History Of Sports In South Africa History Essay

History Of Sports In South Africa History Essay Sports in South Africa are largely separated into different parts on ethnic lines. In South Africa sports is treated as the national religion, language group as well as transcending race. In this country it is believed that sport unites the entire country. The Sport and Recreation South Africa takes the responsibility of sport in South Africa which is the national government department. The vision of this department is to create an Active and Winning nation. It focuses to provide many opportunities for South Africans to take part in sport provide fund for various codes related to sport, manage the regulatory framework etc. Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) is being headed by Mr. Fikile Mbalula, who is the minister of Sport and Recreation, Mr. Gert Oosthuizen, who is the Deputy Minister of sport and Recreation, Mr. Alec Moemi who is the Director General and Ms. Sumayya Khan, Chief Operations Officer. Football in South Africa: Football is the most popular sports which is mostly liked and admired by black South Africans. Bafana Bafana is the nick name which is given to the national football team. 2010 FIFA World Cup is the first cup which is being hosted in South Africa. In order to improve conversational skills among the people, crash course is being held on important teams of the country. South African national Australian Rules football team is national team of football in South Africa. This team competed Australias best under 17 players team and made history in 2007 and also defeated Australian amateur senior team. In 2008 annual national championship was held. This team also competed Australian Football International Cup which is considered as world cup for all countries except Australia where sport is being played professionally. Cricket in South Africa: The next or the second popular sport which is liked by the South Africans is Cricket and this is the customized sport of two communities named Indian South African and Anglo- African communities. This is now being followed by people of all races. The nickname given to the National Cricket Team is The Proteas. Ashwell Prince, Loots Bosman, Hashim Amla, Charl Langeveldt, Herschelle Gibbs, Makhaya Ntini and Monde Zondeki are the non-white cricket players in South Africa. Also Afrikaners include the following players in their team AB de Villiers, Johan Botha, Albie Morkel, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. Herschelle Gibbs is the most dominating batsman; Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock are the all-rounders, bowler Makhaya Nitni reached second in ICC Player Rankings in the year 2006. Dale Steyn is ranked as the best bowlers currently. Graeme Smith, who is the captain, is also one of the dominant batsman in the world cricket. Mark Boucher who is the wicket keeper has t he world record for a great number of dismissals for wicketkeeper and he continues playing for his team. South Africa had reached the semi-finals of event in 2007 cricket world cup but it lost to Australia. Rugby Union: The famous sport among Afrikaners includes rugby union. The Springboks is the nickname which is being given to the National rugby union team. Most of the South Africans think that Rugby is origin of bursting pride, it is considered as a serious matter or it is treated as shattering disappointment. The country has played this game traditionally well on the world stage and the South Africans believe that the national team will win every game which they play. South Africa the Rugby World Cup in 1995 by defeating all blacks in the finals which is remembered as the famous sporting moment in South Africa. The Springboks became the part of New South Africa after getting training by the associations. Nelson Mandela was chosen as the president, wearing springbok jersey which was won by the whites only once, at the final of Rugby World Cup 1995. South African Golf: The country has the Best players. The country has best players in the game which includes the major winners named Bobby Locke, Ernie Els Retief Goosen, Gary Player and many others who challenge for great titles all over the world. Horse racing in South Africa: Horse Racing is also one of the popular sports which are played in South Africa. In this racing take place all around the country. Rich and long history is being enjoyed by the sports player in South Africa. The South Atlantic Yacht Race: Top international events are organized in South Africa which is the cause of satisfaction for all South Africans. The highest of this position is given to the South Atlantic Yacht Race which is originally called Cape to Rio. Currently it is called as Cape to Bahia. In the Southern hemisphere is race is the largest continent to continent yacht race. Athletics (running) in South Africa: South Africa possesses active athletic schedule and has large number of athletics who take part in contest internationally and compete for Olympic and the Paralympic games. The major events include Two Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon. The 2011 World Championships in Athletics which was held in Daegu in South Korea, the team of following players Oscar Pistorius, Ofentse Mogawane, Shane Victor and Willem de Beer set the national record time of 2:59.21 seconds and finally South Africa won the silver medal in the finals with the team members Beer, victor, Mogawane and Jacob van. Also a silver medal was won by Caster Semenya in 2012 in womens 800 m Olympic Games which were held in London with the set record time of 1:57.23 seconds. Oscar Pistorius also became first double amputee sprinter in 2012 to compete the Olympic Games but did not succeeded in winning the medal. A gold and bronze medal was won by Pistorius in T44 class in Summer Paralympics in the year 2004 which was held in Athens and also won three gold medals at Summer Paralympic Games at 2008 which were held in Beijing. Also two gold medals were won by him at 2012 Paralympic Games. For 