Opportunities for Food Company to Develop Healthier Eating Products Assignment

Opportunities for Food Company to Develop Healthier Eating Products - Assignment Example With growing efforts by the government and a high level of media interventions, the arena of healthy foods is becoming an important side for the research day by day. Not only that, but it is also becoming an increasingly important factor for the consumer as well as the retailers. This movement has thus worked as an advantage for the food manufacturers and processors as the demand in the product areas such as organic, vegetarian, and low-fat/low-sugar foods has increased to a great extent. In the recent years, there has been a change in the mind-set of the manufacturers and processors in dealing with the demand generated for these products and the need to develop new and innovative ways before-hand. Nowadays, these manufacturers and processors are becoming more and more proactive in dealing with these issues. The reasons for such a shift can be attributed from various reasons. To begin with, it has been realized that there has been an increase in the amount of disbelief by the consumers over the current health claims presented by the manufacturers. This means, that the consumers are now deciding for themselves; the market has now presented the manufacturers with various dimensions to market themselves to as the market has now segmented to those who fall to such claims generated by the manufacturers and those who do not. ... than that, it has also been observed that since lifestyles of each age group have now changed, there has been a decline in the formal lunch times which has, hence, increased in snack food market; for instance day time is spent on the office desk and night time is spent playing games (case study). On top of that, consumers are being more interested in healthy foods. Therefore, there has been an increase in consumers as well as the retailers that favor healthier low fat, low salt, and low sugar products. This is so, because there has been an increase in the time pressures in the lives of the consumers. The term ‘grazing’ can effectively be applied here as there has been reported an increase in the frequency of smaller meals in the day. The number of consumers carrying hand held snacks while simultaneously being health conscious have also increased during the years. This means, that the manufacturers must learn to anticipate demand quickly of this growing market and thus th ink of innovative ways in all areas to improve quality and grasp the already expanding market share. As far as the changes in the healthy eating environment is concerned, Winson (71-82) mentions in his study about a healthy eating movement that is gradually picking up pace. According to the paper, the author states that â€Å"this movement is directly related to and is a collection of various small food movements. The list includes the likes of the slow food movement, the movement promoting organic foods and the re-localizing food. The latter is one of those movements that has been on the rise lately and has held the attention of various researches. The overall food movement has also been closely related to food security initiatives that gathered attention after the era of nineties. Other than the

In instruction box Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

In instruction box - Research Proposal Example Presently, Nokia intends to launch its new the Nokia Lumia 2020 Tablet in the market. However, the success of this tablet will depend on the effectiveness of the marketing plan developed by the company. This marketing plan contains an analysis of the current situation, customers, and competitors that may affect the performance of the product after launch. The plan also analyses the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. In addition, the marketing plan also analyzes the macro-environmental factors, as well as the marketing mix of Nokia product. Situation Analysis Nokia operates in a very competitive market. The industry has several players that compete against each other for the limited customers available. To attract customers, every company in the industry tries to improve the quality of services provided to the customer by using the latest technology. The competition is stiff to the extent that months seldom pass without the existing or new players introducing a new plan aimed at luring additional customers (GRIN Verlag, 2012). Some Nokia’s main competitor in the industry includes Apple, Samsung, LG, Techno, and Sony Erickson. Customer Analysis This marketing plan targets all segment of the population. ... So far, the company’s Nokia Lumia 2020 Tablet has all the functionalities accustomed to meet the needs of the company’s potential customers. Some of the features of this tablet include being only 8-inches and operates on Snapdragon 800. In addition, the tablet is designed with 1080p resolution display, making it the best tablet in the market (Pratap, 2013). Further, the tablet has additional functionalities, including a high PPI display and comes with the stylus support. The company believes that these features will satisfy the needs of customers and help attract a huge demand. Competitor Analysis As aforementioned, Nokia operates in a very competitive environment. The industry has many players most of which have a very strong brand. Currently, Nokia’s main competitors in the industry include Samsung, Apple, LG, Techno, and Sony Erickson (Pratap, 2013). As such, to maintain gain a competitive advantage over its rivals, Nokia must come up with a marketing plan tha t will help lure many customers to its products. In addition, it must ensure that products are attractive and of high quality. