Personal Reflection

This CLA language course was intended to help improve our level of writing, understanding, and also to be able to properly define the words that might be used in our workplace in the future.

My classmates and I were taught by Mr. Gregory Vrhovnik, an American language teacher. To me, Gregory was by far one of the best at making students feel that what they were doing was not work, he had a way to make us feel motivated, which lead us to interpret writing as something that we could do at any time, as if it was common sense.

Some of the best learning experience that I had with this course was doing in-class summaries, this pushed me to think fast on how to write a perfect summary in a certain amount of time, pushing me to exceed my boundaries, and learn how to be an effective writer. Another useful method that was provided with this course was the online vocabulary quizzes which helped me boost my understanding of words and how to use certain words in certain sentences.

I personally think that this course was extremely helpful, useful, and very resourceful. This course has made my very confident with language. I can now easily tackle any sort of grammar as well as write about anything I am assigned to with ease, all thanks to the experience I had during this language course.

Word Count: 234

Essay 1: Greenpeace in the UAE

Greenpeace, an independent organization that fights to maintain a healthy environment and preserve what wildlife and greenery we have left in this world, was started in 1971 in Vancouver Canada, by a group of activists whose passion was to make our world last as a beautiful, tranquil place.  Greenpeace ultimately fights to create a better world for human beings and strives to achieve its goals by operating globally. They would say, “Only when the last fish is gone, the last river poisoned, the last tree cut down...will mankind realize they cannot eat money.” (Greenpeace,1980). In its endeavor to achieve this, it has now spread to 40 countries around the world. 

Greenpeace’s ideas have been implemented in Bu Tinah Island, off the coast in the western region of Abu Dhabi UAE, with the aim to protect and preserve the wildlife of the Middle East. Bu Tinah Island was recognized as an established reserve in 2001. In the early stages of globalization, Bu Tinah Island was not well-known. However, the island is now an official finalist in the “New 7 Wonders of Nature”. In the Khaleej times, it was said, “Bu Tinah Island has earned its place in the final of this competition because of the way we in this country have chosen to protect it.” (Jaber,2011). Being in this competition has made Bu Tinah become recognized around the world and it is now part of Unesco within the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve.

Bu Tinah Island is a collection of small islands that are joined together and is home to an exotic variety of animals. Some of these animals are Dolphins, Sea turtles, Dugongs or the “Sea cow”, Flamingos, and Ospreys. This cluster of islands has made the shallow water in-between them a safe haven for many different species of animals and is a natural reserve for endangered species. Over 600 out of an estimated total of 3,000 Dugongs in the Middle East can be found in and around Bu Tinah Island. There is also a variety of different species of Dolphins. Flamingos can be found feeding in the shallow waters, as well as Ospreys hunting for fish. All these species are only some of the species that can be found at Bu Tinah. In addition to the variety of animal species, there is also a variety of different types of coral, which surprisingly, are thriving in these warm waters. Corals typically live in water that is a maximum of 28°C, but the warm waters of the UAE exceed that, and can reach up to 35°C, which makes this island an intriguing place for scientists to study.

The idea of competing in the New 7 Wonders of Nature is a great move on behalf of the island, as this will make it easier to protect as it has been recognized around the world. All these species and more are thriving thanks to the fact that it is protected from fishermen and hunters. It is our duty to see to it that Bu Tinah Island remains forever protected, in order to preserve what wildlife we have left, not only in the Middle East, but around the world.

Word Count: 524

Saleh Al-Menhali

H00229449 CLA

Essay 2: The Ritz-Carlton

It all started with an idea that blossomed and turned into something great. The first ever Ritz-Carlton hotel was built by the famous hotelier, César Ritz in 1912, in Montreal Canada. César Ritz was a great entrepreneur that aimed high and achieved his goals. Starting with only this one hotel, the Ritz-Carlton soon expanded in many other locations around the world and soon spread to 24 countries including, Bahrain, Japan, Russia, UAE and Spain, and now have a total of 77 hotels worldwide that provide employment for around 38,000 personnel. Currently there are plans on the board for expansions in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.

