A House to Remember Essay Example for Free

A House to Remember Essay I have moved in and out of many houses throughout the years, but none of them were as important to me as the house in which I grew up. I must admit that this house, although enormous, was neither the nicest nor the most comfortable house, yet my nostalgic nature has propelled me to treasure that house above all others. Having parted it for almost ten years, some details of the house are out of my grasp. The memory of the house now stands as a symbol of my childhood. It is the only place that I remember nothing but pure happiness, suffused with youthful innocence and carefree laughter that would never fade. The front yard of the house was a vacant space with a large concrete sink conspicuously imposed in one corner. Grandma used to stand upon the red brick pavement in front of this sink every morning; cleaning vegetables for meals, washing clothes from the day before, or scrubbing pots and bowls in soapy water. When grandma was doing her chores at the sink, I would stagger into the yard with my little green wooden chair dragging behind, set it a few feet from grandma, sit down and watch her hands maneuver among the items with fascinated eyes. Every now and then, along the clanks of hardware, some bubbles struggled free of gravity and rose into the air. That was when I would routinely utter an excited yelp and kick back my chair to chase the bubbles, which reflected sunlight more colorfully than crystal balls in the cheerful crisp mornings. If I were lucky, grandma would give me a little basin with water and a few drops of dish soap in which to play with. The procedure was always the same: I lowered my face almost to the surface of the water, intently stared at the spreading yellow solution without a blink, as if to hurry the process. As soon as the solution faded into the water, I shoved my hands into the basin and gave the water a fanatic stir, laughing,  panting, as shiny bubbles magically foamed in the entire basin. Most of the time, I could scoop up the bubbles with both hands and blow at them as hard as I could. The aftermath was predictable, bubbles were everywhere: in the air, on the ground and over my face. At this point, grandma would turn around to look at me with feigned solemnity. After helping me wipe soap away from my face, she retreated into the house to prepare lunch, while I sat alone in the yard, watching bubbles pop in a hurried manner. The refreshing lemony scent of the soap lingered in the air long after the bubbles were gone. Around noon, the hunger pain in my stomach and the delicious smell of food from kitchen attracted each other like opposite sides of a magnet. Without knowing, I was already tripping over the tall threshold that led to the living room. The living room was the dominant structure of this ancient house. It was profusely furnished with mahogany antiques that had carvings of dragons, phoenixes and other traditional Chinese symbols on it signifying its venerable history. The room itself was equally old; the whitewash on the walls was starting to peel, the red paint on the wooden doors appeared rather flaky. I would usually stop at the giant gate of the living room to peel off a few flakes of paint from its already-marred surface. But the need to go to the kitchen appeared more urgent to me at that moment. The kitchen was a moderately sized cubicle positioned at the rear of the living room. Squares of tidy white tiles covered its lower half of walls and floor. The kitchen counter and the stoves were lined up against the inner side of the wall. It seemed to me that grandma always had something cooking on the stoves, thus constantly diffusing the house with a faint yet pleasant aroma. The counter was home to a large collection of kitchen utensils; from plain enamel bowls to elegant porcelain plates, from iron woks to stainless steel pots, all of which had found their righteous place on the counter and lined up haughtily. The most repulsive piece was the pressure cooker, but for some reason grandma loved to use it. I remember countless times when I watched in awe at this strange apparatus restlessly ejecting streams of white vapor from a revolving black knob, while making incessant hissing sounds, loud and repelling, as if foretelling some imminent danger. Lunch was held at the little round table placed in the center of the kitchen. Usually, grandma would be at the table as I entered the room, kitting, strings of wool ascending tirelessly out of a basket near her feet as she skillfully transformed them into garments. While I climbed into a chair next to her, she would lay down her needlework atop the colorful balls of wool and start transporting plates of food to the table under my anticipatory watch. As soon as my bowl of rice arrived, I would launch a ravenous attack into the foods; chopsticks clicked hungrily amongst the different dishes as I mounted palatable delicacies on top of my steamed rice. In contrast, grandma ate her meal with suaveness; she had told me rules like dont eat with your mouth open dont make noises when you eat, but they were luckily never enforced (at least not then). Slow down, she would say benignly, watching me munch on my mouthful. I would mumble something in reply, but kept on devouring my favorites. Despite all these, my avarice still had its payback on me, I was never able to finish all the foods I hoarded in my bowl, thus by the end of each meal, I could find myself begging for grandmas pardon. Im so full. I whined, meanwhile searching for traces of relent on grandmas face. You shouldnt waste food, the farmers worked hard for those. Grandma said sternly. I wont next time, I promise. Alright then, just go take your nap. Upon the hearing of this acquittal, I slipped out of my customized tall chair at once and started to scurry to the master bedroom, which was located on the left side of the living room, a few feet from the dinning table. Once inside the bedroom, I immediately approached the main attraction an old 18-inch colored TV that was placed on a tarnished cabinet. With great eagerness, I reached my arms upward and stretched my body to its fullest extent; my fingertips fumbled among a row of smooth buttons. Finally, I felt  the round indent I was looking for and pressed it laboriously. Loud voices from the TV suddenly filled the entire room; I slouched heavily into grandmas oversized bed with relief and gasped for air, as if I had finished racing with a neighboring kid. But a minute later, I was already comfortably reclining against the bedrail and enjoying the exuberant cartoons. I would stare for a long time at this little black box with uttermost attention until sleepiness prevailed. The images were no more than blobs of colors and the voices were reduced into a vague humming sound as I slowly drifted into a deep sleep. When I woke up again, the fierce afternoon sunlight has softened into a tinge of warm orange. I could hear noises in the living room as my parents and grandpa returned from work. With a sudden jolt, I swung myself out of bed and wobbled hastily into the living room. There, everyone was already seated around the large dining table. Still a bit hazy from sleep, I found myself a spot between my parents, snuggled against them obsequiously in order to receive trinkets they have brought me. Dinner soon ensued; I played with my new toys heartily as the adults chatted and joked, occasionally laughing along with them at some jokes that I could not then comprehend. Congenial happiness was written on everyones face, which shined brightly under the white florescent light The house has vanished among the tides of citys reconstruction, but the reminiscence I have of it will never fade. I envisioned my mind as a vast coastal beach; passing time would hide pieces of my memories like fine sands over beautiful shell. Although they can be temporarily out of my reach, I knew they were out there, somewhere hidden, and waiting for a tide to reveal them to their righteous owner.