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths Nokia being a well-established brand across the global has a number of strength that has made it a brand of choice for many consumers in the world. Firstly, Nokia commands a huge market share in the mobile industry. Secondly, the company has one of the best research, design, and engineering team (GRIN Verlag, 2012). This has enabled the company to be innovative and produce high quality products that sell well in the market. In fact, one of the major reasons why Nokia phones sells well in the market is because of the

Types of Cells in the Human Body

Types of Cells in the Human Body In this essay I will be looking at the human body and how it is organised, from the simple cell to how the body systems co-operate with each other and that everything functions properly. Firstly I will be looking at some simple cells that will group together to make up a tissue. The first cells I will be looking at will be the erythrocytes, the ova cells in women, the spermatozoon cell in men and the epithelial ciliated cells in the throat. The erythrocytes are made in the red bone marrow of short bones in the body such as the hip bone, breast bone, ribs etc . Red bone marrow can produce new erythrocytes at the rate of about 1 and half million per second to replace those destroyed . When first formed the erythrocyte has a nucleus, which when the cell matures the nucleus is squeezed out to make way for more haemoglobin to be stored inside the erythrocyte. The erythrocyte is very unique in size and structure; it has the look of a biconcave disk shape. These have inner components that allow the transport of oxygen and help the elimination of carbon dioxide. There are approximately 5 million erythrocytes per mmÂÂ ³ of blood. The redness of the red blood cell comes from the pigment it contains; it contains Haemoglobin which combines with oxygen easily to become oxyhaemoglobin there are 180 million haemoglobin molecules in one erythrocyte. Erythrocytes are about 7.8 micrometres in diameter. Erythrocytes can live up to 12 0 days inside the body, before they are broken down in the liver and the spleen by a macrophage. The function of the red blood cell is to primarily transport oxygen from the lungs around the body which can be used for many things, such as making amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates, Their second function is to get rid of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs to be excreted out by the lungs. Oxygen carried by the red blood cells can bind with iron atoms in the blood meaning that haemoglobin can carry 4 oxygen atoms at its maximum capacity. The ability of oxygen to bind with haemoglobin depends on a few factors such as the acidity of the blood and also the temperature. Erythrocytes make up 45% of blood inside the body; the other 55% is plasma. THE OVA CELLS The ova cells are produced in the ovaries of women. This is the by-product of the ovaries which is the tissue that makes the ova. The ovum is a smaller version of an ovary which is small enough to pass down the fallopian tube. This cell is visible and does not need a microscope to see it. It measures in diameter 120um. Its almost a perfect circular cell which has tough follicle cells surrounding the egg to protect it. These cells are normally called ova and they ovulate once every 28 days. The function of ova cells is so that it gives the spermatozoon a chance to fertilise the egg and it has to contain nutrients and metabolites to help sustain itself in early development to hopefully create a human life, as you may well know it is a cycle where once a month a egg develops in the ovaries and is passed down the fallopian tube where it can be fertilised, if fertilisation happens the inside the ova cell, cell division occurs until it reaches the uterus, if unfertilised it will pass out of the body, but if it is fertilised the weight of the ova will imbed itself into the uterus cell wall where it will grow and develop, a successful fertilisation normally is when the woman uterus cell wall is at its highest which is normally the 14th day since the last ovulation. Its structure is perfect for its function, if it was any other shape it could get stuck in the fallopian tube. THE SPERMATOZOON Otherwise known as the sperm cell, this cell is made in the seminiferous tubules in the testes which are lined by germinal epithelial cells which divide repeatedly, forming cells called spermatogonia. The spermatozoon have many structural sections which make it agile and fast. This cell is very specialised and it has some of what most cells have like a head consisting of a nucleus, which contains DNA conjugated with protein in a highly condensed form, mitochondria, microtubules