The Cross and the Switchblade essays

The Cross and the Switchblade essays The book I am writing about is The Cross and the Switchblade written by The Reverend David Wilkerson. It is a true story about an inexperienced country preachers vision to help teenage boys who are in trouble. The story starts when the reverend reads an article in Life Magazine about seven teenage boys on trial for the brutal murder of teenage polio victim named Michael Farmer. The reverend cried over the article and pictures, and then he was overtaken by a call from God to go help those boys in New York. He has a hard time dealing with his calling but finally reveals it to his wife and then the church congregation. He reluctantly gets support from the church and takes the youth director with him. Together they traveled 350 miles from Pennsylvania to a New York court house to try to visit the boys on trial. They are kicked out of the court house by the police. This gains them respect by the gangs on the streets. Then for the next two years he makes weekly trips to New York. S lowly but surely he builds a good relationship with different street gangs. During those two years he gains support spiritually and financially from several different types of supporters. He builds a center in New York to save teenagers from drugs and crime. All lead through prayer. This story starts in 1958 and was last printed in 1967 but it does not end there. Today there are centers in several cities in probably every state; they are the Teen Challenge Centers. It is a Christian ministry that has restored hope to tens of thousands of teens. Reverend David Wilkerson described him self as others saw him, a Bible waving country preacher with his hair standing up on his head. He was a man of average height with a slender build and brown hair. The reverend is a helper to everyone he meets. He knows that he is a steward of God doing only what he has prayerfully considered and knows is God directed. He ha ...

Canadian Provinces and Territories Translated to French

Canadian Provinces and Territories Translated to French Canada is officially a bilingual country, so each Canadian province and territory has both an English and a French name. Notice which are feminine and which are masculine. Knowing the gender will help you choose the correct definite article and geographical prepositions to use with each province and territory. In Canada, since 1897, names on official federal government maps have been authorized through a national committee, now known as the  Geographical Names Board of Canada  (GNBC). This includes both English and French names  since both languages are official in Canada. 10m of 33.5m Canadians Speak French According to the countrys  2011  Census of Population, in 2011, close to 10  million in a total national population of 33.5  million reported being able to conduct a conversation in French, compared with less than 9.6  million in 2006.  However, the proportion of those being able to speak French declined slightly to 30.1% in 2011, from 30.7% five years earlier. (The total Canadian population is estimated to have grown to  36.7  in 2017 since the 2011 Canadian census.) 7.3m of 33.5m Canadians Call French Their Mother Tongue Approximately 7.3  million Canadians reported French as their mother tongue  and 7.9  million spoke French at home at least on a regular basis. The number of Canadians  with French as their first official language spoken increased from 7.4  million in 2006 to 7.7  million in 2011. Canadas francophonie  is centered in Quebec, where  6,231,600, or 79.7 percent of Quebecers, consider  French their mother tongue. Many more speak French at home:  6,801,890, or 87 percent of the Quebec population. Outside Quebec, three-quarters of those reporting they speak French at home live in  New  Brunswick or Ontario, while the presence of French has grown in Alberta and British Columbia.​ The 10 Canadian Provinces   French English L'Alberta Alberta La Colombie-Britannique British Columbia Le Manitoba Manitoba Le Nouveau-Brunswick New Brunswick La Nouvelle-Écosse Nova Scotia L'Ontario Ontario Le Quà ©bec Quebec La Saskatchewan Saskatchewan La Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador ÃŽle-du-Prince-Édouard Prince Edward Island The 3 Canadian Territories French English Le Nunavut Nunavut Les Territoires du Nord-Ouest Northwest Territories Le Yukon (Territoire) Yukon (Territory) ​

Should monetary and fiscal policymakers try to stabilize the economy Essay

Should monetary and fiscal policymakers try to stabilize the economy - Essay Example Also, there is no reason to make people live through the ups and downs that is the business cycle as we know it, and monetary and fiscal policymakers can step in to try to balance out demand, and hence forth stimulate production and employment (Lecture 19). Some people may argue that this is only looking at the "short" run effects, and not taking into consideration the long term effects. Such people would not agree with monetary and fiscal policymakers interfering in the economy, they would rather see less big involvement and a monetary policy based on long term rules(The Short). "Fiscal or monetary policy can be used to stabilize output and employment around their trend levels, and hence prevent booms or recessions from getting out of hand. When this domestic model is broadened to open the economy to international trade and capital flows, this conclusion no longer holds but the results depend on the flexibility of the nation's exchange rate."(Remarks). In conclusion, after studying and reading several sources, I have decided that monetary and fiscal policymakers should try to stabilize the economy. This offers a solution to many economic problems, and can help prevent massive swings in our economy, which is always a good thing.

Reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflection - Coursework Example The activity was followed by general descriptions and history of the consulting profession. It was quite fascinating to realize the growing emergence and increasing demand of consultants in the era when many professions are suffering from the economic downturn and devaluation. Further study on the demand of consultants leads to the fact that, in the sectors of education, IT, health care and business investment plans, growing prominence of consultant’s involvement can be clearly seen (Campus Explorer, 2012). According to a recent research, consulting is one of the highly paid and in-demand professions in many parts of the world, and there is a high probability of its further emergence in the coming years (Monegain, 2012). The reason being that, companies and individuals, looking for workable and cost effective solutions for their business or career, prefer paying to the consultant, than to pay heavily for the loss by a wrong decision. Therefore, with growing business and career s options, the need of a consultant is also rising (Campus Explorer, 2012). The workshop also explored various career options that can be opted in the field of consulting as per a person’s interest and forte. This part of the workshop broadens my perspective about consultation, which was to me limited to career and property consultation. Being inclined towards finance and marketing, I learnt that I can expand my career after getting higher education and relevant field knowledge (Bevitt, 2008). This would open room for me to work as a finance and marketing consultant for many giant companies. The next section catered skills and qualities that are required for consulting profession and questions that a person must now, before choosing it a profession. It can be better understand by the help of SOAR model, which defines that, a person to have self-awareness of his interest and potential. The person should have the courage to bear any obstacle in the process and keep moving to ac hieve success with a vision to reach for the stars. Hence a consultant is a demanding career, where the fruit might take some time to ripe (Kumar, 2007). Other than the secular aspect, a light on personality aspects was also thrown in the workshop. In the process of studying and practicing consulting profession, a person goes through education, psychological and social advancement in his personality. This profession helps one to be analytical, which will not only help in making smart business moves, but will also prove helpful in making everyday solutions (Baruch, 2004) (Herbert & Rothwell, 2004). Brief information about certified diplomas and degree programs was provided in the closing section of the workshop. The course of Certifies Business Adviser, one of my personal interests was quite beneficial in showing steps and path for this career. Several jobs and learning opportunities were also highlighted with each program. Thorough evaluation of Business Advisor career leads to the fact that it is one of the careers, enrich in its nature and field of application. Therefore, its course also covers diversified topics and fields (Certifgied Business Advisor, 2012). Marketing, human resource management and finance are its major fields, which covers almost all aspects of modern businesses and customer needs. Elements of Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property Protection make the course even more challenging, and growth

Primary Sources Essay Example for Free

Primary Sources Essay Primary sources are the original documents that serve as a springboard for other theorists, scientists, authors, and scholars to write additional works that are added to the subject’s base of literature. Primary sources are the first indications of a particular idea or a landmark study. They serve as a scientific starting point. Secondary sources are based on extrapolations of the original version with new additions and the interpretation of the past. For the most comprehensive literature review, both types of sources should be included in the research for a particular topic. The most powerful advantage to the use of primary sources is the assurance that these documents have not been marred or misrepresented through inaccurate interpretations or external motivations. The complexity of history makes it clear that a number of motives could influence the portrayal of original sources. When citing the works of others use only part of the source and rarely include the full context of the document. Details, the writing style, and purpose intended by the original author are important components available to researchers who choose to include primary sources in their bibliographies. The most practical advantage of secondary sources is their increased availability. Primary sources often originated decades or centuries ago. Much of the context that influenced those pieces is drastically different now and a modern interpretation might be the only way to apply the original findings to today’s world. The addition of strong secondary sources can strengthen the scope of a literature review. Lastly, most students have the most experience with secondary sources. This supposition was supported by the findings in a recent study by Oldenburg (2005). While psychology professors preferred to use primary sources, they usually reserved the assignments of these readings to smaller, more advanced classes. With the progression in their education, students gain more exposure to original sources. Most will identify the need to incorporate both primary and secondary sources into their research.

Hardships in Birches by Robert Frost Essay -- Birches Robert Frost Lit

Hardships in Birches by Robert Frost In any life, one must endure hardship to enjoy the good times. According to Robert Frost, the author of "Birches", enduring life's hardships can be made easier by finding a sane balance between one's imagination and reality. The poem is divided into four parts: an introduction, a scientific analysis of the bending of birch trees, an imaginatively false analysis of the phenomenon involving a New England farm boy, and a reflective wish Frost makes, wanting to return to his childhood. All of these sections have strong underlying philosophical meanings. Personification, alliteration, and other sound devices support these meanings and themes. Frost supports the theme by using language to seem literal, yet if one visualizes the setting and relates it to life, the literal and figurative viewpoints can be nearly identical. Take this example: "Life is too much like a pathless wood". This simile describes how one can be brought down by the repetitive routine of day-to-day life, but only if one processes the barren, repetitive forest scene that Frost paints in that sentence. Sound devices also add to the effect of the poem. Frost gives the image of the morning after an ice storm, as the ice cracks on the birch trees: "They click upon themselves / As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored / As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. / Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells / Scattering and avalanching on the snow crust--" The repeating /s/, /z/, and /k/, sounds in this passage are strong examples of alliteration, and sound devices are crucial in the image presented; calm, reflecting, and romanticizing, like a quiet walk in the woods. The /k/ sound is the sound... ...cs implies that the upper thrust of birch swinging gives a taste of heaven, as was stated earlier involving ice storms: " Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away / You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen." The speaker finds that swinging on a birch tree gives one a piece of heaven. The ups and downs of the birch trees offer various contrasting experiences that the speaker uses to keep himself sane. These rises and falls represent heaven and earth, the difference of truth and realism, rigidity and reckless enjoyment, adulthood and childhood, and flight and return. These ups and downs are what Frost strives for. He lives as a poet to constantly ride these birch trees, so he can find the compromise between these figurative pleasures and pains, and according to him, there is no better occupation: "One could do worse than be a swinger of birches."

