Everest Simulation Reflection Paper - 1708 Words

| Mt. Everest Simulation Reflection Paper | Assignment 1 | | | | Individual reflection on the Mt. Everest Simulation exercise carried out on 5th October and the subsequent debriefing on 12th October | The Everest simulation was a unique experience. Before the actual simulation started, my team discussed the approach we would take and how we will deal with situations wherein the personal goals collided with the team goals. We shared our character profile information with each other and began the exercise with excitement and a firm resolve to do our best. The team finished achieving 41% of its goals. Two of our members had to be rescued and we didn’t manage to attain any of the weather, oxygen or medical challenges. We†¦show more content†¦Once the exercise was over and as the individual points were displayed a lot of things became clearer. Having experienced the system and then debriefing later on, helped in filling a lot of gaps in information that seemed to exist during the simulation. With a better understanding of ‘the rules of the game’ and some of the strategies that did work, it is difficult to introspect now without a bias. As the saying goes – â€Å"Hindsight is wonderful. Its always very easy to second guess after the fact. â€Å"– Helen Reddy There are certain things though that we would have done differently even without any of the additional information we gathered later on. First of all we would have used the system very carefully. Often we don’t get a second chance to rectify things and therefore we need to exercise due caution at every step we take. We also would have examined each piece of information diligently. There seemed to be a lot of loose ends and therefore it was more important to be cautious and utilize any given information. On a strategy front, we tried to factor in the weather and health conditions at each stage. However we tried to take a broader view of the picture. So when the weather information was not available, we tried to draw a trend from the previous recordings. We decided to move to the next camp based on those trends. In the case where the environmentalist was in aShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesThe Advantages of Teams 494 An Example of an Effective Team 497 Team Development 498 The Forming Stage 498 The Norming Stage 499 The Storming Stage 501 The Performing Stage 503 Leading Teams 506 Developing Credibility 507 Establish SMART Goals and Everest Goals 509 International Caveats 511 Team Membership 512 Advantageous Roles 512 Providing Feedback 516 International Caveats 517 SKILL ANALYSIS 519 Cases Involving Building Effective Teams 519 The Tallahassee Democrat’s ELITE Team 519 The Cash RegisterRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagesany network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside the United States. This book is printed on acid-free paper. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 WVR/WVR 0 9 8 7 ISBN 978-0-07-340334-2 MHID 0-07-340334-2 Editorial director: Stewart Mattson Publisher: Tim Vertovec Executive editor: Richard T. Hercher, Jr. Developmental editor: Gail Korosa Associate marketing manager: Jaime

Twilight 15. THE CULLENS Free Essays

15. THE CULLENS The muted light of yet another cloudy day eventually woke me. I lay with my arm across my eyes, groggy and dazed. We will write a custom essay sample on Twilight 15. THE CULLENS or any similar topic only for you Order Now Something, a dream trying to be remembered, struggled to break into my consciousness. I moaned and rolled on my side, hoping more sleep would come. And then the previous day flooded back into my awareness. â€Å"Oh!† I sat up so fast it made my head spin. â€Å"Your hair looks like a haystack†¦ but I like it.† His unruffled voice came from the rocking chair in the corner. â€Å"Edward! You stayed!† I rejoiced, and thoughtlessly threw myself across the room and into his lap. In the instant that my thoughts caught up with my actions, I froze, shocked by my own uncontrolled enthusiasm. I stared up at him, afraid that I had crossed the wrong line. But he laughed. â€Å"Of course,† he answered, startled, but seeming pleased by my reaction. His hands rubbed my back. I laid my head cautiously against his shoulder, breathing in the smell of his skin. â€Å"I was sure it was a dream.† â€Å"You’re not that creative,† he scoffed. â€Å"Charlie!† I remembered, thoughtlessly jumping up again and heading to the door. â€Å"He left an hour ago – after reattaching your battery cables, I might add. I have to admit I was disappointed. Is that really all it would take to stop you, if you were determined to go?† I deliberated where I stood, wanting to return to him badly, but afraid I might have morning breath. â€Å"You’re not usually this confused in the morning,† he noted. He held his arms open for me to return. A nearly irresistible invitation. â€Å"I need another human minute,† I admitted. â€Å"I’ll wait.† I skipped to the bathroom, my emotions unrecognizable. I didn’t know myself, inside or out. The face in the mirror was practically a stranger – eyes too bright, hectic spots of red across my cheekbones. After I brushed my teeth, I worked to straighten out the tangled chaos that was my hair. I splashed my face with cold water, and tried to breathe normally, with no noticeable success. I half-ran back to my room. It seemed like a miracle that he was there, his arms still waiting for me. He reached out to me, and my heart thumped unsteadily. â€Å"Welcome back,† he murmured, taking me into his arms. He rocked me for a while in silence, until I noticed that his clothes were changed, his hair smooth. â€Å"You left?† I accused, touching the collar of his fresh shirt. â€Å"I could hardly leave in the clothes I came in – what would the neighbors think?† I pouted. â€Å"You were very deeply asleep; I didn’t miss anything.† His eyes gleamed. â€Å"The talking came earlier.† I groaned. â€Å"What did you hear?† His gold eyes grew very soft. â€Å"You said you loved me.† â€Å"You knew that already,† I reminded him, ducking my head. â€Å"It was nice to hear, just the same.