her into it.† â€Å"No,† said Adrian sharply. â€Å"You couldn’t have. I’m serious-don’t give yourself one more thing to be depressed about.† â€Å"Hey, who said I’m depressed? Like I said, she abandoned me.† Adrian was surprised. Since my departure, Lissa had been more sad than anything. She’d occasionally been angry at my decision, but neither Adrian nor I had seen such vehemence from her. Dark feelings boiled within her heart. â€Å"I thought you understood,† said Adrian, with a small, puzzled frown. â€Å"I thought you said you’d-â€Å" Avery suddenly interrupted, giving Adrian a sharp look. â€Å"Hey, hey. Leave her alone, okay? We’ll see you at the reception.† They were at a point where the groups had to split, girls going to one part of the lodging and guys to the other. Adrian looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he nodded and headed off with Reed and a couple of guardians. Avery put a gentle arm around Lissa as she glared at Adrian’s retreating figure. â€Å"You okay?† Avery’s normally laughing face was filled with concern. It startled Lissa in the same way Adrian’s moments of seriousness always startled me. â€Å"I guess. I don’t know.† â€Å"Don’t beat yourself up over what you could have or should have done. The past is gone. Move on to the future.† Lissa’s heart was still heavy, her mood blacker than it had been in quite a while. She managed a tight smile. â€Å"I think that’s the wisest thing you’ve ever said.† â€Å"I know! Can you believe it? Do you think it’ll impress Adrian?† They dissolved into laughter, yet despite her cheery exterior, Lissa was still struck by Mia’s offhand comments. They plagued Lissa in a way she hadn’t thought possible. What really bothered her the most wasn’t the thought that if she’d come with me, she could have kept me out of trouble. No. Her biggest issue was that she hadn’t thought of coming with me in the first place. I was her best friend. As far as she was concerned, that should have been her immediate reaction to my departure. It hadn’t been, and now Lissa was racked with even more guilt than usual. The guilt was all-consuming, and she would occasionally transform it to anger to ease the pain. It didn’t help much. Her mood didn’t improve as the evening progressed, either. Not long after the group’s arrival, the queen hosted a small reception for the most elite of all visitors who had come to the Court. Lissa was quickly discovering that the queen always seemed to be hosting some party or another. At one point in her life, Lissa would have considered that fun. She no longer did, at least not when it came to these kinds of parties. But keeping her dark feelings locked up, Lissa stayed good at playing the role of nice royal girl. The queen seemed happy that Lissa had a â€Å"suitable† royal friend and was equally pleased when Lissa impressed other royals and dignitaries she was introduced to. At one point, though, Lissa’s resolve nearly faltered. â€Å"Before you leave,† said Tatiana, â€Å"we should see about your guardians.† She and Lissa stood together with a group of admirers and hangers-on who were keeping respectful distances. Lissa had been staring vacantly at the bubbles in her untouched champagne and looked up with a start. â€Å"Guardians, your majesty?† â€Å"Well, there’s no delicate way to put this, but now, for better or for worse, you’re without any protection.† The queen paused respectfully. â€Å"Belikov was a good man.† My name naturally didn’t come to her lips. I might as well have never existed. She’d never liked me, particularly since she thought I was going to run off with Adrian. As it was, Lissa had noticed Tatiana watching with some consideration while Avery and Adrian flirted. It was hard to say if the queen disapproved. Her partying aside, Avery seemed a model girl-save that Tatiana had wanted Lissa and Adrian to eventually get together. â€Å"I don’t need any protection right now,† said Lissa politely, her heart clenching. â€Å"No, but you’ll be out of school soon enough. We think we’ve found some excellent candidates for you. One of them’s a woman-a lucky find.† â€Å"Janine Hathaway offered to be my guardian,† said Lissa suddenly. I hadn’t known that, but as she spoke, I read the story in her mind. My mom had approached her not long after I left. I was a little shocked. My mom was very loyal to her current assignment. This would have been a big move for her. â€Å"Janine Hathaway?† Tatiana’s eyebrows rose nearly to her hairline. â€Å"I’m sure she has other commitments. No, we’ve got much better choices. This young lady’s only a few years older than you.† A better choice than Janine Hathaway? Not likely. Before Dimitri, my mother had been the gold standard by which I measured all badassedness. Tatiana’s â€Å"young lady† was undoubtedly someone under the queen’s control-and more importantly, not a Hathaway. The queen didn’t like my mom any more than she liked me. Once, when Tatiana had been bitching me out for something, she’d made a reference to a man my mother had been involved with-someone whom I suspected might be my father, a guy named Ibrahim. The funny thing was, the queen had almost sounded like she had once had an interest in the guy too, and I had to wonder if that was part of her dislike for my family. Lissa put on a tight, polite smile for the queen and thanked her for the consideration. Lissa and I both understood what was going on. This was Tatiana’s game. Everyone was part of her plan, and there was no way to go against her. For a brief moment, Lissa had that strange thought again, of something Victor Dashkov had once said to her. Aside from his crazy killing and kidnapping schemes, Victor had also wanted to start a revolution among the Moroi. He thought the power distribution was off-something Lissa occasionally believed too-and that it was wielded unfairly by those with too much control. The moment was gone almost as soon as it came. Victor Dashkov was a crazy villain whose ideas deserved no acknowledgment. Then, as soon as courtesy allowed, Lissa excused herself from the queen and headed across the room, feeling like she was going to explode with grief and anger. She nearly ran into Avery as she did. â€Å"God,† said Avery. â€Å"Do you think Reed could embarrass me any more? Two people have tried to make conversation with him, and he keeps scaring them off. He actually just told Robin Badica to shut up. I mean, yeah, she was going on and on, but still. That is not cool.† Avery’s dramatic look of exasperation faded as she took in Lissa’s face. â€Å"Hey, what’s wrong?† Lissa glanced at Tatiana and then turned back to Avery, taking comfort in her friend’s blue-gray eyes. â€Å"I need to get out of here.† Lissa took a deep, calming breath. â€Å"Remember all that good stuff you said you knew about? When is that going to happen?† Avery smiled. â€Å"As soon as you want.† I returned to myself, sitting there on the curb. My emotions were still going crazy, and my eyes were fighting off tears. My earlier doubts were confirmed: Lissa didn’t need me anymore†¦ and yet, I still had that feeling that there was something odd going on that I couldn’t quite put a finger on. I supposed her guilt over Mia’s comment or spirit side effects could be affecting her, but still†¦ she wasn’t the same Lissa. Footsteps on the pavement made me look up. Of all the people who might have found me, I would have expected Abe or maybe Viktoria. But it wasn’t. It was Yeva. The old woman stood there, a shawl draped over her narrow shoulders, and her sharp, cunning eyes looking down at me disapprovingly. I sighed. â€Å"What happened? Did a house fall on your sister?† I asked. Maybe there was a benefit to our language barrier. She pursed her lips. â€Å"You can’t stay here any longer,† she said. My mouth dropped open. â€Å"You†¦ you speak English?† She snorted. â€Å"Of course.† I shot up. â€Å"All this time you’ve been pretending not to? You’ve been making Paul play translator?† â€Å"It’s easier,† she said simply. â€Å"You avoid a lot of annoying conversation when you don’t speak the language. And I’ve found that Americans make the most annoying conversation of all.† I was still aghast. â€Å"You don’t even know me! But from the first day, you’ve been giving me hell. Why? Why do you hate me?† â€Å"I don’t hate you. But I am disappointed.† â€Å"Disappointed? How?† â€Å"I dreamed you would come.† â€Å"I heard that. You dream a lot?† â€Å"Sometimes,† she said. The moonlight glinted in her eyes, enhancing her otherworldly appearance. A chill ran down my spine. â€Å"Sometimes my dreams are true. Sometimes not. I dreamed Dimka was dead, but I didn’t want to believe it, not until I had proof. You were my proof.† â€Å"And that’s why you were disappointed?† Yeva drew the shawl more tightly around her. â€Å"No. In my dreams, you shone. You burned like a star, and I saw you as a warrior, someone who could do great deeds. Instead? You’ve sat around and moped. You’ve done nothing. You haven’t done what you came to do.