Climate Change And Its Impact On Ski Industry Tourism Essay

Climate Change And Its Impact On Ski Industry Tourism Essay This essay talks about the presence of climate change and its impact on ski industry which is dependent activity on weather conditions. Global warming has been considered as a mega risk and it has a tendency to be permanent and therefore it is extremely complicated to measure its outcomes. As Nicholls (2006) mentioned, climate change is nowadays strongly accepted by many worlds scientists and governments as an issue of tremendous alarm for the people worldwide. This essay considers different models of possible impacts of global warming on different parts of the world. Steyger and Mayers (2008) said that since the 1990s the likely dependence of snow tourism to climate change has received greater alertness in the media. Increasing number of authors focus on this matter as well as on the adaption strategies of ski resorts. This paper demonstrates that global warming is a problem which forced majority of ski resorts all over the world to respond to weather changes in order to survive. Essay talks about options that are available to ski resorts and brings on the discussion of their usage and their effectiveness. Ski resorts all over the world are likely to experience a loss of snow consistency and that is why supervision of ski regions has to be more conscious when it comes to future of snow conditions in their geography area. Global warmings impact on ski industry Models of projected outcomes of global warming Climate as well as the natural environment associated with weather change can likely to impact open-air leisure and tourism. Businesses linked to skiing industry are largely exposed to the projected impacts of global warming because skiing is an activity dependent on climate conditions. Bricknell and McManus (2006) considered that it is one of the first and the most visibly impacted industries by the risk of global warming worldwide. Folland et al (2001) as mentioned in Moen and Fredman (2007) stated that annual snow cover level in the northern hemisphere has decreased by approximately 10% since 1966 and also that previous decade was wetter and warmer compared to the prior 30-year period in whole Europe. Global warming has already affected and will most probably carry on with affecting physical and natural systems all over the world. As Moen and Fredman (2007) refered to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2001), the expected effects of global warming include a proposed boost of globally averaged outside temperature by 1.4 to 5.8Â °C between years 1990 and 2100 which would also possibly lead to sea level rise of 0.88m globally. ZAMG (2007) as cited in Breilings and Charamza (1999) found out that because of global warming the line of usual snowfall steadiness will raise by about 150 m of altitude per 1Â °C of warming. For better picture, low attitude ski resorts are those below 1800-2000 m and thus, the majority of ski resorts in the world. Not to mention Breilings and Charamzas (1999) estimation that a 1Â °C rise in average temperatures with winter drought may reduce the duration of snow cover by 50% at altitudes in range of 1400 1600 m. For example, Moen and Fredman (2007) estimated that no more than 63% of the entire Swiss ski regions will be snow consistent once a temperature raise by 2Â °C, not to mention the impact in the worst case and thus, in increase of temperature by 5.8Â °C, taking to account IPCCs model. If we link these few findi ngs together, we may conclude that in the worst circumstances, the natural snow dependability will rise by 870m of altitude by year 2100 which would mean that ski resorts of altitude about 2000m may end up with as much snow as altitudes in regions about 1000m today. Larsson (2003) concentrated his research on climate change adaption in Canada and the findings are very similar to of those in Europe. He used model of McCarthys (2001) research which estimated that global warming in Arctic land areas may become theatrical by year 2080. Summer temperatures would increase by 4.0-7.5Â °C, winter temperatures by 2.5-14.0Â °C. These numbers are even more. If these predictions are about to be fulfilled, it would lead to melting of permafrost, leading to soils with condensed bearing capacity in ice rich areas and active regions of irregular permafrost. Additionally as he found out, the global warming effects may decrease periods of extreme cold and on other hand increase frequency of extreme heat in North America. Growing sea levels and danger of rainstorm course, and thus danger of coastal flooding, variations in timing, regularity and severity of flooding linked to rainstorms are likely to become a reality. Moen and Fredman (2007) mentioned that according to Mendelsohn and Markowski (1999), global warming would most likely have an effect on outdoor leisure in three ways in the future. These include accessibility of leisure possibilities throughout longer summer seasons and shorter winter seasons. The comfort in general, satisfaction of leisure activities and the quality of the leisure experience. These kind of changes will generate winners as well as losers as diverse sorts of outside recreation activities involve dissimilar climatic conditions. These outcomes are though generalisations that may be applicable at collective level, whilst it would expect large district and neighbouring variations between different tourism activities. All of the above findings are alarming for winter tourism destinations and therefore managements of ski areas have to be very aware of possible impact of climate change on their ski spots as the snow is fundamental aspect of ski tourism. Snow conditions as a key factor Winter tourism is in many ways reliant on natural features such as terrain, elevation or vertical fall. On other hand, even more significant features are weather conditions, and thus temperatures, airstream and snowfall. With decrease in snow cover, whatever the terrain or vertical fall may be, it is almost impossible to develop any ski opportunities. More authors agreed that snow cover is a key variable for consumers to decide where to ski. Suggestions that impacts on global warming on winter tourism can be significant are apparent from research from different parts of the world. For example, Fukushima et al (2002) as expressed in Moen and Fredman (2007) formed the interactions connecting air warmth, rainfall, snow intensity and the amount of skiers at seven different ski resorts in Japan. They found out that the number of skiers decreased by 30% when temperature increased by 3-C. Godfrey (1999) found out that one of the most important aspects influencing destination choices of Engl ish skiers going to Canada is snow conditions. These findings strengthen an argument that snow conditions and snow cover may be regarded as the most important factor for any ski resort. As discussed and illustrated before, the phenomenon of global warming may, and most likely will have a huge impact on snow conditions in mountains and ski areas and thus it will also have significant influence on businesses of new as well as matured ski destinations. Majority of them started to feel impacts of global warming and they are trying to find solutions in order to respond to weather changes so they have better chance to