Puppetry in Pakistan Essay Example

Puppetry in Pakistan Essay In order to understand and appreciate culture, beauty and art one has to study theatre and performing arts. It develops ones personality and teaches you how to critically analyze things. One of the oldest and most important art forms depicting a countries culture is its theatre. The word theatre is derived from the Greek word theatron which means, Place of seeing. As a performing art it focuses entirely on live performers creating a self contained drama. There are a number of philosophies, artistic processes, and theatrical approaches while creating plays and dramas. Some are based on political or spiritual ideologies while others are based on purely artistic concerns. Some focus on a particular story, some on entertainment while others as a catalyst for social change. Theatre is thought to have had its earliest origins in religious ritual where it was used to enact myths or stories central to the belief of a culture or create comedy through parody of such narratives. It has therefore existed since the advent of man, as a result of the human tendency for storytelling. Forms of Theatre Since its origin, theatre has taken on many forms, utilizing speech, gesture, music, dance, and spectacle, combining the other performing arts, often as well as the visual arts, into a single artistic form. These components are used in producing theatre which can be done in many ways. Theatre can be performed with no money at all or on a grand scale with multi-million dollar budgets i. e. professional theatre. Then we have the repertory companies. Most modern theatre companies rehearse one piece of theatre at a time, perform that piece, retire it after sometime, and begin rehearsing a new show. We will write a custom essay sample on Puppetry in Pakistan specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Puppetry in Pakistan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Puppetry in Pakistan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Repertory companies rehearse multiple shows at one time. These companies perform these various pieces upon request and often perform works for years before retiring them. The other type of theatre is producing theatre or presenting theatre. A performance requires both a theatre company and a theatre venue. When a theatre company is the sole company in residence at a theatre venue, this theatre (and its corresponding theatre company) is called a resident theatre or a producing theatre, because the venue produces its own work. Other theatre companies do not have their own theatre venue. These companies will therefore perform at rental theatres or at presenting theatres. However many performance groups have challenged the theatre-space and have been thus performing in non-theatrical spaces. These performances take place outside or inside, in a non-traditional performance space, and include street theatre and site specific theatre. Performers are sometimes paid, especially for street festivals, children shows or parades but often street theatre performers are unpaid or gather some income through the dropping of a coin in a hat by the audience. Commercial Theatres in Pakistan In Pakistan many local and commercial theatres have been working since Partition in 1947. Commercial theatre arrived in Lahore in the early 1980s due to the joint efforts of Naheed Khanum, Amanullah, Mastana and Baboo Baral. While these theatres were functioning in the cities, the rural areas were enjoying the local professionals. The minstrels (bhands) entertained gatherings at wedding ceremonies and rural sports. Heejrras and Behroopias These along with transvestite artists (heejras) and impersonators (behroopias) still entertain millions of Pakistanis in towns, villages and tribal settlements and are also a part of our indigenous street theatre. Puppetry in Pakistan Puppetry has been an integral part of our street theatre since Partition. Before contemporary puppetry started folk puppets (katputlis) used to entertain the audience of Pakistan. This art was inherited by Pakistan from Rajistan, a part of the Indian Subcontinent. Ancient Art Form Puppetry is a very ancient art form, originating about 30,000 years ago. It is a form of theatre or performance which involves the handling of puppets. Puppets have been used since the earliest times to animate and communicate the ideas and needs of human societies. They were human’s first means of communication and have been part of ceremonies, rituals and carnivals. According to a puppeteer David Logan, Puppetry is a highly effective