Efficiency of Window Systems

Efficiency of Window Systems Review of Window Shopping: A Study of Desktop Window Switching. ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Warr, A., Chi, Ed H. , Harris, H., Kuscher, A., Chen, J., Flack, R. and Jitkoff. N. (2016) Window Shopping: A Study of Desktop Window Switching. In Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 16). ACM, New York, NY, USA. pp 3335-3338. ABSTRACT This is a review of a research article by Warr et al (2016), of Google Inc, Window shopping: A Study of Desktop Window Switching, which is an investigation into the efficiency of window systems. Having multiple windows open is commonplace but users often have problems switching between windows. This report presents an experiment used to evaluate window switching interfaces that are being considered for a new operating system. Its focus is an understanding of the effects of switching on user performances in terms of time to switch and errors in selection. The experiment compares three different styles of window switching interfaces and their effects on user performances. The interfaces chosen were the Cards interface, the Exposà © interface and the Mosaic interface. The results from the experiment suggest that the Mosaic interface allows faster selection than the Cards interface and is less erroneous than the Exposà © interface. SUMMARY OF ARTICLE The report outlines some windows research since the 1980s to the present time. Early research (Bly el al. 1986) showed that even though tiled window systems were faster than overlapping windows, users still preferred overlapping windows. Their conclusion being that it is imperative to create window systems that are both efficient and meet their user preferences. Research by Card and Henderson (1987) argued for designs that reduce the time and cognitive load of switching tasks. Hutchings et als (2004) study showed that users often have 8 or more windows open at any time with a median activation time of 3.8 seconds. Other research looked at arranging and grouping windows. These research works inspired Warr et al to investigate three window switching interfaces. The chosen interfaces were The Cards Interface: These resemble playing cards with small conceptual representation of the window and small amounts of information. They are spread like a stack of cards with the most recent window showing at the front. The Exposà © interface: This arranges the windows in a map, based on their size and original position. The Mosaic Interface: In this interface the windows are paced in order of most recent left to right in a grid form with the windows scaled to size of grid cell. The report details the design and procedures used in the experiment. They used a 3X3 mixed factorial design for the experiment.   This being the three user interface types by three different number of windows open at a time namely 3, 6 and 9 windows. The experiment was carried out to prove two hypothesises about window switching. Hypothesis 1: That the Mosaic interface allows windows to be selected faster than the Cards and Exposà © interfaces Hypothesis 2: The Mosaic interface would have less errors in selection than the Cards and Exposà © interfaces. The experiment was carried out in a lab using 42 participants (27 female and 15 male) ranging in age from 18-60. The participants were volunteers and were selected on the basis that they used laptops as their main computing device, hadnt used any of the selected interfaces previously and on average had more than one window open at any one time. They developed an application which prototyped the interfaces and allowed them to control and gather the data. Trials were carried out using each of the interfaces and selected number of windows. The participant were instructed to switch to predefined windows and the time taken to select the correct window and any errors in selections were recorded. The details of the conditions used are defined. The article displays the results for selection time and errors and shows them in table and graphical format for each interface and number of windows. Using a number of statistical tests the results allowed for partial acceptance of both hypothesis. They suggested that the Mosaic interface allows quicker window selection than the Cards interface that the Mosaic interface has fewer selection errors than the Exposà © interface. In the discussion they imply that the Mosaic interface was faster because the need to scroll in the card selection made it inefficient especially as the number of windows increases. Also in the Exposà © interface as the number of open windows increases the