Internal Analysis of Best Buy Company

Best buy is the leading retailer in consumer electronics in the United States of America, and is on its way to attaining a leading position in the industry round the world. This though doesn’t mean there’s no room for expansion, both the physical store layout, geographical location, and the organizational structure.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Internal Analysis of Best Buy Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Recent years have witnessed a mushrooming of Best Buy store branches in the United States, and even one being setup in China. However, just setting up new branches in its own does not guarantee prosperity. The management had to identify other ways to increase the efficiency and profitability of the company, and that is what led them to make changes in their organizational culture. In a bid to increase Best Buy’s customer base in 2003, Julie Gilbert launched a concept she referred to as ‘a store within a store’ to cater to individual shopping needs of its customers (Hunt, 2006). The concept was based on the theory of customer centricity, and was aimed at improving customer relations. The move saw increased customer numbers, especially that of ‘soccer moms’ who wished to enrich their children’s lives with the latest in electronic devices (Brady, 2007). This effort clearly shows that Best Buy’s organizational culture is biased toward the needs of the consumers, i.e. it is market oriented. The large number of Best Buy stores, however, presented another stumbling block in the form of communication problems. This is what led to the adoption of the current organizational structure- that of a multi-business unit. This is where the internal organization is broken down into sub-units or departments, each with its own specific function/duty. These departments are then interlinked to form a network which facilitates communication between one another. The lowest level in this network comprises of the store-level employees, who include sales staff, and inventory associates. The employees at Best Buys are all assigned to a specific department, which is under a department supervisor, who acts as an intermediary between the base-level employees and the management. Similarly, the supervisors are put under assistant managers, who are in turn under a general manager. The management staff report to the District management.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The district management is in charge of monitoring the activities of about twenty stores each. The districts afore mentioned are combined to constitute a region, each of which is placed under a regional manager. Regional managers are the ones who report directly to the corporate staff, which is under the company executives. This is the broad organizational s tructure of the Best Buy stores. The above strategies, though effective, are quite costly to develop and implement. So how does Best Buy manage to pull it off? The answer lies in the company’s unorthodox way of doing things. A case in example is the ‘Tornado Sale’-an annual event that was stumbled-upon by the founder Richard M. Schulze following the tornado that hit one of the original Best Buy stores in 1981. The salvaged merchandise was sold in piles at the wrecked store’s parking lot, and the idea of selling items ‘in a grab and go’ manner, rather than displaying them behind a glass counter was born, courtesy of Richard M. Schulze. The idea turned out to be a huge success in the future. This combined with the company’s annual income in excess of 45 billion USD (Yahoo Finance, 2009), gives the company a huge competitive advantage over other retail stores such as Wal-Mart who use low pricing of their merchandise to attract customers (T imes, 2010). Works Cited Brady, D. and McGregor, J. â€Å"What Works in Women’s Networks.† Bloomberg Businessweek. (2007): 12-15. Print Hunt, M. â€Å"Best Buy’s Julie Gilbert and the WoLF Pack’s First Footprints.† In Women We Trust. 5 Oct 2006. Web. Financial Times. â€Å"Best Buy See Big Drop in Sales.† Financial times 28 Dec. 2010: 2. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Internal Analysis of Best Buy Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Internal Analysis of Best Buy Company was written and submitted by user Tal1sman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Bhangra Essay Essays

