European Construction and Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European Construction and Property - Essay Example The first part of this report attempts to assess the scope and value of the Bulgarian construction market comparing it with the UK. The second part of the report focuses on the scope for service integrators or managers that manage the operational service procurement for their customers in the construction industry, especially in the residential and office building sector. Bulgaria is situated in the South-East Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula, and is one of the oldest European states. To the south it borders with the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Greece, to the west - with Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Danube River is the natural north border with the Republic of Romania, and to the east Bulgaria borders on the Black Sea. It is characterized by an extremely varied terrain: huge plains and lowlands, high and low mountains, plateaus, caves, basins and gorges. The lowest altitude is 0 metres (at Black Sea), the highest altitude is 2925 metres (the peak of Mussala in the Rila mountain). It has favourable position in terms of location from national and international perspective, and easy accessibility by air, rail and road. Encompassing just 2 % ... Bulgaria is a country of tranquil, ecologically clean, distinctive places of interest, where one can be absorbed by the traditional Bulgarian customs and culture at the same time. Capital Sofia (pop. 1.2 million) is a vibrant city thriving on expansion, architectural buildings and deep respect for multi-cultural diversity. The Black Sea coastal stretch faces east and extends over 378 km, its seawater clean and not tidal and its vast beaches covered with fine golden sand. The majority of Bulgaria beaches have been awarded the EU Blue Flag for their environmental excellence. The conditions for investments in the real estates sphere in Bulgaria have never been better. Bulgaria is a country of unlimited possibilities and it is the time to be first. Bulgaria is the newest hot destination for the real estate market in Europe. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN BULGARIA - AN OVERVIEW Over 36,000 construction companies are registered in Bulgaria, 2,400 of which can be classified as medium and a few as large-sized. The volume of building and construction activities amounts to 2,500 million Euros per annum and the industry has a 5 % share in Bulgaria's GDP, which is expected to double over the next two years. Estimated annual growth is 15%. The sector employs some 120,000 people. Smaller companies have tended to merge into large joint-stock companies and consortiums, particularly seeking foreign technologies and management expertise. Bulgaria has been receiving large amount of donor aid and PHARE/ ISPA funds for infrastructure projects, the implementation of some of which will continue until 2008. Major road/ railroad, waste disposal, water/waste-water and landslide stabilisation projects are expected to be

Minitrucks and their effect on society Essay -- essays research papers

Mini-Trucking and its Effect on Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The vehicle code handbook states that any modification done to a vehicle to alter it from its original state violates the law. That single sentence has created more problems for custom vehicle owners than can be imagined. Yet, at the same time, it has generated massive amounts of money for the state of California. Modifying one’s vehicle sets it apart from others and makes a statement about the owner’s individuality. Over the past decade, hacking up a vehicle, putting a trick paint job on it, and developing an â€Å"out-of-control† sound system has evolved into a sport, not just a hobby. As with everything, though, there is always someone or something to try and put a stop to citizens just trying to enjoy them-selves. These are the police. Of course if not done properly, a weld could break or an airbag could pop and someone driving could lose control of a vehicle and hurt themselves or even kill themselves or someone else. It is the job of the police to try to regulate this sport. The state doesn’t want a bunch of lowered trucks dragging on the street, knocking off road dots, or playing their music too loud when driving through a neighborhood at 3am. But most of the time when someone is told not to do something it makes him or her want to do it even more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Altering vehicles has been around for a very long time. There are also professionals who are in this sport to make a living. â€Å"Mi...