and dynamically creative means of exploring the richness of interpersonal communication. By its very nature, puppetry concentrates on the puppet rather than the puppeteer. This provides a safety zone for the puppeteer and allows for exploration of unlimited themes through a safe and non-threatening environment for communication. He further says, Designing a puppet involves the same processes that a performer uses in building a character. A puppet must always have a valid reason for being. The marvelous thrill of puppetry is that puppets by their very nature do things that are not humanly possible. This allows for the imagination to explore countless different possibilities. The Earliest Forms of Puppets The earliest kinds of puppets were in the form of tribal ritual masks with hinged jaws or jointed skulls used in religious ceremonies. Puppets later evolved from these masks into doll like figures with moving limbs. There are five distinct forms of puppets. Each has its own individual characteristics, and certain kinds of dramatic material. Certain types have developed only under specific cultural or geographic conditions. They are classified as hand or glove puppets, rod puppets, Marionette or string puppets, flat figures and shadow figures. The Hand or Glove Puppets The hand or glove puppets have a hollow cloth body that fits over the manipulator’s hand; his fingers fit into the head and the arms and give them motion. The figure is seen from the waist upward, and there are normally no legs. The head is usually of wood, papier-mache, or rubber material, the hands of wood or felt. The performer normally holds his hands above his head and stands in a narrow booth with an opening just above head height. The manipulators of hand puppets range from 1-4 in person. The virtue of the hand puppet is its agility and quickness; the limitation is small size and ineffective arm gestures. | | | Glove puppets Rod puppet The Rod Puppets The rod puppets are also manipulated from below, but they are of full-length, supported by a rod running inside the body to the head. Separate thin rods may move the hands and, if necessary, the legs. Figures of this type are traditional on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. In this figure the hand passes inside the puppet’s body to grasp a short rod to the head, the arms being manipulated by rods in the usual way. One great advantage of this technique is that it permits bending of the body, the manipulator’s wrist corresponding to the puppet’s waist. The rod puppet is suitable for slow and dignified types of drama. It requires always one person, and sometimes two or three, to manipulate each figure on stage. The Marionette or String Puppets The Marionette or string puppets are full-length figures controlled from above. Normally they are moved by strings or more often threads, leading from the limbs to a control or crutch held by the manipulator. Movement is provided to a large extent by tilting or rocking the control, but individual strings are plucked when a definite movement is required. A simple marionette may have nine strings—one to each leg, one to each hand, one to each shoulder, one to each ear (for head movements), and one to the base of the spine (for bowing); but special effects will require special strings that may double or treble this number. The manipulation of a many-stringed marionette is a highly skilled operation. Controls are of two main types—horizontal (or aeroplane) and vertical—and the choice is largely a matter of personal preference. String puppets at Rafi Peer theatre Table-top Puppetry In Table-top, puppetry is performed on top of a table. Mostly these puppets are rod puppets, mainly because rods are the simplest and easiest method of operation. Rods are attached at the elbows, back of feet, back of body and back of head. Like most rod puppets, there’s no real set methodology, style or look of the puppets. They can be anything from aliens to humans to abstract items. Because they are used in combination with a table or bench, it is usual for these puppets to be small in height, usually an average of 30 cm (11. inches). This particular style is best suited to inside performances in small venues; the larger the puppet the harder it is to operate on a table top, but the smaller the puppet, the harder it is to see in a large theatre. Shadow Puppets Shadow puppets are a special type of flat figure, in which the shadow is seen through a translucent screen. They may be cut from leather or some other opaque mate rial or they may be cut from coloured fish skins, as in the traditional