Project study Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project - Case Study Example Plagiarism is an illegal, punishable act that constitutes fines between $100 and $50000, one year imprisonment, or both (â€Å"Plagiarism FAQs†). If a writer copies even one sentence from another piece of work, it falls under the category of plagiarism. On the other hand, originality refers to one’s own words, ideas, thoughts, and expressions. In order to avoid plagiarism, the writer must be vigilant to change the 5 W’s and H (who, what, where, when, why, and how), but most significantly the writer must use his own words. In total, Plagiarism is illegal and immoral while originality is legal and moral. 2. Process of research question development Choosing an appropriate topic/issue is the first phase in developing a research question as it gives a ‘specific focus’ for the writing (â€Å"The relationship between†). The major topic may be subdivided into smaller pieces but the writer must stick to one major issue per research paper so as to have a coherent piece of work. While breaking down the major topic into its components, a series of questions may be listed. Once the listing of questions is completed, the researcher must review the listed questions in order to select the most appropriate one that is â€Å"neither too broad nor too narrow† (Bryman & Bell, 87). ... Difference between description and analysis As Egger and Carpi point out, the term description can be defined as a detailed presentation of certain aspects, features, or characteristics of a subject matter, something experienced, seen, heard, or known; in contrast, analysis refers to the interpretation of the described information and it includes lots of lists, data, and graphs (â€Å"research methods†). The difference between description and analysis is similar as that of data vs. information. For instance, an organization may compile ranges of data (description), but this description is of no use unless it is interpreted in a meaningful context (analysis). The reader gets lots of facts and data while going through the description part, but he would not understand why it is important and how it should be applied unless an effective analysis of the data is given. Therefore, description is only the factual representation whereas analysis makes this representation meaningful. 4. Data selection criteria Data selection is an important and complex process that determines â€Å"the appropriate data type and source as well as suitable methods† to gather data (â€Å"The Ohio State University†). The process of data selection is entirely different from selective data supporting and interactive data selection. The method of data selection would be often discipline-specific and is determined by the nature of research, existing academic literature, and accessibility to relevant data sources. While choosing data, first priority must be given on ability of data for effectively answering the research questions rather than cost and convenience of data accessibility. Similarly, researcher must be aware of fixing proper procedures in order for getting a representative sample while

History Of Black Tea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History Of Black Tea - Essay Example As compared to the other oxidized teas, black tea is much stronger and contains more caffeine. There are two varieties of species, which are used in the black tea. One is the small-leaved Chinese variety plant, which is also used for the green and white plants. The other variety is the large-leaved Assamese plant. This type was only used traditionally for the Black Tea. Black tea is known as ‘Crimson Tea’, in Chinese and other languages influenced by Chinese. The name itself suggests a more accurate color of the liquid. In the ‘West’ when we talk about black tea, it mostly refers to tea without milk or cream, similar to the coffee that is served without milk. In ‘Chinese’, however black tea is regarded as Pu-erh, which is a common classification of post-fermented teas. Black tea retains its flavor for several years, unlike the green tea which loses it in a years’ time. Due to its retention of flavor, black tea has remained an article of trade. Moreover, black tea which is compressed into brick form is used as a form of de-facto currency in Mongolia, Tibet, and Siberia around the 19th century. Initially, when the tea was imported to Europe, it was either green or semi-oxidized. It was in the 19th century that black tea gained popularity, and people started preferring it over green tea. Despite the fact that green tea has its own health benefits, over 90 percent of the population in the west consume black tea (Tea Scapes n.p). Black tea is famously known as Red Tea in China.