size of the thumbnails in the Exposà © interface decreases making them more difficult to distinguish. There wasnt much difference in number of erroneous selections between the interfaces except the Exposà © interface at the greater number of open windows. They surmise that was due to the fact the thumbnails were small and hard to distinguish. The limitations applied in conducting the experiment makes this a worst case scenario. They conclude that the Mosaic interface enables fast, less error prone window selection. DISCUSSION The article is well laid out. It summarises some similar research previously carried out in window switching although they say that this is the first comparative study of these specific window overview schemes (p 3336). Their reference material is fairly old. The most recent being a study of their own presented at the CHI conference in 2011. The aim of the experiment, investigating the efficiency of three window interfaces, and the reason for it are well defined. It presents the experiment in distinct sections outlining the design of the experiment, how the participants were chosen, the materials used, the procedures, their interpretation of the results and conclusion. They conclude that the Mosaic interface is the faster and the least error prone of the three chosen interfaces. This is internally valid as it was in a controlled environment however how transferable this is in the real world where prior knowledge and familiarity may affect the results is not measured. It also ignores user preferences that Bly et al considered important. There is no measure of the user experience in this experiment. Purposive sampling of participants appears to have been used. They did not include a group with prior knowledge of the interfaces and were careful throughout the experiment to alleviate any learning effects. This may have been for quick and economic reasons even though participants received a gift card. The sample size may be small because of the criteria used to select the participants and there is no explanation as to why there are almost twice as many women. The data collected from this group cant really be used to generalise about the interfaces. The results may be biased towards non experienced users. They could however be used as a control reference for any future research to externally validate these interfaces with other users. The authors of the article are affiliated to Google inc and Warr, Chi and Harris have published many articles in areas relating to computer interface design. Their previous works has been cited many times. This paper was presented to the CHI 16 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. This is a top conference for HCI where the future of how people interact with technology is discussed. It is a conference for top researchers, designers and corporations. This was an ideal place to present this research paper and may prompt further research in this area. A good knowledge of statistics is required to understand the results as presented in the article. The researchers appear to be confident in their methods and choice of statistical tests but without a knowledge of statistics it is difficult to know whether their choice of statistical tests are biased. In their discussion they explore the reasons why the Mosaic interface may have been faster than the Cards interface. The put forward three credible explanations for this. These factors could be explored in any future studies. They acknowledge the fact that the experiment may not reflect real life scenarios. CONCLUSION Warr, Chi, Harris, Kuscher, Chen, Flack, and Jitkoff presented a detailed experiment in window switching interfaces that were being considered for a new operating system. They suggest that the Mosaic interface allows faster selection than the Cards interface and less erroneous than the Exposà © interface from the results they obtained. The results may not transfer to the general population and does not study the ergonomics of the interfaces and ignores user preferences. However they may inspire further research in the area of window switching. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bly, S. A. and Rosenberg, J. K. 1986. A comparison of tiled and overlapping windows. Proc. CHI86, ACM Press, 101-106. Card S. K. and Henderson, A. 1987. A Multiple, Virtual-Workspace Interface to Support User Task Switching. Proc CHI87, ACM Press, 53-59. Hutchings, D. R., Smith, G., Meyers, B., Czerwinski, M., Robertson, G. 2004. Display space usage and window management operation comparisons between single monitor and multiple monitor users. Proc. AVI04, ACM Press, 32-39.