theatres of China, India, Turkey, and Greece, and in the recent work of several European theatres. They may be operated by rods from below, as in the Javanese theatres; by rods held at right angles to the screen, as in the Chinese and Greek theatres; or by threads concealed behind the figure. The shadow theatre is a medium of great delicacy, and the flimsy character of shadow puppets exemplifies all the truest features of puppetry as an art form. Puppetry as seen in Pakistan Like many other societies around the world the Pakistani society also sees puppets as an important tool of communication. With the passage of time this tool undergoes various modifications but the basic technique remains the same. According to Faizaan Peerzada, the President of Rafi Peer Theatre located in Lahore, â€Å"a puppeteer is one who is able to portray his ideas through any object given in his hands†. Famous Puppets and Puppeteers of Pakistan Talking about puppets we have been very fortunate to have had the privilege of enjoying Uncle Sargam, Haiga, and Maasi Museebatay in the puppet show Kalian. We have grown up with these characters and they still remain an integral part of our childhood memories. Kalian was a very popular puppet show on PTV written and directed by Farooq Qaiser during 1980s and 1990s. Farooq Qaiser was the first to introduce commercial puppetry in the country alongside the traditional Putli Tamasha that was there already and still exists in some villages of Punjab and other provinces. A Unique Honor of Pakistan Pakistan is perhaps the only country after United States that has its own puppet character or show i. e. Kalian like Sesame Street. This show not only entertained us but also made us learn a lot of things. Uncle Sargam always had a message to convey to the audience. It used to ridicule the politicians and also highlighted various social issues. Farooq Qaiser therefore managed o raise certain issues through puppets which otherwise was impossible during Gen. Zia’s rule. While Farooq was running his puppet show on television, Rafi Peer theatre was performing puppet shows on stage. The theatre started from Karachi, where they performed 35 plays in schools in the 80s and in 1992 shifted to Lahore. They built Asia’s largest Puppet Museum on Bedian R oad which has puppets from 30 different countries. Puppet history and most of our beloved puppet characters can also be seen there. | | Rafi Peer theatre Apart from Rafi Peer theatre, the other organization that is keeping the puppet theatre alive is Lahore Art Council. They have a puppet show every Sunday, 12:00 p. m. which focuses on children entertainment and education. It is a half an hour performance of hand puppets that is based on the story telling culture in Pakistan since the script is based on folk tales. The entire act gives a very indigenous feel and takes you back to your childhood days when stories of the cunning wolf and the slow tortoise were told to us by our grandparents. Personal Experience While attending one such puppet show I got to experience the excitement and enjoyment of children around me as well as my own. The story was about Pauli, a parrot that is seen nurturing and caressing its egg while singing â€Å"mein sadkay jaoon, mein wari jaoon apnay piyaray piyaray anday kae †. While talking to herself she is making plans of inviting the birds Mannah and Fakhta for tea and serving them with cucumber sandwiches and cake. While Pauli goes to make arrangements for the guests, Goga the rat comes along and makes Pauli’s nest its sleeping place. When Pauli returns she is enraged to see the rat in its nest and pokes it with her beak. Goga the rat apologizes for his mistake and is fascinated by Pauli’s whistle. He asks her what that is and requests Pauli to teach him how to whistle. Pauli tells him to make his mouth round and blow out. She tells the children in the audience to learn and try whistling along with her. She then goes off stage to cut cucumbers for her sandwiches leaving Goga incharge of her egg and to continue trying with his whistle. Goga fails quite a number of times and then asks the children to help him. The audience whistles along with him and hence he succeeds. In the meantime when Pauli is still away Shero, the lion appears onstage and tells Goga that he is repairing his house and needs volunteers. Goga always ready to help, accepts to volunteer but he first has to prove his strength. Shero tells him to uproot a nearby tree whose wood will be very useful for his house. Goga fails to do so in all his attempts but his enthusiasm and determination impresses