Trade Preferential Arrangements or Regional Trade Agreements Essay

Trade Preferential Arrangements or Regional Trade Agreements - Essay Example 21). Though available, the preferences should not extend to all the trade activities between the two transacting countries. Also, the coverage of activities involved can largely depend on the type of agreements existing between the countries. Common forms of PTAs include the free trade areas. Most member countries involved in preferential trade agreements often belong to established geographical areas such as the North American Free Trade Area, European Union, Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The North American Free Trade Agreement is a common example of a free trade area that allows its member countries to enjoy free-trade opportunities. However, each of the countries is allowed to have its trade policies that apply to non-member countries that are involved in joint trading activities. The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) serves as an extension of the customs union arrangement. SACU member countries are allowed to conduct free trade, and an external trading policy is also applied to the non-member countries. SACU majorly covers South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, and Swaziland. The European Union is an example of a full customs union that represents a common market. It allows for free movement of labor among its member countries. Lastly, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations consists of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. The ASEAN community has a lot of influence on the trade, security, and political issues within the Asia-Pacific region (Bossche, 2008, p. 706). The North American Free trade Agreement gives precedence to the trading activities between Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The agreement allows for the elimination of relevant tariff as well as non-tariff barriers that are

Financial Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Financial Report - Essay Example Canada was one of the signatories to the 1997 protocol for stronger greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for the year 2000 and beyond. This protocol drafted in Kyoto was as a result of a meeting held to review the progress on the Rio Convention. Many countries did not sign this agreement, significantly the USA. At the moment of writing this report another convention is being held in Bali, with greenhouse gas emissions forming a part of the agenda. Transportation, which accounts for more than a quarter of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, will be an important component of Canada's long-term, multi-faceted climate-change strategy. The federal government is considering options for more sustainable transportation and working with industry to develop improved vehicle technologies and alternative transportation fuels. Currently rail is generally accepted as the most sustainable form of mass transport in the UK [1 and any movement of passengers from less sustainable modes onto the rail system is therefore a net benefit to the UK. Indeed over the past 10 years rail passenger and freight kilometers have both increased by more than 40%. These increases have been achieved with proportionately low levels of additional resource, and hence have significantly enhanced rail's sustainability position [2]. This report attempts to analyze the perf... s a much diversified company, with interests in many spheres, Railpower is confined to the area of development of hybrid rolling stock for the railways across the world. The current market scenario is discussed in light of the historical background and projected performances, corporate strategies, and impacts of the rise in fuel prices, changes in interest rates, the overall Canadian economy and the global milieu in which these Companies operate. 2.0 Market Analysis (Part - A) The United States is the largest economy in the world and any changes there will be reverberated in all major economies - note the recent drastic slump in the world's stock markets. Six months into the most serious financial crisis which originated with sub-prime mortgages has laid the American economy low by a debilitating credit crunch. The situation has been aggravated due to the phenomenal rise in world fuel prices, and the other major economies have to bail out the US from the present crisis (Lynch, 2007). Rogoff (2007), on the other hand, warns "If it is a really steep downturn, it's going to pull everyone into its vortex." The Canadian economy, specifically, is largely dependent upon its largest trading partner - the US; and is thus most exposed to a turndown in US economy. However, effects of the struggling US economy have not been felt so far in 2007. If the United States manages to avoid a recession in 2008 one can be reasonably optimistic about global prospects. But with U.S. growth in the final quarter of this year expected to be very poor (Lynch, 2007), oil prices hovering above $80 a barrel and resurgent inflation in developed and developing economies alike, there are plenty of reasons to believe that the worst is yet to come. Borders have become insignificant in the financial

Unemployment in UK auses and effects on economy Assignment

