Category: Life & Experiences 1502

Introduction

College students need plenty of ways to vent frustrations, and stay sane under the pressures of papers and projects. Goofball sports can help. Here are some prime examples of collegiate silliness.

PennUltimate Frisbee

Although no longer considered weird, the 1970s aficionados of what used to be called Ultimate Frisbee occupied the fringe of athletic normality. The sport, invented (the word seems odd when applied to something so apparently straightforward  throwing, catching, what more?) in a northern New Jersey exurb, spread regionally to the colleges these young people attended.

The situation at Penn was typical. By the late 70s, a rabidly enthusiastic bunch of fans had convinced the bemused authorities to accord intramural or club status to the PennUltimate Frisbee team. Consonant with its name, its players were noted more for intellect than athleticism. They also included graduate students, staff and faculty. Alan Rachlin, a super-smart Wharton/Penn Law double-threat, was one potent promoter. He recruited everywhere he went, from eateries to the Law Library. However, only a charitable observer could have inferred such fierce playing from the teams distinctly un-buff appearance.

Today the game, played intramurally, intercollegiately, and internationally, now avoids the Frisbee moniker to avert copyright challenge. Players today wear protective gear and perform airborne saves fit for soccer.

What remains unchanged is a certain anti-snobbism and frequent self-officiation. Team names such as the Oberlin Praying Manti and Flying HorseCows indicate the self-deprecatory, nose-thumbing attitude of team members.

Mattress Sports

No dirty thoughts  this is athletics!

Boston College Mattress Jousting

Students at this otherwise respectable college de-stress during exams by racing towards a standing figure with mattresses upright in their arms. The static target is, in the vernacular, generally creamed, and the opposing knights usually end in a heap as well.

Toccoa Falls College Mattrress Surfing

As a variant, some students place one slippery, plastic-encased mattress on top of another, take a running start, and try to travel as far as possible as the top mattress slides over the bottom one. Some female practitioners at this small Georgia institution achieve quite an impressive distance once they hop on. This is not an official sport, at least not yet!

United States Naval Academy Aircraft Carrier Landing

In a variant on these two previous pastimes, Plebes combine surfing with jousting to create a sport dangerous enough to require helmets. The two combatants lay their mattresses on a dorm hallway floor some distance apart, and then sprint towards each other, jumping belly first onto the mattresses with maximum forward momentum. The mattresses careen into each other, helmets crash, and the law of inertia is decisively demonstrated. The future pride of the US fleet is resourceful enough to pre-lubricate the hallway with Pam, water, and soapy solution to decrease friction, and well-behaved enough to towel it clean afterwards. One wonders whether Academy upperclassmen would discipline such Plebe nonsense.

Barnard College Greek Games

Barnard College has held suitably intellectual Greek Games for decades. The April 2010 iteration of this beloved event expanded upon the traditional scarf dance, hurdling, chariot race (with a team of human horses), and hoop rolling. Barnard assembled an entire day of athletic activities such as the opening Torch Race, Yoga in a Toga, Stilting, Discus Throwing, Relay Races, Platos Pilates, Tug-of-War, and Capture-the-Flag. Greek costume and, as with the original games, poetry and performance, form a part of the days events. Wonderful archival 1920s footage is at vimeo.com/11434943.

University of Virginia Inner-Tube Water Polo

This goofball method of wasting time and cooling off is now a recognized sport at UVA, boasting several pages of rules and warnings to consult ones physician. Here is a sample: Players may not hold, push, hit, splash, dunk, or tackle any other players with or without the ball. This seriousness belies the complete silliness of attempting a goal while floating in a large rubber ring.

UVA also offers Wallyball, a combination of volleyball and wallball, played in a racquetball court, and Pickleball, combining table tennis and badminton, played with a paddle and a wiffle ball. Thomas Jefferson would be so proud!

Western Illinois University, IL  Battleship Canoe Swamping

Three teams, equipped with canoe and bucket, compete to sink the others and stay afloat themselves in the college pool. The strategic choice is between bailing ones own canoe, and dumping water into the other teams. This is one of the activities offered on WIUs Dads Weekend, in March. While this seems like a chilly season for getting this wet, it sounds like a suitably goofy way to celebrate fathers.

These are only a few of the peculiar activities that students at various colleges have adopted as their stress-relievers. Check this spot for more collegiate nonsense soon.

Peculiar Collegiate Intramural Sports and Activities

College students faced with the words Exam Week often exert an astonishing amount of creative energy entirely unrelated to their studies. Intense academic pressure minus classes equals a torrent of silliness and novel ways of letting off steam. Other creative activities are the result of the retort effect of a mass of brilliant kids thrown together in overheated dorms and laboratories. An earlier article examined some of these sports, games, and pastimes. Lets continue our examination of intramural silliness with a few more off-the-wall collegiate sports and activities

Luther University, IA  Black light Volleyball

In a fully darkened play space, white-shirted players compete with glow-in-the-dark volleyballs under ultraviolet lights. Just visualizing this generates a giggle. Although not mentioned in Luther Universitys website, the possibilities for audience snuggling sound encouraging. With all the surprise features of laser tag, minus the expense and specialized equipment, this fun sport is spreading.

Middlebury College, VT  Muggle Quidditch

Sadly, this sport does not involve actual flying broomsticks. However, this rough, high-speed game does have three types of balls, three player positions, hoops, and a neutral player known as the Snitch who runs around the field being pursued by Seekers. To reproduce the aerial and unfettered scope and feeling of the Hogwarts wizard sport, the Snitch actually is allowed to run far outside the field of play. Muggle Quidditch is also played at Emerson, Boston University, and University of Pittsburgh. Given the popularity of the Harry Potter movie series, it will likely spread throughout the Muggle world. With some assiduous effort, perhaps some clever science students can get it airborne soon.

Algoma University in Canada  Indoor Cricket

While information on this sport is a bit scarce, the visual image evoked by combining these two words; indoor and cricket, is quite funny enough. The leisurely greensward game of British aristocracy, often requiring more than one day, and interrupted by lunch and a hearty and lengthy tea break, is eccentric to begin with. The sport is now beloved by former Commonwealth nations, is played by these exchange students outside the dorms at Penn, for example. To stage this quintessentially grass-based game indoors, as Algoma does, is to elevate it to sublime silliness.