† I studied her, wondering if she really knew what she was talking about. â€Å"And what is that exactly?† â€Å"You know what it is. I dreamed that, too.† I waited for more. When it didn’t come, I laughed. â€Å"Nice vague answer. You’re as bad as any scam fortune-teller.† Even in the darkness, I could see the anger kindle in her eyes. â€Å"You’ve come to search for Dimka. To try to kill him. You must find him.† â€Å"What do you mean ? ®try’?† I didn’t want to believe her, didn’t want to believe she might actually know my future. Nonetheless, I found myself getting hooked in. â€Å"Have you seen what happens? Do I kill him?† â€Å"I can’t see everything.† â€Å"Oh. Fantastic.† â€Å"I only saw that you must find him.† â€Å"But that’s all you’ve got? I already knew that!† â€Å"It’s what I saw.† I groaned. â€Å"Damn it, I don’t have time for these cryptic clues. If you can’t help me, then don’t say anything.† She stayed quiet. I slung my bag over my shoulder. â€Å"Fine. I’m leaving then.† And like that, I knew where I would go. â€Å"Tell the others†¦ well, tell them thank you for everything. And that I’m sorry.† â€Å"You’re doing the right thing,† she said. â€Å"This isn’t where you should be.† â€Å"So I’ve heard,† I muttered, walking away. I wondered if she’d say anything else: chastise me, curse me, give me more mysterious words of â€Å"wisdom.† But she stayed silent, and I didn’t look back. I had no home, not here and not in America. The only thing left for me was to do what I’d come to do. I had told Abe I kept my promises. I would. I’d leave Baia like I told him. And I’d kill Dimitri, as I’d promised myself I would. I knew where to go now. The address had never left my mind: 83 Kasakova. I didn’t know where it was, but once I reached the town’s center, I found a guy walking down the street who gave me directions. The address was close by, only about a mile, and I headed out at a brisk pace. When I reached the house, I was glad to see that the lights were still on. Even as pissed off and raging as I was, I didn’t want to wake anyone up. I also didn’t want to speak to Nikolai and was relieved when Denis opened the door. His expression was all astonishment when he saw me. Despite his bold words back at the church earlier, I don’t think he’d really believed I’d join him and the other unpromised ones. He was speechless, so I did the talking. â€Å"I changed my mind. I’m coming with you.† I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what came next. I’d promised Abe I’d leave Baia-but I hadn’t promised to return to the U.S. â€Å"Take me to Novosibirsk.† Blood Promise Chapter Fifteen â€Å"Just like that?† I asked in disbelief. His lips quirked into a smile. â€Å"Rolan knows who I am. He knows who works for me. Once Pavel makes my†¦ ah, wishes known, that will be the end of it.† I shivered, knowing Abe spoke the truth. Considering what a smartass I’d been to Abe this whole time, it really was a wonder I hadn’t had my feet set in cement and been tossed into the ocean. â€Å"So why aren’t you forcefully dragging me out of here?† â€Å"I never like to make anyone do anything they don’t want to. Even Rolan. It’s much easier if people simply see reason and do what I ask them to, without the use of force.† â€Å"And by ? ®see reason,’ you mean, ? ®blackmail,'† I said, thinking of what I’d just agreed to. â€Å"We made a trade,† he said. â€Å"That’s all. Don’t forget your end of the bargain. You promised to leave here, and you don’t seem like the type to go back on your word.† â€Å"I don’t.† â€Å"Rose!† Viktoria suddenly appeared at the door. Wow, that was fast. Pavel was calmly dragging her by her arm. Her hair was mussed, and a dress strap was slipping from her shoulder. Her face was a mixture of incredulity and anger. â€Å"What did you do? That guy came and told Rolan to get out of here and never see me again! And then†¦ Rolan agreed. He just left.† I found it slightly funny that Viktoria immediately blamed me for this. True, I was responsible, but Abe was standing right there. It wasn’t a secret who his employees were. Nonetheless, I defended my actions. â€Å"He was using you,† I said. There were tears in Viktoria’s brown eyes. â€Å"He loves me.† â€Å"If he loves you, then why did he hit on me as soon as your back was turned?† â€Å"He did not!† â€Å"He’s the one who got Sonya pregnant.† Even in the alley’s dim lighting, I saw her face pale. â€Å"That’s a lie.† I threw up my hands. â€Å"Why would I make that up? He wanted to make plans with me as soon as you were out of town!† â€Å"If he did,† she said, voice shaking, â€Å"it was because you led him on.† I gaped. Beside me, Abe listened quietly, a smug look on his face. He was so self-satisfied and probably thought he was being proven right. I wanted to punch him, but Viktoria was my concern. â€Å"How can you think that? I’m your friend!† I told her. â€Å"If you were my friend, you wouldn’t be acting like this. You wouldn’t try to stand in my way. You act like you loved my brother, but there’s no way you could have-no way you really understand love!† Didn’t understand love? Was she crazy? If she only knew what I’d sacrificed for Dimitri, what I’d done to be where I was now†¦ all for love. She was the one who couldn’t understand. Love wasn’t a fling in a back room at a party. It was something you lived and died for. My emotions surged, that darkness welling up within me that made me want to lash out in return for her horrible accusation. It was only through the strongest of efforts that I remembered she was already hurting, that she only said the things she did because she was confused and upset. â€Å"Viktoria, I do understand, and I’m sorry. I’m only doing this because you’re my friend. I care about you.† â€Å"You aren’t my friend,† she hissed. â€Å"You aren’t part of this family. You don’t understand anything about us or how we live! I wish you’d never come here.† She turned and stormed away, pushing back inside through the long line of partygoers. My heart ached as I watched her. I turned to Abe. â€Å"She’s going to go try to find him.† He still wore that damnably knowing expression. â€Å"It won’t matter. He’ll have nothing to do with her anymore. Not if he values that pretty face of his.† I was worried for Viktoria but kind of had a feeling Abe was right about Rolan. Rolan would no longer be an issue. As for Viktoria’s next guy†¦ well, that was a worry for another day. â€Å"Fine. Then we’re done here. Do not follow me anymore,† I growled. â€Å"Keep your promise to leave Baia, and I won’t have to.† I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"I told you: I always keep my promises.† And as I hurried back to the Belikov house, I suddenly wondered if that was true. The blowout with Abe and Viktoria was like cold water on my face. What was I doing here? To a certain extent, Abe had been right†¦ I had been deluding myself, pretending Dimitri’s family was my own in order to soothe my grief over him. But they weren’t. This wasn’t home. The Academy wasn’t my home either, not anymore. The only thing I had left was my promise-my promise to Dimitri. The promise I’d somehow lost sight of since coming here. Some of the Belikov family was in bed when I got home, but others were still in the living room. I slipped upstairs to my room, waiting anxiously for Viktoria to get home. A half hour later, I heard footsteps on the stairs and the sound of her door closing. I knocked gently on it. â€Å"Viktoria,† I said in a loud whisper. â€Å"It’s me. Please talk to me.† â€Å"No!† came the response. â€Å"I don’t ever want to talk to you again.† â€Å"Viktoria-â€Å" â€Å"Go away!† â€Å"I’m just worried about you.† â€Å"You aren’t my brother! You aren’t even my sister. You have no place here!† Ouch. Her voice was muffled by the door, but I didn’t want to risk a fight in the hall and let the others hear. Going to my room, my heart breaking, I stopped and stood in front of the mirror. It was then that I knew she was right. Even Abe was right. Baia wasn’t my place. In a flash, my meager belongings were packed, but I hesitated before going downstairs. Viktoria’s closed door stared at me, and I had to fight the urge to knock again. If I did, it would only trigger another fight. Or, maybe even worse, she would forgive me-and then I would want to stay forever, lost in the comfort of Dimitri’s family and their simple life. Taking a deep breath, I headed downstairs and walked out the front door. I wanted to tell the others goodbye but worried the same thing would happen, that I’d look at their faces and change my mind. I needed to go, I realized. I was angry at both Viktoria and Abe. Their words had hurt me, but there’d been truth in them. This wasn’t my world. I had other things to do with my life. And I had a lot of promises to keep. When I was about eight blocks away, I slowed down, not because I was tired but because I wasn’t sure where I was going. Leaving that house had been the biggest step. I sank down on the curb in front of a neighbor’s silent, dark yard. I wanted to cry without knowing why. I wanted my old life back. I wanted Dimitri and Lissa. Oh, God, I wanted them. But Dimitri was gone, and the only way I’d see him was if I truly set out to kill him. And as for Lissa†¦ she was more or less gone to me too. Even if I survived this, I didn’t think she could forgive me. Sitting there, feeling lost and alone, I tried reaching out to her one more time. I knew it was foolish, considering what I’d seen before, but I had to try one more time. I had to know if I really could have my old place back there. I slipped inside her mind instantly, my runaway emotions making the transition easy. She was on a private jet. If Jill had been stunned by meeting St. Vladimir’s A-list students, going on a trip with them made her downright comatose. She stared at everything wide-eyed and barely said a word during the whole flight to the Royal Court . When Avery offered her a glass of champagne, Jill could barely stammer out, â€Å"N-no thanks.