SUPER SAVINGS

ON RETAIL PRICES
2
PAGE 5
HAPPY
EARNE D TO BE
HOW I L UR
US
ON R
DRAMA S
“Help! My son N
ON

EAT
has a spike in
his head!”
cinating
AN
PAGE 116

for RETS
Ways to
BRING C S
New Hope
PURPOSE
a re
ACHINSG
into your
world’s
a
life
PAGE 90
L E!
KNEE
PA GE 94
es RED DO
e Journ ’S
S
G VICTIM
THE LIVINilat’s Evil Legacy
of Ivan M
BER
PA GE 130
REN RS
OKIE extinct!
FROM BO hropist Q
to Philant y
RIG ED
PA GE 34
PROTECT
WAYS TO ementia NDS
s THE LOG
TTERY
D g
Against wept beauty PA GE 88

PA GE 40

Every issue of Reader’s Digest offers only the best original

writing on issues that matter to you. Real-life dramas and
uplifting stories, amazing health discoveries and human
adventure. Long reads mixed with short stories.
PLUS exclusive book excerpts.

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 HOW I LEARNED TO BE HAPPY PAGE 52

@WorldAndNews. More than 100 editions everyday.

New Hope for

ACHING
KNEES
PAGE 94

THE LIVING VICTIMS

of Ivan Milat’s Evil Legacy
PAGE 130

FROM BOOKIE
to Philanthropist
PAGE 34

WAYS TO PROTECT
Against Dementia
PAGE 40
 SUPER SAVINGS
ON RETAIL PRICES
2
PAGE 5
HAPPY
EARNE D TO BE
HOW I L UR
US
ON R
DRAMA S
“Help! My son N
ON

EAT
has a spike in
his head!”
cinating
AN
PAGE 116

for RETS
Ways to
BRING C S
New Hope
PURPOSE
a re
ACHINSG
into your
world’s
a
life
PAGE 90
L E!
KNEE
PA GE 94
es RED DO
e Journ ’S
S
G VICTIM
THE LIVINilat’s Evil Legacy
of Ivan M
BER
PA GE 130
REN RS
OKIE extinct!
FROM BO hropist Q
to Philant y
RIG ED
PA GE 34
PROTECT
WAYS TO ementia NDS
s THE LOG
TTERY
D g
Against wept beauty PA GE 88

PA GE 40

Every issue of Reader’s Digest offers only the best original

writing on issues that matter to you. Real-life dramas and
uplifting stories, amazing health discoveries and human
adventure. Long reads mixed with short stories.
PLUS exclusive book excerpts.

PLUS
z A SPECIAL FREE GIFT
z DELIVERY INCLUDED EVERY MONTH

TO ORDER: ASIA: rdasia.com subscribe

AUSTRALIA: readersdigest com.au subscribe
NEW ZEALAND readersdigest.co.nz subscribe
 CONTENTS
DECEMBER 2019

Features
24
inspiration
Real-Life Miracles
Five incredible true
stories to celebrate this
special time of year.

34
making a difference
40
A Brown
Cardboard Box
A former housekeeper
and her boss give
40 52
health wellbeing
abandoned children How to Protect How I Learned
a chance at life. Yourself From to be Happy
LAM LYE CHING
Dementia A course on the
Vital things you can do science of happiness
to reduce your risk of can boost mood and
developing dementia. overall wellbeing.
ANITA BARTHOLOMEW LISA FIELDS

48 60
food on your plate life well lived
Potatoes – All Eyes
COVER IMAGE: SHUT TERSTOCK

Betting on
on Me: The World’s Humanity
Dream Starch An unlikely friendship
Boiled, roasted, fried has unexpected
or mashed, there are benefits.
many ways to enjoy LISA KANAREK FROM

52
THE WASHINGTON POST
potatoes.
KATE LOWENSTEIN ON THE COVER: NEW HOPE
FOR ACHING KNEES – PAGE 92
AND DANIEL GRITZER

1
 CONTENTS
DECEMBER 2019

80 80 100
animal kingdom culture
The Push to Save With Love
Sydney’s Koala from the DDR
Habitat A glimpse into
A healthy koala colony everyday life in
66 is potentially the next the former East
adventure victim of rapid German state.
Wild Horses urban growth. PAUL ROBERT
A shared passion for DIANE GODLEY
Icelandic horses leads 110
a group of women to 86 art of living
escape their ordinary photo feature 10 Cool Alternative
lives. TORY BILSKI Mind the Step Christmas Tree Ideas
FROM THE BOOK WILD Art or a way to the top, Just because you don’t
HORSES OF THE SUMMER SUN these amazing stairs have the space to set

74 are made for climbing.

CORNELIA KUMFERT
up a traditional tree
doesn’t mean you
humour
92
have to go without.
The Best Made-up RACHEL BROUGHAM
Words Ever medical advances
Hilarious words you New Hope for
will want to start Aching Knees
dropping into
everyday
conversation.
But do your research
before deciding on 100
replacement surgery.
BILL BOULDIN FROM RICHARD LALIBERTE
DEL RIO NEWS-HERALD FROM AARP THE MAGAZINE

2 december 2019
 Departments
the digest
64
116 18 Pets
20 Health
23 News From the
World of Medicine
135 RD Recommen nds
regulars
4 Editor’s Note
6 Letters
10 News Worth
Sharing

116 12 My Story
travel
Green Heaven
16 Smart Animals
73 Quotable Quottes
79 That’s Outrageeous
ous
142
India’s hidden tropical
106 Look Twice
paradise of sandy
coastline, spice humour
plantations, intriguing 46 Life’s Like Thatt
waterways and vast 64 Laughter, the
national parks. Best Medicine
STEPHANIE PEARSON 114 Day’s Work
FROM OUTSIDE MAGAZINE
the genius section
124 142 Teach Your Bra
New Tricks
ain
book bonus
145 Family Fun
Ripples of Tears
146 Puzzles

73
For the families of the
148 Trivia
victims of ‘Backpacker
149 Word Power
Murderer’ Ivan Milat,
the grief and anger
never ends. Follow us @ReadersDigestAustralia
SIMON BOUDA @ReadersDigestNewZealand
@ReadersDigestAsia
3
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

EDITOR’S NOTE

Special Moments
SO, ANOTHER DECADE, full of wonder, surprises and more than just
a few miracles, has reached its end. ‘Real-Life Miracles’ (page 24) is a
compilation of moments that will reignite your faith in the goodness
of unexplained miracles that can’t be neatly analysed or replicated.
We felt that this compilation best portrays the true meaning of
Christmas. It’s a time to celebrate but also a time to consider the
beautiful moments we’ve enjoyed over the past year. If we try, I’m
certain we can all look back and find a special moment and genuinely
say, “I can’t begin to explain how that happened!” That’s what
miracles leave you thinking.
This month’s issue is full of great reading: from a story about a
businessman bookie who became a philanthropist and hero to an entire
community (‘A Brown Cardboard Box’, page 34) to a compelling article
about one of the greatest social and health challenges of today in ‘How
to Protect Yourself from Dementia’ (page 40) and
my personal favourite, the story of one woman’s
selfish pleasure of riding ponies in Iceland (‘Wild
Horses’, page 60). Why? Because she can.
Lastly, on behalf of everyone involved in
bringing you the unique reading experience
that is Reader’s Digest magazine, we all
wish you, our readers, a wonderful
holiday season and end to an amazing year,
and decade. We all look forward to bringing
you more inspiring, informative and
shareable stories in 2020.

LOUISE WATERSON
Editor-in-Chief

4 december 2019
 BE HAPPY PAGE 52
HOW I LEARNED TO

Vol. 197

New Hope for

No. 1175

ACHING
December 2019

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Louise Waterson KNEES

PAGE 94

Managing Editor Zoë Meunier THE LIVING VICTIMS

acy
Chief Subeditor Melanie Egan of Ivan Milat’s Evil Leg
PAGE 130

Art Director Hugh Hanson FROM BOOKIE

to Philanthropist
Senior Art Designer Adele Burley PAGE 34

Senior Editor Diane Godley WAYS TO PROTECT

Against Dementia
Associate Editor Victoria Polzot PAGE 40

DIGITAL Head of Digital Content Greg Barton

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R E A DER’S DIGE ST

LETTERS
READER’S COMMENTS AND OPINIONS

Coming Back
I have just read the article
‘My Coma Miracle’
(September). It is hard to
imagine how tough it was for
Colleen Kelly Alexander to
endure all that pain after
her accident. Her courage
and perseverance should
give hope to others who find
themselves in difficult
circumstances.   SITHU HTET

In a Pickle some of them. To do that we had to

Thank you for your article on eggs hard boil the eggs first. Then we had
(‘Eggs: A Force in Nature and to peel off the shells and put them
Kitchens’, September). in preserving bottles with spiced
We have three hens who serve us vinegar. What could be easier?
faithfully with three eggs every day. However, we found it very difficult
Since there are only two of us, to remove the shells smoothly. Little
my husband and I, we have eggs pieces of egg white came off with
to spare even after giving some to the shells so that the eggs looked
neighbours and relatives. as though they had been nibbled
So, we decided to try pickling by rats. The next batch we pickle

Let us know if you are moved – or provoked – by any item in the magazine,
or to share your thoughts. See page 8 for how to join the discussion.

6 december 2019
 Letters

however, will be different as I read

in your article how it is difficult to
shell fresh eggs.
Now all we have to do is keep
some eggs for a few weeks and try
again. ROBIN LONG

Inside Story
Congratulations, Reader’s Digest.
You have delivered an instant hit
REACHING FOR
with your eight-page article, ‘The
THE STARS
We asked you to think up a funny
Science of Number 2’ (September). caption for this photo.
The bowels and digestive health Saturday ‘Nut’ Fever!
are issues everyone encounters CHRISTINA HATZIS
in one way or another but nobody Pick me, teacher, pick me – I’ve
dares to discuss openly. You have nutted out the answer!
taken up this smelly subject and VICKI BALLARD

crowned it with shapes, sizes, Please Miss, ple-ease may I leave

colours, consistency and frequency. the room? I’m busting.
NORM STEVENS
You have even dignified the fart and
given ‘our behind’ its rightful place And I call this exercise,
in our anatomy. I’ve been a regular the Nutcracker.
JUDITH JANSEN
Congratulations to this month’s
WIN A PILOT CAPLESS winner, Christina Hatzis.

FOUNTAIN PEN
The best letter each month WIN!
will win a Pilot Capless
Fountain Pen, valued at over
$200. The Capless is the
perfect combination of luxury
and ingenious technology,
featuring a one-of-a-kind
retractable fountain pen nib,
durable metal body, beautiful CAPTION CONTEST
rhodium accents and a 14K Come up with the funniest caption
gold nib. Congratulations to this for the above photo and you could
month’s winner, Robin Long. win $100. To enter, see the details
on page 8.

