The 10 Most Bizarre Easter Traditions

The 10 Most Bizarre Easter Traditions Whips, water, and fire – not exactly the things you might think of when you think of Easter traditions. In a few days, the U.S. will be filled with children dyeing eggs, eating chocolate bunnies, and making trails out of jellybeans. Still, Easter is one of the few holidays that is celebrated worldwide. Because of this, there are some very unique ways of celebrating Easter that may shock you. 1. Knock-knock, Who’s There? Louisiana Egg Knocking Even though it’s a part of the U.S., parts of Louisiana are more foreign that countries outside of our borders. In some of the deepest parts of the bayou, Easter celebrations begin with an egg-knocking ceremony. Teams of competitors tie their eggs with strings and knock them together. The person whose egg cracks first loses, and the game is played until there is an â€Å"Egg King.† 2. Go Fly A Kite In Bermuda, the weeks leading up to Easter are marked by building kites which are only flown on Easter Day. These kites are made of anything that local kite-makers can find, from crates to ties and old clothing. One of the most important elements of the Bermuda Easter kites is the â€Å"hummer,† which makes a loud buzzing sound when the kite is in flight. 3. Whips and Water? In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, whipping and water are just normal parts of the Easter festivities. On the Monday after Easter, men craft colorful whips from Willow branches and give the women in their lives playful lashes. The whipping is supposed to keep women beautiful and fertile for another year, and also acts as a flirtation device. But, the women aren’t without recourse. The next day, they retaliate by throwing water on the heads of their attackers. 4. A Fair Egg Exchange In places where Hungarian is spoken (Translyvania, Southern Slovakia, and parts of Serbia), there is also a tradition of pouring water. In these countries, the day after Easter is called â€Å"Watering Monday.† Men will traditionally visit families with women and girls and sprinkle them with perfume in exchange for the Easter eggs. 5. Trick or Easter In Finland and Sweden, the one tradition most Americans think of as Halloween-ish are celebrated at Easter. Children in these countries often carry pussy willows on Palm Sunday instead of palms. Then, the day after Easter, they decorate the pussy willows in colorful paint and knock on doors. The community gives children candy in exchange for the beautiful decorations. 6. Light it Up In a number of countries, Easter is celebrated by huge bonfires. Often, children (especially teenage boys) run through town gathering any scrapwood that they can find. These fires act as a competition, with the boy who has the largest fire as the winner. In Italy, the Scoppio del carro lights a fire from shards from the Holy Sepulchre which in turn sets off a huge fireworks display. 7. Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’ In England, Ireland, and Scotland, children participate in egg rolling as a part of their Easter fun. The goal is to roll an egg the farthest which makes the owner of the egg the Easter victor. There is also a superstition that eggs that don’t make it down the hill intact must be crushed completely, or the egg may be used by witches to do evil magic. 8. Pace Egg Plays Although this particular tradition fell out of style for a while, in recent years the Pace Egg Plays have become a fun part of Easter for many English, Irish, and Scots. These plays date back to the Crusades and revolve around the fictitious antics of St. George and a troublemaker named Old Tosspot. Watchers are encouraged to give Easter eggs to the two characters in exchange to see their traveling show. 9. A Man-Made Holiday In Russia, men aren’t allowed to cook, clean, or otherwise work on Easter. In fact, there is a tradition that says men shouldn’t even be allowed in the kitchen at all. If a man does, it’s said that his beard and moustache will immediately turn grey and he will age before his time. 10. Egg-Zellent In Bessieres, France, there is a tradition of feeding the whole town with a single omelet. According to legend, Napoleon stopped in the little village one night and ordered and omelet. He was so pleased with his meal that he asked all the villagers to bring their eggs so that the chef could create a meal for the whole town. Now, the feast is made from 15,000 eggs and 25,000 kilos of oil each year. Easter doesnt seem so boring now, right? This year you can try something new, celebrating Easter abroad or at least trying the weird Easter traditions with your friends in US. Have the Happy Easter, and tell us your stories!

Essentials of Corporate Fraud Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Essentials of Corporate Fraud - Assignment Example Extortion; refers to the deliberate action of a person to commit theft by seeking to obtain property or services through advancing threats to others (Coenen 2008). One specific element of extortion that the credit manager may have participated in is exposing secrets or thought facts, which may be true or untrue with the intention of subjecting anyone to hatred, contempt or mockery or to damage the individual’s credit or business. The manager’s operations can be vetted to detect any instances of fraud. A board of vetting can be hired or instituted to assess the extent of his actions, especially to track his dealings with the applicants. The credit manager’s transactions with the credit applicants can be evaluated through a credit assessment report. It will can a brief description of the two parties’ submission during the process of credit application and evaluation. The report has to be signed by both the manager and the client. It will state whether the client has been subjected to any form of extortion or not. The clients/ customers/ applicants of loans can be given an avenue of reporting their grievances to the company. Such avenues can be in form of a quality check/ control for the services offered to them by the credit manager. Through such avenues, they can reveal instances of extortion or attempts of the same to the company. c. Suppose there was no direct evidence of fraud detected in the credit manager’s operations, there will be no action to be taken on this case, against him. He is well known as a very hard worker, who lives close to the branch and frequently works late into the evening. He also has not taken any vacations in three years in spite of the bank policy that all employees take a least a weeks vacation every year.  