Shero who decides to take him along. Goga forgets about the egg and goes along with him. While the egg is lying unprotected in its nest a monkey comes along, steels the egg and places an artificial one instead. He then hides it in a tree trunk and disappears from the scene. When Pauli returns she cuddles the egg but discovers to her horror and surprise that its not her egg. She cries out loud in despair and calls Shero to help her find it. Pauli looks everywhere frantically and finds it lying safe in a deep hole. She tries to reach it but can’t. Shero tries to pull it out but gets his paw stuck instead. In his strenuous endeavors to pull his paw out we hear Pauli chant â€Å"Zor laga kae hiya†. When Shero finally retrieves his trapped paw he calls the very helpful Goga to come and rescue the egg. Goga dives in and emerges with the egg undamaged. Pauli promises never to lose it again and to protect it always. In the end the egg hatches into a baby Pauli and both the mother and child are seen embracing one another. Pauli and Shero| Monkey who steels the egg| Role of Audience in Puppet Shows Thus we see that the act of puppetry does not only involve the puppet and the puppeteer but the audience also plays a very important role in its progression. For instance when Pauli goes offstage in search of the culprit she tells the audience to call out her name when they see someone with her egg. The children call out â€Å"Pauli, Pauli† whenever the monkey comes on stage. When Pauli comes she asks them who it was. The kids tell her that it is the monkey who has stolen her precious egg. The art of puppetry is therefore not only entertaining but highly didactive since it teaches us some very important lessons of life. For instance, this very act taught the kids to help one another in times of need, to be careful with their precious possessions and never trust anyone but themselves. Problems Faced by the Puppet Industry The puppet show had a lot of cultural traits such as the dialogues were in Urdu language, there were songs and lyrical dialogues, social and moral message, costumes, traditional chants, common names of the characters and the script itself. Puppets are an important part of out ethnic theatre but the art itself is dying out since only a few people and organizations are working to keep it alive. The team at Alhamra Art Council is facing many problems since the funds provided by the government are not sufficient. The seating arrangement is poor, there are not enough resources and space for the stage and the turn out of audience is small. The government of Pakistan should concentrate more on keeping these traditions alive and should make efforts to bring them to the international standards.

Fedralist 51 essays

Fedralist 51 essays James Madison wrote Federalist 51 because he wanted to make sure that the government of the United Stated has some kind of checks and balances for all branches. He wants to make sure that all the different departments have another department the checks them. If this was not in place today then our government could have many problems in their department by just making mistakes. Madisons words Ambition must be made to counteract ambition... fit right into the constitution because we need more than one branch so they can check each other. Madison wrote to inform people that we need checks and balances so no one branch could get too much power. Today, we have legislative, executive, and judicial branches, which fit right into the constitutional system and do not focus on just one idea. The separation of power in the government allows the different branches, such as the congress and the president, compromise their idea and come up with a resolution that benefits the majority. The separation of power also allows the pass through more than one department so there is nothing being passed that should not be. Madisons words are very important to the society today because our society has many ideas that the government just cannot pass. We need the checks and balances so that what is passed is checked more than once and corrected. If there were only one branch then they would only pass the laws, which were most appealing to that branch would be passed and not the others no matter which is important. Now if there is a law or an idea, it has to go through the congress, representatives, and the president who mostly makes the final decision. And if president does not like it he can veto it or the congress can take it out by number of votes. Our government and our people are fortunate because we dont have only one person making all of our decision for us but allow t ...