Bennington College, VT  Whiffle ball, Laser Tag

This small New England college is rumored to have been the model for a novel in which brilliant Classics majors re-enact the violent rituals and madness of the ancient Eleusian mysteries, with deadly results. At any random moment, one can find view students practicing modern dance or practicing drama on the lush green at the center of Benningtons campus. Thus, it is not surprising to find that Bennington students have a Zombie Defense group, and a club dedicated to creating secret societies and rituals. In comparison, Whiffle Ball and Laser Tag (think paintball played in the dark with a laser gun and a target on ones own chest) seem tame, but undeniably fun.

The University of California at Irvine  Medieval Combat

These genial eccentrics use foam swords and other weapons to cudgel, slash, and otherwise overwhelm their opponents. The sport is more than mere mayhem  they learn serious medieval battle tactics in the process. Irvines club teaches ancient military formations, more suited for storming an Arthurian castle than sinking a submarine or remotely bombing a distant target. The group, known as SWORD, also trains all participants in the proper use of large foam weapons. This seems like a critical and dangerously overlooked life skill.

Many places  Inventing stuff

These activities generate all the competitiveness of true sport, with no reward beyond intellectual glory. Additionally, they all require substantial physical effort.

MIT  Concrete canoe

This widespread competition is beloved at MIT. Wooden canoes serve as the armature for a fiberglass and paper clip cast and wooden frame. Concrete mixture, carefully tested for its performance characteristics, is poured into the mold. The resulting vessel evokes those ads in the back of comic books (Wouldnt you like to pour a concrete planter?). The proud craft challenges its buoyancy and resistance to wave action in the MIT Moat. The navies of the world watch with interest.

University of Michigan  Solar car

This is a passionately pursued goal, with teams from colleges such as Michigan and Penn devoting months to the creation, testing, and endurance racing of bizarrely shaped, totally solar powered vehicles. The designs tend towards the long and narrow with wings to capture the sunlight. Drivers need a jockeys size and shape.

Carnegie Mellon  Robotic car

DARPA sponsors a competition to develop an entirely autonomous vehicle, combining sensing equipment, processing of environmental data, and steering. The military, we are certain, watches this massive investment of effort with care.

All such activities burn off excess energy and ventilate accumulated anxiety. The creativity of students in wasting time is apparently endless. Keep your eyes and ears open for other goofy intramurals!

Relations with People Are Critical at Studying

The first thing that becomes obvious at the very first moment of studying at the college is that there are many new people who surround you and successful communication with them is the key to success. Teachers, peers, and new friends all have unique peculiarities that should be considered to create effective cooperation with them. Otherwise, you will fail to succeed because of the lack of support and knowledge all these individuals can share with you and critical for academic success.

Support is Essential

During the first several weeks at college, a person may feel very lonely because of the unusual environment, homesickness, strangers surrounding him/her, the necessity to understand new material and facts that can be difficult for a person. Under these conditions, it is essential to find people and things that will support and inspire you. It can be both the family and college friends. In such a way, one of the main lessons is that a person should find new relations to survive in a challenging environment and engage in new activities.

Right Schedule Is One of the Main Aspects of a Good Learning

In my first semester, I also acquired an opportunity to understand the critical role schedule plays in studying. I think it is one of the main lessons of this period. A student should plan his/her classes in a way that will really promote his/her academic success and contribute to improved results. The lack of experience in the given sphere can be compensated by talking to other students who have already created their schedules previously. This approach will help to avoid problems such as the lack of free time, early wake-ups, and tiredness.

Professors Are Central Actors of the Learning Process

The fourth lesson is that students should not be afraid to speak to professors and ask for a piece of advice. During the first semester, the discovery that individuals can engage in communication with teachers becomes one of the most important ones. First of all, they demonstrate their respect to you and treat students as if they are peers. It helps to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation. At the same time, as more experienced people they can provide meaningful advice on assignments, and future careers.

Honesty, Borders, and Being Direct Are Fundamental in Relations with People

The last important thing I understood is that in relation to people it is critical to observe several rules. First, a person should establish borders at the very beginning for all individuals know how to behave and interact with each other. At the same time, being honest and direct can help to avoid extra problems and achieve the goal in a most effective way, without offending people. For this reason, these three qualities are critical for a new student.

Goal

The main goal for the next semester is to start working on my would-be career. It means that I should devote more attention to the investigation of areas that would be helpful for me in the future. At the same time, it is critical to master skills that will be demanded from me as a specialist. For this reason, the main goal is to have an internship and continue mastering my skills and knowledge to become an outstanding specialist and attain success.

Introduction

Aggression, violence, and irritation are negative emotions. Oppositely, the ability to stay calm and peaceful, without worry and noise, in any stressful situation is a handy and respectful skill. Moreover, the inefficiency of controlling anger may have a devastating impact on a persons life. The purpose of this essay is to explain the virtue of tranquility and prove this statement with real-life examples.

Negative Impact of Anger

Every day the majority of people face a thousand insignificant and minor incidents that, on the other hand, intensely annoy them. Yesterday, I spilled coffee on my new shirt after someone had unintentionally bumped against me. My father got a flat tire on his way to work. His colleague bought the last pack of my fathers favorite chips from a snack machine. These incidents seem inconsiderable. However, they may emotionally bother people for an extended period of time and negatively influence their mental health. If every trifle is taken too seriously, a person will subsequently react to even the most insignificant irritations.

In Western society, temper is commonly regarded as a trait of character typical for men and associated with toughness and strength. However, people who frequently became irritated and annoyed without any sufficient reason may feel highly insecure due to low self-esteem or some psychological problems he or she cannot solve. In addition, these people may be unaware of how to express their feelings in other ways due to a deprived childhood. For instance, I saw a TV program about domestic violence in one particular family. During a psychological investigation, it was found out that a man abused his wife as his salary was significantly lower than her income, and he felt depressed and unfulfilled. That is why he subconsciously chose violence as a way to express his hidden emotions.