Employment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Employment - Coursework Example Other professionals will find themselves locked into an arms race with their competitors, and companies will have to provide their teams with the best equipment or face serious defeat. The advancements in medicine will reduce the population of potential employers lost through disease, and increased child care cost will force most employees to find ways of bettering their wages, either through job hoping, or making themselves marketable. Workers will telecommute; enabling them to use time spent commuting into productive work. The choices available for reemployment will be endless due to new, upcoming jobs including computer programmer, day care provider, environmental engineer, and elder specialist. People will be working during the weekends, in the evenings and on holidays (Roger Backhouse).   Inflation Inflation is expected to increase in the next five years, because the rising prices of commodities is not lasting a short time. Prospects of currency shifts and high commodity price s will cause the inflation to increase. In my view, the current market imbalances will continue keeping commodity prices rising in the next five years, with the inflationary pressures hitting emerging markets more, since a bigger share of their consumption is commodities. New emerging markets have in the past been a source of disinflation for most of the developed economies, because cheap imports from countries like China decreased inflation in the US and Europe, but that dynamic will be changed with higher commodity prices. The developed world policy makers will also try making their economies competitive through a cheaper currency, which in my view; will cause higher inflation for net importers like United States. In addition, emerging economies will let their currencies appreciate with a bid to combat inflation causing exportation of inflation to countries that buy their goods (Roger Backhouse). Interest rates Suppressing interests now will lead to disproportionate rise after fiv e years. In addition, the proposed low rate encourages depositors, who can relocate their money elsewhere, leading to more pressure for a rise. In my opinion, the monetary system is in a complete mess characterized by cons and quick solutions to serious economic problems. Currently no single borrower or saver can be immune. There is a lot of fake currency with no fixed value, and the trend seems to be escalating with time. Although there are few exceptions including gold silver coins and liberty dollars. With the currency and legal system plus savings and pension, most people are enslaved. There is no longer money, and people are just dealing with negative and positive numbers, which are illusions of debt and credit, of which we have no control. Probably, we can introduce some feel in the monetary system by nailing the currency to stabilize the unstable financial environment. The question, therefore, is how one can plan and be successful with their finances. This, therefore, makes i nterest rate speculation meaningless (Roger Backhouse). Level of taxation The middle class has been the category of tax payers who have mostly felt the weight of the tax mans demands. With increasing government spending, and demand for more infrastructures, the level of taxation is expected to go up, because the government will have to meet its high budget, while at the same time provide necessary social facilities for its citizens. The expected rise in inflation would also mean the governments would be faced with the challenge of getting the

Term Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Term - Research Paper Example The country, according to the annual report released by the Department of Health, shows that while there is progress in fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic, there is still a long way to go in terms of the overall improvement of health services. The country still faces serious challenges for pregnant women, maternal mortality, poverty-related diseases and gender-based violence (2006). South Africa attracts a lot of attention from medical researchers due to the unbalanced health care among its citizens. In addition, the issue of racial apartheid was a problem prior to 1994 and this had a profound impact on the dissemination of health services among its citizens. Therefore, South Africa’s history of apartheid, unbalanced health care/ HIV-AIDS epidemic makes it an ideal place to examine. Location Geographically, the country is located on the Southern tip of the African continent. The Atlantic Ocean borders it on the west while the Indian Ocean borders it on both the South and East. Nam ibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe lie on its Northern border while Mozambique and Swaziland are located on its Northeast borders. South Africa uniquely encloses an independent kingdom called Lesotho (Inter Knowledge Corp, 2010). Population The country is about 472,000 square miles wide (equivalent to 1.2 million sq. km.) and lies beneath the Tropic of Capricorn. It is comprised of three geographical primary regions: an extensive central plateau – and a nearly unceasing cliff of mountain ranges that circle the plateau from the Western, Eastern and Southern side, with a strip of land along the coast (Inter Knowledge Corp, 2010). According to WHO statistics, South Africa has a population of approximately 50,133,000 with a gross national income per capita (PPP international $) of 10,360. In the year 2009, the life expectancy at birth m/f (years) was 54/55 but the probability of dying under five (per 1,000 live births) is currently unavailable. The total expenditure on health per capit a is approximated at 935 with a total expenditure on health % of GDP (2010) estimated at 8.9 (WHO, 2012). Government In pre-apartheid times, the South African government had a highly bureaucratic health care system. The administration of health care was divided into 14 separate departments, which were responsible for looking after the health of the different racial groups, the homelands, and six self-governing territories. The health care services were divided into preventive and curative among government departments, the provinces and the local authorities. The expenditure on tertiary health services was prioritized above primary health care services. This led to the development of a private health sector that is unregulated by the government. In addition, a lack of commitment by the government in terms of training, staffing and ways to eradicate poverty have contributed to the country’s high infant mortality, maternal mortality, life expectancy at birth and incidences of in fectious diseases (such as tuberculosis and measles) among many citizens, especially black people (Department of health, 2010). However, in 1994, South Africa was among the few African countries that had started transforming the health care system. Legislature passed bills that ensured equal distribution of resources, restructuring

Discrimination And Empowerment Mental Health Social Work Essay

Discrimination And Empowerment Mental Health Social Work Essay This essay will firstly define what discrimination is and what it means to discriminate. Examples will be used to demonstrate what discrimination may look like. A definition of empowerment will also be used. The essay will then critically explore theory and ideas around power and how power manifests between groups. This part of the essay will touch on the idea of othering. The essay will move on to focus on mental health, race and racism. The essay will use the idea that mental illness is a social construct and look at how mental illness can be open to influences of racism from society (Bailey 2004). The essay will make links to institutional racism in mental health and psychiatry. In a basic sense to discriminate means to: differentiate or to recognise a distinction (Oxford Dictionaries 2012). In this basic sense it is a part of daily life to discriminate. For example, a baby will often discriminate between a stranger and their caregiver. Discrimination becomes a problem when the difference or recognised distinction is used for the basis of unfair treatment or exclusion (Thompson 2012). Anti-discriminatory practice in social work concerns itself with discrimination that has negative outcomes; whether this is negative discrimination or positive discrimination. Both are equally as damaging. Thompson (1998) defines discrimination as a process where individuals are divided into particular social groups with an uneven distribution of power, resources, opportunities and even rights. Discrimination is not always intentional (Thompson 2009) and there are various types of discrimination (EHRC 2012). Discrimination can be direct, indirect, based on perception or on association (EHRC 2012). The Equality Act 2010 is legislation that protects individuals and groups against discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 brought together several pieces of legislation to protect several protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. Discrimination does not just occur on a personal level, according to Thompson (2012), discrimination occurs on three levels; personal, cultural and structure. This will be explored more later on. Empowerment is a term that often comes in to play when examining discrimination; therefore it is important to have an understanding of both. Empowerment is the capacity of individuals or groups to take control of their circumstance and use their power to help themselves and others to maximise the quality of their lives (Adams 2008: xvi). Empowerment is then not an absence of discrimination and power but an individuals capacity to own or share that power and take control. Therefore empowerment is an anti-oppressive practice not an anti-discriminatory one. They are linked but not the same. Social workers act as mediators between service users and the state. Social workers are in a role that can potentially empower or