and an acrosome. The nucleus contains the highly condensed set of chromosomes. The condensed state of genetic material reduces the amount of energy needed to transport the sperm. The microtubules produce the whip like movement of a mature sperm, which helps its suspension helping towards the swim to the egg. The mitochondria give the sperm cell the energy it needs to swim, and the acrosome is the storage site of enzymes which help the sperm digest the layers surrounding the egg thus being able to penetrate it. Its primary function is to fertilise an ovum cell, its structure helps it achieve its goal. THE EPITHELIAL CELLS Epithelial cells are produced pretty much anywhere needed in the body where something needs to be protected as we have different types of epithelial cells, take for instance we have squamous epithelium which is also known as pavement epithelium which is found in the walls of blood capillaries and alveoli in the lungs, we also have cuboidal epithelium which is found in some kidney tubules, columnar epithelium which is found in the lining of the small intestine, we also have glandular epithelium which is found in the lining of the rectum, we also have ciliated epithelium, this is formed in the windpipe and Its structure is takes is more of a columnar shape, it has ciliated hairs which beat away from the lungs to move mucus or any other micro-organisms and dust away from the lungs. Smokers are known to have damaged the ciliated hairs by the tar in the cigarettes making the hairs sticky and rigid or they have burnt them. It also has a cytoskeleton called the axoneme, the hairs itself is made of microtubules allowing the hairs to move with more flexibility Its function is just to keep out any foreign tissue, keep micro-organisms out and keep the lungs dust free, its structure helps it as the cilia hairs are facing away from the lungs meaning it will try and keep it by forcing it upwards. TISSUES The epithelial cells will group together to make epithelial tissue which is found in all areas and surfaces of the body, it is specialised to form a covering and or lining of all internal and external surfaces of the body. Epithelial tissue regardless of what type it is, it is separated from a thin-underlying tissue by a thin sheet of connective tissue, the basement membrane, which provides structural support for the epithelium and binds to other neighbouring structures. The ciliated cells in the throat group together to make ciliated epithelial tissue which is formed in a lining normally of the windpipe to help clear mucus, micro-organisms and any foreign tissue a lot more faster and easier than one cell alone. This helps to form one part of the respiratory system. Connective tissue is used to support the body and can bind or connect all tissues together. I will talk about one type of connective tissue which is going to be the bones in our body can also be about the bones in our body. The bones primarily give us the support we need and also give us locomotion to move, it protects delicate organs such as the brain from damage, and is also the site for where erythrocytes are made. It also plays a part in homeostasis which controls the amount of calcium in the blood. Under a microscope the bone is arranged in concentrated layers (lamellae) around the small canals called a haversian canal which interconnects to a volkmanns canal which contains a blood vessel, a lymph and nerve cell. Muscle tissue allows us to be able to relax or contrast our muscles to for us to exercise movement or do some work which requires us to use our muscles, its structure depends on the muscles that come from different areas of the body. We have smooth muscle tissue, skeletal muscle tissue and cardiac muscle tissue. I will now relate to one example which I will look at the structure and function of the smooth muscle tissue. The structure of smooth muscle tissue is made up of thin elongated muscle cells or fibres, these cells are long and pointed to the end and each cell has a large oval nucleus. The smooth muscle tissue is involuntary and we no control over it, some places you will find this tissue are the walls of the bladder, the uterus and the walls of blood vessels, its function is to control, slow involuntary movements such as the contraction of muscle tissue in the walls of the intestines and stomach. Nervous tissue is made up of nerve cells, also known as motor neuron which makes up one part of the nervous system. The structure of a motor neurone is pretty complex, these are lay up and down the body almost touching one another, via the dendrites through the axon, to the synapse, to be dissolved in neurotransmitters to another dendrite, and the central nervous system has three components for it to efficiently work, the motor neurone, the spinal cord and the brain. All motor neurones are connected to the spinal cord and the brain is connected to the spinal cord. A motor neurones function is to detect stimuli and respond to it adequately, it does this by sending electrical messages via the motor neurones to the spinal cord, to the brain and from the brain back to the motor neurones to the connected muscle to react to the stimuli. Its structure means the surface area of motor