Conditions of the Vietnam War Essay

When fighting in a war, the brave soldiers are not only up against their enemy, but also against the chaotic obstacles born on the battlefield. The constant noise of slaughter, the gut-wrenching weather and the omnipresent fear of death were all elements of war that the soldiers had to coexist with. The odds of walking home after a war are extremely rare and those who were lucky enough to survive were unlucky enough to have had witnessed indescribable scenes of blood and murder. Those who have confronted the wrath of war are left psychologically traumatised and mentally unstable. The fighting conditions during the Vietnam War were excruciatingly tough. The Australian and American troops were forced to fight in a variety of weathers, including the tropical rains and blazing heat. Fighting in environments and conditions they were not yet accustomed to, they were drained of their energy and were demanded high levels of endurance. For some soldiers, the dry season was particularly difficult to fight in. they were required to fight through a haze of dust that penetrated their clothing, filled their pores and worked its way through their eyes and ears, resulting in conjunctivitis and ear infections. One soldier stated, â€Å"It can be a test of human endeavour inside a noisy metal box all day in forty degree heat, with eighty per cent relative humidity and no one has showered for a week.† Soldiers fought with damages to their bodies such as blisters, sunburn and dehydration, making it very difficult to move around and fight to the best of their ability. Other difficulties they faced were the threat of diseases such as malaria and dysentery which is caused by lack of sanitation and dehydration. Spiders, poisonous centipedes, snakes and leeches were some of the deadly creatures the soldiers tried their hardest to avoid. Proper food and clean water was very difficult to obtain as well. Soldiers ate from used cans and drank from dirt covered drink bottles. In a land where the ground explodes and it rains bullets, death is inevitable. Soldiers would be knee-deep in massacre and the vicinity would be infested with the body parts of comrade soldiers. War does not give time for soldiers to grieve and is constantly tainting the earth in the colour of red. Witnessing the death of a comrade is one thing, but to have to crawl, walk and run knowing that you may die a gruesome death at any moment is just as painfully terrifying. Soldiers who survived the Vietnam war were diagnosed with permanent paranoia and insanity. Whilst fighting an enemy on the battlefield, soldiers must simultaneously fight fear in their minds. Guerrilla Warfare During the Vietnam War, Guerrilla tactics were being put into action. Guerrilla Warfare consisted of small surprise attacks and ambushes instead of operating in major gunfire battles. Setting up booby-traps and tripwires were the preferred option as well as digging up complicated systems of underground tunnels in and around small villages. The Vietcong had the home field advantage, they used the rough terrain, thick forests and uneven landscape to their advantage against the American soldiers as they were unfamiliar to such difficult landforms. The Vietcong used their intelligence and stealth to outsmart the Americans and win the war. They did not wear any uniform so the Americans only saw them as ‘villagers with guns’. The Vietcong would also hide behind innocent civilians and use them as a shield against their enemy. They would also dig up American land mines and use the explosives as bombs of their own. Hit-and-run attacks were common and very effective in the fight against the Americans. With dangerous deft, the Vietcong would stealthy attack the Americans and leave before risking capture- incorporating the element of surprise. The Vietcong would escape through a complex network of underground tunnels, oblivious to the Americans. At the start of the war, the American soldiers had no idea of the tunnels’ existence and their unawareness produced great advantage to the Vietcong. The most extensive of the tunnel system laid in the ‘Iron Triangle’ in the Cu Chi distract, which covered approximately 400 kilometres. The Americans highly relied on their helicopters to combat the Vietcong’s skilfully hidden death traps. However, the Vietcong turned to heavy machinery as a form of retaliation against the American’s aerial attacks. The Vietcong would set up multiple booby-traps, hidden among the jungle floor of the forests. Majority of the booby-traps were covered in poison and venom which will increase the risk of infection. Some booby traps that were crafted and handmade by the Vietnamese villagers included: * The Bear Trap- when stepped on would fiercely