oppress (Thompson 1997). For this reason Thompson (1997: 11) argues that good practice must be anti-discriminatory practice, no matter how high the standards of practice are in other respects (Thompson 2012). Thompson (1997) reminds the reader many times throughout his book that If youre not part of the solution you are part of the problem. I choose to include this because it reinforces that social workers need to challenge discrimination and take action against it. Discrimination is political, sociological and psychological (Thompson 2012). To accept and tolerate it and to not to challenge it does indeed make social workers part of the problem. Discrimination has links with power which the essay will move on to explain next. As defined by the Oxford Dictionary (2012) power is the ability or capacity to do something; the capacity or ability to act in a particular way to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events; or physical strength or force exerted by someone. From this definition power could be seen as a coercive force or authoritarian. However, some theorists would argue that there is more to power than just coercion and authority. Parsons (1969 cited Rogers 2008) took a different view on power. He saw power as a way of maintaining social order instead of a force for individual gain (Rogers 2008). Parsons (1969 cited Rogers 2008) believed that to be able to enforce coercive action and justify it, there needs to be a collective interest from the social system as a whole (Rogers 2008). Lukes (1974) would disagree with Parsons definition on power. Lukes argues that power is less abstract (Rogers 2008) and that exercising power is the decision to exert control. Lukes (1974:74) illustrates this point as: A exercises power over B when A effects B in a manner contrary to Bs interests. Dominelli (2008) focuses more on the idea of competing power; which group has more power than the other. This splits people to either be in the dominant group or the minority. A dominant group tends to be deemed superior, and with superiority comes privilege (Dominelli 2008). As a result the other group is deemed inferior, the minority and disadvantaged. It is this compound of dominance and oppression that discrimination derives from (Rogers 2008). It is a groups perceived superiorly over another group (Thompson 2012) that justifies coercive action, control and discrimination. When people form oppressive relationships the tendency is to make a strategic decision that excludes a particular group or individuals from accessing power and resources (Dominelli 2002). Othering can be experienced as multiple; multiple oppression. People can be othered simultaneously due to a number of social divisions (Domenelli 2002), for example, being a black woman who experiences mental health issues. Social workers need to recognise power and its links to discrimination. Not to could further oppress (Thompson 2012). It can feel uncomfortable to be in the privileged position; whether this is as a white person or a man and so on. The privileged group need to engage in the fight for equality (Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012). White people need to engage with the fight against racism and accept responsibility for racism as it is a problem of white society and therefore involves white people (Strawbridge cited Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012). This explanation can be applied to any other groups that are considered to be the other. Rogers and Pilgrim (2006: 15) suggest that superiority is a social construction: a product of human activity. Dominelli (2002) goes further to say that oppression itself is a social construct as oppressive relations are not pre-determined but they are reproduced between social interactions and routines. Language is often used as a key part of social interaction and is also a very powerful tool. This relates heavily to social work as social workers are responsible for writing reports/care plans/assessments. Depending on how social workers word written pieces of work can indeed paint a very different picture of the service user they are working with. I was once told that words are the bullets of prejudice, this illustrates that labels and language can be powerful, damaging, potentially discriminatory and oppressive. Although labels can be damaging they are a part of social interaction. Labels help us to construct our social world and we use them to find similarities and differences to process the world around us (Moncrieffe and Eyben 2007). Although the process of labelling is fundamental to human behaviour and interaction (Moncrieffe and Eyben 2007:19) social workers need to be aware of when these labels have the potential to be damaging, oppressive and rein forcers of discrimination. Social workers need to reflect and consider what labels they give people and what impacts this may have. Labels can be used to change or sustain power relations which can have an impact on prejudice and on achieving equality (Moncrieffe and Eyben 2007). This essay will use the themes discussed so far to focus in on mental health as an area of practice and critically explore institutionalised racism within mental health practice and psychiatry. To begin I will briefly return to Thompsons (2012) PCS analysis in relation to mental health and race. The P level is our own individual attitudes and feelings (Thompson 2012). Although it is important to examine our own beliefs we do not live in a moral and political vacuum (Coppock and Dunn 2010: 8). For this reason Thompson (2012) also refers to the cultural (C) and structural (S). P is embedded in C and C and P in S which builds up interlocking layers of discrimination; personal, cultural and structural. The C level is where we learn our norms and values. Individuals learn these values and norms through the process of socialisation which occurs through social institutions such as the family, religion and the media (Haralambos and Holborn 2008). These institutions can produce ideas about what is considered normal or right (Coppock and Dunn 2010). From this it is not surprising that there is an attitude in society that people who experience mental health issues are violent and a danger to society; even though there is no relationship between mental health and violence (Rogers and Pilgrim 2006). However, the general media uses terms like psycho (Ward 2012) or crazed gunman (Perrie 2011) in relation to acts of violence creates prejudice. This prejudice can then be used to discriminate. For example, a community may not want a mental home to open near them as the mental people will cause a threat to their community. The S level is the level of institutional oppression and discrimination. Ideas that Thompson (2012: 34) refers to as being sewn in to the fabric of society. Western psychiatry is laden with cultural values and assumptions that are based on western culture (Coppock and Dunn 2010). This suggests that western and white is normality and anything that deviates from this is abnormal (Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012), or as previously discussed; other. It is the C and S level which the essay will focus on more. Institutional racism explains how institutional structures, systems and the process embedded in society and structures that promote racial inequality (Jones 1997). It is considered to be the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin (MacPherson 1999). Jones (cited Marlow and Loveday 2000: 30) goes further than this definition to also include laws, customs, and practices which systematically reflect and produce racial inequalities. Institutional racism is believed to be a more subtle and covert type of racism (Bhui 2002) and often said to be unintentional (Griffith et al 2007). BME groups are differently represented in psychiatry (Sashidharan 2001). People of African-Caribbean heritage are over represented yet people of Asian heritage underrepresented in mental health settings (Sashidharan 2001). As BME groups deviate from the white norms they appear to receive either too much attention or too little (Sashidharan 2001). This would suggest that the systems which operate within psychiatry are institutionally racist. Both race and mental illness are social constructs (Thompson 1997; Bailey 2004). Thompson (1997) argues that despite the lack in biological evidence for the explanation of racial categories it is still a widely common way of thinking. Bailey (2004) argues that mental illness has always been a social construct therefore open to racism and other forms of discrimination. The declassification of homosexuality in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) illustrates Baileys (2004) point. Race immediately brings up issues around power and the relationship between what is seen as natural and social (Westwood 2002). Historically it was viewed that inequalities around race had a natural explanation (Westwood 2002). Race could be traced back to anthological tradition (Rogers 2006; Craig et al 2012) and colonial discourse with the belief that white identity is superior (Westwood 2002) and that black people are lacking civilisation, savages and a subhuman species (Bailey 2004: 408-409). According to Bailey (2004: 408) the effects of racism on psychiatry can be directly linked to the early stereotypes about black people arising from pseudoscientific racism. It is this pseudoscience racism (science which lacks scientific method or evidence) that underpins racism in mental health services today (Bailey 2004). Racism has many different sides and is a multidimensional form of oppression and discrimination (Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012; Thompson 2012). Racism is widely known to be the cause of disparities in health and mental health (McKenzie in Bhui 2002; Griffith et al 2007; Craig et al 2012). BME individuals find themselves navigating their way through a system that works from the dominant discourse of the medical model (Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012). This