7
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

reader of Reader’s Digest since I was RD SHOP

18. I have laughed, cried, agreed, For quality products, book sales and more,
disagreed and used your articles visit Readersdigest.com.au/shop
as lesson material. Now I share the and Readersdigest.co.nz/shop
magazine with my grandchildren;
but I don’t quite remember an CONTRIBUTE
article like this. Dare to be different.
USULA P. WIJESURIYA Anecdotes and jokes
Send in your real-life laugh for
Welcome Back Life’s Like That or All in a Day’s Work.
Got a joke? Send it in for Laughter
Today we received our first copy is the Best Medicine!
of Reader’s Digest (September) Smart Animals
following an absence of some 20- Share antics of unique pets
odd years. or wildlife in up to 300 words.
After reading your editorial, Reminisce
I searched the Contents for Share the tales of an event from your
something from yesteryear that I past that made a huge impact in
used to really enjoy. And there it 100–500 words.
was – ‘Laughter, the Best Medicine’! My Story
My wife and I are looking forward to Do you have an inspiring or life-
changing tale to tell? Submissions
receiving the next 11 issues. must be true, unpublished, original
PHILLIP ANDREWS and 800–1000 words – see website
for more information.
Little Creatures
Kathleen Tuck wrote that her world Letters to the editor, caption
had shrunk so small as to feel competitions and other reader
euphoric over saving a grasshopper submissions
(Smart Animals, October). Not true! ONLINE
Her world has expanded Follow the ‘Contribute’ link at the
RD website in your region
beautifully to be able to feel
compassion and care for tiny EMAIL
creatures who manage to survive AU: [email protected]
NZ: [email protected]
in spite of humans and without ASIA: [email protected]
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8 December 2019
TA L K S
What’s New in RD Talks
Sit back and enjoy the audio versions of the most engaging
stories to have appeared in Reader’s Digest magazine.

SEARCHING “WE’RE DEAD”

FOR RILEY Stay and fight,
Even though she’d or abandon your
never met him, home? As one family
when Sally Pratley struggles to decide,
saw that a little the flames sweep
boy was missing, in and it becomes a
she knew she had desperate battle
to help. for survival.

THE PIG WHO HANA’S

LOVED PEOPLE SUITCASE
He wasn’t what Worn and musty,
you’d expect in a it travelled from
pet – or even in the horrors of
a pig. The heart- Auschwitz to
warming story of a Japan, bearing
friendly pig with a a message
huge heart. of hope.

O LISTEN GO TO:
. readersdigest.com.au/podcasts
www.readersdigest.co.nz/podcasts
www.rdasia.com/podcasts
 NEWS
WORTH
SHARING

Futuristic Hospital Uses Greenery for Healing

T
he thought of going to hospital more than 700 native species of
can send blood pressure soaring, fragrant plants and trees to successfully
so when a Singapore-based create an environment that is both
design firm was given the brief to soothing and uplifting.
create a hospital that reduces stress Fruit, vegetables and herbs from
and promotes healing, they naturally the roof-top garden are incorporated
turned to greenery. Since nature is in patient meals. An added bonus is
known to have physical and mental that the hospital’s natural ecosystem

PH OTO S: G E T T Y I M AG E S; K H O O T EC K PUAT H O S PI TA L
health benefits, the design of Khoo has seen the butterfly species on the
Teck Puat Hospital has incorporated grounds increase from three to 83.

Lost Delacroix Painting Resurfaces in Paris

T
he lost study of Eugène Delacroix’s
Women of Algiers, a masterpiece that
inspired Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gauguin,
has been discovered in a Paris apartment.
Missing since 1850, the work was found on a
visit to a collector by gallerist Philippe Mendes,
who says the study was “an essential marker in
the long gestation of this mythic painting”.

COMPILED BY VICTORIA POLZOT

10 december 2019
 News Worth Sharing

Grandmother Donates
Speaking Device to Teen

G
randmother Lynda Tunks
from the Hunter Valley
in New South Wales
generously donated an expensive
computerised device to an
Adelaide teenager with cerebral
palsy after thieves stole the teen’s
device from her mother’s car.
Jessica Armistead, 13, is non-
verbal and relies on a $25,000
speech generation device to
communicate with family and
friends. Without it, she only has Nude Food Proves Popular

S
the ability to answer yes, or no. ales of some vegetables have
The Tobii Eye Gaze device allows soared by up to 300 per cent
the user to use eye movements to following the decision by a
communicate by sound by gazing group of New World supermarkets in
at different words, icons and New Zealand to do away with plastic
numbers on a screen. packaging.
When Jessica’s device was The project – known as ‘food in
stolen, her mother contacted a the nude’ – was pioneered by a New
local radio station to vent her World supermarket in Bishopdale,
frustration. The story was picked Christchurch, and now, with up to
up by other media outlets and nine stores on board, giving up plastic
when Tunks saw it, she decided to wrapping for almost all fruit and
donate the device she owned. vegetables has led to stunning sales
Tunks had bought the device figures. Bishopdale store owner Nigel
for her eight-year-old grandson, Bond says the initiative was part of the
Jackson, before he unexpectedly war on plastic. While he was initially
passed aw way. concerned that his idea could backfire,
He, too, it has instead resulted in positive
had cerebrral customer feedback with customers
palsy and bowled over by the new displays.
she wanted Getting rid of plastic-wrapped
to pass it fresh produce reminds Bond of his
on to childhood, he says, when going to the
someone greengrocer meant enjoying the smell
in need. of fresh citrus or spring onions. Plastic
wrap sanitises and deprives people of
this experience, he says.

11
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

MY STORY

All Alone at
Christmas
For a five-year-old
wartime evacuee,
the season was not festive

BY Mike Hilton

A
s Christmas 2019 cruising overhead, the whistling
approaches and I look of the bombs as they headed
forward to a wonderful towards the suburbs below and the
day with my wife and explosions as they met their targets
family, I am reminded of are frightening sounds that will
a sadder time. It was back in 1941, forever be embedded in my memory.
when as a five-year-old boy I spent At school the following day, my
the day far from my family in the care friends and I would notice that
of a very mean-spirited woman. one or two of our classmates were
I was living a very comfortable missing. The empty seats became
PHOTOS:GET T Y IMAGES

life with my family in London when monuments to the friends we lost

World War II started. The city was and I would wonder whether my
being heavily bombed and many seat would be among the empty
families had dug air raid shelters ones the next morning.
in their back gardens. Hearing the Owing to the loss of so many
hum of German Luftwaffe bombers children, the British government

12 december 2019
 My Story

then taken to the railway station.

Waving goodbye to our parents was
the saddest day of our lives.
I was very aware, even at such
a young age, that my life, once
happy and carefree, would include
memories of these devastating
events. I held Joy’s hand tightly as
we boarded the train with a group of
about 20 children. I wondered where
Mummy and Daddy were going to
go. The look on all the children’s
faces reflected the fear and trauma
this change brought to our lives.
A little while into the journey, the
sombre mood began to lift, and we
started to talk and laugh with one
another. The train finally pulled into
the station at the Port of Penzance
but since it was too late to billet us
out that night, it was decided that we
would spend the night in a converted
office. Joy and I were heading up the
decided that all children living in office stairs when a man told us we
London aged 12 years and younger were to be billeted out straight away.
should be evacuated to the safety of Joy, who always protected me,
the countryside. held on to me tightly, but the driver
My older sister, Joy, who was delivering us to our new homes
seven at the time, and I fell into pulled us apart. I was forced into
this age group and our parents Mrs Wallis’s house as Joy screamed
were told to pack each of us a small out, “Don’t let him go”. She was
suitcase and a little brown box that billeted some kilometres away with
contained our gas mask. We were another family.
And so began the most
traumatising two years of my life.
Mike Hilton describes his move to Australia The families that hosted
in the late 1960s as the best decision he
ever made. Happily married and settled in evacuees were given five shillings
Perth, he spends his retirement playing golf and food coupons each week by
and doing what he can to help others. the government. Most families

13
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

accommodated an evacuee on asked to be quiet so the teacher

compassionate grounds but could read out our names to come
unfortunately there were those that forward and receive our gift.
thought they could benefit from such All the children sat silent with
an arrangement. anticipation. Gradually the surnames
Mrs Wallis fell into the latter group. were called out in alphabetical order.
She was an imposing figure capable Hearing their name, each child,
of uttering only cruel and demeaning bursting with excitement, would
taunts. She showed no compassion run forward and collect his present
and her rants such as “You’re a waste from the tree. As the alphabet came
of time,” and “I can’t wait until you to the letter ‘H’ no name was called
are sent back” had me cowering. out. When finally the last name was
called, the teacher simply said, “Well
MY FIRST CHRISTMAS that’s all, everyone have a happy
Christmas”.
AWAY FROM MY My classmates raced out of the
FAMILY WAS NEVER room and I just sat there at my desk,
GOING TO BE EASY disappointed. I couldn’t remember
the last time I was cuddled or told
that I was loved. I didn’t understand
Thankfully, Mr Wallis was a very nice why my life was now so empty.
man and he would comfort me after Thankfully my Christmas wish
each of his wife’s attacks. came true. Word had got back to the
My first Christmas away from my authorities regarding the treatment
family was never going to be easy. I Mrs Wallis was meting out and
missed my parents and sister terribly. within 12 months I was removed
I came from a close and loving family from her care. I was then billeted
and for my last Christmas my father with a friendly family in Birmingham
had spoiled me with a Hornby train until the end of the war when I was
set that I was too little to operate. The reunited with my family.
primary school I attended that year Looking back 67 years later, I feel
in Penzance placed a Christmas tree fortunate to have created many
in the corner of our classroom so that happy new memories – particularly
parents and carers could tie a present surrounding Christmas.
to it for their child. The presents were
to be given out on the last day before Do you have a tale to tell? We’ll pay
the Christmas break and everyone cash for any original and unpublished
grew excited as the afternoon drew story we print. See page 8 for details
closer to present time. We were all on how to contribute.

14 December 2019
 ONLINE
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R E A DER’S DIGE ST

SMART ANIMALS
These animal friends are not only clever, they also love to share

Tough Nuts to Crack Within ten minutes, two crows

MERCIA FONSEKA landed on the wire mesh and, after
After making a Christmas cake, I unsuccessfully trying to reach the
was left with more than 350 grams nuts with their beaks, they flew away.
of fresh cashew nuts. Before storing Then came a magpie and a mynah.
them for future use, I wanted to sun- They, too, failed miserably. More
I L LU S T R AT I O N S: G E T T Y I M AG E S

dry them a little. So, one afternoon, crows also flew away disappointed.
I put them in a rather deep cooking Next, a well-grown squirrel came
pot and left them out in the hot sun, scampering along. It rested on
taking care to cover the pot with a the wire mesh for a while looking
three-centimetre wire mesh, to keep
the nuts from the thieving crows and You could earn cash by telling us
magpies in our garden. I took my about the antics of unique pets or
perch on the back verandah with a wildlife. Turn to page 8 for details
book, within eyesight of the nuts. on how to contribute.