Competition in Energy Drinks Essay

1. What are the strategically relevant components of the global and U. S. beverage industry macro-environment? How do the economic characteristics of the alternative beverage segment of the industry differ from that of other beverage categories? Explain. Demographics: The total sale for beverages in 2009 in the US was about 458. 3 billion gallons and it is one of the largest markets with dollar value of 1,581. 7 billion in 2009 and with a forecast of $1,775. 3 billion for 2014. 48. 2 percent of industry sales were from carbonated soft drinks and 29. 2 percent of bottle water industry sales. In 2009, The Alternative beverage industry included sports drinks, flavored or enhanced water and energy drinks made up 4%, 1. 6%, and 1. 2% of industry sales respectively. The global market for alternative beverages in 2009 was $40. 2 billion, while it was $17 billion for alternative beverages in US market. It was $ 12. 7 billion and $9. 1 billion for Asia pacific and European markets respectively. Market growth: The market growth has huge potential with the dollar value of the global market for alternative beverages grew at a 9. 8% annually between 2005 and 2009, but was expected to slow down to 5. 7% annually between 2010 and 2014. US is the country which has strongest growth internationally in term of alternative beverage sales with an annual growth rate of 16. 6% between 2005 and 2009 and a forecasted growth rate of 6. 7% between 2010 and 2014. Europe and Asia-Pacific grew at annual rates of 5. 3% and 5. 6% between 2005 and 2009 and were expected to grow at a rate of 4. 4% and 5. 1% respectively between 2010 and 2014. However poor economic conditions in the US in 2008 and 2009 led to a 12. 3% decline in sports drink sales and a 12. 5% decline in flavored and vitamin waters sales. It was also the reason why energy drinks sales increased only 0. 2% between those years. Rivalry between competitors: Coca Cola, Pepsico and Redbull are the three big players that made the industry rivalry become global. However, there were hundreds of brands like Otsuko which were specialty yet regional brands that did not have a foot print internationally but were doing well in their own terms. Beverage producers had made various attempts at increasing the size of the market for alternative beverages by extending existing product lines and developing altogether new products. Social Forces: * Global beverage companies such as Coca Cola and PepsiCo had relied on such beverages to sustain in volume growth in mature markets where consumers were reducing their consumption of carbonated soft drinks. * Expanding the market for alternatives beverages and increasing sales and market share, beverage producers also were forced to content with criticism from some that energy drinks, energy shots, and relaxation drinks presented health risks for consumers and that some producers’ strategies promoted reckless behavior, the primary concern of most producers of energy drinks, sports drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverages was how to best improve their competitive standing in the market place. Driving Forces for this industry: * Expanding Market share. * Desire to reach out to Consumer needs and meet the demand * Personalization of the Market Segments * Branding * Market Size * Maximization of Growth Potential General Economic Conditions: * Global growth is projected to grow at 3. 5 percent in 2012, then accelerate somewhat to 3. 6 percent from 2013-2014. In 2012 It is expected that emerging economies will be slow in growth by 0. 7 percentage points on average, going from 6. 3 percent growth in 2011 to 5. 6 percent in 2012, partly as a result of slower export growth and partly because several of them have been growing above trend and the GDP Growth for the world is predicted to be at 3. 6. Things look a little slow but are picking up slowly and there is no recession in sight so far. This could really help the industries like Food, Beverages, Health surge ahead like they already are into the market with more percentage of market share and consumer usage based on the increasing numbers in the trend. Impact of Economic Factors: * Demand on beverages and alternative beverages should remain incremental or stable * Branded alternative beverages with national and international presence should do well * Business opportunities should be encouraged with fair and encouraging interest rates 2. What is competition like in the alternative beverage industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness and the potential profitability of new entrants? The Beverage industry is highly competitive and the segments that come into picture when it comes to competition are Distribution, Shelf management, Licenses, Brand name and Image, Pricing, Labeling and Packaging, Marketing and Advertising, Quality and taste, Trade and Consumer promotions and Branding. * Competition with non-alcoholic beverages * Competition with Carbonated beverages * Competition with regional beverage producers and private label soft drink suppliers * Competition in maintenance of distribution network * Competition on quality and pricing * Competition on Branding, Labeling, Marketing, Packaging and Promotions. Bargaining power of Buyers: Strong * Convenience store, grocery store, and wholesale buyers had considerable leverage in negotiating pricing and slotting fees with alternative beverage producers because of their bulk purchases. * New entrants with comparatively lower market shares are most affected with this like how it is mentioned in the case where the shelf space is limited to top brands like Coke, PepsiCo and Red bull for that particular market segment. The larger brands like coke and Pepsi also already have spaces worked out with them for their other products and this makes it easier for the bigger brands to get their newer products in the shelf’s too. * Delis and restaurants have low switching costs to other brands but they have less volumes compared to stores and less space, shelfs etc.and also will not have the same bargaining power that a store enjoys. * Demand is highly dynamic Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Weak * Suppliers for alternative beverages do exist in huge numbers and the competition is high * The producers of alternative beverages are important customers of suppliers and buy in large quantities. * Packaging is readily available Threat of Substitutes: Medium * Many substitutes like tea, bottled water, juices, nutrition water etc. have surfaced but the market is not as big as alternative beverages and this customer preference had weakened the competitive power of substitute beverages. * Many substitutes that can quench the thirst of the consumers * Price point of substitutes is less compared to alternative beverages Threat of New entrants: Weak * Brand leaders already exist in the industry with competitive prices and well established distribution system * Convenience stores and Shelves across the stores are already in partnership with existing big-wigs * Customer loyalty towards branded products is high * Need for large financial resources and funds * High Brand equity for already existing and successful brands Threat of Rivalry: Strong. * Competition centers among major brands based on brand image, appealing taste, packaging, R&D, Marketing and Distribution capabilities * Attempts by all the brands to increase the number and types of products in their product line * Low switching costs for the consumers of the industry * Strong marketing campaigns by each brand to gain customer loyalty The Bargaining power of consumers and rivalry that exists between the competitions in this industry contributes to the attractiveness of the industry. The numbers are promising, the industry is dynamic and increase in demand each year. The factors that affect the potential profitability of the new entrants are the Brand image, Distribution network and Product line breadth. 3) How is the market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those forces individually or collectively make the industry more or less attractive? * Driving forces of the alternative beverage industry are dependent on the creating/sustaining market demand, dynamics of the growth rate and product innovation. * Industry leaders established: Segments within the alternative beverage industry have consolidated as markets have matured and leaders have been established. Red Bull GmbH and Hansen Natural Corporation remained independent in 2010, Coca-Cola controlled such brands as Powerade sports drink, Fuze vitamin-enhanced beverages, glaceau vitamin water and NOS. In addition, Coca-Cola distributed Hansen’s Monster energy drink in parts of the United States, Canada, and six European countries. * Changes in Long term Growth Rate: The recession had an impact on sales of sports drinks and flavored or enhanced water and has stalled growth in the market for energy drinks; there was also growing market maturity for most categories of alternative beverages. The annual rate of growth for the dollar value of the global market for alternative beverages was forecasted to decline from the 9. 8 percent annual rate occurring between 2005 and 2009 to an anticipated annual rate of 5. 7 percent for 2010 through 2014. While dollar value growth rates were expected to decline only slightly in Europe and Asia-Pacific, the annual rate of growth in the U. S. was projected to decline from 16. 6 percent during 2005 – 2009 to 6. 7 percent between 2010 and 2014 * Product Innovation: The industry is continuing to evolve with introduction of new products that enable rise of new category of products. The recent introduction of energy shots is an example of how an innovation that has given rise to an altogether new sub-segment in the industry. * The creation of new product segments, the increasing positive trends in growth rate and increasing market share for each product are a good indication and good drivers of change that increase the attractiveness of the market for an emergent industry. 4) What does your strategic group map of the energy drink, sports drink, and vitamin-enhanced beverage industry look like? Which strategic groups do you think are in the best positions? The worst positions? The strategic group maps show the industry participants competing with axes of Geographic foot print and Brand. The Map shows that Industry giants like Coke and Pepsico are positioned strongest in the industry due to already existing contracts, supply chain, distribution network and shelf spaces in retail spaces. * Red Bull is seeing a successful brand in Europe and the U. S. * Hansen’s Monster is also doing good standing up to the other market giants with distribution partnership with coke giving it the required space and opportunity to grab the market and hence can be considered at a favorable position. * Rock star has also been at a favorable position due to the same reason of distribution network partnership with PepsiCo * Companies with a single brand and regional distribution like Otsuko, Vitamin water etc. appeared to be at an unfavorable place with chances of competition gulping the market share of the small players very soon. 5) What key factors determine the success of alternative beverage producers? The Key success factors for Alternative Beverage producers are * Constant Product Innovation: A company must be able to identify what a consumer is looking for and also maintain the ability to adapt with the changing market trends. They must be able to keep up and not lag behind. * Price: Price is always a factors in many cases and in this case consumers with a low brand preference will buy a product based on its competitive pricing * Brand Loyalty: Consumers are particular about what brand they purchase and they stick to it in most of the cases. This stresses for a superior brand image and quality * Distribution system: Probably one of the most important, Effective distribution channels will not only help reduce costs but also helps a company remain competitive. * Size and Scale: Successful alternative beverage producers were required to have sufficient sales volumes to keep marketing expenses at an acceptable cost per unit basis. 6) What recommendations would you make to Coca-Cola to improve its competitiveness in the global alternative beverage industry? To PepsiCo? To Red Bull GmbH? Recommendations to Pepsi. * Pepsico have to launch a major image building campaign for the most promising products it has. * Pepsico also needs to develop its own energy shot brand try to convince Rockstar to add an energy shot to its distribution agreement. * In addition, Pepsi should negotiate for distribution rights to European and Asia-Pacific market with Rockstar or launch its energy drink brands in attractive international markets. * PepsiCo can expand its foot print and focus on other international markets in energy drinks for more international presence and to utilize the demand of a branded and standard product. * Red Bull is currently the number in the energy drinks category and they should really take advantage of that and come up with more product line extensions and more products so people can identify with that brand and try other products too. They should focus more on product innovation and product line extensions. Recommendations to Coca Cola * Coca cola should improve its product by innovating and building up good image to recapture the market share it lost in energy drinks category. * Coca cola should also try to create more rapid growth in vitamin-enhanced beverages and energy shots product. * Coke should focus on products and Branding efforts to gain market and regain lost market share in energy drinks * It should build up its strength in term of alternative beverage sales in by pursuing acquisitions and focus on building its strength of sales in Asia and react quickly to solve the problem of lacking competitiveness in the European market for alternative beverages. * Coca cola can use a combination of new flavors and formulations, brands, line extensions, improved image building, and distribution capabilities to increase sales of alternative beverages internationally. Recommendations to Red Bull GmbH * Redbull should improve the performance of its recently introduced energy shots and continue to expand into rapidly growing country markets for energy drinks. * It is necessary for the company to maintain its lead in the U. S. and European energy drink market with additional product line extensions based upon product innovation. * It should develop sports drinks or vitamin-enhanced beverages that can further exploit the appeal of the Red Bull brand 7. Using the data in Ex. 11, 12, 13 compare Pepsi, Coke, and Hansen. Who has been the most profitable? Who has better managed their expenses? Which business has shown the most growth? Which of the three would you give the strongest grade for their performance? * Using the data from Exhibit 11,12 and 13 for Coke, Pepsi and Hansen, Hansen seems to be the most profitable so far as it became the largest seller of energy drink in the US by leading most of alternative beverage categories. PepsiCo’s global market share in 2009 was 26. 5 percent, overcome by 11. 5 percent to Coca-Cola. The Coca Cola has better managed their expenses it was the third-largest seller of alternative beverage and in the top five best-selling non-alcoholic beverages worldwide in 2009. But they have lot of catching up to do. I would give the strongest grade for performance to Hansen for its market share, range of products, product innovation and distribution strategies. Hansen also managed to have higher revenue growth and higher cash flow growth. Net Revenue| 2007| 2008| 2009| CAGR| Pepsi| 39374| 43251| 43232| 3. 17%| Coca Cola| 28857| 31944| 30990| 3. 40%| Hansen| 904465| 1033780| 1143299| 4. 50%| | | | | | | | | | | Net Income| 2007| 2008| 2009| CAGR| Pepsi| 5674| 5166| 5979| 1. 76%| Coca Cola| 5981| 5807| 6824| 4. 49%| Hansen| 149,406| 108032| 208716| 11. 70%| | | | | | | | | | | Operating profit| 2007| 2008| 2009| CAGR| Pepsi| 7182| 6959| 8044| 3. 85%| Coca Cola| 18451| 20570| 19902| 2. 55%| Hansen| 230986| 163591| 337309| 13. 40%| The company growth rate analysis of the three companies in terms of revenue, income and profit show that Hansen has higher percentage of growth rate well above the industry average. Hansen has greater revenues in the industry segment and higher customer demand and financial success.