allows a small amount of room for different and alternative frameworks to challenge racism which is already ingrained in the system. To illustrate this point I will use an example from my practice. I work with a black woman who experiences mental health issues. She has spiritual beliefs and usually openly takes about her beliefs at home. She fears one resident as he is very religious and she feels that he has special powers. I supported her to an appointment with her psychiatrist as she had begun to feel mentally unwell. He did not enquire about any social, cultural or structural factors that may impact on her mental health. I tried to advocate the experiences she had shared with me and reiterated what she was saying. However, he advised her that the tugging she experienced in her stomach was physical and to see a doctor and increased her anti-psychotic medication. Her spiritual experiences were not validated, he individualised the cause of her illness and used a medical intervention. Western psychiatry tends to separate the mind from the body and spirit (Bailey 2004). According to Bailey (2004) many BME service users find this approach unhelpful and irrelevant to their experiences of mental distress. This is because for many BME the mind, body and spirit work in union and the feelings and behaviours behind this is woven into peoples wider existence (Bailey 2004). Kortmann (2010) believes that these types of clinical intervention are often ineffective due to service users non-western origin and tend to quit treatments earlier. For example, some African cultures can believe that seizures are cause by evil spirits (Kortmann 2010) and therefore do not take medication prescribed as they do not believe it to be an illness. Westwood (2002) writes that the negative impact of racism can have a significant impact on an individuals mental health. However in a recent piece of research Ayalon and Gum (2011) concluded that black older adults experienced the highest amount of discriminatory events but there was a weaker association with this and experiences of mental health issues. To account for this it was concluded that BME groups experienced more events of discrimination over their life course and as a result have become more resilient to it (Ayalon and Gum 2011). Some writers argue that to construct institutional racism as the explanation to the disparities in mental health can add to the debate and effectively alienate BME groups even further (Singh and Burns 2006). Singh and Burn (2006) state that, the accusation of racism within psychiatry will give service users the expectation that they will receive a poorer service and this will encourage service users to disengage with services or offer voluntary admission. What Singh and Burn (2006) are speculating is presented by Livingstone (2012) as self-stigma; the stigma that is present on an individual level rather than on a cultural or social. It is the stigma that is internalised that can prevent people from access services (Livingstone 2012) and thus, actively discriminating against ones self. Therefore, Singh and Burns (2006) argue that individuals to stay away from needed services until it is too late and there are few alternatives but to detain them and enforce treatment. Although Singh and Burn (2006) make a logical point they fail to recognise BME service user experiences of Mental Health Services. Bowl (2007) conducted a qualitative research to gain the views and experiences of South Asian service users as most literature is through the lens of academics and professionals. The experiences of this South Asian group would certainly suggest the presence of institutional racism within Mental health Services. The main areas identified were their dissatisfaction in not being understood in the assessment process due to language barriers and cultural incompetence (Bowl 2007). This misunderstanding led to misdiagnosis and refusal of services (Bowl 2007). Racism is often not the only form of oppression that people face. Disadvantage can occur from several areas (Marlow and Loveday 2000). BME groups experiencing mental health issues are already subjected to multiple oppression. There is not enough words in this essay to explore this further but wanted to acknowledge that forms of oppression are not experienced in isolation of each other. For example, links have been made between individuals lower socio-economic status and experience of mental health issues and how black people can face the added stress of earning less and experiencing higher levels of unemployment (Chakraborty and McKenzie 2002). This begins to illustrate the complexity and how oppression is inextricably intertwined. Institutional racism has been highlight in a number of Inquiries in practice. It was firstly highlighted in the Stephen Lawrence Report in 1999; a black young person who was murdered in a racist attack and yet again in the David Bennett Inquiry in 2003; a black man who died in 1998 after being restrained faced down by several nurses for nearly half an hour. Lord Laming (2003) also identified issues around racism in his Inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie. There is not enough words to go into any of these inquiries in any detail but they have been included to demonstrate institutional racism in practice in the police, mental health service and social work. It may seem that whilst mental health services operate within the medical model that is catered towards the white majority things will not change. Institutions and systems are indeed difficult to change, however social workers can work with service users to empower, advocate, challenge and expose discrimination in services and bring about social change. Empowerment is complex in general but becomes more complex in relation to race and ethnicity (Thompson 2007). Social workers need to firstly be aware of institutional racism before they are able to challenge it (Thompson 2007). For social workers to challenge institutional racism they need to challenge policies that do not address the needs of BME groups. To do this, social workers need to be aware of the complex power relations and deeply ingrained racist patterns in society (Thompson 2007). In my practice in a mental health setting I have contact with medical professionals and often support services users to appointments. I find that I must hold onto my social work values and not get drawn into the medical model way of working but to remain holistic in my approach. To conclude, this essay has demonstrated that discrimination is far more complex than treating someone differently. It has focused on a more subtle, covert and indirect form of discrimination: institutional racism. The essay has examined the links between discrimination, racism and power and introduced the idea that mental illness and race are both social constructs. It is this subtle and covert form of discrimination that can be damaging. It can be hard to recognise as it is woven into the very fabric of society (Thompson 2012). However, the message in this essay is that social workers need to recognise power relations, how they operate, on what level they operate at and to challenge discrimination (anti-discriminatory practice) and work with service user to empower them to overcome these obstacles (anti-oppressive practice). Social workers must swim against the tide and not collude with these attitudes no matter how deeply ingrained and embedded they are in society. For the social workers that fail to do so will ultimately become part of the problem. Word count: 3281

Senpai, Another Protector in Japan :: Essays Papers

Senpai, Another Protector in Japan In America, differences of age and status do not affect the relationship between people as they do in Japan. Students can talk to professors in very casual ways. A freshman and a senior in college can be good friends. In Japan, however, when Japanese people get together, their behaviors are influenced by an awareness of the order and rank of each person within the group according to age and social status. Respect to seniors is a social obligation that cannot be neglected. Nothing more clearly describes this hierarchal nature of Japanese society that the Japanese word "senpai," meaning a senior or superior in any academic or corporate organization in our society. The attitude toward one's 'senpai' is characterized by formality, obedience, and trust. The relationship between inferiors or "kohai" and their "senpai" is very formal and strict. Japanese students meet their first "senpai" in junior or senior high school when they enroll in any kind of club, and this relationship lasts after their graduation. New students in the club are trained, just as soldiers are, to serve their "senpai." When they talk to their "senpai," they have to use a polite and formal language, called "keigo" in Japanese, to show respect to the senior. Whenever they meet their "senpai," they have to bow. Calling seniors by their first names is a taboo. These very strict and formal relationships are similar to those in an army. In this army-like hierarchal system, obedience is the kohai's most important value. When students enter the university, many different kinds of "senpai" wait for them: in the clubs, in the dormitories, and in the departments of the university to which they belong. April is the month when school begins, the cherry blossoms come into full bloom, and welcome parties for the new students are seen under those cherry trees in the park. Each club, dorm, and department has its own welcome party, called "a cherry blossom viewing party." Actually, these parties aim not to appreciate the beauty of nature but to make the new students drink as much alcohol as possible. At the party, the poor freshmen have to drink all the cups of beer and "sake," Japanese rice wine, given to them by their seniors. During cherry blossom viewing parties, ambulances come to parks and pick up the drunk students. They are forced to do whatever the seniors say, no matter how unreasonable or stupid it may sound.