The Curse of Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

The Curse of Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's more popular plays, and nearly everyone knows about the abundant blood and gore, the witches, Lady Macbeth's ambition, and the ghost of Banquo. However, not as many people know about the superstitions that surround this play.   There's a long-standing belief that the play is jinxed, than any company that produces it is courting disaster, and that quoting from the play (or even saying the title) leads to serious bad luck.    There's no doubt that several superstitions are associated with Macbeth.   Many actors refuse to say the name of the play but rather refer to it as "The Scottish Play" or even "The Plaid Play" (Gero).  Ã‚   Some go even further, referring to it as "The Unmentionable" or even "That Play" (Demcisak 8). Actors also look unkindly on anyone who says the name of the title character or quotes from the play while in the theater. The only way to "cure" the problem created is to perform a ritual. For instance, the offending actor may be required to turn around three times and spit over his left shoulder, or turn around three times and quote from A Midsummer Night's Dream (Faulkner).    What's the evidence for the curse or jinx? Bad luck certainly seems to follow productions of Macbeth.According to legend, during the play's first production, the boy who played Lady Macbeth died backstage (Rozakis 245).   In 1849, three of New York's theaters were featuring Macbeth, and two of the lead actors had a serious rivalry going. Edwin Forrest (one of the Macbeths) reportedly encouraged some of his followers to disrupt the production at his rival's theater. In the resulting riot, thirty-one people were killed (Demcisak 7).    Demcisak reports more tra... ...lt;http://ws.bowiestate.edu/archives/1995/0075.html>. Gagen, Steven. "The Scottish Play." Online posting. 6 Feb. 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚   SHAKSPER@ws.bowiestate.edu. 7 March 2001   Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://ws.bowiestate.edu/archives/1995/0075.html>. Gero, Edward. "Re: The Scottish Play." Online posting. 8 Feb. 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚   SHAKSPER@ws.bowiestate.edu. 12 March 2001   Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://ws.bowiestate.edu/archives/1995/0088.html>. "Ivanov Goes to Moscow." ArtsZone.   2 March 2001.   Ã‚  Ã‚   <http://www.ovationtv.com/artszone/programs/ivanov/wild.html>. Rozakis, Laurie. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare. New York: Alpha,   Ã‚  Ã‚   1999. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction,   Ã‚  Ã‚   Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 7th ed. New   Ã‚  Ã‚   York: Longman, 1999. 1522-1634.            