Bhangra Essay Essays Bhangra Essay Paper Bhangra Essay Paper Bha?g?a ( Punjabi: ( Gurmukhi ) . ( Shahmukhi ) . ( Devanagari ) ; pronounced [ pa? ] ) is a signifier of dance and music that originated in the Punjab part. [ 1 ] Bhangra dance began as a common people dance conducted by Punjabi Sikh husbandmans ( Jatts ) to observe the coming of the crop season. The specific moves of Bhangra reflect the mode in which villagers farmed their land. This dance art further became synthesized after the divider of India. when refugees from different parts of the Punjab shared their common people dances with persons who resided in the parts they settled in. This intercrossed dance became Bhangra. The common people dance has been popularised in the western universe by Punjabi Sikhs [ 2 ] and is seen in the West as an look of South Asiatic civilization as a whole. [ 3 ] Today. Bhangra dance survives in different signifiers and manners all over the Earth – including dad music. movie soundtracks. collegiate competitions and ev en endowment shows. Bhangra dance is based on a Punjabi common people dhol round called ‘bhangra’ vocalizing and the round of the dhol membranophone. a single-stringed instrument called the iktar ( ektara ) . the tumbi and the chimta. Bhangra music nevertheless. is a signifier of music that originated in 1980s in Britain. The attendant vocals are little pairs written in the Punjabi linguistic communication called bolis. They relate to current issues faced by the vocalists and ( dil di gal ) what they truly want to state. In Punjabi common people music. the dhol’s smaller cousin. the dholki. was about ever used to supply the chief round. Nowadays the dhol is used more often in common people music nevertheless in bhangra dholki is still preferred. with and without the dholki. Extra percussion. including tabla. is less often used in bhangra as a solo instrument but is sometimes used to attach to the dhol and dholki. The dholki membranophone forms in Bhangra music bear an confidant similarity to the beat in Reggae music. This beat serves as a common yarn which allows for easy commingling between Punjabi common people and Reggae as demonstrated by such creative persons as the UK’s Apache Indian. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] In the late sixtiess and 1970s. several Punjabi Sikh bands from the United Kingdom set the phase for Bhangra to go a signifier of music alternatively of being merely a dance. The success of many Punjabi creative persons based in the United Kingdom. created a fanbase. divine new creative persons. and found big sums of support in both East and West Punjab. These creative persons. some of whom are still active today. include. Heera Group. Alaap. A. S. Kang and Apna Sangeet. Bhangra has developed as a combination of dances from different parts of the Punjab part. The term â€Å"Bhangra† now refers to several sorts of dances and humanistic disciplines. including Jhumar. Luddi. Giddha. Julli. Daankara. Dhamal. Saami. Kikli. and Gatka. * Jhumar. originally from Sandalbar. Punjab. comprises an of import portion of Punjab common people heritage. It is a graceful dance. based on a specific Jhumar beat. Dancers circle around a membranophone participant while singing a soft chorus. * A individual executing the Luddi dance topographic points one manus behind his caput and the other in forepart of his face. while rocking his caput and weaponries. He typically wears a field loose shirt and sways in a snake-like mode. Like a Jhumar terpsichorean. the Luddi terpsichorean moves around a dhol participant. * Womans have a different and much milder dance called Giddha. The terpsichoreans enact poetries called bolis. stand foring a broad assortment of topics - everything from statements with a sister-in-law to political personal businesss. The beat of the dance depends on the membranophones and the handclaps of the terpsichoreans. * Daankara is a dance of jubilation. typically performed at nuptialss. Two work forces. each keeping colourful staffs. dance around each other in a circle while tapping their sticks together in beat with the membranophones. * Dancers besides form a circle while executing Dhamal. They besides hold their weaponries high. agitate their shoulders and caputs. and cry and shriek. Dhamal is a true folk-dance. stand foring the bosom of Bhangra. * Women of the Sandalbar part traditionally are known for the Saami. The terpsichoreans dress in brilliantly colored kurtas and full flowing skirts called lehengas. * Like