† After that, the others seemed to forget about her and got carried away by their own conversation. Lissa noticed Jill’s uneasiness but didn’t do much to remedy it. That was a shock. The Lissa I had known would have gone out of her way to make Jill comfortable and be included. Fortunately, the younger girl seemed perfectly entertained by watching the others’ antics. I also took comfort in knowing Jill would be okay once she met up with Mia. Lissa had sent word ahead to Mia to come pick up Jill when they landed, seeing as Lissa and the others had to attend to one of Tatiana’s functions right away. Mia had said she’d take Jill under her wing for the weekend and show her some of the innovative things she’d learned to do with her water magic. Lissa was glad for this, happy she wouldn’t be babysitting a freshman all weekend. Even if Jill was totally off of Lissa’s radar, one person wasn’t: Avery’s brother Reed. Their father had decided it would be a good idea for Reed to go with them, and seeing as Mr.-excuse me-Headmaster Lazar had played a key role in working with Tatiana to arrange this trip, there was little argument. Avery had rolled her eyes and spoken to Lissa about it covertly, just before boarding. â€Å"We’re all riding your reputation,† Avery said. â€Å"Part of the reason Dad let me come was because you’re in good with the queen, and he wants it to rub off on me. He’s then hoping I’ll get in good with her, and then that’ll rub off on Reed-and the rest of the family.† Lissa tried not to over think the logic too much. Mostly, she was bothered because Reed Lazar was still as unpleasant as he’d been the first day they met. He wasn’t really mean or anything; it just made her uncomfortable being around him. Really, he was the polar opposite of Avery. Whereas she was animated and could always strike up conversation, he stayed tight-lipped and spoke only when spoken to. Lissa couldn’t really tell if it was shyness or disdain. When Lissa had tried asking him if he was excited to go to Court, Reed had simply shrugged. â€Å"Whatever. I don’t care.† His tone had been almost hostile, like he resented her for asking, so she’d given up all other attempts at conversation. The only person, other than his sister, that Lissa saw Reed ever speak to was Avery’s guardian Simon. He had also come along. When the flight landed, Mia was as good as her word. She waved enthusiastically when Lissa stepped off the plane, her blond curls whipping around in the wind. Lissa grinned back, and they gave each other quick half-hugs, something that never failed to amuse me given their former enemy status. Lissa made introductions for those who needed them as an escort of guardians led them away from the landing strip and toward the inner portion of Court. Mia welcomed Jill so warmly that the younger girl’s uneasiness faded, and excitement glowed in her green eyes. Smiling fondly, Mia glanced away from Jill and over to Lissa. â€Å"Where’s Rose?† Silence fell, followed by uncomfortable glances. â€Å"What?† demanded Mia. â€Å"What did I say?† â€Å"Rose is gone,† said Lissa. â€Å"Sorry†¦ I thought you knew. She dropped out and left after the attack because there were some things†¦ some personal things†¦ she needed to take care of.† Lissa feared Mia would ask about the personal things. Only a few people knew about my search for Dimitri, and Lissa wanted to keep it that way. Most thought I’d just disappeared from post-battle trauma. Mia’s next question completely shocked Lissa. â€Å"Why didn’t you go with her?† â€Å"What?† Lissa stammered. â€Å"Why would I do that? Rose dropped out. No way am I going to.† â€Å"Yeah, I suppose.† Mia turned speculative. â€Å"You guys are just so close-even without the bond. I assumed you’d follow each other to the ends of the earth and figure out the details later.† Mia’s own life had gone through so much upheaval that she took that kind of thing in stride. That weird, fluctuating anger I’d been feeling pop up in Lissa every so often suddenly reared its head and turned on Mia. â€Å"Yeah, well, if we were so close, then it seems like she wouldn’t have left in the first place. She’s the selfish one, not me.† The words stung me and clearly shocked Mia. Mia had a temper of her own, but she sat on it and simply held up her hands in an apologetic way. She really had changed. â€Å"Sorry. Wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything.† Lissa said nothing else. Since my departure, she’d beat herself up about a lot of things. She’d gone over and over things she could have done for me before or after the attack, things that might have made me stay. But it had never occurred to her to go with me, and the revelation hit her like a smack to the face. Mia’s words made her feel guilty and angry all at the same time-and she wasn’t sure who she was the maddest at: me or herself. â€Å"I know what you’re thinking,† said Adrian a few minutes later, once Mia had led Jill away and promised to meet up later. â€Å"What, you read minds now?† asked Lissa. â€Å"Don’t have to. It’s written all over your face. And Rose never would have let you go with her, so stop agonizing over it.† They entered the royal guest housing, which was just as lush and opulent as it had been when I’d stayed there. â€Å"You don’t know that. I could have talked her into it.† â€Å"No,† said Adrian sharply. â€Å"You couldn’t have. I’m serious-don’t give yourself one more thing to be depressed about.† â€Å"Hey, who said I’m depressed? Like I said, she abandoned me.† Adrian was surprised. Since my departure, Lissa had been more sad than anything. She’d occasionally been angry at my decision, but neither Adrian nor I had seen such vehemence from her. Dark feelings boiled within her heart. â€Å"I thought you understood,† said Adrian, with a small, puzzled frown. â€Å"I thought you said you’d-â€Å" Avery suddenly interrupted, giving Adrian a sharp look. â€Å"Hey, hey. Leave her alone, okay? We’ll see you at the reception.† They were at a point where the groups had to split, girls going to one part of the lodging and guys to the other. Adrian looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he nodded and headed off with Reed and a couple of guardians. Avery put a gentle arm around Lissa as she glared at Adrian’s retreating figure. â€Å"You okay?† Avery’s normally laughing face was filled with concern. It startled Lissa in the same way Adrian’s moments of seriousness always startled me. â€Å"I guess. I don’t know.† â€Å"Don’t beat yourself up over what you could have or should have done. The past is gone. Move on to the future.† Lissa’s heart was still heavy, her mood blacker than it had been in quite a while. She managed a tight smile. â€Å"I think that’s the wisest thing you’ve ever said.† â€Å"I know! Can you believe it? Do you think it’ll impress Adrian?† They dissolved into laughter, yet despite her cheery exterior, Lissa was still struck by Mia’s offhand comments. They plagued Lissa in a way she hadn’t thought possible. What really bothered her the most wasn’t the thought that if she’d come with me, she could have kept me out of trouble. No. Her biggest issue was that she hadn’t thought of coming with me in the first place. I was her best friend. As far as she was concerned, that should have been her immediate reaction to my departure. It hadn’t been, and now Lissa was racked with even more guilt than usual. The guilt was all-consuming, and she would occasionally transform it to anger to ease the pain. It didn’t help much. Her mood didn’t improve as the evening progressed, either. Not long after the group’s arrival, the queen hosted a small reception for the most elite of all visitors who had come to the Court. Lissa was quickly discovering that the queen always seemed to be hosting some party or another. At one point in her life, Lissa would have considered that fun. She no longer did, at least not when it came to these kinds of parties. But keeping her dark feelings locked up, Lissa stayed good at playing the role of nice royal girl. The queen seemed happy that Lissa had a â€Å"suitable† royal friend and was equally pleased when Lissa impressed other royals and dignitaries she was introduced to. At one point, though, Lissa’s resolve nearly faltered. â€Å"Before you leave,† said Tatiana, â€Å"we should see about your guardians.