New Year Resolutions 2011

As 2010 just ended, it is time to make resolutions for this year, 2011.  People tend to make many resolutions, among which these are the most common:

1.       Improve one’s health and enjoy life more2.       Spend more time with family and friends
3.       Quit smoking , drinking and eating junk food
4.       Get a better job and improve finance
5.       Improve oneself: be more organized with better time management, be more independent
6.       Take a trip
7.       Improve one’s education and learn something new
8.       Help others by volunteering

According to the statistics, only about 20% of people who are really serious with these resolutions and will plan, act and achieve some of these.  The majority people are either too busy or even forgetful what they have determined to achieve.  Therefore, I will only pick a few to work on.

Improving one’s Health

This is always on top of my list.  I have to exercise more in order to get healthier, especially in the winter that makes most outdoor sports hard to do, except skiing.  Even though I am not a good skier, I can go swimming two times a week early morning before I go for work.  Winter will make some people feel miserable and even depressed.  Therefore, I have to motivate myself by exercising more.  In summer and autumn, I can resume my outdoor sports, including hiking, cycling and doing Tai-chi with my friends in the park.

Spending more time with My Family

I and my family left our home country four years ago and family life is by far the key motivator that keeps us live happier in Canada.  I need to spend much more time with my younger son who is now in grade 10 and needs much help to deal with his adolescent issues.  Even though he is not a very sharp student in his studies, he has put much more effort and shown improvement.  I wish he could make his own resolution to improve his study.

Learning Something New

It is my belief that life is a continuous learning process and I always think of picking up some French, one of the official languages in Canada.  I know it is not going to be easy and I need do much research to look for FSL (French as Second Language) classes.  It will be much more fun to travel to Montreal or Quebec if I could master some basic expressions like:

How are you?    (Comment Ta Le Vous)                  Thank you           (Merci)

How much?       (Combien)                                     Too expensive  (Trop cher)

I understand any plan will not work without tactics and a time line, so this is what I need to start thinking about.

My Christmas 2010 and New Year 2011 Holidays

Time really flies and this is already the second week in 2011!  I am so amazed when I looked back at what I did in the last two weeks.  Maybe this typical hustle and bustle of city life that makes people busy all the time and yet have no time to think.

Unlike the last Boxing Day, in 2009, this year my wife joined my son and me to get up 5 o’clock in the morning to line up outside the Wal-Mart before 6 a.m.  There were about 20 people before us even though the store would open only at 7 a.m.  It was freezing, with temperature at -10°C but felt as like -17°C with wind chill.  Everyone seemed to be well equipped to stay warm and I heard the first one in the line had got there around 5 a.m. which means he must have had to get up at 4 a.m.  You could see some people in the line came with their well-planned shopping list and some were on the phone talking to their friends or family members who were queuing at other stores e.g. Best Buy, Future Shop, Staples. 

One could not believe a big store like Wal-Mart could have no crowd-management system.  By 6:45 a.m. some people started to cut the line for various reasons.  I would never forget when the store entrance opened at 7 a.m., hundreds of people kept pushing from the back and it was fortunate that no one fell in the stampede.  Once people entered, they dashed to different sections to look for their items.  We rushed to the computer game section to look for the limited-supply XBOX 360 console.  My goodness, it was so chaotic at checkout with no line and everyone claiming to be first in line.  At that moment I strongly believed Wal-Mart should have been a lot better prepared for the inevitable.   Thank God that and we managed to get our stuff even if we had to return it within two weeks of purchase.  It was about 10 a.m. when we left the store, went by Toys-R-Us nearby, and found an even better deal without having to line up.  We were so frustrated and swore never do this crazy shopping on Boxing Day ever again.

         

The next holiday after Christmas would be New Year’s Day, which was on a Sunday this year, and therefore the subsequent day was also a holiday.  We and another family had gone skiing on the New Year Day for the last two years, and this year we planned a trip to the Blue Mountain Resort, north of Barrie.  However, we were forced to drive back 30 minutes after we started from Markham due to the extremely foggy weather.  We ended up spending the rest of the day in the other family’s house, playing Wii, XBOX games and singing karaoke.  We finished dinner early as we had to start early the following morning to continue on our ski trip to Blue Mountain.

 

The weather was much better the next day with a sunny sky that helped us take more lovely pictures for this trip.  It was our first time to the Blue Mountain, well known as one of the top ski resorts.  However, the place was a bit packed on the day we went as some ski trails and associated amenities were closed due to insufficient snow on the previous days.  Nevertheless, the place is so spectacular with different facilities that suit different needs.  We may think of spending a night there next time so we can really relax and fully enjoy the day.  Well, only the kids really skied this time and they purchased the $37 package that included a 60-minute lesson and whole-day access to some restricted lifts.  We parents hung out at the restaurant watching the kids, took a stroll and did some shopping.  It was around 6 p.m. when the kids were so exhausted and eventually agreed to leave.  It was a wonderful ski trip and we really enjoyed ourselves, especially the kids who for sure would love to come again.  Our trip ended with a late dinner back in Markham.

I am not sure if we will have the same team–mates for the ski trip next year, when my friend’s son and my daughter have started university this fall.  They may be too busy with their studies to prepare for the examination.  No matter which university or college they will go to, they will probably stay in the dormitory as a first year university student.  Therefore I will always treasure every family event and spend the time together.

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.