Reduce the Cost of Marker Making

RESEARCH REPORT HOW TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF MARKER MAKING AND DECREASE THE WASTAGE OF FABRIC? TEXTILE INSTITUTE OF PAKISTAN Shakaib Iftikhar (AMM-3) Tariq Zaib(AMM-3) Arsalan Javed(AMM-3) Faiza Noor (AMM-3) TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT4 INTRODUCTION5 OBJECTIVES6 SCOPE OF THE THIS RESEARCH6 LITERATURE REVIEW7 EXPERIMENTAL METHODOLOGY10 RESULTS11 DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS14 CONCLUSION16 APPENDIXES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 REFERENCES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦18ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude to the following persons who have made the completion of this Lecture Notes possible: Our Research Teacher, Ma’am Rakshanda Shah,for her vital encouragement, support and teaching. Ma’am Nazia, our Institute Apparel Lab Assistant, for providing markers and patterns. Mr Gamini, Head of Apparel Department for the constant reminders and much needed motivation. Mr Pardeep from Eastern Garments for providing us the lab settings and inspiration he xtended. All the workers and staff of Eastern Garments who helped us in experimentations. Mr Lalith, Mr Salman and Mr Arsalan for assisting in the collection of the topics for the chapters. And Most especially to my family and friends. ABSTRACT Marker is a part of a paper on which the patterns of  all parts of the garments are drawn so that garments can be made by using minimum quantity of fabric. Reducing the quantity means that maker is being made efficient so that fabric wastage can be reduced as m uch as possible.There are two methods of marker making, the first one is manually in which a specialized marker maker makes the makers and try to utilize all the fabric so that another piece of fabric is not required. The other method is computerized method called Gerber Technology. In it the markers are made in computers and the efficiency is set by computer to decrease the fabric wastage. Saving the fabric is crucial because is decrease the average cost so that profit maximization can occur. After conducting experiments the best method for increasing the marker efficiency is Gerber (computerized).It makes the most efficient markers which decreases the wastage of fabric. This saves the cost and benefits the garment manufactures as they can make several pieces (patterns) out of less fabric. INTRODUCTION In recent years the number of markers required by apparel manufacturers has escalated disproportionately to growth. Orders are getting smaller, the number of different styles is incr easing, and lead times are getting shorter  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ all of which put more pressure on the marker making department. So it is no surprise that new automated marker making tools are being launched onto the market.Niki Tait takes a look. The improved fabric utilisation associated with computerised marker making has helped this technology virtually take over from traditional manual methods over the last 25 to 30 years. With fabric accounting for around 50 per cent of the ex-factory cost of a garment (more than 70 per cent in low cost labour countries), the 5 per cent saving associated with automated systems is key. In reality these marker making tools are ‘computer assisted' rather than ‘computerised,' with the skill of piece placement still relying on the experience of the marker maker.The computer plays a passive role, controlling the nesting constraints such as tilting, rotation and buffering while the operator makes all the decisions. An experienced marker maker will remember combinations which have worked before, he can see what part might fit into which slot, and he knows what he can tilt slightly off gain to fit. In the last few years, however, CAD companies and research organisations throughout the world have been working to develop systems to produce markers fully automatically.It's an extremely complex process given all the possible combinations of pattern part placements within a lay, and one that only becomes worthwhile if the material utilisation matches that produced by a skilled marker maker using conventional computer systems. It is only now becoming a viable option as the costs of high speed processing power and memory come down and software developments catch up. But for manufacturers the timing is a happy one as the number of markers – and cost of making them – has escalated disproportionately to growth.Orders are getting smaller, the number of different styles is increasing, and lead times are getting shorter â€⠀œ all of which put more pressure on the marker making department. With automatic marker making a series of parameters can be set. These include: produce the best possible solution in 30 minutes; try different combinations until a minimum of 91 per cent fabric utilisation is achieved; find the best combination within 500 tries etc. The system can be left to work through a batch of instructions unattended both day and night, so time constraints become less of an issue.With most automated systems, however, there is also the ability to combine human intervention within the automated process. Most CAD companies agree this provides for the best solution, particularly where the marker is going to be used for many repeats, on deep, long lays or where expensive fabrics are going to be cut. OBJECTIVES This research has several objectives which are beneficiary for number of reasons. The first objective of this research is to increase the production per hour by increasing the efficiency. Effic iency is directly related to production because if the marker is efficient, it can be easily layed out on he large bundles of fabric. Another objective is to increase the efficiency of the garment, when the marker made is good, the efficiency will increase and overall quality of the garment will be improved. It will also decrease the waste produced by the cutting department since with marker making technology, fabric will be properly utilized. One more major objective is to meet the international quality standards like for example ISO and etc. The objective goal of 83% percent efficiency which is the best in industries currently has to be met.This efficiency had to be tested on manual and computerized in order to find which gives the more efficiency and saves the fabric. SCOPE OF THE THIS RESEARCH One of the benefits of finding the efficiency was that the apparel industries require less labour to produce the garmants. The turnaround time of maker making is faster if done all at one time and pricewise, it will cost less money to manufacture a garment in apparel industries just by paying a flat rate for the whole process versus paying regular prize for each individual job.The markers can be fully customized to fit any costumer’s designing needs and are offered to apparel companies, Professional business people, Artists, People with new design inventions, young designers trying to launch for the first time a collection and people in  general who want to create a small clothing line to sell their designs on an online website store. Turn around time for most jobs done through marker making is faster than making each individual pattern made separately.An efficient marker coordinates and organizes all the work flow to be done for the costumer and spends a great deal of time explaining each little detail of the design process to its design team who will be in charge and responsible for the completion of a given project. Pricewise, making a garment through 83 percent efficient computerized marker will cost a lot less money versus paying five to ten thousand rupees for the making each single pattern by hand. This amount of money is often spend by manufacturing companies who have the obligation of aying all the salaries of their design team which can add up to thousands of rupees every week not forgetting the fact that paying regular prize for each individual pattern will always be more expensive than paying a flat rate for all the work to be done. In addition an efficient maker has many advantages, one of them is the ability to create many pattern and lay them on several fabrics in one location. This requires less space and the company can save its lot of space. Turnaround time for all pattern to be made are faster if done all at one time. LITERATURE REVIEWFor industrial garments preparation, marker making is a very important chapter for highest usage of fabric and for lowest wastage of fabric. This is a process which is performed to draw the pattern pieces on the fabric before cutting. This may be done by drawing the pattern pieces on the fabric directly or by drawing the pattern pieces on a thin marker paper and then placement the paper onto the fabric lay. So, we can define the marker as bellow. Marker is a thin paper which contains all necessary pattern pieces for all sizes for a particular style of garments in such a way that, fabric wastage would be least.The representation or drawing of the arrangement of identified garment pattern relevant to the cutting of a batch material. The marker is placed on the material and provides guideline for cutting. Marker may be on fabric or held in computer data files. Marker width is equal to the minimum fabric width and its length depends on the no of pattern sizes that will be drawn. Preparations of Marker Making Before the marker making, some preparatory processes would be followed. The processes are discussed ago (In preparatory processes chapter).Without those, some oth ers preparations are * Marking Grain Line : Before marker making, the grain line of pattern and fabric must be marked. * Fabric Measurement : Before marker planning, the fabric must be measured carefully. Because, marker width is relevant to the minimum fabric width. * Fabric Faults : Fabric faults would be also under consideration. In a fabric roll, where any faults found, that points must be avoided for quality production and to least the fabric wastage. * Cutting Table : Marker planner should consider the cutting table length before making marker.Marker length must be less than the cutting table length. Constraints of Marker Making During marker making, the work of the marker planner is subjected to a number of constraints. These relate to i. The nature of the fabric and the desired result in the finished garment. ii. The requirements of quality in cutting. iii. The requirements of production planning. The nature of the fabric and the desired result in the finished garment * Patt ern alignment in relation to the grain of the fabric, pattern pieces normally carry a grain line.When pattern pieces are laid down the piece of cloth, the grain line should lie parallel to the line of the warp in a woven fabric or the wales in a knitted fabric. Where pattern pieces are laid across the piece, the grain line should lie parallel to the weft or course direction. If the marker planner lays down a pattern outside the stated rules for grain lines, then the finished garment will not hang and drape correctly when worn. This requirement to follow the grain lines restricts the freedom of the marker planner in choosing how to lay the patterns in the marker. * Symmetry or AsymmetryMany fabrics can be turned round (through 180. ) and retain the same appearance are called symmetrical. They require no special attention during marker making. Asymmetrical fabrics are those which are turned (through 180. ) and do not retain the same appearance. Examples of such fabrics are pile which is brushed in one direction and which show different reflection of light. The marker should be planned in such a way that it is in accordance with symmetry, asymmetry of the fabric. All pattern pieces of a garment should be along the same direction when laid down on a symmetrical fabric. * Design characteristics of the finished garmentsIf a vertical stripe does not show a complete mirror image repeat, the right and left sides of a garment may be mirror images of each other. In this case, a pattern should be placed on checks in such a way that the design matches when sewing up. During marker planning, a marker maker must have to think about matching the checks and stripes in a garment. His freedom is restricted here. So I think it?  ¦s a constraints for a marker maker. The Requirements of Quality in Cutting * For majority of cutting situations where a knife blade is used, the placements of the pattern pieces in the marker must give freedom of knife movement.A blade, which has width , cannot turn a perfect right angle in the middle of pattern piece and space must always be allowed for a knife to turn such corners. The amount of space depends on the actual cutting method employed. * Pattern count check that the complete menu of pattern has been included. * Correct labeling of cut garments parts is essential to identify correctly the garment parts for whole garment sizes. It is the responsibility of the marker planner to code every pattern pieces with its sizes as the marker is planned. The Requirements of Production PlanningWhen an order placed for a quantity of garments, normally specifies a quantity of each size and colour. If the sewing room requires the cut work urgently, the marker may make two markers. 1. Short marker and 2. Long marker. * For long marker, it can be made according to the size proportion and different sizes. This process is very much efficient and takes more time and increased shade variation. * For short marker and for the particular order two marker can be made, this process is less efficient but takes less time and more production and small cutting table. For complex garments long markers generally offer more opportunities for savings than do short ones. * The more sizes that included in a marker, the greater are the scope for fabric savings. Greater fabric savings and after lower total cost would normally result, from cutting a stepped lay with paper markers on top. However, though for greater efficiency, a marker maker needs opportunity to work with freedom, but for maintaining proper quality some criteria must be followed. That is why there are some constraints of marker making. Methods of Marker Making There are two methods of marker making. i. Manual method. ii. Computerized method.Here marker is produced in two ways. 1. Marker drawn directly on fabric lay. 2. Marker drawn on marker paper. EXPERIMENTAL METHODOLOGY In order to find out which method gives near 83 % efficiency, the data collected was analyzed by the means of statistical mathematics. 5 samples had to be selected from each; 1. Manual Marker Making 2. Computerized Marker Making The computerized Marker making will be further tested using 7 different computerized machines for making markers. In total there were 5 samples from manual and 35 samples from Computerized Marker Making which means that there were total 40 samples of markers. 75 yards of fabric was used to lay markers on them. Each technique and machine was given 175 yards of fabric and the total fabric utilized was 7000 yards. The experiment was done 200 times in order to get 5 samples from each technique and method. In order to find out the efficiency, there is a formula which calculates it. The formula is Area of the patterns X 100 Area of the marker Out of 200 samples 40 samples were selected through simple random selection. 5 samples were selected from manual marker and 35 samples were selected from computerized marker making.After sampling the results were put in the table and the mean of efficiency was calculated for the left out samples in order to find out how much efficiency at max could be given. RESULTS The 5 selected samples from each method and technique were taken out and their efficiency was calculated. After getting their efficiency they were put in the table to find out the mean efficiency produced by them. MANUAL MARKER MAKING Sample 1 | Sample 2| Sample 3| Sample 4| Sample 5| 76. 56% | 78. 34%| 67. 66%| 61. 2%| 67. 3%| Mean efficiency of manual marker making= 70. 2 % Efficiency from manual marker making can be of maximum 70. % but the required efficiency is 83% which makes the saves the fabric most. COMPUTERIZED MARKER MAKING LECTRA Sample 1| Sample 2| Sample 3| Sample 4 | Sample 5 | 81| 80| 79. 9| 79. 7| 81. 3| Mean efficiency from Lectra = 80. 38% Efficiency from Lectra marker making can be of maximum 80. 38 % but the required efficiency is 83% which makes the saves the fabric most. COMPUTERIZED MARKER MAKING NESTER Sample 1| Sample 2 | Sample 3 | Sample 4| Sample 5| 78. 9 | 77. 7| 81. 2| 81. 3| 80. 18| Mean efficiency from Nester = 79. 85% Efficiency from Nester marker making can be of maximum 79. 5 % but the required efficiency is 83% which makes the saves the fabric most. COMPUTERIZED MARKER MAKING GERBER Sample 1| Sample 2| Sample 3 | Sample 4 | Sample 5| 85| 86| 82. 3| 83. 3| 83| Mean efficiency from Gerber = 83. 92% Efficiency from Gerber marker making can be of maximum 83. 92 % and the required efficiency is 83% which saves the fabric most and it means that Gerber met the required efficiency percentage. Sample 1| Sample 2| Sample 3 | Sample 4 | Sample 5| 82| 82. 2| 81. 37| 82. 67| 82. 73| COMPUTERIZED MARKER MAKING AUTOMATIC NESTER Mean efficiency from Automatic Nester = 82. 1%Efficiency from Automatic Nester marker making can be of maximum 82. 1 % and the required efficiency is 83% which saves the fabric most. COMPUTERIZED MARKER MAKING ASSYST BULLER Sample 1| Sample 2| Sample 3 | Sample 4 | Sam ple 5| 81| 79. 8| 81. 8| 81| 80| Mean efficiency from Assyst Bullmer= 80. 72% Efficiency from Assyst Bullmer marker making can be of maximum 80. 72 % and the required efficiency is 83% which saves the fabric most. Sample 1| Sample 2| Sample 3 | Sample 4 | Sample 5| 82. 33| 82. 23| 81. 36| 82. 90| 82. 88| COMPUTERIZED MARKER MAKING TUKATECH Mean efficiency from Tukatech = 82. 34%Efficiency from Tukatech marker making can be of maximum 82. 34 % and the required efficiency is 83% which saves the fabric most. DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS Lectra Because material savings are a fundamental factor for every apparel firm, Lectra has spent the last 25 years developing solutions that apply state-of-the-art technology for material optimisation. Diamino V4 is its latest computer assisted version which, when combined with Expert V4, provides an automatic marker-making tool that can handle all kinds of fabrics and generate entire markers or complete partially operator-processed markers.Lectra says it s â€Å"intelligent software† takes into account the specific requirements of different garments, fabrics and pattern pieces. Gerber Technology Maximizing fabric utilisation is not the only consideration of marker making: the time it takes is increasingly important too. Gerber Technology has modified its AccuMark and Micromark software to allow parts to be rotated according to specified laying and style rules. The grain line deviation can also be defined. For the actual automation of the marker production its software has been integrated with Nester Server. NesterNester is available in two versions: NesterServer as an upgrade to CAD systems from Gerber, Assyst, Asahi, Toray, PAD and VetiGraph; and the Nester complete nesting system. This software tool automatically generates cost-effective markers for production, costing and engineering. It also combines automatic and semi-automatic options. The company claims Nester's return on investment is realised in under six months. Fab ric savings with automatic nesting Nester Inc offers this real-life example of a sportswear manufacturer cutting $30 million of fabric annually. Four production markers were given to Nester to process automatically.On average, Nester generated layouts that were superior to CAD-based manual results by 1. 05 per cent. The average length used in the four markers was 714. 21 cm with Nester and 721. 85 cm with traditional CAD-based manual nesting. On average, NESTER outperformed a CAD operator by 7. 64 cm, or 1. 05 per cent. If this saving were extended over the entire marker population in this factory, 1. 05 per cent fabric savings would equate to $315,000 per annum. Pad Systems Although Pad Systems' software integrates with Nester, it also has its own automatic marker making system.Within this, individual pattern pieces are directly related to the base pattern piece, so any changes to the pattern are automatically reflected in the marker. This feature is important in a fast changing fa shion industry where patterns may be modified several times throughout the development of a style. New markers are based on a similar, though previously manually made, marker of a comparable style and material. Thus Pad's automatic marker combines the original manual skill of the marker maker with the processing speed of the computer.This combination, the company explains, results in similar fabric utilisation but the new marker is achieved in a fraction of the time. Assyst Bullmer Assyst Bullmer no longer supplies automatic marker making software to its customers, explaining that automarker. com uses the most up-to-date software, is maintenance-free, and is available 24/7. On their own CAD systems customers define the width of marker, the sizes to plan and constraints such as whether rotation or twisting off grain is allowed. This is then sent to the website and the results download by the factory or sub contractor.Users include manufacturers in Eastern Europe where the comparable cost of manual lay planning on a CAD system would be low. Tukatech Tukatech's automatic marker making facility is called Nest ++ and is of particular use in helping cater for overload or rush orders, for large ratio markers and to estimate the best efficiencies on many fabric widths during pre-production. Efficiencies are said to be comparable to manually placing pieces in the CAD system (approximately 1 to 3   per cent difference). Users can start a marker with manual placement and Nest++ will finish the job automatically.Benefits are said to include increases in material efficiency with subsequent decreases in material waste, time and labour savings in making markers; improvements in overall marker quality; tighter markers; avoidance of backlogs during peak periods; and fast, precise cost proposals for clients. FINDINGS After experimentation the GERBER machine, is the best in reducing waste and giving the more efficiency. It is better to install Gerber rather than installing any other experimented CAD machine. Manual should be eliminated as the system is very faulty and old. CONCLUSIONIn manual system the system is used to make maker for garment making is traditional. But in CAD system marker making is done in modern system. Marker efficiencies are not visible in manual system. Other hand, marker efficiency is visible in CAD system. Marker length is not visible in manual system while Marker length is visible in monitor screen at CAD system. In manual, once marker is made, it is not possible to increase its efficiency. But in CAD it is possible to increase the efficiency at any time possible which means that fabric can be saved. In manual if the marker is layed, nothing can be done about it.Marker copying is not possible manually, so it is very time consuming to trace each and every other marker out there. In CAD, by using Plotter as much as possible copy can be done. Manual marker making is very time consuming method whereas, CAD is a faster method. In man ual system quality cannot be assured, sometimes markers can be good other times really faulty but in CAD, it has quality assurance. Even though manual system costing is low, CAD is expensive but the labour cost reduced saves cost in the long terms and since markers can be utilized again and again there is no special need of hiring a professional marker maker to make the atterns and lay them on fabrics. Out of all the CAD system Gerber turned out to be the best since it has an automatic efficiency calculator and it evens shows and tells that this much amount of fabric would be wasted if the efficiency percentage is low. Therefore, apparel industries are recommended to use Gerber as their primary source for making Patterns and makers. APPENDIXES 1. Marker Making Marker is a part of a paper on which the patterns of  all parts of the garments are drawn so that garments can be made by usingminimum quantity of fabric. 2. Marker EfficiencyThe efficiency of marker making means that how ef ficient it is in saving the fabric. 3. Computerized Marker Making Markers which are made through the means of Computer 4. Manual Marker Making Markers which are prepared manually by a trained professional 5. Laying The putting of patterns/makers on the bundles of fabric. 6. Plotter This is in computerized maker making. In plotter line diagrams of patterns or makers are drawn. REFERENCES 1. Garment Construction Skills (Premlata Mullick) 2. Apparel Manufacturing (Sewn Product Analysis) 3. Patternmaking for Gerber Technology (Helen Joseph-armstrong) 4. www. scribd. com/doc/61990320/Marker-Making