clutch one’s foot by impaling it with sharp claws * Grenade Traps- a grenade strapped to a tripwire which will instantly explode, leaving no time to escape when triggered * ‘Bouncing Betty’- designed to cut someone in half, when stepped on would result in either paralysis or the complete amputation of a limb * Foot Trap- a hole that was dug knee deep and planted with stakes coated in poison pointing downwards, making it unescapable * Tiger Pit/ Punji Spike Pit- a hole approximately 5-6 feet deep, with the bottom covered in piercing, venomous stakes. It also has a grenade lying in await to ambush those who try to escape The fighting conditions in the Vietnam war were inhumane for both parties. Soldiers put their bodies through irritatingly uncomfortable situations and fought in fearsome scenarios, all whilst trying to keep their limbs intact. Battles arose within battles, whether it be the vicious weather or the unshakable fear of death, soldiers endured an admirable amount of physical and mental struggle. The rage of the Vietnam War claimed many courageous lives and defiled the minds of those who were able to walk away with the luxury of breath. Bibliography * http://vietnamawbb.weebly.com/guerrilla-warfare-and-war-of-attrition.html * http://history1900s.about.com/od/vietnamwar/a/vietnamwar.htm * http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/guerrilla/index.html * http://www.vietnam-war.0catch.com/vietnam_war_nature.htm * http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/combat/viet-cong-tunnels.php * http://www.securenet.net/3rdbn5th/mike35/booby.htm * http://www.echo23marines6569.org/BoobyTraps.html * http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/armour/conditions.php * https://session.wikispaces.com/1/auth/auth?authToken=03a2e4971076358d2188756c8108eb2b5

Chinese Traditions Essay

Values for one society may seem strange to another society, but nonetheless, they are important to that society. For instance, the painful and debilitating Chinese tradition of foot binding, as bizarre as it may seem to our culture, to the Chinese people, it was the esoteric essence of pure beauty and signified status within the family structure, allowing young women with lotus feet better opportunities for marriage with well-to-do families. Traditional Chinese courtyard life – in existence until the early 1900’s, was a unique lifestyle where Chinese families and neighbours lived in very close quarters – sharing a common courtyard and everyone knowing everyone else’s business. Special rules applied for who occupied which space in certain directions Chinese Courtyards Chinese courtyards are the traditional folk house of China. Courtyards reportedly date back to the Han Dynasty, however none remain from that time period. The oldest among the surviving courtyards are from the Ming Dynasty, while the majority still found today are from the Qing Dynasty. Chinese Chopsticks – born of necessity in the earliest times, highly influenced the eating and cooking traditions still followed today in China. Chinese Knots – One of the most popular knots is double happiness, which in Chinese tradition is given to newlyweds, signifying a wish for their luck and happiness to double. Chinese family names – Xing, Shi and Ming are the most common. There are only 22 ancient Chinese surnames still in use today. The family name indicated a blood tie within the Chinese social structure and was a symbol of class. In ancient China, 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, women were the clan leaders and marriages were only allowed among certain classes. Chinese Festivals Chinese New Year/Spring Festival Gong Xi Fa Cai! Is the greeting that wishes you great prosperity. You’ll hear it constantly during Spring Festival, better known as the Lunar New Year. This is a time when everyone tries to get back to their ancestral home to celebrate with their families, perhaps visit the local temple, pay off debts, buy new clothes, drive off evil spirits with firecrackers and start off the new year with a great feast. Qing Ming Festival Qing Ming is the time when the Chinese honour their ancestors. They visit the family graves to clean them and share a picnic with the spirits of the dead. (12th day of the 3rd moon) Dragon Boat Festival Over 2000 years ago, Qu Yuan, a righteous mandarin, threw himself into a river to protest against the corruption and mismanagement of the government. His friends took to the water in boats, thrashing at the fish that would devour his body. Today he is remembered with the Dragon Boat Festival, which features races by long skiffs bearing dragon heads and tails. (5th day of the fifth moon) Qi Xi Festival. A special Chinese Valentine’s Day. Qixi is the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day. It’s