Unemployment in UK auses and effects on economy - Assignment Example Unemployment is one of the challenging and serious issues that usually effect a country's economic development in negative manner and the countries having high rate of unemployment often face sharp economic downturn. In this regard the paper presents an overview of the unemployment situation in the country and discusses the causes and effects of unemployment on the economic development of the country. Furthermore, the paper also describes some possible ways that can help the country in reducing the unemployment rate.This paper is intended to identify the main causes of unemployment in the United Kingdom.The history of unemployment in the UK tells that during Great Depression the rate of unemployment was very high in the country. It reached to the level of 25 percent but after that time, unemployment rate used to remain at low level and with the help of different policies and strategies the government of the UK succeeded to attain more or less full employment level until 1970s. Howeve r, after oil prices fluctuation in 1970s the unemployment rate was also badly affected and gradually it began to rise. The recent rise in the unemployment rate is highest during the last decade and the country is facing worst situation with respect to unemployment crisis in the country (Pettinger, p2, 2009). The following table shows the United Kingdom unemployment rate during last three years and it is clearly seen in the table that unemployment rate is continuously increasing in the country with each passing year. Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2009 3.80 2008 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.50 2.60 2.60 2.70 2.80 2.90 3.10 3.30 3.60 2007 2.90 2.90 2.80 2.80 2.70 2.70 2.60 2.60 2.60 2.60 2.50 2.50 2006 2.80 2.90 2.90 2.90 2.90 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 2.90 2.90 The recent statistics also show that the unemployment is recorded at highest rate in last eight years. The rate of unemployment is rising at alarming pace due to which the year 2009 is also expected as a stagnant year for the economy of United Kingdom. (Monaghan, p1, 2008) The country while responding towards the global financial crisis is witnessing worst situation of unemployment and there is high level of concerns and worries at all level regarding the rise of unemployment rate. The following chart shows the current situation of unemployment in the country that is expected to rise even more. Causes of Unemployment in United Kingdom Unemployment is closely related with the economic development of a country. When economy faces recessions, the rate of unemployment also increases. Thus, the economic recession is the major cause behind the high rate of unemployment in the UK and it is expected that if the UK will face deep economic recession in 2009 then the unemployment will also reached the level of 3 million. (Pettinger, p2, 2009) Hence, the recent economic instability can be sought as one of the major causes of unemployment in the UK. Furthermore, the credit crunch is also viewed as an important cause of rise in the unemployment rate in the country. Due to market uncertainty it has become difficult for the investors to get loans and credits from the banks and financial institutions. The financial instruments in the UK economy are witnessing worst effects of global financial crisis due to which the credit and mortgage market is also going through a recession phase. The banks in the UK are now reluctant towards le nding loans, credits and mortgages to the people and business that led to reduction in the consumer spending. The investment level is also very low and many of the bid investment projects are delayed. This entire situation is responsible for reduction in productivity and demand for labor in the country.

E-business and Value Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

E-business and Value Chain - Essay Example This paper explains the firm’s e-business practices and the weaknesses in achieving full potential, giving recommendations on necessary improvements. Introduction Use of Radio Frequency Identification, RFID enabled FedEx transform the express delivery business and particularly its supply chain. Typically, a package would be picked by a FedEx agent and scanned then passed into the system bearing a unique identification number. This would then be taken to the sorting area or hub using a truck with other similar packages. The sorting centres would normally be over two football fields’ long with between 500 and 1,000 workers. Here, the packages would be sorted using conveyor belts system with a remote sensor. The multidimensional scanner would get the dimensions of the cargo including the length, height, width and also the weight of the packages for the determination of not only their sizes, but also the shipping cost. The scanner would read the barcodes on the package then paddles nudge the scanned package onto different belts based on their destination. Nonetheless, some packages could be sorted manually. Finally, the packages would be placed in boxes shaped in a way to ensure maximum efficiency in space utilisation in the plane. FedEx has a control centre that coordinates truck movements while still monitoring airplane and airport conditions. On