Problems in Public Transport

Safe and fast travel is what the commuters expect from our public transport system. It is supposed to be the cheapest and best option. But for the students of Skirts Sanity College and the other neighboring colleges, that is not the case. The number of BOMB buses operating from Henry main road to Katmandu Is found to be highly insufficient during the morning peak hours. The students commuting In this route find It very difficult to reach their college safely in the right time. They are of the opinion that the bus services In the morning are Irregular and lack punctuality.Most of the colleges begin their classes at 9 AM. And every student would obviously want to reach In time. † says Meek, a 1st semester BCC student of Skirts Jaunty College. â€Å"Because there Is very less bus service In the morning, we have no choice but to rush Into heavily crowded buses. This Is very tiring and sometimes dangerous. † The lack of buses and Irregularity In their arrival Increases the nu mber of students walling. They are then left with no choice but to travel boatyard or hanging out of the bus which Is extremely dangerous.There is a high chance of them falling off the bus. Hence, the students experience a very frustrating and perilous journey every morning. â€Å"It is not lust the college students that go through this kind of hardship. People on their way to work and children on their way to school are also part of the crowd. We are all crushed together in the bus. Finding foot space in the bus itself is a tricky task. † says Pungent, a 1st semester BAA student of Skirts Sanity College. â€Å"The actual problem is that all the institutions begin their daily schedule almost at the same time.So there tends to be a need for everyone to reach their destination in time. If there is no adequate amount of buses, they choose to step into the first bus they find and this leads to the crowding up of the bus. † As the public transport is highly unreliable, the students who use the BOMB bus passes are sometimes forced to use the private buses. This leads to unnecessary expenditure of money. Leveraging the lack of frequency of buses, a number of auto-rickshaws at the Henry Junction ferry passengers on a shared basis.They charge the passengers much more than the meter fare. These are the problems that the students have to face every day. National Service Scheme (INS) operating in Skirts Sanity College have found that much of the students of the college use public transportation and that they find It very problematic to commute in the morning. INS has decided to raise this Issue to the respective authorities and strive to find an appropriate solution. -Sashay Balkan, 1st Semester Bagging.Problems in Public Transport By Sashay-Balkan room Henry main road to Katmandu is found to be highly insufficient during the morning peak hours. The students commuting in this route find it very difficult to services in the morning are irregular and lack punc tuality. â€Å"Most of the colleges begin their classes at 9 AM. And every student would obviously want to reach in time. † says Meek, a 1st semester BCC student of Skirts Sanity College. â€Å"Because there is very less bus service in the morning, we have no choice but to rush into heavily crowded buses. This is very tiring and sometimes dangerous.The lack of buses and irregularity in their arrival increases the number of students waiting. They are then left with no choice but to travel boatyard or hanging out of the bus which is students experience a very frustrating and perilous Journey every morning. â€Å"It is not just the college students that go through this kind of hardship. People on their way to much of the students of the college use public transportation and that they find it very problematic to commute in the morning. INS has decided to raise this issue to Balkan, 1st Semester BAA Spend.