16 december 2019
 Smart Animals

greedily at the nuts below. It then dish. At first, we thought she was a
ran the length of the wire mesh a bully because every time she ate, our
couple of times, stopped at a point cats, Christy and Survi, would simply
and thrust one of its front paws watch her from the sidelines. So, we
through the mesh. Unfortunately, treated her as an uninvited guest.
the nuts were further below than its However, about a month later, we
paw could reach. Not wanting to give realised that she had actually been
up, it tried with its other paw but still adopted by our cats. Unbeknownst
could not get a single nut. Watching to us, after Christy and Survi had
this, I felt a tinge of pride surging for satisfied their hunger, they would
selecting the best pot for the purpose leave a small portion of their food for
– otherwise these creatures would her. Meanwhile she’d patiently wait
have pilfered the nuts. for her turn to eat.
The frustrated squirrel scampered She had such a gentle nature that
back the way it came and our kitten, Survi, would taunt her.
disappeared into the leaves of a Sometimes, even though Survi had
nearby tree. In a matter of seconds, finished his meal, he’d wait until
it reappeared with a skinny young the unnamed cat started to eat only
companion – perhaps its offspring. to nudge her head out of the way
Once on the wire mesh, the little and start eating again. The ginger
fellow had no difficulty wriggling cat would wait patiently until Survi
through it and immediately started stopped feeding. She touched our
nibbling at a nut, devouring it hearts so dearly that we decided to
in seconds. Then, it took another adopt her and name her Paula. Now,
and held it out in its paw through all three cats happily eat together.
the mesh and offered it to the
older squirrel.
In this manner, they enjoyed seven
or so nuts each. The little one then
wriggled his way out through the
mesh the way he had got in and,
having outsmarted me so completely,
the duo scampered away.

The Patient Cat

BARBARA SIM
During the summer of 2014, we were
surprised to see a stray ginger cat
start dining regularly at our pet cats’

17
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

PETS

Travelling with Pets

Planning a holiday? Here’s how to make sure your
furry friend enjoys their break as much as you do

BY Dr Katrina Warren

IT USED TO BE THE CASE that pet owners would

head off on holidays and leave their pets behind to
be minded by family, friends or a boarding facility.
These days many people are opting to find pet-
friendly accommodation and, fortunately, that’s
becoming easier. Veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren
shares her expert advice with eight tips for safe,
happy holidays with pets.

Our regular pet

1 Virtually all online accommodation booking
websites now offer a ‘pet-friendly’ search option. Be
columnist,
sure to read the fine print about fencing, whether pets
Dr Katrina Warren,
is an established are allowed indoors and so on, as they can vary from
and trusted animal one property to another.
expert.
2 Check the location of vets in the area you’re
planning to visit and phone ahead to learn about
any potential hazards in the local area, such as ticks
PHOTOS: GET T Y IMAGES

or snakes.

3 If you’re planning to confine your dog or cat to

a crate or carry cage at any time during the holiday
be sure they’re comfortable and familiar with it well
before you leave. This will help to reduce stress and
anxiety for both you and the pet along the way.

18 december 2019
 Pets

4 If you’re travelling by
car with a dog be sure to
make plenty of stops for a leg
stretch, a drink and a toilet
opportunity. Ensure your dog
is firmly attached to a lead
whenever you take a roadside
break. Keep cats confined in
a carry cage. On long trips,
consider offering them a litter Pet-friendly hotels and holiday rentals
tray inside the car unless cater for four-legged family members
they’re accustomed to walking
on a lead or with a harness.

5 To avoid tummy upsets caused by

7 Make sure your pet is wearing
a collar with an ID tag with your
dietary changes take plenty of your mobile phone number so you can
pet’s normal food. They’ll be more be contacted easily if they escape or
likely to feel comfortable if you can become lost. Make sure your contact
also take along their own bedding. details linked to your pet’s microchip
And don’t forget preventative are current.
treatments for ticks and fleas.

6 If you’re travelling by plane

8 When you arrive at your
destination check carefully that the
always book your pet’s travel property is secure, as dogs have a
arrangements well ahead of the knack for finding hidden holes in
flight, check where you need to drop fences. Cats should always be kept
the pet at the terminal and be sure to indoors only, unless trained to walk
arrive at the airport early. on a lead or harness.

TOP 5 BENEFITS OF HOLIDAYING WITH YOUR PET

lMissing them won’t perfect time to relax and lIf you’re travelling
be an issue. have fun with your pet. alone your dog will
lYou won’t be stressed lYour dog will help you feel safe
about leaving your pet in encourage you to get and they’re a great
someone else’s care. outdoors, exercise aid in meeting
l Holidays are the and explore. new people.

19
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

HEALTH

Postnasal drip:
what it is and how
to get rid of it

Led by
the Nose
BY Samantha Rideout

I
t may be kind of gross to thick or copious, you can become
think about, but your nose is conscious of it draining from your
continually making mucus nose into your throat. You can also
– and that’s a good thing. This experience coughing, soreness,
sticky secretion traps and tickling, a raspy voice or a frequent
neutralises dust, pollution need to clear your throat.
and germs, which helps protect Known as postnasal drip, this
you against infections and airway annoying symptom can be caused
irritation. It also humidifies the air by a wide variety of conditions.
you breathe and moisturises your Common triggers include hayfever,
PHOTO: GET T Y IMAGES

nose, preventing its lining from colds and flu, all of which prompt
drying out and cracking. the body to produce more mucus or
Under normal, healthy make changes to the usual texture in
circumstances, nasal mucus simply an effort to rid itself of pathogens
gets swallowed without causing (or what it mistakes for pathogens, in
discomfort. But when it’s especially the case of allergies).

20 december 2019
 Health

More rarely, bacterial sinus chronic coughing. Many a stubborn

infections are to blame. See a doctor throat rattle is indeed associated
if you have otherwise unexplained with rhinitis (an inflamed nose)
nasal symptoms that drag on for and excess mucus. And sometimes,
more than ten days, if they worsen taking antihistamines or nasal
rather than improve over time, or if steroids resolves both problems.
they’re accompanied by a persistent But more frequently, the cough
high fever. Antibiotics may be continues after the nose returns
needed for some of these cases. to normal, according to Dr Lorcan
If not sickness or allergies, the McGarvey, who is leading a cough-
culprit might be a medication management research collaboration
(such as birth-control pills or beta for the European Respiratory Society.
blockers), structural abnormalities “Experiences like this led people to
in the nose (such as nasal polyps or the idea that there might be some
a crooked or off-centre wall between other underlying issue,” he says.
your nostrils) or irritating fumes
(such as cigarette smoke or smog).
You might be able to get rid of
COMMON TRIGGERS
postnasal drip by attacking its root INCLUDE HAY FEVER,
cause. For instance, a doctor could COLDS AND FLU
replace one medication with another
or give you antihistamines or
immunotherapy for your allergies. Scientists are now exploring the
But even if you don’t know the theory that a bout of inflammation
cause or just need to wait it out, sometimes causes lasting
you can still take steps to ease your hypersensitisation of nerves in the
discomfort. For starters, drink airway. “This fits well with stories
plenty of fluids, which makes your we hear from many patients about
mucus thinner. For a better night’s how their cough is set off, even by
sleep, elevate your head. This will innocuous things like laughing or
help nasal mucus drain down your cold air,” Dr McGarvey explains.
throat properly, rather than collect Drugs targeting neural
in it. During the day, inhaling steam hypersensitivity have already
could offer relief, as could taking a reached the advanced stages of
mucus-thinning medication, such clinical testing. So even if postnasal-
as guaifenesin, or cleaning out your drip interventions and the other
nose with an over-the-counter existing treatments don’t help
saline rinse or spray. your chronic cough, new hope is
Postnasal drip is often blamed for on the horizon.

21
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

HEALTH

Swallowing
Gum: Is it
Harmful?
your body for more than a week. This
BY Brittany Gibson
is because the stomach periodically
empties its contents into the small

T
intestine, so if you swallowed gum,
he human body is a mind- it would then move to the colon, and
blowing marvel in many finally pass in the stool.
ways. But sometimes, its
abilities are undermined. IS IT DANGEROUS? With that being
A perfect example of this is the said, “some components of gum,
age-old myth that chewing gum can such as sweeteners, are actually
stay in your body for seven years. digested,” writes Fabian Ortega for
“This is about as scientifically true yalescientific.org.
as swallowing watermelon seeds However, frequently swallowing
will make you grow a watermelon wads of chewing gum won’t do
in your stomach,” says Caleb Backe, your body any favours. “Repeatedly
health and wellness expert for Maple swallowing gum can lead to a
Holistics. bezoar, a small mass of indigestible
material that can potentially
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU lead to a bowel obstruction,”
SWALLOW GUM? While it’s not says gastroenterologist Edwin
PHOTO: GET T Y IMAGES

true that chewing gum will stay in McDonald.

your body for seven years, it is true So can you occasionally swallow
that the synthetic portion of it isn’t chewing gum and be OK? Yes.
digestible. But that doesn’t mean the Should you? Probably not. “It would
synthetic portions are just going to sit be wise to avoid making this a
around for years – gum rarely stays in habit,” Ortega writes.

22 december 2019
 NEWS FROM THE

WORLD OF MEDICINE

EXERCISE IMPROVES MEMORY experienced other perks, including

People who include a little light reduced lower-back pain, mildly
exercise in their day may have improved blood pressure and less
improved memory function. In fatigue. These benefits likely depend
a recent study, brain imaging of on how long you spend in each
36 healthy young adults who had position and how often you switch.
just exercised for ten minutes
showed improved connectivity NEW BLOOD TEST
between the parts of the brain FOR MELANOMA
thought to help lay down new Australia and New Zealand have
memories and the parts involved in the highest rates of melanoma in
detailed memory processing. The the world. The deadliest of all skin
participants also improved their cancers, early diagnosis is key to
performance on a recall test. improving survival rates, but too
many people fail to check their skin
SIT-STAND DESKS SHOW on a regular basis or have a doctor do
SOME BENEFITS FOR USERS so. Now researchers have developed
What can you gain from using a sit- a blood test to detect melanoma
stand desk? An Applied Ergonomics in its early stages. In a study of 245
review looked at 53 studies on the people, the new test identified those
topic to answer this question. These with melanoma with 79 per cent
workstations are sometimes accuracy and those without the
touted as a way to fight cancer with 84 per cent
obesity, but no accuracy. If and when
significant results the melanoma test
PHOTO: ADAM VOORHES

backed up this is approved for use,

claim. This makes it would be one of
sense, given that the first and could
simply standing eliminate the need
doesn’t burn many for a dermatologist
kilojoules. However, visit to diagnose
some study participants the disease.

