Reflective Account - nursing free essay sample

This essay demonstrates the significant learning that resulted as a consequence of using critical reflection on my practice. The reflective process helped me to realise how my practice needed to change after I experienced a personal and practice-related issue during and after my clinical placement. Reflective practice is an important component of all nurse education programmes. The Nursing and Midwifery Councils (NMC) The Code: Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for nurses and Midwives (NMC, 2008), states that nurses must continue to keep knowledge and skills up to date during their professional careers. Reflection can improve a nurses repertoire of skills (Matthews, 2004). Reflection is a term much talked about yet there is no single, universally agreed definition (Chirema, 2007). However, there are many prominent thinkers and writers in the area who have made considerable contributions to the ongoing dialogue. As a learning process, reflecting on practice and turning experience into learning requires a framework or model in which to understand the experience and make sense of it. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflective Account nursing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This may include other people with whom to interact and share experiences with. Indeed, much of the literature enthusiastically encourages reflection on experiences in nursing. It expects that by doing so, it will improve the professionalism of the practitioner by automatically transferring the new knowledge, skills and expertise into practice (Wallace, 2010). After trialling a few models of reflection, I eventually settled on Gibbs (1988) model (refer to figure 1). I find this a simple and easy to use model and it suited my personal style of learning. However, reflection often reveals shortcomings and it has potential to leave the practitioner feeling insecure and demotivated. Yet OCallaghans (2005) reflective writing described how a student managed to break down ritualistic practice in wound dressings and improve the patient’s recovery with evidence-based practice. Mooney and Nolan (2006) claim that reflection helps nurses to better understand and build on a body of nursing knowledge, which benefits the profession. Figure 1 Gibbs’ (1988) Reflection Cycle Reflection of any sort is difficult: it requires the learning of new skills that may lead to positive outcomes. It demands effort, ongoing commitment and motivation in order to prioritise an additional work activity in an already demanding role as a children’s nurse (Schutz et al, 2004; Schon, 1991; Argyris, 1999; Marcos et al, 2009). There has been a growing concern among many employers of registered nurses that new recruits lack the ability to think critically and broadly about their work (Castledine, 2010). This could be due to the difficulties mentioned and the personal nature of reflection and so may be a barrier to truthfully accounting the story (Schutz et al, 2004). As a previously experienced nurse, this was a major dilemma in my own reflective writing. I was, in effect, exposing my failings to a total stranger. However, I decided to be as truthful as possible in order for the process to work. What happened (my story)? The focus for my reflection was post-appendectomy care. In my placement, I nursed a female teenager through an appendectomy. Within a month I had to undergo the same procedure myself. Appendectomy is a common treatment performed on the children’s ward where I undertook my placement. This is usually carried out by laparoscopic surgery. Advice that I gave pre- and post-operatively to the child and parents/carers are included in the care plans, pre-operative care and post-operative care which can be found in appendices one, two and three. For the first stage of the cycle, Gibbs encourages a description of the events. What was I thinking and feeling? When I gave the pre- and post-operative advice to the teenager and her mother I felt as though I was doing a good job. I was following the plans and procedures. My supervisor was happy. However, once I had undergone the whole experience of having a retrograde appendix removed myself, I discovered that the pre-operative preparation and post-operative care that was given to me, and I myself would have given something similar, inadequate. Although my experience as an adult on an adult ward would have been slightly different to the teenager that I cared for, the principles of care are similar. Differences in care may have been due to staff-patient ratios and policies around visiting and family-centred care. In my experience I suffered an inability to cough, anorexia, changes in taste and diet, being limited in walking and mobilising and general and mental malaise. I even surprised myself by worrying about my body image due to the size of the scar on my abdomen. Although these experiences were personal to me, I assumed that many of these conditions and thoughts are typical and would have been equally suffered by the teenager that I cared for. Nothing was mentioned at any time to me pre- or post-operatively about any of these experiences. I never saw any leaflets at the time of my appendectomy but I discovered a patient information leaflet for the