10 Fascinating Facts About Spiders

10 Fascinating Facts About Spiders Spiders: some people love them, some people hate them. Regardless of if youre an arachnophile or an arachnophobe, youll find these 10 facts about spiders fascinating. 1. Spider Bodies Have Two Parts: A Cephalothorax and an Abdomen All spiders, from tarantulas to jumping spiders, share this common trait. The simple eyes, fangs, palps, and legs are all found on the anterior body region, called the cephalothorax. The spinnerets reside on the posterior region, called the abdomen. The unsegmented abdomen attaches to the cephalothorax by means of a narrow pedicel, giving the spider the appearance of having a waist. 2. With the Exception of One Family, All Spiders Are Venomous Spiders use venom to subdue their prey. The venom glands reside near the chelicerae, or fangs, and are connected to the fangs by ducts. When a spider bites its prey, muscles around the venom glands contract, pushing venom through the fangs and into the animal. Most spider venom paralyzes the prey. The spider family Uloboridae is the only known  exception to this rule. Its members do not possess venom glands. 3. All Spiders Are Predators Spiders hunt and capture prey. The majority feed on other insects and other invertebrates, but some of the largest spiders may prey on vertebrates such as birds. The true spiders of the order Araneae comprise the largest group of carnivorous animals on Earth. 4. Spiders Can't Digest Solid Foods Before a spider can eat its prey, it must turn the meal into a liquid form. The spider exudes digestive enzymes from its sucking stomach onto the victims body. Once the enzymes break down the tissues of the prey, it sucks up the liquefied remains, along with the digestive enzymes. The meal then passes to the spiders midgut, where nutrient absorption occurs. 5. All Spiders Produce Silk Not only can all spiders make silk, but they can do so throughout their life cycles. Spiders use silk for many purposes: to capture prey, to protect their offspring, to assist them as they move, for shelter, and to reproduce (more on that in a moment). Not all spiders use silk the same way. 6. Not All Spiders Spin Webs Most people associate spiders with webs, but some spiders dont construct webs at all. Wolf spiders, for example, stalk and overtake their prey, without the aid of a web. Jumping spiders, which have remarkably good eyesight and move quickly, have no need for webs, either. They simply pounce on their prey! 7. Male Spiders Use Modified Appendages Called Pedipalps to Mate Spiders reproduce sexually, but males use an unusual method to transfer their sperm to a mate. The male first prepares a silk bed or web, onto which he deposits sperm. He then draws the sperm into his pedipalps, a pair of appendages near his mouth, and stores the semen in a sperm duct. Once he finds a mate, he inserts his pedipalp into her genital opening and releases his sperm. 8. Males Risk Being Eaten by Their Female Mates Females are typically larger than their male counterparts. A hungry female may consume any invertebrate that comes along, including her suitors. Male spiders sometimes  use courtship rituals to identify themselves as mates and not meals. Jumping spiders, for example, perform elaborate dances from a safe distance and wait for the females approval before approaching. Male orb weavers (and other web-building species) position themselves on the outer edge of the females web, and gently pluck a thread to transmit a vibration. They wait for a sign that the female is receptive before venturing closer. 9. Spiders Use Silk to Protect Their Eggs Female spiders deposit their eggs on a bed of silk, which they prepare just after mating. Once a female produces the eggs, she covers them with more silk. Egg sacs vary greatly, depending on the type of spider. Cobweb spiders make thick, watertight egg sacs, while cellar spiders use a minimum of silk to encase their eggs. Some spiders produce silk that mimics the texture and color of the substrate on which the eggs are laid, effectively camouflaging the offspring. 10. Spiders Don't Move by Muscle Alone Spiders rely on a combination of muscle and hemolymph (blood) pressure to move their legs. Some joints in spider legs lack extensor muscles entirely. By contracting muscles in the cephalothorax, a spider can increase the hemolymph pressure in the legs, and effectively extend their legs at these joints. Jumping spiders jump using a sudden increase in hemolymph pressure that snaps the legs out and launches them into the air.