200 m and 400 m events he had also remained T43 world record holder. Gold medal was won by South African team of Zivan Smith, Pistorius, Samkelo Radebe and Arnu Fourie and Paralympic record of 4*100 m relay was set by them. Basketball: In South Africa basketball is famous sport among the youth. Basketball South Africa, the national Federation is is the youngest members of FIBA which is the global basketball governing body and was founded in 1992. Cycling: The major events include 94.7 cycle challenge and Cape Argus Cycle Race. South Africa possess powerful cycle race scene. Robert Hunter is the famous cyclist who won the stage in Tour de France in 2007. The national governing body in South Africa of cycling is CyclingSA or Cycling South Africa. Golf: South Africa is one of the largest golfing nations and has illustrious history. Golf is one of the best individual sports event in which the South Africans take part in. As compared, the South African players remain at the top level with the quantity and quantity. Bobby Locke was the first South African who won a major championship The British Open for four times in the year 1949, 1950, 1952 and 1957. Gray Player is the top famous player of golf in SA. He along with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus was dominated for world golf in 1960s and 1970s. Sailing: In South Africa, for the sport of sailing South African sailing is the national governing body which is being recognized by International Sailing Federation. Tennis: South Africa was considered as the country which had good tennis players who died away with the new administration of sport. Wayne Ferreira and Amanda Coetzer are the recent tennis players who rank among the world top ten players. Johan Kriek is the only one grand slam tournament winner in South Africa who won Australian Open in the year 1981. He won again the year 1982 but he acquired American citizenship and he played as an American in 1982. In 1984, the Australian Open Final was made by Kevin Curren. Irene Bowder Peacock, Brian Norton, Ian Vermaak, Sandra Reynoldsa, Eric Sturgess and Cliff Drysdale include other grand slam finalists in south Africa. Canoeing: In South Africa, a huge number of canoe events take place annually which are mentioned as follows: Berg River Canoe Marathon Dusi Canoe Marathon Fish River Canoe Marathon Chess: Chess is also taking major place in South Africa. Its demand is growing rapidly in this country. Some of the major events include: South African Open South African Chess Championship Mind Sports: Mind Sports South Africa was founded on 14 December 1984 and it has hosted around five world championships in following places which are as follows: Johannesburg in 1997 Cape Town in 1999 Durban in 2002 Port Elizabeth in 2007 Durban in 2012 The Mind Sports South Africa also looks after the games like Board Gaming, Figure Gaming and e Sports. Board Gaming includes Draughts, Backgammon (International, Anglo- American and Pool Checkers), Morabaraba also called as Mlabalaba, Moruba, SesothoMorabaraba. Figure Gaming Include Ancients (3000 BC to 1500 AD), Pike and Shot ( 1500 AD to 1700 AD), Horse and Musket(1700 to 1845) and World War 2( 1939 to 1945). E Sports include personal computer gaming, mobile gaming and PSP gaming. Motor Sports: Jody Schekter is Formula One World Champion in South Africa who had succeeded or triumphed for Ferrari in 1979. It had also staged Formula One Grand Prix and is also one of the host nations for A1 Grand Prix. In South Africa Motor Rallying and off road 4*4 racing vastly popular. Rugby League: Rugby League is also the famous sport in South Africa. It has four different committees, administrative boards and interests from around 40 years that made an attempt to set up the game of rugby league in this country. The English and the French expanded the game into different nations that would ensure a lucrative and glowing future. This was the first attempt and it failed as the South African public did not included this game in sport. The second attempt was made in 1960s in double act which consisted of separate factions, one was the National Rugby League and the other was the South African Rugby League. Tom Van Vollenhoven Cup is the rugby league competition which is held in South Africa. Skydiving and Parachuting: In South Africa, there are about 20 skydiving clubs and drop zones that are registered and all the clubs are connected or joined to the Parachute association of South Africa (PASA). Boxing: Jeffrey Mathebula won the title named IBF junior featherweight title in March 2012. British version of world bantamweight title was won by Willie Smith. About seventy one world champions are being produced by South Africa. One hundred and fourteen titles have been won by seventy one world champions who include thirty five titles for WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF which are the four major sanctioning bodies. In the year 1998 there were eight world champions in South Africa. Some of the major sports events include the following: Midmar Mile Three world class canoe marathons Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour Two oceans Marathon Comrades marathon Ned bank Golf Challenge Adventure and Outdoor Sport: The adventure and outdoor sport include the following: Hiking Abseiling and Rapp jumping Horse riding and trails Bungee jumping Mountain biking Canoeing, rafting and kayaking Paragliding, hang gliding and flying Fishing Surfing, wind and kite surfing, sailing Polo Skydiving and base jumping Rock climbing Scuba diving There are number of disabled athletes in South Africa. Oscar Pistorius is the double amputee world record holder at 200m and 400 m, Natalie du Toit, who is the swimmer who became the first amputee who competed in swimming in 2008 at able bodied Olympics. A three time Xterra Triathlon world champion is Conrad Stoltz in triathlon. Also there is one multiple Ironman Champion named Raynard Tissink. The ITU World Cup winner is Hendrick de Villiers and Dan Hugo is multi-sport and Xterra star.