† I hid my face against his shoulder. â€Å"I love you,† I whispered. â€Å"You are my life now,† he answered simply. There was nothing more to say for the moment. He rocked us back and forth as the room grew lighter. â€Å"Breakfast time,† he said eventually, casually – to prove, I’m sure, that he remembered all my human frailties. So I clutched my throat with both hands and stared at him with wide eyes. Shock crossed his face. â€Å"Kidding!† I snickered. â€Å"And you said I couldn’t act!† He frowned in disgust. â€Å"That wasn’t funny.† â€Å"It was very funny, and you know it.† But I examined his gold eyes carefully, to make sure that I was forgiven. Apparently, I was. â€Å"Shall I rephrase?† he asked. â€Å"Breakfast time for the human.† â€Å"Oh, okay.† He threw me over his stone shoulder, gently, but with a swiftness that left me breathless. I protested as he carried me easily down the stairs, but he ignored me. He sat me right side up on a chair. The kitchen was bright, happy, seeming to absorb my mood. â€Å"What’s for breakfast?† I asked pleasantly. That threw him for a minute. â€Å"Er, I’m not sure. What would you like?† His marble brow puckered. I grinned, hopping up. â€Å"That’s all right, I fend for myself pretty well. Watch me hunt.† I found a bowl and a box of cereal. I could feel his eyes on me as I poured the milk and grabbed a spoon. I sat my food on the table, and then paused. â€Å"Can I get you anything?† I asked, not wanting to be rude. He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Just eat, Bella.† I sat at the table, watching him as I took a bite. He was gazing at me, studying my every movement. It made me self-conscious. I cleared my mouth to speak, to distract him. â€Å"What’s on the agenda for today?† I asked. â€Å"Hmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I watched him frame his answer carefully. â€Å"What would you say to meeting my family?† I gulped. â€Å"Are you afraid now?† He sounded hopeful. â€Å"Yes,† I admitted; how could I deny it – he could see my eyes. â€Å"Don’t worry.† He smirked. â€Å"I’ll protect you.† â€Å"I’m not afraid of them,† I explained. â€Å"I’m afraid they won’t†¦ like me. Won’t they be, well, surprised that you would bring someone†¦ like me†¦ home to meet them? Do they know that I know about them?† â€Å"Oh, they already know everything. They’d taken bets yesterday, you know† – he smiled, but his voice was harsh – â€Å"on whether I’d bring you back, though why anyone would bet against Alice, I can’t imagine. At any rate, we don’t have secrets in the family. It’s not really feasible, what with my mind reading and Alice seeing the future and all that.† â€Å"And Jasper making you feel all warm and fuzzy about spilling your guts, don’t forget that.† â€Å"You paid attention,† he smiled approvingly. â€Å"I’ve been known to do that every now and then.† I grimaced. â€Å"So did Alice see me coming?† His reaction was strange. â€Å"Something like that,† he said uncomfortably, turning away so I couldn’t see his eyes. I stared at him curiously. â€Å"Is that any good?† he asked, turning back to me abruptly and eyeing my breakfast with a teasing look on his face. â€Å"Honestly, it doesn’t look very appetizing.† â€Å"Well, it’s no irritable grizzly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I murmured, ignoring him when he glowered. I was still wondering why he responded that way when I mentioned Alice. I hurried through my cereal, speculating. He stood in the middle of the kitchen, the statue of Adonis again, staring abstractedly out the back windows. Then his eyes were back on me, and he smiled his heartbreaking smile. â€Å"And you should introduce me to your father, too, I think.† â€Å"He already knows you,† I reminded him. â€Å"As your boyfriend, I mean.† I stared at him with suspicion. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Isn’t that customary?† he asked innocently. â€Å"I don’t know,† I admitted. My dating history gave me few reference points to work with. Not that any normal rules of dating applied here. â€Å"That’s not necessary, you know. I don’t expect you to†¦ I mean, you don’t have to pretend for me.† His smile was patient. â€Å"I’m not pretending.† I pushed the remains of my cereal around the edges of the bowl, biting my lip. â€Å"Are you going to tell Charlie I’m your boyfriend or not?† he demanded. â€Å"Is that what you are?† I suppressed my internal cringing at the thought of Edward and Charlie and the word boy friend all in the same room at the same time. â€Å"It’s a loose interpretation of the word ‘boy,’ I’ll admit.† â€Å"I was under the impression that you were something more, actually,† I confessed, looking at the table. â€Å"Well, I don’t know if we need to give him all the gory details.† He reached across the table to lift my chin with a cold, gentle finger. â€Å"But he will need some explanation for why I’m around here so much. I don’t want Chief Swan getting a restraining order put on me.† â€Å"Will you be?† I asked, suddenly anxious. â€Å"Will you really be here?† â€Å"As long as you want me,† he assured me. â€Å"I’ll always want you,† I warned him. â€Å"Forever.† He walked slowly around the table, and, pausing a few feet away, he reached out to touch his fingertips to my cheek. His expression was unfathomable. â€Å"Does that make you sad?† I asked. He didn’t answer. He stared into my eyes for an immeasurable period of time. â€Å"Are you finished?† he finally asked. I jumped up. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Get dressed – I’ll wait here.† It was hard to decide what to wear. I doubted there were any etiquette books detailing how to dress when your vampire sweetheart takes you home to meet his vampire family. It was a relief to think the word to myself. I knew I shied away from it intentionally. I ended up in my only skirt – long, khaki-colored, still casual. I put on the dark blue blouse he’d once complimented. A quick glance in the mirror told me my hair was entirely impossible, so I pulled it back into a pony tail. â€Å"Okay.† I bounced down the stairs. â€Å"I’m decent.† He was waiting at the foot of the stairs, closer than I’d thought, and I bounded right into him. He steadied me, holding me a careful distance away for a few seconds before suddenly pulling me closer. â€Å"Wrong again,† he murmured in my ear. â€Å"You are utterly indecent – no one should look so tempting, it’s not fair.