Gloucestershire Health Community regarding coughing after surgery. It states that it is important that you can cough post-operatively so that you can clear any phlegm that has accumulated whilst being intubated during surgery. It gives you guidance on how to get rid of phlegm comfortably. I can honestly state that I have never been instructed to talk to a patient about this in the two hospitals that I have worked in and therefore I have never considered it has a significant problem. I have observed it in patients but it has been brushed aside has a minor nuisance due to the tubing used in the anaesthetic. I have in the past encouraged a teenager to cough holding a pillow to their wound but that was pretty much it. To my embarrassment, I took the lead from my colleagues. However, I now know from my own personal experience, that the process of being able to cough and clear phlegm is a bigger problem than most nurses’ think. It used to be that a child would not be able to commence food and fluids for a few days in order to enable the bowel to regain normal function. However, now there are no dietary restrictions but children are recommended to eat lightly for the first day or two and if nausea or vomiting occurs, they are encouraged to stick with clear liquids until it passes. I suffered with dreadful nausea (I believe this was due to the antibiotics) and this was not helped with being positioned in a bay with other patients that were eating or one patient in particular that had a bowel condition that meant that he had to sit on a commode for lengthy periods. What was also less appreciated by me is that the body appears to go through a detoxification process. After one week of eating very little and losing about 8lbs due to the ongoing nausea, my palate had adjusted and I couldn’t bear to eat the foods that I was used to. A favourite curry tasted that someone had literally poured a tablespoon of salt onto it! I couldn’t bear anything other than ice cream and water. This second stage of the Gibbs cycle provides a section to explore how I felt and the thoughts I had. This section was the most important part of my exploration and learning process. My comments were not directly restricted to my thinking and feeling. It felt natural to analyse my incident and evaluate it, supported by evidenced-based research. What were the thoughts and feelings of others involved? How do you know? The teenager that underwent the appendectomy was clearly in pain, despite analgesia following examination, and was clearly concerned about the forthcoming operation. It was clear because of the questions that they were asking and their body language. Preventing distress for children, young people and their carers when they are admitted to hospital is a fundamental goal of childrens nursing. Glasper and Richardson (2005) state that children, young people and their families need to know what is going to happen and how it is going to happen. Vague and unclear information is far more upsetting than what is known and understood. Surgery is a planned procedure which aids itself very well to good preparation. This helps children to cope, reducing anxiety and allowing them to know exactly what to expect, such as what will happen post-appendectomy. Thus, at the time, I followed this advice. I felt that I adequately prepared the teenager that underwent the appendectomy and her mother for this procedure. My supervisor was alongside me and appeared happy with everything that I had done in my caring for the teenager and her mother. I had given detailed information about what was going to happen and answered all of their questions comprehensively. The third section of the Gibbs process required me to look into what others thought. As such it demanded that I put myself in their shoes. This stage is incredibly useful because it allowed me to reflect on what I observed e. g. body language, the things that were said, and the way I might have viewed things if I was in their situation. I was able to analyse how I perceived the motives and reactions of others. What other options were open to me? I do not feel that many other options were open to me when caring for the teenager at that time. I had nursed many, many teenagers through appendectomies and despite being supervised through this caring situation, nothing much had changed since I was nursing full-time. What would I do if the situation arose again? I feel I need to re-learn and understand more about the dilemmas of children and their families/carers when going through any period of hospitalisation. Clearly, dealing properly with the aftermath of abdominal surgery is important; it has significant implications, not only for physiological reasons, but also from a psychological perspective e. g. considering the wound. The nursing process was the first move towards a systematic way of assessing the patient’s nursing problems, their priorities, reasons for nursing interventions and care. This was closely followed by the process of setting standards and carrying out quality assurance measures to see if the quality of nursing care had been achieved. Although all these attempts have tried to encourage more critical thinking in nursing, there is still a problem in getting nurses to break away from the comforts of routine and become more assertive