celebrated on the seventh night of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Usually that happens sometime in August on our calendar. And that’s why it’s also called the Double Seven festival. Mid-Autumn Moon Festival The Mid-Autumn moon is the biggest and best of the year, so the Chinese try to watch it from the vantage point of hills or open fields. At the same time they eat moon cakes in memory of an uprising against the Mongols, which was secretly coordinated by messages hidden in the cakes. (15th day of the eighth moon) October 1st – Founding of the People’s Republic October 1st is the day when China celebrates the founding of the People’s Republic. It has been a week of holiday time when many travel as tourists to other parts of China or Asia – or make their way back to their hometowns for a family holiday. Other Ethnic Minority Chinese Festivals Throughout China, minority peoples have their own ancestral festivals when they dress in traditional costumes and celebrate. In Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan, the Dai minority (cousins to the Thai) welcome the Lunar New Year with the Water Splashing Festival. For 3 days in mid-April, everyone can expect to have water thrown over them. There are also parades, fireworks and dragon boat races. The Tibetan New Year is celebrated with a week of horse races, archery contests, carnivals and temple rituals, in all the major towns. In the wild west of Xinjiang, the Kazhakh communities have their own Chinese festivals that celebrate the life of the grasslands. There are breathtaking displays of horsemanship, including shooting contests on horseback and buzgashi, a form of polo, plus huge feats that include whole roast sheep and fermented mare’s milk. Beijing Opera. Beijing Opera is the most widely known Chinese theatrical style with over 200 years of history. Although the art form started in China’s Yangtze River Yan’an region, it only became fully developed in Beijing, and that is how it’s name came to be. The form employs song and dance with exaggerated movements that leave a strong impression on viewers. While this Chinese style opera is a comprehensive art form utilizing diverse elements such as drama, acting, music, song, props, make-up and costume, it is distinguished from western performance art by its use of such elements for symbolic and suggestive purposes, rather than realism. Performers must adhere to a variety of stylistic conventions and rules. They must master songs, acting and their lines, in addition to dance. The art form uniquely combines traditional song, music, narration, dance, circus and martial arts, contrary to the western tradition that separates song, dance and theatre. Chinese Shadow Puppetry Is an ancient form of storytelling which was popular during the Song Dynasty during the holiday season. The stories of the shadow puppets told of events that had happened elsewhere in the country and stories with a Buddhist background. Chinese Culture Chinese Culture – Special 10th Birthday On the day a child turns 10, most families will hold a party for the child. It is common to have this party in a hotel and invite everyone you know – which could be more than 100 people. There is a western style birthday cake served – and all the guests are invited to a meal. Each guest is subtly expected to make a donation of about $20 and before leaving, each guest receives a small gift. The one birthday party I attended in 2000, I received a box of facial tissue. Others in attendance received rolls of toilet paper – and the gifts were happily received and highly appreciated. Chinese Culture – Common Greetings Ni hao – is the common greeting for â€Å"hello† (sounds like KNEE-HOW) There are some terms for good morning(zao- sounds like ZOW), good afternoon (xia wu hao), good evening (wan shang hao), but most often you will hear just ni hao. Good–bye is zaijian. Mintian jia – is also very common – â€Å"see you tomorrow†. Chinese Culture – Children are Pension Plan With the one child policy enforced in China, most families will rely on that one child to support them in their old age. All the money the family can afford is spent on the best education that they can buy for their child – in hopes that their child will make it into a good university and have a good paying job in the future – thereby, being able to support his own family and his parents. This puts an extreme amount of pressure on the child to perform well amidst tremendous competition for a place in a prestigious university. If a child does not do well in school, he is scorned by his parents and family and loses face. Those parents lucky enough to have a government party job will enjoy a small pension when they retire. But most Chinese have