Humans Create Powerful Symbols - Hornbill Figure Essay

Humans Create Powerful Symbols - Hornbill Figure - Essay Example They also believed this entity allowed energy flow from one being to the next in a cyclic process. This connection between mankind and the rest of all living things inspired men to associate the image of nature to the theory of the existence of a higher being with supreme powers. These connections could be either supernatural or spiritual. This symbolic connection has been passed down through numerous generations throughout history. Different cultures and religions use the symbolism in the ways that are adapted to suit their beliefs. The specially skilled Ibans of Sarawak, whom are known for their carvings include an exclusively designed hornbill figure. This is an example of the combination of religion, nature, and art. The ‘Hornbill Figure,' known as 'Kenyalang,' has essentially been the chief subject of interest among the Iban carvers of Sarawak, Malaysia (Davenport). It was between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that the Iban people began to show their culture by sc ulpting images of the hornbill. This also become a very important part of sacred ceremonies conducted by the Iban community. With a standard length of over 33 feet, the Hornbill Figure is traditionally created using wood, paint, cotton thread, plant, and wool materials and textiles. At the Fowler Museum, a person can take in the details of the art form of the hornbill sculpture. Its sharply pointed bill draws a huge curve and the painting on the body uses various strokes and pigments portraying how colorful the Iban festivals and culture are. Hornbill carvings are recognized as an art form but also is an indicator of the way of life of the Iban people. The unique portrayal of the carvings are associated with Iban’s greatest festive celebrations with religious rituals (Davenport). The Hornbill Figure typically is a special embodiment of a bird believed to possess knowledge and wisdom. Aside from bringing a prophecy to which Iban communities deeply relied on in the past, it is also considered a fundamental medium. This allowed for the blending of a spiritual dimension with the world of humans so they may possibly pass on their freedom to interact with spirits and supernatural beings for many reasons (Davenport). To achieve victory during war, the hornbill symbol and faith in its image was believed in to help aid in obtaining extraordinary power to intimidate and eventually subdue enemies. In particular, the custom of Iban’s Gawai Kenyalang had such strong meaning that it was used for the purpose of reaching success in raiding and headhunting (trophy-taking). During this, the heads taken from the enemies were claimed to have powers that could potentially add to the overall strength or invincibility of the victorious community (Davenport). Looking at the figure of the hornbill and evaluating the different features, one can feel the depth of the strong Malaysian history and culture. There is an aesthetic feeling that is brought out in its design that is highly representative of the culture of its people. Regardless of the complex processes of politics and the changes of culture for the Iban people through history that has impacted their lifestyles in several ways, the Ibans still believe in the hornbill image. The carved figure of the bird reflects the symbolism of courage and power of the Iban people. The artist takes the approach of providing exquisite carving as well as adding vibrant colors. The bird's eyes contain an intense yet subtle look. Unlike other icons of religion, the Hornbill Figure is more influential than many other types of symbols. This in turn makes the believers in its powers very strong. As the making of hornbill images increased

On Agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Agency - Essay Example This is because any decision made will be on the basis that someone is watching. Agency is determined or limited by various factors of influence referred to as structure. Examples of structure include customs, religion, ethnicity, gender and social class. Panopticon is a building which has a central tower. At the periphery of Panopticon is an annular building; at the center is a tower. The tower is fitted with wide windows which open on to the inner side of the ring. The annular building is divided in to cells which extend to the whole width of the building. The cells have two windows. One window is on the inner side facing the central tower while the other is on the far end of the cell. It is strategically placed there to allow light to enter in to the cell traversing the whole cell. The Panopticon is a prison. The prisoners in the Panopticon are watched by the inspector from the central tower. However, they cannot be able to see inside the tower. This way, they never know when they are being watched or not. The prisoners therefore have to behave at all times because they feel that they are being watched even if no one is watching because they cannot tell. The only way that the prisoners counter attack the watch of the inspector is by turning their backs on him. They face the outer window leaving the inspector to watch their back. When the inspector notices this, he has to go and issue a warning to the prisoners from hiding from his watch. This situation is symbolic of how agency is first inhibited by society. Society has been structured in a manner similar to Panopticon. Just like the prisoners, someone somewhere is always watching. The problem is, you can never know who it is and where exactly they are watching you from. The two windows are symbolic of the options of power and rules, and agency. The inner opening are the rules which have been