in their contribution to the health team’s decisions (Castledine, 2010). A lot is written about ‘nursing rituals’. The term ‘ritual’ is often used in a derogatory sense in nursing literature to refer to unthinking, routine actions by nurses, which lacks any empirical foundation. For example, Walsh and Ford (1989): â€Å"The nurse does something because this is the way it has always been done. † I believe that nursing care plans are an example of this routine behaviour. I believe that I have been following the same nursing plan for pre- and post-appendectomy care for many years. They have changed recently but the change is minimal and only includes appendectomies carried out via keyhole operations or the insertion of a three-fibre optic camera through the stomach (laparoscopy). Therefore, my first step would be to re-look at the nursing care plans on the ward. I have included the care plan used on the ward that I was placed on in appendix 1. As you can see, this is a generic form used and nursing staff are able to add plans to suit different types of general surgery. I believe that it would be more efficient to include specific care plans for the more common types of surgeries seen on the ward, appendectomies included. A letter published in a popular nursing journal: â€Å"Nurses who believe that nursing care is all about managing drips and administering medicines are nothing more than technicians†¦It is inexcusable to concentrate on the technical and give care without empathy, touch or time to talk† (Bolger,  2007). The nurses that ‘cared’ for me were guilty of being ‘technicians’. I believe that empathy, touch and time to talk should be emphasised more and clearly written in the care plans. I personally tried to look at the teenager as an individual and not as a condition. I feel that the care plans should reflect this. For example, a discussion about the wound should be more in depth and the female teenagers response noted for future intervention. Evidence-based practice encourages observable and measurable assessment and evaluation through quantitative means (Taylor, 2006). It requires that decisions based about health care are based on the best available and most up-to-date evidence. Nurses must also be able to scrutinise research findings to evaluate their clinical applicability, and use clinical practice guidelines to disseminate proven and therapeutic knowledge (Timmermans and Berg, 2003). It is my intention that the care of children undergoing any form of treatment, appendectomies included, is based on current evidence and experiences that includes those of the children nursed. In the fifth and final stage of the Gibbs reflective process, I was able to explore the implications of following nursing rituals and inadequate nursing plans and care. I hope to apply what I have learnt from my own personal experience to future situations through redesigning leaflets, care plans and considering the environment that the children are nursed in.

buy custom Introduction of MRI essay

buy custom Introduction of MRI essay Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a unique imaging technique used in medical practices of radiology in order to visualize the detailed images of internal structures. It applies the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to image different types of nuclei atom inside a persons body. This is accomplished using Magnetic resonance imaging machine, which uses strong magnetic fields to align magnetization of few of body atoms. This is a new technology in the medical field, and the first magnetic resonance imaging was developed in United Kingdom at the famous University of Aberdeen. The very firsts image of magnetic resonance was published in early 1973.Improvements of this technology then followed this development and years later at John Hopkins University the current magnetic imaging resonance machine was developed by a research team headed by Paul Bottomley who was the director of research in magnetic resonance at this university. The machine also uses fields of radio frequency to orderly alter the magnetization alignments. This functions cause the body nuclei to produce rotating magnetic fields that are easily detected by the machine scanner. This information is then recorded in order to construct a visible image of the body area that has been scanned. Magnetic resonance imaging is very effective as it provides detailed descriptions of various contrasts between various soft tissues found in the body thus making it possible to view clear images of various body ailments and parts such as the heart, muscles, brain, and diverse types of cancers. Magnetic resonance imaging does not make use of ionizing radiations unlike traditional x-rays and other convectional scanning methods. A computer is used to convert all the signals obtained from MRI scan into remarkably clear and detailed cross-sectional body images of the scanned body parts. MRI has wide uses in the medical field .It is used by doctors to find various body problems which include bleeding, diseses or infections of the blood vessels, tumors ,injury ,among others.MRI is also used to produce a more detailed description about a body problem initial detected through use of X-ray, CT scan or ultrasound scan. Different types of contrast material are used