Ancient Capital

Try to imagine 1400 years ago in the glory days of Tang, Xian (then known as Changan) was 6 times bigger than Imperial Rome and 40 times larger than medieval London.

Being the world’s largest city with over 1 million inhabitants, Changan housed those not only with scholastic and artistic talent but also leaders with immense political and religious clout. Not to mention wealth. Ancient Xi’an was the global centre of trade and commerce as the start point of the Silkroad with the internationally renowned Western Market (recently reopened on the exact spot) a multicultural people magnet. This is where, long before Hong Kong and Dubai, A-listers of the time flocked to shop, trade and ink deals. Marco Polo arrived on the scene six or seven hundred years later.

Statistics

Tang was an imperial dynasty which ruled over China in the years of 618 A.D. to 907 A.D. This dynasty was preceded by the Sui Dynasty and was later followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China history. The Tang Dynasty was founded by the Li family, who overtook power of the Empire during the collapse of the Sui Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty ruled with Chang’an, or the present day Xi’an, as its capital

Chang’an was previously the capital city in China for both the Han Dynasty and Jin Dynasty who were from a much earlier time than the Tang Dynasty. When the Tang Dynasty took Chang’an, or present day Xi’an, as their capital city, this city had roughly ten kilometers of walls that ran from the east to west and eight kilometers of walls that ran from the north to the south.

Splendor

The royal palace, Da Min Gong, was located within these walls in the city of Chang’an and was 5 times bigger than the Forbiddon city. Chang’an was the center of China’s central government in the Tang Dynasty era and the city was one that was filled with luxuries and splendor. Also within the city, there were fourteen main streets that ran their course from east to west and eleven main streets that ran their course from north to south.

Celebration

Leisure and celebration times were important in the Tang Dynasty. Chang’an was a capital city that was full of celebration and livelihood at many times. Traditional Chinese holidays such as the Chinese New Year, Cold Food Festival and Lantern Festivals were always large events. During the Lantern Festival, the city curfew in Chang’an would be lifted for the three days of celebration. Aside from the traditional Chinese holidays, there were sixty-nine grand carnivals bestowed nationwide by the imperial throne. These carnivals all took place between the years of 628 A.D. to 758 A.D.

Modern Xian

The government of Xian today has pledged to return the city the glory days of the Tang Dynasty and the development of the city is astonishing. As an example, Da Ming Palace was 5 times bigger than the Forbidden City in Beijing and is currently under reconstruction just north of the City Walls. With a perimeter of more than 8km the complex is set to be a true architectural master piece and another fabulous reminder of the incredible Tang Dynasty reign.

Tips for Xian Travel

1. The Shaanxi History is free and offers an excellent exhibit of the Tang Dynasty

2. The Western Market of the Silkroad has reopened 1400 years later on the exact spot

3. Try to avoid traveling during Chinese National Holidays

I am running away. I have always been running away. Yet I believe that running enthusiastically towards something is so much better than fearfully running away and, although still unconsciously running away from dark places, I now more consciously practice running towards the light. What is your experience of running away? How often do you consciously practice running towards your goals. To what extent are you living your life on purpose?

While attending a spiritual retreat, I experienced one of those rare moments of real awakening. Despite being intensely goal-driven at times, my awareness of a long-practiced habit of running away from situations was heightened dramatically during one of the meditative exercises. I suddenly realized the number of significant situations I had run away from: I ran away from home; I ran away from the church that was an anchor during my formative years; I ran away from a failing marriage; I ran away from numerous jobs that had become unexciting. It was not always easy to leave and, in leaving somewhere, I was always heading towards another place but, all too often, without a purpose other than getting away from a bad situation.

Our lives are full of transitions. In these tough economic times, many people have lost not only their jobs but their careers. You may have experienced losing your job, or your spouse, or someone or something that was a really important part of you. These losses often mean a loss of identity. When someone asks, “What do you do?” how do you answer: a former teacher, or a former executive, or a former something else? These are times when new identities can emerge. Identities can emerge accidentally as circumstances force us to make decisions to generate income or find new friends. But wait. Who do you really want to be? What do you really want to do? This may be a perfect opportunity to discover and follow your true purpose.

I define purpose as the ‘Big Why’ – why you are here, your reason for being alive. My friend and guide Richard Leider, in his book The Power of Purpose, writes: “Purpose is fundamental to human life. Purpose gives us the will to live or to persevere. It gives us the reason to get up in the morning. Purpose gives us courage.” We all have a purpose whether we know it or not. Have you discovered your purpose? Can you describe your purpose in ten words or less?

Discovering our purpose is important at any time in our lives but, as we progress through the second half of our lives, knowing our purpose becomes increasingly important. During the first half of our lives we are mostly focused on building a career, providing for our family, and accumulating assets. Then there comes a period where our families become more independent, where our careers become less meaningful, and where some of our accumulated assets become liabilities. Our attics and garages become jammed full of things kept because it is easier to keep them just in case we might need them rather than consciously decide to let them go. If we discovered our true purpose we would know what to keep and what to let go.