† â€Å"Tempting how?† I asked. â€Å"I can change†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, shaking his head. â€Å"You are so absurd.† He pressed his cool lips delicately to my forehead, and the room spun. The smell of his breath made it impossible to think. â€Å"Shall I explain how you are tempting me?† he said. It was clearly a rhetorical question. His fingers traced slowly down my spine, his breath coming more quickly against my skin. My hands were limp on his chest, and I felt lightheaded again. He tilted his head slowly and touched his cool lips to mine for the second time, very carefully, parting them slightly. And then I collapsed. â€Å"Bella?† His voice was alarmed as he caught me and held me up. â€Å"You†¦ made†¦ me†¦ faint,† I accused him dizzily. â€Å"What am I going to do with you?† he groaned in exasperation. â€Å"Yesterday I kiss you, and you attack me! Today you pass out on me!† I laughed weakly, letting his arms support me while my head spun. â€Å"So much for being good at everything,† he sighed. â€Å"That’s the problem.† I was still dizzy. â€Å"You’re too good. Far, far too good.† â€Å"Do you feel sick?† he asked; he’d seen me like this before. â€Å"No – that wasn’t the same kind of fainting at all. I don’t know what happened.† I shook my head apologeticallv, â€Å"I think I forgot to breathe.† â€Å"I can’t take you anywhere like this.† â€Å"I’m fine,† I insisted. â€Å"Your family is going to think I’m insane anyway, what’s the difference?† He measured my expression for a moment. â€Å"I’m very partial to that color with your skin,† he offered unexpectedly. I flushed with pleasure, and looked away. â€Å"Look, I’m trying really hard not to think about what I’m about to do, so can we go already?† I asked. â€Å"And you’re worried, not because you’re headed to meet a houseful of vampires, but because you think those vampires won’t approve of you, correct?† â€Å"That’s right,† I answered immediately, hiding my surprise at his casual use of the word. He shook his head. â€Å"You’re incredible.† I realized, as he drove my truck out of the main part of town, that I had no idea where he lived. We passed over the bridge at the Calawah River, the road winding northward, the houses flashing past us growing farther apart, getting bigger. And then we were past the other houses altogether, driving through misty forest. I was trying to decide whether to ask or be patient, when he turned abruptly onto an unpaved road. It was unmarked, barely visible among the ferns. The forest encroached on both sides, leaving the road ahead only discernible for a few meters as it twisted, serpentlike, around the ancient trees. And then, after a few miles, there was some thinning of the woods, and we were suddenly in a small meadow, or was it actually a lawn? The gloom of the forest didn’t relent, though, for there were six primordial cedars that shaded an entire acre with their vast sweep of branches. The trees held their protecting shadow right up to the walls of the house that rose among them, making obsolete the deep porch that wrapped around the first story. I don’t know what I had expected, but it definitely wasn’t this. The house was timeless, graceful, and probably a hundred years old. It was painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors were either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration. My truck was the only car in sight. I could hear the river close by, hidden in the obscurity of the forest. â€Å"Wow.† â€Å"You like it?† He smiled. â€Å"It†¦ has a certain charm.† He pulled the end of my ponytail and chuckled. â€Å"Ready?† he asked, opening my door. â€Å"Not even a little bit – let’s go.† I tried to laugh, but it seemed to get stuck in my throat. I smoothed my hair nervously. â€Å"You look lovely.† He took my hand easily, without thinking about it. We walked through the deep shade up to the porch. I knew he could feel my tension; his thumb rubbed soothing circles into the back of my hand. He opened the door for me. The inside was even more surprising, less predictable, than the exterior. It was very bright, very open, and very large. This must have originally been several rooms, but the walls had been removed from most of the first floor to create one wide space. The back, south-facing wall had been entirely replaced with glass, and, beyond the shade of the cedars, the lawn stretched bare to the wide river. A massive curving staircase dominated the west side of the room. The walls, the high-beamed ceiling, the wooden floors, and the thick carpets were all varying shades of white. Waiting to greet us, standing just to the left of the door, on a raised portion of the floor by a spectacular grand piano, were Edward’s parents. I’d seen Dr. Cullen before, of course, yet I couldn’t help but be struck again by his youth, his outrageous perfection. At his side was Esme, I assumed, the only one of the family I’d never seen before. She had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them. Something about her heart-shaped face, her billows of soft, caramel-colored hair, reminded me of the ing? ¦nues of the silent-movie era. She was small, slender, yet less angular, more rounded than the others. They were both dressed casually, in light colors that matched the inside of the house. They smiled in welcome, but made no move to approach us. Trying not to frighten me, I guessed. â€Å"Carlisle, Esme,† Edward’s voice broke the short silence, â€Å"this is Bella.† â€Å"You’re very welcome, Bella.† Carlisle’s step was measured, careful as he approached me. He raised his hand tentatively, and I stepped forward to shake hands with him. â€Å"It’s nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen.† â€Å"Please, call me Carlisle.† â€Å"Carlisle.† I grinned at him, my sudden confidence surprising me. I could feel Edward’s relief at my side. Esme smiled and stepped forward as well, reaching for my hand. Her cold, stone grasp was just as I expected. â€Å"It’s very nice to know you,† she said sincerely. â€Å"Thank you. I’m glad to meet you, too.† And I was. It was like meeting a fairy tale – Snow White, in the flesh. â€Å"Where are Alice and Jasper?