Daankara. Kikli features braces of terpsichoreans. this clip adult females. The terpsichoreans cross their weaponries. keep each other’s custodies. and whirl around singing common people vocals. Occasionally four misss fall in custodies to execute this dance. * Gatka is a Punjabi Sikh soldierly art in which people use blades. sticks. or stickers. Historians believe that the 6th Sikh guru started the art of Gatka after the martyrdom of 5th guru. Guru Arjan Dev. Wherever there is a big Punjabi Sikh population. there will be Gatka participants. frequently including little kids and grownups. These participants normally perform Gatka on particular Punjabi vacations. In add-on to these different dances. a Bhangra public presentation typically contains many energetic stunts. The most popular stunt is called the Moor. or Inachis io. in which a terpsichorean sits on someone’s shoulders. while another individual bents from his trunk by his legs. Two-person towers. pyramids . and assorted whirling stunts are besides popular. [ 16 ] Outfits Traditional work forces wear a chaadra while making Bhangra. A chaadra is a piece of fabric wrapped around the waist. Work force besides wear a kurta. which is a long Indian-style shirt. In add-on. work forces wear pagadi ( besides known as turbans ) to cover their caputs. In modern times. work forces besides wear turla. the fan attached to the pagadi. Colorful waistcoats are worn above the kurta. Fumans ( little balls attached to ropes ) are worn on each arm. Womans wear a traditional Punjabi frock known as a salwar kameez. long loose-fitting bloomerss tight at the mortise joint ( salwar ) and a long colourful shirt ( kameez ) . Women besides wear chunnis. colourful pieces of fabric wrapped around the cervix. These points are all really colourful and vivacious. stand foring the rich rural colourss of Punjab. [ 17 ] Besides the above. the Bhangra frock has different parts that are listed below in item: * Turla or Torla. which is a fan like adornment on the turban * Pag ( turban. a mark of pride/honor in Punjab ) . This is tied otherwise than the traditional turban one sees Sikhs erosion in the street. This turban has to be tied before each show * Kurta – Similar to a silk shirt. with about 4 buttons. really loose with embroidered forms. * Lungi or Chadar. A loose loincloth tied around the dancer’s waist. which is normally really adorned. * Jugi: A vest. with no buttons. * Rumal: Small ‘scarves’ worn on the fingers. They look really elegant and are effectual when the custodies move during the class of bhangra public presentation. . . and you can see a exposure of a bhangra dhol drummer. costumed and in full swing. Harmonizing to Sanjay Sharma. in her article. [ 11 ] she explains/points out the fact that Bhangra represents Asians and is referred to today as Asian music which accounts for the huge being of Asiatic wear and non to advert symbols as portion of their traditional dress/costumes Instruments Many different Punjabi instruments contribute to the sound of Bhangra. Although the most of import instrument is the keyboard. Bhangra besides features a assortment of twine and other membranophone instruments. The primary and most of import instrument that defines Bhangra is the dhol. The dhol is a big. high-bass membranophone. played by crushing it with two sticks – known as daggah ( deep terminal ) and tilli ( soprano terminal ) . The breadth of a dhol tegument is about 15 inches in general. and the dhol participant holds his instrument with a strap around his cervix. The twine instruments include the guitar ( both acoustic and electrical ) . bass. sitar. tumbi. fiddle and sarangi. The trap. Toms. dhad. dafli. dholki. and damru are the other membranophones. The tumbi. originally played by common people creative persons such as Lalchand Yamla Jatt and Kuldip Manak in true common people recordings and so famously mastered by chamkila. a celebrated Punjabi common people vocalist ( non bhangra vocalist ) . is a high-tone. single-string instrument. It has merely one twine. nevertheless it is hard to get the hang. The sarangi is a multi-stringed instrument. slightly similar to the fiddle and is played utilizing meends. The sapera produces a beautiful. high-pitched wiry round. while the supp and chimta add an excess. light sound to Bhangra music. Finally. the dhad. dafli. dholki. and damru are instruments that produce more drum beats. but with much less bass than the dhol membranophone.