neurone is big enough to send high powered electrical messages at very high speeds. ORGAN SYSTEMS Up to now we have named a few cells which have developed into tissues, I will now look at the organs from the tissues that come together. The red blood cells have grouped up with plasma to make the blood, the squamous epithelial cells have grouped together to make capillaries, capillaries have grouped and made veins and arteries. All this is has made the circulatory system. The heart is the main organ in this system which too was made of a muscle cell which then grouped to make muscle tissue, making it what it is, the heart is specialised as a muscle as it needs pressure to pump the blood around the body, also it is hallow on the inside which allows the blood to fill the heart and then pump it around the body again. It is made of four chambers, which fill with blood, but they work separately because blood pumped into the heart is deoxygenated and pumped out oxygenated. Together they operate to form the circulatory system. BODY SYSTEMS The systems eventually start working together as one, like the respiratory system works with the circulatory system, the endocrine system works with the whole body giving it hormones, the nervous system works with the brain and spinal cord using nerve cells. The digestive system works alongside the reproductive system. With this in mind we will look at how the body systems work as one entire unit. To ensure we have life, we must to be able to breathe and for that to happen we need our heart beating with blood. The oxygen we breathe in is absorbed into the bloodstream which circulates around our body, picking up glucose and urea from the liver and arriving back at the lungs, and the waste products, like carbon dioxide is excreted. Blood contains waste products such as urea which is given to the liver and bile is added to this ready for digestion in the form of urine but that is after it has passed the kidneys. This links, the circulatory system, the respiratory system and digestive sy stem together. The endocrine system also helps the digestion system by regulating the water balance and blood pressure with the use of very important hormones, such as thyroxin which controls the bodys metabolism. The endocrine system also works with nervous system as it regulates internal functions and maintaining homeostasis. The reproductive system is linked to the digestive system as waste water is excreted through the sexual organs. So the body is linked in many ways to help it function as one whole unit.

Xuela’s Character in Jamaica Kincaids Autobiography of My Mother Essay

  Many critics of The Autobiography of my Mother have remarked on the unrealistic facets of Xuela's extremist character. Her lack of remorse, her emotional detachment, her love of the dirty and "impure," and her consuming need for total control over everyone and everything around her give her an almost mythic quality. A more well-rounded, humanistic character would have doubts and failings that Xuela does not seem to possess. In light of Xuela's deep-seated resentment of authority, stubborn love of the degraded and unacceptable, intense rejection of the à ¬master-slaveà ® relationship, and--most pointedly--her hatred of the British and British culture, many critics have embraced the idea that Xuela is highly symbolic of the conquered, colonized races whose blood makes up her own. There are many complex parallels between Xuela's character and the collective psyche and cultural beliefs of Dominica's "conquered" races. Yet, instead of sinking in despair, Xuela refuses to gracefully accept her lot in life. Early on, she rejects the imposed cultural perception of herself as inferior. Her description of her elementary schoolteacher is prescient: "a woman of the African people, that I could see, and she found in this a source of humiliation and self-loathing, and she wore despair like an article of clothing, like a mantle, or a staff on which she leaned constantly, a birthright which she would pass on to us" (15). Xuela then explains the distinction between Africans and Caribs in her Dominica. "My mother was a Carib woman, and when they (the class) looked at me this is what they saw. The Carib people had been defeated and then exterminated, thrown away like the weeds in a garden; the African people had been defeated but had survived. When... ...den. She understands it, although she does not share it. Xuela also possesses a deeply rooted need for control over her personal realm, possibly brought on by her hatred of the control exerted by the British over Dominica, as well as by her unhappy childhood. Above all, Xuela makes it her project in life to love herself, and, as one reviewer remarks, "she does so with a remarkable dedication" (Mead 52). Her own body becomes a temple to her, a place in which to feel safe and loved. Xuela says that she loves herself out of necessity, for the world she lives in is cruel and has little love to give her. Xuela's character is hard to take, from any standpoint. She is almost inhumanly resilient, and her hatred of all that is Western and white is all-consuming. For these reasons Xuela is sometimes seen as an abstraction, a symbol of an entire people's suffering.   

