Staff Bytes
Where is John Wang?
Even rain couldn't dampen John Wang's enthusiasm for visiting one of China's oldest cities.
During his year-long stay in China, John Wang (Integration) and his family met friends in the ancient city of Xi'an. Here is his report:
We traveled for over nine hours by train to the beautiful city of Xi'an, the oldest city in China. In China, a train ticket is just as expensive as flying, but the trains are more readily available and we made use of a sleeping car.
I visited Xi'an over 20 years ago but much has changed since then. Most of the buildings in the center of the city were built during the Ming Dynasty, 500-600 years ago. The 1st emperor unified China and settled in the capital city in Xi'an, which remained the capital city for the other 12 dynasties, including Tang.
We made a 4-day tour to Xi'an and visited the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, the Wild Goose Pagoda, and the City Wall. It was a wonderful tour.
Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses are collections of sculptures depicting the armies of the first Emperor of China. The sculptures were buried 210-209 BC and were supposed to protect the emperor in his afterlife. These sculptures were found in 1974 by a local farmer. We met him in a bookstore where he was signing books for sale.
According to the tour guide, the exhibition to the public is only a small part of the whole tomb of the first emperor. Former President Clinton and his family once visited the site where terra-cotta Warriors stand. He was the only foreign leader to get close to the treasure.
The Wild Goose Pagoda was built sometime during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and is 64-meters high. It was used to preserve all the Buddhist materials from India by the hierarchy of Xuanzang, who was a scholar, translator and a famous Buddhist monk during the Tang Dynasty.
The ancient City Wall is the primary landmark of Xi'an. It was built in 1384, during the Ming Dynasty. It is 36-meters high, is the most complete ancient city wall in China and one of largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. The top of the wall is so wide that two or three cars could run side-by-sidem. In the city wall there are two outstanding buildings: the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. They served different purposes. In the mornings, the bell was struck to indicate the start of the day. When they beat the drum, it signaled the end of the day. President Clinton walked on a red carpet through the gate of the city wall to Xi'an to symbolize that he visited China officially when he made his visit to China a year ago.
- John Wang, Enterprise Middleware Architect, Integration
Greening IT: Tips and Tricks
The "Green Swish" indicates stories or ideas emphasizing our Division's efforts to be sustainable.
This month, Greening IT leaves the workplace and offers you a few tips for conservation at home!
Recycle and replace energy-guzzling appliances: When your appliances have reached the end of their useful lives, be sure to replace them with efficient new models. If you want to invest in the most energy-efficient products available, Top Ten USA is a non-profit organization that lists the ten most efficient appliances in several categories, from televisions to refrigerators, and even including the most fuel-efficient cars: www.toptenusa.org/environmentgeorgia.
The Energy Star labeling program helps you choose new appliances, and rebates are often available when you choose an Energy Star refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer, hot water heater, or other appliance. Did you know that there are Federal tax credits for Energy Star appliances, and efficient, non-solar water heaters?
That second freezer stashed in the basement or garage is a huge drain on your electricity bills, accounting for up to 30-percent of the electricity used in a home. Many utilities, states, and municipalities will pick up and recycle your second refrigerator or freezer, and they might have rebate offers as well. Simply go to Georgia Power (must be customer of Georgia Power to participate).
Although the month of October was Emory's Building Competition for Saving Energy, tips and tricks for reducing our energy consumption can last the whole year round and much of what we do here at Emory can be put into practice at home. Saving money and reducing energy use is a win/win for all!
Quick Tips (do try this at home!)
- Turn lights and appliances off when you leave the room
- Scrape dishes instead of rinsing them before you put them into the dishwasher
- Go with Low-Flow: Shower heads, sink faucets and commodes
- Turn your hot water heater setting to 120 degrees (low)
- Use power strips for appliances and shut them all off with one switch
- Put aluminum foil behind your radiator to reflect the heat into the room
- Use cold water for your laundry
- Clean the coils on your fridge and replace your furnace/AC/water heater filters
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with CFL's - you could save a bundle just on this!
- Think about your temperature settings; for every degree there could be as much as a 3% savings (or expense)
(Information provided by the Office of Sustainability)
- Dawn Francis-Chewning, Business Analyst, Academic Technology Services