How To Write an Essay

How To Write an Essay Writing an essay is like making a hamburger. Think of the introduction and conclusion as the bun, with the meat of your argument in between. The introduction is where youll state your thesis, while the conclusion sums up your case. Both should be no more than a few sentences. The body of your essay, where youll present facts to support your position, must be much more substantial, usually three paragraphs. Like making a hamburger, writing a good essay takes preparation. Lets get started! Structuring the Essay (aka Building a Burger) Think about a hamburger for a moment. What are its three main components? Theres a bun on top and a bun on the bottom. In the middle, youll find the hamburger itself. So what does that have to do with an essay? Think of it this way: The top bun contains your introduction and topic statement. This paragraph begins with a hook, or factual statement intended to grab the readers attention. It is followed by a thesis statement, an assertion that you intend to prove in the body of the essay that follows.The meat in the middle, called the body of the essay, is where youll offer evidence in support of your topic or thesis. It should be three to five paragraphs in length, with each offering a main idea that is backed up by two or three statements of support.The bottom bun is the conclusion, which sums up the arguments youve made in the body of the essay. Like the two pieces of a hamburger bun, the introduction and conclusion should be similar in tone, brief enough to convey your topic but substantial enough to frame the issue that youll articulate in the meat, or body of the essay. Choosing a Topic Before you can begin writing, youll need to choose a topic for your essay, ideally one that youre already interested in.  Nothing is harder than trying to write about something you dont care about. Your topic should be broad or common enough that most people will know at least something about what youre discussing. Technology, for example, is a good topic because its something we can all relate to in one way or another. Once youve chosen a topic, you must narrow it down into a single  thesis or central idea. The thesis is the position youre taking in relation to your topic or a related issue. It should be specific enough that you can bolster it with just a few relevant facts and supporting statements. Think about an issue that most people can relate to, such as:  Technology is changing our lives. Drafting the Outline Once youve selected your topic and thesis, its time to create a roadmap for your essay that will guide you from the introduction to conclusion. This map, called an outline, serves as a diagram for writing each paragraph of the essay, listing the three or four most important ideas that you want to convey. These ideas dont need to be written as complete sentences in the outline; thats what the actual essay is for. Heres one way of diagramming an essay on how technology is changing our lives: Introductory Paragraph Hook: Statistics on home workersThesis: Technology has changed workLinks to main ideas to be developed in the essay: Technology has changed where, how and when we work Body Paragraph I Main idea: Technology has changed where we can workSupport: Work on the road exampleSupport: Work from home example statisticConclusion Body Paragraph II Main idea: Technology has changed how we workSupport: Technology allows us to do more on our own example of multitaskingSupport: Technology allows us to test our ideas in simulation example of digital weather forecastingConclusion Body Paragraph III Main idea: Technology has changed when we workSupport: Flexible work schedules example of telecommuters working 24/7Support: Technology allows us to work any time example of people teaching online from homeConclusion Concluding Paragraph Review of main ideas of each paragraphRestatement of thesis: Technology has changed how we workConcluding thought: Technology will continue to change us Note that the author uses only three or four main ideas per paragraph, each with a main idea, supporting statements, and a summary.   Creating the Introduction Once youve written and refined your outline, its time to write the essay. Begin with the  introductory paragraph. This is your opportunity to hook the readers interest in the very first sentence, which can be an interesting fact, a quotation, or a  rhetorical question, for instance. After this first sentence, add your thesis statement. The thesis clearly states what you hope to express in the essay. Follow that with a sentence to introduce your  body paragraphs. This not only gives the essay structure, but it also signals to the reader what is to come. For example: Forbes magazine reports that One in five Americans work from home. Does that number surprise you? Information technology has revolutionized the way we work. Not only can we work almost anywhere, we can also work at any hour of the day. Also, the way we work has changed greatly through the introduction of information technology into the workplace. Notice how the author uses a fact and addresses the reader directly to grab their attention. Writing the Body of the Essay Once youve written the introduction, its time to develop the meat of your thesis in three or four paragraphs. Each should contain a single main idea, following the outline you prepared earlier. Use two or three sentences to support the main idea, citing specific examples. Conclude each paragraph with a sentence that summarizes the argument youve made in the paragraph.   Lets consider how the location of where we work has changed. In the past, workers were required to commute to work. These days, many can choose to work from the home. From Portland, Ore., to Portland, Maine, you will find employees working for companies located hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Too, the use of robotics to manufacture products has led to employees spending more time behind a computer screen than on the production line. Whether its in the countryside or in the city, youll find people working everywhere they can get online. No wonder we see so many people working at cafes! In this case, the author continues to directly address the reader while offering examples to support their assertion. Concluding the Essay The summary paragraph summarizes your essay and is often a reverse of the introductory paragraph.  Begin the summary paragraph by quickly restating the principal ideas of your body paragraphs. The penultimate (next to last)  sentence should restate your basic thesis of the essay. Your final statement can be a future prediction based on what you have shown in the essay.   In this example, the author concludes by making a prediction based on the arguments made in the essay. Information technology has changed the time, place and manner in which we work. In short, information technology has made the computer into our office. As we continue to use new technologies, we will continue to see change. However, our need to work in order to lead happy and productive lives will never change. The where, when and how we work will never change the reason why we work.