Mobile Phone and Children

Should children be allowed to own and use mobile phones? Mobile phones keep children safe Mobile phones keep children safer, as it is easier for parents to stay in touch with their children and for children to contact someone in an emergency. Through calls and texts, parents can know where their child is and be reassured that he or she is safe; all the while their children know they are never more than a phone call away from help. As Leslie Sharpe argues, ‘I wanted to ensure that they had a way of contacting me in an emergency’.It is, however, true that some children carrying the most sophisticated or ‘Smart’ phones are more susceptible to being robbed, but thieves are always after something new. Phones now are both much more widespread and security coded, so the benefits to thieves are no longer as great or immediate. Traffic accidents that are the result of children being distracted by their phones while walking across roads should be blamed on bad safety education rather than on the actual phones.Ultimately, mobile phones provide parents and young people with peace of mind and children with a safety net in emergencies, whether calling parents or the emergency services. Children should be comfortable with modern technology Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is now a normal part of modern life, used by everyone from toddlers to pensioners. So children need to grow up making use of technology such as mobile phones if they are to be able to fully participate in contemporary society. The average age at which children get their first mobile phone is eight according to a recent study.To prevent a child from having a mobile phone at that age is to put them at a clear social disadvantage compared with their peers. Mobile phone use develops skills for the modern workplace with its need for tech-savvy employees with communication skills and the ability to work flexibly. In any case, children often have better phone manners than adu lts – they are less likely to shout into the phone, more likely to text discreetly, and more aware of text and phone etiquette. Such manners are the direct consequence of familiarity with the device and an understanding of appropriate use in certain contexts.Mobile phones encourage the development of independence and interpersonal skills Education is as much about the growth in character and dealing with risks as it is the accumulation of knowledge; mobile phones provide for children a means to converse with peers, develop friendships and resolve disputes, all within minutes of each other, night and day. For them, ‘getting a cell phone is a step towards independence and a status symbol among their friends’. The confidence and self-esteem derived from having a mobile phone cannot be underappreciated, as proven by the corresponding negative impact of losing one’s phone.An Independent study in 2004 found that 55 per cent of people cited ‘keeping in touc h with friends or family as the main reason for being wedded to their handsets'. Furthermore, the increasing potential of smart phones facilitates the accessing of information in real-time and on the move; a determined child with a grasp of the potential of their mobile phone can illuminate themselves on matters like directions to destinations, opening times for activities and immediate weather forecasts.With such information, children can begin to reason with each other and make decisions without resort to more mature advice. Schools can implement programs to encourage responsible and considerate mobile phone use All technological platforms have the potential to be abused or act as a negative medium, what is important is that children are taught to use their mobile phones responsibly. Schools should introduce programs and classes that teach children not only how important the devices are to their personal safety, but also how to exploit the advantages of the software.All children w ith sufficiently smart mobile phones should know how to find out where they are at any given time using map functions, and how to use the internet to find information on the go but to be vary of revealing their location to others and possible commercial exploitation of certain location based services. This advice should be taught alongside warnings about the limits of mobile phone technology, ensuring that the children don’t trust them blindly but use them as verification tools or means of starting enquiries.What should emerge is an environment where phones can be used as teaching tools and facilitating social cohesion rather than simply being a distraction in class. There are long-term health risks to mobile phone use Mobile phones are medically safe for children to use – we should ignore scare stories in the media. The latest research has not proved that mobile phones damage brain cells. Ed Yong, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, has been quoted as sa ying ‘the risk of brain cancer is similar in people ho use mobile phones compared to those who don’t, and rates of this cancer (glioma) have not gone up in recent years despite a dramatic rise in phone use during the 1980s’. Furthermore, the European Union’s public health body concluded in 2008 that ‘mobile phone use for less than ten years is not associated with cancer incidence. Regarding longer use, it was deemed difficult to make an estimate’. Even those earlier studies that suggested there might be a problem thought that people would have to use a cell phone for hours a day for there to be an effect.It is true that there is no 100% proof that mobile phones are safe to use, but that is true of any scientific study. Further investigation should be encouraged, but without conclusive proof, the benefits of mobile phone use will continue