family

Heat and Smoke: Some Tips to Cope

Between extremely hot weather a bit earlier this month and smoke-filled air in the city during the second half, it’s hard not to think that the effects of climate change are being realized even more rapidly than predicted. That’s a big question that I don’t want to presume to know the scientific answer to, but I can provide some space in the blog on some practical advice to deal with these issues. For most of us we can take some common-sense approaches that will help us, but let’s remember that there are others who may need our help, or at least a bit more attention to their well-being. I’m speaking of course about seniors and children.

Let me go first to some tips for dealing with extreme heat. It’s important to take some precautions so you don’t get over-exposed, dehydrated, or worse, faint-headed. I’ve garnered a list of tips from various reliable sources on some of the things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your pets extreme heat.

The Red Cross advises people to take the following steps when it’s extremely hot outside:

  • Never leave children or pets in your vehicle. The temperature inside can quickly reach over 30 degrees Celsius which is dangerous.
  • Keep hydrated. Drink lots of fluids – water is recommended – but avoid caffeine and alcohol.
  • Be careful when entering or leaving air-conditioned buildings; wear a sweater of jacket inside if it is extremely cool in contrast to outside.
  • Wear loose fitting, lightweight clothing outside in the extreme hit. Light colors are better. Dark colors absorb the sun’s rays.
  • Don’t rush. Slow down and don’t engage in strenuous work in excessive heat. Also avoid vigorous games in the heat.
  • If working in the heat, use a buddy system and take frequent breaks.
  • Check on your friends and neighbors, especially if they don’t have air conditioning.
  • Check on your pets frequently, Keep them in shady or cool places, and make sure they have plenty of cool water.

If you don’t have air conditioning, try public places that may offer cool surroundings like libraries theatres and malls.

Now some tips for coping with poor air quality. This is very important for anyone who may suffer from conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart problems. It is also important for pregnant women, infants, and young children as well as the elderly to take extra precautions with wildfire smoke in the air. B.C.’s Coastal Health has some good tips which I will summarize for you here:

  • Try to reduce your physical activity. When you breathe hard you inhale more smoke.
  • Find a cool place and drink plenty of water, just as you would for extreme heat.
  • If you or someone you care for suffers from asthma or other breathing difficulties, be sure you have appropriate medications on hand.
  • Put off outdoor activities that you don’t need to attend or participate in.
  • Take advantage of air-conditioned areas like malls, libraries and community centres.
  • There are portable air cleaners that use HEPA filters. These are especially good at removing smoke from indoor air spaces.
  • Keep your windows and doors closed if possible. If a breeze is needed on a very hot day, try to limit the amount of time your window is open so you don’t let in too much smoke filled air.
  • Finally, Coastal Health advises you to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) regularly. You can use it to determine which actions you should undertake under different air conditions. There is also an Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) Canada app that will notify you when air quality changes.

As always, stay safe and please enjoy the rest of your summer!

Thanks for reading!

Sibo Zhang, REALTOR®

How Homeowners Can Keep (and Properly Care for) Tropical Fish

A lot of people enjoy fishing for relaxation. I’ve never been one of them, that is someone who stands with hip waders in a river casting a line with hook for hours, or even sitting patiently in a boat drifting for an afternoon waiting for a bite. However, I have discovered a way of enjoying fish. I must admit that watching the tropical fish in my son’s fish tank can be very calming. Warren took up this hobby last year and it came with a lot of responsibility for him. I’m proud of his conscientious care for his fish, and I get to enjoy them while he does everything required to give them the proper care.

Warren did a lot a research before he started his hobby. What kind of fish did he want to care for? What size of tank did he need? What temperature did the water need to be? How would he keep it clean? What did the fish need to eat? What kind of environment did he need create for them inside the tank? These are just some of the questions for which he had to know the correct answers, and he took on the task very seriously.

Like anything that involves looking after some living thing, there are important issues to take into consideration. I recently came across a 2017 article called “The Ethical Issues of Keeping Tropical Fish.” One of the first things the article said was that goldfish were first made pets in China as long ago as 800AD. Of course, being from China, I knew goldfish had been kept in domestic ponds for a long time, but I didn’t realize exactly how ancient this hobby was. The article went on to say that some goldfish have been know to live longer than 40 years. I found that amazing! And in one recorded case, a goldfish grew to be over one and half feet long. Now that opens up the discussion about how big a tank should be. A very large tank, or perhaps an even larger pond, would be needed to grow a goldfish to that size. Of course, there are many different kinds of tropical fish besides goldfish – I will have to ask my son as this is something he knows more about now than me – but he knows exactly how much water they need to have a healthy environment.