† Edward asked, but no one answered, as they had just appeared at the top of the wide staircase. â€Å"Hey, Edward!† Alice called enthusiastically. She ran down the stairs, a streak of black hair and white skin, coming to a sudden and graceful stop in front of me. Carlisle and Esme shot warning glances at her, but I liked it. It was natural – for her, anyway. â€Å"Hi, Bella!† Alice said, and she bounced forward to kiss my cheek. If Carlisle and Esme had looked cautious before, they now looked staggered. There was shock in my eyes, too, but I was also very pleased that she seemed to approve of me so entirely. I was startled to feel Edward stiffen at my side. I glanced at his face, but his expression was unreadable. â€Å"You do smell nice, I never noticed before,† she commented, to my extreme embarrassment. No one else seemed to know quite what to say, and then Jasper was there – tall and leonine. A feeling of ease spread through me, and I was suddenly comfortable despite where I was. Edward stared at Jasper, raising one eyebrow, and I remembered what Jasper could do. â€Å"Hello, Bella,† Jasper said. He kept his distance, not offering to shake my hand. But it was impossible to feel awkward near him. â€Å"Hello, Jasper.† I smiled at him shyly, and then at the others. â€Å"It’s nice to meet you all – you have a very beautiful home,† I added conventionally. â€Å"Thank you,† Esme said. â€Å"We’re so glad that you came.† She spoke with feeling, and I realized that she thought I was brave. I also realized that Rosalie and Emmett were nowhere to be seen, and I remembered Edward’s too-innocent denial when I’d asked him if the others didn’t like me. Carlisle’s expression distracted me from this train of thought; he was gazing meaningfully at Edward with an intense expression. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward nod once. I looked away, trying to be polite. My eyes wandered again to the beautiful instrument on the platform by the door. I suddenly remembered my childhood fantasy that, should I ever win a lottery, I would buy a grand piano for my mother. She wasn’t really good – she only played for herself on our secondhand upright – but I loved to watch her play. She was happy, absorbed – she seemed like a new, mysterious being to me then, someone outside the â€Å"mom† persona I took for granted. She’d put me through lessons, of course, but like most kids, I whined until she let me quit. Esme noticed my preoccupation. â€Å"Do you play?† she asked, inclining her head toward the piano. I shook my head. â€Å"Not at all. But it’s so beautiful. Is it yours?† â€Å"No,† she laughed. â€Å"Edward didn’t tell you he was musical?† â€Å"No.† I glared at his suddenly innocent expression with narrowed eyes. â€Å"I should have known, I guess.† Esme raised her delicate eyebrows in confusion. â€Å"Edward can do everything, right?† I explained. Jasper snickered and Esme gave Edward a reproving look. â€Å"I hope you haven’t been showing off- it’s rude,† she scolded. â€Å"Just a bit,† he laughed freely. Her face softened at the sound, and they shared a brief look that I didn’t understand, though Esme’s face seemed almost smug. â€Å"He’s been too modest, actually,† I corrected. â€Å"Well, play for her,† Esme encouraged. â€Å"You just said showing off was rude,† he objected. â€Å"There are exceptions to every rule,† she replied. â€Å"I’d like to hear you play,† I volunteered. â€Å"It’s settled then.† Esme pushed him toward the piano. He pulled me along, sitting me on the bench beside him. He gave me a long, exasperated look before he turned to the keys. And then his fingers flowed swiftly across the ivory, and the room was filled with a composition so complex, so luxuriant, it was impossible to believe only one set of hands played. I felt my chin drop, my mouth open in astonishment, and heard low chuckles behind me at my reaction. Edward looked at me casually, the music still surging around us without a break, and winked. â€Å"Do you like it?† â€Å"You wrote this?† I gasped, understanding. He nodded. â€Å"It’s Esme’s favorite.† I closed my eyes, shaking my head. â€Å"What’s wrong?† â€Å"I’m feeling extremely insignificant.† The music slowed, transforming into something softer, and to my surprise I detected the melody of his lullaby weaving through the profusion of notes. â€Å"You inspired this one,† he said softly. The music grew unbearably sweet. I couldn’t speak. â€Å"They like you, you know,† he said conversationally. â€Å"Esme especially.† I glanced behind me, but the huge room was empty now. â€Å"Where did they go?† â€Å"Very subtly giving us some privacy, I suppose.† I sighed. â€Å"They like me. But Rosalie and Emmett†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, not sure how to express my doubts. He frowned. â€Å"Don’t worry about Rosalie,† he said, his eyes wide and persuasive. â€Å"She’ll come around.† I pursed my lips skeptically. â€Å"Emmett?† â€Å"Well, he thinks I’m a lunatic, it’s true, but he doesn’t have a problem with you. He’s trying to reason with Rosalie.† â€Å"What is it that upsets her?† I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the answer. He sighed deeply. â€Å"Rosalie struggles the most with†¦ with what we are. It’s hard for her to have someone on the outside know the truth. And she’s a little jealous.† â€Å"Rosalie is jealous of me?† I asked incredulously. I tried to imagine a universe in which someone as breathtaking as Rosalie would have any possible reason to feel jealous of someone like me. â€Å"You’re human.† He shrugged. â€Å"She wishes that she were, too.† â€Å"Oh,† I muttered, still stunned. â€Å"Even Jasper, though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That’s really my fault,† he said. â€Å"I told you he was the most recent to try our way of life. I warned him to keep his distance.† I thought about the reason for that, and shuddered. â€Å"Esme and Carlisle†¦ ?† I continued quickly, to keep him from noticing. â€Å"Are happy to see me happy. Actually, Esme wouldn’t care if you had a third eye and webbed feet. All this time she’s been worried about me, afraid that there was something missing from my essential makeup, that I was too young when Carlisle changed me†¦ She’s ecstatic. Every time I touch you, she just about chokes with satisfaction.