Traditionally, there are two strategies to cope with anger  to release it at any safe location (for instance, in the gym) or keep it inside. Both ways have a negative influence on a persons mental health as they may promote the magnification of expressed angriness and hidden propensity to violence. That is why the virtue of tranquility should prevail when people face trifles and accidents common or unavoidable. Tantrum hurts people around and negatively influences not only the mental but physical health of a person as well. The release of hormones due to aggression raises blood pressure, damages the heart, and increases the risk of a heart attack. By my personal example, I feel headache and a bad mood every time I lose my temper, especially when I have no chance to release it.

Tranquility Practicing

The most effective way to control temper is to practice tranquility. It means that a person should learn how to stay calm without facing a stressful situation. First of all, he or she should identify hidden issues and desires that potentially may cause aggression. When my friend was an adolescent and had a newborn brother, he started to experience tantrums and depression. Fortunately, his parents talked to him and helped him to change his perspective on the boy. My friend began to see him not as the focus of his parents love and affection but as his best friend, helper, and supporter in the future.

Conclusion

In general, one of the most effective responses to anger that destructively influences peoples minds and bodies is logic. The understanding that a person is the only one reason for aggression helps to harness anger more effectively. Moreover, it is well known that if a situation cannot be changed, there is no reason to be annoyed or irritated with it.

Abstract

This paper aims to propose a study on the level of tourist satisfaction in Switzerland. To introduce the topic, the introduction presents the theoretical background of tourism satisfaction, focusing on the key assumptions that underlie this sector. The literature review discusses the findings of the recent academic literature, mainly the factors that impact customer satisfaction. It is discovered that the destination management approach and a holistic approach are the most common frameworks that are used by scholars with some improvements. In terms of the former theory, among the main factors, there the attributes of a destination. The holistic approach prioritizes the combination of cogitative, hedonic, and symbolic benefits. The literature review also examines the findings in the tourist satisfaction area from different destinations. The methodology section identifies the tools that will be used in the proposed study, including the mixed-method design, sample, data collection, and data analysis.

Introduction

In the sector of hospitality, tourist satisfaction is one of the most widely studied factors that impact the decision of customers to visit one or another destination. With the growing role of globalization that promotes integration and interaction across the countries, the need for meeting tourism satisfaction becomes more important than ever (Della Corte et al. 2015). In this connection, a greater understanding of the underlying reasons for choosing a destination is likely to improve promotional strategies and make the tourism industry successful.

The concept of tourist satisfaction can be defined as the subjective opinion of a person or group based on the evaluation of living in a particular place. The mentioned concept can also be understood as the fulfillment of the direct expectations of customers. While customer satisfaction is imperative in any market sector, it is given much more importance in tourism since it determines future customer intentions. By building proper relationships with consumers, travel companies can achieve greater loyalty and an additional benefit of word-of-mouth communications. Among the issues that impact customers perceptions, Della Corte et al. (2015) mention the image of the destination and the ability of the place to meet the individual needs of a particular customer. In general, high-quality experience for affordable pay along with a lack of complaints and disagreements compose positive tourist satisfaction.

In the tourism industry, customer satisfaction is viewed as an especially complex concept since it is composed of various components. The global competition of destinations makes the process of value creation to customers sophisticated and multifaceted, which is expressed in the efforts of destination management organizations (DMOs). The literature consistently states that modern tourists are no longer ready for the standard packs and services, while they prefer receiving a unique experience. In this connection, the companies should assign a top priority to tourist satisfaction to meet and anticipate their expectations. The emphasis on a demand-side perspective is put by the majority of organizations that provide touristic services. However, the latest studies demonstrate that a comprehensive approach is required to balance demand and supply in this industry. Both researchers and practitioners tend to give the increased attention to the identified topic of interest.

Researching the area of tourist satisfaction is significant since it stimulates tourism and helps to adjust the services that are most demanded by customers. First, it is regarded that the level of tourist satisfaction determines whether they would return to the place and recommend it to family and friends. Second, the factors that identified satisfaction can be used as backgrounds to anticipate their future destination choices. Third, the connection among various benefits allows for adding or eliminating services, events, activities, and other issues that impact tourist satisfaction. In the conditions with the increasing popularity of tourism, investigating this area is critical to ensure tourism supply and generate more pleasant options. Thus, the creation of tourism policies and the related adjustments are closely associated with the extent of tourist satisfaction.

This paper proposes a study that aims to explore the level of tourist satisfaction in Switzerland. The key aim of the proposed paper is to focus on the key factors that determine tourist satisfaction in the mentioned country. The objectives of the future study can be formulated as follows:

• To understand the perception of customers regarding their tourist experience in Switzerland;
• To reveal the relationships between tourist satisfaction and related antecedents in Switzerland;

Literature Review

The literature on tourist satisfaction measures various dimensions of customer experience, focusing on this concept from different perspectives. Due to the complexity of the topic, there are different models and frameworks that are developed by scholars. Each of them presents valuable insights and helps in understanding the factors that promote tourist satisfaction. For example, while some models prioritize the antecedents of satisfaction, others argue that the consequences are more pertinent as they indicate whether a customer would return or not (Artigas, Chasco, and Pozo 2015; Della Corte et al. 2015). In fact, both of these approaches include advantages and limitations in the context of evaluating travel experiences.

A destination management approach designs the theoretical context, in which the attributes of the place are the fundamental factors of experience. Pearce (2015) clarifies another issue of the assessment is the result between a tourists expectations and the destination attributes. According to this approach, the concept of a destination image is a principal factor that determines the success of one or another travel point. The definition of the image can be formulated in the following way: a set of impressions, ideas, as well as values of tourists, who visited the destination or plan to do so (Pearce 2015). The peculiarity of this approach lies in its intention to cover both actual and potential customers on induced and organic marketing levels, respectively. In turn, Della Corte et al. (2015) states that it is critical to avoid stereotypes, instead of concentrating on unique experience creation, which is particularly relevant to the destinations that have multiple vocation options. While the main idea of the destination management approach becomes clear, it is difficult to implement due to the unpredictable nature of the market.

