Archive for the 'Tips' Category

Safe Travels

Written by Veronica Weir on January 26, 2012. 1 Comment

In light of recent events in Mexico – the beating of a woman into a coma, a lot of Canadian travelers are debating whether travels to Mexico are safe. Statistics show that Mexico receives the highest volume of Canadian travelers compared to other destinations. According to National Post 1.6 Million Canadians visited Mexico in 2010 which is still continuing to increase and in 2011 six Canadians were murdered which is devastating and unfair regardless of where or how it happens.

I have travelled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on three separate occasions. The first few times my family and I stayed within the city and the third time a friend and I stayed in a resort in Nuevo Vallarta. I am already ready to go back! I had such amazing experiences the times that I went, that I would go back in a heartbeat. I found the locals’ very friendly, shopping great, and the weather beautiful. When I was there most recently in 2007 I did see one armored vehicle but I felt very safe during my entire stay.189146 4799436260 513006260 29886 9899 n 300x225 Safe Travels

My family consists of avid travelers and there are definitely some rules to follow when you are travelling anywhere, whether that’s Calgary, Las Vegas, Mexico, Europe, etc.

  1. Research – know the location you are traveling to, know where the violence is – for instance the drug cartels and most violence are occurring near the Mexico and United States border
  2. Travel in groups – if you chose to go for a walk at night anywhere, don’t go alone it reduces risk of being targeted
  3. Be smart – sounds simple but sometimes people end up in situations that can easily be avoided; when my friend and I went to Mexico we asked for tourist locations to go out for drinks because it’s best to stay in areas that are safer for tourists
  4. Attitude – a lot of problems arise when people get into alcohol and start picking fights, it does not condone violence from either party but if you can keep yourself in line you can protect yourself from potential harm
  5. Put things into perspective – yes, there have been Canadian deaths in Mexico however a fragment of those deaths were unlawful acts (2010: 6 deaths/ 150 Canadian deaths) – a lot of deaths were caused by drowning or suicide.

The purpose of me writing this specific blog is to encourage all travelers to be safe regardless of your destination. There are definitely some locations that are better to travel then others but we have an amazing world out there waiting to be discovered!

My heartfelt sympathies go out to any family that has been affected by violence or harm in any way, in any location – whether at home or abroad.

Playing ‘Tag’ with the Flu

Written by Veronica Weir on October 15, 2011. 2 Comments

I love the summer and I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to winter. It seems like in Canada we have two months of “summer” and ten months of winter and winter-look-a-like. But there sure is something about October. The air is crisp and cool, the leaves are a beautiful colour and the weather is still usually mild with the sun out for most of the day. But we can’t forget that now we’re getting into the lovely cold and flu season. In all of my classes someone is sniffling, sneezing, or coughing. I’m sure we all have our ways to keep healthy during the winter months but I’m still going to throw a few out there and hopefully that will boost my immune system just by writing it!

  1. Drink a lot of water and eat green! – When you go out for a night on the town drink a glass of water to every glass of alcohol.
  2. Take your vitamins – and when you feel a cold brewing try taking Cold Fx as an immunity booster.
  3. Sleep – I know it’s the most complicated five letter word in the dictionary but try it out, it’s a pretty cool idea.
  4. Workout – Winter is a great season for fitness; swimming, skiing/snowboarding, sledding or go for a run around the Corn Maze.
  5. Wash your hands – but not too much; washing or sanitizing too much will kill all the bacteria on your hands, and having healthy bacteria is important for keeping you healthy (that’s why some doctors suggest letting children eat dirt… so if you’d prefer you can eat dirt as well – tasty.)
  6. Flu shot? – Doctors are pretty 50/50 on whether or not to get your flu shot because there is no universal flu vaccine as there are different strains of the flu virus. It’s really important whether you get the flu vaccine or not to keep your immune system strong at all times so your body is ready to fight back at any time.

If you do by chance get sick after “Dr.” Veronica has prescribed all of these fabulous preventative tips I’m sure we all have our home remedies to get healthy as soon as possible and I’m going to share a couple with you! Whenever I was sick with a cold my Nana (Grandma) always put Vicks on my feet with a pair of thick socks before bed and still to this day I do that whenever I feel under the weather. Also, a hot toddy is a great relief and a fantastic sleep. My Dad likes to make it with Whiskey (yuck), hot water, and sugar but I prefer to make mine with hot water and Amaretto (Disaronno is my favourite). Drink it while it’s hot! It’s sure to cure a sore throat and cough and allow you to sleep so you can get back up to speed to keep up with the student life.

In the words of the great Hal Johnson and Joanne Mcleod; “Keep Fit and Have Fun.”