† She and Lissa stood together with a group of admirers and hangers-on who were keeping respectful distances. Lissa had been staring vacantly at the bubbles in her untouched champagne and looked up with a start. â€Å"Guardians, your majesty?† â€Å"Well, there’s no delicate way to put this, but now, for better or for worse, you’re without any protection.† The queen paused respectfully. â€Å"Belikov was a good man.† My name naturally didn’t come to her lips. I might as well have never existed. She’d never liked me, particularly since she thought I was going to run off with Adrian. As it was, Lissa had noticed Tatiana watching with some consideration while Avery and Adrian flirted. It was hard to say if the queen disapproved. Her partying aside, Avery seemed a model girl-save that Tatiana had wanted Lissa and Adrian to eventually get together. â€Å"I don’t need any protection right now,† said Lissa politely, her heart clenching. â€Å"No, but you’ll be out of school soon enough. We think we’ve found some excellent candidates for you. One of them’s a woman-a lucky find.† â€Å"Janine Hathaway offered to be my guardian,† said Lissa suddenly. I hadn’t known that, but as she spoke, I read the story in her mind. My mom had approached her not long after I left. I was a little shocked. My mom was very loyal to her current assignment. This would have been a big move for her. â€Å"Janine Hathaway?† Tatiana’s eyebrows rose nearly to her hairline. â€Å"I’m sure she has other commitments. No, we’ve got much better choices. This young lady’s only a few years older than you.† A better choice than Janine Hathaway? Not likely. Before Dimitri, my mother had been the gold standard by which I measured all badassedness. Tatiana’s â€Å"young lady† was undoubtedly someone under the queen’s control-and more importantly, not a Hathaway. The queen didn’t like my mom any more than she liked me. Once, when Tatiana had been bitching me out for something, she’d made a reference to a man my mother had been involved with-someone whom I suspected might be my father, a guy named Ibrahim. The funny thing was, the queen had almost sounded like she had once had an interest in the guy too, and I had to wonder if that was part of her dislike for my family. Lissa put on a tight, polite smile for the queen and thanked her for the consideration. Lissa and I both understood what was going on. This was Tatiana’s game. Everyone was part of her plan, and there was no way to go against her. For a brief moment, Lissa had that strange thought again, of something Victor Dashkov had once said to her. Aside from his crazy killing and kidnapping schemes, Victor had also wanted to start a revolution among the Moroi. He thought the power distribution was off-something Lissa occasionally believed too-and that it was wielded unfairly by those with too much control. The moment was gone almost as soon as it came. Victor Dashkov was a crazy villain whose ideas deserved no acknowledgment. Then, as soon as courtesy allowed, Lissa excused herself from the queen and headed across the room, feeling like she was going to explode with grief and anger. She nearly ran into Avery as she did. â€Å"God,† said Avery. â€Å"Do you think Reed could embarrass me any more? Two people have tried to make conversation with him, and he keeps scaring them off. He actually just told Robin Badica to shut up. I mean, yeah, she was going on and on, but still. That is not cool.† Avery’s dramatic look of exasperation faded as she took in Lissa’s face. â€Å"Hey, what’s wrong?† Lissa glanced at Tatiana and then turned back to Avery, taking comfort in her friend’s blue-gray eyes. â€Å"I need to get out of here.† Lissa took a deep, calming breath. â€Å"Remember all that good stuff you said you knew about? When is that going to happen?† Avery smiled. â€Å"As soon as you want.† I returned to myself, sitting there on the curb. My emotions were still going crazy, and my eyes were fighting off tears. My earlier doubts were confirmed: Lissa didn’t need me anymore†¦ and yet, I still had that feeling that there was something odd going on that I couldn’t quite put a finger on. I supposed her guilt over Mia’s comment or spirit side effects could be affecting her, but still†¦ she wasn’t the same Lissa. Footsteps on the pavement made me look up. Of all the people who might have found me, I would have expected Abe or maybe Viktoria. But it wasn’t. It was Yeva. The old woman stood there, a shawl draped over her narrow shoulders, and her sharp, cunning eyes looking down at me disapprovingly. I sighed. â€Å"What happened? Did a house fall on your sister?† I asked. Maybe there was a benefit to our language barrier. She pursed her lips. â€Å"You can’t stay here any longer,† she said. My mouth dropped open. â€Å"You†¦ you speak English?† She snorted. â€Å"Of course.† I shot up. â€Å"All this time you’ve been pretending not to? You’ve been making Paul play translator?† â€Å"It’s easier,† she said simply. â€Å"You avoid a lot of annoying conversation when you don’t speak the language. And I’ve found that Americans make the most annoying conversation of all.† I was still aghast. â€Å"You don’t even know me! But from the first day, you’ve been giving me hell. Why? Why do you hate me?† â€Å"I don’t hate you. But I am disappointed.† â€Å"Disappointed? How?† â€Å"I dreamed you would come.† â€Å"I heard that. You dream a lot?† â€Å"Sometimes,† she said. The moonlight glinted in her eyes, enhancing her otherworldly appearance. A chill ran down my spine. â€Å"Sometimes my dreams are true. Sometimes not. I dreamed Dimka was dead, but I didn’t want to believe it, not until I had proof. You were my proof.† â€Å"And that’s why you were disappointed?† Yeva drew the shawl more tightly around her. â€Å"No. In my dreams, you shone. You burned like a star, and I saw you as a warrior, someone who could do great deeds. Instead? You’ve sat around and moped. You’ve done nothing. You haven’t done what you came to do.† I studied her, wondering if she really knew what she was talking about. â€Å"And what is that exactly?† â€Å"You know what it is. I dreamed that, too.† I waited for more. When it didn’t come, I laughed. â€Å"Nice vague answer. You’re as bad as any scam fortune-teller.† Even in the darkness, I could see the anger kindle in her eyes. â€Å"You’ve come to search for Dimka. To try to kill him. You must find him.† â€Å"What do you mean ? ®try’?† I didn’t want to believe her, didn’t want to believe she might actually know my future. Nonetheless, I found myself getting hooked in. â€Å"Have you seen what happens? Do I kill him?† â€Å"I can’t see everything.† â€Å"Oh. Fantastic.† â€Å"I only saw that you must find him.† â€Å"But that’s all you’ve got? I already knew that!† â€Å"It’s what I saw.† I groaned. â€Å"Damn it, I don’t have time for these cryptic clues. If you can’t help me, then don’t say anything.† She stayed quiet. I slung my bag over my shoulder. â€Å"Fine. I’m leaving then.† And like that, I knew where I would go. â€Å"Tell the others†¦ well, tell them thank you for everything. And that I’m sorry.† â€Å"You’re doing the right thing,† she said. â€Å"This isn’t where you should be.† â€Å"So I’ve heard,† I muttered, walking away. I wondered if she’d say anything else: chastise me, curse me, give me more mysterious words of â€Å"wisdom.† But she stayed silent, and I didn’t look back. I had no home, not here and not in America. The only thing left for me was to do what I’d come to do. I had told Abe I kept my promises. I would. I’d leave Baia like I told him. And I’d kill Dimitri, as I’d promised myself I would. I knew where to go now. The address had never left my mind: 83 Kasakova. I didn’t know where it was, but once I reached the town’s center, I found a guy walking down the street who gave me directions. The address was close by, only about a mile, and I headed out at a brisk pace. When I reached the house, I was glad to see that the lights were still on. Even as pissed off and raging as I was, I didn’t want to wake anyone up. I also didn’t want to speak to Nikolai and was relieved when Denis opened the door. His expression was all astonishment when he saw me. Despite his bold words back at the church earlier, I don’t think he’d really believed I’d join him and the other unpromised ones. He was speechless, so I did the talking. â€Å"I changed my mind. I’m coming with you.† I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what came next. I’d promised Abe I’d leave Baia-but I hadn’t promised to return to the U.S. â€Å"Take me to Novosibirsk.†

