A Christmas Memory and Money Essays

A Christmas Memory and Money Essays A Christmas Memory and Money Essay A Christmas Memory and Money Essay Essay Topic: A Christmas Carol Money can buy a lot of things but it cannot buy good health, respect, love, inner peace etc as these only come from good principles. A person can have million in his bank account but still feel poor because he is not content with his life, more money gives him only minimal satisfaction. Security come from within from knowing that what you have is enough for you to be happy, it comes from believing in your self. All of us tend to think that happiness comes from outside i. . through money. A short story that supports this notion is A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote it is the tory of a child who does not get anything for Christmas except handed down and worn out except for a kite but he is still satisfied and goes out to fly it. In another instance was when the family was offered money for a new Christmas tree but they refused it believing that their old tree was more precious and nothing could replace it. Both these examples reflect the importance of contentment and satisfaction over money. First and foremost, money is a medium of exchange. You use it to buy things. No one can live without money. We need to buy food and many basic necessities of life which are impossible to be bought without money. A rich man is seen in the society with respect and people around carry an honorable position for that man whereas a poor person is seen by people with the eyes of hatred and they do not poses a good impression. Mostly all of us try to be as rich as others and compete in this modern age, but only a few people are able to fulfill their dreams about being a millionaire, The importance of money becomes very clear when a person has no money, Money for a poor person is everything, it becomes very important for him to earn so that he can fulfill his basic needs. However, recently everyone has become consumption oriented. We want to buy anything that is new on the market and catches our interest and we are falling prey to the attractive packaging and advertisiments of a product. Thus we buy things that we have little need for which in turn makes us want more money. Money enables us to afford a better quality of life; more money means bigger and better houses and cars, better quality products, better entertainment etc. Another advantage is less stress in paying bills and other household expenses. Money may also allow a person to persue his dreams, for example a person who wants to attain higher education may not be able to without money. Literature also supports this in many places, one such example is where Charles Dickens in another Novel A Christmas Carol'[2] shows how love is pushed aside for money. This happens when young Ebenzer Scrooge had made a promise to a girl Belle to provide for her, however Belle chooses a crooked businessman Jacob as he offers her a quick gain of fortune to the girl. A number of quotations from the book the great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald[3] also highlight the importance of money. One such quote mentioned the effect that money has on Gatsby when he is unable to even speak in front of Daisy Buchnan as he gets intimidated by her wealth. This shows how wealth encompasses every aspect of our lives, so much so that it even reflects in the voice and mannerisms of a person. Another description from the same book is about a character Tom whose wealth has given him a lot of power. It allows him to treat others how ever he likes and his elitist nature also makes him power. Money may be a motivator it influences human activity from geological exploration to politics. Money itself may not be evil, it is the greed for money that becomes the root of evil. Despite popular arguments I believe that money does not make the world go around. we have created the monster and allowed it to take over and control our lives. 4]Even though money does have some importance in our lives as every aspect of our lives revolves around money, but if we tried to be content with less we may not face such dependency. The variety of products that we are faced with makes it very difficult for us to be content with what we have. We have made money so central to our lives that we place it above life and even happiness. This never ending pursuit of money has made the society a selfish one . People forget that there are many things that money cant buy. A Chinese proverb summarizes this argument very well by saying that money can buy a house but it cannot make a home, that it can not buy time, sleep knowledge, health, respect and a good life only the material aspects can be bought but not ones that come from within. Stephen R. Covey in his book seven habits of highly effective people also mentions that some of us tend to be centered around money and so our sense of security and happiness is directly related to how much money we have and since its human nature to never be satisfied with what one has he is likely to remain unhappy most of the time. Even a huge increase in wealth is unlikely to satisfy such a person. For this purpose we need to alter our centres to what we really want at the end of our lives. Money can buy a lot of things but it cannot buy good health, respect, love, inner peace etc as these only come from good principles. A person can have million in his bank account but still feel poor because he is not content with his life, more money gives him only minimal satisfaction. Security come from within from knowing that what you have is enough for you to be happy, it comes from believing in your self. All of us tend to think that happiness comes from outside i. e. through money. A short story that supports this notion is A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote it is the story of a child who does not get anything for Christmas except handed down and worn out except for a kite but he is still satisfied and goes out to fly it. In another instance was when the family was offered money for a new Christmas tree but they refused it believing that their old tree was more precious and nothing could replace it. Both these examples reflect the importance of contentment and satisfaction over money.

Returning Canadian Residents Bringing Alcohol into Canada

Returning Canadian Residents Bringing Alcohol into Canada There are some very specific rules and regulations about bringing duty-free alcohol back into Canada from another country. Not only will you need to be aware of the type and quantity of alcohol, but you also need to know when the alcohol was purchased during your trip. Personal Exemptions Based on How Long You Have Been Outside the Country If you’ve been gone less than 24 hours there are no personal exemptions.If you’ve been gone 24 hours or more you can claim goods up to CAN$200 without paying duty and taxes. Unfortunately, alcoholic beverages are not included in this amount.If you’ve been gone for 48 hours or more, you can claim goods up to CAN$800 without paying duty and taxes. Some alcoholic beverages are included in this exemption. You must have the goods with you when you enter Canada. Returning Canadian Residents Duty-Free Allowance for Alcohol If you are a Canadian resident or a temporary resident of Canada returning from a trip outside Canada, or a former Canadian resident returning to live in Canada, you are allowed to bring a small quantity of alcohol (wine, liquor, beer or coolers) into the country without having to pay duty or taxes as long as: the alcohol accompanies youyou meet the minimum legal drinking age for the province or territory in which you enter Canadayou have been outside Canada for more than 48 hours. You may bring in one of the following: 1.5 liters (50.7 US ounces) of wine, including wine coolers over 0.5 percent alcohol, or1.14 liters (38.5 US ounces) of liquor, ora total of 1.14 liters (38.5 US ounces) of wine and liquor, or24 x 355 milliliter (12 ounce) cans or bottles of beer or ale, including beer coolers over 0.5 percent alcohol (a maximum of 8.5 liters or 287.4 US ounces). Bringing More Than the Duty-Free Allowance of Alcohol Into Canada Except in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, returning Canadian residents may bring in more than the personal allowances of liquor listed above as long as you pay customs and province/territory assessments. The amounts you are allowed to bring into Canada are also limited by the province or territory in which you enter Canada. For details on specific amounts and rates, contact the liquor control authority for the appropriate province or territory before you come to Canada. Shipping Alcohol When You Move Back to Canada If you are a former Canadian resident moving back to Canada and you want to ship alcohol to Canada (the contents of your wine cellar for example), contact the liquor control authority for the appropriate province or territory to pay the provincial or territorial fees and assessments in advance. To have your shipment released when you arrive in Canada, you will need to show the receipt for the provincial or territory fees and assessments and you will also need to pay the applicable federal customs assessments. Customs Contact Information If you have questions or require more information on bringing alcohol into Canada, please contact the Canada Borders Services Agency.