† â€Å"Alice seems very†¦ enthusiastic.† â€Å"Alice has her own way of looking at things,† he said through tight lips. â€Å"And you’re not going to explain that, are you?† A moment of wordless communication passed between us. He realized that I knew he was keeping something from me. I realized that he wasn’t going to give anything away. Not now. â€Å"So what was Carlisle telling you before?† His eyebrows pulled together. â€Å"You noticed that, did you?† I shrugged. â€Å"Of course.† He looked at me thoughtfully for a few seconds before answering. â€Å"He wanted to tell me some news – he didn’t know if it was something I would share with you.† â€Å"Will you?† â€Å"I have to, because I’m going to be a little†¦ overbearingly protective over the next few days – or weeks – and I wouldn’t want you to think I’m naturally a tyrant.† â€Å"What’s wrong?† â€Å"Nothing’s wrong, exactly. Alice just sees some visitors coming soon. They know we’re here, and they’re curious.† â€Å"Visitors?† â€Å"Yes†¦ well, they aren’t like us, of course – in their hunting habits, I mean. They probably won’t come into town at all, but I’m certainly not going to let you out of my sight till they’re gone.† I shivered. â€Å"Finally, a rational response!† he murmured. â€Å"I was beginning to think you had no sense of self-preservation at all.† I let that one pass, looking away, my eyes wandering again around the spacious room. He followed my gaze. â€Å"Not what you expected, is it?† he asked, his voice smug. â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"No coffins, no piled skulls in the corners; I don’t even think we have cobwebs†¦ what a disappointment this must be for you,† he continued slyly. I ignored his teasing. â€Å"It’s so light†¦ so open.† He was more serious when he answered. â€Å"It’s the one place we never have to hide.† The song he was still playing, my song, drifted to an end, the final chords shifting to a more melancholy key. The last note hovered poignantly in the silence. â€Å"Thank you,† I murmured. I realized there were tears in my eyes. I dabbed at them, embarrassed. He touched the corner of my eye, trapping one I missed. He lifted his finger, examining the drop of moisture broodingly. Then, so quickly I couldn’t be positive that he really did, he put his finger to his mouth to taste it. I looked at him questioningly, and he gazed back for a long moment before he finally smiled. â€Å"Do you want to see the rest of the house?† â€Å"No coffins?† I verified, the sarcasm in my voice not entirely masking the slight but genuine anxiety I felt. He laughed, taking my hand, leading me away from the piano. â€Å"No coffins,† he promised. We walked up the massive staircase, my hand trailing along the satin-smooth rail. The long hall at the top of the stairs was paneled with a honey-colored wood, the same as the floorboards. â€Å"Rosalie and Emmett’s room†¦ Carlisle’s office†¦ Alice’s room†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gestured as he led me past the doors. He would have continued, but I stopped dead at the end of the hall, staring incredulously at the ornament hanging on the wall above my head. Edward chuckled at my bewildered expression. â€Å"You can laugh,† he said. â€Å"It is sort of ironic.† I didn’t laugh. My hand raised automatically, one finger extended as if to touch the large wooden cross, its dark patina contrasting with the lighter tone of the wall. I didn’t touch it, though I was curious if the aged wood would feel as silky as it looked. â€Å"It must be very old,† I guessed. He shrugged. â€Å"Early sixteen-thirties, more or less.† I looked away from the cross to stare at him. â€Å"Why do you keep this here?† I wondered. â€Å"Nostalgia. It belonged to Carlisle’s father.† â€Å"He collected antiques?† I suggested doubtfully. â€Å"No. He carved this himself. It hung on the wall above the pulpit in the vicarage where he preached.† I wasn’t sure if my face betrayed my shock, but I returned to gazing at the simple, ancient cross, just in case. I quickly did the mental math; the cross was over three hundred and seventy years old. The silence stretched on as I struggled to wrap my mind around the concept of so many years. â€Å"Are you all right?† He sounded worried. â€Å"How old is Carlisle?† I asked quietly, ignoring his question, still staring up. â€Å"He just celebrated his three hundred and sixty-second birthday,† Edward said. I looked back at him, a million questions in my eyes. He watched me carefully as he spoke. â€Å"Carlisle was born in London, in the sixteen-forties, he believes. Time wasn’t marked as accurately then, for the common people anyway. It was just before Cromwell’s rule, though.† I kept my face composed, aware of his scrutiny as I listened. It was easier if I didn’t try to believe. â€Å"He was the only son of an Anglican pastor. His mother died giving birth to him. His father was an intolerant man. As the Protestants came into power, he was enthusiastic in his persecution of Roman Catholics and other religions. He also believed very strongly in the reality of evil. He led hunts for witches, werewolves†¦ and vampires.† I grew very still at the word. I’m sure he noticed, but he went on without pausing. â€Å"They burned a lot of innocent people – of course the real creatures that he sought were not so easy to catch. â€Å"When the pastor grew old, he placed his obedient son in charge of the raids. At first Carlisle was a disappointment; he was not quick to accuse, to see demons where they did not exist. But he was persistent, and more clever than his father. He actually discovered a coven of true vampires that lived hidden in the sewers of the city, only coming out by night to hunt. In those days, when monsters were not just myths and legends, that was the way many lived. â€Å"The people gathered their pitchforks and torches, of course† – his brief laugh was darker now – â€Å"and waited where Carlisle had seen the monsters exit into the street. Eventually one emerged.