Elaborating on the destination management approach foundations, Della Corte et al. (2015) claim that the perceptions of customers are often controversial and complicated. Therefore, while working on the image of a resort or hotel, the connection between the organic and induced levels should be achieved. In other words, the synthesis of positive associations is to incorporate the elements of natural beauty and artificially-created advantages. To prevent the so-called boomerang effect, the organizations need to closely keep the coherence with the actual supply. In this connection, the satisfaction pyramid may be represented as the one with the quality of services and products on the top (Della Corte et al. 2015). Thus, the centrality of both organic and induced marketing is to be given the greatest attention. Based on their assumptions, the mentioned authors revealed the following factors: easy access, accommodation, restaurant quality, activities, local transport, perceived security, cultural events, activities, hospitality, disability-friendly conditions, price, entertainment, and on-stage information availability.

The current literature lacks the use of a holistic approach to understanding and developing tourist satisfaction. In particular, the holistic vision implies taking into account the attributes that characterize the place along with a range of constructs. According to Marinao (2017), tourist satisfaction can be presented as a cognitive state, an affective state, or a combination of both states. The tourists note the perceived benefits, as well as the overall quality of their experiences. The evidence shows that the affective assessment of tourism refers to ones feelings and emotions about the destination. The link between the place and emotions creates an image in the mind of a customer, which forms effective evaluations. In turn, cognitive perception implies objective knowledge, which composes the factual information about the destination and peoples ideas and beliefs about it (Marinao 2017). The events, purchase options, and other cognitive stimuli are taken into account by customers.

The perceived benefits that are noted by tourists in their assessments can be divided into functional, symbolic, and hedonic. Artigas, Chasco, and Pozo (2015) state that the functional benefits are especially values by a solution-oriented customer, who assesses the practical qualities of the destination. The symbolic benefits are related to self-concept and a focus on others within a certain context. The way a person is perceived by others is often considered by those tourists who value symbolic benefits and can adapt to the environment. The enjoyment of service and associated feelings compose the essence of hedonic benefits that are shaped by psychological and sensory experiences. The visual contact with the landscape and a variety of sensory activities are also hedonic benefits.

The literature provides a review of various experiments that were conducted in the field of tourism to understand tourist satisfaction. The recent study by Marinao (2015) explored 750 tourists who visited the key Chilean tourist destinations and revealed that cognitive perception, along with affective evaluation, is the key factor that is considered by customers. Using the structural equation model, the author concludes that the hedonic and functional benefits were the most values by the study participants. Namely, the hedonic advantages included the opportunity to escape from routine, visual attractions, and intrinsic pleasure (Seraphin et al. 2018). At the same time, the symbolic advantages were confirmed as less important. These findings allowed suggesting that tourist satisfaction is largely dependent on intangible benefits. Nevertheless, despite its entertainment options, the destinations should be safe, clean, and have appropriate transportation like in the Riviera Maya in Mexico.

The case of investigating tourist satisfaction in the city of Naples, Italy is another example of research in the given field. To evaluate the experiences of respondents, the questionnaires were disseminated across the target travel areas, which allowed for collecting cross-sectional data (Della Corte and Aria 2016). The results of the descriptive analysis showed that the most valued factors were ease to access to the destination, comfort, the diversity and quality of restaurants, and perceived security. The local actors were the main providers of the mentioned issues, with the exception of the security measures that were ensured by the city authorities. Among other factors that were classified as neutral, it is possible to list cultural events, information accessibility, and entertainment. The conclusions also mention that the tourists visiting the city of Naples are not completely satisfied with their experience (Della Corte and Aria 2016). It is recommended to correct the individuation of the key factors while implementing further strategic action in terms of tourist retention and attraction.

Tourist happiness was also measured in terms of Swiss inbound tourism in the study that was conducted by Chen and Li (2018). The authors scrutinized the link between the index of happiness in a country and tourist satisfaction. Since 2012, Switzerland was ranked among the happiest countries all over the globe. One of the recent studies on tourist happiness in this country analyzed the index of happiness in four dimensions, including positive affect, life satisfaction, negative affect, and eudaimonia. The latter is defined as the purpose of life or its meaningfulness, as stated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (Chen and Li 2018). Grounded on the spillover theory of happiness, the above authors constructed the destination-model of tourist satisfaction and verified it on the sample of 1048 inbound tourists. It was found that the image of the destination directly correlates with tourist happiness and eudaimonia. However, no connection was detected between life satisfaction and service quality, but the former can predict positive and negative affect. It was also discovered that the negative effect is poorly studied in the tourism sector.

Methodology

Considering the aims and objectives of the proposed study, a mixed-method research design will be applied. It will consist of a survey and descriptive analysis to clarify the results that will be obtained in the course of the study. The convenience sampling method will be based on the availability of customers and their willingness to answer the questions and share their experiences. The online tools, for example, the Survey Monkey platform, will be used to create the survey and contact the tourists who visited Switzerland within the last year. Such a timeframe will allow for monitoring the dynamic tourist demand and satisfaction factors. In particular, the criteria for the survey will be identified, and the participants will be offered to complete the online questions. Schuckert, Liu, and Law (2015) consider that an online survey is one of the most representative methods to gather the necessary data. The tourist information offices will be contacted preliminarily to collect data about potential participants of the study.

Data analysis will be conducted on the basis of filtering the results by subgroups and interrogating the data. The statistical significance will be examined in terms of applying the SPSS software (Veal 2017). The accurate analysis of data will be accompanied by focusing on the key insights rather than mere numbers. To ensure that the findings will be properly interpreted, the descriptive analysis will be implemented (Zhang et al. 2017). In addition, it seems to be useful to collect some qualitative statements from the respondents, thus complementing different types of data. It is expected that the results will be beneficial for an in-depth understanding of the current level of tourist satisfaction in Switzerland.

Reference List

Artigas, E. M., Chasco, C. and Pozo, V. V. (2015) Benefit perceived by tourists. Role of the hospitality offered by the tourist destination, International Journal of Business and Social Science, 6(2), pp. 53-64.