Exciting Chiang Mai Attractions Top 20 Things to See and Do

Exciting Chiang Mai Attractions Top 20 Things to See and Do SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Chiang Mai, the ancient city in northern Thailand, is lovingly referred to asthe Rose of the North. Founded in 1296, Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples shining within and around its city walls. The modern city grew up besidethese golden shrines and crumbling monasteries, creating the beautiful, laid-back city that’s a favorite among travelers and expats today. I was fortunate enough to spend a month in Chiang Mai, and I’ve never felt such a sense of cultural fascination, well-being, or quality of life for the cost of living. When friends ask me for recommendations about Thailand, I have one that trumps all the rest. Go to Chiang Mai, I tell them. You’ll love it. Top Things to Do In Chiang Mai: Table of Contents I’ve picked out the top 20 things to do when you visit Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. Since it’s a long list, here’s a table of contents to help you jump to any particular Chiang Mai attractions that stand out. Gaze at Golden Temples Shop, Sample, and Stroll Through the Markets Make Friends With Elephants Get a Thai Massage Take a Thai Cooking Class Watch Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), or Go to Muay Thai Training Camp Experience the Unforgettable Yi Peng Festival Explore the Trendy Neighborhood of Nimmanhaemin Take a Yoga Class Chatwith a BuddhistMonk Visit the Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand Go Rock Climbing Go Whitewater Rafting Zip Line Over the Jungle Go Jungle Trekking Attend a Traditional Khantoke Dinner and Show See a Cabaret Show Rent a Motorbike Check Out Chiang Mai University Get a Bamboo Tattoo One thing that often gives me pause about traveling to a new place is exactly how to get around. Before delving into this list of what to do in Chiang Mai, read this quick note ongeography and transportation. A Note on How to Get Around Chiang Mai One important thing that you should know about Chiang Mai geography is that there’s an old town and a new town. The Old City is a square area located inside stone walls. These walls were built inthe 13th century to defend Chiang Mai from Burma and the Mongol Empire. There are lots of hotels, hostels, restaurants, and tour agencies geared toward tourists in the Old City. The newer part of the city is everything outside the walls. Most people who live in Chiang Mai live outside the city walls. You can find plenty of restaurants, cafes, markets, and shops outside the walls, too. The square section on this Chiang Mai map is the Old City. It's surrounded by the remains of a stone wall from the 13th century. My suggestions for Chiang Mai attractions are scattered within and outside thecity walls, and some take you further afield into the surrounding hills and jungle. Since the city is so friendly to travelers (in fact, it’s trying to become a UNESCO-recognized â€Å"Creative City,† and its tourism sector is part of that initiative) you’ll find that transportation is easy and cheap. You can take tuk tuks, a songthaew (a pick-up truck that may make several stops), or arrange for transportation as part of a tour activity. Songthaews are less expensive than tuk tuks - usually less than a dollar for trips inside the city - and tuk tuks shouldn’t be more than $3.00. Most prices, even for organized Chiang Mai tours, are negotiable! Now let’s delve into the top 20 things to do during yourChiang Mai trip. In case you were wondering, yes, there will be lots of recommendations for delicious Thai food to eat. 1. Gaze at Golden Temples Chiang Mai is a center of Buddhism, and you’ll see lots of temples and monks in orange robes as you walk along its streets. Since its foundation over 700 years ago, Chiang Mai has had a lot of time to build shrines to Buddha. In fact, there are hundreds of intricately carved temples throughout the city, as well as crumbling ruins dating back to the 13th century. The temples are beautiful, with elaboratecarvings, detailed murals, bright colors, large Buddhas, and statues of elephants and other animals. I always felt a pervasive sense of calm stepping inside the colorful temples, surrounded by flowers and incense wafting through the air. Walking around the streets and stepping into temples is agreat way to spend a morning before the afternoon heat sets in. Below are a few special temples that you should visit, but I bet you'll find your own favorites, too. Chiang Mai Temples You Should Visit Wat Doi Suthep: This is the most famous temple in Chiang Mai and is recognizable as a symbol ofthe city. It was built in 1383 and perches atop a mountain about 15 km outside Chiang Mai. Wat Doi Suthep is a brilliant gold temple surrounded by chedi, Buddhist mound-like structures also known as stupas. To get to this temple, you can climb 304 steps flanked by mosaic serpents or take a tram. At the top, you’ll see sweeping views over Chiang Mai and airplanes landing in the distance. Wat Chedi Luang: At 82-meters, this 14th century temple is one of the largest in Chiang Mai. You can find the colorful Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai’s historic center. Wat Phra Singh: Come to Wat Phra Sing to see the impressive and large golden Phra Buddha Singh statue. This temple was built in 1345 and restored in the 1920s. Wat Buppharam: Step just outside the city walls to see this 1497 temple. It has beautifully intricate mosaics and the largest teak Buddha image in Thailand. Wat Suan Dok: This temple is unique for its Sri Lanka-style architecture. It’s surrounded by white stupas and was founded in 1370. Wat Chiang Man: Built in 1297, this temple is special for its quartz crystal Buddha statue and detailed elephant statues. Temple Etiquette: What You Need to Know Both men and women should dress modestly to enter temples. You should cover your knees and shoulders, so no tank tops or shorts allowed inside. Some of the larger temples, like Wat Doi Suthep, will have shawls, pants, or wraps for you to rent, but smaller temples won’t, so you should go prepared. Similarly, don’t wear hats or sunglasses inside, and you should always take your shoes off before entering a temple. Beyond clothing, you should also be careful about gestures. It’s considered rude to point at others or the Buddha with your hands or your feet. It’s also expected that people back away from Buddha, rather than turn their back to him, when leaving the temple. Even though Chiang Mai can get hot, it’s generally a good idea to bring some sort of covering when meandering through the old city. I regret the times I saw a beautiful temple andcouldn’t go in because of my bare shoulders! 2. Shop, Sample, and Stroll Through the Markets There are so many bustling street markets throughout Chiang Mai, it’s almost hard to understand how they all fit! Some are daytime markets selling fresh fruits and vegetables, others are night markets for dinner, drinks, and shopping, and others fill the streets once a week for vendors to sell their crafts. Discovering new foods and crafts at the markets was one of my favorite things to do in Chiang Mai. Note that the food tends to have fixed prices, but everything else is usually fair game for haggling. Below are my recommendations for must-see markets in Chiang Mai, followed by some tips for what to eat and buy! Chiang Mai Markets You ShouldVisit Night Bazaar: This market’s open every single night from 6pm until midnight. It’s mainly a shopping market with a huge number of clothes, souvenirs, shoes, watches, and other goods. Some indoor shops sell real designer brands, but most goods out on the street are knock-offs. You won’t find as many high quality crafts here as you will at other markets (but you will find lotsof pirated DVDs). There are restaurants all around the market, as well as a big outdoor food court and Muay Thai ring behind it. The Night Bazaar sprawls along Chang Klan Road. Morning Market at Chiang Mai Gate: This morning market opens at 4:30 am and goes until noon at Chiang Mai Gate. Locals come here to buy fruits, vegetables, spices, and other foods. You can especially get a taste of local life if you show up early. Stalls with cooked food open up in this same spot around 5 pm for dinner. Wua Lai Street Saturday Market: This Saturday night market stretches the length of Wu Lai Road from 4:30 PM until around 10 PM. In addition to delicious food, you can find beautiful handicrafts made of wood, paper, and silk. The area is also known for its silver-making studios. Ratchadamonoen Road Sunday Market: The Sunday night market is similar to the Saturday night one. It stretches over a kilometer down Ratchadamnoen and Pra Singh Roads and is ever-growing! You’ll find amazing food stalls, traditional handicrafts, artwork, and clothes. Come here, rather than the Night Bazaar, for authentic Thai crafts. Keep in mind that it can get packed by 6 or 7. You might end up doing a slow shuffle through big crowds. Warorot Market: This large market in the center of Chiang Mai is open all day, every day. Some stalls close down around 6 pm, while others stay open well after dark. The main attraction is the countless food stallsselling all manner of Thai snacks, cooked foods, meats, and fresh fruits and vegetables. You’ll also find handicrafts and textiles from northern hill tribes on the side streets. Warorot Market is located at the end of Chiang Moi Road, near the Ping River Muang Mai Market: Touted as a â€Å"raw fooder’s paradise,† Muang Mai Market is great for wholesale fruit at unbeatable prices. It’s smaller than some of Chiang Mai’s other markets. You can also buy vegetables, meat, and seafood here. Muang Mai Market is open from dawn until dusk and is located on the northeastern side of the old city on Muang Samut Road. What to Eat Now let’s get toa subject of utmost importance - food! Chiang Mai street food is incredible and oh so cheap. You’ll probably end up spending somewhere between $1 and $3 for some of the best dinners of your life. Make sure to try khao soi, the speciality dish of Chiang Mai. It has egg noodles in a coconut curry broth and is usually served with lime, roasted chili, mustard greens, shallots, and crispy egg noodles on top. If you’re looking for stir fry, some great options are pak boon fai deang (morning glory), pat kha pao (a stir-fry with chili and basil), and pat prik gaeng (a red curry stir fry). Kaen khanun, or jackfruit curry, is also a delicious, unique kind of curry. Khao soi is the specialty of Chiang Mai. So. delicious. For meat, you might try the khao kha moo (stewed pork shank or knuckle often served with boiled egg, raw garlic, pickled mustard greens and chilly vinegar), kai yang (barbecued chicken), or sai oua (a grilled herb sausage). You might also try larb, usually ground pork or chicken cooked with spices and sometimes the blood of the animal. Some ubiquitous dishes you might be familiar with are pad thai, pad see ew, and tom yum soup, a spicy soup with lemongrass, kaffir lime leavs, galangal (Thai ginger), lime juice, fish sauce, and chili peppers. Two of my favorite snacks I discovered in the markets of Chiang Mai were steamed quail eggs, often sweetened with coconut, and miang kham, bite sized snacks wrapped inside cha plu leaves. They usually contain peanuts, ginger, chillies, shallots, green mango, and onions and are a taste explosion of sweet and spicy. You’ll also be able to find crickets and other insects to snack on, but for some reason I never found myself in the mood... Finally, you’ll see fresh juices and smoothies everywhere with all kinds of familiar and exotic fruits. One fruit that you should try for the experience - though maybe not the taste - is durian fruit. Hailed asthe King of Fruits, this controversial fruit is loved by some and despised by others. I’m glad I tried it, but to be brutally honest, the texture and taste reminded me of warm garbage. Durian, king of the (gross) fruits. What to Buy at the Markets One of my favorite things to buy at the markets was clothing. You can find colorful patterned pants, dresses, jumpers, shirts, and scarves at super reasonable prices, though the quality can vary. You’ll also find leather sandals and handcrafted jewelry. You’ll find traditional crafts made of wood, silk, ceramics, and paper, as well as prettylacquerware, typically bowls, boxes, and bracelets. You can also find lots of soaps and lotions with natural ingredients - coconut oil is a big ingredient. You may also be interested in the singing bowls, which are used for meditation and relaxation. The typically hand-hammered brass bowls come with a handle that you move around the outside at a steady pace to produce a steady ringing sound. Again, the Saturday and Sunday night markets are the best places to find traditional handicrafts, while the Night Bazaar has a lot of clothes and knock-off goods. 