My training

I was training in Day center for old people, who have some mental illness, for example, Alzheimer illness. This day center is new, it was opened in spring. There is a group of thirteen people. Actually, the number of people can be thirty, but this situation is because of its newness and the lack of the advertisement.

Usually the day starts at 8 a.m., when all people are selected from their living places. Then, there is a time for breakfast. After eating all people can rest, read some press, etc. At 10 a.m. all social workers start activity with them in two groups. There are three activity rooms, but now two rooms are enough. Speaking about activity, it is very creative; also it is very similar with all activity in kinder garden: drawing, handicrafts, logical games, etc. After one hour creative session there is a time to have some exercises, it is called movement therapy. Therapeutist works with them for one hour. After doing exercises all people are invited to have a dinner. After eating there is a time for music therapy. They just sitting and listening chill out music, sounds of nature. Slowly, day goes to the end.

I usually was working with people in activity groups, was helping them with handicrafts, logical games and so on. Therefore, I also was doing exercises in movement therapy with them, at the same time - helping them. What is more, I always helped for social workers to organize creative activity and the plan of it. Sometimes it was interesting, and all the people seemed to be very kind. On the other hand, there were some really boring days. All in all, I can say my practice was useful for me. But I am not going to have more training with old people.

HEALTH POLICY

Health is a standard of psychical and mental well being appropriate to a particular society. Of course, health depends on a number of factors, they are: biological and environmental factors, and the standard of living.

There are several differences in UK’s health policy comparing to Lithuania’s health policy. In UK there are clear differences in the incidence of ill by social class. People in lower social class, including children, are more likely to suffer from infective diseases, poisoning or violence. Adults in lower social classes more often suffer from cancer and heart diseases. This problem in Lithuania is even bigger. Not only because cultural and behavioral facts but also because of historical facts.

Health care in UK and Lithuania can be divided in several categories. Firstly, hospital care guarantees help for every person, no matter of which social class, if he has problems with health. Next – primary care. It is non-hospital care of all family members, for example dentistry, optics and pharmacy. The most important issue is public health. It includes housing, water supplies, food hygiene. Both countries have differences in dealing with health policy problems but the main facts are probably the same.

In UK and Lithuania people receive health care as a right to welfare. If a person wants to get a health care he has to be registered in his local hospital. The biggest problem is with homeless people. They have no home and no address so they are unable to register and get proper health care. In Britain social policy is better than in Lithuania, so this problem is not as big as in Lithuania. In UK there are a lot of day centers and other institutions for those people, though in Lithuania the situation is different, it is still an ongoing process.

Lithuania should promote a healthy lifestyle because the statistics show that our society is getting fat. Also, it should strengthen disease prevention and take measures against children abuse, violence, and addiction to tobacco, alcohol and drugs. I hope that Lithuania’s health policy will soon get closer to UK’s health policy, looking from good position.

Minority

A minority is group of people who differ from a larger group of which it is a part. A sociological minority is not necessarily a numerical minority — it may include any group that is disadvantaged with respect to a dominant group in terms of social status, education, employment, wealth and political power.

In socioeconomics, the term "minority" typically refers to a socially subordination ethnic group (understood in terms of language, nationality, religion or culture). Other minority groups include people with disabilities, "economic minorities" (working poor or unemployed), "age minorities" (who are younger or older than a typical working age) and sexual minorities (whose sexual orientation or gender identity differs from the sociological norm).
Every large society contains ethnic minorities. They may be migrants or others. International criminal law protects the rights of racial or ethnic minorities in many ways. Also there are religious minorities. Usually their religion differs from majority’s religion. Nowadays it is accepted that people should have the freedom to choose their own religion, including not having any religion. Therefore, every big society has gender and sexual minorities. An understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans- gender people as a minority group has started in the Western world, in the 19th century. What is more, disabled people are also understanding as minority. Some people with particular illness argue for acceptance of their disability, but many deaf people do not see themselves as disabled at all.