Ten Tips for Coding Excel VBA Macros

Ten commonsense suggestions to make coding Excel VBA faster and easier. These tips are based on Excel 2010 (but they work in nearly all versions) and many were inspired by the OReilly book Excel 2010 - The Missing Manual by Matthew MacDonald. 1 - Always test your macros in a throwaway test spreadsheet, usually a copy of one that its designed to work with. Undo doesnt work with macros, so if you code a macro that folds, spindles, and mutilates your spreadsheet, youre outta luck unless you have followed this tip. 2 - Using shortcut keys can be dangerous because Excel doesn’t warn you if you choose a shortcut key that Excel is already using. If this happens, Excel uses the shortcut key for the macro, not the built-in shortcut key. Think about how surprised your boss will be when he loads your macro and then Ctrl-C adds a random number to half the cells in his spreadsheet. Matthew MacDonald makes this suggestion in Excel 2010 - The Missing Manual. Here are some common key combinations that you should never assign to macro shortcuts because people use them too frequently: CtrlS (Save)CtrlP (Print)CtrlO (Open)CtrlN (New)CtrlX (Exit)CtrlZ (Undo)CtrlY (Redo/Repeat)CtrlC (Copy)CtrlX (Cut)CtrlV (Paste) To avoid problems, always use CtrlShiftletter macro key combinations, because these combinations are much less common than the Ctrlletter shortcut keys. And if you’re in doubt, don’t assign a shortcut key when you create a new, untested macro. 3 - Cant remember Alt-F8 (the default macro shortcut)? Do the names mean nothing to you? Since Excel will make macros in any opened workbook available to every other workbook that’s currently open, the easy way is to build your own macro library with all of your macros in a separate workbook. Open that workbook along with your other spreadsheets. As Matthew puts it, Imagine you’re editing a workbook named SalesReport.xlsx, and you open another workbook named MyMacroCollection.xlsm, which contains a few useful macros. You can use the macros contained in MyMacroCollection.xlsm with SalesReport.xlsx without a hitch. Matthew says this design makes it easy to share and reuse macros across workbooks (and between different people). 4 - And consider adding buttons to link to the macros in the worksheet that contains your macro library. You can arrange the buttons in any functional groupings that make sense to you and add text to the worksheet to explain what they do. Youll never wonder what a cryptically named macro actually does again. 5 - Microsofts new macro security architecture has been improved a lot, but its even more convenient to tell Excel to trust the files in certain folders on your computer (or on other computers). Pick a specific folder on your hard drive as a trusted location. If you open a workbook stored in this location, it’s automatically trusted. 6 - When youre coding a macro, dont try to build cell selection into the macro. Instead, assume that the cells that the macro will use have been pre-selected. Its easy for you to drag the mouse over the cells to select them. Coding a macro that is flexible enough to do the same thing is likely to be full of bugs and hard to program. If you want to program anything, try to figure out how to write validation code to check whether an appropriate selection has been made in the macro instead. 7 - You might think that Excel runs a macro against the workbook that contains the macro code, but this isn’t always true. Excel runs the macro in the active workbook. Thats the workbook that you looked at most recently. As Matthew explains it, If you have two workbooks open and you use the Windows taskbar to switch to the second workbook, and then back to the Visual Basic editor, Excel runs the macro on the second workbook. 8 - Matthew suggests that, For easier macro coding, try to arrange your windows so you can see the Excel window and the Visual Basic editor window at the same time, side-by-side. But Excel wont do it, (Arrange All on the View menu only arranges the Workbooks. Visual Basic is considered a different application window by Excel.) But Windows will. In Vista, close all but the two you want to arrange and right-click the Taskbar; select Show Windows Side by Side. In Windows 7, use the Snap feature. (Search online for Windows 7 features Snap for instructions.) 9 - Matthews top tip: Many programmers find long walks on the beach or guzzling a jug of Mountain Dew a helpful way to clear their heads. And of course, the mother of all VBA tips: 10 - The first thing to try when you cant think of the statements or keywords you need in your program code is to turn on the macro recorder and do a bunch of operations that seem to be similar. Then examine the generated code. It wont always point you to the right thing, but it often does. At a minimum, it will give you a place to start looking. Source MacDonald, Matthew. Excel 2010: The Missing Manual. 1 edition, OReilly Media, July 4, 2010.