3. Make Friends with Elephants One of my most memorable experiences from Chiang Mai was visiting elephants. Three things I learned: elephants have very thick, wiry skin, their eyes show a great deal of intelligence and understanding, and they will eat a huge cluster of bananas in one gulp if you leave itunattended on the ground. You might have heard the sad statistics about elephant endangerment in Asia as a result of poaching and habitat destruction, as well as the huge problem of mistreatment of elephants in the tourism industry. Elephants are not actually supposed to carry weight on their back for longer than a few hours a day, and many tour agencies force them to carry people and wooden structures for eight hours or more. They also suffer abuse at the hands of their owners who want them to be docile for visiting tourists. Fortunately, there are three great elephant sanctuaries outside of Chiang Mai that rescue abused elephants and provide them with a caring, safe environment to live. These sanctuaries invite visitors to meet the elephants and learn about ethical and sustainable eco-tourism. In general, it’s best to look for a place committed to humane practices that will let you meet, feed, and bathe elephants, but not ride them. Below are three suggestions for elephant sanctuaries outside of Chiang Mai where you can meet and make friends with these magnificent animals. Elephant Sanctuaries Outside Chiang Mai Elephant Nature Park: This center for elephant rescue and rehabilitation is probably the most established and well known among travelers. Also a rescue for dogs, cats, and buffalo, Elephant Nature Park lets you visit for a half day, full day, or overnight stay. It also has options for week-long volunteering. These are the prices for the day and overnight visits. You can find all the details on the Elephant Nature Park website. Short visit: 9 - 3:30, 2,500 baht, about $72 Full day visit: 7:40 - 5:30, 2,500 baht, about $72 Overnight visit: 7:40 am to 5:30 pm next day, 5,800 baht, about $166 Elephant Jungle Sanctuary: I stayed overnight in Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, the newest center that opened in mid-2014. You can visit for a half day in the morning or afternoon, a full day, or a full day with an overnight. These are the visiting options: Half day morning, half day afternoon: 1700 baht, about $49 Full day: 2,400 baht, about $69 Full day with overnight: 4,900 baht, about $140 I had an amazing experience staying overnight. I met fellow travelers from all over the world, learned from the sanctuary’s owners, and got a tour of their village (which, surprisingly, was a Christian village with a church). We made dinner, drank locally made rice wine, and went on a morning hike with one of the sanctuary’s elephants. The full day before also involved feeding and spending time with elephants and bathing them in the river and â€Å"mud spa.† Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary: Like the others, this sanctuary cares for rescued and retired elephants. This 500-acre center was named after its first rescued elephant who broke his back legs and received the first elephant wheelchair. People typicallystay at Boon Lott for at least one night. The price to stay in their guesthouse is 5,000 baht per night, or around $140. 4. Get a Thai Massage Tara Angkor Hotel/Flickr There’s a huge spa industry in Chiang Mai, and you’ll see massages advertised everywhere throughout the old city. There are casual places where you can just walk in to higher end dayspas that offer multi-hour combined packages. While people may have an association of cheap massage places with sex work, I didn’t find that to be an issue here, at least not at places in the Old City. For the most part, I’d say use your best judgment that the place is casual, but not seedy. Thai massages range from only about $5 to $15 for an hour. Most places offer a variety of massage types, but you should definitely try the traditional Thai massage when you’re in Chiang Mai. It’s an ancient healing practice that targets pressure points. You’ll be given loose clothes to put on. In addition to rubbing, the massage therapist will compress and stretch parts of your body and put you into passive yoga positions, like supine twists. I was a little nervous trying it for the first time, but I absolutely loved it. I did have a couple Thai massages where the pressure was way too intense, but I just asked the massage therapist to use a lighter touch. Massage parlors also offer foot massages, head, neck, and back massages, coconut oil massages, and skin treatments. It’s customary to tip for good service, perhaps 50 to 100 baht (between $1.50 and $3.50). Also note that you should always take your shoes off before entering; the first part of the massage will be washing your feet. Here are a few recommendations for spas in Chiang Mai. Where toGo for a Thai Massage Kiriya Spa Vana: This higher end spa has beautiful ambiance and amazing massages. Thai massages are 500 baht (about $14) for one hour. It also has lots of other options for massages and skin treatments, like citrus massage oil massage, cappuccino body scrub, and a chocolate, cinnamon, and ginger body mask. It’s a good idea to make an appointment, but they may be able to take walks in at quieter time of days. Address:47/14 Samlan Road Nimman House: This spa also has a nice ambiance and great massages, and the prices are a bit lower. A Thai massage is only 250 baht (about $7), and some of its other offerings include hot oil massages, milk cream massages, body scrubs, facials, and steam rooms. The mattresses are on the floor, rather than raised up. You usually don’t need to make an appointment. Address: 59/8 Nimmanhaemin Road Le Lux Thai Spa: This more casual massage place gives high-quality massages in a communal room. Hour-long Thai massages are only 200 baht (about $5-$6). Address: /6 Moonmuang Road Green Bamboo Massage: This spot uses organic, homemade cosmetic products. Thai massages are 250 baht (about $7). Some other massages on the menu include coconut oil, aloe vera, warmed bamboo stalk, and Tok Sen, a deeper technique that involves a â€Å"wooden stick and hammer.† Address:1 Moon Muang Road Cheeva Spa: Cheeva is one of the top-rated spas in Chiang Mai. It also has the most expensive Thai massage at 1,200 baht (about $34). It also has all kinds of spa packages that are two to four and a half hours long. Address: 4/2 Hussadhisewee Road Beyond these recommendations, you can also walk around the Old City and find numerous Thai massage places with hour-long massages between 200 and 250 baht. I went to a few random spots, and the only negative experience I had was that the pressure was too intense. The massage therapists lightened up when I asked. 5. Take a Thai Cooking Class If you’re a fan of Thai food, then you might be interested in learning how to make it! Several Thai cooking schools around Chiang Mai offer half day and full day classes, where you’ll learn to make a variety of dishes. Most classes first take you to a market, where you buy and learn about fruits, vegetables, and spices. I made tom yum soup, green curry with chicken and vegetables, pad thai in an omelette, and sticky rice with mango. It was delicious; my only regret was not being able to eat it all. The prices are typically only about $30 per person. Thai Cooking Schools in Chiang Mai Here are a few of the top cooking schools in Chiang Mai. In choosing, you should think about whether you want to do a full-day or half-day course and whether you want to drive out to a farm or go to a school in the city. All of the classes include transportation, and most share similar options on the menu - usually a type of curry, stir fry, appetizer, noodle dish, and dessert. As far as I know, all of them can be vegan or vegetarian. Thai Farming School: This class takes you out to the owner’s organic farm for cooking. First, you’ll get picked up from your hotel around 8:30 AM and head to a market to pick out ingredients. You’ll be back at your hotel around 4:30 or 5:00. The price, which is all inclusive, is 1,300 baht (about $37). Before your cooking class, you’ll get a guided tour of a market and pick out fruits, vegetables, and spices. Basil Cookery School: You can take a morning (9-3) or afternoon (4-8:30) class at this school in the city. You’ll learn seven dishes, and the classes are limited to one to seven people. The price 1,000 per person, or about $29. Thai Orchid Cookery School: This school in the Old City also keeps its classes small at between two and ten people. The full day course from 9:30 to 3 costs 1,200 baht (about $34) and the half day course from 10 to 1:30 costs 1,200 baht (about $26). 6. Watch Muay Thai (or Go to a Muay Thai Camp) Muay Thai is a combat sport similar to boxing, but fighters also use their elbows, knees, and feet. When they practice this â€Å"Art of Eight Limbs,† Muay Thai fighters use parts of their body to mimic weapons. Their hands are the sword and daggers, shins and forearms are armor, elbows are hammers, and legs and knees are the axe and staff. You can find Muay Thai matches on a nightly basis throughout Chiang Mai, though the more authentic fights that locals attend happenonce a week. If you’re interested in learning Muay Thai, you could also take classes or attend a longertraining camp. Muay Thai Matches in Chiang Mai Thapae Boxing Stadium: This stadium hosts 6 to 8 Muay Thai matches every night from Monday to Saturday. Tickets are 400 baht ($) for regular admission and 600 baht ($17) for ringside â€Å"VIP† seats. You can just show up. The entrance is on Moon Muang road, opposite Thaphae gate. Kawila Boxing Stadium: This less touristy stadium hosts fighters who are competing to become nationally known. It holds ten fights every Friday at 8. The prices are also 400 baht for regular admission and 600 for VIP seats. Kawila is one block south of Thapae Road. Loi Kroh: Fights are held here three to four nights a week on Loi Kroh Road behind the Night Bazaar. You’ll see both Thai and foreign Muay Thai fighters. The prices are the same as the other stadiums. You probably don’t need VIP seats - all the chairs are plastic and you can pretty much sit wherever you want. Several gyms offer Muay Thai camps and accommodations so you can learn this ancient form of combat. Muay Thai Training Centers in Chiang Mai All these gyms offer classes for both experienced Muay Thai fighters and complete beginners. Lanna Muay Thai Boxing Camp: Here, you can sign up for a single class or stay for a month or more on site. It’s 300 baht ($8 to $9) for a class and 8000 baht (about $230) for a full month of training. Lanna Muay Thai Boxing Camp:This spot also has single classes or accommodations for a month+ of training. A week costs 2,500 to 3,000 baht ($70 to $85) and a month costs 8,000 to 9,000 baht. High season is November to March and low season is April to October. Lanna Muay Thai Boxing Camp:Santai Gym is another good spot for classes or long-term training. A single day of training is 600 baht ($16 to $18) and one month is 10,000 baht (about $286). Other reputable Muay Thai gyms in Chiang Mai are Gym Bangarang Muay Thai MMA Training Camp and Hongtong Muay Thai Gym. 7. Explore the Trendy Neighborhood of Nimmanhaemin Jill Chen/Flickr Nimmanhaemin is a trendy area northwest of the Old City. While the Old City is more hotels and hostels, Nimmanhaemin is an area where people live. You can find lots of cafes, restaurants, shops, live music, art galleries, spas, salons, clothing stores, and boutiques. There are some really goodcoffee spots with fast, free wifi, thanks for the student population from the nearby Chiang Mai university and Chiang Mai’s group of â€Å"digital nomads,† people who work remotely. Some great Chiang Mai cafes in Nimmanhaemin are Librarista, Marble Arch, Wawee Coffee, Ristr8to, and Coffee Bar. You should also seek out the Nimman Promenade for boutiques and specialty shops, as well as the Ji-Qoo Art Gallery to see works by local artists. If you’re in the mood for a haircut, check out New York New York Hair Studio. It caters to locals and westerners, and I got one of the best and least expensive haircuts of my life there. 