during a scan using MRI to show the abnormal body tissues more clearly. There are many types of the MRI exams existing today. First is the Brain MRI that is used to scan the body brain. It is mostly used to diagnose people with problems such as chronic headache, hearing loss, seizures, brain tumor, nerve injury, an aneurysm, brain breeding, and other detrimental problems. During a MRI of the brain, a unique device offered to as head coil is used to aid in producing detailed pictures of the persons brain. Furthermore, there is Chest MRI, which is used to scan the chest where it looks at various organs like the heart, blood vessels such as coronary, and the valves. It helps to show whether lungs or the body heart are damaged. As Catherine and John (2005) exposits, A scan called Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) is used to diagnose condition of blood vessels and how blood is flowing through the blood vessels.(p.176). MRA is important as it aids in detecting and studying the constriction areas or dilation areas of the body blood vessels. Another type is the spine MRI which is mostly used in people having arm, neck ,leg or back pains to aid in detecting herniated disks or spinal stenosis defined as the narrowing of ,spinal tumors and disc bulges. MRI is the best method to use in the search for recurrent disks herniations in patients having histories of prior surgeries of the back. In addition, there is Abdomen MRI that is used to scan body abdomen to diagnose problems in various belly structures and organs such as pancreases, bladder, liver, kidneys, adrenal grands, and gallbladder.It is also used in finding bleeding, blockage, and infections in the belly. For women patients, Pelvic MRI is used to provide detailed descriptions of the ovaries and the uterus in most cases as a follow up to an abnormality detected using ultrasound. For male patients, Pelvic MRI is used to check patients diagnosed with dreaded prostate cancer. Furthermore, Pelvic MRI is used to check at various types of pelvis muscles and bones. There generally two known types of MRI machines, open MRI machines and closed MRI machines. The main and noticeable difference is on the sizes of these machines and the extent to which they surround the people being checked. A closed MRI machine has amore narrower tube is also smaller and produces good images of the body parts being scanned. On the other hand, the open machine has its three-sided open thus becoming more comfortable to the patients .However, the open machines images are not that good because the magnetic fields are not traveling in a complete cycle around the entire body. In most cases, a technologist who has specialized in MRI does the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test or check-up. Some of the MRI exams need an MRI dye or contrast injection which is very safe and completely different from other contrast agents used in imaging tests with use of x-rays like intravenous pyelogram or CT scan.MRI is painless procedure and has no side effects on the pregnant patients. No major preparations are needed before an MRI exam. The only existing exception is a unique study of body bile ducts referred to as magnetic resonance cholangiopancratography (MRCP) where drinking and eating is Prohibited 2 or 3 hours before the test is done. The unique characteristics of MRI have tremendously advanced doctors abilities to view various human tissues as it can easily generate clear and detailed images of any body part and from any particular angle without need for surgical cutting.MRI causes very little damage to the body cellular structures. Buy custom Introduction of MRI essay

Different Styles in Movies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Different Styles in Movies - Essay Example The essay "Different Styles in Movies" investigates such movie styles as Soviet Montage, Surrealism, German Expressionism and Impressionism. Equally important is the use of dream sequence to penetrate in to the layers of mind – conscious and subconscious. This style the focuses on the characters’ state of mind, impression of feelings and emotions rather than on the plot or drama of the story. Cinematography and editing are used to illustrate the state of mind, and dream sequences are used to reflect on the conscience. The wide use of impressionist methods is so palpable in Francis Ford Coppola’s film, that brought the internalized life of a detached expert ‘bugger’ Hary Caul on the scene. He would pass for a modern recluse, donned with headphones, holding an extended shot gun microphone. He probes into the private life of Ann and Mark. The film revealed contradictions in the inner and outer life of the protagonist through the subtle emotions on his f ace, physical movements, and also in his dialogue which intermittently gets spiced with silence. The camera opens with a bird’s-eye-view on the busy lunch time at Union Square in downtown San Francisco, with frames having visual details of pedestrians, workers on lunch break, and Christmas shoppers. There emerges the cadence of street musician’s concert which gets mingled with the gruff and hoarse noise produced by certain mechanical devices in the street. The inner conflicts of the character are illustrated through the varying degrees of music and cacophony.