survive and keep their businesses alive. The question is, is all it possible even without not enough natural snowfall? Adaption by ski industry Artificial snow-making Steiger and Mayer (2008) concentrated their research on Austrias and Swisss ski industry and stated that technically created snow is the most used alteration approach for unusually hot winter seasons. Nicholls (2006) who researched climate change and its impact on outdoor tourism in Europe said that key technological alteration to snow absence is the implementation of artificial snow-making facilities. Moen and Fredman (2007) considered that the most general adaptation to snow-deficient winters in Sweden is also artificial snow-making. The practice of snowmaking is increasingly characteristic for the Australian ski industry too (Bricknell and McManus, 2006). Snowmaking may be used not only to influence ski season durations but also to reduce snow changeability throughout the season. This is viewed as an insurance policy for overcoming the unreliability of seasons and dealing with the potential impacts of climate change. Snowmaking could be considered short to medium-term adaptation a pproach, not just for low altitude ski destinations but as well as for financially strong year-round resorts at higher altitudes (Nicholls, 2006). For instance, in Austria almost 60% of the ski areas are covered by artificial snow-making facilities (FSO, 2007 in Steyger and Mayer, 2008). But the distribution of snow-making cannot be related to global warming as trends in tourism, status, and competitive advantage are crucial features. Steiger and Mayer (2008) said that ski resorts are forced to build up snow-making capabilities with cost for their financial strength as warm winters are becoming more common than in the past. However the possible assistance of this machinery to the practicability of winter tourism destinations have yet to be formed by researchers as the significant expenditures are linked with this measure. For instance, approximately 27% of ski resorts in Switzerland have a reduced cash stream already and most do not seem to be viable without help (Seilbahnen Schweiz 2006 in Steiger and Mayer, 2008). Elsasser and Burki (2002) and Scott et al. (2003) as described in Nicholls (2006), stated that snowmaking ameniti es are costly to assemble and preserve, and need significant amounts of water and power to work. For that reason, many of the small and middle range ski resorts would not have enough money for the implementation of such technology. Usage of snow-making technology In preparation for the skiing season of 2006-2007 the Austrias Tyrolean ski industry invested EUR 55 million in snowmaking, with EUR 270 million in overall investments even though, the past winter seasons had brought sufficient snowfall yet at lower elevations (Tiroler Tageszeitung 2006 as illustrated in Steyger and Mayers, 2008). This points out that while the operators observe climate circumstances as regularly too blurred and uncertain, they are well aware of global warming and are searching for adaptation strategies. Also, medium-term investment strategies are not tailored, as there is a lot of confidence in the improvement capacities of snowmaking machinery with a clear perceivable hole between weather change and economic investment phases (Mayer et al 2007 in Steiger and Mayer, 2008). As they mentioned, while the poor winter seasons at the end of the 1980s sparked artificial snowmaking in Tyrol, additional distribution was not related to weather unpredictability and global warm ing scenarios. On other hand, there is tendency to supply even naturally snow consistent ski resorts in high altitude areas higher than 2000m or in even 2500m with snow-making amenities. These elevations may be regarded as naturally snow consistent even in pessimistic global warming scenarios. As they said, snow-making amenities can be also used as promotion instrument to be a magnet for tourists, to build reputation and to maintain prices higher than it would generally be. These resources could perhaps be used in more sustainable way than just unnecessary usage of water wealth and other detriments of snow guns. Snow-making guns are not necessarily used in order just to make ski slopes usable for longer period of time. Main enthusiasm for the unique diffusion of snowmakers are that snowmaking should secure tourist capacity consumption, cable car companies revenues, and images of resorts in which domestic as well as international ski rivalry go on. Furthermore, it ought to guarantee broad environment for teaching and exercising of winter sports. How is global warming related to diffusion of snow-making facilities? Austrias case is different as there are many high-altitude ski resorts but Bricknell and McManus (2006) interviewed CEOs of three different ski resorts in Australia on this issue. CEOs assured that snowmaking technology may help to negate projected climate change impacts. The CEO of one resort suggested that, under global warming, snowmaking conditions may be unaffected or even improved because drier colder nights are good for snow-making which would assist the long term viability of the industry. The CEO of second resort noted that snowmaking is a necessary investment regardless of the potential impacts of climate change due to current consumer demands on the industry. CEO of third resort however, argued that global warming could have significant impact on artificial snow-making as this technology still depends on climate conditions and thus it still would not necessarily overcome the issue. Global warming and artificial snow-making Global warming may influence snowmaking in few ways. Decrease in natural snowfall would require more snowmaking; increase in average temperatures would decrease the length and amount of possibilities and boost the expenses of making snow; and variations in rainfall may distress the water supply for snowmaking (Scott et al., 2006 in Moen and Fredman, 2007). Analyses in North America have exposed that artificial snowmaking can significantly lessen the pessimistic outcomes of climate change but only if the temperature stays adequately low (Scott, 2006; Scott et al., 2006 in Moen and Fredman, 2007). Nicholls (2006) stated that artificial snow-making needs certain climatic surroundings, as for example minimum temperatures to be met and hence, this system may in several circumstances be prohibited beside the increase in warmth related to the global warming. The most important thing about snow-making is that snow guns and their usage are limited by weather conditions (Steiger and Mayer, 2008). High-quality snow can be accomplished with snow creation starting below -6Â °C at average humidity. On top of that, snowmaking conditions are prejudiced by warmth and wetness; if the air is wetter, lower temperatures are required. With recent snowmaking tools snow can be produced below -5Â °C. Fliris (1974) weather tables as expressed in Steiger and Mayer (2008) demonstrate a strong connection between -2Â °C daily average temperature and -6Â °C daily lowest temperature (Nicholls, 2006). Days reaching the threshold of -2Â °C daily average temperature are defined as prospective snowmaking days with best snowmaking conditions. Additionally, snowmaking is only considered realistic if it can poise out the loss during snowmelt. Therefore