Winter Health and Safety Tips

With winter just around the corner, let us gear up and be prepared. The general belief for the winter this year is that it will last longer with much more snow. Therefore, we need to be even more cautious than in the past. Here are some good tips:

1.      Always stay warm, whether you are indoors or outdoors. Wear a hood, a hat, scarves, layers, and these should be dry to provide the best insulation and warmth. Keep fingertips, earlobes and noses covered if you go outside.

2.      Prior to shoveling snow, get your body warmed up by doing a few stretching exercises, and cover up your nose to avoid taking in excessive cold air. Avoid overexertion and keep clothing dry; change out of any wet layer. Use proper shoveling equipment, and operate in accordance with the user manual.

3.      Never walk alone outdoor, and walk with extreme caution on snowy or icy sidewalks and driveways with "black ice". Do not shovel snow onto fire hydrants, manholes or catch basins. If you slip and get injured, stay calm and do not attempt to stand up right away in case of any fractured bones. Get help from family or friends, or call 911.

4.      Stay away from and never walk on a frozen lake. Make sure no children play unattended near the ice. If someone falls, do not attempt to make a rescue by yourself but call 911.

5.      Use only approved heating equipment and operate in accordance with the user manual. Avoid overloading. Keep combustible materials away from the heating equipment. Heaters should be free from any hanging clothing.

6.      Make sure to install a carbon monoxide detector outside each bedroom and on each level of the house. Ensure the battery is in good working condition. Never close the garage door with your vehicle's engine still on.

7.      Avoid driving alone in a snowstorm. Let someone know your destination, route and estimated time of arrival. Inspect and replenish the emergency kit in the trunk, e.g. the drinking water, food, blanket and flashlight with good batteries. Make sure you check the tire pressure and windshield fluid. Stay in your car and turn on the hazard lights if you get stuck on the road. Do not walk farther than 200 meters away as you will easily get lost in snowy weather. Start the car with the heater on for 10 minutes every hour and keep exhaust pipe unobstructed to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

8.      Offer help when you see someone in trouble, but only if you are safe first.

While the list can go on, I hope this helps for a start, and we can go through another healthy and safe winter. There are always exceptions when we need apply our common sense and crisis management skills

Poppies, Remembrance Day

Also known as the Poppy Day in Canada, Veterans Day in the U.S. or Armistice Day in other Commonwealth nations, Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in Canada expect for the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba.  This day falls on the 11th day of the 11th month of every year and the official ceremony starts at 11am, which was when the First World War ended in 1918.  The day is to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and civilians in times of war.  The official national ceremony is held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, dignified by the Governor General, members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries.  The ceremony includes a gun salute, a fly-past by the Canadian Air Command, the singing of the national anthem, O Canada and a two-minute silence.

For sure, Remembrance Day is not just to commemorate the dead or to read the poem "Remember Me" but for us to contemplate why wars continue to happen in human history  despite their social problems they cause.  Regardless of the true reasons for war,  whether political, economic or religious and who the ultimate winner or loser might be, there will always be massive loss of lives, casualties, the destruction of families and the environment.  Very often we hear wars are triggered by those superpowers who intervene in the domestic policies of other countries.  These so-called worldwide police intent to declare war for their financial or even personal interest.  Today, I am fortunate to live in a rather peaceful country like Canada, and I am really upset when I hear news of sending our soldiers  to their doom on those so-called peace-keeping missions in Iran, Iraq or Afghanistan. I respect solders who are prepared to die for their country since day one, but what about their family left behind?  I feel for widows who are expecting and for newborns who will never see their parents.  Besides, there will be many children in the country being attacked who will become orphans and homeless.  They will have to be on their own for the rest of their lives.

The reasons of wars are always debatable and unfortunately there is no definite answer.  I really hope the leaders of these super-powers will think twice prior to the the deployment of their war strategies.

A One-Week Pleasure Trip to Varadero, Cuba

This was my first visit to Cuba and it reminded me of things in China years
ago.  This was also the first vacation for me and my wife without our children
since their birth.  No doubt this will leave us many unforgettable memories.  We traveled with friends and we enjoyed ourselves very much.

We booked an all-inclusive resort stay at Varadero which is about a two-hour drive west of Havana, the capital city.  The package included two-way air tickets, accommodation, meals and beverages (24-hour supply) and transportation to/from airport/hotel; it was only
CAD850/person for a seven-night stay at a 3-star hotel.  The price varied in accordance to the hotel selection.  My wife was a bit upset with the hotel we picked for most of the public areas were not air-conditioned and the room was not properly equipped.  There was not even an alarm clock or a mini bar in our room.

We started our journey from home at two o'clock in the morning and we tried the Park & Fly for the first time in Mississauga.  It cost only CAD52 for 8 days per vehicle parked in a spot about 5km from Pearson Airport.  Our plane took off around 6:30am and arrived at Varadero before 10am.  After we checked in, we had a buffet lunch in one of their five restaurants serving various cuisines, ranging from international fare to local Cuban lobster dinners.

Cuba is the only remaining communist country in Central and Latin America and it has a rather messy history.  Before Cuba became independent from the U.S. in May 1902, it was under the Spanish colonial rule for over 400 years.  After its independence, it went through different civil and revolutionary wars.  I am not clear about the founding of Cuba and how it transformed to a communist country practicing a socialist planned economy.  Almost all companies in all business sectors are state-owned, and foreign investments are severely restricted.

Today, Cuba has a population of about 12 million, and Espano (or Spanish) is the national language. There are two different types of currency: Peso for the locals and CUC (Cuban Convertible Currency) for tourists at an unreasonable exchange rate of CAD1 = CUC0.83.  Local shopping is not as cheap as one might think; a 250ml bottle of drinking water costs CAD1.20.  We spent one night in Havana in a better hotel in exchange for our own hotel which was obviously over-booked.  The offer included a hotel room for one night, land transfers, meals and a local tour, through which we visited the old and new Havana, taking in their many museums, monuments and other buildings. 

We spent most of our time either in the pools or beaches during this tour, and we were fed with plenty of food and drinks.  We also tried a sailing tour and snorkeling trip across the beach with many fishes swimming beside us.  This was an awesome vacation that we will never forget.  We hope to visit Cuba again if she would adopt a more open-door policy after China.