In conclusion, there are a lot of rights for minorities in Western world, but there is still big problem with minority`s rights in other countries ( for example, in East Europe). That is why many people, for example gays or lesbians, emigrate into Western world to have great and peaceful future.

SELF- ASSESMENT OF ONLINE LISTENING TO PODCASTS

http://www.last.fm/music/B.+Fleischmann/melancholy+podcast

B. Fleischmann - Melancholy Podcast

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/podcasts/
Scotland`s Tiree island

I have listened two podcasts. The first one was about B. Fleischman's - one of the best electronic musician's new album. He showed how the music was born and told some stories. Second podcast was about tiny island of Scotland's west coast. This practice was useful for me, because it gave me a chance to practice for my listening exam. It was very interesting indeed, because I have chosen topics which were important for me.

First podcast was not very difficult to understand. But I listened for it two times, because there were several words that I misunderstood and couldn't understand whole sentence. That problem was because of lack of musical terms in my vocabulary. The pronunciation was with nice German accent which was easy to understand.

Second podcast was much more difficult. I listened for it three times. The biggest problems were interferences and Scottish accent. I found it difficult to understand what people were trying to say. I need more listening practice with podcasts with different accents. This podcast showed me, that I have experience just with traditional English language. What is more, noisy background disturbed my concentration and in some places totally messed my brain.

All in all, this practice showed me that I have to watch more movies or listen radio in English. But the best solution to expand my vocabulary, in my opinion, is to read more literature in English. The easiest way to improve my knowledge of English is to communicate in English with people from different parts of the planet earth.

Choosing a Student Exchange Program to Come to the US

The VOA Special English Education Report was hard to understand, because every student were listening in the same class and at the same time. The backround noise was very chaotic. Whether I have understood that Student Exchange program in US is very good opportunity.
There are different types of programs for those, who want to study and for those, who want to work. I prefer the program, which is called Work and Travel USA, because it is a program for students, who want to work. Usually it is a work in hotels, restaurants and amusement parks. It is a great opportunity if a person wants to experiance all ''working thing'' in foreign country. But it is one disadvantage.An organization called CIEE warns students, that the money they earn from their work may not be enough to pay all of their costs.
Overall, it still is a great opportunity to explore american life, moreover this experience will expand your knowledge about foreign culture and peculiarity.

Virginia shooting and gun control

2007 April 16 is the tragic day, which will leave a big scar for American people and for all worlds’ citizens. On this day a South Korean student of Virginia Institute Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded many more before committing suicide, making it the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.

The massacre raised the gun politics debate in the United States. The fact that the gun was sold to the person with mental illness shows that the guns are too accessible in America. U.S. politicians have shown little attention to introduce new gun control legislation in a country where an estimated 40 percent of U.S. households own a gun. This is a society that owns approximately equal numbers of wristwatches and guns: around a quarter-billion of each.

Gun control is a dead issue in the United States, and it isn't coming back. Now when so many people have guns, there is no real solution to this problem. On the other hand it is never too late to make radical decissions and try to improve gun control situation.

Internet fraud

There are over 50 million people in the world using internet every day. It is a very good ability for scammers to reach large amounts of people. One more advantage for scammers is that they can use internet absolutely anonymously. These benefits give scammers an infinite number of ways to profit through internet fraud.

Usually scammers do internet fraud using e-mail, websites, chats and message boards. Internet fraud offers a lure of easy money, that person can get fast and in large amounts. Internet fraud is usually the same crime like in the real world, but just translated to the internet. Most of scammers never get caught. Many people are too embarrassed to report the crime. Others just do not get upset with a small loss. Also, the amount stolen from one person is not big enough to interest law enforcement agencies.

It is obvious that people use technologies not only for good purposes but also for bad. The solution for this huge problem is that law enforcement agencies should start dealing with internet fraud.