Into the World Essay

â€Å"Individuals venturing into new experiences may encounter obstacles, but may also experience personal growth. † ‘Into the World’ is can be defined as aspects of growing up and transitions into new phases of an individual’s life. It can mean transitioning naturally, or change being thrust upon a person. In either case, any individual venturing into new experiences will encounter obstacles, but they will also experience personal growth. This is evident in the prescribed text, The Story of Tom Brennan by JC Burke, as well as my chosen text, I Was Only 19 by Redgum. The concept of ‘new experiences’ may not always start off positively. For example, in Burke’s novel, the protagonist, Tom Brennan, one fatal accident forced him and his family to flee their hometown of Mumbilli, forcing every character to undergo a catharsis. This causes Tom to become very withdrawn and introverted as he grows bitter and resentful of the whole situation and slowly getting pushed ‘back into that big, black hole’. He becomes very depressed, antisocial and isolated as he attempts to deal with the situation that his brother, Daniel, has caused. The author conveys the protagonist’s thoughts, feelings, attitudes and beliefs through a variety of techniques. The audience is aware of Tom’s growing guilt through the technique of first person writing. ‘Like I said, that was a low point. ’ (p124) The convincing, idiomatic, subjective voice of the teenage narrator creates a confidential relationship with the readers, as well as keeping them engaged. It also gives us insight into Tom’s inner most thoughts. As Tom plunges into intense feelings of guilt and animosity, he becomes numb to the struggles the other members of his family are facing. One of the most effective and engaging techniques used by the author to capture the reader’s attention, is the use of flashbacks. The Story of Tom Brennan is a nonlinear narrative, and this is first evident in the prologue, which has a reflective tone, when it changes from past tense to present tense. ‘†¦ so as not to remind them of their pain and what our family now meant to this town. My name is Tom Brennan, and this is my story. ’ However, these flashbacks finish after chapter 9, which is when Tom finally begins to accept the situation. As Tom and his family are forced to make a shameful and hasty departure from their once-loved, parochial hometown, they flee to Toms’ Gran’s house in Coghill. Tom hates living in his Gran’s house, and his subjectiveness creates a bias and negative image of her, as he promptly denigrates her efforts, particularly her ‘culinary disasters,’ claiming that her food looked like ‘a charred slab of cow’s shit. ’ He can’t understand why she copes with the situation is a stoic manner and she becomes somewhat like a ‘punching bag’ for Tom, as he releases all his anger on her. Their relationship is strained, hostile and lacks mutual tolerance and respect as he refers to her as ‘The Grandmother. ’ As Tom re-establishes a connection with ‘The Grandmother,’ he learns empathy, and this is evident in chapter 12 when Tom first realises that she cares for him more than he realises –‘Do you think I couldn’t see you fading away those first few weeks? ’ Their developing relationship is then strengthened as Tom decides to build her a chook pen. Rugby is the lynchpin that holds the novel together. Tom is placed as half-back on the St Bennies team that ‘couldn’t catch a cold. The team provides him with a solid ground to stand on and his teammates give him new relationships and ties to Coghill. Football symbolises the prestige of the ‘legend of the Brennan brothers,’ and Tom unknowingly uses football as a measure of what he had and what he’d lost, of what he can and can’t do. When Tom goes on the St. Bennies footy camp, he learns humility. After Tom speaks with his dad at camp, he realises that ‘winning had been everything at St John’s, but now I was confused, because I think Dad was trying to tell me that it wasn’t enough. ’ He then uses his skills to teach and lead St Bennies. Tom’s uncle, Brendan, has a therapeutic effect on Tom, and as he starts running with him in the mornings, he grows and matures as he tries to get fit enough to travel to Nepal, and this is evident in Brendan’s statement: ‘He was lucky to have you there, Tom. Even if he doesn’t remember it. ’ At first, Tom is hesitant to start running, ‘†¦ contemplating whether a ‘piss off’ was in order. ’ They run up the hill near Carmel’s property, ‘The Ascent,’ which she ‘reckoned it lead all the way to heaven,’ and this becomes symbolic of Tom’s struggle and his journey. The Ascent is an obstacle Tom must face, with the help of Brendan, in order to grow and bloom as he accepts the situation. Another factor that helps Tom heal is his friendship-turned-relationship with Chrissie, who also has a therapeutic effect on him. Chrissie is Tom’s confidante –‘I started talking. That’s what she did to me’, as she acts as a panacea to his pain, which he describes as ‘feeling bad all the time. ’ The concept of individuals venturing into new experiences is also explored in my chosen text, I Was Only 19 by Redgum. I as only nineteen presents the protest against conscription during the Vietnam War. It displays all the difficult experiences of a young man as well as his perspective towards the Vietnam War and the loss of his friend due to the war. The poem portrays war as a living hell and tells the audience the unseen, brutal ways of battle. It reflects on the horror and traumatising warfare that the young men had to go through. â€Å"I was only nineteen† is repeated in a sad, dull context as the lyrics are mostly describing the downside of the whole war concept. Through the themes, use of emotive language and vivid description, this repetition can easily be identified as setting a depressing and sympathetic tone. The use of rhetorical questions place emphasis on how the poet feels this experience has effected him â€Å"And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet? And what’s this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means? † â€Å"And can you tell me doctor, why I still can’t get to sleep? † gives an example of repletion which has been used to emphasise the fact that the young men that have been taken to war and all the horrific experiences they’ve been through. The rhyming of the words of each line have been included to give a feel towards the song/poem and give a link towards each line and that there is a connection between the two lines – â€Å"And there’s me in my slouch hat with my SLR and greens. God help me, I was only nineteen. † The use of other poetic techniques, such as metaphors, are also used to emphasise the obstacles faced by young soldiers in warfare- â€Å"Was a war within yourself/ It was a long march from cadets/ And night time’s just a jungle dark and a barking M16. Another metaphor evident is â€Å"But you wouldn’t let your mates down til they had you dusted off. † This is used to represent the camaraderie and friendship instilled in the soldiers. In conclusion, individuals venturing into new experiences may encounter obstacles, but may also experience personal growth. In The Story of Tom Brennan, as well as I was only nineteen by Redgum, the concept of personal growth is explored. Both the soldier in I was only nineteen, as well as the Brennans, face multiple obstacles whilst telling their story.