for majority of low-altitude ski resorts this strategy does not patch up the issue of global warming for long term and they have to start to look for other strategic options in order to overcome the problems of peak season shortness and falling visitor numbers as a result of climate change. Moen and Fredman (2007) adopted from Burki et al (2003) some other adaption strategies ski resorts may consider. Apart from snow-making, resorts could concentrate on different activities in order to fulfil consumer requirements and to survive on competitive business market. Slope development and operational practices At active ski areas, slope expansion alterations consist of: slope contouring, landscaping, and the defence of glaciers. Contouring or flatting ski slopes could be grooming slopes in the summer season to eliminate rocks or shrub vegetation, to reduce the snow deepness needed to operate and represent a cost saving approach for snowmaking (Scott and McBoyle, 2007). Land contouring can also be used to capture snowmelt and top up snowmaking tanks during the winter. Strategic placing and planting of tree cover can capture moving snow and to some extent gloom ski slopes, which would reduce snowmelt and snowmaking needs. Additionally to the adjustment of already operating skiable environment, the expansion of new skiable terrain in climatically privileged sites is generally cited as an alteration to climate change. The development of north facing slopes, which retain snowpack longer, is one strategy too. As Scott and McBoyle (2007) realised, more authors agreed that expansion of ski areas i nto higher elevations, with generally more reliable snow cover, where a longer ski season is possible, seems to be one of the key climate change adaptation strategies considered by ski area operators in the European Alps. Thirty six ski areas in Austria were awaiting authorisation to develop their operations into higher elevations in 2002- 2003. Wolfsegger et al. () as illustrated in Scott and McBoyle (2007) said that expanding to higher elevations was the third most favourite global warming adaptation choice by Austrian ski area managers, after snowmaking and sharing snowmaking costs with the accommodation industry. Nicholls (2006) also agreed that strategy of development of higher altitude ski resorts is option that tends to be of favour for existing ski resorts. Large ski corporations over smaller, family-owned businesses tend to use this strategy. Although, such improvements would present a host of ecological and safety concerns which the industry would need to deal with in order to uphold the industry in a viable approach. These comprise bigger pressure from new production as well as improved waste creation. Also due to mountain terrain or height this strategy is in many cases impossible. Other option is to cooperate or expand into areas with more reliable snow which may on other hand diversify income structure of resorts. Scott and McBoyle (2007) said that high elevation mountain environments are particularly sensitive to disturbance and opposition from the public and environmental groups may pose a significant constraint on this adaptation strategy in some locations. Marketing incentives and new product developments Bricknell and McManus (2006) suggested that many resorts use strategy of flexible ticket pricing policy and thus reducing ticket prices in order to attract more skiers. Scott and McBoyle (2007) mentioned that ski companies have already begun to experiment with incentives or guarantees to overcome skiers reluctance to book a ski holiday because of uncertain snow conditions. In the winter of 1999-2000, for example, the American Skiing Company promised visitors to its six New England region ski resorts a 25% reduction on their next vacation if the ski area failed to open 70% of their ski runs during the Christmas-New Year holiday period. Warm temperatures that season forced three of the six resorts to pay customers rebates (Keates, 2000 in Scott and McBoyle, 2007). Another strategy could be to develop non-snow related activities in winter or to become all season destination as more choices could attract more tourists and it could bring other benefits. All year round tourism could be developed by providing climate independent tourism such as conference or educational tourism. Nicholls (2006) mentioned that the building of conference amenities combined with the contribution of a broad variety of outside leisure activities during the seasons may provide resorts with a balanced, constant source of revenue that is less dependent on weather conditions. On other hand, the expansion of such substitutes needs an primary lay out of funds which may go beyond the capabilities of smaller ski businesses. Over the past three decades, many ski areas in North America have diversified their operations beyond traditional ski activities to include the provision of skiing and snowboarding lessons, accommodation and retail sales (Scott and McBoyle, 2007). The Economist (1998) referred to the alteration of major ski resorts in North America from ski areas to winter theme parks, as the Disneyfication of the winter sports industry (Scott and McBoyle, 2007). Non-skiers represent an important market at ski resorts. Williams and Dossa (1990) estimated that 20-30% of visitors to ski resorts in Canada did not ski during their visit (Scott and McBoyle, 2007). They also pointed out that in season 1974-75, lift tickets stood for almost 80% of profits for the usual ski area in the US. Nowadays, lift tickets stand for not even than half the profits, as other activities have risen in significance. Therefore to diversify the market and also to decrease the pressure of demand on ski lifts, this strategy see ms to be very supportive for existing ski resorts with capabilities to do so. Many ski resorts have made substantial investments to provide alternate activities for non-skiing visitors. For example snowmobiling, skating, dog sled-rides, indoor pools, health and wellness spas, fitness centres, squash and tennis, games rooms, restaurants, retail stores and many others. Moen and Fredman (2007) agreed, developing alternatives to skiing during winter is well recognised strategy to overcome falling visitor numbers into ski areas; however he pointed out, that it is also problematic as many of these alternatives are reliant on snow conditions or ice-covered lakes and thus dependant on climate conditions. All year round tourism The most promising strategy in order to completely overcome the problems of global warming may be to develop all-year round tourism. Moreover, offset pessimistic financial effects as of global warming, such a strategy would as well have optimistic public effects on conventional winter destinations as seasonal dissimilarity in employment prospects are bridged over. A number of ski resorts have further diversified their business operations to become four season resorts, offering non-winter activities such as golf, boating and white-water rafting, mountain biking, paragliding, horseback riding and other business lines. At many larger resorts, real estate construction and management has also become a very important source of revenue. On other hand, as Bricknell and McManus (2006) stated, the development of summer tourism needs long term preparation in order for them to develop