Chen, Y. and Li, X. R. (2018) Does a happy destination bring you happiness? Evidence from Swiss inbound tourism, Tourism Management, 65, pp. 256-266.

Della Corte, V. and Aria, M. (2016) Coopetition and sustainable competitive advantage. The case of tourist destinations, Tourism Management, 54, pp. 524-540.

Della Corte, V. et al. (2015) Customer satisfaction in tourist destination: the case of tourism offer in the city of Naples, Journal of Investment and Management, 4(1-1), pp. 39-50.

Marinao, E. (2017) Determinants of satisfaction with the tourist destination, IntechOpen. Web.

Pearce, D. G. (2015) Destination management in New Zealand: structures and functions, Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 4(1), pp. 1-12.

Schuckert, M., Liu, X. and Law, R. (2015) Hospitality and tourism online reviews: recent trends and future directions, Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 32(5), pp. 608-621.

Seraphin, H. et al. (2018) Destination management through organizational ambidexterity: conceptualizing Haitian enclaves, Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 9, pp. 389-392.

Veal, A. J. (2017) Research methods for leisure and tourism. London: Pearson UK.

Zhang, X. et al. (2017) Survey method matters: online/offline questionnaires and face-to-face or telephone interviews differ, Computers in Human Behavior, 71, pp. 172-180.

Introduction

For swimming as a sports discipline, body buoyancy is one of the main physical variables that determine the bodys ability to stay on the surface of the water. Despite the fact that much attention is paid to training the strength and endurance of athletes, some aspects of physics are taken into account as fundamental natural laws that dictate the principles of preparation. The indicators of gravity, lifting force of water, specific gravity of a person, and other important parameters are those crucial criteria that explain the key principles of physical ability to move on the water. The ability to calculate all the necessary characteristics correctly to achieve the most effective result is an important aspect of sports swimming. The analysis of physical phenomena and laws makes it possible to understand the basic principles of holding and moving the body on the water and helps find optimal training strategies.

Basic Variables and Formulae

The main factors determining the technique of swimming are some physical laws, in particular, the laws of hydrostatics and hydrodynamics. Two basic forces act on the body of a person in the water in a static condition: gravity (bodyweight) directed downward and the lifting force of water acting upward. The latter is also called the buoyancy power and is one of the main variables that are to be taken into account. In Figure 1, the main forces involved in swimming are displayed (Forces acting on a swimmer, 2019).

In addition to buoyancy, other physical laws should also be taken into account. Since weight is a significant criterion determining the characteristic features of swimming, the Archimedes principle is to be considered. Espindola, Cena, Alves, Bozano, and Goncalves (2018) cite this law and give the formula that proves that buoyancy directly depends on the volume of the body immersed in the fluid. If buoyancy is displayed in the form of variable B, fluid density  Á, g  the gravitational force, and V  the volume of a submerged body, the formula for calculating the buoyancy index will be as follows:

B = ÁgV

Another important variable is water resistance that prevents free movement and requires efforts to move the body. Bejan (2016) compares the motion of a swimmer who makes hand movements with wearing gloves that push the fluid and allow staying on the surface. In Figure 2, the main resistance parameters are shown, and based on this infographics; one can note how much the water pressure differs at different depths (Water resistance, 2019).

When the swimmer moves with uniform speed, the general law of resistance of the aquatic environment may be expressed as an equation. Gatta, Cortesi, and Zamparo (2016) offer a formula that includes the basic variables for the calculation. As parameters, a streamlining coefficient depending on the shape of the human body and the viscosity of the fluid is used (C), water density (Á), mid-section (S), and swimmers speed (V). The formula for calculating the resistance index (R) is as follows:

R=1/2*CÁSV²

Using Physical Laws to Prepare Swimmers

In addition to the criteria of resistance and buoyancy, the individual characteristics of swimmers are to be taken into account in order to achieve the highest results of sports training. In particular, Bejan (2016) states that height and weight parameters are significant. The author cites the axiom that the first factor strengthens the second one (Bejan, 2016). As a result, the numerical indicators of these two parameters should be determined to prepare the necessary training program and develop a personal sports regime. The formula itself, which includes such variables as speed (V), acceleration (g  9.8 m/s²), and height (L), is as follows:

V ~ (gL)^1/2

Additional factors that partially affect physics and, at the same time, serve as important criteria for successful sports performances are techniques and sports uniforms. Alderson (2016) analyzes both these phenomena and notes that muscle kinetics is considered by many manufacturers of swimwear for athletes, which contributes to the most productive activity. Also, the author focuses on the styles of movement in the water and notes that modern technologies make it possible to assess the effectiveness of each of the four basic swimming techniques for an individual athlete (Alderson, 2016). This, in turn, helps calculate the optimal loads and tactics. Such tests are based on the physical characteristics of the movement of bodies in the water and contribute to finding successful training strategies.

To achieve excellent motor skills, the dimensions of tension and relaxation of various muscles and muscle groups should be established within the cycle of motion. As one trains, this cycle becomes stable, which contributes to high-performance sports results. According to Psycharakis and Yanai (2018), automated movements determine several crucial components, including speed (V), pace (N), and the swimmers length of swing (S). The numerical ratios of these parameters determine the speed of movement and depend on individual criteria. Accordingly, the formula for calculating the optimal swimming speed is as follows:

V = NS

Conclusion

The role of physics in swimming is significant, and the assessment of specific criteria allows developing optimal training strategies based on the calculations of swimmers individual parameters and taking into account the basic formulas. Resistance and buoyancy forces are key, and personal characteristics of athletes, such as height and weight affecting speed, are also used for analysis. Additional criteria, in particular, comfortable and functional swimwear and swimming technique, are related factors that are considered important.

References

Alderson, A. (2016). Sports tech swimming kit [Technology Swimming]. Engineering & Technology, 11(5), 76-77. Web.

Bejan, A. (2016). The physics of life: The evolution of everything. New York, NY: St. Martins Press.

Espindola, P. R., Cena, C. R., Alves, D. C. B., Bozano, D. F., & Goncalves, A. M. B. (2018). Use of an Arduino to study buoyancy force. Physics Education, 53(3), 035010. Web.