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 23 THE TRUTH

I HAD THE SENSE THAT I'D BEEN ASLEEP FOR A VERY long timemy body was stiff, like I hadn't moved once through all that time, either. My mind was dazed and slow; strange, colorful dreamsdreams and nightmaresswirled dizzily around the inside of my head. They were so vivid. The horrible and the heavenly, all mixed together into a bizarre jumble. There was sharp impatience and fear, both part of that frustrating dream where your feet can't move fast enough And there were plenty of monsters, red-eyed fiends that were all the more ghastly for their genteel civility. The dream was still strongI could even remember the names. But the strongest, clearest part of the dream was not the horror. It was the angel that was most clear. It was hard to let him go and wake up. This dream did not want to be shoved away into the vault of dreams I refused to revisit. I struggled with it as my mind became more alert, focusing on reality. I couldn't remember what day of the week it was, but I was sure Jacob or school or work or something was waiting for me. I inhaled deeply, wondering how to face another day. Something cold touched my forehead with the softest pressure. I squeezed my eyes more tightly shut. I was still dreaming, it seemed, and it felt abnormally real. I was so close to waking any second now, and it would be gone. But I realized that it felt too real, too real to be good for me. The stone arms I imagined wrapped around me were far too substantial. If I let this go any further, I'd be sorry for it later. With a resigned sigh, I wrenched back my eyelids to dispel the illusion. â€Å"Oh!† I gasped, and threw my fists over my eyes. Well, clearly, I'd gone too far; it must have been a mistake to let my imagination get so out of hand. Okay, so â€Å"let† was the wrong word. I'd forced it to get out of handpretty much stalked my hallucinationsand now my mind had snapped. It took less than half a second for me to realize that, as long as I was truly insane now, I might as well enjoy the delusions while they were pleasant. I opened my eyes againand Edward was still there, his perfect face just inches away from mine. â€Å"Did I frighten you?† His low voice was anxious. This was very good, as delusions went. The face, the voice, the scent, everythingit was so much better than drowning. The beautiful figment of my imagination watched my changing expressions, with alarm. His irises were pitch-black, with bruise-like shadows under them. This surprised me; my hallucinatory Edwards were usually better fed. I blinked twice, desperately trying to remember the last thing that I was sure was real. Alice was part of my dream, and I wondered if she had really come back at all, or if that was just the preamble. I thought she'd returned the day I'd nearly drowned â€Å"Oh, crap† I croaked. My throat was thick with sleeping. â€Å"What's wrong, Bella?† I frowned at him unhappily. His face was even more anxious than before. â€Å"I'm dead, right?† I moaned. â€Å"I did drown. Crap, crap, crap! This is gonna kill Charlie.† Edward frowned, too. â€Å"You're not dead.† â€Å"Then why am I not waking up?† I challenged, raising my eyebrows. â€Å"You are awake, Bella.† I shook my head. â€Å"Sure, sure. That's what you want me to think. And then it will be worse when I do wake up. If I wake up, which I won't, because I'm dead. This is awful. Poor Charlie. And Renee and Jake† I trailed off in horror at what I had done. â€Å"I can see where you might confuse me with a nightmare.† His short-lived smile was grim. â€Å"But I can't imagine what you could have done to wind up in hell. Did you commit many murders while I was away?† I grimaced. â€Å"Obviously not. If I was in hell, you wouldn't be with me.† He sighed. My head was getting clearer. My eyes flickered away from his faceunwillinglyfor one second, to the dark, open window, and then back to him. I started to remember details and I felt a faint, unfamiliar blush warm the skin over my cheekbones as I slowly realized that Edward was really, truly here with me, and I was wasting time being an idiot. â€Å"Did all of that really happen, then?† It was almost impossible to reassign my dream as reality. I couldn't wrap my head around the concept. â€Å"That depends.† Edward's smile was still hard. â€Å"If you're referring to us nearly being massacred in Italy, then, yes.† â€Å"How strange,† I mused. â€Å"I really went to Italy. Did you know I'd never been farther east than Albuquerque?† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Maybe you should go back to sleep. You're not coherent.† â€Å"I'm not tired anymore.† It was all coming clear now. â€Å"What time is it? How long have I been sleeping?† â€Å"It's just after one in the morning. So, about fourteen hours.† I stretched as he spoke. I was so stiff. â€Å"Charlie?† I asked. Edward frowned. â€Å"Sleeping. You should probably know that I'm breaking the rules right now. Well, not technically, since he said I was never to walk through his door again, and I came in the window But, still, the intent was clear.† â€Å"Charlie banned you from the house?† I asked, disbelief quickly melting into fury. His eyes were sad. â€Å"Did you expect anything else?† My eyes were mad. I was going to have a few words with my fatherperhaps it would be a good time to remind him that I was over the legal age of adulthood. It didn't matter so much, of course, except in principle. All too soon there would be no reason for the prohibition. I turned my thoughts to less painful avenues. â€Å"What's the story?† I asked, genuinely curious, but also trying desperately to keep the conversation casual, to keep a firm grip on myself, so I wouldn't scare him away with the frantic, gnawing craving that was raging inside me. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"What am I telling Charlie? What's my excuse for disappearing for how long was I gone, anyway?† I tried to count the hours in my head. â€Å"Just three days.† His eyes tightened, but he smiled more naturally this time. â€Å"Actually, I was hoping you might have a good explanation. I've got nothing.† I groaned. â€Å"Fabulous.† â€Å"Well, maybe Alice will come up with something,† he offered, trying to comfort me. And I was comforted. Who cared what I had to deal with later? Every second that he was hereso close, his flawless face glowing in the dim light from the numbers on my alarm clockwas precious and not to be wasted. â€Å"So,† I began, picking the least importantthough still vitally interestingquestion to start with. I was safely delivered home, and he might decide to leave at any moment. I had to keep him talking. Besides, this temporary heaven wasn't entirely complete without the sound of his voice. â€Å"What have you been doing, up until three days ago?† His face turned wary in an instant. â€Å"Nothing terribly exciting.† â€Å"Of course not,† I mumbled. â€Å"Why are you making that face?† â€Å"Well† I pursed my lips, considering. â€Å"If you were, after all, just a dream, that's exactly the kind of thing you would say. My imagination must be used up.† He sighed. â€Å"If I tell you, will you finally believe that you're not having a nightmare?† â€Å"Nightmare!† I repeated scornfully. He waited for my answer. â€Å"Maybe,† I said after a second of thought. â€Å"If you tell me.† â€Å"I was hunting.† â€Å"Is that the best you can do?† I criticized. â€Å"That definitely doesn't prove I'm awake.† He hesitated, and then spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. â€Å"I wasn't hunting fot food I was actually trying my hand at tracking. I'm not very good at it.† â€Å"What were you tracking?