appreciation in this market. The resorts will have to contend with each other and with summer destinations such as coastal locations, which would be in many cases very tough, especially where coastal summer tourism takes place. The expansion of tourism into the summer season in sequence to support or to swap snow tourism may also direct to environmental conflicts. Activities that resorts may want to promote, such as bike riding and horse riding, could unintentionally leak out into regions of preservation where they are forbidden. These kinds of activities are also known to worsen environmental issues, such as erosion and the spread of exotic species. If these forms of tourism increase in popularity, the carrying capacity for these mountain destinations must be re-evaluated to encompass their potential impacts. Role of public sector The public good characteristic of climate change creates complicated challenge for financial and political organizations. The lack of an unchanged weather is not connected to growing prices and is not necessarily measured to the top valued consumers. To maintain well-organized policies, inputs from financial estimations of global warming impacts are essential. Such financially viable measures consist of direct economic impacts to the economy as well as benefits to the contributors. For instance, Scott et al. (2002) as described in Scott and McBoyle (2007) used spending records to present approximation of the possible economic impacts from g oobal warming on skiing in Canada, whilst Richardson and Loomis (2005) calculated the effects of climate on motivation to pay to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Many authors put some efforts to place an economic value on global warming impacts to tourism and outside leisure. For example, as Scott and McBoyle (2007) said, Meier (1998) approxima ted the cost of global warming for the 4 season tourism in Switzerland at USD 1.1 1.4 billion by the year 2050. Scott and McBoyle (2007) said that better weather forecasting would make available an enhanced foundation for risk assessments and tactical business choices, as well as the timing of seasonal openings or when to begin artificial snowmaking. Negotiations with ski operators in eastern North America propose that the industry does not presently use seasonal forecasts in their operational decision-making and substantive enhancements in forecasting accurateness would be necessary before these products would achieve a level of realistic value for the ski industry. Some ski operators yet think about five to seven days forecasts as too untrustworthy for operational decision-making and applied forecasts from different countries or classified services instead of governmental forecasts (Scott and McBoyle, 2007). Announcements to the community through the media could be a further aspect of forecasting that could be improved in some areas. Ski operators occasionally have adversarial interaction wi th a number of neighbouring media for the reason that of what they recognise as inaccurate exposure of weather conditions and forecasts that they disagree cost them business (King, 2005 in Scott and McBoyle, 2007). Government support to the ski industry has taken place in the variety of discounted energy costs, long-standing leases of communal lands and infrastructure fundings, but the industry has not gained from the kinds of backing programs offered to other climate-sensitive trade sectors such as for example, sponsor harvest insurance for the agriculture sector. In the future, skiing based tourism economic losses consequential from unpleasant climate circumstances may be adequate for government concern and support in some cases. Government participation in the ski industrys prospect could perhaps take a number of forms. Direct involvement could come throughout financial assistance, cover support or marketing proposals. Ultimately, government policies linked to land and water use, and energy and revenue spending could impact skiing operations positively. Government financial assistance for snowmaking was greatly supported by Austrian ski area managers, whilst government assistance for financial losses because of poor winters was only to some extent supported (Wolfsegger et al, 2005 as demonstrated in Scott and McBoyle, 2007). Conclusion This essay discussed the problem of global warming and its projected impacts on ski industry all over the world. It demonstrated that climate change is broadly accepted as a mega risk, particularly for businesses dependant on weather conditions. Numerous ski resorts, especially those that are established at lower elevations could face serious problems if climate change forecasts are about to be accurate in the future. Among limited supply of downhill ski resorts, coupled with an existing high demand for the activity, it would possibly lead to yet other remarkable increase in prices and environmental pressures. Ski resorts have several strategy options to consider when it comes to problem of not sufficient snow cover in their geography area. Some tend to use artificial snow-making facilities, some aim to diversify their business portfolio by offering a new products and developments of new tourism attractions. The most promising strategy to overcome global warming problem, as regarded by few authors, was to become an all-year round tourism destination. However, all of these adaption strategies tend to go hand in hand with the issue of sustainability which should be taken more seriously as all developments take place in extremely sensitive environments. The essay demonstrated that adaption strategies are increasingly used already by ski resorts in many parts of the world and that sometimes these are not even related to global warming. The most commonly used adaption strategies are not without ecological and financial costs. Water usage from natural water bodies can lesser water intensities and influence fishing harmfully. Power needs are high as well and inversely linked to warmth, and will thus sustain higher expenditure the warmer the temperatures get. By means of this type of disorder of demand to ski regions with higher altitude, ecological loads upon the nearby environments would be enlarged. This paper only fairly points out issues that come along with new developments and expansions of ski regions and these should be further discussed and analysed.

Twilight 11. COMPLICATIONS