Forces acting on a swimmer [Image]. (2019). Web.

Gatta, G., Cortesi, M., & Zamparo, P. (2016). The relationship between power generated by thrust and power to overcome drag in elite short distance swimmers. PloS One, 11(9), e0162387. Web.

Psycharakis, S. G., & Yanai, T. (2018). How does buoyancy affect performance during a 200m maximum front crawl swim? Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(18), 2061-2067. Web.

Water resistance [Image]. (2019). Web.

Introduction

The ideal social meeting place is different for every individual since peoples notions of relaxation are dissimilar. For me, such a spot should be calm and pleasant first of all. If I were to open a coffee shop with the aim of turning it into the coolest place for my friends and peers to gather, I would think thoroughly about the interior, sounds and colors, and comfort.

Main body

Generally, my friends preferences concerning leisure time coincide: they all prefer the place to be pleasant and not too noisy. However, I would like to add something new to our routine, so my café would have swings instead of chairs, which is becoming more and more popular (Bains, 2017). To get people in the doors, I will decorate the café from the outside in a way that will be appealing but not too bright. I would use the shades of yellow since this color is considered to capture peoples attention more than any other one (Yellow, n.d.).

Conclusion

My café will not only serve tea and coffee but also give some food for thought: I want to let people read books there. Once visitors get inside, they will be offered seats at comfortable swings with colorful pillows, and they will be able to choose from the variety of books available on shelves. Facilities of this kind are rather popular nowadays (Stories, n.d.). Another important aspect to consider will be music: it will be light but not boring. Since I am a huge fan of The Beatles, I will definitely decorate some corners with their posters and will play their CDs (The Beatles, 2018). The possibility to spend time in a peaceful atmosphere and exchange impressions of books while having a cup of coffee will keep visitors for long periods and guarantee theyre coming back.

References

Bains, S. (2017). See inside new Grand Central restaurant Mowgli fitted with swings instead of chairs. BirmingamLive. Web.

The Beatles. (2018). Web.

Stories: Books & café. (n.d.). Web.

Yellow: The meanings of yellow. (n.d.). Web.

The Chinese New Year is a long celebration spanning for fifteen days commemorated on the citing of the second new moon. This is done immediately after solar winter solstice. The Chinese New Year is based purely on astronomers observations. Of all Chinese celebrations, the New Year holiday is rated as the most significant. It is also known as the lunar new year especially outside China. Holiday festivities start on the first day of the month and close on the fifteenth day of the same month. The final day of the festivities is known as the Lantern Festival. Due to the magnitude of the celebrations in China, the holiday has had an impact on the neighboring countries. This includes countries like Nepal, Malaysia, Korea and Thailand. Thus the Chinese New Year is officially recognized in most countries with a large number of ethnic Chinese. This is much so in countries neighboring mainland China and has led to the holiday being entrenched in their traditional culture. In the Gregorian calendar, the New Year falls between January 21^st and February 20^th.

The years are named according to Chinese astrology, the animal zodiac having a twelve year cycle and the heavenly stems having a ten year cycle. There are twelve animals marking each year namely rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. For instance, 2008 is the year of the rat and 2009 the year of the ox. There is a myth surrounding the origin of the Chinese New Year. According to Chinese mythical narrations, the New Year started with a conflict between a beast known as Nian (year) and the people. The beast was known to come during the first day of the lunar month and destroy crops, livestock and kill people especially the young. The people devised ways to protect themselves. They would prepare food and place it in front of their households. According to their beliefs, Nian would consume the food thus saving the people from attack. Another mythical tale tells of the beast escaping after seeing a small child clad in red. During this period the world observes the largest migration by human beings. People in China as well as overseas China go back to their homes for reunion parties with their families. This period is known in China as Chunyun.

The New Year holiday is marked by a tradition known as new-year visits. Family members, friends and relatives come together to celebrate the Chinese New Year. On the eve of New Year their homes are thoroughly cleaned. The cleaning is based on the belief that cleaning will get rid of bad luck and give way to good luck. Cleaning material such as dustbins and brooms are put away to avoid good luck being swept away. The color red has a major significance during this period. This is because of the little child wearing red clothes terrified the Nian beast away. Homes are painted in red. This includes walls, doors and window panes. Most of the decorations during this entire period are in red. The clothes worn during these holidays too are mostly red in color. The color red is believed to chase away bad luck and evil spirits. Elderly people also hand out red packets containing money to the young. The most important event of the New Years Eve is the family dinner. Fish is the favorite delicacy among all families during this day. In the southern parts of China they make a cake as a gift to friends and relatives. These gifts are forwarded on the New Years Day. The cake is called Niangao which means increased prosperity year in year out. Some families attend local temples after the dinner to pray for the New Year. Other families hold parties to usher in the New Year. (Flanagan 18)

Abstaining from meat during the first day of the year is believed to ensure longevity. This is especially so among the Buddhists. Some people also abstain from using knives and lighting fires. The first day is also marked by visiting the very old in the extended families. The second day is marked by burning of incest at the ancestors graves to signify offerings and prayers. Married daughters also visit their blood parents on the second day. The second day is also believed to be the birthday of all dogs. People are advised not to visit friends and relatives on the third and the fourth day of the festivities because it is believed it is easy to get into a conflict or an argument. Those with a family member deceased in the past 3 years visit their gravesites instead. The fifth day sees the re-opening of businesses and lighting of firecrackers. The seventh day is the common mans birthday. Every one adds a year to his/her age. Buddhists also abstain from meat on this day. Prayers are offered to the Jade Emperor on the ninth day. It is recognized as his birthday. The 15^th day is called Yuanxlao-glutinous rice ball in soup is consumed on this day. People conduct a candle lighting ceremony outside their houses to guide spirits home. They also carry lighted lanterns through the streets hence the name Lantern Festival. This is the final day of the New Years festivities (Alice, 26).

Other spectacles include decorations using flowers such as peach blossom and kumquat to signify luck and prosperity respectively. People also hand out small gifts like candies, biscuits and fruits. These festivities are also marked by the use of fireworks and firecrackers. Happy new year and congratulations and be prosperous are the form of greetings during this period. They are usually accompanied by joy and enthusiasm.