A Little Line of Thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Little Line of Thought - Essay Example Lines mark the every day boundaries that people cross. Whenever we travel, we come across numerous types of divisions and limits that many may not even pay attention to, and everyday, we come across millions of naturally occurring demarcations, boundaries and divisions in the physical world. A line represents any type of demarcation that separates two things physically. These are geographical boundaries exists between states, cities, counties, countries, and even continents. An example of this is the phrase "county line" which marks political territory and boundary of a county. Thus, it also limits the county's sovereign, area of responsibility, and subject. One of the largest examples of a line, literally and figuratively, would be the Equator. This imaginary line across the circumference of Earth, divides the entire Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres. From county and city lines to the Equator, our world is teeming with lines, many of which lie outside the physical world. These lines clearly demarcate and denote the existence of partition or boundaries in a locality. A line also denotes the separation of different functions when used in an economic sense. It is used profusely in the world of manufacturing where it represents a series of persons arranged to perform certain tasks in order to create a final product. This is described as the "assembly line" or "manufacturing line." The best known form of an assembly line was created by Henry Ford. It is an arrangement of employee which specializes in performing small tasks in the creation of a certain product. This definition of line embodies an ordered system of operations that allow for the sequential manufacture of goods at their various stages of production. Each individual in this type of line assists in assembling one product, by performing a certain small task, adding to the finished product. An assembly line, therefore, speaks of a separation of functions within the line itself and on the other line. For example, the two product lines produced by a company indicate the separation of two diff erent functional areas with the same manufacturing department. The word line also describes two opposing ideas which are debatable. A line can be an official or prescribed policy that takes place in the political arena. This describes an agenda of a political party, as well as specific ideological elements specific to the organization's partisanship. The word "party line" clearly exemplifies this. The term is used profusely in the chapter of politics, especially in the world today, where the division along political platforms are fierce. It describes the set of beliefs or agendas, policies that are representative of any political division or organization. A prime example of a party line could be the minimum wage policy of the Republican Party in the U.S. today. Many conservatives (Republicans) favor a policy of letting the free market establish wages, and some maintain there should be no minimum wage at all. When used in the political aspects, line represents the opposition between existing political ideologies and becomes the basis in the crea tion of laws. The word line is exceptionally useful when describing items or concepts related to war or battle. A line is the battle

Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geography - Essay Example The concerned area is located at a very important place and keeps diversity for commercial and industrial base. Lansdowne Street joints the highway. The indigenous people occupy this part of the Peterborough. Metropolitan Toronto also influences this part of Peterborough. Water is the important component of the cultural and physical landscape of the census tract 05. Little lake provides the recreational opportunity to tours and local residents (Adams and Taylor, 2009). Traditional ways of travelling were used as boating. It was suggested as the important for recreation in the economy. Adams and Taylor (2009) provided the industrial outlook of the area. The Q.T.G Canada and Ventra Plastics, Sysco Food Services and Siemens are the important industries of the City Peterborough. Development in tourist, health and education industry is also increasing in the concerned area. Trent University and Sir Sand ford Fleming College are the major institutions in the area. Students from local as we ll as across the Canada and Province come here for study purposes. Adams and Taylor (2009) presented the Census tracts of Peterborough on varied cultural, shopping and recreational attractions. People move to Toronto in summer and weekends because of Kawartha lakes. People from America, Ontario also come to these Kawartha lakes in their leisure times. People use their own automobiles for travelling, but some of people use other means such as bicycling, walking and canoeing. Observation from Primary sources: The cultural heritage landscapes are those areas, which are modified by humans. The residents of the area value this modified landscape. Little lake cemetery was chartered first in Ontario that represented the special cultural heritage. Little lake is recognized as the significant place and considered as the open space because it is adjacent to parks. Little lake is Category an asset because the properties of the Little Lake are valued on provincial as well as national level. The Lansdowne Street is the important place for growing business and just away from the heart of the city Peterborough. For example, Comfort Hotel & Suites is beautifully designed that demonstrates the origin of this area in city Peterborough. The Lansdowne Street W crosses over the Little Lake and leads towards the Burnham Provincial Park. Park Street is also included in the business districts of the central area. The Park Street area is represented as the transitional and industrial conversion sub area. Natural setting and topography of the Little Lake provides space for people living in the Census Tract 5 as a fashion for the movement of rural cemetery. This area is also significant because it reflects the changing attitudes about the concept of death and cultural movement. The tract 5 is the area of residents with high-income families. People living in this area shift their spending on the needs and household. Young adults of the study area spend a higher part of their income on th e recreation merchandise, fashion and entertainment. Increase in family size and children ages, the housing, home decoration and furnishing share a greater part of the income of families. People of the concerned area replace the furniture when it is retired. Presence of colleges and other educational institutions is the crucial driver for the economic development and attracts the young people to be part of the same