His tank is small, and perhaps some day, if he keeps enjoying his hobby as he grows older, he will get a larger one and keep larger fish. But for now, he’s got a number of chores to keep his little fish happy in his bedroom tank. It’s really creates a nice ambience in his room, peaceful and calming. The lighting of the tank can also make a big difference so if you are planning to put a fish tank into a room in your home, keep in mind what kind of lighting will enhance the colour of your room and create the mood you like. Something read in another article on energy consumption was that some fish tank lights can consume a lot of energy and therefore be somewhat expensive to maintain. Of course it depends on the size of the tank. The article said a large tank with live coral and several species of fish could consume several thousand KWh a year, so if you are a major hobbiest this could get expensive since electricity rates are steadily going up. But the editor also said that a small fish tank could consume a little as 150kWh per year.

However, some solutions to this issue have been offered by Matt Clarke, editor of Practical Fishkeeping magazine, who suggested that modern LED lights can help fishkeepers by reducing energy costs. The LED bulbs allow you to replace fluorescent and metal halide lamps which are high wattage and save substantially on your energy bill. All that is good for energy savings, but remember it’s still important to keep in mind what is best for the species of fish you are keeping. Some tropical fish species will require that you create an environment that closely resembles their natural habitat, so it’s something that you need to research before picking up whatever is on your pet store shelf.

Well, as I said at the beginning of the Blog, I get to enjoy the fish and my son gets to do all the research and work necessary to care properly for the fish. He is great with his responsibilities and enjoys the lessons that his tropical fish hobby teaches. And this includes those important moments when he can just gaze into his fish tank and let his mind relax and enjoy the beauty he has nurtured. This is a great arrangement.

If you want to start a tropical fish tank, I highly recommend you encourage your children to enjoy the hobby with you.

sons reading website

My Son’s Reading Website

I suppose I’m like every other parent who is proud of things that their child has done. But the reading website produced by my 10-year old son Warren is something I feel I must share with others.

Warren loves reading. He gets up early in the morning just to have extra reading time in his busy school schedule and outside athletics to read rather big books; for example, he’s read all the Harry Potter stories which are his favourite. But what I really want to tell you about is his website.

Last year, Warren designed and launched his own website: www.sharereadingexperience.com

I am especially proud of the website name he chose, because it truly represents his joy of reading which he wants to share with others. On his website he writes a blog which often consists of his review of the latest book he has read. I have to admit, I don’t get time to read everything that Warren reads, so it’s a good way for me to get a good summary of the stories that he likes. And it’s also a way for other kids to read his reviews, and to write their own replies. So, if you happen to have a son or daughter who also likes to read, they are most welcome to visit Warren’s website. I’m sure they will have fun reading the story summaries that Warren has posted.

Here are some examples:

If the worst murderer was on the loose, would you be scared? How about if the murderer was targeting you? What would you feel?   Once again, he goes with the Dursleys for summer break. But one day Mr. Dursley’s aunt comes (Aunt Marge). Harry…

That’s Warren’s opening for his review of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban. Well, it had me hooked, so maybe it will do the same for you, or even better for your kids.

Not all of Warren’s blogs are about Harry Potter. Here’s the opening excerpt from The Land of Stories: An Author’s Odyssey.

Did you ever dream about going into your written stories? Well that’s what Conner did. After their uncle took over the fairy tale world and destroyed it, they planned to recruit their own armies just like what their uncle did, traveling in…

I guess I will be accused of parental bias, but I think that’s a truly compelling first line. I love the way it shows that Warren has learned the idea of raising a person’s interest in a subject before proceeding on. I’m not sure if this is a result of his language teachers at school, or if it is something he has just learned to do from his reading experience, but it tells me that he is actually learning some useful skills while at the same time reading for enjoyment.

By reading so much, rather than watching television or streamed movies excessively, I also believe Warren is developing a richer vocabulary and better comprehension skills, which helps him in his other school subjects. Of course, Warren’s mother and I are both immensely proud of our blogging son, not just because we encourage him to read a lot, but mostly because he is growing up with a desire to share with others. I hope you will agree this is a very important virtue for children to learn, and I hope you and your kids will visit his website and share your own reading experience.

Thanks for reading!

Sibo Zhang, REALTOR®