Works Cited

1. Alice K. Flanagan; Chinese New Year: Compass Point Books. 2008 pp. 23-27
2. Janet S. Wong: This Next New Year. Frances foster books. pp. 10-18
3. Lola Schaeffer: Chinese New Year. Pebble Books. 2001 pp. 2-11
4. Marcia K. Vaughan: The Dancing Dragon. Mondo Publishing. 1996.
5. Sarah Moyse: Chinese New Year. Millbrook Press. 1998.

Introduction

Japanese tourists make up a distinguishing part of the Australian tourism market, usually taking short package tours which greatly concentrate on the iconic places of interest usually Sydney, Uluru, Gold Coast and Cairns, and viewing Australian native animals predominantly the koala (Hamilton & Clive 2005, p.3).

There are various categories of Japanese tourists: Package Tourist, Working Holiday Tourist, Students and Long Stay Tourist. Middle-aged womens group (groups of friends whose children have grown up), Working single womens group (young office women with their friends or colleagues), Single women students group (university or college students), Retired couples (over 60- years old couples) and Honey Moon couples form Package Tourist (M.M.P.Ltd 2008, par.4).

Most Japanese tourists have changed from being package tourists who require a prior arrangement of all services including transport, accommodation, sightseeing, meals and a Japanese tour guide to others such as study and free style tour where one conducts the tour as he wishes. Australia managed to take advantage of the growing number of Japanese tourists by recognizing these different categories of tourists and taking better care of them as compared to other countries (M.M.P.Ltd 2008, par.5).

Japanese students frequently tour other countries to gain experience and exposure to careers to take after their studies rather than to sightsee. In Japan, most companies employ on a contract basis, hence some of these graduates and middle-aged people would wish to work in other parts of the world encouraging the tours. Although English courses are offered in Japan, they take six to eight years which is considered a long time by the natives and are relatively expensive. For ease of communication during tours in English-speaking countries and to acquire jobs in the same they take lessons from other countries. Australia offers working holiday visas with three months of English courses to those aged between 18-30 years, short courses such as gardening in English and also has schools that offer the course for two weeks (M.M.P.Ltd 2008, par.6). They allow for long-term trips that extend up to two months which is an immense attraction to the Long Stay Tourists.

The current attitude of Japanese towards Australian tourism

The tourist market in Japan changed due to the economic recession in 2000 which the Australian sector failed to recognize leading to a decline in the number of tourists (Reuters 2007, par.2). However, efforts provided by the Australian tourism sector to improve and advertise the sector afresh, have been unsuccessful (James 2007, par.2). The Australian tourism minister attributed this to The appreciation of the Australian dollar to the yen, coupled with the slashing of aviation seats out of Japan by 9% making the dream of an Australian holiday less of a reality for too many Japanese, (James 2007, par.6). The Japanese are hence turning to Europe as they are also bored by the koalas and Sydney harbor.

A campaign was launched with the tagline Australia: a different light, (Tourism Australia 2007, par.8) which read where the bloody hell are you?, but did not alter their outlook due to the fact that a very tiny percentage of Japanese are well conversant with the English language (cyber diver news network 2007, par.1). The introduction of the internet has provided a wide range of information for Japanese tourists to choose the best services.

Segmentation

According to recent research, the Japanese are not willing to spend much on their outbound tours like in the past. This is determined by the various segments they belong to. These segments exist as a result of the tourists being group-oriented; they, therefore, travel in groups rather than as individuals. There are eight stages of classifying the Japanese travel cycle: family trip, school excursion, language trip, graduation holiday that averagely costs $1319 and lasts eight days (Travel Journal 1997, p.234). The graduates opt for cheaper means of transport like Euromail, and honeymoon overseas because it costs relatively lower than $8,000 (Daily Yomiuri 1996, p.6) which is the cost of the same in Japan.

Australia provides the second-highest of Japanese overseas weddings which costs an average of $27000. This is considered the relatively lower cost and easy-to-follow arrangements; for instance, an in-company trip that lasts between two days and one week costs range from $400 to $2,833 per person. The other is the silver trip for people over the age of sixty which has emerged the most targeted since they are full package tours (Chon, Inagaki &Lhashi 2000, p.150).

Conclusion

Formally Australia was one of the major attractions for Japanese tourists due to its unique services. This changed after the economic recession in Japan that made traveling to Australia very expensive for the tourists who preferred other countries. The Australian tourism industry hence needs to come up with new measures to bring it back where it was before.

Reference

Chon K.S, Inagaki T, Lhashi T 2000, Japanese tourists: socio-economic, marketing, and psychological analysis, Haworth press, pp.150-200.

Cyber diver news network 2007. Web.

Daily Yomiuri, 1996, socio-economic, marketing, and psychological analysis.

Hamilton & Clive 2005, Cashing In On Koalas, p.10. Web.

Mi Marketing Pty Ltd. 2008, Japanese Lifestyle. Web.

Reuters, Wed. 2007. Web.

Tourism Australia 2007. Web.

Travel Journal 1997, Japanese tourists: socio-economic, marketing, and psychological analysis, Journal of International Tourism, 4(1), 234-156.

The Indian culture represents a challenge for many international companies. For this reason, Hyatt Hotel develops unique strategies to manage a culturally diverse workforce. The purpose of diversity management is to level cultural, religious, age, and social differences and create effective communication and a positive climate. Equality of treatment and opportunity has been the official policy of some IT organizations for many years. In their standards of recruitment, training, and promotion, Hyatt Hotel has been more effective as an equal opportunity employer than the private business sector. But even in government and human services agencies, there is room for improvement. Many equal opportunity employers are merely paper compilers; their behavior is anything but exemplary of equality in action. In contrast to these policies, Hyatt Hotel in India does its best to attract and retain top talents. If the policy of equal employment opportunity (EEO) is to apply without regard to sex, race, creed, color, or national origin, an important first step is to ascertain whether influential members of an organization harbor prejudices (Armstrong 44).