† I asked, intrigued. â€Å"Nothing of consequence.† His words didn't match his expression; he looked upset, uncomfortable. â€Å"I don't understand.† He hesitated; his face, shining with an odd green cast from the light of the clock, was torn. â€Å"I† He took a deep breath. â€Å"I owe you an apology. No, of course I owe you much, much more than that. But you have to know,†the words began to flow so fast, the way I remembered he spoke sometimes when he was agitated, that I really had to concentrate to catch them all†that I had no idea. I didn't realize the mess I was leaving behind. I thought it was safe for you here. So safe. I had no idea that Victoria,†his lips curled back when he said the name†would come back. I'll admit, when I saw her that one time, I was paying much more attention to James's thoughts. But I just didn't see that she had this kind of response in her. That she even had such a tie to him. I think I realize why nowshe was so sure of him, the thought of him failing never occurred to her. It was her overconfidence that clouded her feelings about himthat kept me from seeing the depth of them, the bond there. â€Å"Not that there's any excuse for what I left you to face. When I heard what you told Alicewhat she saw herselfwhen I realized that you had to put your life in the hands of werewolves, immature, volatile, the worst thing out there besides Victoria herselfhe shuddered and the gush of words halted for a short second. â€Å"Please know that I had no idea of any of this. I feel sick, sick to my core, even now, when I can see and feel you safe in my arms. I am the most miserable excuse for† â€Å"Stop,† I interrupted him. He stared at me with agonized eyes, and I tried to find the right wordsthe words that would free him from this imagined obligation that caused him so much pain. They were very hard words to say. I didn't know if I could get them out without breaking down. But I had to try to do it right. I didn't want to be a source of guilt and anguish in his life. He should be happy, no matter what it cost me. I'd really been hoping to put off this part of our last conversation. It was going to bring things to an end so much sooner. Drawing on all my months of practice with trying to be normal for Charlie, I kept my face smooth. â€Å"Edward,† I said. His name burned my throat a little on the way out. I could feel the ghost of the hole, waiting to rip itself wide again as soon as he disappeared. I didn't quite see how I was going to survive it this time. â€Å"This has to stop now. You can't think about things that way. You can't let this this guilt rule your life. You can't take responsibility for the things that happen to me here. None of it is your fault, it's just part of how life is for me. So, if I trip in front of a bus or whatever it is next time, you have to realize that it's not your job to take the blame. You can't just go running off to Italy because you feel bad that you didn't save me. Even if I had jumped off that cliff to die, that would have been my choice, and not your fault. I know it's your your nature to shoulder the blame for everything, but you really can't let that make you go to such extremes! It's very irresponsiblethink of Esme and Carlisle and† I was on the edge of losing it. I stopped to take a deep breath, hoping to calm myself. I had to set him free. I had to make sure this never happened again. â€Å"Isabella Marie Swan,† he whispered, the strangest expression crossing his face. He almost looked mad. â€Å"Do you believe that I asked the Volturi to kill me because I felt guilty?† I could feel the blank incomprehension on my face. â€Å"Didn't you?† â€Å"Feel guilty? Intensely so. More than you can comprehend.† â€Å"Then what are you saying? I don't understand.† â€Å"Bella, I went to the Volturi because I thought you were dead,† he said, voice soft, eyes fierce. â€Å"Even if I'd had no hand in your death†he shuddered as he whispered the last word†even if it wasn't my fault, I would have gone to Italy. Obviously, I should have been more carefulI should have spoken to Alice directly, rather than accepting it secondhand from Rosalie. But, really, what was I supposed to think when the boy said Charlie was at the funeral? What are the odds? â€Å"The odds† he muttered then, distracted. His voice was so low I wasn't sure I beard it right. â€Å"The odds are always stacked against us. Mistake after mistake. I'll never criticize Romeo again.† â€Å"But I still don't understand,† I said. â€Å"That's my whole point. So what?† â€Å"Excuse me?† â€Å"So what if I was dead?† He stared at me dubiously for a long moment before answering. â€Å"Don't you remember anything I told you before?† â€Å"I remember everything that you told me.† Including the words that had negated all the rest. He brushed the tip of his cool finger against my lower lip. â€Å"Bella, you seem to be under a misapprehension.† He closed his eyes, shaking his head back and forth with half a smile on his beautiful face. It wasn't a happy smile. â€Å"I thought I'd explained it clearly before. Bella, I can't live in a world where you don't exist.† â€Å"I am† My head swam as I looked for the appropriate word. â€Å"Confused.† That worked. I couldn't make sense of what he was saying. He stared deep into my eyes with his sincere, earnest gaze. â€Å"I'm a good liar, Bella, I have to be.† I froze, my muscles locking down as if for impact. The fault line in my chest rippled; the pain of it took my breath away. He shook my shoulder, trying to loosen my rigid pose. â€Å"Let me finish! I'm a good liar, but still, for you to believe me so quickly.† He winced. â€Å"That was excruciating.† I waited, still frozen. â€Å"When we were in the forest, when I was telling you goodbye† I didn't allow myself to remember. I fought to keep myself in the present second only. â€Å"You weren't going to let go,† he whispered. â€Å"I could see that. I didn't want to do itit felt like it would kill me to do itbut I knew that if I couldn't convince you that I didn't love you anymore, it would just take you that much longer to get on with your life. I hoped that, if you thought I'd moved on, so would you.† â€Å"A clean break,† I whispered through unmoving lips. â€Å"Exactly. But I never imagined it would be so easy to do! I thought it would be next to impossiblethat you would be so sure of the truth that I would have to lie through my teeth for hours to even plant the seed of doubt in your head. I lied, and I'm so sorrysorry because I hurt you, sorry because it was a worthless effort. Sorry that I couldn't protect you from what I an. I lied to save you, and it didn't work. I'm sorry. â€Å"But how could you believe me? After all the thousand times I've told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?† I didn't answer. I was too shocked to form a rational response. â€Å"I could see it in your eyes, that you honestly believed that I didn't want you anymore. The most absurd, ridiculous conceptas if there were anu way that I could exist without needing you!† I was still frozen. His words were incomprehensible, because they were impossible. He shook my shoulder again, not hard, but enough that my teeth rattled a little. â€Å"Bella,† he sighed. â€Å"Really, what were you thinking!† And so I started to cry. The tears welled up and then gushed miserably down my cheeks. â€Å"I knew it,† I sobbed. â€Å"I knew I was dreaming.† â€Å"You're impossible,† he said, and he laughed oncea hard laugh, frustrated. â€Å"How can I put this so that you'll believe me? You're not asleep, and you're not dead. I'm here, and I love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you. I was thinking of you, seeing your face in my mind, every second that I was away. When I told you that I didn't want you, it was the very blackest kind of blasphemy.