reaching its destination, FedEx courier hand delivers the package, scanning it again so as to complete the transaction (FedEx 2012). RFID technology enhanced FedEx’s supply chain efficiencies. Q.1 The power of the Internet at FedEx FedEx was the first express delivery company to adopt e-business capabilities in its operations by availing package shipment information to its customers over the Internet (Hemmatfar, Salehi & Bayat 2010). The Internet defined the opportunity for attaining competitive advantage for those businesses that adopted the technology in their business operations. Smith, the founde r and President of the company had foreseen the change in the way of conducting business and interaction of people through Internet business. As such, its customers do not have to physically drop their parcels to the nearest location. Instead, they would order for pick up online or by calling. E-supply chain ensured that these customers access shipment status information when need arises from their desktop terminals. FedEx established a dedicated website and gives each of its customers a unique bar code that would individualise each shipment hence the convenience in tracking one’s packages referred to as FedEx InternetShip. Other than accessing shipping information, customers and recipients would print shipping documentation from the website. According to Harris (2009), FedEx’s PowerShip programmes of 1980s provided high sense of autonomy among its customers, providing the capability of preparing shipments, printing of barcode labels, tracking of packages status and pr oducing invoices, all without engaging any FedEx employee. With more advancement in technology, today, FedEx has adopted m-commerce strategies to provide its customers with wireless solution such as tracking package through the organisation’s home delivery and ground web enabled services. Through these personal data assistance, PDAs customers would virtually access tracking information from any location any time. FedEx entered into an agreement with w-Technologies Inc. that enabled the organisation make its website available on

The history of geisha Essay Example for Free

The history of geisha Essay The history of geisha is often rooted to the 11th century into two noble women who invented a new dance on which they entertained the warriors. In order to represent the court dress of the warriors these women donned white outfits, and they wore tall hat, long white gown, and swords sheathed on their waists. The dance remained and as time progress the costumes changed into a black hat and red skirts and eventually the hat along with the sword were taken away from the picture. On the other hand, there are also some versions in the history of the geisha from which people believe that geisha were originally males who gave entertainment in a society they refers to as the water world. As time goes on there had been a huge transformation and came the emergence of female geisha. As the geisha’s popularity increased they started to entertain in tea houses and started setting the trend of those which are in in the Japanese culture. In 1779, however, the authorities were outraged with the way the geisha conducts their selves without paying taxes to the government and thus disciplinary rules were established along with a code of conducts which is still being uphold in today’s time. Geisha claim that they do not sell their bodies, but their skills and for that they should not be compared to a prostitute. Fact is, geisha are highly respected and admired people in society. Geisha are well aware of the rules of their profession and they are given a choice on whether they want to continue being a geisha or not. Since the geisha knows beforehand everything which they would face in the name of their profession they accept all their duties and do it them perfectly. Geisha could also be affected by the public in that they are â€Å"walking work of arts† and it is their goal to please those people to whom they are performing. The public’s acceptance and appreciation of their effort matters greatly to a geisha and this is basically the reason why they continue to hone their skills all throughout their lives (Cobb, 1998). Geisha is a Japanese term which basically means â€Å"artist†. Geisha are proficient hostesses who are well adept in keeping their guests amused by means of numerous art presentations. They could normally be seen in tea houses which they call O-chaya. Geisha are educated in several customary skills like Japanese ancient dances (Chiyo was noted to dance one of these dances alone in one part of the movie Memoirs of a Geisha), and songs. They are also educated in handling musical instruments and that is basically the reason why they play so beautifully. Aside from that, the geishas usually wear kimonos and they are highly proficient in tea ceremonies, calligraphy, conversation, serving the guests with alcoholic beverages, and many more. Geisha would have to study and strive to perfect all of these skills all throughout their careers (Downer, 2001). The success of a geisha is based on the way they exhibit beauty, grace, artistic skills, charisma, flawless good manners, sophistication, and elegance, thus contrary to what others may think, geishas are not prostitutes who make their