In Hyatt Hotel, the planning function of HR management supports all activities and determines the overall performance of the HR department. The purpose of this function is to coordinate the actions of Hyatt Hotel employees and meet the requirements of the hotel. Planning is one of the key elements to success in business. Basic problems of business failures are poor location, undercapitalization, or unprofessionalism of managing staff. But all these problems start on the stage of planning. In India, marketing, as a business activity, must be planned. The plan contains information about the nature of the business, the set of actions for the company directed to fulfill its customers requirements in the marketplace (Barham and Conway 87).

Specifically, many Indian minority workers quit or retire from organizations without ever having understood what their supervisors diagnosed as their needs, why certain procedures were followed and, if the failure resulted, what their failures consisted of and the reasons for them. The minority workers rights include the right to courteous, prompt, and the best supervision (Reed 54). In India, they have the right to know what is wrong, why, and what can be done about skill deficiencies. The Hyatt Hotel managers could build a case of minority workers ignorance as being a byproduct of the managerial mystique. That is, Hyatt Hotels administrators and supervisors are commonly perceived as being people whose training and predilections place them in a special ability category. To put it even more bluntly, there is a tendency for Indian minority employees to be in awe of administrators. For the Hyatt Hotel, the challenge to managers and supervisors is to demonstrate that competence and empathy are not unique to members of a particular group (Beardwell et al 87).

Ta Hyatt Hotel, the HR plan is not only a subject of academic researches, but it also received its practical implementation with the ability to differentiate between success and failure in any organization. While making an HR plan Hyatt Hotel considers such basic concepts as external environmental assessment of the Indian economy, current HR situation, competitive advantage, and future strategies (Bartlett and Ghoshal 72). In India, Hyatt Hotel provides various approaches to planning; therefore this process might include different elements, depending on an organization and desired results. Planning provides Hyatt Hotel with a forward-looking view of the total enterprise. It is the basis for determining the fundamental strategies to be employed and the objectives, programs, and resources required. Hyatt Hotel planning is to a business enterprise what thinking is to an individual. It supplies the rational means for achieving maximum market-striking power and results from the resources in hand.

The function of diversity management can be applied by using (1) training programs for employees, (2) introduction of the codes of ethics, and (3) cross-cultural management philosophy accepted by n organization. Planning function can be applied by (1) a new approach to work structure and controls, (2) the development of specific courses of action for each department, and (3) the establishment of clear objectives and goals.

Works Cited

Armstrong, M. Human Resource Management. Kogan Page. Behavior. 2nd edn. Boston: Kent Publishing, 2003.

Bartlett, C. and Ghoshal, S. Managing Across Borders: The Transnational Solution. 2^nd edition, London: Ramsden House, 1999.

Barham K., Conway C. Developing business and people internationally: A mentoring approach. Ashridge Research, 1998.

Beardwell, I. Holden, L., Claydon, T. Human Resource Management, London Pitman Publishing, 2004,

Reed A. in Human Resource Management. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2001.

Schuler, R. Managing Human Resources. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Publishing,1998,

As is my week-daily custom, I arrive at school early, not because Im especially responsible but because of the paranoia associated with being late and having everyone notice. Its some type of psychological flaw that happens to serve me well. Sometimes, about four days out of five, my anxiety is in overdrive so I arrive early enough to re-examine my school-work prior to class, not that I ever have but there is sufficient time to do that and probably take a short nap. On these days I generally stop in at a mom-and-pop coffee shop near campus then stare at the clock on the wall to ensure I am early to class.

If a movie were made with this coffee shop shown on camera, everyone would think it was the same or depicted one similar to the one they visit. The definitive word to describe the shop, its patrons, décor and view out the window would have to be typical or substitute ordinary, generic, clichéd, etc. The conversations of persons within the establishment are typical as well, gossip, the weather, sports and basic, ordinary chit-chat about typical daily occurrences waft throughout the shop much as the coffee and pasty aromas, all mixing together in an incoherent blend of ordinary background accompaniment while I sip coffee and stare at the clock. This scene is played out in every town across much of the civilized world every day and here I sit; an insignificant, generic bit-player in the setting.

My semi-daily, semi-conscious routine was briefly interrupted one day a few weeks ago. A conversation between two people, sitting squarely underneath the clock, caught my attention. Im not usually voyeuristic but the scene being played was anything but typical which, in and of itself was reason enough to pay attention. A young man and women, likely in their early 20s, were staring into each others eyes without speaking for several anxious moments but it wasnt a romantic gaze, both faces appeared intently sorrowful.

The woman reached across to grasp the mans hands but he pulled them slowly away and lowered his head. He looked up, said something very brief and soft which made the woman look down at the table in front of her. He reached over to take her hands. They both looked at each other with a forced half-smile. By this time, likely less than a minute after I noticed them, I was entranced by this sad scene and could not do what I knew to be socially correct and stop staring. I heard nothing of their conversation but did not need subtitles to understand the situation.

This couple was ending their relationship. They both knew it was coming but the actual end was difficult for both. Both had coffee within arms reach but neither took a sip. They had not met here for coffee. What I was trying to comprehend was who was breaking off the relationship, which instigated this meeting? It was never clear but both clearly were affected by it yet both seemed to understand that the relationship was not right for either.

Both felt deep compassion for the other yet both had seemed to already have moved past this relationship in their minds, if not their hearts. I began to wonder how they met, what type of outings they undertook as a couple, future plans they may have made and what they learned about each other that derailed the relationship. Soon they both left the shop, first her then him after he paid the tab. He walked to the door to catch one last glimpse of her but was too late, she was gone, forever. He walked slowly back to the table to leave a tip for coffee not drank then, with a blank expression, started the journey of the rest of his life.

I did not hear the conversation but did not need to, I knew what I just witnessed, either what I described or maybe she told him the pet canary of his she was babysitting died, I really dont know but what I discovered about myself was clear. What may seem a generic setting is actually filled with interesting dramatic displays as different as the particular mixtures of coffee they drink. This generic existence isnt ordinary or typical at all, its full of flavors and if one takes time to read the menu, they will notice.