Spring's in the air (and on our skin)

The sun is out more and more every day, and the spring has definitely (and finally!) arrived. This means that it’s that time of the year where we should look in busting out that sunscreen (at least for the pasty pale folks such as me)!

Most people have a bottle or two from last summer, hanging somewhere around the house. But before you slather yourself and your kiddies with that, there are few things that you should keep in mind:

On the hunt for "PARABEN-FREE"...

So if you've read my last post, you know that I've decide to part ways with all things containing parabens, at least, to the best of my ability (because, let's be honest, there is no way to go completely paraben free since they put these preservatives in medication and other things...).

What the heck are parabens you ask? According to Wikipedia, parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. Check your bathroom, as parabens are often found in shampoos, moisturizers, shaving gels, spray tanning solutions, makeup and even toothpaste! They are also used as food additives.The main concern with METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, BUTYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN, and ISOBUTYLPARABEN is that these can mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) disruptors. For me, parabens can cause contact dermatitis :( Apparently, some of these parabens can react with UVB (i.e. when your skin is exposed to sun) and can cause skin aging and DNA damage as well.

But enough of the scary stuff!

Quote of the day

"True leaders listen to the voice of their people; dictators jail them for their rightful demands."
~ Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament, on situation in Belarus.

(click here to read more)

Day to be proud

I don't get to be proud of my country often, but today I am beaming. Belarus finally won an Olympic GOLD medal, for the first time ever at the Winter Games!!! And at a sport I really enjoy watching - freestyle aerials.

We were so disappointed to see the world leader (another reason to be proud as he is also from Belarus!) not even qualify due to a daredevil jump and no landing... And yet, yesterday, Alexei Grishin did us all proud! Of course, given a stupid snow storm, we didn't get to see it (yet another pro for cable versus satellite TV), but nonetheless, this win also marks another first - first time Belarussian athletes will bring home more than 3 medals!

Way to go guys (and girls)!

Public Transit Etiquette

Majority of people around the world use public transit (if available, of course). The city of my origin Minsk, Belarus, has an excellent transit system, which does not compare to those in North America... Hands down! Everytime I come back from Belarus I feel cheated in Ottawa, where the charge definitely outweighs the service I receive.

Majority of people using public transit in Ottawa have no clue about how to behave to make the ride pleasant for every passenger. Here are some of the "rules":

- You only paid for one seat, so use one! Don't flop your bag next to you like you're entitled to something (and some only move it after being prompted, sometimes more than once!).

- People - MOVE TO THE BACK!!! If you prepare for your stop in advance, other people will let you off the bus. C'mon already! Just this morning 3 people were let standing in the cold because the bus driver thought the bus was full. Well, the back was empty! And that's just irritating since all of us have places to go.

- Respect priority seating - that applies more to the younger generation that continue to sit there with their iPods in their ears pretending to be "sleeping". Give that old lady/gentleman your seat!

These are some main points that all of us public transit users could improve on. Maybe then we would feel that our transit system is actually worth the $100 we pay every month...