Has religious tourism increased because of the recent growth in new Essay

Has religious tourism increased because of the recent growth in new age spiritualism - Essay Example In the recent decades, people have been moving for leisure whereby faithful in a particular religion meet at a designated country or place for religious activities such as fellowship. Mecca in Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s popular religious tourism destinations for Muslims. They embark on pilgrimage annually, which is a tradition that is entrenched deeply in Islam. North America is also among the regions that have pronounced religious tourism. Faith tourism is among the sectors that are experiencing rapid growth in the contemporary tourism industry. Most of the religious tourist destinations are associated with pre-historic sites of worship or areas legendary for supernatural occurrences. The main religions associated with religious tourism include Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism although there are many other minor religions that practice this form of religion. This paper evaluates whether religious tourism has increased because of the recent growth in new age spiritualism. It focuses on how religious tourism has evolved as well as whether pilgrimage has taken on a new meaning. It seeks to establish if people go to spiritual places because they are interested or because religion has seen a revival and people go for spiritual reasons. Pilgrimage dates back as far as the 16th century. The paper will address whether it is now done for different reasons or whether people still do it for the same reason as in the past. The World Tourism Organization estimates that more than 300 million people travel to key religious sites annually (World Tourism Organization, 2002). Since the industrial revolution, technological advancements made travelling all over the world simpler. Religions spread world wide and by the end of the 19th century, there was a marked increase in religious tourism that has grown to the present day. Communication technology has made it possible for people to exchange views and plan for meetings globally. The U.S.

The Purpose of Shoes Essay -- purpose essays

Shoes are not only worn to protect the human feet. They are also worn because they add the final touch to the style you are trying to create. The history of shoes is very long and nobody really knows when the first shoes were created but we do know that they were originally made to warm the feet. Now, there are many different types and each kind helps you function a different way. The shoe is also made up of many parts and every kind of shoe has different parts then other types. Year by year, shoes have been improving and becoming more and more popular. Now, we have all the equipment and all the materials we need to make the shoe better than ever. The very first pair of shoes was created many years ago. Its purpose was to protect the feet from rocks and debris and also to provide warmth. It was created in a very simple form. People used to make shoes by wrapping their feet in dried grasses, straws, cowhide and leathers. Later on, pieces were developed from an oval piece of leather which was bound by a piece of strong leather strings. This may have looked like one of today’s sandal...

Stylistic analysis of a short story “Laura” Essay

The story under analysis is titled â€Å"Laura†. It is written by British author, master of the short story Hector Hugh Munro, better known by the pen name Saki. The very story belongs to fiction genre with a unique touch of mystery, psychological themes, as it concerned with two main heroines’ (Laura and Amanda) emotional states. The tone of the story is full of irony and even sarcasm, especially in the dialogues and closing lines. The mysterious ideas and incredible circumstances provide the suspense and makes the text rather gripping and thought-provoking. The story is told from the third person, who involves the reader in Amanda’s inner world. It is shown by the indirect method of characterization, as the characters are revealed through their speech, actions and behaviors. The main heroines are Laura, a hasty, unadvised person, who possesses some eccentric ideas and her friend Amanda, more material and serious lady. The reader is merely introduced to them, so it is meant to find out about their personalities through the speech. Amanda is very concerned about Laura’s condition, because she was only given a couple of days to live. In spite of those dramatic perspectives, Laura is not afraid to die, because of her belief in reincarnation. She admits, that she has never been a nice person, so she is ready to become an animal in the next life, and than, may be, a little Nubian boy. From this point on, the complex and dynamic personalities with some vivid qualities are shown. The biggest role in the text belongs to the dialogues. They help to create the settings of the story and reveal information about characters’ lives, beliefs and states. From the first setting it is possible to imagine a kind of a country town, as one of the minor characters (Egbert, Amanda’s husband) runs a farm. The atmosphere of the text is quite changeable, so in the end of the story the secondary setting of the Nile Valley is depicted. From the very beginning of the story the reader finds some foreshadowing. It gives special hints to what will happen in the future. The plot includes some complications which lead right up to the climax of the text. After Laura’s death Amanda believes her friend to be reincarnated as an otter. Eventually, she learns that the animal has been killed. The fact, that a witness noticed â€Å"such a human look  in its eyes† brings Amanda an attack of nervous prostration. At the very end of the story the reader finds another climax and new unsolved conflict: a Nubian boy had thrown all Egbert’s clean shirts into the bath. All this presents an external conflict; an internal conflict is revealed through struggling doubts about what happens after death. Obviously, the text has an open ending. This short story is extremely interesting from the stylistic point of view. The writer had a very specific way of applying stylistic devices in the text. Comic nature of the situation is expressed by a lot of formal lexis and play upon polysemous words and idioms (â€Å"dying by inches†). The use of certain stylistic means is closely related to the portrayal of heroine’s personalities and conditions. The author is often ironic showing Laura’s mood and ideas. It also creates a strong humorous effect. The repetition of the word â€Å"circumstances† serves to make the reader see what type of a person Laura is, to understand her attitude towards other people. There are examples of parallel constructions in the text: â€Å"My best flower bed and my best fowls singled out for destructions†. The reader meets cases of hyperbole, like in: â€Å"he needn’t have gone on about it for the entire evening†, â€Å"maddest kind of idea†, â€Å" beast† (about the otter). The examples of litotes are met in Sir Lulworth’s speech about Laura. Instead of saying that she is out of her mind he uses the words â€Å"unaccountable† and â€Å"inconsiderate†. Metaphors are mostly used for the portrayal of Amanda’s husband: â€Å"wearing an air of bereavement† and â€Å"hurricane of shouted curses†. The main idea of the story is to show the reader how it is necessary for a person to let the dead go, though it can be so emotionally hard and painful. It won’t do to imagine them still alive in other different forms, because all these feelings and experience may lead to nervous breakdown. The connection between the story and its title turns out to be rather striking, as the only character, Amanda by name, is followed throughout the whole text, while her friend Laura’s swift death is depicted in one short sentence. But still, her presence is strongly felt all the way.