† I shook my head while the tears continued to ooze from the corners of my eyes. â€Å"You don't believe me, do you?† he whispered, his face paler than his usual paleI could see that even in the dim light. â€Å"Why can you believe the lie, but not the truth?† â€Å"It never made sense for you to love me,† I explained, my voice breaking twice. â€Å"I always knew that.† His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened. â€Å"I'll prove you're awake,† he promised. He caught my face securely between his iron hands, ignoring my struggles when I tried to turn my head away. â€Å"Please don't,† I whispered. He stopped, his lips just half an inch from mine. â€Å"Why not?† he demanded. His breath blew into my face, making my head whirl. â€Å"When I wake up†He opened his mouth to protest, so I revised†okay, forget that onewhen you leave again, it's going to be hard enough without this, too.† He pulled back an inch, to stare at my face. â€Å"Yesterday, when I would touch you, you were so hesitant, so careful, and yet still the same. I need to know why. Is it because I'm too late? Because I've hurt you too much? Because you have moved on, as I meant for you to? That would be quite fair. I won't contest your decision. So don't try to spare my feelings, pleasejust tell me now whether or not you can still love me, after everything I've done to you. Can you?† he whispered. â€Å"What kind of an idiotic question is that?† â€Å"Just answer it. Please.† I stared at him darkly for a long moment. â€Å"The way I feel about you will never change. Of course I love youand there's nothing you can do about it!† â€Å"That's all I needed to hear.† His mouth was on mine then, and I couldn't fight him. Not because he was so many thousand times stronger than me, but because my will crumbled into dust the second our lips met. This kiss was not quite as careful as others I remembered, which suited me just fine. If I was going to rip myself up further, I might as well get as much in trade as possible. So I kissed him back, my heart pounding out a jagged, disjointed rhythm while my breathing turned to panting and my fingers moved greedily to his face. I could feel his marble body against every line of mine, and I was so glad he hadn't listened to methere was no pain in the world that would have justified missing this. His hands memorized my face, the same way mine were tracing his, and, in the brief seconds when his lips were free, he whispered my name. When I was starting to get dizzy, he pulled away, only to lay his ear against my heart. I lay there, dazed, waiting for my gasping to slow and quiet. â€Å"By the way,† he said in a casual tone. â€Å"I'm not leaving you.† I didn't say anything, and he seemed to hear skepticism in my silence. He lifted his face to lock my gaze in his. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere. Not without you,† he added more seriously. â€Å"I only left you in the first place because I wanted you to have a chance at a normal, happy, human life. I could see what I was doing to youkeeping you constantly on the edge of danger, taking you away from the world you belonged in, risking your life every moment I was with you. So I had to try. I had to do something, and it seemed like leaving was the only way. If I hadn't thought you would be better off, I could have never made myself leave. I'm much too selfish. Only you could be more important than what I wanted what I needed. What I want and need is to be with you, and I know I'll never be strong enough to leave again. I have too many excuses to staythank heaven for that! It seems you can't be safe, no matter how many miles I put between us.† â€Å"Don't promise me anything,† I whispered. If I let myself hope, and it came to nothing that would kill me. Where all those merciless vampires had not been able to finish me off, hope would do the job. Anger glinted metallic in his black eyes. â€Å"You think I'm lying to you now?† â€Å"Nonot lying.† I shook my head, trying to think it through coherently. To examine the hypothesis that he did love me, while staying objective, clinical, so I wouldn't fall into the trap of hoping. â€Å"You could mean it now. But what about tomorrow, when you think about all the reasons you left in the first place? Or next month, when Jasper takes a snap at me?† He flinched. I thought back over those last days of my life before he left me, tried to see them through the filter of what he was telling me now. From that perspective, imagining that he'd left me while loving me, left me for me, his brooding and cold silences took on a different meaning. â€Å"It isn't as if you hadn't thought the first decision through, is it?† I guessed. â€Å"You'll end up doing what you think is right.† â€Å"I'm not as strong as you give me credit for,† he said. â€Å"Right and wrong have ceased to mean much to me; I was coming back anyway. Before Rosalie told me the news, I was already past trying to live through one week at a time, or even one day. I was fighting to make it through a single hour. It was only a matter of timeand not much of itbefore I showed up at your window and begged you to take me back. I'd be happy to beg now, if you'd like that.† I grimaced. â€Å"Be serious, please.† â€Å"Oh, I am,† he insisted, glaring now. â€Å"Will you please try to hear what I'm telling you? Will you let me attempt to explain what you mean to me?† He waited, studying my face as he spoke to make sure I was really listening. â€Å"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were starspoints of light and reason And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything.† I wanted to believe him. But this was my life without him that he was describing, not the other way around. â€Å"Your eyes will adjust,† I mumbled. â€Å"That's just the problemthey can't.† â€Å"What about your distractions?† He laughed without a trace of humor. â€Å"Just part of the lie, love. There was no distraction from the the agony. My heart hasn't beat in almost ninety years, but this was different. It was like my heart was gonelike I was hollow. Like I'd left everything that was inside me here with you.† â€Å"That's funny,† I muttered. He arched one perfect eyebrow. â€Å"Funny? â€Å" â€Å"I meant strangeI thought it was just me. Lots of pieces of me went missing, too. I haven't been able to really breathe in so long.† I filled my lungs, luxuriating in the sensation. â€Å"And my heart. That was definitely lost.† He closed his eyes and laid his ear over my heart again. I let my cheek press against his hair, felt the texture of it on my skin, smelled the delicious scent of him. â€Å"Tracking wasn't a distraction then?† I asked, curious, and also needing to distract myself. I was very much in danger of hoping. I wouldn't be able to stop myself for long. My heart throbbed, singing in my chest. â€Å"No.† He sighed. â€Å"That was never a distraction. It was an obligation.† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"It means that, even though I never expected any danger from Victoria, I wasn't going to let her get away with Well, like I said, I was horrible at it. I traced her as far as Texas, but then I followed a false lead down to Braziland really she came here.† He groaned. â€Å"I wasn't even on the right continent! And all the while, worse than my worst fears† â€Å"You were hunting Victoria?