Modernism In Works of T.S. Elliot And James Joyce Essay -- Literature

Introduction: Modernism is a word that is generally used to understand "new and distinctive features in the subjects, forms, concepts and styles of literature and the other arts in the early decades of the present century, but especially after World War I." (Abrams 167) More often than not "Modernism" engages in "deliberate and radical break" (Abrams 167) with some of the more traditional foundation of art and culture. Peter Childs in his book Modernism remarks "Modernism has almost universally been considered a literature of not just change but crisis" (p. 14, Unit Reader p. 12). This essay will discuss and assess the value of this statement through the parts of the poem "The Waste Land" as well as "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" both of which were written by eminent poet T.S. Eliot and a short story from "Dubliners" named "Eveline" by James Joyece. Both the Poems and the short story in some way celebrate the practical and existent picture of life and culture and the changes with in them. This essay will firstly discuss the poem "The Waste Land" secondly it will discuss "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" thirdly the short story "Eveline" from the "Dubliners" and lastly it will discuss the how the discussions have helped to extend the understanding of the concept of Modernism. The Waste Land Section I: "The Burial of the Dead": This section of the "Waste Land" can be distinguished as a modified dramatic monolog. The four speakers in this part, who are very much frustrated by out side circumstances (a change and crisis) like war, are in dire need of speaking their hearts out but find themselves surrounded by dead people. The poem uses a partial rhyme scheme. The inclusion of language other than English make... ...through made her transform in a different way. Everything for her changes even after her discission to stay in Dublin. Modernism is a very different form of literature than those which were written before the First World War. Through the poems by T.S. Eliot and the short story by James Joyce one thing was evident; the impact of war was the biggest motivation behind all three pieces of writing. Another thing that was apparent was the fact that people were more concern about their individuality at that time which became prominent in the writings as well. Modernism began in a time where the war had shattered both the exterior and the interior of European culture and people embarked on thinking differently and new forms of realisations were embarking. These new realisations and ideas were channelled through different forms of literature and art and formed Modernism.