Critical Analysis Of Two Japanese Designers

Critical Analysis Of Two Japanese Designers In the 1960s, Japanese designers came out from an economic and industrial boom. This was the beginning of the first Asian invasion of the fashion world and by the early 1980s, Rew Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamotos names were wildly popular. Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto were the first few Japanese designers that found admiration for Japanese art and idea of modernism through the channels of developing technology, visual imagery and three dimensional figures. They first made a real impression on the fashion world in 1982 with the creation of the Japanese aesthetic. Their entry into the international fashion scene was not only puzzled but was fascinated by many in the fashion industry. This paper will discuss the significance of the designs by Rei Kawakubo and Yojhi Yamamoto on the international fashion catwalks in the nineties with relation to the specific methods of construction and materials they used in their collections. While Kawakubo and Yamamoto have a distinctive point of view on fabric deconstruction, however the two designers share a commonality for creative artistic design collaborations in developing their collections, marketing and image. Evident in Kawakunos designs was the exaggerated and hyperbolic manufactured aesthetics. She collaborated with architecture, Takao Kawasaki, which bought about the designers first Comme des Garcons boutiques (da Cruz, 2004). Kawakubo had a longing to make garments that was an ever changing result of its social cultural environment, showing both the Neo-realism and Futurism in her runway collections and marketing (da Cruz, 2004). Yamamoto on the other hand, was loyal to the Japanese cloth traditions and was famous for his kimono-inspired trench coats and shirts. He had a desire for the pure geometric forms of pure clothing and found ways in integrating modern sportswear constructions into his designs. This technique brings a postmodern street chic feel to his designs and also has the important role of protection and durability. The evolution of fibre technology with the tonal and textual eclecticism gave way to show designers how important their uses of raw materials were in their designs. With the continual movement in fabric and structure of clothing, it directed the concept of drapery in Yamamotos designs and the shrouding, texturing and layering techniques in Kawakunos designs. Seeking to redefine the universal concept of beauty in fashion, Yamamoto demonstrates through the preference for asymmetrical shapes, oversized clothes and models of all ages, challenging the norms of perfection, and body. Most evident was in his refusal to use the traditional forms of feminine glamour and sex appeal through make up, heels, skin baring and fitted clothes. Yamamotos design creations revolutionised the Western fashion for women with its structured figure hugging clothing that sexualised the female body. He also designed garments that wrapped the female body with fabric, ignoring the usual accentuation points and moving the attention to the back. The fashion silhouette and the body/clothing relationship changed from this point onwards. Yamamoto created designs based on breaking down mens clothing to form graceful and stylish womens garments, by playing his garment, he exhibited challenging ideas of how women faced both masculine and feminine sides of being a woman. Many were fascinated in his work of challenging the ambiguity of gender whether this was through the women models in his menswear shows or his refusal to follow the traditional Western definitions of womens wear and menswear. Kawakubo studied fine arts and literature and being untrained as a fashion designer, she communicated her ideas to her patternmakers. She employed the romantic subtleties of historic fashion but yet champions cold synthetic fibres in her finishing designs. The piece that most resembles this tendency was the lace sweaters from the Comme des Garcons fall/ winter 1982-1983 collection. It featured black wool knits distressed with gaping holes to invoke the composition of lace (da Cruz, 2004). She created designs intentionally to create a look that seemed incomplete and had been worn, in order to create something different and extraordinary by resisting to common sense and provide stimulating challenges to the idea of perfection (Kawamura, 2004). The initial reactions of the public look upon with distaste, however over time they grew to admire and astonished with her designs and the look she wanted to create (Baudot, 1999). Kawakubo (in Ayre 1989:11) states that Perfect symmetry is uglyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I always want to destroy symmetry, this was postmodernism applied as its best to fashion. Kawakubo did not apply the traditional clothes- making or fashion design institutions to her work and worked against what was seen as how traditional designers should design. She was one of the first to show designers that the going against the normal processes can also be accepted. Yamamoto often experimented with innovations in technical textiles and new synthetic sand also implemented unconventional natural materials in his designs. According