8. Experience the Unforgettable Yi Peng Festival Flip Nomad/Flickr Chiang Mai has one of the largest celebrations of the Yi Peng festival of lights every November during the full moon. This celebration of spiritual cleansing and renewal and good luck coincides with Loi Krathong, where people arrange flowers and candles on baskets and float them down the river (these floats are called krathongs). Chiang Mai holds the most elaborate celebrations with three days of parades, fairs, float and lantern contests, fireworks, beautiful decorations on the temples, and beauty contests called Nopphamat Queen contests. You can see and participate in everything for free - just head toward the Ping River - or you can buy tickets for the event at MaeJo University. Tickets for the MaeJo event are about $100. 8. Take a Yoga Class Health and wellness area big focus in Chiang Mai, which you can see with the ubiquitous spas, vegetarian restaurants, and yoga studios. There are great studios throughout the seat with classes suitable for people of all levels. Many classes are geared toward tourists and English-speaking expats, so all of the suggestions below offer classes in English. They typically cost just about $5 to $6 for an hour to an hour and half. Some also offer yoga teaching training, multi-day yoga retreats, and massage therapy classes. Yoga Studios in Chiang Mai Wild Rose Yoga:This studio has classes everyday at 10 am and 6 pm. You can find it on Soi 4/1, a very narrow road (too narrow for cars) off of Phrapokklao Soi 4. Blue Garden Yoga: This studio has daily yoga classes, plus yoga teacher and massage therapist training.Classes are usually at 9 AM and 7 PM. It has a beautiful semi-open space with plants and flowers. Word to the wise: wear bug spray! The Yoga Tree: offers classes in yoga, pilates, dance, and meditation, as well as training courses. It has several classes throughout the day. Other yoga schools in Chiang Mai are Mahasiddha Tantra Yoga School, Om Ganesha Yoga, Wise Living Yoga Academy, Freedom Yoga. 9. Chat With a BuddhistMonk Would you like to learn more about Buddhism, Chiang Mai, northern Thai culture, Thai language, or where to find the best pad thai? You can talk about anything you wantduring these exchanges with Thai monks offered at various temples throughout the week. These â€Å"monk chats† are a really cool opportunity to exchange language, culture, and conversation and gain insight into Thai culture. A lot of young monks participate to practice their English. They’re casual conversations, and you can talk for as long or as short a time as you like. If you’re looking to learn more about Chiang Mai and chat with locals, then you should take advantage of one of these unique opportunities. Times and Locations of Monk Chats in Chiang Mai Here are some of the temples that offer monk chats, along with the times. Wat Chedi Luang: daily from 9 AM to 6 PM. Up to 50 young monks sit outside at large tables to chat with visitors. Wat Suan Dok: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 5 to 7PM Wat Umong: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 5:30 to 7:30 PM MCU Buddhist University, Chiang Mai Campus: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 5 pm to 730 pm Doi Suthep Temple: daily from 1 to 3 pm. 10. Visit the Hill Tribe Villages in Northern Thailand \ Donna Cymek/Flickr The main hill tribe peoples that live outside Chiang Mai are the Akha, the Palong, the Lahu, the Lisu, and the Karen, also referred to as the Long Necks because of the brass rings that women traditionally wear around their necks. Several groups give you the opportunity to visit and learn about the villages in northern Thailand. Ideally, the group you journey with should employ local villagers as guides andliaisonsbetween visitors and the communities. A couple reputable touring groups are Thailand Hilltribe Holidays and All Thailand Experiences. You’ll have the opportunity to go to markets, try new foods, lend a hand on farms, and possibly stay overnight in a village. You can also check out the Baan Tong Luang Village, an exhibition village featuring five hill tribe cultures. You can take a taxi to this exhibition village; no need for a guided tour. . Go Rock Climbing There’s some epic rock climbing outside of Chiang Mai according to a friend of mine. As a non-rock climber myself, I’ll have to take his word for it. The epicness is due to the limestone cliffs surrounding Chiang Mai. One especially famous crag is called Crazy Horse Buttress. You can climb with a group or private guide and rent equipment or bring your own. The best group is Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures. It’s about $57 for a full day of climbing with a private guide, transportation, lunch, and climbing gear. If you have your own gear and don't need a guide, they'll drive you to the crag and back for just $10 or so. They also have multi-day climbing courses and an indoor climbing wall in their gym. 12.Brave the Rapids on the Mae Teng River People of all ages and experiences levels can go out whitewater rafting on the nearby Mae Teng River. Some good rafting tour groups are Siam River Adventures, Chiang Mai Adventure, Active Thailand, and All Chiang Mai Tours. All inclusive day tours are about $52. Some tours combine whitewater rafting with other activities, like jungle trekking or visiting elephants. When you’re not keeping your eye on the rapids, you may see animals,maybe even elephants, in the jungle along the river’s shore. 13. Zipline Over the Jungle Keeping in the theme of outdoor adventure, ziplining is another fun activity in the jungle outside Chiang Mai! You can fly over the jungle and maybe even see gibbons up there with you in the trees. Ziplining is one of the more expensive of the Chiang Mai attractions at about $100 per person. The best groups to take you out for the day are Chiang Mai Zipline (Flight of the Gibbon), Zipline Chiang Mai, Eagle Track Chiang Mai, Jungle Flight, and Flying Squirrels. 14. Trek Through theJungle If you want to get outside but perhaps stay at a normal height and away from any white water rapids, then consider singing upfor a jungle trekking tour. There are literally hundreds of options and tour groups. When trying to decide, look to see if a group is certified the Tourism Authority of Thailand, as that means itmaintainscertain safety standards. Some highly rated trekking groups are Pooh Eco Trek, All Chiang Mai Tours, Trekking Collective Co, and Next Step Thailand. You can go out for a day or stay overnight for one or more days. The cost isaround 1000 baht, or $29, for a full day. Prices tend to go downif you sign up with a larger group of people. 15. Attend a Khantoke Dinner and Show Khantoke dinners are a centuries-old Lanna tradition. You sit on the floor around a bamboo tray laden with a variety of northern Thai dishes. Some of these foods include fried pumpkin, tomato and minced pork dip, red chili, fried chicken, pork curry, and sticky rice. As you eat, you watch traditional Thai dances and cultural performances. Two famous ones are the candle dance and sword dance. You may also step outside to see more costumed dances and (spoiler) surprise fireworks at the end. The dinner is a rather touristy outing, but the dances are really lovely. The dinner, show, and transportation cost about $25; only drinks aren’t included in the price. Two major Khantoke dinner restaurants are Old Chiangmai Cultural Center and Khum Khantoke. 16. See a Cabaret Show John Shedrick/Flickr Cabaret shows, usually with transgender dancers or performers in drag, are popular in Chiang Mai and throughout Thailand. Commonly known as ladyboy shows, they involve choreographed dances and extravagant costumes. The shows can be interactive, so don’t be surprised by some touchy-feely exchanges if you’re in the front row. To see a cabaret show, check out the nightly performance in Chinag Mai in Ansuan Market. It’s every night at 9:30, but you should probably buy your ticket 8 or 9. The ticket includes a drink and a snack. 18.Rent a Motorbike Are you eager to try out your motorbiking skills? There are lots of rental places throughout the city where you can rent a motorbike for a day or more. Rentals can be as cheap as $5 a day, while more powerful bikes for off-roading may cost between $20 and $30 a day. You can drive around the city, or go off the beaten track to explore northern Thailand. One popular motorbike trip takes you to the golden temple on the mountain, Wat Doi Suthep, and on to dirt roads that pass reservoirs. If you're feeling confident with your driving skills, you could also make the mountainous drive to the small town of Pai, which sits north of Chiang Mai. I say you have to be confident because the road to Pai is famous for its 762 curves, as well as its "sick stations" along the way for travelers who chose to take the bus. As someone prone to motion sickness, I didn't make the trip. If I did have the choice, though, I would take a motorbike rather than brave the topsy-turvy bus! If you are renting a motorbike, remember one key piece of information: Thai people drive on the left side of the road! 19. Check Out Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai University sits on over 700 acres west of the Old City. If you’re looking to get into greener spaces, you’ll enjoy walking or biking along its beautiful grounds. Beside the gardens, there are several great cafes, vegetarian and vegan restaurants, a small art gallery, and a geology museum. Due to a recent problem of Chinese tourists sneaking into classes, the university started charging an entry fee of $1 to $2 for visitors. It’s a great place to walk, have a picnic, see how local and visiting students live and study, and step away from the city. 20. Get a Bamboo Tattoo Amanda Roberts/Flickr Want to make sure your trip to Thailand is an experience you’ll never forget? You might commemorate your travels with a traditional Thai bamboo tattoo. Tattooing with bamboo is a technique that’s over 3,000 years old. It involves one or more needles attached to a bamboo stick. One advantage of this technique is that the tattoo has a faster healing time. Buddhist monks would get tattoos for protection and to show faith. Thai soldiers got them as well. According to legend, Thailand has never been occupied because of the power of the soldiers' bambootattoos. There are some traditional sacred tattoo designs called Sak Yant tattoos that are usually performed by monks. Not all monks will tattoo women, as custom prohibits touching between the sexes. While it’s still possible to get a Sak Yant tattoo at various temples, you should be careful about the standards of hygiene. A few highly rated bamboo tattoo parlors in Chiang Mai are Naga Tattoo, Deja Vu Tattoo, and Sam Tattoo. Visiting Chiang Mai: FinalThoughts Chiang Mai is a city that lingers with you. I can still clearly recall the incense-filled halls and clanging bells of beautiful ancient temples, as well as the bustle of night markets filled with unbelievably delicious street food. Not only is Chiang Mai very affordable, but it’s also very easy to navigate. Because tourism is a large part of the local economy, you’ll have no trouble arranging tours and transportation or finding things to do. In fact, you may find that you have too much on your agenda, between your own plans and the people whoapproach with flyers for Muay Thai fights and cabaret shows. Beyond the temples, streetfood, markets, and surrounding natural beauty, I also lovedChiang Mai'sfocus on health and wellness. Traveling can wear you down, but in Chiang Mai you can easily take care of your physical and spiritual health with yoga, Thai massages, steam rooms, fresh vegetables, and an endless array of smoothies. While Chiang Mai has a nightlife scene, it’s not a huge party city like some of the southern Thai islands. You’ll find that fellow Chiang Mai backpackers, travelers, and expats are more interested in culture, outdoor activities, conservation, and amazing food, all of which northern Thailand has in abundance. If you’re traveling to Thailand, then Chiang Mai, the lovely Rose of the North, should definitely be in your plans. After a few days in this happy, laid back city, you might find, like I did, that you don’t want to leave!