Politics of climate change science and its uses and abuses Essay

Politics of climate change science and its uses and abuses - Essay Example nd the challenges that he encountered during his research from Papal, fellow scientists and even had to be held under house rest for the rest of his life. He shows that the progress of scientific knowledge is determined by lack of political dictation. Politics cannot dictate what scientists research on, nor can their findings be ignored even if they threaten our beliefs or personal economic circumstance. On the other hand, Sarewitz supports that there is looming climate change crisis which he says is grounded on scientific rationality that lacks, moral base, experience and empathy. This is a rationality that relies on natural sciences and economics and excludes history, culture and politics. In his case, science and climate policy may not be adequate ways of combating climate change. Rather a change in the morality of the society and the need to care about science, rationality and truth, he argues are the key towards scientific rationalism. The film, an inconvenient truth, produced by Al Gore also identifies with the presence of a looming climate change and global warming. Gore discusses the scientific facts behind global warming showing how it affects the environment. He provides the effects that result from failure to respond to this crisis and points out an inconvenient truth of what all individual can do to conserve and protect the

Nursing Report according to the Australian Health System Essay

Nursing Report according to the Australian Health System - Essay Example Due to the enormity of the issue of chronic illness, this report will focus on children between the ages of 5 and 19 years of age. This report will conclude by identifying recommendations that nurses can implement in their role as primary health practitioners. Definitions Chronic Disease: A chronic disease is characterized by having a duration â€Å"that has lasted or is expected to last at least six months. Has a pattern for recurrence, or deterioration. Has a poor prognosis and produce consequences, or sequaelae that impact the individual’s quality of life.† (Child and Youth Health Intergovernmental Partnership, 2004) Diabetes (diabetes mellitus): This is a chronic condition in which â€Å"the body makes too little of the hormone insulin or cannot use it properly. This raises the blood level of the body’s major energy source, the sugar glucose, and causes other widespread disturbance of the body’s energy processes.† (Child and Youth Health Intergo vernmental Partnership, 2004) Type 1 diabetes: This is a chronic condition, which generally arises in childhood or youth and is known as ‘juvenile onset’ diabetes â€Å"marked by a complete lack of insulin and needing insulin replacement for survival.† (Child and Youth Health Intergovernmental Partnership, 2004) Type 2 diabetes: The most common form of diabetes, â€Å"occurring mostly in people aged 40 years and over and marked by reduced or less effective insulin.† (Child and Youth Health Intergovernmental Partnership, 2004) Cancer: This includes a â€Å"range of diseases where some of the body’s cells begin to multiply out of control, can invade, and damage the area around them, and can also spread to other parts of the body to cause further damage.† (Child and Youth Health Intergovernmental Partnership, 2004) Cystic fibrosis – This is a â€Å"life threatening genetic disorder that primarily affects the respiratory system (lungs), t he digestive system (pancreas and sometimes liver) and the reproductive system. The mucus glands of people with cystic fibrosis secrete very thick sticky mucus.† (Child and Youth Health Intergovernmental Partnership, 2004) Cerebral palsy: This includes a â€Å"range of disabilities associated with movement and posture. ‘ Cerebral’ refers to the brain and ‘palsy’ means weakness or lack of muscle control. The disorder is caused by a permanent, nonprogressive brain defect or lesion present at birth.† (Child and Youth Health Intergovernmental Partnership, 2004) Epilepsy: This disease involves a â€Å"disturbance of brain function marked by recurrent fits and loss of consciousness.† (Child and Youth Health Intergovernmental Partnership, 2004) Background Asthma is reported to be the most common of all chronic diseases among children in Australia and is cited as well as being the most common of all reasons that children in Australia are hospita lized. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes is reported to be on the rise among children in Australia. (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2005, p.2) Other chronic diseases affecting children in Australia include those of Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy. Discussion There have been a great many possible risk factors linked to the development of chronic disease in childhood however, it is reported that of these risk factors that only a

Till Death Do Us Part :: essays research papers