11. COMPLICATIONS Everyone watched us as we walked together to our lab table. I noticed that he no longer angled the chair to sit as far from me as the desk would allow. Instead, he sat quite close beside me, our arms almost touching. Mr. Banner backed into the room then – what superb timing the man had – pulling a tall metal frame on wheels that held a heavy-looking, outdated TV and VCR. A movie day – the lift in the class atmosphere was almost tangible. Mr. Banner shoved the tape into the reluctant VCR and walked to the wall to turn off the lights. And then, as the room went black, I was suddenly hyperaware that Edward was sitting less than an inch from me. I was stunned by the unexpected electricity that flowed through me, amazed that it was possible to be more aware of him than I already was. A crazy impulse to reach over and touch him, to stroke his perfect face just once in the darkness, nearly overwhelmed me. I crossed my arms tightly across my chest, my hands balling into fists. I was losing my mind. The opening credits began, lighting the room by a token amount. My eyes, of their own accord, flickered to him. I smiled sheepishly as I realized his posture was identical to mine, fists clenched under his arms, right down to the eyes, peering sideways at me. He grinned back, his eyes somehow managing to smolder, even in the dark. I looked away before I could start hyperventilating. It was absolutely ridiculous that I should feel dizzy. The hour seemed very long. I couldn't concentrate on the movie – I didn't even know what subject it was on. I tried unsuccessfully to relax, but the electric current that seemed to be originating from somewhere in his body never slackened. Occasionally I would permit myself a quick glance in his direction, but he never seemed to relax, either. The overpowering craving to touch him also refused to fade, and I crushed my fists safely against my ribs until my fingers were aching with the effort. I breathed a sigh of relief when Mr. Banner flicked the lights back on at the end of class, and stretched my arms out in front of me, flexing my stiff fingers. Edward chuckled beside me. â€Å"Well, that was interesting,† he murmured. His voice was dark and his eyes were cautious. â€Å"Umm,† was all I was able to respond. â€Å"Shall we?† he asked, rising fluidly. I almost groaned. Time for Gym. I stood with care, worried my balance might have been affected by the strange new intensity between us. He walked me to my next class in silence and paused at the door; I turned to say goodbye. His face startled me – his expression was torn, almost pained, and so fiercely beautiful that the ache to touch him flared as strong as before. My goodbye stuck in my throat. He raised his hand, hesitant, conflict raging in his eyes, and then swiftly brushed the length of my cheekbone with his fingertips. His skin was as icy as ever, but the trail his fingers left on my skin was alarmingly warm – like I'd been burned, but didn't feel the pain of it yet. He turned without a word and strode quickly away from me. I walked into the gym, lightheaded and wobbly. I drifted to the locker room, changing in a trancelike state, only vaguely aware that there were other people surrounding me. Reality didn't fully set in until I was handed a racket. It wasn't heavy, yet it felt very unsafe in my hand. I could see a few of the other kids in class eyeing me furtively. Coach Clapp ordered us to pair up into teams. Mercifully, some vestiges of Mike's chivalry still survived; he came to stand beside me. â€Å"Do you want to be a team?† â€Å"Thanks, Mike – you don't have to do this, you know.† I grimaced apologetically. â€Å"Don't worry, I'll keep out of your way.† He grinned. Sometimes it was so easy to like Mike. It didn't go smoothly. I somehow managed to hit myself in the head with my racket and clip Mike's shoulder on the same swing. I spent the rest of the hour in the back corner of the court, the racket held safely behind my back. Despite being handicapped by me, Mike was pretty good; he won three games out of four singlehandedly. He gave me an unearned high five when the coach finally blew the whistle ending class. â€Å"So,† he said as we walked off the court. â€Å"So what?† â€Å"You and Cullen, huh?† he asked, his tone rebellious. My previous feeling of affection disappeared. â€Å"That's none of your business, Mike,† I warned, internally cursing Jessica straight to the fiery pits of Hades. â€Å"I don't like it,† he muttered anyway. â€Å"You don't have to,† I snapped. â€Å"He looks at you like†¦ like you're something to eat,† he continued, ignoring me. I choked back the hysteria that threatened to explode, but a small giggle managed to get out despite my efforts. He glowered at me. I waved and fled to the locker room. I dressed quickly, something stronger than butterflies battering recklessly against the walls of my stomach, my argument with Mike already a distant memory. I was wondering if Edward would be waiting, or if I should meet him at his car. What if his family was there? I felt a wave of real terror. Did they know that I knew? Was I supposed to know that they knew that I knew, or not? By the time I walked out of the gym, I had just about decided to walk straight home without even looking toward the parking lot. But my worries were unnecessary. Edward was waiting, leaning casually against the side of the gym, his breathtaking face untroubled now. As I walked to his side, I felt a peculiar sense of release. â€Å"Hi,† I breathed, smiling hugely. â€Å"Hello.† His answering smile was brilliant. â€Å"How was Gym?† My face fell a tiny bit. â€Å"Fine,† I lied. â€Å"Really?† He was unconvinced. His eyes shifted their focus slightly, looking over my shoulder and narrowing. I glanced behind me to see Mike's back as he walked away. â€Å"What?† I demanded. His eyes slid back to mine, still tight. â€Å"Newton's getting on my nerves.† â€Å"You weren't listening again?† I was horror-struck. All traces of my sudden good humor vanished. â€Å"How's your head?† he asked innocently. â€Å"You're unbelievable!† I turned, stomping away in the general direction of the parking lot, though I hadn't ruled out walking at this point. He kept up with me easily. â€Å"You were the one who mentioned how I'd never seen you in Gym – it made me curious.† He didn't sound repentant, so I ignored him. We walked in silence – a furious, embarrassed silence on my part – to his car. But I had to stop a few steps away – a crowd of people, all boys, were surrounding it. Then I realized they weren't surrounding the Volvo, they were actually circled around Rosalie's red convertible, unmistakable lust in their eyes. None of them even looked up as Edward slid between them to open his door. I climbed quickly in the passenger side, also unnoticed. â€Å"Ostentatious,† he muttered. â€Å"What kind of car is that?† I asked. â€Å"An M3.† â€Å"I don't speak Car and Driver.† â€Å"It's a BMW.† He rolled his eyes, not looking at me, trying to back out without running over the car enthusiasts. I nodded – I'd heard of that one. â€Å"Are you still angry?† he asked as he carefully maneuvered his way out. â€Å"Definitely.† He sighed. â€Å"Will you forgive me if I apologize?† â€Å"Maybe†¦ if you mean it. And if you promise not to do it again,† I insisted. His eyes were suddenly shrewd. â€Å"How about if I mean it, and I agree to let you drive Saturday?† he countered my conditions. I considered, and decided it was probably the best offer I would get. â€Å"Deal,† I agreed. â€Å"Then I'm very sorry I upset you.† His eyes burned with sincerity for a protracted moment – playing havoc with the rhythm of my heart – and then turned playful. â€Å"And I'll be on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning.† â€Å"Um, it doesn't help with the Charlie situation if an unexplained Volvo is left in the driveway.† His smile was condescending now. â€Å"I wasn't intending to bring a car.† â€Å"How -â€Å" He cut me off. â€Å"Don't worry about it. I'll be there, no car.† I let it go. I had a more pressing question. â€Å"Is it later yet?† I asked significantly. He frowned. â€Å"I supposed it is later.† I kept my expression polite as I waited. He stopped the car. I looked up, surprised – of course we were already at Charlie's house, parked behind the truck. It was easier to ride with him if I only looked when it was over. When I looked back at him, he was staring at me, measuring with his eyes. â€Å"And you still want to know why you can't see me hunt?