Writing News Unusual Workplaces of Unusual Writers

While most writers seem to be content to work while sitting at a desk before a typewriter or a computer, a lot of them used and still use other kinds of accommodations, be it out of necessity or extravagance. And it seems that unusual workplaces don’t hinder them in the slightest. Different people have different ideas of comfort, and it is probably no news that writers, being an eccentric lot, often have particularly unusual views on it. For example, Dame Edith Sitwell found inspiration only after having a nap in an open coffin – she has developed a ritual of lying down in it before she was going to set about writing. Walter Scott is known for having composed his epic poem â€Å"Marmion† while riding on horseback in the vicinity of Edinghburgh, Scotland. And not simply trotting about at a leisurely pace, at least according to Walter Scott himself, who used to say that the best lines came to him when he was galloping. Maya Angelou likes to isolate herself, but not in her own house – she hires a room at a hotel, asks that everything is removed from the walls so that she is not distracted by anything, and brings her own effects: a Bible, yellow pads, a dictionary and a thesaurus. In the past she was said to bring an ashtray and a bottle of sherry as well. Gertrude Stein found inspiration while driving in her Model T Ford, so she wrote during stops on her way to Paris for shopping. James Joyce was known for writing at night, in bed, and wearing a white coat so that the light reflected by it would provide additional illumination. D.H. Lawrence considered trees to be the best company for a writer – while remaining living beings, they have an advantage of always keeping silent. He preferred to write outdoors, reclining on a tree. But not all writers chose their unusual workplaces. Many showed excellent examples of using what they had in the best possible way. Wallace Stevens, for example, composed poetry while walking to and from his office. John le Carre used 3 hours he daily spent on a train getting to and from his workplace to write his debut novel, Call for the Dead. All in all, it seems that it doesn’t matter much where an author writes: if you want to write, you will find an opportunity to do it, whatever your circumstances are.