Difference between Pressing and Ironing

Difference between Pressing and Ironing Difference between Pressing and Ironing Difference between Pressing and Ironing By Maeve Maddox Sridhar Nyapathi asks What is the difference between pressing clothes and ironing clothes? To me, in a domestic context, ironing clothes requires more preparation than pressing them. If Im getting ready to go out and discover that my clean clothing is slightly wrinkled, Ill heat the iron and make a quick pass to smooth the fabric. I call that pressing. If, on the other hand, Ive failed to remove my clothes from the dryer quickly enough to prevent wrinkling, Ill sprinkle and roll them and fill the steam iron in order to smooth out the deepset wrinkles. I call that ironing. (Actually, Id probably just wash them again and make sure to stop the dryer in time.) In a commercial context, the word pressing is the word used to describe the process of getting out wrinkles. Here are some quotations from the web: ‘Mum suggested brother make bed up on floor under ironing board. Brother is staying at friend’s house’ (www.theguardian.com) attention to details. (One has to master the art of not making polyester shine, or double creasing.) As I was ironing a pair of pants the other day - something I hardly ever do anymore - it reminded me of my grandmother and my (www.chicagotribune.com) Apparatus for hot-pressing clothes, linen, or other textile articles, i.e. being applied to the article; Similar machines for cold-pressing clothes, linen, Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Slang Terms for MoneyTime Words: Era, Epoch, and Eon10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

Nursing Change initiative paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nursing Change initiative paper - Essay Example This paper will discuss the change effort to be made in one institution, Comanche Regional Hospital. Most people that have a change issue in their company are aware that a change needs to happen. They begin to get complaints or sales fall off. In the case of Comanche Regional Hospital the bottom line is running in the red and the turnover rate of new motivated managers is very high because of the age and beliefs of the older senior team running the facility. Even when there is a need for change as great as this one, however, complacency is most often the problem (Kotter, 1996). Urgency, at this stage must be created. In this case, there is a huge barrier and that is the mature management team that has been there for some time and talks a lot about change but never sees it happen. The next step in this case is the board. Creating a sense of urgency demands risky action. Going to a board meeting with a group of recent department directors who turned over quickly and customers that have in the past used the hospital is the move in this case that will create urgency the fastest. At the same time take a well created report to a management meeting showing how the bottom line is dropping off, how many jobs will be lost in what departments (it is much more urgent for a department director who must go to his staff and tell them they are laid off) and show over the last two years the number of department directors that have been hired and who have left the organization. Relate that to the cost of recruiting, hiring, and orienting this group. Continue by showing where the hospital could be as far as raises and incentives and management bonus if the bottom line is improved and that money is not spent recruiting the same positions all the time. Most recently there has been a very poor JCAHO review which came close to causing a closure of the facility. This has created a sense of urgency in itself and because of that and that we will create it is time to strike. Create a Coalition In every organization there are formal and informal leaders. Those people must be identified at this time as they will need to be on the guiding coalition. There are two champions that have influence and could be chosen at this time. One is Dr. Ben who has general influence in the hospital as well as in the community. He is well liked and retired from practice but working closely with other physicians. The other is Dr. Dale who is the head of the hospitalist program and this year will be Chief of Staff. Nurse D will be added to the list as she is a manager of the medical departments and has a good ability to work well with management as well as the nurses and staff. She is highly respected. Nurse A is the department director for the critical care units and due to the fact that she is fairly new to the hospital and has led successful change in her past, she is a great addition to this coalition. JP is a board member who has good communication skills among all of the different faction s and has respect on both side of the boundaries. He will provide the coalition with more power and be able to carry what is needed back to the board. Each of the other seats will be filled by staff people who have been progressive in stepping out of the box to improve things in their