† He seemed solemn, but I thought I saw a trace of humor deep in his eyes. â€Å"Well,† I clarified, â€Å"I was mostly wondering about your reaction.† â€Å"Did I frighten you?† Yes, there was definitely humor there. â€Å"No,† I lied. He didn't buy it. â€Å"I apologize for scaring you,† he persisted with a slight smile, but then all evidence of teasing disappeared. â€Å"It was just the very thought of you being there†¦ while we hunted.† His jaw tightened. â€Å"That would be bad?† He spoke from between clenched teeth. â€Å"Extremely.† â€Å"Because†¦ ?† He took a deep breath and stared through the windshield at the thick, rolling clouds that seemed to press down, almost within reach. â€Å"When we hunt,† he spoke slowly, unwillingly, â€Å"we give ourselves over to our senses†¦ govern less with our minds. Especially our sense of smell. If you were anywhere near me when I lost control that way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head, still gazing morosely at the heavy clouds. I kept my expression firmly under control, expecting the swift flash of his eyes to judge my reaction that soon followed. My face gave nothing away. But our eyes held, and the silence deepened – and changed. Flickers of the electricity I'd felt this afternoon began to charge the atmosphere as he gazed unrelentingly into my eyes. It wasn't until my head started to swim that I realized I wasn't breathing. When I drew in a jagged breath, breaking the stillness, he closed his eyes. â€Å"Bella, I think you should go inside now.† His low voice was rough, his eyes on the clouds again. I opened the door, and the arctic draft that burst into the car helped clear my head. Afraid I might stumble in my woozy state, I stepped carefully out of the car and shut the door behind me without looking back. The whir of the automatic window unrolling made me turn. â€Å"Oh, Bella?† he called after me, his voice more even. He leaned toward the open window with a faint smile on his lips. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Tomorrow it's my turn.† â€Å"Your turn to what?† He smiled wider, flashing his gleaming teeth. â€Å"Ask the questions.† And then he was gone, the car speeding down the street and disappearing around the corner before I could even collect my thoughts. I smiled as I walked to the house. It was clear he was planning to see me tomorrow, if nothing else. That night Edward starred in my dreams, as usual. However, the climate of my unconsciousness had changed. It thrilled with the same electricity that had charged the afternoon, and I tossed and turned restlessly, waking often. It was only in the early hours of the morning that I finally sank into an exhausted, dreamless sleep. When I woke I was still tired, but edgy as well. I pulled on my brown turtleneck and the inescapable jeans, sighing as I daydreamed of spaghetti straps and shorts. Breakfast was the usual, quiet event I expected. Charlie fried eggs for himself; I had my bowl of cereal. I wondered if he had forgotten about this Saturday. He answered my unspoken question as he stood up to take his plate to the sink. â€Å"About this Saturday†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began, walking across the kitchen and turning on the faucet. I cringed. â€Å"Yes, Dad?† â€Å"Are you still set on going to Seattle?† he asked. â€Å"That was the plan.† I grimaced, wishing he hadn't brought it up so I wouldn't have to compose careful half-truths. He squeezed some dish soap onto his plate and swirled it around with the brush. â€Å"And you're sure you can't make it back in time for the dance?† â€Å"I'm not going to the dance, Dad.† I glared. â€Å"Didn't anyone ask you?† he asked, trying to hide his concern by focusing on rinsing the plate. I sidestepped the minefield. â€Å"It's a girl's choice.† â€Å"Oh.† He frowned as he dried his plate. I sympathized with him. It must be a hard thing, to be a father; living in fear that your daughter would meet a boy she liked, but also having to worry if she didn't. How ghastly it would be, I thought, shuddering, if Charlie had even the slightest inkling of exactly what I did like. Charlie left then, with a goodbye wave, and I went upstairs to brush my teeth and gather my books. When I heard the cruiser pull away, I could only wait a few seconds before I had to peek out of my window. The silver car was already there, waiting in Charlie's spot on the driveway. I bounded down the stairs and out the front door, wondering how long this bizarre routine would continue. I never wanted it to end. He waited in the car, not appearing to watch as I shut the door behind me without bothering to lock the dead-bolt. I walked to the car, pausing shyly before opening the door and stepping in. He was smiling, relaxed – and, as usual, perfect and beautiful to an excruciating degree. â€Å"Good morning.† His voice was silky. â€Å"How are you today?† His eyes roamed over my face, as if his question was something more than simple courtesy. â€Å"Good, thank you.† I was always good – much more than good – when I was near him. His gaze lingered on the circles under my eyes. â€Å"You look tired.† â€Å"I couldn't sleep,† I confessed, automatically swinging my hair around my shoulder to provide some measure of cover. â€Å"Neither could I,† he teased as he started the engine. I was becoming used to the quiet purr. I was sure the roar of my truck would scare me, whenever I got to drive it again. I laughed. â€Å"I guess that's right. I suppose I slept just a little bit more than you did.† â€Å"I'd wager you did.† â€Å"So what did you do last night?† I asked. He chuckled. â€Å"Not a chance. It's my day to ask questions.† â€Å"Oh, that's right. What do you want to know?† My forehead creased. I couldn't imagine anything about me that could be in any way interesting to him. â€Å"What's your favorite color?† he asked, his face grave. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"It changes from day to day.† â€Å"What's your favorite color today?† He was still solemn. â€Å"Probably brown.† I tended to dress according to my mood. He snorted, dropping his serious expression. â€Å"Brown?† he asked skeptically. â€Å"Sure. Brown is warm. I miss brown. Everything that's supposed to be brown – tree trunks, rocks, dirt – is all covered up with squashy green stuff here,† I complained. He seemed fascinated by my little rant. He considered for a moment, staring into my eyes. â€Å"You're right,† he decided, serious again. â€Å"Brown is warm.† He reached over, swiftly, but somehow still hesitantly, to sweep my hair back behind my shoulder. We were at the school by now. He turned back to me as he pulled into a parking space. â€Å"What music is in your CD player right now?† he asked, his face as somber as if he'd asked for a murder confession. I realized I'd never removed the CD Phil had given me. When I said the name of the band, he smiled crookedly, a peculiar expression in his eyes. He flipped open a compartment under his car's CD player, pulled out one of thirty or so CDs that were jammed into the small space, and handed it to me, â€Å"Debussy to this?