China internet censorship is against human rights Essay

China internet censorship is against human rights - Essay Example (Watts, 2005) However, with the emergence of the internet, there came a new way in which people in China could express themselves directly. In line with the latter mentioned Draconian thinking, the Chinese government opted to engage in censorship of these internet websites so as to maintain power struggles. Human rights activists argue that this is fact an inhibition of the freedom of belief and the issue of democracy as it is. (Zittrain, 2006) The Chinese government normally resorts to a multiple mix of censorship methods to ensure that only the information they approve reaches Chinese internet users. In certain instances, the government may resort to the use of cyber police who conduct surveillance actions. In other situations, the government may resort to internet filtering technologies that may or may not be done regularly. Usually, one gets a message indicating that there is a network error or a problem with their IP. In other words, the government does not explain that it is in fact that the one responsible for censoring that site thus making it hard for the respective users.

Effective team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Effective team - Essay Example communication between members, the team has clear objectives and goals it wants to accomplish; there is positive and open criticism in the team and members feel free to air their concerns during team meetings. Other attributes include there is active participation of members, the team is self-conscious, and finally, the team moves forward when all members are satisfied about a given issue. In effective teams have such attributes as minimal or no communication at all, serious personal differences between the team members, the team has no clear set objectives or goals it want to accomplish, negative criticism, which limits members’ participation, in active members during team meetings, etc. When new members join a team, it is imperative that formal introductions are made before the agenda of the meeting is discussed to enable the new members feel at easy and part of the team. When discussions break-down in a team, it is the duty of the team leader and members collectively to help iron out the differences without taking any sides. Therefore, team leaders and members have a responsibility of ensuring that there is good communication and trust between team members, and as leader, you are enthusiastic, fearless, and charismatic (Cranmer, 2011). However, as a leader you must ensure that demeaning behavior like laziness, complacency, power coalitions, and strong silos are not tolerated in the group if you want to build a strong and effective team. Ultimately, I am a strong team builder, with charismatic attributes, good communication, and interpersonal skills. However, I must state that I like making fun and teasing others, missing some group meetings attributes, which have sometimes landed me in problems with my team members. Therefore, during my end of semester course project, I will ensure that I will maintain the highest discipline, be punctual in all my team

University education should be free Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

University education should be free - Essay Example University education should be free because it is; the fundamental right of every citizen, a motivator for seeking higher education, and morally justified. University education should be free because higher education is the fundamental right of every citizen. In a society where an individual’s future is jeopardized if he/she drops out of school earlier, university education becomes a necessity rather than an option. Despite the growing economy, there are hundreds of applicants for every job advertised. University education makes the applicants stand out whereas other resumes are dropped without even being considered. Providing free university education also maximizes the ability of the people to get employed in foreign countries easily and send money to their home-country in remittance. Remittance improves economy and is essential for the well-being of the society. Free university education motivates people to get educated to their maximum potential. Many people drop out of colleges because they cannot afford further education. Even some of the most intelligent, hardworking, and capable students are left with no choice but to abort further education because of their lack of ability to afford it. Many students even end up choosing the careers contrary to their natural aptitude because the field they want to get education in is simply too expensive for them to afford. They have to deal with the consequences of choosing the wrong career throughout their lives. If university education is made free, the financial factor will be eliminated from the equation and people will make informed decisions about their careers considering their capabilities and desires. Costly university education is not justified from an ethical point of view. Ideally, the very person enjoying a facility should be the one paying for it. But in the present times, parents have to bear the financial burden of their children’s schooling. Parents have been spending