He started one of the best hotel chains in the world that focus on fulfilling each and every wish that the guest has, whether it is expressed or not. The Ritz-Carlton mission was and is, to give their guests the most comfortable, relaxed, highest standard of service possible during their stay in their hotels. One of the Ritz-Carlton’s strategies is to build their hotels in the perfect locations, and then provide the best services possible to make the memory unforgettable. To this day, the Ritz-Carlton is famous for its high standard of customer service and is has in many ways set the standard for other hotels to live up to.

Throughout his years in the hotel business, César’s philosophy remained that, “The customer is never wrong”, this is what he always used to say, and this is what made his hotels famous and incredibly successful.  This is what truly made the Ritz-Carlton one of the leading hotels in the world.

The Ritz-Carlton is the only company to have been awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, not once, but twice. He achieved this by maintaining the highest standard of luxury in rooms, dining, and most importantly customer service, which he believed, was the most important thing in his eyes. One example  that shows how the Ritz-Carlton is extremely committed to serving their customers, is through the $2,000.00 that the employee is allowed to spend on a guest to meet the guest’s needs, if the employee sees that it has to be done.

All Ritz employees live and believe in the saying “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen” (Moore, 2010). This is said so that there is no sense of superiority between the customer and the employee. Everyone is equal in the sense that everyone has the same values, and because “they behave, they talk, they dress like ladies and gentlemen. That’s the motto of the company” (Humler, 2010).

Although it is now expensive to stay in the Ritz-Carlton hotels, the employees focus on making the guest feel that it was worth the money. Another way of doing that is by making sure that an issue is quickly addressed and solved as soon as it arises, if the employees wait for a time before solving an issue, the guest will become frustrated and will likely not return to the hotel, and this will in turn, put the Ritz-Carlton name to shame.

Sadly, César passed away in 1918, and then his wife Marie, took over his role to so that the high-standard business be had worked so hard to create, be maintained. Marie sold the hotel name to Albert Keller who franchised it and opened up an Investment Company named, the Ritz-Carlton Investing Company.

The Ritz-Carlton in Boston was built by Edward N. Wyner, who was a real estate agent. In order to be able to name his hotel the Ritz-Carlton, he had to receive permission from the investing company and also from the Ritz Paris, which he did. The Ritz-Carlton is now part of Marriot International.

At the 2003 Symposium, Gerard Van Grinsven, a former executive for the Ritz-Carlton, explained what he meant by “The wow factor”, he explained how it could be very cheap to make a guest feel comfortable and safe, and how invaluable it is in order to do so for their satisfaction. The happier the guest is, the greater the chances are that he or she will return to the hotel.

The Ritz-Carlton hotels are proud of their “Ladies and Gentlemen” for giving back to the community. Their employees are empowered to give back to the community by focusing on 3 main things; poverty and hunger, conservation of the environment and the well-being of children. The employees are constantly motivated to do these things.

When hiring employees, the Ritz-Carlton puts them through extensive training before going on the job, and ensures that each employee has the required qualities that are similar to the employees of other successful hospitality businesses. Together, the extensive training of their employees, their hard work and luxurious rooms and standards has resulted in retaining guests for life.

The Ritz-Carlton hotels are all extremely successful and luxurious. Now owned by the Marriot International, the Ritz-Carlton chain of hotels is well worth the money to stay in. Staying in one of their hotels is highly recommended. It is quite apparent that Ritz is obsessed with being the best, shown by their goals, they aim to achieve the highest of standards. The orientations they provide for their employees only prove that they are driven to providing the best of the best in customer service and satisfaction. When they say “The customer is never wrong”, it means that whatever the customer says, will go, which shows how important it is to them to take care of their guests, proof of this is the $2,000.00 that the employees are allowed to spend on them as mentioned previously, in order to keep their guests satisfied. Their mission statement aims to globalize their name further than what it already is. They will forever carry on the legacy of César Ritz.                                       