† He raised an eyebrow. It was the same CD. I examined the familiar cover art, keeping my eyes down. It continued like that for the rest of the day. While he walked me to English, when he met me after Spanish, all through the lunch hour, he questioned me relentlessly about every insignificant detail of my existence. Movies I'd liked and hated, the few places I'd been and the many places I wanted to go, and books – endlessly books. I couldn't remember the last time I'd talked so much. More often than not, I felt self-conscious, certain I must be boring him. But the absolute absorption of his face, and his never-ending stream of questions, compelled me to continue. Mostly his questions were easy, only a very few triggering my easy blushes. But when I did flush, it brought on a whole new round of questions. Such as the time he asked my favorite gemstone, and I blurted out topaz before thinking. He'd been flinging questions at me with such speed that I felt like I was taking one of those psychiatric tests where you answer with the first word that comes to mind. I was sure he would have continued down whatever mental list he was following, except for the blush. My face reddened because, until very recently, my favorite gemstone was garnet. It was impossible, while staring back into his topaz eyes, not to remember the reason for the switch. And, naturally, he wouldn't rest until I'd admitted why I was embarrassed. â€Å"Tell me,† he finally commanded after persuasion failed – failed only because I kept my eyes safely away from his face. â€Å"It's the color of your eyes today,† I sighed, surrendering, staring down at my hands as I fiddled with a piece of my hair. â€Å"I suppose if you asked me in two weeks I'd say onyx.† I'd given more information than necessary in my unwilling honesty, and I worried it would provoke the strange anger that flared whenever I slipped and revealed too clearly how obsessed I was. But his pause was very short. â€Å"What kinds of flowers do you prefer?† he fired off. I sighed in relief, and continued with the psychoanalysis. Biology was a complication again. Edward had continued with his quizzing up until Mr. Banner entered the room, dragging the audiovisual frame again. As the teacher approached the light switch, I noticed Edward slide his chair slightly farther away from mine. It didn't help. As soon as the room was dark, there was the same electric spark, the same restless craving to stretch my hand across the short space and touch his cold skin, as yesterday. I leaned forward on the table, resting my chin on my folded arms, my hidden fingers gripping the table's edge as I fought to ignore the irrational longing that unsettled me. I didn't look at him, afraid that if he was looking at me, it would only make self-control that much harder. I sincerely tried to watch the movie, but at the end of the hour I had no idea what I'd just seen. I sighed in relief again when Mr. Banner turned the lights on, finally glancing at Edward; he was looking at me, his eyes ambivalent. He rose in silence and then stood still, waiting for me. We walked toward the gym in silence, like yesterday. And, also like yesterday, he touched my face wordlessly – this time with the back of his cool hand, stroking once from my temple to my jaw – before he turned and walked away. Gym passed quickly as I watched Mike's one-man badminton show. He didn't speak to me today, either in response to my vacant expression or because he was still angry about our squabble yesterday. Somewhere, in a corner of my mind, I felt bad about that. But I couldn't concentrate on him. I hurried to change afterward, ill at ease, knowing the faster I moved, the sooner I would be with Edward. The pressure made me more clumsy than usual, but eventually I made it out the door, feeling the same release when I saw him standing there, a wide smile automatically spreading across my face. He smiled in reaction before launching into more cross-examination. His questions were different now, though, not as easily answered. He wanted to know what I missed about home, insisting on descriptions of anything he wasn't familiar with. We sat in front of Charlie's house for hours, as the sky darkened and rain plummeted around us in a sudden deluge. I tried to describe impossible things like the scent of creosote – bitter, slightly resinous, but still pleasant – the high, keening sound of the cicadas in July, the feathery barrenness of the trees, the very size of the sky, extending white-blue from horizon to horizon, barely interrupted by the low mountains covered with purple volcanic rock. The hardest thing to explain was why it was so beautiful to me – to justify a beauty that didn't depend on the sparse, spiny vegetation that often looked half dead, a beauty that had more to do with the exposed shape of the land, with the shallow bowls of valleys between the craggy hills, and the way they held on to the sun. I found myself using my hands as I tried to describe it to him. His quiet, probing questions kept me talking freely, forgetting, in the dim light of the storm, to be embarrassed for monopolizing the conversation. Finally, when I had finished detailing my cluttered room at home, he paused instead of responding with another question. â€Å"Are you finished?† I asked in relief. â€Å"Not even close – but your father will be home soon.† â€Å"Charlie!† I suddenly recalled his existence, and sighed. I looked out at the rain-darkened sky, but it gave nothing away. â€Å"How late is it?† I wondered out loud as I glanced at the clock. I was surprised by the time – Charlie would be driving home now. â€Å"It's twilight,† Edward murmured, looking at the western horizon, obscured as it was with clouds. His voice was thoughtful, as if his mind were somewhere far away. I stared at him as he gazed unseeingly out the windshield. I was still staring when his eyes suddenly shifted back to mine. â€Å"It's the safest time of day for us,† he said, answering the unspoken question in my eyes. â€Å"The easiest time. But also the saddest, in a way†¦ the end of another day, the return of the night. Darkness is so predictable, don't you think?† He smiled wistfully. â€Å"I like the night. Without the dark, we'd never see the stars.† I frowned. â€Å"Not that you see them here much.† He laughed, and the mood abruptly lightened. â€Å"Charlie will be here in a few minutes. So, unless you want to tell him that you'll be with me Saturday†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He raised one eyebrow. â€Å"Thanks, but no thanks.† I gathered my books, realizing I was stiff from sitting still so long. â€Å"So is it my turn tomorrow, then?† â€Å"Certainly not!† His face was teasingly outraged. â€Å"I told you I wasn't done, didn't I?† â€Å"What more is there?† â€Å"You'll find out tomorrow.† He reached across to open my door for me, and his sudden proximity sent my heart into frenzied palpitations. But his hand froze on the handle. â€Å"Not good,† he muttered. â€Å"What is it?