Interview with a 30 Years Older Person Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview with a 30 Years Older Person - Essay Example Just, pray for me. Please. Mr. Ross. Young man, I still believe, you are right in narrating the utility of family. Although back in 1930, a Harper's Monthly Magazine essayist wrote: "To-day social and civic agencies, in taking over most of these parental responsibilities, have deprived the parents of an important bond of mutual understanding. But, I still believe in the sanctity, integrity and sovereignty of family as the supreme social institution. I never complain about Tania, who left me in a lurch, when I needed her most. She was not a staunch believer in the sanctity of family. She passed her most time out. Our initial love fizzled soon.. Had Amelia, not died in 1995. I would have never gone for another marriage. She was really faithful, loving and caring. Only Richard, when grew up gave us some tough time. I did not have enough time to give him. So he grew brat. Then I decided to move into my family more closely for the sake of Richard and gave him a regular family therapy. Me. It is great thing to learn from you. ... I think, in modern society, family has lost its relevance altogether. Mr. Ross. No. Look, young man. Although, over the decades the family as a unit has decayed in American society. But, I still, believe that there is no other institution that can be compared to the family as an institution fit for grooming the children as successful persons. Now, I will explain to you the family system therapy. In the first instance, Family Systems Therapy works on the assumption that the all the family members are interdependent with one and the other and are expect some form of reciprocity (Bowen, 1985). Family Systems Therapy has a broad spectrum of application which can be used to treat children in the families and intimate couples that might have one of the following: various personal and family crises; sociological disorders; and physically challenged or have a chronic illness. Since Richard used to think aggrieved by my over occupation with work he was always sad and angry. In the age of 16, he left home and I received complaints from local police station that Richard has been caught gambling and in some other illegal, unhealthy activities in the local pubs. This worried me a lot. I immediately decided to go for family therapy for Richard. This type of therapy focuses on the aggrieved child helping him through the grief, sadness, depression, anger, and other emotions. It differs from person to person on how they can cope up with this kind of situation. Some individuals' even stops talking as a coping mechanism during this period. For some, it goes on and on until they realize that they cannot speak as they think that they have lost a part of them completely. You see. Most of the children entirely blame themselves for their parents' problems and

How did Bill Gates became successful Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How did Bill Gates became successful - Essay Example â€Å"Bill Gates: Profile of a Digital Entrepreneur†). Bill Gates was born in an upper-middle class family of Seattle on 28th October, 1955. His father was a reputed lawyer in the town and his mother being one of the Board of Directors in the Interstate Bank of Seattle, played a vital role in many other significant and dominant institutions of the then society. Being monetarily and psychologically quite secured, Bill Gates developed his interest towards technology and especially computers. Gradually he became passionate about developing software which later emerged as a significant reason for his friendship with Paul Allen who afterward was recognized as his companion in personal as well as professional life. At an early age of only 13 years, Bill Gates and his companion Paul Allen were encouraged by the Computer Centre Corporation for the development of advanced software languages (Lockwood, B. â€Å"Bill Gates: Profile of a Digital Entrepreneur†). In his later years, Bill Gates improved his competitiveness. It was during this course of time that Bill Gates depicted his enthusiasm and early entrepreneurial skills supported with his desire for complete power to control. It is worth mentioning that his competitiveness and strong desire to innovate as well as to control the world of technology at a very early age, followed by a few denials along with supports and several arguments led to the recognition of the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation (Guth, â€Å"Raising Bill Gates†). Bill Gates is currently known as one of the wealthiest peoples in the world, an excellent software titan, the co-founder and present CEO of the multinational information technology giant company, Microsoft Incorporation. He is also an investor, author and philanthropist in his personal life. Many people may consider this as the success of Bill Gates. However, from an in-depth perspective, it is unequivocally observable that the main achievement of Bill

Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Blog - Essay Example There are still many people who are white supremacists and are racist against people of all different nationalities. Whether it be a group of African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Arabs, or Native Americans, people still racially oppress these groups. It is a system of hierarchy and allows for white people who primarily came from Europe into the American mixing pot to claim what they thought was theirs, no matter who they had to take from. Many whites still express racism in many different forms. Individuals may have no reason to hate or be prejudice against others but based on stereotypes that they have heard in the media, it is still present. The only thing that the arrogant white people have against these individuals is the color of their skin. Though many whites this far into the future may have ties to other cultures by having an American Indian great-great-grandparent or an ancestor of a different race. The whites turn a blind eye. It is evident in songs, films, text and even in sporting teams. White people do not always take into consideration that the fact that their team might be the Atlanta Braves could be offensive to the American Indian cultures. It is common for people in power to have a sense of oppression. There have been instances of individual violence and economic power. It creates an unequal distribution of power. For example, Barack Obama was the first black President and for many there have been situations where they have acted out and been prejudiced toward black people just because a person of their race has a place in power. But why has there not been a President that is a Native American? The Native Americans are given a different type of rights. Many still live together in order to share their heritage on reserves. Other Native Americans may feel that they are not good enough. They may not teach their children the stories of their past or instill their cultural beliefs. The generations may

Doctrine of Mistake in Common Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Doctrine of Mistake in Common Law - Case Study Example In some other cases even when the contract is valid in law, it may be rendered voidable in equity on the ground of mistake. The general thinking used to be that mistakes could not be operative in law until in case of Kleinwort Benson v Liverpool City Council3 when the House of Lords declared that this rule is not part of English law. Treitel4 has considered the laws relating to mistake under five headings: Common Mistake; Mutual Mistake; Unilateral Mistake; Mistake as to Identity; Mistake Relating to Documents. While commentators are not agreed as to the classifications of Mistake, Treitel5 in his book; The Laws of contract, 11th edition, deals with Mistake by contrasting Mistake nullifying consent (Parties reach agreement which is based on a fundamental mistaken assumption) with Mistake negativing consent (Where mistake prevents the parties from reaching an agreement e.g. where they intend to contract about different things). Some commentators have gone on to divide mistake into two parts, that is, common mistake shared by the parties, and mistake in communication. In a common mistake shared by both parties, although both parties apparently in agreement, have entered into the contract on the basis of a false and fundamental assumption. It is called common mistake since both parties make the same mistake. The contract is not necessarily void at law in these circumstances. In the case In the case of Bell v Lever Brothers Ltd.6, definition of common mistake in contract law was made. During March of 1929 the Niger Company, which dealt in trade in the western African area, was merging with a rival company and wanted to get rid of two employees Mr. Bell and Mr. Snelling, who were hired as chairman and vice-chairman of the company. Chairman D'Arcy Cooper on behalf of Lever Brothers7 made a deal with Bell and Snelling to leave the company in exchange for a sizable compensation (a "Golden handshake8"). At the time of the agreement both parties believed that the employment contract had not been breached and thus the company would not have been able to terminate Bell and Snellings' employment under any other circumstances. It was later revealed that there was in fact grounds for termination at the time of the agreement as Bell and Snelling had used their positions to make a secret profit for themselves. Lever brought an action claiming recission of the compensation agreement because of mistake of fact. At trial the jury found that Bell and Snelling's illicit dealings breached the employment contract and that if the Lever Brothers had known they would not have entered into the agreement. Furthermore, the jury found that at the time of the agreement Bell and Snelling did not have in mind their illicit acts. Lever Brothers pursued the case vigorously as it considered the behavior of Bell and Snelling simply unacceptable. To appreciate this legal battle you have to understand the background of the personalities involved. Francis D'Arcy Cooper - a senior partner with his uncle's accountancy firm Cooper Brothers and staunch Quaker9 - became chairman of audit client Lever Brothers in the early 1920s. He was hired by Lord Leverhulme10 when the banks were threatening to call the loans on the company due to devastating losses incurred by the newly acquired Niger Company that crippled Lever Brothers. Cooper arranged financing from Barclays Bank under the