no social support to look forward to as they age – so they must rely on their family. It is common for families to live together. The older parents will take care of the house, the cooking and any grandchildren, while their child and his spouse go out to work each day. Chinese Culture – Chinese Men Carrying Handbags You will see Chinese men carrying two different types of handbags. They might carry a small personal bag – like the French men do – or you may see them carrying their girlfriends handbag – as they walk or shop together. I found this quite amusing – and even more so after I married my Chinese husband . . . as before we would go out – he would choose for me which handbag I should carry –so that his things could fit inside too – and of course, he would carry it for me! It is almost like a sign of affection – like a boy carrying a girls schoolbooks for her. Chinese Culture – Best Chinese Hangover Cure If you’ve had too much to drink with your friends – don’t be surprised if you end up in a restaurant and are served pig intestine soup – sworn to be the best cure for a hangover. Chinese Culture – One Child Policy Most families in China have adhered to the one child policy. In the autonomous provinces, where Beijing does not have absolute control over the ethnic groups, they don’t have to adhere to the one child policy. However, if you have the money, or if your family is connected to the right people – for a price – you can pay a fee to have a second child. The one child policy has caused a lot of female babies to be abandoned – so that the mother could have another chance to try to have a boy baby. A large part of the Chinese population still believe it is better to have a boy than a girl – because a boy is more likely able to support his family in later life, than a girl. There are a lot of Chinese baby girls up for adoption – and North American families are scooping them up. This one child policy, however, is creating a new problem. There is becoming a shortage of Chinese females in the population. Already, there have been kidnappings of women – to make them into wives in mountain villages. The situation is predicted to grow worse in the future – with many young men unable to find a woman to marry. Chinese Dress: Qipao * The one-piece dress featured a high neck and straight skirt. It covered all of a woman’s body except for her head, hands, and toes. The qipao was traditionally made of silk and featured intricate embroidery. * The qipao worn today are modeled after ones made in Shanghai in the 1920s. The modern qipao is a one-piece, formfitting, floor length dress that has a high slit on one or both sides. Modern variations may have bell sleeves or be sleeveless and are made out of a variety of fabrics. Sports Martial arts. * China is one of the main birth places of Eastern martial arts. Chinese martial arts are collectively given the name Kung Fu ((gong) â€Å"achievement† or â€Å"merit†, and (fu) â€Å"man†, thus â€Å"human achievement†) or (previously and in some modern contexts) Wushu (â€Å"martial arts† or â€Å"military arts†). China also includes the home to the well-respected Shaolin Monastery and Wudang Mountains. The first generation of art started more for the purpose of survival and warfare than art. Over time, some art forms have branched off, while others have retained a distinct Chinese flavor. Regardless, China has produced some of the most renowned martial artists including Wong Fei Hung and many others. The arts have also co-existed with a variety of weapons including the more standard 18 arms. Legendary and controversial moves like Dim Mak are also praised and talked about within the culture. Tai Ji Quan Tai Ji Quan, which is also known as Chinese shadow boxing, is a major division of Chinese martial art. Tai Ji Quan means â€Å"supreme ultimate fist†, and is a kind of Chinese boxing, combining control of breath, mind and body. It emphasizes body movement, following mind movements, tempering toughness with gentleness and graceful carriage. The traditional legend goes that the wise man, Zhang Sanfeng of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), created Tai Ji Quan after he witnessed a fight between a sparrow and a snake. Most people agreed that the modern Tai Ji Quan originated from Chen style Tai Ji Quan, which first appeared during the 19th century in the Daoguang Reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Chinese Wedding Traditions Welcoming the Bride: * The Chinese wedding ritual begins with the groom going to the bride’s home. Younger brides often have a few girlfriends at the home who will tease the groom before handing over the bride. The girls will barter with the groom who must beg and bribe the girls with small gifts or red envelopes stuffed with