During the second half of life we become increasingly conscious of our age. People in mid-life rarely volunteer their age but, as people progress through the second half and into the last, they become proud of their age and share it like a badge of honor. During recent research interviews with people in the second half of life, where I always leave the demographics to the end, it is rare that my interviewees fail to proudly let me know their age long before we get to the end of the interview. A business leader in transition from full-time employment said to me the other day, “I am so busy. I don’t know how I ever had the time to go to work!” This former business leader is already living life on purpose. We can’t halt the passing of the years but we can age purposefully.

We are not all like that former business leader. Many of us struggle to find our way when these huge disruptions occur in our lives. We feel too young to retire but uncertain about where to look for new employment or volunteer opportunities. We feel the loss of identity and the loss of direction. Exploring these disruptions and reflecting on other turning points in our lives provides a place from which to discover our purpose and to begin to live the second half of life on purpose. Purposeful aging is so much more fun than just getting older. Running towards our goals is so much better than constantly running away.

Vietnamese or Chinese Eggplants are slender and longer, but firmer comparing to the large globe eggplants sold at an American market. Vietnamese and Chinese prefer using them in cooking comparing to the large globe eggplants because of its final texture and easy cooking. These slender eggplants usually grill and fry better as well.

Recipe for Vietnamese Crispy Batter Fried Eggplant Slices

Batter:

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup rice flour

3 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 tsp sugar

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup ice water, preferably ice mineral soda water

Oil for deep frying

1/3 cup Dipping Fish Sauce

Trim off the ends of each eggplant and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Soak the slices in water for 10 minutes to lessen the bitterness of the eggplants.

In a shallow bowl, stir together all purpose flour, rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt and pepper.

Add in the ice water and whisk it into a smooth batter. Set aside.

Drain the eggplant slices and use paper towels to remove excess moisture. Set them aside.

Pour oil into a wok or a Dutch oven to a depth of 1 inch. Heat the oil over medium high heat to 350F on a deep frying thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, stand a bamboo chopstick in to the oil; if small bubbles immediately gather around the chopstick, the oil is ready.

Dip each eggplant slice into the batter, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and then gently drop it into the hot oil and lower the oil temperature. Fry them into several batches to avoid crowding the pan. Fry about 2 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. When the slices are ready, transfer to a rack to drain.

When all the eggplant slices are fried, arrange them on a serving plate. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce.

Serves 4 to 6

Dark shades, reflective lenses, curvier metal frames with oblique tear drop shape! Do you know to which product these features belong? Do you think yourself a stylish and fashionable person? Do you care for your eyes? If yes, then you should have certainly heard of Ray Ban Aviator Sunglasses.

The Ray Ban Aviator Sunglasses is a very popular product of famous sunglasses manufacturer Ray-Ban, the company which is well known for its quality eye wears since its establishment by Bausch & Lomb in1937. Ray-Ban is one of the pioneer brands of modern sunglasses technology and has been a leader in the sunglasses industry.

The Ray Ban Aviator became a well-known style of sunglasses when General Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach in the Philippines in World War II and photographers snapped several pictures of him wearing them. These pictures were published in many popular newspapers and magazine of that time and Americans fell into love of this brand.

The Ray Ban Aviator has also dominated the silver screen. It was used by Cine Stars from time to time. In 1980s Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise used it in their film “Top Gun”. Other notable wearer includes famous celebrities like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Madonna and Jim Morrison etc. In the beginning the Ray Ban Aviator was used by Army and Naval officers to protect their eyes from direct sun and glare.

The Ray-Ban aviator is one of the most versatile and influential sunglasses designs you have ever seen. Its popular frame design can be found in most sunglasses collections but if you are looking for the real deal then they need to be Ray-Ban aviators. If you own a pair of aviator sunglasses then you will know just how versatile they are. You can wear them on the beach while going for swimming or you can wear them while driving your car or you can wear them while going to your office. You can wear them of course for flying. They work in almost every situation and always look great!

The Ray Ban Aviator has been so popular due to its many exclusive features like excellent glare cancellation and prevention of eye contact besides being fashionable. Available in many pilot shades these sunglasses are the most stylish and good looking. These have become one of the essential must have accessory for a fashion loving, good looking personality. And that applies to both men and women.

Fred Lee has a great story-telling talent and a unique combination of first-hand experience of working at both hospital and Disney. This book compares their workflows and cultures and teaches us how to design modern hospital patient interactions for success. It turns out that his lessons are directly applicable to our business.

