greed was my main incentive in those days, and greed has a way of obfuscating your rational thought in ways that would baffle even the most cunning of men.

(d) Conclusions

Having gone on a field trip to Queenstown, with the given task of surveying the various costs that a local would experience. I have come to the conclusion that our hypothesis, “That the cost of living in Queenstown is more expensive than in Invercargill, because of tourism” is true.

We can base this on the facts and evidence that we have gathered. This evidence is presented in the form of prices of basic necessities that a local would require in order to carry out a typical lifestyle.

Example would include fuel prices, to fuel their transportation around town. Parking costs to leave their transportation safely. The price of homes in order to live and the rates that must be paid to the local authorities. Taxi prices, which have various uses for both locals and tourists alike. Alcohol prices for a common drinking activity. Lastly, the grocery prices which is needed for living.

A simple generalization that I would make is that across the board, prices for all these necessities are much higher in Queenstown. The reason for this higher cost of living is largely based on tourism that Queenstown receives more than Invercargill.

Fuel prices in Queenstown, which are normally controlled and similar across nations, are slightly higher than that of Invercargill. The prices of the 3 major fuel companies Shell, Caltex and Esso are similar in Invercargill and Queenstown. However Queenstown’s diesel price is a $1.529 while Invercargill is a $1.479. There is a difference of about $0.05. 91 Unleaded petrol price in Queenstown is $2.109, Invercargill at $2.059. Difference of $0.05. Although the difference of $0.05 may be negligible, they do however make a significance when purchasing fuel in large quantities.

Reason: Tourism / Market Demand

Parking spots in Queenstown are hard to find as a contrast to Invercargill, due to the amount of visitors, buses and campervans. It is due to this high demand for parking spots that we see a much higher price for parking. Queenstown’s parking per hour is $2.50 whilst that of Invercargill only $0.90. Difference of $1.60. It is not only harder to find parking spots in Queenstown but also extremely expensive.

Reason: Congestion due to Tourism

The biggest difference in prices between Queenstown and Invercargill is the prices for houses. A typical 3-bedroom house would cost only $250,000 in Invercargill while $836,000 in Queenstown.  Difference of $586,000. That means a house in Queenstown would cost 3 times as much as it would in Invercargill. Queenstown being a popular destination, many people purchases houses here as an investment hence the price. Owners use them only during holiday seasons and rent them out when not in use. The rent in Queenstown is 2 times higher than that of Invercargill. $300 per week in Queenstown and $125 - $130 in Invercargill.  The yearly tax rate on property is also higher due to the higher capital value.

Reason: Tourism/Market Demand

Even grocery prices are not spared, Queenstown has a higher overall cost than Invercargill and this highly effects the cost of living. The only cheaper items in Queenstown are perishable goods like fruits such as Apples and Bananas. This is only cheaper most likely due to the cost of transporting such goods across the country. Basic items such as milk, bread and butter have a vary big difference in price between Queenstown and Invercargill.

Reason: Transportation/ Tourism

Taxis in particular are more expensive in Queenstown as there is a larger demand for it than Invercargill. Tourists are much more likely to take taxis than locals as they may not be able to drive in New Zealand or posses a car.

Reason: Driving permit/ Vehicle/ Tourism

Lastly Alcohol prices are much higher in Queenstown as well. A 24 Speight’s costs $54 while Invercargill only $36, which is a difference of $18. 12 pack of Heineken has a difference of $14 and a bottle of wine with a difference of $7. Consumption of alcohol figures is likely to be higher in Queenstown, which is largely a reason for the huge difference in prices.

Reason: Tourism, Consumption Difference

Having seen the impact of Economic and Socio-Cultural – the evidence is clear and all points towards the effects of tourism on Queenstown. Tourism in Queenstown is high due to its magnificent natural environment, which is something that Invercargill cannot compare to. However if Invercargill may find a reason to attract a large amount of tourists, the same economic effect will happen to Invercargill as well. It is much cheaper to live in Invercargill and peaceful as well, for there is minimal disruption of lifestyle from tourists and foreign nationals.