The status quo of marriage in American society, in some cases, is a moderately complicated issue. I do know, however, that before the marriage takes place there is an interlude called the dating period. In this dating period the two members of the couple attempt to get to know one another. This is the period where many people fall in love. This is also the period where many people realize that they are with the wrong person and have to start over with someone new. The dating process, which lasts for a sporadic interval of time, ends when one person in the couple offers a marriage proposal to the other. This agreement to marriage is a sacred bond of love and trust that proves to one's significant other that one will enter into an exclusive relationship with that person until they are parted by death. If the marriage proposal is accepted, the couple is pronounced engaged, or betrothed to one another, and they set a marriage date. During the engagement the couple exchanges rings as a sign of devotion. Once the wedding date reaches its destination, the couple then performs the marriage ceremony, which is a gathering of close friends and family to witness the marriage. This ceremony is performed in a church at the hand of a priest who then pronounces the marriage as holy matrimony. During the wedding ceremony there is another exchange of rings that show a symbol of the couples undying love for each other. After the wedding, the couple usually takes a trip called the honeymoon where they consummate the marriage by making love. This process is the norm for how people are married in American society. The problem with this system is that most people enter into the marriage for the wrong reasons and end up getting a divorce. A divorce is a legal dissolution of a marriage contract. The problem with divorce is that the marriage is supposed to be a contract that is supposed to last until someone in the couple dies; only then is the sacred vow broken. Otherwise, the couple is going against God's will. Defying God is not the only detrimental effect, however. More marriages in the United States end in divorce than in any other country in the world, and it can be seen throughout America's history. There is consensus that the overall U.S. divorce rate had a brief spurt after World War II followed by a decline. It started rising again in the 1960's and even more quickly in the 1970's, but leveled off in the 1980's only to begin a fluctuating increase that has lasted to the present. It is said that 40 or possibly even 50% of marriages will end in divorce if the current trends continue. Divorce would not be such a terrible thing

Oriental Food as the Cultural Other Essay

In Coco Fusco’s â€Å"The Other History of Intercultural Performance†, he promotes the idea that â€Å"racial difference is absolutely fundamental to aesthetic interpretation† while giving an explanation of how Western civilization has viewed the cultural Other—meaning, the so-called primitive people often stereotyped as savage and lacking in â€Å"discipline, civilization and industry† (Fusco). From the Western perspective, Oriental food is considered as the Other. The American staple typically consists of processed foods that are readily available such as pizza and burgers. These Western dishes can be found in almost all major cities and towns of the United States which have created a cultural appetite for anything that is ready for consumption. Oriental food, on the other hand, is viewed mostly as an alternative, albeit oftentimes costly, for the average Westerner (Counihan, p. 58). As with most Asian meals, the principle is to cook food from the freshest ingredients available. Typical vegetable dishes are prepared using vegetables that are picked fresh whereas seafood meals are cooked using the freshest fish and seashells for instance. Every food is prepared carefully regardless of the duration of the process, thereby creating the impression that each serving of Oriental food is a handiwork, so to speak, that can hardly be rivalled by fast food chains. Although there is hardly any single ingredient that unifies all the rest of the Oriental cuisines, there are similarities that can be pointed out. For instance, the â€Å"Tom Yum† soup of Thailand, a taste of hot and sour flavours using aromatic herbs, is a mix of spices and leaves of plants that are abundant in the country. As for the more general Thai cuisine, dishes are basically hot and spicy and are prepared using a balance of its five key flavours: salty, sweet, sour, spicy and the optional bitter flavour. Fresh herbs and spices are preferred over dried ones which is perhaps one reason why Thai dishes have that distinct taste. In addition to these single whole dishes, rice is also served as part of each meal with the inclusion of fish sauce such as â€Å"nam pla† and other complementary dishes. Japanese meals are another example of Oriental cuisine. Perhaps the most fundamental and unique characteristic of most Japanese meals is that each dish is served using raw ingredients. For instance, the popular Japanese food