Whenever a medical billing service owner comes to me for “billing software” they usually mean software to manage what they had. I, on the other had, want to understand how their service is designed and delivered and what the practice owner (their customer) and the patient (their customer’s customer) would expect. It seems to me that if the billing service is sub-par, outdated, or not profitable, we should consider redesigning it before automating it. I believe that the worst you can do to a poorly delivered service is to scale it up and exacerbate an already negative customer experience by delivering it faster to more customers. This often does not sit well with billing service owners who see my expertise limited to selling my software and see my questions about their business approach and growth, compliance, and convenience as needlessly intrusive.

You would think that a billing service owner has a much more difficult customer than Disney; the risk of client loss is higher; the medical billing environment is much more complex with many more non-standard situations. At Disney, the customers start our happy and excited instead of upset and underpaid. They stand in lines but not worried about their insurance claims, patient referrals, or compliance. They take a ride that’s duplicated a million times while every new payer is a unique experience. Meanwhile practice operations, technology, and legal costs are growing. Disney looks like a picnic compared to the nightmare the billing and practice managers face every day in a hostile payer environment over which we have very little of the kind of control we would have at Disney.

Using examples from his work at both Disney and as a senior-level hospital executive, Fred Lee challenges the assumptions that have defined customer service in healthcare. In this unique book, he discovers the key similarities between Disney and hospitals – both provide an “experience,” not just a service. It shows how any business can emulate the strategies that earn Disney the trust and loyalty of their guests and employees.

This book also shows how standard service excellence initiatives in healthcare have not led to high patient satisfaction and loyalty, and defines 10 principles to help ant business gain the competitive advantage that comes from being seen as “the best” by their own employees, consumers, and community.

This book is practical and profound. Instantly useful.

One of the most perplexing situations to deal with is how to win your ex back when you think you may have driven him away. What you have to remember is that couples go through all kinds of stages during the course of a relationship, and most of the time their troubles are the result of some sort of confusion about something that was said or done. Confusion about something, not what really went on. If this is your situation, this article will show you how to win your ex back without delay.

It is a fact, misunderstandings are the primary reason why people break up, so the first thing you have to do is look back at what you think might have gone wrong and try to discover how your boyfriend might have misinterpreted something that you said or did. You probably already know in your gut what might have made him get the wrong idea enough to want to break up with you, but here are some additional common reasons that you may or not have thought about:

1. Have you smothered him to death with attention? Have you tried to do everything in your power to please him? As examples, have you prepared the meals he likes, cleaned up after him, gone to the events he cares about with no regard to doing the things you enjoy? If after looking back on your relationship, you discover that you have indeed been a living doormat, then this may be the reason your guy bolted.

Men, of course, do like attention, but they also like to have a woman who not only knows her own mind, but actually acts like her own person. Sure they like to be respected, but they want you to respect yourself as well. In order to win your ex back, you will have to change back to the person you were when he first fell in love with you. Show him that you do still care about him, but now you also care about and respect yourself.

2. When you think back over your relationship, did you talk about the other men in your life before him? It is okay to mention that you dated other guys before him. But it is not all right to give him all the glorious details. If your history of dating before him was limited to only one guy, and you keep going on and on about how terrific he was in basketball, how well he danced, how many times he was the top scorer, or what a neat dresser he was, the man you love may have felt you still had feelings for your ex. Maybe he felt like he was always competing with him. Is that possible?

Or, maybe the guy you dated before your ex was a terrible louse. Did you talk about all his negative aspects? That can be a real turn-off because your ex may have always been trying not to come off like your previous boyfriend. It could be that he analyzed his behavior so much that he got sick of it.

3. What image did you give off? Were you flirty with other guys? Were you to business like? Did you dress and behave like a guy? All these things can make a man run for the hills. The ideal woman is feminine, kind, and conservative in her appearance. I don’t mean that she dresses like a prude, but she should avoid showing skin down to the belly button. She should not come off cheap or act superior to her man.

4. Were you always badgering him? Were you trying to get him to tell you how he felt about you and what the relationship meant to him? Guys do not like to be pressured into saying things about their status in the relationship.

5. Did you tell him how stupid some of his ideas were? Or, even though you knew they were insane, did you hold your tongue, and phrase him for at least having an idea, hoping against hope that he wouldn’t put it into action? Men do not like to be challenged, and for that matter neither do women. Just treat him like a human being and you will be fine.

6. Evidently, when you first got together with your ex, you thought he was terrific. Did you try to change him? He thought when you were attracted to him that you loved him for who he was, if you started wanting to change things about him, and then he starts beginning to think that you think there are some serious problems with him.

When you analyze your relationship with these six things in mind, I’ll bet you will see that your past behavior exhibited one or at least some of these tendencies. Learning how to get back together is only a matter of pinpointing the things you were doing wrong to send him packing. You can win your ex boyfriend back by changing your own behavior to suit what he wanted in his woman.

Learning how to get back together is simple, but if changing to this extent to win your ex back is just more than you are willing to do, then you probably need to get on with your life and find someone who suits your personality better because most men will want a woman who behaves in the manner we’ve discussed in this article.