to far outweigh the costs. Mobile phones are too expensive for children Mobile phones are not too expensive for children – children use pocket money to buy credit and often inherit ‘hand-me-down’ handsets initially. As noted by the opposition, basic models are cheap and the subscription itself is at the mercy of the buyer. Parents can always say â€Å"no† or set limits on what the children can spend.With modern payment plans children can be given a set amount of credit for calls and texts. Learning to work within financial limits is an important part of growing up. In any case, many young people have part-time jobs so they are spending their own money, not their parents and learning to control use and financially managing phone use is a very good skill to learn. Nevertheless, even if it were the case that mobile phones are too expensive, that does not render their ability to keep children safe negligible, for one cannot place a price on a child’s safety. Mobile phones are inappropriate distractions in schoolMobile phones are now a valuable part of studen t life. They can be used for ‘creating short movies, setting homework reminders, recording a teacher reading a poem and timing science experiments’. Moreover, because parents feel their children are safer carrying a phone, they are more likely to allow them to travel to school on their own rather than driving them. This promotes greater independence for the children, while taking traffic off the roads which is environmentally-friendly. Like many other things, mobiles can be distracting in class but this doesn’t mean they should be banned. Many chools allow – some actively encourage – phones to be carried providing they are turned off in lesson. Mobile phones are open to abuse Anything can be abused or used to harm other person, including pencils and paper. New technology carries some risks but we should not be rushed into panic measures. Children got hold of pornography, gambled and bullied each other long before mobile phones were invented. The rel ationship between childhood and new mobile technologies is complex. These problems won’t go away if we ban phone use – they can only be dealt with through good parenting and moral education.In the meantime, parents can get phones which block inappropriate content, and ensure that their children do not have credit cards to pay for it. They should make sure that children know how to report abuse or what to do if they receive inappropriate material on the phone. An American company Disney Mobile is also one of an increasing number of phone makers who ‘provides families with mobile phones specifically designed for tweens, young teens and parents who want to keep an eye on them’. The potential for the abuse of mobile phones is low if parents are informed and vigilant and ensure they buy their children the right phone and right plan.

The Wildest Experience of My Life

So my last weekend before being deployed has finally arrived. I wanted to do something exciting, extreme – something I never would have imagined doing before – something that would take a lot of heart to do. Maybe even could be called a little crazy as others told me. Skydiving was something I had never done and certainly had never thought of doing until now. After doing some research online, I found a place only an hour away from home in Lumberton, Mississippi. In a way I was hoping there wouldn’t be a place local so that could have been my excuse not to do it. Once I started thinking about actually jumping out of a plane, I started to get nervous and have mixed feelings. Then I realized it can’t be any scarier than what I may encounter overseas; maybe it could even help me deal with some things while there. So after much debating and thought along with unsuccessfully trying to convince a few friends to join me, I booked my trip to jump. My trip was booked for Sunday, two days away! I still had a slight hope that one of my friends might change his mind, which didn’t happen. I already had mixed feeling about my â€Å"jump,† and I must admit the more I thought about actually doing it, the more nervous I became. I began feeling jittery, and for the first time I was more nervous about skydiving than I was about being deployed. And still for some reason I wanted to do this, almost felt like I had to. The morning of my jump arrived, and I was instructed to arrive one hour prior to my scheduled time. This means I had to be there at 10 a. m. , and that didn’t leave me with much time to chicken out. The morning of, I began to do my usual morning routine, which consists of jogging and a simple shake for breakfast. I managed to go jogging, but once I returned home I couldn’t even start to drink my shake. So with all the excitement I decided to call my girlfriend at the time. In some way I was hoping to get a little motivation and encouragement out of her. When she picked up the phone the first thing she said was, â€Å"You ready to jump? † Then she laughed at me when I told her I was nervous, which in a way made me feel a little better. Shortly after our phone conversation began I noticed the time and realized I had to start getting ready. I knew if I didn’t get showered, dressed, and get out of the house; I would never make it on time. It crossed my mind that running late would be a better reason not to jump than chickening out and just not doing it. Shortly after that crossed my mind, I decided that was not an option. I was going to do this jump no matter what. So I began my hour and fifteen minute drive. During the ride my hands and feet started sweating while I was constantly trying to concentrate on other things, but always found myself thinking about jumping out of the plane. Then I started to think about all the bad things that could go