Marketing Glitz

Individual Assignment – Glitzz Case Study 1. What factors influence the pricing decisions for a product such as Glitzz? Analyze the factors and comment on the range of prices that can be set for Glitzz. The factors that influence the pricing decisions for Glitzz are the pricing objectives, costs, and demand. The pricing objectives will be needed to direct the role of the price in the market. Higher prices will need to be set if the objective is to have higher profit margin instead of higher market share. However, if the objective is to survive in the industry, the prices need to be low to get more sales to meet its operating cost.For the case of Glitzz, the pricing objective is between having higher market share and to survive in the industry. Costs play an important role in the pricing decision as it set the minimum price for the product in order for the company to operate and cover their cost to prevent losses. There are five cost concepts, namely the fixed cost, variable co st, unit variable cost and marginal cost and total cost. Fixed cost is the sum of expense of the firm that is stable and do not change with the quantity of a product that is produced and sold. The fixed cost for Glitzz would be the machineries, rent of factory building, and insurance.The variable cost is the sum of expenses of that firm that vary directly with the quantity of the product that is produced and sold. The variable cost for Glitzz would be direct labour and raw material used to produce the bottle of jewelry cleaner. Total cost is the total expense incurred by the firm in the process of producing and marketing the product. Unit variable cost is the variable cost expressed on per unit basis and the marginal cost is the change in the total cost that results from producing and marketing one additional unit of product.Demand is also one of the important factors for pricing decision as it helps to relate the quantity sold with the price. Demand is dependent on the key factors, consumer taste, consumer income and the price and availability of similar products. They look into the consumers willingness and their ability to pay for the product. As stated in the case study, very few consumers are willing to pay a price which is higher than $20. Hence, the consumers willingness to pay and affordability for the product needs to be lesser than $20. In the case of Glitzz, the type of competitive market is monopolistic competition.There are similar products in the market but Glitzz will be competing with the non price factor which is their special formula for the cleaner with natural ingredient that is gentle on skin. This is to stand out from their competitors like the Brilliant Restorer and Connoisseurs by charging at a slightly different price as compared to its competitors. Therefore, the price has to be set at an affordable range around $12 to $20 in order to manage long run profit and develop a quality product to penetrate the competitive market.This price s hould not be lower than the cost and its competitors due to its unique non price factor that their competitors did not offer. 2. What price would you recommend for Glitzz? Why? I would recommend Glizz to set their price at $17. 90. Most of its competitors like the Brilliant Restorer and Connoisseurs are setting their prices ranging from $6. 97 to $16. 90. As Glitzz is a newly packaged product that is entering the monopolistic competitive market, it has to be competition oriented.With the pricing objective to gain market share, they are not able to gain market share by having price war. Hence, the price has to be set in a way that it does not deviate much from its competitors. Furthermore, the price is also priced odd-even as theory shown that the demand increases when the price drop. Thus, pricing at $17. 90, it seems to indicate that the price has dropped from $18. This can help as way to increase their demand by having customers to kick start their first purchase of Glitzz product in order for Glitzz to pave its place in the market.However, the price is set slightly above the competitors as a form of prestige pricing to attract quality customers as Glitzz is offering a product of quality with the natural ingredient used for its jewelry cleaning solution that is gentle on skin, non-corrosive and nonabrasive. A product that brings positive benefits to the customers should not set its price at a very low rate as it will devalue the product and lost credibility for the benefits that the product has promised. In addition, the price should not be over $ 20 as research has been conducted to show that very few customers are willing to pay above $20 for the product. . What Strategy would you propose for Glitzz? What costs and expenses would be involved? Given your recommended price in (2), what would be the breakeven point? I would recommend Glitzz to use Flexible-price policy together with demand and competition oriented approaches like prestige, odd-even and above- market pricing. Both the demand and competition oriented approaches focus on consumer demand, revenue implication and the markets performance and this helps Glitzz to stay competitive and in operation.Moreover, with flexible pricing policy, Glitzz is able to use price discrimination by setting different prices for different type of customers. The price can be set at a discount for business to business customers like Lee Hwa. Glitzzs product will be frequently used by jelwelry shops like Lee Hwa as Lee Hwas products are the jewelries. The jewelries have to be kept clean and shiny to attract consumers attention and desire to purchase their jewelries. Hence, Gltizzs product will come in handy to facilitate the jewelry shops sales as it aids in the cleaning and polishing of the jewelries.Hence, being the main stream of customers for Glitzz with their high usage and quantity purchased, Glitzz can lower their price and gives discounts to these jewelry shops. On the other hand, the price w ill be higher for the mass market as compared to the jewelry shops due to the lower usage and quantity purchased. The consumers in the mass market will purchased the jewelry cleaning product less frequently as they do not have the need to maintain their jewelry at its best condition everyday and the product is commonly used especially during special occasion like New year or parties.Hence, Glizz is able to set at higher price for the mass market at departmental stores like Robinsons. In addition, setting a higher price could also allow Glitzz to earn a smaller amount of profit when there are seasonal discounts for their product in the departmental stores. The cost and expense involved were the consultation cost ($5000), cost of the content and packaging (20000 x $5= $ 100 000) and budget for advertising ($ 1-2 million).The budget for advertising will somewhat made up the majority of the cost as these activities are important for the long-term future of the products by developing bra nd awareness and preference. The activities will include advertising cost on mass media, promotions and marketing cost that are incurred. Assuming that budget for advertising is $1million, Fixed Cost= $5000+$1000000=$1005000 Unit Variable cost = $5 Recommended Unit Price in Question 2 = $17. 90 Break-even point (BEP) = Fixed Cost/ (Unit Price- Unit variable cost) = 77906. 9767 = 77907 Quantity (round up to nearest whole number)