† His voice was very quiet; I strained to catch the words. â€Å"He must have been ancient, and weak with hunger. Carlisle heard him call out in Latin to the others when he caught the scent of the mob. He ran through the streets, and Carlisle – he was twenty-three and very fast – was in the lead of the pursuit. The creature could have easily outrun them, but Carlisle thinks he was too hungry, so he turned and attacked. He fell on Carlisle first, but the others were close behind, and he turned to defend himself. He killed two men, and made off with a third, leaving Carlisle bleeding in the street.† He paused. I could sense he was editing something, keeping something from me. â€Å"Carlisle knew what his father would do. The bodies would be burned – anything infected by the monster must be destroyed. Carlisle acted instinctively to save his own life. He crawled away from the alley while the mob followed the fiend and his victim. He hid in a cellar, buried himself in rotting potatoes for three days. It’s a miracle he was able to keep silent, to stay undiscovered. â€Å"It was over then, and he realized what he had become.† I’m not sure what my face was revealing, but he suddenly broke off. â€Å"How are you feeling?† he asked. â€Å"I’m fine,† I assured him. And, though I bit my lip in hesitation, he must have seen the curiosity burning in my eyes. He smiled. â€Å"I expect you have a few more questions for me.† â€Å"A few.† His smile widened over his brilliant teeth. He started back down the hall, pulling me along by the hand. â€Å"Come on, then,† he encouraged. â€Å"I’ll show you.† How to cite Twilight 15. THE CULLENS, Essay examples

Financial Markets and Corporate Strategy †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Financial Markets and Corporate Strategy. Answer: Introduction The corporate veil is also known as the lifting the corporate veil or piercing the corporate veil which defines the rights in the corporation for the application of the liabilities of the shareholders. Sometimes for the beneficial reason the corporate need to operate with separate legal person then they owned the responsibilities where the debts has been incurred. It provide the limited liability of the corporation by the sole trader. Therefore as per the given case study, when Aussieair has formed a new company for the uplifting the corporate veil, they can able to gain the benefits and reduce the amount of the salary from their employees then they want to take legal actions against them. The old employees also offered for fresh job on the new company where they get the same amount of salaries. Now as they want to take legal actions against them for the issues. According to the case study, the issue is whether Aussieair is liable for offence with the employees of PNGair for not paying equal amount of salaries and conditions like Aussieair to their employees? According to the case study the directors of Aussieair has decided to reduce the salary payment of the employees. Another new company PNGair has appointed same employees with 25% less salary and benefits than Aussieair. The pilots and senior managers were paid in full salaries along their redundancy entitlements (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). Therefore it can be stated that according to the Corporation Act the Sec- 184(1) defines the breach of duties of the directors. It is significant with the case studies because while inaugurate a new company the authorities of the Aussieair appointing the employees and pilots with more benefits and salaries. Whereas, they are reducing the salaries from the old companys employees and pilots while the directors are getting their proper salaries and share bonus. Here the directors has breach the duties (Grinblatt and Titman 2016). According to the corporate veil the company can take decision which is lawful for the company and provides the rights and liabilities of the shareholders. In this process of the corporate veil the company applies the corporation rules for providing the separate legal entity where the shareholders will pay the debts and individually it will pay the sole beneficiary according to the separate legal system. Therefore the limited liability will applicable on the separate legal entity (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). The separate legal entity defines a complete individual debt rather than any other private debts where the company will not interfere I any private assets. In this part the shareholders can be liable for the separate rights ad liabilities. The application of the corporate veil is only applicable according to the order by the court. According to the Corporation Act 2001 section 135 defines the divisible rules of the companies (Baos-Caballero, Garca-Teruel and Martnez-Solano 2014). The company has a particular constitution where is they can replace the rules as per the property companies which is registered repealed the constitution according the provisions. The section 136 provides the constitution of a company. According to this section 8 company can adopt a constitution according the registration of the company and each of the member of the company agrees with the writing terms of the Constitution before they applied for the company and later after registration under the company they adopt another constitution or a court order where the company itself need to add up the constitutions (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). The section 140 of Corporation act provides the effects of constitution and replaceable rules by the companies. In this section provides the legislations where the companys constitution and r eplaceable rules always make the application between the company and the members or the company and the directors or the come the members with another members of the company they've for each of the person of the company should observe the conditions of the rules and performed according to the constitutions if the members are not agree with the replaceable rules therefore they can also apply for the modification as per the Corporation Act 2001 (Grinblatt and Titman 2016). Therefore in this case study the company has introduced another company the replacing the rules by reducing the salary and not provide the remuneration amounts to the Employees. Therefore section 141 provides the legislations about the consequences of breach