livings by selling their bodies because in the contrary, geishas sells their skills and not their body and this is primarily the reason why in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha one of the ladies who handles geisha became so furious when she caught one of the geisha with a sperm on her legs, as a result the lady gave severe punishment to the geisha in question (Cobb, 1998). The only ones allowed in geisha houses are those guests who are established customers of the establishments and they do not take on new clients unless they are introduced by one of their old customers (this was also seen in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha). Basically, the being a geisha is an extremely expensive and exclusive business, in fact, geisha parties could cost a person thousands of American dollars. In 1920s geisha were about 80, 000 in number, however nowadays existing geisha are only about 10, 000 in number and this is partly due to the westernization taking place in Japan (Mishima, 2007). The roles of a geisha include training their selves in a variety of traditional arts like classical dancing, knowing how to play the Shamisen, and singing. Nowadays, geisha could also act as a model and they could even attend international tours. The work of a geisha is to entertain their guests at expensive tea houses, they would have to serve the guests their drinks, they have to talk with them, and most especially guests go to geisha houses to watch them perform. Geisha keep various different relationships with men, and yet they could not be called prostitutes. It is considered proper for a geisha to have herself a patron or what they call danna whom she is greatly involved with. Their involvement could come in financial, emotional, and even sexual terms and yet it is for the geisha to decide whether she wants to have a danna or not. Geisha could always be seen with their hair fashioned in a bun and they always wear chic kimonos and white make-ups (Marshall, 2005). Geisha also entertains at business meals and parties but these could costs a sizeable sum of money. One could rest assure that whatever it is talked about inside the premises would never be repeated by the geisha outside, also one should not expect geisha to do one-night stands because they do not, nor do they cook or serve their guests with food (Marshall, 2005). Basically, there are two kinds of geisha, the other one is referred to as tachikata (usually made up by maiko girls) and they mainly perform traditional dances the other one is called jikata (usually made up by older women) who usually perform by singing or playing an instrument (Marshall, 2005). Geisha are usually those who are daughters of a geisha or those who were sold by their relatives to an O-chaya. A large number of geisha were sold by their relatives because they either lost their parents or the family could not afford to raise them because of poverty. At the beginning of Memoirs of a Geisha, this was clearly depicted when Chiyo and her sister were separated and Chiyo ended up in the hands of an O-chaya (Fisher, Spielberg, and Wick 2005). The O-chaya would spend considerable amount of money in order to train beautiful young girls into the art of becoming a geisha. It is mainly the duty of the okamisan (mother who runs the O-chaya) to teach the girls into becoming proper geishas. The training is hard and rigorous, another aspect which was carefully portrayed in the movie. Upon reaching the age of 15-20 these girls eventually becomes maikos and they are made into an apprentice of a geisha, in Chiyo’s case the geisha she was apprenticed into is a vicious female. By the age of 20 a maiko is faced with a decision if she wants to carry on becoming a geisha or if she wants to quit. The initiation ceremony of becoming a geisha is called erigae, this also the same time when the girl’s virginity would be sold to the highest bidder (another factor which had been clearly illustrated in the movie), however, this kind of arrangement no longer takes place in today’s time. Basically, geisha are respected women in the society and they are known for their skills and beauty. They could not be likened to prostitutes in any way because surely, prostitutes are not admired by people and certainly they are not looked upon by young girls (in the Memoirs of a Geisha, Chiyo could be seen admiring the dresses, make-ups of a geisha, she is seen peeping and admiring the way a geisha conducts herself). Geisha are one of the most respected profession in Japan, in fact it is possible that it is the only profession in Japan a woman could have which would make her consistently rank her above men in the profession. Geisha also gives women opportunities to work in spite of their old age and due to the cultural and traditional values associated in this maintenance of traditional art geisha are given and treated with a great deal of respect they otherwise would not be able to acquire had they been given another profession (Fisher, Spielberg, and wick, 2005). Most geisha accepts their roles in the society and they even find their fate better that of other women. Most geisha have an intimate relationship with one of their clients and they are often referred to as the geisha’s patron. In traditional Japanese, almost every marriage