Word Count: 961

References

How The Ritz-Carlton Is Reinventing Itself. (n.d.). Gallup Management Journal. Retrieved January 8, 2012, from http://gmj.gallup.com/content/24871/how-the-ritz-carlton-is-reinventing-itself.aspx

The Ritz-Carlton : Community Footprints : Outreach and Corporate Giving. (n.d.). Combining Luxury & Hospitality: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Retrieved January 8, 2012, from http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/about/community.htm

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. Shares its Secret for Providing Exceptional Customer Service. (n.d.). Combining Luxury & Hospitality: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Retrieved January 8, 2012, from http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/Press/Releases/TheRitzCarltonLeadershipCenter.htm

The Ritz-Carlton: About Us: History. (n.d.). Combining Luxury & Hospitality: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com/en/About/OurHistory.htm

Cesar Ritz Philosophy - Our Hotel School - Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland - Hotel School. (n.d.). Ritz Colleges Switzerland - Hotel School. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://www.ritz.edu/en/our-hotel-school/cesar-ritz-philosophy-0-1

Ritz Carlton's Management Objectives And Goals - Term Papers - Careysn. (n.d.). Free Term Papers, Research Papers, Essays, Book Reports | OPPapers.com. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Ritz-Carlton-s-Management-Objectives-And-Goals/600745

Ritz-Carlton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton shares its winning formula for wowing guests.. (n.d.). EXPERT Magazine - leadership, customer service, training and development, meeting planning resources. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://www.expertmagazine.com/EMOnline/RC/part3.htm

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Saleh Al-Menhali

H00229449 CLA

Summary 1: The search for water

Bedouins knew where every well was located, due to the fact that water was needed to help fight the heat that they had to encounter on a daily basis. Wells were not only used for their water, but also for navigating through the desert, which is still done today. Wells were named after the people who dug them. Considerable amounts of vegetation in a certain area, and valleys between dunes, were considered as good places to search for water. Satchels made of sheep or goatskin was used for storing water after it was extracted.  In cases that were life threatening, the Bedouins would kill a camel and drink the water that was stored in its stomach. A Bedouin’s body adjusts itself in order to last longer without water.

Saleh Al-Menhali

H00229449 CLA

Summary 3: Safeguarding the UAE's national identity

The preservation of traditional Emirati sports is very important for safeguarding the UAE’s national identity. It is extremely important that these traditions stay alive as they symbolize the UAE. These traditional sports consist of falconry, horse, camel, dhow, and saluki racing. These sports were practiced by our Bedouin ancestors. But unfortunately, with time, technological and western influences have played a negative role in the youth’s interest in learning the traditions of our ancestors. A group of local women from ZU have put together a documentary about the traditional Emirati sports, with the purpose to educate young Emiratis. Even though the influences are great, today’s youth have not yet lost touch with their cultural heritage. The traditions were used as a means for survival by our Bedouin ancestors. In the past, it was all about trading. There are a few people who strive to keep the Bedouin culture alive, such as Hamad Al Ganam. The UAE will forever fight to maintain its culture and traditions.

Saleh Al-Menhali

H00229449 CLA

Summary 2: Masdar's plan for the future

Abu Dhabi’s clean energy company, Masdar, is planning on building a wind farm near the Saudi border, the first wind farm in the area. Wind is what Abu Dhabi is planning to use for renewable energy. Their target percentage for sourcing its power from this renewable source is 7 per cent. Specialized blades are being developed to help produce more energy from the winds that are received by the area they plan to build on. The government has announced that they plan to reach this percentage by 2020. Masdar, which is owned by Mubadala Development, has been given the task to complete this project. The plant that they plan to build would produce 100 megawatts, which generally isn’t a challenge with wind. But due to the fact that strong winds are not constant in the Gulf, it will be more challenging to produce renewable energy from wind compared to solar energy. This project will cost about Dhs734.6m, and will be the first of its kind in the UAE due to the fact that it is wind, not solar.

Saleh Al-Menhali

H00229449 CLA

Word count: 176