Understand How To Safeguard The Wellbeing Of Children And Young People

There is much more to Safeguarding than just protecting children from direct abuse. Any service that works with children and young people knows that they have a much wider responsibility than simply protecting the children from neglect and abuse. An action plan was put in place by Her Majesty’s Government called the ‘Stay Safe’ action plan, and it identifies a number of important features in the wider view of safeguarding including:†¢Keeping children safe from accidents†¢Crime and bullying – This could be helping victims of crime and also helping those that commit crime. This could also be witness's that need support Bullying could be racially motivated, cyber, text. Making sure that children and parents are given the information to protect themselves†¢Forced marriages†¢Missing children – This aims to develop an action plan to put the principles set out in The Children’s Society recommendations into action, to initiate an e arly review of emergency accommodation provision, to consider how local authorities can best provide safe places and ‘breathing spaces’ for young runaways; and revise the Missing from Home and Care guidance, in conjunction with the review of the Children Act 1989 regulations and guidance.†¢Actively promoting their welfare in a healthy and safe environment – The Staying Safe action plan states that it is important that everyone (parents, practitioners, government) work together to create the healthiest, safest environment possible for children and young people to access wherever they are, whether they’re at home, school/nursery, on public transport or just outside playing. It is everyone’s responsibility to create this safe environment so that all young people can achieve and are getting the best support possible.The Staying Safe consultation document set out three levels of safeguarding: †¢Universal safeguarding – Working to keep al l children and young people safe and create safe environments for all children†¢Targeted safeguarding – Some groups of children are more at risk than others, and it is important to target policies and services to these groups, to help keep them safe from harm†¢Responsive safeguarding – Unfortunately, no matter what we do, there  will always be some children and young people who suffer harm. We need to respond quickly and appropriately when this happens – supporting children and dealing with those who harm them.

Free Essays on Attitudes And Intentions, Dealing With The Consumer

Attitudes and Intentions, Dealing with the Consumer Attitudes and intentions have always been a major part of the marketers’ research. Attitudes, a person’s overall evaluation of a concept, is used in the integration process to see how an object is thought of and viewed. Intentions also determine most voluntary behaviors. Measures of consumers’ intentions may not be perfect indicators of the actual intentions that determine the behavior. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the relationship between attitudes and intentions and the part they both play on the marketing plan. Attitude has been called â€Å"the most distinctive and indispensable concept in contemporary American social psychology.† (Fishbein 1-19) And it is one of the most important concepts marketers use to understand consumers. This is because marketers have been able to use attitudes as key tools in the research process. Over the years, researchers have tried a variety of approaches to studying attitudes in an attempt to provide a more complete understanding of behavior. This behavior of consumers has thought to be strategically dependent on the attitudes of the consumers. Although the dominant approach to attitudes has changed over the years, nearly all definitions of attitude have one thing in common: they all refer to a person’s overall evaluation of a concept. (Fazio 204-43) Evaluations are affective responses at relatively low levels of intensity and arousal, created by both the affective and cognitive systems. The affective system automatically produces affective responses – including emotions, feelings, moods, and evaluations or attitudes – as immediate, direct responses to certain stimuli. These stimuli may or may not affect the response, depending on the environment at which the test is being performed. The cognitive processing model of consumer decision making shows that an overall evaluation is formed when consumers combine knowledge, meani... Free Essays on Attitudes And Intentions, Dealing With The Consumer Free Essays on Attitudes And Intentions, Dealing With The Consumer Attitudes and Intentions, Dealing with the Consumer Attitudes and intentions have always been a major part of the marketers’ research. Attitudes, a person’s overall evaluation of a concept, is used in the integration process to see how an object is thought of and viewed. Intentions also determine most voluntary behaviors. Measures of consumers’ intentions may not be perfect indicators of the actual intentions that determine the behavior. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the relationship between attitudes and intentions and the part they both play on the marketing plan. Attitude has been called â€Å"the most distinctive and indispensable concept in contemporary American social psychology.† (Fishbein 1-19) And it is one of the most important concepts marketers use to understand consumers. This is because marketers have been able to use attitudes as key tools in the research process. Over the years, researchers have tried a variety of approaches to studying attitudes in an attempt to provide a more complete understanding of behavior. This behavior of consumers has thought to be strategically dependent on the attitudes of the consumers. Although the dominant approach to attitudes has changed over the years, nearly all definitions of attitude have one thing in common: they all refer to a person’s overall evaluation of a concept. (Fazio 204-43) Evaluations are affective responses at relatively low levels of intensity and arousal, created by both the affective and cognitive systems. The affective system automatically produces affective responses – including emotions, feelings, moods, and evaluations or attitudes – as immediate, direct responses to certain stimuli. These stimuli may or may not affect the response, depending on the environment at which the test is being performed. The cognitive processing model of consumer decision making shows that an overall evaluation is formed when consumers combine knowledge, meani...