the section 140. Company was not bound to force any members to comply with the constitution but members can force company to comply with the constitutional provision that affect them incapacity as members because the members are following the constitution and as the company made the constitution therefore they are found to follow all the terms and functions (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). In the case of Hickman v Kent or Romney Marsh Sheep-Breeders Association [1915] it has been found that companies are bound to follow their constitutions in this case the facts are highlighted on the proper interpretation of a companys articles where company member is bound by the terms of the constitutions there therefore the High Court h as ordered for a injunction regarding the case facts (Grinblatt and Titman 2016). The Sec- 254A defines the payment of the dividend amount to the shareholders where the directors has the duty to issue bonus, partly paid, preference and redeemable shares to the shareholders. The 254B of the Corporation Act defines the terms of the shares and Sec- 254C defines the no par value shares (Baos-Caballero, Garca-Teruel and Martnez-Solano 2014). The Sec- 254W defines the rights of dividend to the shareholders. Therefore according to the case study here, the board of the company has cut on the salary of 25% whereas; the new company employees are getting the same amount of salaries. It has been also found that the board of the directors is joining in the cost-cutting exercise and the enforced redundancy but they get their substantial remuneration increases and share bonuses. Therefore the pilots and other employees are bound to get the salary amount as per the companys constitution (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). The directors can change their decisions in an Annual General Meeting. They can reduce the salary but must pay their dividend amounts. When the Board of Directors are getting their salary along with the dividend amount then it us the duty of the company to pay the dividend amount to the employees. In Strong v Brough Son case it was found that the directors have exercised their powers in the Annual General Meetings. Whereas, in the Automatic Self-Cleansing Filter Syndicate Co v Cuninghame case it was found that the shareholders are override the management decisions to get their share amounts. John Shaw Sons (Salford) Ltd v Shaw is another case which is similar to the Automatic Self-Cleansing Filter Syndicate Co v Cuninghame case (Baos-Caballero, Garca-Teruel and Martnez-Solano 2014). According to the case study, the Aussieair is a company which gives services of the charter flights for the military and the Department of Immigration of Australia. Recently they have applied for the commercial aviation license which will be providing the serves to the general public. Therefore after they get their license they register a new company named PNGair. Now the new company has appointed six directors where three of them from the old company and other three are new. The new company is following the guidelines of Aussieair along with every accounts detail and other guidelines where the old company interferes with the decisions. Now the pilots and senior managers now offered new jobs in PNGair along with new salary which is almost 25% less than the old company (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). The corporate veil defines such process of paying the debts under a separate legal entity. The sole proprietor therefore pays the debts amounts separately. It is mostly affective where the business will entitles with the corporation according the limitation of the business, number of share holders, limited assets and the recognition of separateness of the corporation always helps to the shareholders when they will find any fraud. Now the pilots and senior managers are complained about that the new company has paying more rather than the old company and recently they has redundant in their salary. Therefore they make the claim that they are not paid equal with the new company employments. Now the issue arises whether Aussieair is breaches their duty towards the employees. It has been also found that the board of the directors is joining in the cost-cutting exercise and the enforced redundancy but they get their substantial remuneration increases and share bonuses. Redundancy is where an employee is dismissed from their employment because their employer no longer wishes the employees role to be done by anyone (Grinblatt and Titman 2016). Redundancy can occur even if the work of the dismissed employee continues to be performed by other employees, as long as the position that the former employee occupied has been eliminated. There is no redundancy where a worker is seconded to work for another firm, but is still employed by the same employer and performs the same duties (Grinblatt and Titman 2016). In the case study the main fact was found that the area introduced a new company where they are offering the employment in PNGair where the constitutions applied according to the Aussieair companies constitution where is when they are paying the salaries and condition to the employees of PNGairs rate of the salary has best according to the salary rate in PNGair (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). The company is using two ways where they are not applying their constitutions equally. When the company redundant the Pilots and senior managers they paid their full redundancy entitlements but when company immediately offer employment in PNGair they are providing new salary 25% less than Aussieair employment salary (Baos-Caballero, Garca-Teruel and Martnez-Solano 2014). According to the section 136 of Corporation Act stated the legislations of the Constitution of a company where company can adopt a registered the company as per to their own rules and regulations where the each of the mem ber the company should agree with the constitution terms (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). When a company is operating through a particular constitution then the salary and other wages and dividends are also required to be paid