to Yamamoto, I start with the fabric, the actual material, the feel of it. I then move onto the form. Possibly what counts most for me is the feel. And then, when I start working with the material, I think my way into the form it ought to assume. (Vinken) He blurred the boundaries between prà ªt a porter and haute couture fashion (Duncan, 2007). When Yamamoto first started designing clothes, he knew there were two ways. Firstly by working with formal classical shapes, and secondly being casual. Thats what I decided on but I wanted a new kind of casual sportswear that could have the same status as formal clothing (Menkes, 2003). In his 1991 fall/winter collection, a vest and skirt outfit was made entirely of hinged wood slats. This established his dedication to communicating the raw visual distinctions as a designer he w as (da Cruz, 2004). Yamamoto was characterised as hang an anti fashion approach by creating often sculpted asymmetrical, often oversized shapes that are layered and usually black. He was influenced by traditional indigenous Japanese clothing and by historical Western uniforms and industrial work wear. In other words clothes that is functional. His original look was based on his desire to give the kimono a new shape and energy (Duncan, 2007). Paris had a strict couture tradition and bourgeois heritage and was shaken by the vision of Kawakubos work- it was regarded as minimal and nihilistic. In contrast with the opulent gowns, tailored suits and gentle colours of designers like Dior, Kawakubos collection consisted of trousers with sweater cuffs around the ankles, tunics that transformed into shawls, oversized overcoats and shapeless knitwear constructed with holes. She regarded the conventions of fashion as a necessary evil. Kawakubo had an obscure approach to clothing construction echoing the concept of a visual artist more than a fashion designer. She often attempted to translate art styles into clothing- minimalism, abstraction, postmodernism and deconstruction. Kawakubo was praised and criticized for pushing the fashion boundaries forward. Also famous for simple, functional elegance but yet sexy, Yamamotos early garments relied solely on the irregular details like uneven hems and collars, hems with zips, cut outs, pockets or flaps. The label inside stated: There is nothing as boring as a neat and tidy look (Mitchell, 2005). Creating designs that would disagree from the traditional Japanese design philosophy that values the asymmetry and irregularities of nature. Yamamoto believes perfection is ugly, and symmetry not sufficiently human and desires for the scars, failure, disorder, distortion in people to come out and be shown (Duncan, 2007). In the late eighties, his designs evolved into a more structured and fitted silhouette outstanding for their cut, craftsmanship and material originality. From the nineties onwards, his collection displayed a more Westernised fashion aesthetic and showed his ongoing romantic references to historical French couture styles from the Belle Epoque bustle to classic fifties Dior (Duncan, 2 007). During the time where French couturiers ruled the fashion world, black was not considered a colour for day wear; Yamamoto and Kawakubo challenged this norm. Yamamotos designs were consistently monochromatic with emphasis on black. The occasional off white, red, purple, brown and dark blue would make an appearance through his collections but black were usually his preference for his creations. He favoured black because he described black as modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy- but mysterious. It means that many things go together, yet it takes different aspects in many fabrics. You need to have a silhouette. Black can swallow light or make things look sharp. But above all black says this: I dont bother you- dont bother me.'(Duncan, 2007) Like Yamamoto, Kawakubo was also famous for the love of black. She was famous for designing in many shades of black rather than black alone. Her autumn 1988 collection was burst with colour, declaring Red is Black (Quinn, 2002). She has continued to move away from black fabric and stated that its popularity among other designers has diminished its power. Black is no longer strong and has become harder to use, Kawakubo said in an interview with Susannah Frankel (Quinn, 2002). Designers in the 1980s, sought engagement with everyday life, and found inspiration in people the real world. Likewise, Yamamoto also sought a distinct relationship with women who wore his clothes. By looking at the pre-modern consumer, he envisions people dressing for their role in society. Parallels are seen in his desire to make costumes for working women, and how his clothing looked like they have been lived in, as though it had a passion for the past and the hatred for what was new. Both designers broke clothing rules, against the custom 1980s haute couture opulence, traditional ideas of beauty and gender. Yamamotos talent allowed him to construct shapes and forms that naturally adjust with a womans contours and movement. His garments showed Yamamotos commitment to creating fresh and new silhouettes through his sculptural cross-examination of shape and material. This mean his clothes were easy and comfortable to wear. Yamamoto believed the essence of a woman is in her joints (Yamamoto). He tested his boundaries of designs by using his techniques of cutting and cut outs which puts him in par with modern couturiers like Pierre Cardin. His creations were rarely cut close to the figure and this was as fundamental component of Yamamotos designs. Yamamotos design philosophy was there should always be some interaction between the body, the wearer and the essential spirit of the designer. His focus was always on the shape of a feminine body when designing and believed, by looking at the clothes someone is wearing, you are able to get an idea of the personality of a person (Duncan, 2007). Kawakubos talent is working with both deconstructed and reconstructed the vernacular of Western tailoring. In contrast with Yamamotos passions for