How to Concentrate in Class

A class can get boring and you can get distracted. Your professor is long-winded, your best friend is hilarious, or your cell phone keeps going off. But learning how to concentrate in class is imperative to getting a good grade and actually learning something. Here are some tips for how to concentrate in class when the distractions seem like too much to handle. How to Concentrate on Class 1. Sit Near the Front The front row isn’t just for the nerds. (Although being a nerd is really, really  cool because nerds tend to end up ruling the world).  Sitting in the front of the class will automatically help you concentrate because it takes away any distractions (whisperers, texters, coughers, etc.) in front of you. 2. Participate The people who have learned how to concentrate know that they need to participate actively in class. Engage the teacher in conversation. Raise your hand for every question. Start a discussion. The more engaged you are with the lecture, the more you will want to concentrate on it. So, it is a way of fooling yourself into concentrating. Trick yourself into getting interested even if you cant imagine that you could be. Youll surprise yourself by how interested you really are if you give it a shot. . 3. Take Good Notes Get your pen working to keep your mind focused. Many kinesthetic learners are jittery – their brain doesn’t connect that they are working when they’re just listening. If you’re one of those people, and you can find out here if you are, then move your pen and take good notes during the lecture to help you concentrate. 4. Turn Off Your Phone If you really need to concentrate, then turn off your phone completely. No cheating by setting it to vibrate! Nothing will jar your concentration more than getting a text from a friend or a notification from social media during a lecture. 5. Eat a Healthy Breakfast Hunger can be a big distraction. It is tough to concentrate when you would rather be raiding the buffet at the your local restaurant. Grab some brain food before you head to class in order to get rid of a very obvious distraction. 6. Get a Good Night’s Sleep For maximum concentration, make sure you have slept at least eight hours. I know it can be tough to do, especially in college, but your concentration will be almost gone if you are fighting fatigue. Get some shut-eye so you can pay attention to the things that matter most. 7. Reward Yourself If you really have trouble focusing in class, then reward yourself at the end of class for paying attention. Indulge in your favorite latte, add five bucks to your â€Å"saving for shoes† account, or even just give yourself mini rewards throughout the class period like a piece of candy or a brief phone check if youve concentrated for fifteen minutes. Give yourself something to work for besides your good grade if that hasn’t been enough of a motivator. 8. Get the Jitters Out If you are an antsy person – one of those kinesthetic learners – and your teacher is not able to allow you to move in the classroom, then make sure you have gotten your energy out before class. Run laps around the library. Take the stairs everywhere you go. Ride your bike to class. Use some of your energy beforehand, so you can concentrate during your class period. 9. Change It Up If you can feel your ability to concentrate starting to slip, then change something. Get a new pen from your bag. Cross your other leg. Stretch. Tense and flex your muscles. Take a moment to give yourself a brief break from the monotony. You’ll be surprised how well this works to get you back on track.