wrong. Before I realized it I was reading the sign â€Å"Gold Coast Skydivers. I was here, no turning back now. So I pulled in looking for a space to park. I became amazed and couldn’t believe how many people were here. The place was so crowded I had to park in the grass. I finally found a spot and put my truck in park, turned off the ignition, and as I stepped out I could see people who had already jumped. Seeing people landing with open parachutes somewhat gave me a certain calmness to my feelings. When I walked into the office there were people in there laughing and discussing how much fun they had during their jump. No one seemed at all nervous or shaken up as I was expecting. After I filled out all the paper work and signed all the release forms, I was told to wait for my instructor, so he could go over all the information I needed to know. Not long after I was brought into a garage like area with several other first time jumpers they started to go over everything we needed to know. They were constantly reminding us we were jumping at 14,500 feet and would be free falling for approximately 10 seconds before they pulled a smaller parachute, which would slow us down to 120 mph on the free fall. Then we would continue falling for another 60 seconds before the main parachute was pulled. All of the first timers were constantly reminded to make sure we listened to our instructor who would be jumping with us. I would be jumping tandem, which is a requirement for first time jumpers. A tandem jump is when you are attached to the front of someone, our instructor in this case. They will be the ones responsible for pulling the parachute. To me, this meant I would able to sit back and enjoy the ride without worry. Before I was knew it I was being dressed in a blue jumpsuit and stepping into my harness. I was then introduced to my instructor, handed a pair of goggles and told to head towards to the plane. I was walking downhill looking towards the plane and for the first time actually becoming excited about what I was about to experience. My tandem instructor boarded the plane first, and I went right behind him. The plane was narrow with two long benches allowing us to line up with our instructors. When I got seated I started to look at the others who were boarding the plane. My instructor asked me, â€Å"Do you know what it means to be the last one on the plane? † My reply was simple and a fast â€Å"No! † He then laughed and responded, â€Å"You’ll be the first one out! † I found that amusing because I did know that I was the first one on, which means I would be the last one out. Once we got seated my instructor started strapping me in and started going over what I needed to do during the jump. He told me to keep my legs tucked under him, keep my head to the left, and keep my hands on my harness until I was told otherwise. He then told me that after about ten seconds he would tap me twice on my shoulder. This meant I could release my hands from the harness. He proceeded to tell me when and how he would start doing spins and others stunts. I was told to give a thumbs up if I wanted more or to close my fist if I wanted to stop. It seemed like no time had passed by, and we were in air on our way. My instructor had a band on his wrist that showed him how many feet we were at. Before I realized it we were at 13,000 feet and everyone was told to put on their goggles and get ready. This is when I began asking myself what in the hell did I get myself into? Soon as I could blink my eyes the first jumper was out the plane, then the next, and the next! Now I was being scooted forward down the aisle. Once I arrived at the end of the bench I was instructed to crawl to the edge of the door. This means I was looking out of an open door into the blue skies. I had no time to think as we leaned forward, backwards, and then out we went. As soon as it started I wasn’t nervous anymore! I was enjoying the feeling of free falling through the sky with nothing but the air underneath me. Before long I felt the two taps that I had been waiting for, and I released my arms from the harness. Now we were spinning freely in the air and I loved every second of it. I never closed my fist. From what I can remember I believe I kept both thumbs up the entire time. Before I knew it the parachute had been pulled, and I was being jerked upward. This is when I heard my instructor say, â€Å"We got ourselves a parachute! † I was then told to position my harness lower on my thighs, so I could be in a sitting position. This turned out to be more comfortable to me. As we were gliding downward towards the landing zone, I began looking around and realized that this was one of the most peaceful experiences of my life. My instructor made it feel natural as he effortlessly guided us right towards the landing circle with ease. As we were getting close I could see the others who had already landed and were watching me as we started our decent. Next thing I heard was â€Å"feet up† and we were landing gently on the ground. For some reason I expected the landing to be more difficult and rough, but it wasn’t. I was now safe and on the ground being unhooked from my instructor. At this time I could say that I had jumped out of a plane and enjoyed every second of it. Back in the office I changed out my suit and talked to the other first time jumpers for a little while. I then took the opportunity to take pictures with my instructor and get the information I needed to learn how to skydive on my own. I then said my goodbyes and headed home. I was proud of myself for what had just got accomplished and the fear I had overcome. This was truly a mind blowing, breath taking, stomach turning, and nerve racking experience. As soon as it was over a part of me was ready to jump again.