producing functional clothing, Kawakubo deconstructs clothing by disregarding its function. One of the most famous was a dress that had no openings, making it possible to put on. But Kawakubo insisted it could be worn and was offended when told it could only be used as an apron. She focused on using jacket lapels to design halter neck jackets and scarves. Her mens suits consisted of cropped trousers with double- breasted sports jackets with shawl collars and bleached classic checked fabrics. She challenged the concept of fashion having to be beautiful by slashing and shredding her silhouettes while other designers were cutting and draping theirs. Her habit continued onto adding more than two sleeves to a shirt and turning shapes upside down or inside out, baffled the fashion world but turned her into a pioneer of her stream. Many of her cl othes are also designed to be worn in a variety of unconventional ways. This pushes the boundaries between occasion- specific wear and everyday wear to end (Quinn, 2002). Yamamotos gift was combining traditional Japanese garments, with the use of both the kimono and the obi combined with Modern Western Fashion everyday wear clothing. By creating classical garments which were both sensual and appealing. In his spring /summer 1993 collection, he experimented with new fabrics using the Thai and African fabrics. His designs always stressed the importance of raw materials, enabling him to learn and discover different tones and textures in his work. While he often engaged in working with new fabrics, Yamamoto also used natural fabrics like linen and Herringbone woollen fabrics. While he often said oriental fabric was boring and dull, In Yamamoto 1995 Spring/ Summer Collection he was able to counter this by creating a kimono from exotic flowing gowns inspired by the Japanese art of dying fabric. Through the commonly shared ideas and presence of Yamamoto and Kawakubo on the international catwalks, at first appeared to shake the foundations of the established fashion capitals but in reality have reinforced the supremacy of fashion. Participating in the international fashion catwalks earned them the social, economic and symbolic capital that enabled them to differentiate themselves among other Japanese designers. Kawakubo and Yamamoto have continually put forth their ideas which, in turn significantly contributed and boosted the rise of Japans fashion industry by communicating its visual and artistic designs to the fashion world. Despite their provocative collections, they have revolutionised the industry and paved a way for Japans influence on fashion, easing the path for younger Japanese designers and to a larger extent to the acceptance to Asian designers, in a world previously closed off to them. In respective to the collections, both designers have linked their differing i deas from Western fashion, with the use of Japans rich visual heritage as a foundation for aesthetic, social and political collection of cultures around the world. Kawakubo and Yamamoto runway designs strive towards theatricality, luxury visual and organic movement (da Cruz, 2004). Black is now a palette for day and night wear and both designers have become the leaders of the avant-garde. Today, the dark silhouettes in distressed fabrics common in both designers are worn by women all over the world. Over the past 30 years, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto have proven to the international fashion world with their revolutionary work, proving that Asian designers could be inspiration to others. Cotton dress, Rei Kawakubo Comme des Garà §ons, Autumn/ Winter 1984. Kyoto Costume Institute collection. Photo by Takashi Hatekeyama, courtesy KCI. Felt dress, Yohji Yamamoto, Autumn/Winter 1996. Kyoto Costume Institute collection. Photo by Takashi Hatekeyama, courtesy KCI

Mad About Science :: Personal Narrative Essays

Mad About Science    The trip to Singapore this summer was the most educational and most enjoyable trip I have ever taken. Weeks later, I still look back at my photographs, email several people daily from the US and foreign delegations, and tell my friends and family about the experience. I particularly enjoyed the lecture by the researcher from the Human Genome Project. Because I have had less interest in biology in high school, I had not been following the updates on the Human Genome Project very carefully, and he summarized the project and also explained its significance well. One of the aspects of the project that I found most intriguing was the ability to cure diseases through the project's research. The speaker said that by first reproducing diseases, scientists would be on their way to curing them, and I had not realized the significance of the Human Genome Project in that respect. The lecture from the Australian professor, while not always aimed at as serious an audience as he was dealing with, was also interesting, and the video I took of him was one of the favorites of everyone I showed it to when I came back home.    For me, the best part of the trip was the science and technology exhibition. Not many kids came to my exhibit, probably because it was just a computer screen without much on the board behind to attract attention. But I did talk to a group of maybe 15 students from a local school. They were interested at first in the contest I had participated in and in my web site and the process I had gone through to create it, but pretty soon they lost interest in that and became more concerned with my height. Like several other students I met, they all wanted photos to remember how much taller than them I was. But the most valuable part of the exhibition for me was walking around to other countries' booths. When I asked the students to tell me about their projects, they were always happy to describe their work. What really impressed me was the practicality and creativeness of their projects, and that so many groups of students from so many different schools could come up with such great projects. I tried to take a photo or video of each project that was described for