Get Ready for Summer!

The cold and windy winter season is finally over. After the rainy season, it will soon be the start of Summer! Nothing feels better than spending time outside on a warm and sunny day, but in Taiwan, sometimes the weather can be scorching hot during the summer months! We've all heard about the potential dangers of exposing your skin to sunlight without protection, but are we aware of the correct way to apply sunscreen? Needless to say, it is important to wear sunscreen from the sun's damaging rays, but it is even more important to understand why and how to do it.

We all need some sun exposure, it keeps us healthy by giving us our source of vitamin D. However, too much unprotected exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause skin damage, eye damage, and even develop cancer if there is a family history.

So, what are UV rays? Sunlight comes in three types of ultraviolet rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC.

1. UVC rays are the most dangerous, but thankfully, they are blocked by the ozone layer.

2. UVB rays cause sunburn, cataracts, and affects the immune system. Skin cancer may also develop with UVB sunburns.

3. UVA rays is the primary cause of aging and wrinkling, as well as contributing to skin cancer.

Before we learn how to apply sunscreen, we need to know to choose a good sunscreen! When buying a sunscreen product, read the label to for its SPF and PA protection. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, and protects the skin from UVB rays. The most common SPF levels in Taiwan are SPF 30 and SPF 50. Since SPF represents the length of time you can stay in the sun without getting a sunburn. For instance, if a person's skin starts to burn after 10 minutes of sun exposure, then a sunscreen with SPF 15 protection would prolong the sunburn 15 times longer, which equals to 150 minutes. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, higher SPF levels does not mean better protection, and SPF 30 should already be enough for daily protection, unless if you are going to the beach. PA stands for Protection Grade, and provides protection against UVA rays. You can find products with PA+, PA++, and PA+++ protection. Unless you are staying out in the sun for long hours, PA+ and PA++ protection is adequate for daily activities. But one might wonder: Why not just buy a product with the highest protection if the prices are about the same? Though higher protection level means longer protection against the sun, it is also heavier on the skin, which may be uncomfortable on a day in the heat. Thus, one should avoid too much protection if unnecessary.

Lastly, the correct way to apply sunscreen!

1. It is recommended that you apply on sunscreen everyday as a daily basis, even when the weather is moderate.

2. Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before heading out so that a good layer of protection and form and stay on the skin.

3. When applying the sunscreen, don't forget about the ears and behind the neck! Some lip balms even provide SPF protection! Wearing sunglasses or using an umbrella is an effective way to prevent your eyes from harmful rays.

4. Put on generous amounts of sunscreen, a thin layer of sunscreen will not offer enough protection against the sun.

5. Reapply sunscreen approximately every 2 hours, since sweating may reduce the effects of the sunscreen.

Next time when you're heading out to enjoy the sunlight, don't forget your sun protection! Happy tanning, everyone!

Productivity V.S. Procrastination

 

Since the midterms are coming up next week, I thought I might write a blog post about managing your time wisely. Isn't it funny how we like to procrastinate and then try to finish the stacked workload until the brink of the deadline? Why is it that we do that? Is there a way to increase productivity and at the same time effectively use our time?

 

Let's start by talking about willpower. We always need at least a bit of willingness before we do something. Before we start our work, we tend to imagine the work we need to do beforehand, thus making it harder to actually start the work. Therefore, before we even begin, we are already discouraged to make the first step. Instead of doing what we need to do, we then focus on other trivial tasks just to make ourselves believe that we are actually doing something productive. In my case, I tend to clean the room and organize my closet and shelves before exams just to persuade myself that I am completing something, and not trying to escape from studying. On the contrary, when we actually start doing our work, whether it's the day before the deadline or hours before the exam, we find it really easy to finish the work in a limited amount of time. Interestingly, how our brain works is that it tells us to finish what we started. For instance, if we are in the middle of doing something, and then forced to stop doing it, we feel this itch inside us to complete what we left off. Combining these two facts, we can now come up with a strategy to fight against procrastination!

Step 1: Make a to-do list. The tasks will be less intimidating if we actually put it down on a list and tackle with them one by one!

Step 2: Set up a deadline for each and every one of the tasks. Though it might seem insignificant, but if you have a chart that reminds you of what you need to do, the chances of you starting it will be higher than having nothing at all!

Step 3: Don't force yourself to finish everything all at once. Break down your tasks into smaller portions and occasionally give yourself a break. Our attention span simply does not allow us to stay focused on one thing for too long, it's just too exhausting!

Step 4: At the end of the day, evaluate what you have done and what you haven't accomplished. This will make you feel like you haven't finished a certain task yet, and therefore you'd be more motivated to finish it the next day!

Step 5: Reward yourself when you finish a huge task, whether it's a project or a report, or even an essay!

To briefly summarize the tips, all you need to remember is to: PLAN >>> START WORKING >>> HAVE BREAKS >>> EVALUATE >>> TREAT YOURSELF! 

Good Luck! (And remember, no multi-tasking because it is not productive and it also decreases work efficiency!)

Reminiscence

During the four-day holiday, I went to Shen Keng Old Street, which is only a few bus stops from NCCU. I was impressed by the ancient-looking streets and antique shops, but was kind of disappointed because they aren't authentic. You could easily tell that it was built and modified to look timeworn for the purpose of attracting tourists. Nevertheless, it is still a great place for people who would like to experience what it is like in the old days, to be surrounded by red brick houses, crimson lanterns, as well as restaurants with wooden stools and tables. It felt nice being there, yet sad somehow, probably because it reminded me of my grandmother. She passed away when I was in middle school, and all that's left in my memories of her are the good times when she gave me nothing but love.

My grandparents lived in a suburban village in Changhua, where some of the houses are more than a hundred years old! Everyone in the village have the same last name, Su, hence the name of the neighborhood "Grand House of the Su Family". You could see red bricks and wooden furniture almost everywhere, along with faded red couplets on rusty doors. Beside my grandparents' house is a well where the villagers used to come get water from, and next to it are two trees that stand on the village entrance like guardians. Directly in front of that is the traditional three section compound, in which the central building is the Shrine of the Su Family with our own God that we worship. The two wing buildings are resident houses, and the open space is where we hold festivals and religious ceremonies. Following the red brick road in front of my grandparents' house will lead you directly to a mysterious bamboo forest. It's so quiet and calming there it is like a fictitious land, dissociated with the rest of the world. When I was young, I'd imagine myself as Dorothy, following the red brick path and escaping into my own land of peace. Past the arch of bamboo trees are acres of fields and croplands, where my grandmother would catch butterflies to cheer me up. There were so many fond memories of this place that I cherish so much that emotions would pour out uncontrollably whenever I go back for a visit (which I haven't for a very long time). I feel lucky to have this cultural heritage, because to me, this place is my sanctuary, a retreat away from the turmoil of the world, which will always have its special place in my heart.