The data presented here are as accurate as I can possibly get, however there is a slight margin of miss accuracy that is difficult to correct.

has anyone noticed asians take photos of the weirdest shit? they walking down the road and BAM!!!!! the camera comes out and they decide to take a photo of a half dead tree. i love asians btw. they're sick cunts.

http://kdtechnology.tumblr.com/

it is true thou, what this anons say. at first i saw a post and i liked it.
then i saw you were filipino, me too as well. and i was like man you might be cool. so i followed.

then over the past few weeks, i've come to the conclusion. you really try way too hard. you really do. with all the gifs and "so-called" situations filled with gifs and ideas you stole from somewhere else.

it's fine thou. i don't really care but i'm just letting you know that you come across as someone who is reallly reallly trying very hard to be popular amongst people.

you blog to impress not express.
perhaps because you can't impress in real life?

idk. well yeah :)
gd day sir.

sooo goooood.

win

The Shining - Film Element

Text: Full Metal Jacket

Element of Media language: Visual & dialogue Symbolism

In Full Metal Jacket, Kubrick uses certain dialogues and visual objects to symbolize the afterlife and rebirth. A war film, many of these observations can be drawn from the symbols of dead soldiers and the surroundings.

During a scene in Full Metal Jacket, audiences see the lime covered corpses of Vietnamese soldiers and Crazy Earl’s dead North Vietnamese Army (NVA) “bro”. These corpses are not just symbolic of the shadow of the self, but also of an afterlife theme.

‘Today is his birthday”, Crazy Earl tells Joker. This statement and corpse of the soldier, made to look alive, is a symbol to this effect of the afterlife. The NVA soldier is ‘reborn’ through his death and will never really be dead. This is further evident during the rifle training, Hartman tells his recruits “You will become dead marines, and then you will be in a world of shit”. Here again we see the representation of death and the afterlife. Also mentioned by Hartman “The marine corps lives forever and that means you live forever.”

The symbolism of the afterlife can be seen through out the entire film with relative relations to both before the recruit’s transportation to Vietnam and at the training camp.

At the training camp, Pyle wakes the recruits in his platoon by his shouting and screams. As they awake the recruits creep about the barracks like the lime covered dead rising from the graves. Sleep in one way or another can be seen as a temporary form of death as it is to being really dead. The representation of them creeping like the dead is done by Kubrick on purpose to show audiences that there is an afterlife and the dead with walk again.

Probably the most apparent and visually significant symbol of the dead and afterlife is seen when the Lusthogs are hiding behind the concrete rubble as a camera crew proceeds to film them with the wreckage caused. Medics can be seen carrying injured marines on stretchers hurriedly from left to right. A dying soldier is carried past followed by an unusual marine who happens to be casually strolling in the midst of a potential sniper shot to the head! This marine has his head covered in white bandages and so are his hands. It is at this very point that the audio we hear changes to a babble of some sort, very much ghostlike. The film crew points the lens up at this soldier’s face, at which point a yellow flash can be seen in his camera. This ghost soldier waves at the camera; it is unknown whether he is acknowledging the camera team or the audience.

Kubrick not only used this theme of an afterlife and spiritual rebirth in Full Metal Jacket but also in his sci-fi ‘2001: A space Odyssey’. At first glance and as narrated in the movie the black monolith was a mysterious alien artifact. But pondering on it, some audiences happen to see it as doorway out of the universe. Upon rotation of the monolith it looks as if it is a cinema screen or at least a symbol of a screen. Those who were able to recognize it in some way were able to overlook the whole ‘alien artifact’ and focus on the fact that they have been reborn as a God or a director with their ability to control the movie and understand it through the monolith, much like an after life or a rebirth.

We now see the black monolith as a symbol for rebirth/afterlife and this can be traced back to Full Metal Jacket. Upon being fired at by the NVA sniper, Cowboy starts to die slowly from his wound. The camera here is positioned in a manner in which the building at the back appears to be black very much like the monolith. Furthermore with the Marines standing around Cowboy’s dead body, viewers can draw a conclusion that the composition is identical to that of the apes in 2001 huddling around the monolith. Cowboy is going through a ‘rebirth’ process and the symbol of the afterlife again here is evident. Just like Dave in 2001, Cowboy’s death has made him exit the film and into an afterlife dimension.

Upon initial viewing of Full Metal Jacket, one would find that it is conceptually simple and easier to understand as compared to other films made by Kubrick, however it is not! The Visual and Dialogue symbolism that were subtly inserted is vast with ranges from that of the child; Pile, Mickey Mouse; Senseless nonsense and stupidity of war, and Hell on earth /rebirth/ afterlife.

The symbolism left behind my Kubrick will not be apparent to the common moviegoer but like all of his other films, they were never meant to be easy to spot and understand. His artistry will forever live on in his films and those are a testament to his greatness.

Mohamed Sahdique Caubang

Words: 829