money are handed over in exchange for the bride. * Before leaving her home, the bride and groom bow before the bride’s parents. Then, they head to the groom’s home. In the past, the bride was picked up from her home and taken to the groom’s home in a sedan chair with trumpets blaring to announce her arrival. Today, most brides arrive in a car. Bowing to Heaven and Earth: * Once at the groom’s home, the bride and groom bow to heaven and earth in front of the groom’s family’s home altar or at a local temple. Then, the couple bows before the groom’s parents before bowing to each other. Traditional Tea Ceremony: * At the groom’s home, the couple offers tea to their elders including the groom’s parents. Acceptance of the tea is confirmation that the family has welcomed the bride into the groom’s family. Auspicious Days The Chinese still rely on fortune tellers to predict the most auspicious days (and years) to marry. Many couples will postpone their wedding plans until the right day or right year that promises success. In some provinces, you will find very large groups of couples getting married the same day – because they believe in the luck of that day – for most success in their marriage. In China, it is common for many young couples live together the year before they are actually married and start on the paperwork process. The most common time to celebrate a marriage is at Chinese New Year or on auspicious days. Chinese Cuisine. The history of Chinese cuisine can be traced back to primitive societies and their use of fire. Cuisine was invented some 400,000 years ago. Some other accounts of the history of Chinese cuisine takes the beginning to the Chinese stone age, when the cultivation of rice and the production of noodles, both typical representations of Chinese cuisine as we have known today, are understood from archaeological findings. Over the centuries, as new food sources and techniques were invented, the Chinese cuisine as we know it gradually evolved. Chopsticks, which are made from all sorts of materials and which are one of the hallmarks of Chinese cuisine, have been used as eating utensils at least as far back as the Zhou Dynasty. Stir-fried dishes became popular during the Tang Dynasty. The stir-fry method of cooking was invented out of necessity, in order to conserve expensive and scarce fuel. As early as the 7th century B. C. Chinese cuisine began to be separated as Southern and Northern cuisines. In general, the southern dishes emphasize freshness and tenderness. Northern dishes, due to its colder climate, have more fat and garlic which is offset with vinegar. During the period of the Tang (618-907 A. D. ) and the Song (960-1279 A. D. ) dynasties, people went in a great deal for nutritional medical value of different plants: fungus (mushrooms), herbs, vegetables. At this time â€Å"medicinal food† for prevention and cure of diseases, for overall health became important. Cantonese/Guangdong Cuisine Guangdong cuisine is characterized by their cooking methods of mostly steaming, boiling, saute and stir-frying with thick gravy. Dishes are lightly cooked and not as spicy and hot as the other 3 groups. Due to the long duration of summer, they prefer light and refreshing foods and seafood. Only in the winter do they eat fatty foods and strongly flavoured foods. Shandong Cuisine The third major Chinese cuisine is Shandong cuisine – also known as Lu cuisine. It has a long history and wide popularity and was developed from the Qi and Lu culture of ancient China. It is said to have traces of palatial cuisine. Dishes are strongly flavoured and made of costly ingredients such as shark fin, abalone, sea cucumber, deer meat, white fungus and others. Due to the long duration of the cold winter in north China and a shortage of vegetables, Shandong cooks are skilled at making high-calorie and high-protein dishes. Sichuan Cuisine The second major Chinese cuisine is Sichuan. World famous Chan cuisine traces back to the ancient Ba Kingdom (modern day Chongqing) and Shu Kingdom (modern day Chengdu) and is known for it’s oily, hot and spicy taste. The uniquely hot, pungent flavour is created with a mixture of red pepper, garlic and ginger. Su Cuisine. The forth major Chinese cuisine originated from Shuzhou, Yangzhou and Hangzhou area and is known as Su cuisine. It is an exchange of northern and southern cuisines, dating back to the time the region was the home of Emperors during the Six Dynasties and the Southern Song Dynasty. It is a combination of high-heat and high-protein dishes, plenty of lake fish and seafood, and exquisite refreshments and snacks such as pine nut crystalline meat sweet cake, crab yellow soup bun, crab yellow steamed dumpling and Ningbo dumpling, all of which are famous throughout China.