Discussion Board Assignment Essay Example for Free

Discussion Board Assignment Essay In biology a species is a group of animals that is able to mate and produce healthy offspring. According to the biology online dictionary, population is a group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time. This discussion is based on the Nile crocodile which is found in Africa. Its species is biologically known as Crocodylas niloticus. It can grow to length of seven metres, and although it mainly feeds on larger mammals including human beings it can also feed on fish. If we take the year 2000 as our time zero then we might see a great change in the size of the body of the Nile crocodile in coming years. The trait that will most likely change in this species is the size of teeth. As at now, the Nile crocodile has got big teeth which are used to crush the large prey it catches. This means that the main source of food will be fish. Since most of fishes available are small in size then it means that the big teeth will be of no use. The crocodiles which are big in the size of their bodies are going to die since the food available will be less and only efficient for the ones which are small in size. As time goes by and due to unavailability of enough food, you will find that small sized crocodiles will have a higher chance of survival as a result of natural selection. Due to environmental changes and human encroachment, in future wild animals (prey) will be fewer. Human beings are increasingly destroying the wild animals’ habitats in Africa, thereby, reducing the population of the wild animals which are the main crocodiles’ prey. It is also worth to note that, environmental changes like global warming which is causing severe droughts in Africa is affecting the populations of the wild animals (crocodiles’ main prey). REFERENCE Biology online, retrieved on 31st, October, 2008, available at http://www. biology-online. org/dictionary/Population Species of crocodilians, retrieved on 31st, October, 2008, available at http://science. jrank. org/pages/1867/Crocodiles-Species-crocodilians. html

Research Is Like Cooking Essay Example for Free

Research Is Like Cooking Essay Research is like cooking isn’t anyone can learn the skills needed for great research, for many college students, cooking is like research in another way, instead of cooking great homemade meals who is sometimes take shortcuts and sell for what is quick easy in familiar, sort of like when we use our old familiar tools like google and Wikipedia for our research. Why do we take shortcuts and settle for males of ramen noodles and pop tarts, there a lot of reasons, sometime were just too busy don’t have enough time to cook a formal meal, sometimes we leave things to the last minute anymore stuck making a meal with whatever we have on hand, with research we found that students advise others students to start early. So that they are stuck writing a research paper with only the resources they can find the night before the papers did many of the same guidelines that apply to cooking apply to doing research, in cooking as in research you have to plan ahead and know what you want to make, good cooking and good research both depend on quality ingredients, to write a great research proposal you will need to find high quality resources and just like you can create a full meal out of only a few ingredients you need a variety of resources to craft a convincing research proposal. Finally just like the best restaurants in the city, such as Altavista or/and Altagracia restaurant make meals that they themselves would want to eat, you will find you do your best research when you pick a topic that you care about, a big part of planning ahead is knowing what you are making, you have to have a recipe, the same is true for writing a research proposal, you have to have a topic in a general plan for what kind of paper you want to write an outline of your research argument can serve as your recipe and it will have the added value of telling you what kinds of resources and ingredients you need to write your proposal. The next step to follow is to go shopping, just like you turn your recipe into a shopping list, you need to turn your research outline into a list of the type of resources you need, by creating a shopping list you are taking control of the kinds of resources that you will use in your research proposal; instead of just settling for what you can find a way you have on hand and remember that the researcher doing is likely to require more than just books, you may need newspaper journal articles or you may want to consult some items in your library. One very important step in both cooking and research is the taste testing stage. Great chefs do lots of taste testing so that they can find just the writing the ingredients, but in the older making you need to do the same for your research, you should plan in looking at plenty of books articles in abstracts before you settle on the resources that you actually need. Now you have your recipe and all the ingredients you need, it is time to create your meal. Remember that a great recipe calls for the chef of mix the ingredients together, just right so that they work together to create the final product, the same is true with the research proposal, you can’t just throw your resources into your paper, you need to suit the size them and relate them to one another and you need you to put your own garnish on your meal, put your own voice in your research proposal, so that is not just a summary of all your sources, if you remember the research is like cooking and then a requires a planning a recipe and great ingredients, you will produce research that is like the equivalent that you do a great meal. Bon appetit The studied topics help me to understand and have a broader idea about what we have to do at the moment to write a research proposal, because de resources used for a good research is not to go at any school and see what happen only, you need to have a preconception about what you are going to do or search, besides that, is important to identify the kind of research are you going to do and all the studied topics give me the stages and the instructions in order to do a good research proposal.