â€Å"sashimi† is raw seafood coupled with a dipping sauce. Aside from seafood, meat can also be prepared raw in Japanese meals such as Basashi, a raw horse meat delicacy. â€Å"Sushi† is also one of the more popular dishes in Japanese cuisine. It basically includes vegetable, meat and fish which can be rolled inside dried sheets of seaweed or placed over a bowl of rice. Philippine cuisine as an example of Oriental dishes also includes rice as part of the whole course of every meal. However, most Filipino dishes are prepared using the milk from coconuts and the sauce from tomatoes. Examples of these dishes are â€Å"kaldereta† (goat in tomato stew), â€Å"afritada† (beef or pork simmered in thick tomato sauce) and â€Å"ginataang manok† (chicken in coconut milk). In a way, Philippine and Thai cuisines are similar in the sense that they make use of the ingredients that are naturally found in the surroundings and that these ingredients are harvested and cooked almost the same day. There is the preference for everything fresh instead of dried spices, herbs and main ingredients. Fresh fish and meat is also preferred over frozen ones although the option to make use of the latter is available. More importantly, the techniques involved in preparing these Oriental dishes are unique in their own ways. The way Japanese sushi or sashimi is prepared is different from the way Thai tom yum is prepared. And yet while there are differences, there are also semblances which seem to connect all these Oriental food. Apart from the fact that most Oriental meals include rice as part of the course, these dishes also include spices and herbs which strengthen their flavours. Westerners who have travelled all the way to the Eastern parts of Asia often encounter the strong aroma from Oriental dishes that are distinct from those of Western dishes. It is not surprising that most Americans, for instance, would rather depend on fast food restaurants for their meals. For people living busy lives in the dense urban areas of the United States, time is a precious commodity that should not be wasted in exchange for sumptuous meals in cosy Oriental restaurants. Moreover, Westerners barely have a full idea of how to prepare Oriental meals for themselves without learned skills or the help from other skilled individuals. The knowledge of preparing Oriental food is simply beyond the inherent or immediate environment of Westerners. The fact that not all ingredients for Oriental cuisines are readily available in Western societies adds to the seemingly inaccessible or at least hardly accessible nature of Oriental dishes for Westerners. In general, there are more reasons to believe that Westerners are more inclined to settle for what they have in their immediate surroundings than to learn things outside of their reach as far as cuisines are concerned. What does Oriental food mean? For the most part, Oriental food reflects the culture of Oriental people in many ways. The ingredients used in these dishes reflect the kind of environment that the people have in which they have no other choice but to survive. Every piece of vegetable or leaf of plants in each delicacy indicates the available and usually abundant resources in the people’s native land. In effect, the unique ingredients in Oriental dishes create the identity of these dishes that are distinct and entirely different from Western dishes. Moreover, the very presence of these ingredients easily helps in identifying what is Oriental from what is Western. From a Western perspective, these Oriental dishes appear to be entirely different from the food delicacies which they are accustomed to, creating the impression that what is â€Å"alien† to their taste buds, so to speak, are either exotic or rare. By attributing these qualities of exoticness and rareness to Oriental dishes in a general manner, Westerners have showed the tendency to suffuse some of the ingredients founds in these dishes into their own meals. Moreover, Western societies have found ways to establish food chains that provide supposedly genuine Oriental dishes in their menus. In the United States, for instance, numerous restaurants serving Oriental meals have been put-up primarily for profit. Through the profit-seeking motives of business-minded individuals, Oriental dishes in Western markets have been characterized oftentimes as luxury delicacies or â€Å"alternative† dishes to the more predominant pizza, burgers and other Western meals. In contemporary times, the effect is that Oriental dishes are stereotyped as the cultural â€Å"Other† when in terms of food. The ways in preparing Oriental dishes also reflect the behaviours of individuals and groups in these Oriental regions of Asia. They indicate a â€Å"performance† done in order to create the distinct flavours and tastes of these dishes, the knowledge of which has been passed-on from one generation to another. The skills involved in preparing these dishes have been practiced and perfected through the generations of families that have continued the legacy of preparing Oriental