23
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

24 December 2019
 INSPIRATION

This holiday season, we’d like to

share these stories – gifts of
PH OTO: YA S U+JU NKO

wonder, caring and family love

25
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

The last church

standing in
Centralia

The Church That Wouldn’t Burn

BY Bill Hangley Jr.

T
he church shouldn’t be icons, he grabs three ropes and rings
there, but every Sunday, the bells as Mass begins and the
CO U R T E S Y FAT H ER J O H N M . FI EL DS

parishioner John Mayer- congregation sings the hymns no one

nick goes anyway. thought they’d hear again.
He opens the door that This is the Assumption of the
shouldn’t be standing, walks past the Blessed Vi rg i n Ma r y chu rch i n
pews that should have burned, and Centralia, Pennsylvania. In 1962, an
mounts the stairs to the balcony that underground mine caught fire, its
should have been razed. As sunlight fumes and heat slowly choking the
pours through the stained glass win- town. Over the next 20-something
dows and gleams off the gilt-trimmed years, all but five of its citizens left.

26 December 2019
 Real-Life Miracles

The government f lattened most of churches founded in the region. Cen-

the homes and shop fronts before the tralia’s immigrants could worship
fire could. Today, where generations within its simple wood frame and
of miners once raised families, there hand-laid stone walls just as they
are only a few stretches of footpaths had for centuries back home. They
to nowhere. More than 56 years later, sang in their native tongue. They
the fire is still smouldering below celebrated the distinctive Ukrainian
ground. But thanks to an accident of Catholic Mass. They prayed beneath
geology, the church was spared from its three-bar crosses.
the f lames and the bulldozers. Its Evelyn Mushalko, an Assumption
sky-blue dome still pokes up above parishioner born in Centralia in 1944,
the trees, and its pews fill with pa- remembers a town of friendly local
rishioners on Sundays. stores; a town where fathers worked
“There are many different kinds hard and didn’t talk much about it;
of miracles,” says the church’s priest, a town where you picked berries in
Father Michael Hutsko. “The flash-of summer and ran home after school
lightning kind, the sick person who’s to catch Roy Rogers or Dick Clark’s
suddenly healed after praying are American Bandstand on your family’s
easy to identify. But there’s the oth- new black-and-white TV.
er, not-so-evident miracles that take “It was a good time to grow up,” she
place, that perhaps you don’t even re- says. “It was a nice town. People were
alise until you arrive at a certain place friendly.” And then the town caught
and say, ‘I was praying for this,’ and fire.
you realise that God’s hand is in it.”

N
o one knows for sure how or

W
hen Centralia was settled, even when in 1962 it start-
in the 1840s, the miracle of ed, but the best guess is that
this rugged stretch of Appa- it was after town workers burned
lachia was the coal itself. Back then, some garbage at the local dump.
anthracite coal – jet-black, rock hard The next day, something was still
and clean burning – was the most burning – an exposed seam of coal.
powerful fuel known. Its discovery There was little worry at first; such
in northeast Pennsylvania triggered fires are common in coal country.
a gold rush of sorts. Immigrant work- But Centralia’s blaze proved relent-
ers poured in, and Poles, Hungarians, less as it fed on other coal seams and
Czechs and Ukrainians filled boom- long-sealed tunnels full of broken
ing mining towns such as Centralia. timbers.
Built in 1911, Assumption was Slowly, the earth began to heat
one of many Uk rainian Catholic up and hollow out. Smoke belched

27
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

wwere levelled. A bulldozer knocked

ddown the Roman Catholic church,
t hen went after the Methodists’.
But Assumption stayed. The entire
pproperty, it turned out, sat on one of
t he massive slabs of sandstone that
foorms the backbone of the region’s
mmountains. The stone protected the
cchurch from the burning anthracite
thhat sat below the rest of the town.

W
hen Father Hutsko took
over Assumption in 2010,
Father Michael Hutsko he fou nd a bu i ld ing in
outside the church rrough shape and a small congre-
gation badly in need of assurance.
from cracks in the ground. A long Now scattered around the region,
stretch of Route 61 buck led and the parishioners would drive back to
crumbled, glowing red at night. Res- Centralia every Sunday wondering,
idents reported hot basement walls Who keeps a church in a town that
and nox ious fumes; one became doesn’t exist anymore?
unconscious while watching T V. Father Hutsko does. The priest and
Local and state governments spent his f lock dug in for the long haul.
millions tr ying to douse the fire, They tore down the abandoned and
without success. crumbling rectory. They fixed the
Finally, on Valentine’s Day in 1981, roof and its blue dome. They added
the earth buck led in Todd Dom- new panels to keep vandals out of the
bosk i’s grandmother’s back yard, basement. They scrubbed their jewel
almost swallowing the 12 year old until it shone.
whole. The fire had exposed a mine- In late 2015, the archbishop of the
shaft hundreds of metres down. He Ukrainian Catholic Church – its pa-
COURTESY BILL HANGLEY JR.

survived by grabbing a tree root be- triarch – visited the US and requested
fore being pulled to safety. to see the church in the now famous
That was the beginning of the burning town. The archbishop had
end for Centralia. In 1984, citing the been entranced by the way its sur-
danger to its citizens, state and fed- vival stor y echoed the Gospel of
eral officials began buying up prop- Matthew: “On this rock I will build
erties and ordered the town be evac- my church, and the gates of Hades
uated. Streets were emptied. Homes will not prevail against it.”

28 december 2019
 Real-Life Miracles

When he entered the tiny jewel first annual pilgrimage, hundreds

box – with its gilt-framed paintings, gat hered on t he church’s neat ly
its cosy pews and ornate sanctuary, tended lawn, the largest event in
its thick, soft carpet and scent of in- Centralia in years.
cense – the archbishop was moved

B
to establish Assumption as the site ut the pilgrimage comes only
of an annual pilgrimage. once a year in August. On the
“As soon as we went in, he was just other Sundays, things go back
in awe,” Hutsko remembers. “He to the way they’ve been for the past
said, ‘This is a holy place ... It has to 107 years. The bells ring. The peo-
be a place to call people to prayer.’” ple of Centralia gather with their
At last, Assumption’s mission was children and grandchildren, singing
clear. The church wasn’t to be just and praying and, when Mass is over,
a final refuge for the scattered res- sitting in the pews with coffee and
idents of a lost town. It was to be a doughnuts and talking.
symbol of hope for people of faith “Comforting is a good word for it.
everywhere. “The church had found It’s like your old couch,” said Mayer-
its purpose,” Hutsko says. nick. “Everything’s peaceful.”
Three years ago, at Assumption’s And for those few hours, as May-
ernick and Mushalko and
With no more traffic in Centralia, graffiti Fat her Hutsko and t he
artists have reclaimed the main road others worship and chat,
it won’t just be the Gospel
that lives.
It w ill be Gert’s cor-
ner shop that lives. And
Bill’s pizza shop. And the
hill known as Rae’s, the
swimming hole known as
the Townie, and the mu-
sic joint called the Hop
COURTESY BILL HANGLEY JR.

where the Jordan Broth-

ers used to play.
The fire that killed the
town is still burning, but
as long as t he chu rch
sta nds, Cent ra l ia w i l l
continue to rise above
the ashes.

29
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

COURTESY CONNIE OWEN

Kyle (centre) with his
brother, Trevor (left),
and mother, Connie

The Christmas Cassette

READER MIRACLE In June 2003, on the tape are both heartfelt and
I buried my 26-year-old son. The heartbreaking. They are three-year-old
following Christmas was the worst of Kyle saying “Merry Christmas, Mum!”
my life. I was consumed with grief to my I know my son made this Christmas
very core. As I awoke early Christmas miracle happen so I could have a
morning, I decided to write a few smile in my heart that morning.
Christmas cards, belated or not. Connie Owen
I went to the drawer where I stored the
boxed cards. The drawer would open
only slightly; something was jamming
it. The cause of the jam was an
unlabelled cassette. I had no idea what
was on it or how it had gotten there.
I popped the cassette in the player
and waited to hear whatever mystery it
held. Soon I heard my own voice. In a
whisper, I say, “It’s Christmas morning,
and Kyle is still sleeping.” Kyle awakens
and sleepily comes to the realisation
that he gets to check the tree. His
childish voice goes on to name his toys
from Santa. The last words

30 december 2019
 Real-Life Miracles

Life-Giving Touch
BY Juliana LaBianca

O
n March 25, 2010, Syd- had tried to save the boy for 20 min-
ney couple Kate and Da- utes but saw no improvement. His
vid Ogg heard the words heartbeat was nearly gone, and he’d
every parent dreads: their stopped breathing. The baby had just
newborn wasn’t going to moments to live.
make it. Their twins – a girl and a “I saw him gasp, but the doctor
boy – were born two minutes apart said it was no use,” Kate told the
and 14 weeks premature, weighing Daily Mail five years later. “I know
just over 0.9 kilograms each. Doctors it sounds stupid, but if he was still

31
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

Gloria and her husband, Sonny gasping, that was a sign of life. I
wasn’t going to give up easily.”
Still, the couple knew this was like-
ly goodbye. In an effort to cherish her
last minutes with the tiny boy, Kate
asked to hold him.
“I wanted to meet him, and for him
to know us,” Kate told Today. “We’d
resigned ourselves to the fact that we
were going to lose him, and we were
just trying to make the most of those
last, precious moments.”

Sonny in the Sky Kate unw rapped the newborn,

whom the couple had already named
Jamie, from his hospital blanket
and ordered David to take his shirt
off and join them in bed. The first-
time parents wanted their son to be
READER MIRACLE It was my first
as warm as possible and hoped the
time flying alone since my husband,
Sonny, passed away. In spite of my skin-to-skin contact would improve
fears, I decided to go. When we flew his condition. They also talked to
together, Sonny and I would each their baby.
buy a drink with our meal. In “We were trying to entice him to

(FA R L EF T) G LO R I A A R ROYO; (L EF T) K AT E O G G
exchange for my drink, my husband stay,” Kate told the Daily Mail. “We
would ggive me his dessert. In explained his name and that he had
a twin that he had to look out for and
a

, d t
Is P

e
‘S
C eam .
COUR

Emily (left), Kate, (centre) and Jamie

32 december 2019
 Real-Life Miracles

A Daughter’s Gift

READER MIRACLE My daughter and only

child, Talena, was killed by a driver on
drugs in 1994. It nearly destroyed me, but
I kept going somehow. I had a favourite
picture of Talena from when she was about
three – Christmas Day, me sitting on the
floor and her sitting on my lap. The bond
between us was so beautiful. Somehow,
I lost that picture after she died. A few
years later, on Christmas Day, I opened a
book and found the photo inside. I know Dayle found this photo of
she sent it to me as a present from heaven. her and her daughter from
Dayle Vickery s Day 1987

how hard we had tried to have him.” Nine years later, Jamie and his
Then something miraculous hap- sister, Emily, are happy and healthy.
pened. Jamie gasped again – and The Oggs only recently told the kids
then he started breathing. Finally, he the story of their birth. “Emily burst
reached for his father’s finger. into tears,” Kate said. “She was really
The couple’s lost boy had made it. upset, and she kept hugging Jamie.
“We’re the luckiest people in the This whole experience makes you
world,” David told Today. cherish them more.”

