It could happen to any country

The world is indeed interconnected and what happens in one country could easily happen to another country. It is just a matter of time. Tsunamis caused by underwater earthquake in the Pacific Ocean could also devastate Canada’s outer coastal communities in British Columbia with monstrous waves from the north, south or west. The biggest impact from tsunamis would be on the west coast of Vancouver Island at places such as Tofino, Ucluelet and Port Alberni.

The British Columbia coastline lies in the Cascadia subduction zone. Between the middle of Vancouver Island and northern California, the Juan de Fuca plate is touching and moving beneath the North American plate. Tsunamis in Canada could happen within the next 300 years or it could happen tomorrow. The good news is that it is not expected to be as destructive as it was in Southeast Asia because of the less dense population along the coastline.

It is that time of year again when we have abundant information about Canada, Canadians and lifestyle trends. All these accumulated data help us a lot in understanding living in Canada.

• Top snowiest cities in Canada — Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador; Sept-lies, Quebec; Campbelton, New Brunswick; Baie-Comoau, Quebec; Mensten, New Brunswick; Owen Sound, Ontario; Midland, Ontario.

• Top cultural activities in Canada — Reading a newspaper, listening to CDs cassettes, records; watching a video; reading magazines; reading a book; going to a movie; visiting a conservation park; attending a concert/performance; visiting a historical site; visiting a zoo/aquarium/garden.

• Top honeymoon destinations for Canadians — Hawaii, Mexico, Jamaica, Florida, Europe, Canada, California, Australia, Bermuda and Aruba.

• Top 10 causes for divorce in Canada — I) Infidelity, 2) Communication problems, 3) Incompatibility, 4) Emotional/physical abuse, 5) Drug addiction/alcoholism, 6) Money problems, 7) Spouse is a workaholic, 8) Changes in appearance, 9) Children, 10) Stress of home renovations.

It’s always nice to be number one, to be a leader in something that will benefit a lot of people. Here is an excellent example of good leadership. Canada is likely to become the first nation in the world to force tobacco companies to change their manufacturing practices so all the cigarettes they sell are less likely to cause fires.

The so-named "fire-safe" cigarettes will not guarantee total safety but they will be redesigned so that they burn out more easily when left unattended. It was estimated that cigarettes cause 2,085 fires yearly, resulting to about 53 deaths, 227 injuries and $28.1 million in property damage.

Still on the subject of the bad habit, Toronto researchers found out that workplace smoking bans are helping nicotine addicts to cut back, even quit. They discovered that in places with bans, 18 percent of workers smoked, consuming an average of 15.4 cigarettes a day, which is less than the national average. Meanwhile, in places where there were no bans, 40 percent of employees were daily smokers, averaging 20.1 a day.

I have several Asian ( Filipinos and Chinese) friends in their late 30s and late 40s who still live with their parents. This is not acceptable to me and I feel that their parents succeeded in castrating them into infantile maturity or adulthood. Meanwhile, in Canada, contrary to popular belief, young women are more prone to cut the debilitating apron strings than their male counterparts. Statistics showed that young women of Quebec between the ages of 15 and 24 were more likely to leave home and live alone than young men and women elsewhere in the country.

The traditional notion is that men are more independent at an earlier age but in reality, women are more independent at an earlier age. The report indicated that 56 percent of the three million Canadians living alone in 2001 are women. Of the three million, 42 percent were never married. It also showed that men are more likely to gravitate to their parents’ homes after a divorce. It was speculated that financial and emotional considerations drive more men back to the security of their parents’ home.

The ratio of men and women who are divorced and living alone is 46 percent to 54 percent. As we move to 60 or over, it is the women who will take care of elderly parents.