was arranged by the parents or other relatives in order to ensure their status in lives. Due to this particular course of event, Japanese men were often found with two women in his lives, the one being the wife while the other is the woman the man really loves. It is then considered natural for powerful and influential men to have such arrangements in their lives and most of these women happen to be a geisha. However, a relationship between a geisha and her patron is not often based on love, usually they only manage to find contentment and some sort of a happy relationship without being tied to one another. Although a geisha and her patron may have an affectionate relationship it is not always based on love. In a way this somehow retains the contentment in spite of being married to the woman one does not love. As was mentioned earlier most geisha came from poverty stricken families and as such, marriage to a man of higher rank is somehow impossible for them, however, their status as a geisha gives them the chance to select which man she would have as a patron and she could have a happy life with her loved one which would have been impossible had she not been a geisha (Downer, 2001). The relationship between a wife and a geisha is not also strained or bad since geisha are not seen as a threat to marriage. Customarily the wife and the geisha have a different role to play in the Japanese society and as was already mentioned earlier most relationship between a geisha and her patron is not based on love and thus they are not seen as a threat to marriage. In fact, women usually know the identity of their spouse geisha and there are even times when the wife and geisha meet together. Geisha usually visits the house of their patron particularly during Obon Festival or New Year festivity on which the geisha would offer some sort of present to their patron’s wives, they also, at times, do some performances meant for the family of their customers. There are even times when a wife seeks the help of a geisha in persuading her husband into doing something. Geisha’s are also present in the funeral of their patron’s and most of the times they are the ones in charge in making the necessary preparations something which the family accepts and welcome especially in their time of grief (Cobb, 1998). It is thus a sad thing that the umber of geisha are dwindling due to the westernization of Japanese culture as well as for the fact that geisha comes in expensive prices, something men are no longer very willing to pay especially since there are those hostesses who are not as expensive as geisha are. Another reason why their numbers are dwindling is because the training to be a geisha is very expensive and demanding. Most geisha nowadays (including those which could be found in Kyoto) is not really the same as the traditional geisha of before. In fact, the numbers of real geisha are low and they could mostly be found only in Kyoto. It is even probable that years from now â€Å"real geisha† would no longer be available. Although most westerner sees geisha as some kind of prostitution, such is not the case. Nowadays, geisha themselves chooses to be a geisha because of their love for art and in this regard there is basically no reason why this should be seen as a prostitution of some sort (Downer, 2001). Basically of the facts stated earlier in this paper regarding the lives of a geisha were clearly portrayed in the movie â€Å"Memoirs of a Geisha†. Although you could fault the movie in other ways, one could not really say that the movie or the book from which it was based was made without thorough and meticulous research on the lives of a geisha. As mentioned earlier, most geisha were sold on O-chaya by their relatives because of poverty and this is also what happened with Chiyo and her sister. Chiyo, though was easily accepted in the O-chaya because of her beauty and blue eyes. However, her sister did not meet the same fate and thus, she was sold elsewhere. The public treats a geisha with respect and admire their so many skills and the geisha reap the rewards of their hard labor to perfect so many arts once they are greatly admired by their audiences. Hatsumomo, the vicious geisha Chiyo was apprenticed to saw a threat and a rival in Chiyo’s person, and this is because geisha are respected figures and they are greatly admire by people. One reason probably why Hatsumomo acts the way she did is because she had been so drunk with the glory she reaped from the public from being an excellent geisha that she does not want to share any of it to Chiyo. She also fears that all of those glories would be taken away from her because of Chiyo’s potentials, not to mention the fact that she fears that the O-chaya would be left to Chiyo instead of her. Influence of people could also be seen in the movie when Chiyo, as a young girl was shown kindness by a good gentleman she met in the market, from then on Chiyo promised herself that she would be an excellent geisha and she would make the gentleman she met, her patron (Fisher, Spielberg, and wick, 2005). It was mentioned earlier that maikos were put under tutelage of geisha so that they would be able to better master the art of becoming a geisha. This particular aspect of a gisha’s life was also seen in the movie in that although the