Prankster Brother
A 17 year old has made a daily habit of greeting his brother Max,
C O U R T E S Y D AY L E V I C K E R Y.

12, at a school bus stop in Louisiana – and always surprising him by

wearing a different outlandish costume. Since Noah Tingle began
the ritual earlier this year, he has dressed as Batman, Chewbacca,
Wally (from Where’s Wally?), Santa Claus and a giant gorilla – to
name just a few. Little brother Max’s embarrassment has faded.
Now he thinks that his brother’s antics are “cool”.
goodnewsnetwork.org

33
 MAKING A DIFFERENCE

A
BROWN
Cardboard
BOX
A simple request from an employee turned
into a friendship that built an orphanage
BY Lam Lye Ching

I
t was 1998 when Maria Teresa This one box would kickstart a new
Santa told her employer, Thom- venture for Thomas and Maria Teresa,
as Wee, that she was gathering that would change both their lives
I L LU S T R AT I O N: G E T T Y I M AG E S

together unwanted clothes and and more importantly, the lives of

food to send to her village back in orphaned children living in Lalakhan
the Philippines. Without hesitating, he village, in the municipality of Santa
gave her some of his old belongings. Maria, Bulacan, north of Manila.
Maria Teresa, who lived in Singa- After the success of the first box,
pore and was Thomas’s housekeeper, Maria Teresa prepared and sent
packed the items into a brown card- another box back to Lalakhan, home
board box, and posted it off. to around 5000 people, who eke out

34 December 2019
35
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

a living working in rice and poultry Know n among the colour ful
farms, as well as food-processing fac- characters of the city’s Chinatown
tories. Sending a box of clothes and district, Thomas wanted to build
food quickly became a monthly ritual. a business away from gambling. In-
At the time, Thomas had built a thriv- itially, he went into the food business,
ing business empire, and was starting supplying lunch boxes to homes and
to think that, after 40 years making offices, which soon expanded into a
money, it was time to focus his ener- catering business. With the capital
gies and skills on something different. from this business, he set up his own
After finishing his secondary educa- hotel. “I went to Indonesia and saw
tion at St Joseph’s Institution in 1957, an opportunity to invest in the hotel
industry,” he says.
“I DECIDED THAT Thomas started an 18-room budget
HELPING THOSE hotel in Tanjung Pinang, Bintan island,
Indonesia, a popular resort island for
CHILDREN locals and tourists from neighbour-
WAS MY CALLING” ing Singapore. Within ten years, he’d
set up three hotels. “I had everything
I wanted, such as expensive cars and
Thomas worked as a photographer in watches, but there was not much hap-
the mortuary at the Singapore General piness,” he says. It was around this
Hospital. Then he was transferred to time that Maria Teresa was putting
the hospital’s vast X-ray department, together her first box of food and sec-
where he stayed for 13 years. ond-hand clothes. Over the next two

PHOTOS: COURTESY WILLING HE ARTS ORPHANAGE, INC

“I was very free in the evenings and years, Maria Teresa continued sending
mornings,” he recalls. “I was idle and boxes with Thomas pitching in dona-
there was nothing to do. Some of the tions. Then, he decided to go and visit
staff would bet when they played gin
and mahjong. Sometimes they needed
extra cash and I would lend it to them.
They would give me a cash cheque for
$100 – dated on their pay day – and I
would give them $90,” he says.
When his time at Singapore Gen-
eral Hospital came to an end, he be-
came a street bookie. Business grew
quickly and gave him an attractive
income, which meant he was able to Maria Teresa Santa at one of the thrift
invest in other businesses. stores, which help raise funds

36 December 2019
 Thomas Wee (above) with a thrift box, which people can sponsor. The orphanage
takes in needy children from the municipality of Santa Maria in the Philippines

Lalakhan village to meet the people his Payoh, north of Singapore. It sold for
small donations were helping – and $9000. He raised another $190,000 by
was shocked by what he saw. selling his Mercedes-Benz car and a
“I saw about 20 people, including hotel in Indonesia. He even sold his
14 homeless children Maria Teresa five-room flat and moved in to live
had taken in, living in a small bamboo with his son. With the cash, he built
room on stilts with pigs below,” Thom- a new building for an orphanage.
as recalls. Maria Teresa returned permanently
Soon after his visit, Thomas devel- to her village to manage the orphan-
oped excruciating pain in his right age, which was formally registered as
leg and thought he may not be able to the Willing Hearts Orphanage, Inc, in
walk again. “I had to walk with walk- 2008. This allowed the orphanage to
ing sticks. I could not even kneel. The work closely with local Philippines
doctor said I needed an operation,” social welfare authorities to identify
he says. Fortunately, a few months children at risk.
later, Thomas was walking again. He Today, the orphanage is home to 18
was profoundly affected by this expe- children and takes care of 16 orphans
rience and it made him re-evaluate living with relatives, providing the
his life. “I decided that helping those children with food and education. It
children was my calling,” he says. also operates a weekly soup kitchen
Thomas gave Maria Teresa a thick for 300 malnourished children in the
gold chain to sell at a shop at Toa area. The orphanage has grown from

37
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

the initial one employee to eight full- an accountancy degree at a local

time staff, including a social worker. university. She returns to the orphan-
“There is still a lot to do,” says Maria age every Monday to help out.
Teresa, who heads the orphanage. To help cover operating expenses,
“There is a lot of poverty and people Thomas runs a thrift store, St. Isidore’s
are not educated to get jobs. I am from Centre, in Singapore and another in
this area and know how difficult it is.” the village. The centre also sends thrift
The orphanage takes in children who boxes to the Philippines, with clothes
are found abandoned or begging in and food, which people can sponsor.
the streets, usually aged between four Thomas also organises groups, mainly
to 12, and gives them a safe and caring from Singapore, for homestays and
environment to live in. But providing visits to the orphanage.
hope and empowering children to A few years ago, Thomas started to
have their own dreams may be the help manage an orphanage in Bintan.
greatest gift the orphanage offers. He leads groups every month for
Three years ago, Thomas and Maria those interested to visit this orphan-
Teresa found a ten-year-old boy sleep- age, which is run by two nuns. “The
ing alone at a market stall at night. “He group stay in a nearby hotel but they
looked like he had not changed or must have a meal with the children,”
showered for days,” says Maria Tere- he says. “When people see the place,
sa. “He was all muddy with long hair.” it is simply humbling.”
The next day, they went about the At 78, while he no longer has the
village searching for the boy’s rela- material signs of wealth and status,
tives and found his grandfather. The Thomas has no regrets. “Every time I
old man was the boy’s only living see the children happy, I feel happy,”
relative, and he gave his permission he says. “It is a blessing and humbling.
for the boy to live in the orphanage. I don’t celebrate my own birthday but
The boy adjusted well to the new I take the children out to fast-food
environment and now talks about places like Jollibee to celebrate theirs,”
becoming a priest to help those in says Thomas. “We try to give them an
need. Another girl who grew up at the environment where they can be
orphanage is currently completing ‘normal children’.”

Cost Analysis
Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip
around the sun.
Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?
www.smart-words.org
38 december 2019
TA L K S
What’s New in RD Talks
Sit back and enjoy the audio versions of the most engaging
stories to have appeared in Reader’s Digest magazine.

AN ISLAND OF THE HUNT TO

WONDERS FIND KIESHA
Lord Howe Island Two homicide
is a pristine South detectives are
Pacific paradise, determined to solve
offering visitors the case of a little
an unspoilt and girl whose
enjoyable holiday disappearance
experience. shocked a community.

FROM INTERNET FROM STREET

CHUMP TO KIDS TO ROYAL
CHAMP KNIGHTS
An online con A heartwarming
goes wonderfully, story of how a caring
implausibly right teacher and the
when two Facebook noble game of chess
strangers come changed the lives of
together. troubled teenagers.

O LISTEN GO TO:
w readersdigest.com.au/podcasts
www.readersdigest.co.nz/podcasts
www.rdasia.com/podcasts
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

40 December 2019
 HEALTH

How to
PROTECT
Yourself From
DEMENTIA
In many cases we can prevent our brains
being ravaged by cognitive decline

BY Anita Bartholomew

41
A
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

bout 50 million people worldwide suffer from

dementia, and much has been written about
how these numbers will only increase as the
population ages. With this in mind, it’s easy
to assume that the overall risk of getting
dementia is increasing, too, but the opposite
is true: the rate of dementia in the age 65 and
older population is actually falling. If sheer numbers
rise, it’s because so many of us are living much longer
than earlier generations. And the older you get, the
more susceptible you are to age-related illnesses.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA? It’s a bundle is more possible than ever to live a
of symptoms associated with pro- long life free from dementia’s ravag-
foundly impaired thinking, memo- es. And this might be true even for
ry and ability to function. Although people whose brains have already
most often connected to Alzheim- undergone some of the physiological
er’s, it can also be caused by other changes associated with dementia.
illnesses, including Park inson’s Such brain abnormalities sometimes
and cardiovascular disease. And take decades to destroy the ability
a 2017 Lancet review of the recent to remember, to communicate and
research on dementia found seven make sense of the world. But despite
conditions, including hypertension, existing damage, some of us remain
obesity, untreated depression and remarkably dementia-resistant.
untreated hearing loss, increased Here are five new findings that
the risks of dementia. prove you can defend your brain
The good news, according to against dementia.
I L LU S T R AT I O N ©S H U T T ER S TO C K

Professor Gill Livingston, one of the

authors of the Lancet review, is that GENES AREN’T
if you improve those lifestyle factors, NECESSARILY DESTINY
you should eliminate at least 35 per
cent of dementias attributed to them. So, what about genes? Don’t they
But this may be much too conserva- make dementia almost inevitable
tive an estimate. in some people? In the rare forms of
Studies in the US, UK, Denmark early-onset Alzheimer’s that strike
and elsewhere have shown that it people aged in their 30s through

42 December 2019
 How to Protect Yourself From Dementia

to their 50s, genes do determine

disease. But this is not the case in
late-onset dementia.
“The common gene that raises
risk for Alzheimer’s in people 65 and
over is called APOE-4,” says Professor
Livingston. But, she points out, not
everyone who has the APOE-4 gene
gets the disease. And not everyone
who gets dementia has the APOE-4
gene. In fact, according to Professor
Livingston, “It only accounts for about
seven per cent of the dementias.”