† I was surprised to see that his jaw was clenched, his eyes disturbed. He glanced at me for a brief second. â€Å"Another complication,† he said glumly. He flung the door open in one swift movement, and then moved, almost cringed, swiftly away from me. The flash of headlights through the rain caught my attention as a dark car pulled up to the curb just a few feet away, facing us. â€Å"Charlie's around the corner,† he warned, staring through the downpour at the other vehicle. I hopped out at once, despite my confusion and curiosity. The rain was louder as it glanced off my jacket. I tried to make out the shapes in the front seat of the other car, but it was too dark. I could see Edward illuminated in the glare of the new car's headlights; he was still staring ahead, his gaze locked on something or someone I couldn't see. His expression was a strange mix of frustration and defiance. Then he revved the engine, and the tires squealed against the wet pavement. The Volvo was out of sight in seconds. â€Å"Hey, Bella,† called a familiar, husky voice from the driver's side of the little black car. â€Å"Jacob?† I asked, squinting through the rain. Just then, Charlie's cruiser swung around the corner, his lights shining on the occupants of the car in front of me. Jacob was already climbing out, his wide grin visible even through the darkness. In the passenger seat was a much older man, a heavyset man with a memorable face – a face that overflowed, the cheeks resting against his shoulders, with creases running through the russet skin like an old leather jacket. And the surprisingly familiar eyes, black eyes that seemed at the same time both too young and too ancient for the broad face they were set in. Jacob's father, Billy Black. I knew him immediately, though in the more than five years since I'd seen him last I'd managed to forget his name when Charlie had spoken of him my first day here. He was staring at me, scrutinizing my face, so I smiled tentatively at him. His eyes were wide, as if in shock or fear, his nostrils flared. My smile faded. Another complication, Edward had said. Billy still stared at me with intense, anxious eyes. I groaned internally. Had Billy recognized Edward so easily? Could he really believe the impossible legends his son had scoffed at? The answer was clear in Billy's eyes. Yes. Yes, he could.

Essay about social medias Essay

In this essay we hear about Roger Scruton’s thoughts on social Medias. Most of his opinions on social Medias are negative, and only a few things are positive. He doesn’t think that this is how we should live our lives, and I agree completely. But we also have to look at the positive things. For instance think about how amazing it is to communicate with another person on the other side of the world. We learn new cultures much faster, and can communicate with people in other countries. One of my examples is something I have experienced in real life: About 5 years ago I met a Chinese boy in a hotel in Phuket, Thailand. We became good friends and enjoyed each other’s company for two weeks during our vacation. Just before I had to go home, I got his Email address, and within a week we could talk through MSN (Microsoft Messenger). This is what I think is amazing about social medias, and I think Roger Scruton has left out some of these advantages in his article. We just have to take small cautious steps, so we can discover new things, and new ways to communicate without ruining the normal social way to communicate face to face. It is important to remember that through a computer- screen you cannot see each other’s feelings and always understand the other persons reactions. When communicating through a computer, it is very important that you trust the person whom you are communicating with, and it is difficult to count on/ and believe in someone who is sitting on the other side of the grid, instead of sitting face to face with the person. And then again†¦. Big companies would never be able to expand as fast as they do today without the Internet. Big business deals can be signed from the vest to china and back, and we have the amazing industrial development, which we never would be able to have without grid and the on-line communication. Sometimes people just have to take a step back and but their phones and computers in the drawer and go out and meet people. Last week we were with the new beginner classes from Knord on an introduction tour. We stayed in a house south of Kà ¸ge with no internet or connection to the online net. It was amazing to see how desperate people were. Even I was running around each day to get net, and our teachers complained. Adult with 30- 40 years of experience wanted Internet so desperately. If people get that desperate and addicted to the internet it has certainly taken over our world. Sometimes things can be too virtual, and here we have to be careful. Virtual sex, virtual dates and virtual shopping is dangerous, because when we keep on being in the virtual world, one day we will not be able to see the difference between this and the real world. As Roger says in the article that real life involves taking risks, it helps in times needed, being joyful in times of celebrating together. This is what makes us special. Communication through body language, sounds and language is what makes the difference to the virtual world. We will never be able to have the same feelings and emotions through a screen, and because of that we have to make a distance to the grid. We should use it as a tool and not as a second chance in the world, were we can hide in our rooms and still communicate with everybody.

My Career Of Health Service Delivery - 1141 Words

My career in health service delivery began in 1994. I attended Central Texas College where I completed a two-year certificate program in Health Information. After graduation, I worked for a small psychiatric practice as a transcriptionist. In this role I covered the front desk and completed the daily transcribed reports. I only remained in this position for a brief period and worked outside of healthcare, as jobs were scarce. After returning to Seattle, in 1996, I resumed working in healthcare. I was hired by Good Samaritan Mental Health Services as a receptionist performing basic medical office and records functions. After a year, with Good Samaritan, I resigned and accepted a temporary position with St Joseph Medical Center. My†¦show more content†¦At Swedish I held three positions. The first two were in the medical records department. As a Medical Records Clerk processing and prepared medical records, as well as , archiving, filing and retrieving charts. I quickly advanced to a newly created position, Master Patient Index (MPI)/Study Coordinator. My primary responsibilities entailed performing analysis and evaluation of potential records for duplication, demographic changes and updating newborn records. Once duplication was identified, I corrected the record and performed the required merges in the database. Study Coordinator, was my secondary responsibility. I assisted researchers in obtaining the records needed to perform their various studies and I ensured that charts were organized and the research area was properly maintained. In addition, I reviewed the researchers’ compliance documentation to ensure that they met the Institutional Review Board’s recommendation. My duties also included delegating nightly duties to the Assistant Study Coordinator. I ensured that assignments were completed when I arrived each morning. The last position, at Swedish, was Business Services Coordinator for the Kidney Transplant program. M y primary responsibly was to set up the new medical records file room and to maintain the records, after the clinic joined with the multiple ambulatory service providers. I also assisted with creating a protocol for how records would be requested and retrieved, in addition to