food. For them, preparing these meals is nothing but an ordinary routine that has become a part of their daily survival. From the viewpoint of Westerners, Oriental dishes are rarely part of their daily survival or not at all. That is, they can continue with their lives even if they are not able to relish the taste of Oriental food. These meals that are foreign to Western societies are, in effect, taken for granted or are simply considered as alternative viands to their regular course of Western meals. That attitude reinforces the notion that any plate of Oriental dish is just another â€Å"Other†. It can be said that Western societies can only get as close to so-called authentic Oriental dishes by replicating them through food establishments. Whether consciously aware or not, Western societies are public outlets for contributing to the notion espoused by Fusco; they reinforce the stereotype of â€Å"the primitive† and the Western â€Å"ability to exert control over and extract knowledge from the ‘primitive’ world† (Fusco). Restaurants in Western societies that feature Oriental dishes are not simply established from almost everywhere in these societies without first studying these culinary delicacies. On the contrary, Westerners tend to â€Å"extract knowledge† from such â€Å"primitive† dishes as if Western meals are the bases for identifying a dish as whether a part of civilized world or otherwise. Like Fusco’s public experiment—one that sought to bring into realization the often disregarded observation that â€Å"a substantial portion of the public believed that our fictional identities were real ones† as though these beliefs have never been challenged and has sit firmly well in the collective consciousness of the people—so-called Oriental restaurants in Western societies reinforce the many illusions about Oriental dishes and, more generally, Oriental culture. One of these illusions is the belief that there are Oriental dishes that do not fit well with the palate of Westerners. For instance, there are Oriental delicacies which make use of several animal organs which are rarely used for preparing Western meals. There are even insects that are part of the ordinary Oriental dishes. Westerners tend to develop an aversion towards Oriental dishes with these animal organs and become branded as either exotic or primitive. The larger consequence of such an aversion, apparently, is an aversion towards the people who take pride in preparing and eating such dishes (Smith, p. 486). Nevertheless, the fact that there are restaurants in Western societies that serve Oriental dishes signify that there are attempts to bring these dishes closer to Western societies even if such attempts are only secondary to the intent to profit. Moreover, a notable characteristic of Oriental restaurants situated in Western societies is that they slightly redefine the Oriental dishes that they serve in order to attract potential customers and maintain the patronage of the buying public. They add a Western â€Å"touch†, in a manner of speaking, to these foreign dishes. In consequence, Oriental dishes are given the impression that they are merely subjects of Western consumption and can be subject to change depending on the needs of the Western clients. To a certain degree, it goes to show a form of cultural subjugation or assimilation that distorts the original nature not only of the dishes but also of the Oriental culture from a Western perspective. The dishes that are presented to the Western public are no longer faithful to the original dishes as they were in Oriental countries. Western societies become unknowingly unaware of the original nature of such dishes, thereby treating their false impressions of these Oriental dishes as the so-called â€Å"Other†. On a personal note, I can say that there is a great deal of knowledge that can be derived from studying Oriental dishes as they serve as windows into the cultural aspects of several Asian countries. An awareness of Oriental dishes in terms of their distinct ingredients and unique methods of preparation can help the Western perspective look beyond that false impression that veils the genuine. If we are able to comprehend a significant portion of the stories behind each of these Oriental dishes and the whole array of Oriental food in general, there is a chance that we can gain substantial cultural knowledge of what has been called as the â€Å"Other† (Mintz, p. 104). As the saying goes, you are what you eat—if you know what the â€Å"Other† eats, it is likely that you get to know the â€Å"Other†. Works Cited Counihan, Carole M. â€Å"Food Rules in the United States: Individualism, Control, and Hierarchy.† Anthropological Quarterly 65. 2 (1992): 55-66. Fusco, Coco. â€Å"The Other History of Intercultural Performance†. 1994. November 21 2008. . Mintz, Sidney W. , and Christine M. Du Bois. â€Å"The Anthropology of Food and Eating. † Annual Review of Anthropology 31 (2002): 99-119. Smith, Monica L. â€Å"The Archaeology of Food Preference. † American Anthropologist 108. 3 (2006): 480-93.