AN ACTIVE BRAIN
IS A HEALTHIER BRAIN
donate their brains for autopsy upon
Ongoing research conducted at the death. The physical condition of
Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in the donated brains was about what
Chicago since 1997 has shown that would be expected of people in their
“Higher levels of cognitive activity 80s, 90s and beyond, including brain
are associated with better cognition,” abnormalities. But these abnormal-
says Rush neurology Professor Aron ities hadn’t caused the expected
Buchman. He points to common impairment in those who had
intellectual pursuits such as reading remained intellectually active.
books, writing letters and regularly The prevailing theory is because
seeking and learning new informa- t heir brains had plent y of what
tion such as another language. The scientists call cognitive or brain
Rush research found that the more ‘reserve’, a reservoir of active grey
such activities were part of some- matter available to compensate for
one’s life in their later years, the less age-related changes.
mental decline a study participant But what if it isn’t just bra in
exhibited. ‘reserve’? What if entirely new brain
But an important question cells are forming and compensat-
remained: did these individuals ing for damaged ones? According
escape dementia despite their brains to a paper in the May 2019 issue of
showing physiological changes? the journal Cell, the donated brains
Researchers got their answer when of people who died between ages
all the study participants agreed to 79 to 99 showed evidence that they

43
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

continued to grow new neurons author of the research, believes that

their entire lives – even in their late focusing too narrowly on any particu-
90s. And the better their cognitive lar foods might miss the bigger pic-
function at the end, regardless of ture. “We did an extra analysis where
brain abnormalities, the more new we could see whether one food item
neurons they had grow n. Could would drive the entire association of
lifestyle factors affect that growth? all diet quality, and that was not the
More research is needed, but it’s an case. It’s the overall dietary pattern.”
intriguing possibility. Older people who ate the most
healthfully, regardless of whether the
HEALTHY EATING, diet was closer to a MIND diet, a Med-
HEALTHIER BRAINS iterranean diet or other recognised
healthful eating habits, had larger –
A study published in 2006 found that and therefore healthier – brains. What
by strictly adhering to the Mediter- the healthiest diets have in common
ranean diet (higher consumption of is an emphasis on plant-based foods,
whole grains, fruit, vegetables, ol- with fewer processed foods.
ive oil and fish; low consumption of
meats and sweets), you could lower YOUR BEST DEFENCE:
your risk of Alzheimer’s by as much GET MOVING
as 40 per cent.
Today researchers have taken diet It has already been established that
one step further and confirmed the people who followed the Mediterra-
connection between it and dementia, nean Diet and exercised routinely
and have created what is referred to had as much as a 67 per cent lower
as the MIND diet, a regime directly risk of dementia. But more recent
targeting brain health. The MIND research on the effect of exercise
diet is a combination of the Mediter- shows even more promise.
ranean and DASH diets (that restricts The Rush Alzheimer’s Disease
sweets, refined grains, fried and fast Center has been following a rolling
foods, red meat, butter and cheese). (new people enter as older ones pass
This combination has now been away) group of older people since
proven to reduce cognitive decline 1994, trying to tease out the fac-
by about 50 per cent. tors that help some stay cognitively
The most recent research, pub- healthy while others decline. The
l ished last yea r i n t he jou r na l average age of participants as they
Neurolog y, found that an overall enter the study is early 80s.
healthy diet is the key to reducing “In 2005, we began using a wrist
cognitive decline. Pauline Croll, lead dev ice t hat measu red physica l

44 December 2019
 How to Protect Yourself From Dementia

activity,” says Professor Buchman. six months, were better able to pay
The devices measured everything attention, plan and complete some
from sweeping the floor or gardening cognitive tasks.
to more formal exercise like cycling.
“We found that people who had high- GOOD FOR THE HEART
er activity had a decreased risk of de- IS GOOD FOR THE BRAIN
veloping dementia. They also had a
slower rate of cognitive decline over Numerous researchers have found a
time.” This research is ongoing. connection between dementia and
As the participants died and donat- diabetes, obesity, high cholester-
ed their brains to the study, the re- ol, atrial fibrillation and high blood
searchers discovered that, just as with pressure. High blood pressure, for
those who stayed intellectually active, example, has been linked to small
those who stayed physically active brain lesions that can affect cognition.
offset cognitive decline. “The bene- “What is good for your heart is also
fits of higher activity giving you better good for your brain,” says Dr Silvan
cognition held good regardless of any Licher of Erasmus University Medical
abnormalities that we measured in the Centre. “I think that’s something we
brain,” says Professor Buchman. should promote more.” Heart-healthy
Because the Rush research only recommendations for diet and phys-
measures activity starting when peo- ical activity are much the same as
ple are in their 80s, it didn’t tell us at brain-healthy ones.
what age activity must begin to be of “The important message today is
benefit. But it has now been shown that people may be able to reduce the
that activity at any age seems to help. risk of dementia and maintain brain
Research published in Neurology last health as they age,” says Professor
year found that, among older people Buchman.
with thinking problems that hadn’t You, me, all of us – whatever our
progressed to dementia, those who ages – have the power to make small
took up and did aerobic exercise for changes that increase our chances of
35 minutes, three times a week, for living dementia-free, for life.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

How long can I say I’m “going bald” before I acknowledge
I’ve arrived at my destination? @thedad
Being this bald there’s a lot of pressure buying my next bottle of
shampoo because it’s going to be a lifetime supply. julius sharpe

45
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

LIFE’S LIKE THAT

Seeing the Funny Side

All That Glitters over at a truck stop. While he put

KIDS: We are making you a petrol in the car, I went into the

C A R T O O N: T O R O/C A R T O O N C O L L E C T I O N S .C O M
Christmas gift! restaurant and placed our order.
ME: Oh, that is so sweet! After writing it all down,
KIDS: *Pull out paint* the girl behind the register asked,
ME: You really don’t — “Will that be all for you?”
KIDS: *Pull out glue* “No,” I replied a bit defensively.
ME: Really, guys, I don’t need — “Some of it’s for my husband.”
KIDS: *Pull out glitter* SUBMITTED BY JANET HULL
ME: Christmas is cancelled.
@mommajessiec Shouldn’t Happen to a Dog
My mother and I suffered through
Fuelling Up an overlong, confusing movie at
Starving after hours of driving an art-house cinema. Apparently
nonstop, my husband and I pulled we were not the only dissatisfied

46 december 2019
 Life’s Like That

patrons. Walking back to our car

afterwards, we overheard a man
complain to his wife, “We left the
dog home alone for that?”
SUBMITTED BY MICHELE BURGESS

Parley-voo THE GREAT TWEET OFF:

During a high school visit to France, HAPPY HOLIDAYS
I stayed with a French family. EDITION
One night, I was unsure what the It’s that time of year to celebrate with
friends and family.
meat on my dinner plate was, so I
pointed to it and asked in my best RELATIVE AT CHRISTMAS: *Opening
French: “Qui est-ce?” front door and singing* It’s the most
The family’s expressions told me wonderful time of the y—
I needed some tutoring. Instead ME: *Carrying bags in*
of asking “What is it?” as I had What’s the wifi password?
intended, I’d asked “Who is it?” @ARFMEASURES

SUBMITTED BY BRIGITTE BRULZ According to my kids’

Christmas lists, they think this
BOYS WILL BE BOYS parenting gig pays pretty well.
@SARCASTICMOMMY4
I am one of four boys and, true
ME: *Covered in tomato sauce*
to stereotype, we fought. During Santa Sauce is coming to town!
one scuffle, Mum had had enough. WIFE: STOP!
She broke it up and demanded, ME: Happy Hollandaise.
“Who started this?” WIFE: I’M LEAVING!
ME: …and mayo your
My brother Wes wheeled
Christmases be white.
around, pointed at me, and cried, @THEPUNNINGMAN
“He hit back first!” STEVE WALHOOD
It doesn’t feel like I’m truly home
for the holidays until I’ve taken my
parents’ phones and said, “Here let
me show you” at least 25 times.
@ARISCOTT

Being a good husband is realising

that all the free time you used to
have is now owned by anyone who
invites your wife to a holiday party.
@KALVINMACLEOD

47
 S MPLETE DARKNESS,
I Am the ro h day and night, where

FOOD
am. n the silence of the
cool, osely packed earth, I’m
ON YOUR repr cing. My eyes shoot forth

PL
stems, mil imetre by millimetre, into
e dirt a und me. Above ground,
my green l aves bask in the sunlight,
photosyn sising sugars, which
ease dow ards to nourish nodes
along my s ms. The nodes then
swell with sh – new potatoes in the
making, ea h a perfect clone of me.
oning yself in the dark isn’t
e only w I reproduce. My
second mea s of reproduction
is fertilisati of my flowers by
another po o plant, and any
riety will o. This insurance
policy has iven me maximum
flexibility s a multiplier over
day, 8000 years since
Potatoes humans began cultivating my ilk
near Lake Titicaca in the Peruvian

All Eyes Andes, taxonomists have no idea

how many cultivated and wild

on Me:
versions of me exist.
I am the Solanum tuberosum, a

The World’s
member of the nightshade family
and a close cousin of tomatoes,
eggplant, peppers and tobacco.

Dream Don’t let our shared moniker fool

PH OTO S: M AT T H E W CO H EN

you: I am no relation to the sweet

Starch potato. She’s correctly described as

a root vegetable, whereas my edible
part is the stem, swollen into a
starchy, filling snack.
BY Kate Lowenstein Thousands of years ago, I was but
AND Daniel Gritzer a knobby knot in the ground, hardly

48 december 2019
 Health

edible, at times even poisonous. In planning a potato salad, select a

the dirt-caked hands of generations thin-skinned, waxy variety.
of farmers, I’ve been bred so that Around the world, I take many
my bitter glycoalkaloids – the more forms, from soft purées to
compounds that to this day make shatteringly crisp potato chips. I’m
me go green after one too many days rolled into cloud-like dumplings
on your windowsill – are at safe- called gnocchi in Italy, bulk up
to-eat levels, and my edible insides Guinness stews in Ireland and grace
have expanded to accommodate the the tables of France’s haute temples
human appetite. of gastronomy, usually laden with
As a result of this happy butter and cream.
coexistence with my cultivators, I’ve Yet I didn’t become the fifth-
hitched my way all over the world most-abundant crop across the
and adapted to life on continents globe in 2016 as an indulgence. I
outside my home turf in South am a true staple, highly storable,
surprisingly nutritious. Civilisations
I AM A TRUE STAPLE, have depended on me. The Incan
HIGHLY STORABLE, Empire grew on my back, its soldiers
subsisting on me as they marched
SURPRISINGLY through harsh mountain terrain.
NUTRITIOUS Europeans relied on me through
lean times, sometimes too heavily.
My nemesis, the fungus that
America. I can live at 3500 metres in produces late blight, attacked me
the dry, chilly mountains and at sea in the mid-1800s in western Europe
level in the tropics. and nearly collapsed Ireland, where
My appearance is as varied as the about one million people died.
places I live. I can be white, yellow, More recently, I’ve been identified
red, purple, pink or blue; speckled, by NASA as a food seemingly made
spotted, coiled or mottled; knobby, for astronauts on missions, as I
smooth, thin or stumpy; covered in offer all nine essential amino acids,
skin that’s thick and leathery or as the building blocks of proteins
thin as tissue paper. necessary for humans to maintain
I can be very starchy and thus themselves. (That subplot of The
good for baked potatoes and fries; Martian in which the Matt Damon
or moist and waxy and great for character lives on potatoes alone
producing a silky mash. When may not be too off base.) Even the
young and new, I am delightful whitest and blandest of my brethren
when boiled. And if you are contain potassium, fibre and an