Integrated Customer Ordering Service

Integrated Customer Ordering Service Introduction (107 words) In this coursework, I have tried to discuss how Information Systems play an important role in the functioning of an organisation. An adequate Information System is a must requirement in todays technology-driven and competitive era. I studied about a system integrated in Marks and Spencer for improving its ordering system and thereby proving to be a reason for its return on investment. The Information system helps to control, coordinate, analyze, interrelate data and also supports in decision making. I have explained how application of an Information System can support organizational success and efficiency by increasing profits and providing services that are easily accessible to meet the needs of organisation in such a way that the organisation can keep up the standards and services smoothly. Marks and Spencer (172 words) Marks and Spencer is one of the leading retail organizations in UK which sell stylish, quality and great value clothing and home products , also quality food. They are one of the most popular brand among people not only in UK but globally. They have more than 600 stores in UK and constantly increasing many more around the world. It was founded when in 1884, Michael Marks opened a stall at Leeds Kirkgate Market. In 1901, its first registered store was located at Derby street , Manchester. By 1924 they started expanding and the head office moved from Manchester to London. Implementation of new policies and maintenance of services and value kept on adding to the success of Marks and Spencer. In 1998, it became the first retailer to earn a profit of  £1billion. The organisation commonly called as MS has always followed the principles of Quality, Value, Service, Innovation and Trust since its founded. This is the reason why it has been successful, distinguished and popular among people. Need of the Information System: Integrated Customer Ordering Service (373 words) MS was facing several backlogs in order processing and complaints were increasing day by day. The company had invested a lot to move ahead in this competitive environment but was unable to overcome this problem. The need of the hour was to have an customer service ordering information system implemented which can accurately and assuredly keep away these problems which were an obstacle in the success of a great retail organisation. The retail market is immensely competitive and keep on upgrading their information system to meet the requirements of services. MS started using up-to-date information system in its ordering system which made it stand different from other rival organisations. On 19 April, 2005 Marks and Spencer signed an alliance with Amazon Services Europe. In this agreement, Amazon Services Europe will host and provide with synchronized information system to MS websites, telephone ordering systems and in store ordering systems. ICOS was launched in 2006 and was based on Microsoft Windows NT Server and Oracle 10g databases. It also comprises various intelligence tools using DOS applications and is called as Rumba Server in MS. This system enables ease of access of data and information across all stores and offices of the organisation. The system is efficient in dealing with the orders , vendors, manage information across the organisation, control the supply of incoming and outgoing products through a common database which gives solution to all problems related to above categories. The business process improvement team has not only developed this application but has also installed it in all stores where in store ordering is available. The information system had to meet challenges like connecting all stores to common database so that all product related information and management related information could be shared across. It was not easy to interrelate thousands of product data and ordering information on websites, in stores and in offices. The system application must be in a way that the data is easily accessible through all channels and can be used through company intranet without paying heed to its location. The system included taking orders, order processing, order dispatch, order location, stock control and order prices. This helped MS to expand their business systematically. Working and Benefits of Integrated Customer Ordering Services (849 words) ICOS is an information system application used by MS employees for various in store functions. This information system comprises data of all products like food, clothing, home ware etc. Each product of MS has a unique identification code called as UPC number which is used in ordering. In a situation where customer wants a certain product for e.g. a TV, and that product is either unavailable or is a special requirement that has to be made or is not displayed in the store, that is when this system plays its role. Order Taking: Every user or employee as its unique ID or access code and a password which makes this system highly secured and prevents it from unauthorized access. An employee assigned to take orders enters his ID and password to find out any information or to take any orders. When a customer orders certain product the agent enters its product code and the whole information from product details to availability and prices is displayed which can be conveyed to the customer. There is a tool bar which consists of different options available for the agent to save information from customer like name and address. This tool bar also has information about billing and lead-time of all products. Some products might not be displayed in the store while some can only be delivered like furniture. The system also proposes extension in delivery time to any date. As and when the agent enters customer name and details, a customer profile is created and a customer code is also generated and saved in his/her profile. The next step is payment. Once all required information from the customer is saved their is an option of payment on the tool bar. When that option is clicked several payment methods are made available on the screen like cash , visa card, credit card or cheque. The agent asks the customer and select the option that is told by the customer. Once all this information is submitted and payment is taken the customer is handed over with a printed receipt of product and money transaction details along with the unique customer code. Order Enquiry: If the customer wants to enquire about the order in future he/she just need to give his unique code to the employee. Once the code is entered on an option of enquiry on the tool bar the detailed information about the product is retrieved. This information states the status of dispatch or progress in order and also status notes entered by the manufacturing department. This information can further be stated to the customer. If required a receipt of the order confirmation can also be provided to the customer. Order Upgrading or Editing: This option on the tool bar enables an agent to add or cancel certain products from the order. This option is also used to edit customer details like address or shipping date or further payments. When an alteration or amendment is to be made, the agent enters the customer code and the information related to the order pops up on the screen. This states if a particular order can be cancelled or not e.g. certain product is a special manufacture order already in process. Special Offers: Many times there are special offers available with certain products like buy one get 25% off on other. All these offers are already saved in this information system and is updated from time to time. Not that there are so many employees working in MS and all employees need to be informed, so a hasslefree alternate is that ICOS already comprises these schemes and offers. There is an option of diary where these details are stored. As the agent enters his code to acquires access , he/ she can review the promotions and sales for the whole day and also take a printout if required. Order Reports: The orders taken throughout the day are stored in the system and can be retrieved as a whole or product category wise. If an agent or manager wants to know what all is sold or how many orders were taken throughout the day, they need to enter their ID and click on reports. The data is immediately available. If they just want to get report of the number of TVs sold they can get separate report as well. In this way the whole day report or report till a particular time can be seen in a summarized manner. Order Display Availability: If an agent in one store wants to know the availability or display of a product in any other MS store he/she can just use the tool bar for display search or update search. This possible because as mentioned earlier all store are networked and data of all products in all stores are available to each store. ICOS helps MS employees to provide hassle free information to the customers and also helps taking quick orders leading to save time both of employee and customer. It also plays a very important role in uplifting customer loyalty. Evaluation Technique (171 words) In this competitive market, it is very important to maintain exceptionally good production and customer services. Implementation of ICOS enhanced competitive advantage to the organisation, thereby maintaining its position. Competitive market requires different and creative ideas to keep up the organisation status. Constant improvement and subsistence enables an organisation to continue with an uplifting business in the market over a longer period of time. According to the changes in market and needs of consumers it is very important for an organisation to keep changing strategies and technologies. Competitive advantage is based on potency to cope up with the rapidly changing market. MS acquired unique skills to overpower its competitors by implementing ICOS. It evaluated the value of competitive advantage. Therefore, it decided to acquire the ordering system which changed and organised its working so much that other competitors couldnt. MS worked on the competitive advantage to combat and sustain in the uncertain market. Competitive advantage empowered MS to grow its profits and give high customer services, thereby conserving the bond . Critical Assessment (281 words) ICOS proved to be boon to the organisations. It replaced the old fashion of ordering through fax or telephone across the units which involved manually entering data. The old process was highly time consuming as well as error prone. The new ordering system entered as an effectual way of providing high customer service, more number of customers handling, quicker response to customer queries, faster processing of orders, and above all having competitive advantage. Integrated Customer Ordering System as set up information flow across all MS outlets and offices to give quality services. MS understood its competitive advantage and focussed on exclusive strategy to sustain in the corporate market. Their sales and advancements have achieved higher levels among competitors. Customers are satisfied by the quick order process, be it in the store or home delivery. Marks and Spencers evaluated utilisation of maximum resources and importance of competitive advantage. Implementation of ICOS helped everybody right from employer to employee to customers. The sharing of data across all units of MS made the work so easily accessible that it could manage very effectively and efficiently. MS has now focussed on development and research for expansion which has come into practice because their information system has made them free from most of the hassles. Now they can tactfully just look forward towards expanding of business. The investments turned out to raise huge profits leading to increase in productivity and also reducing costs. ICOS has proved to be and information system which has given new heights to the company and an ultimate transformation to quality. The investment raised huge profits from this system and it was a transformation to the organisational working and approach. Conclusion (157 words) With the fast growing competition in the corporate market it was very essential for MS to adopt an information system which can handle its data and order processing. All organisations are heading towards acquiring information systems to ease up their work and management. MS required a system which is distinctive and can keep up pace in changing and challenging environment of the competitive market. ICOS provided MS with an altogether different status in the market by upraising profits and giving high returns on investments. It has transformed the organisation and helped in higher productivity, customer loyalty and synchronised working. I could complete my detailed research on this information system by the help of MS manager, Central London where I had worked for 6 months. Its my personal opinion that the ICOS is so efficient and it makes ordering so simple that I almost had to do nothing apart from interacting with the customer or storage unit. References http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/ourhistory http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/operating-financial/financial-review.aspx http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/investors/press_releases/company/19042005_MarksSpencerandAmazonServicesEuropeannounceEcommerceagreement http://homebusiness.about.com/od/growing/a/comp_advantage.htm