according to the companys rules and regulations. Here the question has arises that two different constitution and the companys rule has been applied because the section 140 of Corporation Act states the provisions of the effect of constitution and repressible rules by the company. Therefore the replaceable rules always establish the relationship between the company employees or other members and the constitution. Therefore in this case, no rules are following as per the Corporation Act. The Aussieair employees are concern. The Pilots and senior managers were not happy with their reduction of 25% amount of salary but the redundant employees when appointed in PNGair. they are accept the new employment wages and condition of employment. Aussieair is providing the new salaries which are the savings on average 25% less than the salary and conditions form erly paid by Aussieair. The Pilots and senior managers also find that the board of directors who are performing on the cost cutting exercise and the in forced redundancy are awarded with substantial remuneration increases and share bonuses. According to the Corporation Act 2001 which defines that the employees are bound to paid their dividend amount but the dividend amount only paid to them when company will get benefited and after the profit they will pay extra bonuses to the Employees (Baos-Caballero, Garca-Teruel and Martnez-Solano 2014). The Sec- 254A defines the payment of the dividend amount to the shareholders where the directors has the duty to issue bonus, partly paid, preference and redeemable shares to the shareholders (Grinblatt and Titman 2016). The 254B of the Corporation Act defines the terms of the shares and Sec- 254C defines the no par value shares. The Sec- 254W defines the rights of dividend to the shareholders. Therefore according to the case study here, the boa rd of the company has cut on the salary of 25% whereas; the new company employees are getting the same amount of salaries. It has been also found that the board of the directors is joining in the cost-cutting exercise and the enforced redundancy but they get their substantial remuneration increases and share bonuses. Therefore the pilots and other employees are bound to get the salary amount as per the companys constitution. The directors can change their decisions in an Annual General Meeting. They can reduce the salary but must pay their dividend amounts. When the Board of Directors are getting their salary along with the dividend amount then it us the duty of the company to pay the dividend amount to the employees (Baos-Caballero, Garca-Teruel and Martnez-Solano 2014). The director of Aussieair has breached their duties because when they are announced about the reduction of 25% salary of the Pilots and the general managers are not accepted the offer. However in there board meeting they took the condition of the reduction of salaries. The employees are not even paid by the dividend amount while it is the right of all the employees and the member of the company that they should paid by their dividend amount. Here according to the situation the company Aussieair has formed PNG for gaining the profit therefore as per their constitution of providing salaries to the Employees and the Pilots and the general managers they are not following their duties while there is a reduced of salary amount has occur. Therefore the director of board has breaches the duties because they are not following the constitution of the companies. The section 140(1) provide the legislations where a company constitution if breach towards the employers of the company then they can claim for the remedies of the damages because they are not paying them (Baos-Caballero, Garca-Teruel and Martnez-Solano 2014). The PNGair employees has the reduction of their salary before their employment which is less than 20% salary cut as per the salary of Aussieair company here (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). Conclusion Aussieair Ltd has formed a new company for their beneficial purposes. Therefore the shareholders of the company along with the other employees are not getting their accordance salary and reduce the amount also. Therefore the corporate veil defines the only exists according to the personal assets of the shareholders then the personal liability will apply for paying the debts to the corporation. The corporate veil defines such process of paying the debts under a separate legal entity. Now they can ask for the alteration of the constitution of the company. They can also ask for the injunction or other declaration as per the corporation act. Through the alteration of the company Aussieair can able to relocate all the opportunities towards their employees and related shareholders (Alstadster, Jacob and Michaely 2017). References Alstadster, A., Jacob, M. and Michaely, R., 2017. Do dividend taxes affect corporate investment?. Journal of Public Economics, 151, pp.74-83. Baos-Caballero, S., Garca-Teruel, P.J. and Martnez-Solano, P., 2014. Working capital management, corporate performance, and financial constraints. Journal of Business Research, 67(3), pp.332-338. Baos-Caballero, S., Garca-Teruel, P.J. and Martnez-Solano, P., 2014. Working capital management, corporate performance, and financial constraints. Journal of Business Research, 67(3), pp.332-338. Ferran, E. and Ho, L.C., 2014. Principles of corporate finance law. Oxford University Press. Grinblatt, M. and Titman, S., 2016. Financial markets corporate strategy. Hickman v Kent or Romney Marsh Sheep-Breeders Association [1915] 1 Ch 88 Hiller, J.S., 2013. The benefit corporation and corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 118(2), pp.287-301. John Shaw Sons (Salford) Ltd v Shaw Knepper, W.E., Bailey, D.A., Bowman, K.B., Eblin, R.L. and Lane, R.S., 2016. Duty of Loyalty (Vol. 1). Liability of Corporate Officers and Directors. Tricker, R.B. and Tricker, R.I., 2015. Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices. Oxford University Press, USA. Young, S. and Thyil, V., 2014. Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance: Role of context in international settings. Journal of Business Ethics, 122(1), pp.1-24.