† I half-shrieked as soon as I could find my voice, shooting through two octaves. Charlie's distant snores stuttered, and then picked up a regular rhythm again. â€Å"Not well,† Edward answered, studying my outraged expression with a confused look. â€Å"But I'll do better this time. She won't be tainting perfectly good air by breathing in and out for much longer.† â€Å"That is out of the question,† I managed to choke out. Insanity. Even if he had Emmett or Jasper help him. Even if he had Emmett and Jasper help. It was worse than my other imaginings: Jacob Black standing across a small space from Victoria's vicious and feline figure. I couldn't bear to picture Edward there, even though he was so much more durable than my half-human best friend. â€Å"It's too late for her. I might have let the other time slide, but not now, not after† I interrupted him again, trying to sound calm. â€Å"Didn't you just promise that you weren't going to leave?† I asked, fighting the words as I said them, nor letting them plant themselves in my heart. â€Å"That isn't exactly compatible with an extended tracking expedition, is it?† He frowned. A snarl began to build low in his chest. â€Å"I will keep my promise, Bella. But Victoria†the snarl became more pronounced†is going to die. Soon.† â€Å"Let's not be hasty,† I said, trying to hide my panic. â€Å"Maybe she's not coming back. Jake's pack probably scared her off. There's really no reason to go looking for her. Besides, I've got bigger problems than Victoria.† Edward's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. â€Å"It's true. The werewolves are a problem.† I snorted. â€Å"I wasn't talking about Jacob. My problems are a lot worse that a handful of adolescent wolves getting themselves into trouble.† Edward looked as if he were about to say something, and then thought better of it. His teeth clicked together, and he spoke through them. â€Å"Really?† he asked. â€Å"Then what would be your greatest problem? That would make Victoria's returning for you seem like such an inconsequential matter in comparison?† â€Å"How about the second greatest?† I hedged. â€Å"All right,† he agreed, suspicious. I paused. I wasn't sure I could say the name. â€Å"There are others who are coming to look for me,† I reminded him in a subdued whisper. He sighed, but the reaction was not as strong as I would have imagined after his response to Victoria. â€Å"The Volturi are only the second greatest?† â€Å"You don't seem that upset about it,† I noted. â€Å"Well, we have plenty of time to think it through. Time means something very different to them than it does to you, or even me. They count years the way you count days. I wouldn't be surprised if you were thirty before you crossed their minds again,† he added lightly. Horror washed through me. Thirty. So his promises meant nothing, in the end. If I were going to turn thirty someday, then he couldn't be planning on staying long. The harsh pain of this knowledge made me realize that I'd already begun to hope, without giving myself permission to do 5.0. â€Å"You don't have to be afraid,† he said, anxious as he watched the tears dew up again on the rims of my eyes. â€Å"I won't let them hurt you.† â€Å"While you're here.† Not that I cared what happened to me when he left. He took my face between his two stone hands, holding it tightly while his midnight eyes glared into mine with the gravitational force of a black hole. â€Å"I will never leave you again.† â€Å"But you said thirty,† I whispered. The tears leaked over the edge. â€Å"What? You're going to stay, but let me get all old anyway? Right.† His eyes softened, while his mouth went hard. â€Å"That's exactly what I'm going to do. What choice have I? I cannot be without you, but I will not destroy your soul.† â€Å"Is this really† I tried to keep my voice even, but this question was too hard. I remembered his face when Aro had almost begged him to consider making me immortal. The sick look there. Was this fixation with keeping me human really about my soul, or was it because he wasn't sure that he wanted me around that long? â€Å"Yes?† he asked, waiting for my question. I asked a different one. Almostbut not quiteas hard. â€Å"But what about when I get so old that people think I'm your mother? Your grandmother?† My voice was pale with revulsionI could see Gran's face again in the dream mirror. His whole face was soft now. He brushed the tears from my cheek with his lips. â€Å"That doesn't mean anything to me,† he breathed against my skin. â€Å"You will always be the most beautiful thing in my world. Of course† He hesitated, flinching slightly. â€Å"If you outgrew meif you wanted something moreI would understand that, Bella. I promise I wouldn't stand in your way if you wanted to leave me.† His eyes were liquid onyx and utterly sincere. He spoke as if he'd put endless amounts of thought into this asinine plan. â€Å"You do realize that I'll die eventually, right?† I demanded. He'd thought about this part, too. â€Å"I'll follow after as soon as I can.† â€Å"That is seriously†I looked for the right word. â€Å"Sick.† â€Å"Bella, it's the only right way left† â€Å"Let's just back up for a minute,† I said; feeling angry made it so much easier to be clear, decisive. â€Å"You do remember the Volturi, right? I can't stay human forever. They'll kill me. Even if they don't think of me tillI'm thirty†I hissed the word†do you really think they'll forget?† â€Å"No,† he answered slowly, shaking his head. â€Å"They won't forget. But† â€Å"But?† He grinned while I stared at him warily. Maybe I wasn't the only crazy one. â€Å"I have a few plans.† â€Å"And these plans,† I said, my voice getting more acidic with each word. â€Å"These plans all center around me staying human.† My attitude hardened his expression. â€Å"Naturally.† His tone was brusque, his divine face arrogant. We glowered at each other for a long minute. Then I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, I pushed his arms away so that I could sit up. â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† he asked, and it made my heart flutter to see that this idea hurt him, though he tried not to show it. â€Å"No,† I told him. â€Å"I'm leaving.† He watched me suspiciously as I climbed out of the bed and fumbled around in the dark room, looking for my shoes. â€Å"May I ask where you are going.'† he asked. â€Å"I'm going to your house,† I told him, still feeling around blindly. He got up and came to my side. â€Å"Here are your shoes. How did you plan to get there?† â€Å"My truck.† â€Å"That will probably wake Charlie,† he offered as a deterrent. I sighed. â€Å"I know. But honestly, I'll be grounded for weeks as it is. How much more trouble can I really getin?† â€Å"None. He'll blame me, not you.† â€Å"If you have a better idea, I'm all ears.† â€Å"Stay here,† he suggested, but his expression wasn't hopeful. â€Å"No dice. But you go ahead and make yourself at home,† I encouraged, surprised at how natural my teasing sounded, and headed for the door. He was there before me, blocking my way. I frowned, and turned for the window. It wasn't really that far to the ground, and it was mostly grass beneath â€Å"Okay,† he sighed. â€Å"I'll give you a ride.† I shrugged. â€Å"Either way. But you probably should be there, too.† â€Å"And why is that?† â€Å"Because you're extraordinarily opinionated, and I'm sure you'll want a chance to air your views.† â€Å"My views on which subject?† He asked through his teeth. â€Å"This isn't just about you anymore. You're not the center of the universe, you know.† My own personal universe was, of course, a different story. â€Å"If you're going to bring the Volturi down on us over something as stupid as leaving me human, then your family ought to have a say.† â€Å"A say in what?† he asked, each word distinct. â€Å"My mortality. I'm putting it to a vote.†