49
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

array of potentially cancer- and

heart disease–fighting polyphenols
PERFECT POTATOES
in their flesh and skin. My most WITH HERBS
abundant polyphenol, chlorogenic
acid, which is associated with
lowering blood sugar, is important
for diabetics.
Today, scientists on Earth are
breeding biofortified versions of me
with double the normal iron content
to feed parts of the world where
anaemia is pervasive. They are using
genetic modification to develop a
potato fully resistant to the fast-
moving late blight, which is still
New (baby) potatoes
potatoes, Kipfler or
the most aggressive threat to me.
fingerlings are best for this recipe.
There is also a significant effort to
Put whole potatoes in a pot and cover
with cold water. Now add salt, starting
I CONTAIN AN ARRAY with 1.5 tablespoons per 4 cups of
OF POTENTIALLY water, and then sprinkle in more until

CANCER- AND HEART

the water tastes as salty as the sea.
(Don’t worry: most will go down the
DISEASE–FIGHTING drain, and the little that’s absorbed
POLYPHENOLS will make all the difference.)
Add aromatics: garlic, a halved onion,
carrots, celery, a bay leaf and fresh
herbs such as rosemary, thyme and
develop varieties of me that tolerate sage. Bring water to a gentle simmer
the stresses of drought, soil salinity and cook anywhere from 25 minutes
and heat as climate change presses to two hours, until you can slide a fork
in on staple crops like me. Dare I into a potato without resistance.
say, that’s progress for a tuber that (The larger the potatoes and batch, the
got its start underfoot, in the longer they’ll take.) Turn the heat off;
silent darkness. leave the potatoes until the water is
warm. Discard the aromatics and
Kate Lowenstein is the editor-in-chief herbs, drain the potatoes, and toss with
of Vice’s health website, Tonic; Daniel melted butter or olive oil and minced
Gritzer is the culinary director of the parsley, chives and/or tarragon.
cooking site Serious Eats. Add black pepper and salt to taste.

50 december 2019
 HOW I LEARNED TO BE HAPPY PAGE 52

Ne Hop
H e for
ACHING
HOW I LEARNED TO BE HAPPY

KNEES
THE LIVING VICTIMS
of Ivan Mi
Milat s E il Legacy
y
Ne Hope
H for
ACHING FROM BOOKIE
KNEES to Philanthropist

WAYS TO PROTECT
Ag
gainst Deme
 WELLBEING

How I Learned

At last, th u tiim guide to reaching this

elusive goal was w online. Sign me up!
BY Lisa Fields

52 december 2019
53
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

W
hen I learned that the most popular
course in the history of Yale University
– a psychology course designed to help
students learn to become happier – was
available free online to anyone who wanted to take it,
I decided that I had to see what it was all about.
After all, I’ve been writing about friends’ flippant comments to heart,
happiness for years, offering readers and it can ruin his day. Ian is a kind,
techniques from researchers who sweet and thoughtful man who de-
found that this idea or that habit serves more joy in his life. I hoped
can boost wellbeing. I was curious that learning techniques from hap-
to see what Professor Laurie Santos piness researchers would help him
was recommending as the best hap- achieve that.
piness-related research and advice. Ian and I are both divorced, with
Her ten-week course, a series of video six kids between us. We don’t see a lot
lectures, would take about 19 hours of each other during the week, when
to complete. we’re busy with our jobs and families,
Almost as quickly as I decided to but every other weekend, we have
take the class, I also chose not to do some alone-time together. We spent
it alone: I invited my boyfriend to join the better part of three months, on
me for the experience. alternating weekends, soaking up
W hy did I want him to partici- what Professor Santos had to offer.
pate? One reason is that because I’ve And after taking the course, I’m
written so much about happiness, I convinced that anyone – university
assumed that I’d be familiar with student through octogenarian – who
many of the concepts that Professor adopts the strategies that Professor
Santos would be sharing. I wanted to Santos suggests can truly become a
I L LU S T R AT I O N S: M A R TA A N T ELO

see how someone who hadn’t heard happier person.

it all before reacted.

W
But a not her reason why I e learned that the very
convinced Ian, my boyfriend, to things that people strive
participate is that I hoped that he’d for, thinking that they’ll
benefit from it. Ian is a worrier who make them happier – a
expects worst-case scenarios to play bigger pay cheque, a nicer home, the
out in everyday situations. He some- perfect body – don’t actually add joy
times takes work-related criticism or to their lives. But surprising tactics

54 December 2019
 How I Learned to Be Happy

– such as investing in experiences

(holidays or concerts) rather than
material goods (new cars or smart-
phones) – are proven to make us hap-
pier. So are practices such as exercis-
ing more, socialising, getting enough
sleep and prioritising free time over
making money. Once you recognise
these pathways to happiness, you can
start to influence your own mood.
“A lot of people don’t realise there’s
work you can do to become a little
bit happier, if you understand some
of the science,” Professor Santos told
me after Ian and I took her online
course. “It’s like a tyre that you put
air into, but occasionally it leaks, and
if it leaks, you have to put more into
it. That means that these constant
practices are really what’s required to that the lessons aren’t just helpful
boost your happiness. It’s not a one- for university students; Ian and I are
time thing where you learn it and middle-aged, and most of what Pro-
you’re good. You actually have to put fessor Santos said was relevant to us.
the work in.” “You can quickly see how those
Ian and I also learned to recognise examples apply to people in any walk
ways that our minds trick us into feel- of life,” Professor Santos says. “What
ing less happy. For example, people the science suggests is that these tips
tend to compare their achievements apply universally, in most cases. They
to those of others around them, who apply cross-culturally. They apply
may seem richer or more accom- across ages. They apply no matter
plished. And our brains adjust to what job you have.”
changes, so having a new car or new
spouse is exciting at first, but it even- Happiness, Within Our Grasp

T
tually becomes the status quo and h roug hout t he cou rse,
doesn’t elicit the same level of joy. Ian and I tried out several
Although part of the course focused different research-proven
on the desire to get good grades, land techniques to boost mood,
the perfect job, and find someone spe- such as keeping gratitude journals
cial to settle down with, we realised and savouring experiences (eating a

55
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

slice of rich chocolate cake) or mem- another mind,” Professor Schroeder

ories (remembering why we fell in says. “One of the most complex things
love). We were trying to improve that we can engage with is another
upon our baseline happiness scores, person’s thoughts and feelings and
which we measured initially through opinions. It’s like peeling back an
a happiness assessment survey. My onion. There’s so much there to learn.”
result was 3.0 on a scale from 1 to 5; F PERFORM ACTS OF KINDNESS Many
Ian’s was lower, 1.6. people resort to pampering when
These were our favourite bits of they need a mood boost, but research
takeaway advice from the course: shows that doing acts of kindness for
F INCREASE SOCIAL CONNECTIONS Re- others, not yourself, increases happi-
connecting with a friend over lunch ness. Professor Santos highlighted re-
can boost happiness, but so can a search that shows that volunteering to
meaningful encounter with a stranger, help someone or buying coffee for the
according to research cited within the person behind you in line can make
course. People predicted their happi- you happier than doing self-indulgent
ness levels before talking to strangers things like getting a massage or taking
during their commutes, then rated a nap.
their feelings after the encounters. “You just feel good about yourself
“When people imagine having a as a person,” says study author Sonja
conversation with someone, they Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor,
predict it’ll be a bad experience,” “whereas, if you’re treating yourself, it
says study author Professor Juliana might actually lead to feelings of guilt
Schroeder. “People actually report afterwards for not helping others.”
the opposite of what they’re predict- Professor Lyubomirsky has found
ing – they found it to be a more pleas- that doing three acts of kindness in
ant experience … compared to sitting one day boosts happiness more than
in solitude or doing what they would doing one kind act per day over the
normally do.” course of three days.
People don’t talk to strangers often “We all do acts of kindness all the
because they fear social rejection, but time, so we might not even notice it,”
her research shows that most people she says, “but if we do three, it’s real-
would converse with strangers. Ian ly salient; you really feel like a good
normally loves chatting with wait- person.” Striving to do more than
ers, and I noticed him doing it more that can backfire, because it may be-
after we learned about its benefits. gin to feel like an obligation. Varying
He beams afterwards, because of the your approach keeps you motivated.
positive connections. “We found that if you did not vary
“It’s always enjoyable to get to know your acts of kindness, you actually

56 December 2019
 How I Learned to Be Happy

a small effort. For them, it could be a

really big benefit.”
F EXERCISE MORE Anyone who’s ex-
perienced a runner’s high knows
that exercise can lift your mood, and
Professor Santos highlighted this
powerful message, citing research
that found that people who were clin-
ically depressed who exercised reg-
ularly improved as much as people
who took antidepressants, and after
ten months, the exercisers were less
likely to relapse.
“Getting out of a depression is not
exactly the same as happiness, but
the studies all show the same thing
– that if you exercise, you do feel bet-
ter,” says study author Dr K. Ranga
Krishnan, a professor of psychiatry.
got a little less happy during the “There’s not a whole lot of research
study because it was a sort of monot- without people having some level of
onous chore,” Professor Lyubomirsky depression, but I think anecdotally,
says. “At first you can get this boost, most people who exercise will tell
but after a while, if you always put you they feel better, and they’ll also
money into parking meters, then tell you when they don’t exercise,
you’re not going to get the boost.” they don’t feel as good.”
Ian and I held doors open for Exercise causes feel-good hormone
strangers, let extra cars merge in changes in the body and also helps to
front of us on the highway, and interrupt negative thoughts.
helped colleagues solve computer “You’re getting out of bed, you’re
problems. The reactions that we got doing something,” Dr Krishnan says,
from these simple gestures made us “whereas if you sit and dwell, your
feel better about ourselves, and they mood starts going downwards, and
didn’t cost us anything, unlike an that’s called rumination, meaning
indulgent massage. all you’re doing is thinking about the
“Sometimes it’s even things like negative things. And we’ve even seen
saying something nice, compliment- studies showing that just a single
ing a waiter or cashier,” Professor exercise session can lead to lots
Lyubomirsky says. “For you, it’s such of changes in the brain, and these

57
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

a psycholog y fellow at UC Berke-

ley. “Without enough sleep, these
really complex processes – social
interactions, understanding another
person’s point of view – are one of the
first things to get sacrificed, because
they are the most complex.”
Ian and I tried to get more sleep
for a week during the course, but our
busy lifestyles made it difficult.
“A lot of people I talk to know that
sleep is good,” Krause says. “But
they’re challenged. Some are forced
to sacrifice sleep, because they need
to work. Or they have family. Or they
have some other thing taking up
their time.”
changes may be the way in which
depression improves.” Boosting Happiness

T
F GET MORE SLEEP Today, people are o conclude the course, Ian
more sleep-deprived than ever. Push- and I each had to commit to
ing off bedtime may feel good in the a happiness-promoting ac-
moment, but sleep is strongly tied to tivity for four weeks – some-
mood. Consistently short-changing thing that really resonated, to help
your sleep can make you grumpy, but it become ingrained. Ian decided to
making time for sleep can boost your exercise more, because he hardly
mood. Professor Santos cited research ever got to the gym, due to his busy
that found that people who slept af- work schedule and home life, plus
ter learning a new skill improved his guilt about leaving his dog alone
their performance more than people when he’s normally home. I decided
who stayed awake afterwards. Other to get more sleep, because I usual-
research shows that people who don’t ly stay up until midnight trying to
get enough sleep have slower reac- finish work projects.
tion times and make more mistakes, The first week, Ian packed a bag
although they don’t think that they’re with workout clothes and went to
performing at a deficit. the gym on his way home from work
“Somet i mes you’re not awa re four times. During his initial visit, he
how impaired you are; it’s a lot like texted me a treadmill photo because
being drunk,” says Adam Krause, he was so excited to be there.