Child prodigy Essays

Child prodigy Essays Child prodigy Essay Child prodigy Essay If you have ever regretted volunteering for a task, but had to continue, despite this, you will know how I felt, as I boarded the coach that would take me to the venue of the chess tournament. It was an all-consuming, unforgettable, always nagging sort of worry: that I would bring about my own humiliation as I lost game by game at the prestigious tournament. No. Not a worry but a certainty. For I had not practised once in the past months, while in my prime, it was normal for me to spend a couple of evenings per week at a board, revising combinations. Yes, it was this lack of practice that troubled me to the very core, that I would disappoint my team and be humiliated for it. So the odour of the garbage on the coach had little effect on me, as I contemplated the nature of the disgrace that I would bring upon myself. In an attempt to banish these thoughts from my head, I brought out my reading book, which I soon immersed myself in, but the cheers and chit chat from my team mates as the coach started could not be ignored. As I snapped out of my ponderous trance, I became aware of the true stench of this appalling place where rotten eggs and ham from long forgotten packed lunches lay neatly stacked under the seats and the random splodges of yogurt were spread over the once-fine seat covers. But as the hours passed, none of these were noticed as my nose grew accustomed to the constant whiff, and my eyes remained firmly fixed on the pages of my book. It was finally four hours later that we pulled into the drive of the B B where we would stay. Just one more night till I would be a humiliated man My first match of the next day started and ended badly. I was to play against a boy of no more than 8, who sat precariously on the very edge of his seat, with legs dangling aimlessly under the table. His age and the innocent gaze gave me hope that I could at least secure 1 point for my team. But I was wrong, very wrong. As he made his first moves, I saw he was no novice and despite my best efforts, my fiendish foe struck mercilessly, felling my pieces one by one. It was an uphill struggle, a battle I could not win and yet I tried, while to my annoyance, he squealed with delight after each capture in a childlike manner, though he had the skill of double his apparent age. I can tell you this was terribly shocking. So there was no surprise when he finally delivered checkmate, though while we did this, I dreaded the teases I would be sure to receive as the result of this lost battle, especially due to my opponents age. As I stepped from the room, my fears were confirmed. My humiliation had begun. My next match went just as badly. Still in a daze from the jests endured, my head spinning, as I tried desperately to win against my unsympathetic opponent. But my efforts were to no avail, as I lost, even more swiftly than before. But my thoughts cleared as I left the tournament room: one round to make a win. One round to avoid disgrace! After my disastrous rounds, I expected nothing more than another loss from equally capable opponents, knowing my fate for humiliation had been sealed the moment I agreed to come. But my next opponent was not something I could have anticipated given even the wildest imagination. Like a giant, he towered over the board, but it was not his height which troubled me but his bulk. His fat bulged in great flabs so that I felt he might burst and his slow, lumbering walk scarcely surprised me. One could tell clothes were not made to his size; the Nike logo on his shirt was stretched into a thin line while his fat writhed under his tight top as he reached out to move his piece. I made no mistake in underestimating my opponent this time, however, it was soon clear he was less gifted than the child prodigy I had played the first round. But there was still something strange about the game play, there was something about the way we played in his shadow that unnerved me, and before long, I once more felt myself sailing against the wind in this battle of mine. But as does a wounded animal strike back, so did I, knowing the fate that would come to me if I lost this match. But then, my silent prayers were answered: in the form of the biggest blunder I had ever seen at this level of play, and I pounced upon it, like a hungry wild cat as he throws himself on a mouse. The tide had changed, and I finished him off easily. The victory was mine, no disgrace for me.