geisha Chiyo was apprenticed to a geisha with a vicious streak, Chiyo still had the good fortune to be apprenticed to another geisha, â€Å"Mameha†. Under Mameha’s tutelage, Chiyo blossomed into the butterfly she really is. Again, a geisha is not an exalted prostitute, rather a geisha is a social entertainer adept in many skills and this was also finely illustrated in the movie. In the movie, they show what a geisha really is like. Geisha represents the mysterious and rare ideal of Japanese femininity; this is evident in that every little detail from flower arrangement to the proper etiquette ought to be present in a geisha. In an O-chaya, no one could fault a geisha for anything in that they worked hard and rigorously to ensure that their attitude and skills are perfect when they are faced with guests (Cobb, 1998). Before, a geisha’s virginity is sold to the highest bidder, and this was mentioned earlier in this paper. However, such things no longer occur at today’s point in time. The setting of the movie â€Å"Memoirs of a Geisha† though happened in the early 90s and thus there was a scene wherein a geisha’s virginity was sold to the highest bidder. The movie also illustrated how the most successful geisha becomes mistresses of the most powerful and influential men in the country. A geisha knows this stuff, and as was mentioned earlier in this paper they are given a chance on whether a maiko wants to continue becoming a geisha or not. Thus, a geisha have to accept everything which accompanies their line of profession an this easy acquiescence was evident when Choyo (or Sayuri, her geisha name) did her best to please the chairman while alternately struggling against and submitting to the attentions of the Chairman’s business partner, Nobu, a creepy doctor, and The Baron (Fisher, spielberg, and Wick, 2005). As was mentioned earlier in this paper Japanese marriages are usually decided upon by the family and they are usually based on how they could better retain or enhance their current situation in the society, thus Japanese marriages are not based on love but on convenience and among geisha’s role is to better this course of event by stimulating men who are aggravated with their arranged marriages. The geisha plays an important role in making these men enjoy their selves with intelligent female companions without the geisha having the need to have sex with these men just to please them. The Westerners usually views a geisha as a very expensive prostitute but a prostitute nonetheless. However, Japanese knows better and that although the geisha’s job requires them to please their customer and to somehow flirt with them if necessary, the customers still knows that nothing could come out of those light-hearted innuendos since a geisha is prohibited to engage in a sexual intercourse for money, not even for love and thus the only course of action for an in love geisha is to leave her profession and marry (Cobb, 1998). The notion that a geisha is an expensive prostitute may be traced in the times when Japan was occupied by Americans since a number of prostitutes pretended to be a geisha and sold their bodies to American GIs. It is then that when the American GIs left for their homeland the notion that a geisha is a prostitute was instilled in their minds. In the movie however, they showed real geisha who did not stick with the rules and one of them is Chiyo’s best friend, who sold her body to American GIs. However, the film was still successful in showing what a geisha’s life is like and this is not surprising considering the fact that the story was derived from a real life experience of a geisha (Berardinelli, 2005). To conclude, geisha are not prostitutes, instead they are what others refer to as â€Å"Walking Form of Art† in that they were highly adept in so many kills which requires artistic talents. A geisha is a respected member of a society and this is also one main difference they have with a prostitute. A geisha is treated by society with respect and not contempt and they also have impeccable manners which made it easier for people to respect and admire them at the same time. A geisha also knows the rules and regulations of being a geisha and they accept them without questions since for them acquiescence is a must. The public or their customer’s approval as well as being able to hone their artistic talents is among the greatest reward which could attract a person into becoming a geisha, however only a select few are allowed the chance to be one since geisha needs to be beautiful and to talented at the same time. In this regard, one could never really say that geisha are not to be respected and they are nothing but expensive prostitutes for they are not. A geisha is a walking form of art and they are treated with respect by the society. Works Cited Berardinelli, James. â€Å"Geisha. † (2005). December 8, 2007 http://www. reelviews. net/movies. html. Cobb, Jodi. Geisha: The Life, the Voices, the Art Knopf; New Ed edition, 1998. Downer, Lesley. Geisha Headline Book Publishing; New Ed edition, 2001. Memoirs of a Geisha. 2005. Lucy Fisher, Steven Spielberg and Douglas Wick. Mishima Shizuko. â€Å"Japanese Geisha† (2007). December 8, 2007 http://gojapan. about. com/od/geisha/. Underwood, Eleanor. The Life of a Geisha Smithmark Publishers, 1999.