laid down to dictate the manner in which things are to be done. The outer window symbolizes the possibility of indepe ndence; agency. This can be verified by the manner in which the prisoners turn their backs on the inspector and face the outer window. Similarly, we as individuals turn our backs from what has been decided for us and seek comfort by looking for the possibility of independence. It however takes little time for society to come running to us, in many forms, reminding us that our actions and decisions should be in line with its expectations. This is one perspective of viewing the reasons why agency cannot and has not been fully realized in society. As pointed out earlier, agency is the extent to which individuals make their own free choices; alternatively, it is the ability of an individual to act on their own will. However, this ability will be limited by more than just being watched by society. Personal experiences, and individual and societal perceptions, with respect to the circumstances that an individual is in and the environment that they have been born in or are part of, form a cognitive belief structure. These beliefs will affect one’s ability to act on their own will as they often cause conflicts between parties that are involved. For example, a child who wants to be a musician and has been born in family of scholars such as engineers, will have a hard time convincing their parents. This is because the cognitive belief that the family has formed is that success can only be achieved when one finds a career in books rather than in

Dragons Legacy :: essays research papers

Foreword In the days of the Ancients there was a race like no other, for they were blessed with a unique gift of being able to speak and understand Dragon Tongue. Rumors spread about these magical folk, penetrating right into the heart of the Evil Lord’s great fortress in the Dark Lands. Evil Lord Malus Dominus heard of this race, and he became worried. All knew that dragons were a superior race that could be only be defeated by immortals. They were the strongest creatures alive. If these folk were to forge an alliance with the dragons he would surely perish. Before dawn the next day, he had summoned his undead warriors. They had destroyed the race before daybreak †¦ well that’s what they thought. A few hours later some traders passed by the spot where the village had been and they heard a noise. When they went to investigate they found a child wrapped in a silk sheet just barely alive. So they took the child and raised it as one of there own never knowing its secret. Chapter 1 – The Truth Realized The merchant’s son Dazhrej was the finest archer in the Princedom of Vellant’im. His father Rovnir went to the inn every night and gloated. The bandit had slain the guards surrounding the treasury and made off with the loot. If Dazhrej had not had to fetch some more silk for his father he would not have seen the bandit making off with the Prince’s treasure covered in the blood of the Prince’s royal guards. Dazhrej yelled for the man to stop. The bandit obliged, turned around and went for his barbed throwing knife. Before he had a chance to throw it he had an arrow in his arm pinning it to a tree. Before the fellow had a chance to take in the damage he had another arrow right between his eyes. The Prince thanked Dazhrej for recovering his treasure and rewarded Dazhrej by offering to foster him until knighthood. Dazhrej gladly accepted†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Three years later Dazhrej now excelled in swordplay, knife fighting and magic. â€Å"Dazhrej, have the horses been readied?† asked Prince Ronan. â€Å"Yes, your highness,† Dazhrej replied. â€Å"We leave at sunrise,† the Prince said. â€Å"Ah, Prince Ronan, where are we going?† Dazhrej asked with curiosity. â€Å"The Grand Congregation of course,† replied Prince Ronan. â€Å"Every Prince is going to be there. It’s where we draw up the trade laws, permits and settle disputes between the Princedoms.† â€Å"Oh. Why did you not go last year or the year before?

Panera Bread Case Analysis

Panera Bread Company is a leader in the easy casual restaurant industry with multiple cafà ©-bakeries located in 36 states, of the United States. Panera operates under the banner of Panera and Saint Louis Bread Company. Almost 400 of its 1,027 bakeries are company-operated and the remainders are franchisees. Panera Bread’s core competencies are in their market niche, offering a premium specialty bakery and cafà © experience to suburban and urban residents. Penera’s focus is offering their customers with better than their rivals, making the dining experience so attractive to their customers will pass up their competitors in outlets of other easy casual restaurants to dine at the nearest Panera Bread A strategic issues is substitutes and threats of substitutes in Penear Bread Company’s distinctive competencies, their menu. Penera’s menu is being substituted by new rivals. New restaurant chains, in fast-casual and other categories are becoming more competitively fierce and are drawing customers by imitating Panera’s menus at a lower cost. To address this strategic issue, I recommend Panera to employ an offensive strategy to increase sales during prime times such as lunch and dinner, continue to be more innovative by implementing in-depth surveys to customers, employees, via text messages, e-mails, etc., and execute a plan for managers to manage by walking around (MBWA) communicating and listening to employees and customers. Example, this technique has worked successfully for companies like Wal-Mart who have been very successful in using the (MBWA) strategy. This will draw and boost their customer base giving them a sustainable competitive advantage.