Learning the Alphabet in German

Learning the Alphabet in German German has often been viewed by non-Germans as a harsh sounding language. That may be due in part to the more guttural pronunciation of certain German alphabet sounds and diphthongs and perhaps even a still lingering effect of old WWII movie stereotypes. Once non-German speakers familiarize themselves with German’s different sounds, however, another kind of poetic beauty will unfold before them that has been revered worldwide in the works of many German greats, such as Goethe  and Schiller through prose and song. Unique Characteristics of the German Alphabet More than 26 letters in the alphabet - German has a so-called extended Latin alphabetThe extra letters are , à ¶, à ¼ and ßThe pronunciation of some of these letters do not exist in the English languageSeveral letters are pronounced more from the back of the throat: g, ch, r (though in Austria the r is trilled).The W in German sounds like the V in EnglishThe V in German sounds like the F in EnglishMost of the time the S in German sounds like Z in English when placed at the beginning of a word followed by a vowel.The letter ß will never appear at the beginning of a word. Das Deutsche Alphabet (The German Alphabet) Click on the following letters to hear them pronounced. (Audio saved as .wav files.) Buchstabe/ Letter Aussprache des Buchstabenamens/ Pronunciation of letter name Aussprache des Buchstaben - wie in/ Sound of Letter - as in Beispiele/ Examples A a ah astronaut der Adler (eagle), Januar (January) B b approximate: bay baby der Bruder (brother), aber (but) C c approximate: tsay creative, Celcius (soft c sound in German sounds like ts) der Chor, der Christkindlmarkt (south German term for der Weihnachtsmarkt/ Christmas market), Celcius D d approximate: day dollar Dienstag (Tuesday), oder (or) E e approximate: ay elegant essen (to eat), zuerst (first) F f eff effort der Freund (friend), offen (open) G g approximate: gay gorgeous gut (good), gemein (mean) H h haa hammer der Hammer, dieMà ¼hle (mill) I i eeh Igor der Igel (porcupine), der Imbiss (snack), sieben (seven) J j yot yellow das Jahr (year), jeder (each) K k kah camel das Kamel, der Kuchen (cake) L l ell love die Leute (people), das Land (land) M m em man der Mann, die Ameise N n en nice nicht (not), die Mà ¼nze (coin) O o oh oven Ostern (Easter),rot (red) P p approximate: pay party die Polizei (police), der Apfel Q q koo coral das Quadrat (square), die Quelle (source)Note: All German words start with qu (kw - sound) R r approximate: er rich der Rà ¼cken (the back), der Stern (star) S s es zoo, shine, mouse summen (to hum), schà ¶n (pretty, nice), die Maus T t approximate: tay tyrant der Tyrann, acht (eight) U u ooh ou sound in you die Universitt (university), der Mund (mouth) V v fow father der Vogel (bird), die Nerven (nerves) W w approximate: vay van die Wange (cheek), das Schwein (pig, wieviel (how much) X x ix sounds like kz das Xylofon/ Xylophon, die Hexe (witch)Note: There are hardly any German words that start with X Y y uep-si-lohn yellow die Yucca, der YetiNote: There are hardly any German words that start with Y. Z z tset sounds like ts die Zeitung (newspaper), der Zigeuner (gypsy) Umlaut ß Aussprache des Buchstaben/ Pronunciation of Letter Beispiele/ Examples sounds similar to the e in melon hnlich (similar), ghnen (to yawn) à ¶ sounds similar to the i in girl Ãâ€"sterreich (Austria), der Là ¶we (lion) à ¼ no equivalent nor approximate sound in English à ¼ber (over),mà ¼de (tired) ß (esszet) double s sound heiß (hot),die Straße (street)