The Symbolism of Car in American Culture - 3516 Words

American culture, its society, and its landscapes are all shaped by the automobile. The automobile is more than just a vehicle or a means to get from one point to the next. A car is a symbol, upon which Americans project their dreams, desires, goals, values, beliefs, and identities. In Dagoberto Gilbs short story, Love in L.A., the protagonists name is Jake. Jake envisions his ideal car, with crushed velvet interior, an FM radio, electric controls, and a heater because he could imagine lots of possibilities when he let himself, (p. 432). Jakes vision is more than a vehicle; it is the American Dream epitomized. Films, television, song lyrics, the visual arts, and literature have all at some point capitalized on the car as a central image of what it means to be an American. Cars represent freedom, most of all. Cultivated during the 1950s, imagery of fun-loving Americans cruising down Route 66 or their local main street on a Friday night sent the signal that with a car, one could be anyone, and do anything. Jake in Love in L.A. traveled to the City of Angels, the city of promise and Hollywood fantasy also the end point of Route 66. American culture has projected itself onto the automobile, imparting a sense of Manifest Destiny. In a car, the driver owns the road. Driving is an entitlement, a privilege, a right. The driver creates his or her own social space within the car, which becomes a symbolic boundary between the self and Other. Only friends, family, andShow MoreRelatedSymbolism in the Red Convertible1272 Words   |  6 PagesOctober 1st, 2012 Symbolism in the Red Convertible In writing, authors use symbolism to relay a deeper meaning to what they actually write. 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Chris at first takes Rose’s parents, Missy and Dean’s, overwhelming appreciation for black culture and overly accommodating behavior as being nervousRead MoreSymbolism in the Red Convertible Essay643 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism of the Color Red in the Red Convertible The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich is more than an emotional story about the lives of two brothers who grew up together on an Indian reservation. She uses a writing style that allows the reader to understand the text, while providing the opportunity to read into the story. Erdrich uses metaphors, symbols, imagery to describe and define the brothers Henry and Lyman’s relationship. The two brothers purchased the red convertible together. Read MoreSymbolism Of The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1440 Words   |  6 Pages Katelyn Sullivan Professor Cahan College Writing (CUL-221624-01X) 30 November 2015 Symbolism in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. 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As Americans, we listen to music while we drive our cars, are at work, doing housework, studying, etc. We have songs for special occasions: Christmas, Hanukah, birthdays, weddings, parties, etc. We have taken songs from the various cultures that make us diverse: Arabic, German, Mexican, Native American, etc. We have many genres: country, hip-hop, rap, pop, blues, jazz, rock, heavy metal, etc. And although we may think of musicRead MoreThe Importance Of The Great Gatsby Essay1687 Words   |  7 Pagesunderstandable and relatable to a high school student’s life. This makes a book want to be read as well as enjoyable. The Great Gatsby is an essential book for all high school students because allows for students to engage in the text through the use of symbolism, it educates students about the different influences of the 1920’s, and instills many important lessons to students that are applicable to any point in time. In F.Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway, the narrator, moves toRead MoreThe Red Convertible1631 Words   |  7 Pageson the Indian reservation. The draft will forever change the brothers, and only the memories from the red convertible will be left behind. Louise Erdrich embraces an intimate relationship between the Lamartine brothers which is supported by the symbolism of a red convertible however, the connection changes as life takes its negative effect on the brothers when Henry is drafted to Vietnam. â€Å"The Red Convertible† demonstrates the cause and effect of past memories with present experiences, particularlyRead MoreThe Colored Tragedies And Endings1558 Words   |  7 Pagesby F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most recognized American novels. The love-story relates and molds itself into the prominent era of Prohibition, and bases itself off the drunken and impetus glory of the American culture. Fitzgerald’s writing plays with the complex and intricate meaning; his magnificent descriptions, metaphors, and character development beam through the pages of the novel. While looking into his descriptions and symbolism, Fitzgerald resorts into regarding the use of color inRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1215 Words   |  5 Pagesregard for immaterial limits. In the novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author utilizes the intricate Symbolism symbolism of colors and time in order to illustrate the barriers that permanently separate Ga tsby from his incorruptible dream. Pretty brief for an intro – could do more to develop the link between dreams and Gatsby Fitzgerald employs the use of symbolism in reference to colors that appear in the novel specifically two in particular – yellow and gold. Gold is well-knownRead MoreThe Red Convertible1584 Words   |  7 PagesIn Native American culture, the red is the color of faith, and represents communication. The short story The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich is more than an emotional story about the lives of two Chippewa brothers who grew up together on an Indian reservation in North Dakota. Erdrich uses metaphor, symbol, vivid imagery and a simple writing style to allow the reader to understand the text while also providing the opportunity to read a lot into the story. Written in the first person by Lyman Larmartine