58 December 2019
 How I Learned to Be Happy

That week, I set an alarm to go Ian liked exercising regularly but

off at 10.30pm to signal myself to had trouble getting to the gym, so
get ready for bed. I usually stopped he bought a treadmill, and he’s been
working within 15 minutes and got using it in the evenings. He gets home
into bed. By the end of my first week, sooner and can keep his dog compa-
I was so well-rested in the morning, I ny while boosting his health and his
woke up earlier than usual to spend mood. He’s been quite pleased with
quality time with my teenage daugh- the arrangement.
ter while she got ready for school, and We took the happiness assessment
I was much more productive during survey again at the end of the course.
the day. I went from a 3.0 to 3.6. Ian’s score
The remainder of our four-week rose from 1.6 to 2.0, proof that the
challenge didn’t go as flawlessly, but practices we were incorporating into
when we kept up with our goals, we our lives were working.
felt happier. During certain stressful “It’s one of the reasons folks are so
weeks, I stayed up late working every intrigued by the class,” Professor
night, and Ian was too busy to get to Santos says, “like, ‘Wait, I can work on
the gym. this like I work on my physical health?
Still, we walked away from the I can work on this like I learn a new
experience with a desire to follow sport or learn a new instrument?’ And
through on our commitments: I the answer is, ‘Yup, you can work on
still have an alarm that rings every it. In fact, you should.’”
evening when it’s bedtime; I try to
wrap up what I’m doing and go to Professor Santos’s course, The Science
sleep. When I do, I wake up feeling of Well-being, is at coursera.org/learn/
so refreshed, I feel invincible. the-science-of-well-being

Seal of Disapproval
An international drug smuggling ring was busted in Australia –
with the help of an angry seal. The seal prevented the getaway
of two foreign nationals from a small island off the Geraldton
coast in September, according to reports. “They woke it up
and it jumped up with its big chest out and bellowed at them,”
Damien Healy, Geraldton Volunteer Marine Rescue Service vice
commander, told ABC radio. “The guys basically had the choice
of going through the seal or getting arrested and they ended
up choosing getting arrested.”

59
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

Betting
on
Humanity

I L LU S T R AT I O N: L I ZH A N G

60 december 2019
 LIFE WELL LIVED

An unlikely friendship teaches

one woman the importance of taking
a chance on others

BY Lisa Kanarek

FROM THE WA SHINGTON POS T

A s our families lived

more than 700 kilo-
met res away, a few
weeks before the holi-
days one year, my then husband and
I decided to invite a guest over for a
meal. I called a seniors’ centre in the
would be like referring to the Olym-
pic torch as a disposable lighter.
Within minutes of arriving, Ilse
plopped her oversize purse on the
kitchen bench and, with a wide, den-
ture-filled smile, welcomed the glass
of wine my husband offered. By the
local area and they suggested Ilse, a end of the evening, we felt as if this
woman I imagined would be quiet, quirky septuagenarian was an old
soft-spoken, serene. I was wrong. friend. Two weeks later, I invited her
Ilse was a stubborn 78-year-old to lunch.
force of nature. She enjoyed com- The more time I spent with Ilse,
plimentary gambling junkets to Las the more she became like a surro-
Vegas and kept a local bookie on gate grandma, albeit a saucy one.
speed dial. She favoured sequinned She wasn’t afraid to share her opinion
T-shirts; her tiny wire-haired mutt, with others or to ask me when I was
na med Speck les; a nd spend i ng finally going to have children. “You’re
time at the seniors’ centre. Describ- not getting any younger,” she’d say.
ing t his opinionated, 130-centi- I soon became her personal Uber
metre-tall woman as a firecracker driver (minus the fee), and I noticed

61
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

that the more favours I agreed to do, The following day, I returned her
the more she asked of me. Six months call but was unable to understand
after we met, desperate for back-up, what she was saying. I drove her to
I called her only child, Ralph. He the emergency department, where
claimed he didn’t have time to help. I the doctor confirmed she had suf-
questioned his “I’m too busy” excuse, fered a mild stroke. During the next
but I kept my thoughts to myself. few days, I dropped by her apart-
A few months later, Ralph passed ment, but she was no longer the
away. After the funeral, I realised Ilse vibrant, obstinate Ilse I knew. At
was too distraught to be left alone the end of the week, I received an
and helped her hire a early-morning call from
caregiver. Having known her caregiver. “Please
her for two years, I felt come over now,” t he
responsible for her. She woman said, her voice
was like family to me, matter-of-fact. “She’s
and I was the only one passed away.”
left in her tribe. When I arrived, I saw
Each time I stopped I heard her Ilse lying on her bed,
by her apartment, Ilse
seemed more discon-
on the phone motionless, her eyes
closed. I sat on the edge
nected than the time be- asking her of the bed and held her
fore. Late one afternoon, bookie about frail hand, too shocked
she called from the hos- to cry.
pital emergency depart- “the odds” The morning after
ment to tell me she had Ilse’s death, I pulled her
tripped over her mon- will out of my filing cab-
strous coffee table. Using the spare key inet. Ilse had insisted I take a copy of
she’d insisted I make months before, I it a year earlier. I read through it and
searched her apartment for other trip stopped when I saw my name. She had
hazards. The table had to go. left me $50,000. I didn’t remember her
The next morning, Ilse called to ask saying anything about her bequest. If
about her table. She was angry and she had, I would have insisted she
told me how upset she was that I had donate the money to charity or give it
given away a family heirloom. Then to a friend she had known longer.
she hung up on me. I knew I couldn’t spend what she
When Ilse called that evening had left me on myself. Ilse was a
to apologise, I told my husband to friend I’d helped out of loyalty and
say I wasn’t home. I was still angry respect, not with the expectation of
and hurt. being paid.

62 december 2019
 Betting on Humanity

Her lawyer sent me a cheque, and food to take back home with them
I opened an investment account in on Fridays.
her honour. Over the next 20 years, A few days before my unconven-
Ilse’s gift grew and gave me the op- tional friend died, I heard her on
portunity to disperse funds in her the phone asking about “the odds”.
name to a cause she cared about I don’t know whether her last bet
deeply: children. paid off – I didn’t ask her bookie
Various families and deserving when I met her at Ilse’s funeral.
charities benefited from the do- Yet the gamble I’d taken years
nations. Some families received before when I placed a call to the
funds to send their children to sum- seniors’ centre and met Ilse had
mer camp. Through the local food def i n itely made my l i fe r icher.
bank’s ‘Food 4 Kids’ programme, I took a chance on humanity, and
her donat ion prov ided children Ilse’s friendship was the jackpot.
who relied on daily school meals FROM THE WASHINGTON POST (JUNE 29, 2018), ©
with weekend backpacks filled with 2018 BY LISA KANAREK, WASHINGTONPOST.COM.

As Kids See It
THREE-YEAR-OLD: Mummy, I threw some food on the floor.
MUM: Henry, I don’t want to see you throwing food on the floor.
THREE-YEAR-OLD: But you didn’t see me. I just told you about it.
MUM: I don’t want to hear about you throwing food on the floor.
THREE-YEAR-OLD: OK, fine. Next time I won’t tell you.
submitted by ken hansen

SEVEN-YEAR-OLD: Can I play with my birthday presents yet?

ME: After your party is over.
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD: Everybody needs to go home right now.
@xplodingunicorn

When I was at the end of my pregnancy with twins, my four-year-

old nephew was quizzically eyeing my protruding tummy. He
walked around me a couple of times, checking from all angles.
Finally, he stopped and said, “Auntie Irene, what’s in your
pockets?” submitted by irene fix

63
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

LAUGHTER
The Best Medicine

“I’ll have the fish”

Elementary, My Dear Watson “And what do you deduce

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson from that?”
go on a camping trip. After a good Dr Watson ponders for a minute,
dinner and a bottle of wine, they then says, “Well, astronomically, it
CARTOON: JOE DI CHIARRO

retire for the night. tells me that there are millions of

Some hours later, Holmes wakes galaxies and potentially billions of
up and nudges his faithful friend. planets. Astrologically, I observe that
“Watson, look up at the sky and tell Saturn is in Leo. Meteorologically, I
me what you see.” suspect that we will have a beautiful
“I see millions and millions of day tomorrow. Theologically, I can
stars, Holmes,” replies Dr Watson. see that God is all-powerful and that

64 december 2019
 Laughter

we are a small and insignificant

part of the universe. But what does
it tell you, Holmes?”
“Dr Watson, you idiot!” Holmes
says. “Someone has stolen our tent!”
Adapted from the book Life is a Joke
by the Javna Brothers

Tooth of the Matter

A woman and her husband stop at a
dentist’s office.
“I need a tooth pulled right away,”
she says. “Don’t bother with the IMPORTANT
anaesthetic; we’re in a hurry.” PARENTING ADVICE
“Which tooth do you want pulled?”
asks the dentist. Don’t name your baby James.
The woman shoves her husband Name him Jame. He is one Jame.
towards the dentist. “Go ahead, dear. @ohheyohhihello
Show him your tooth.” dentalaffairs.com
All the baby books tell you that
Glassy Eyed infants need to eat every two to
Two regulars are sitting at a bar when three hours, but what they fail
one of them casually points to a to mention is that this behaviour
couple of drunks across from them. continues until the child turns
“That’s us in ten years,” he says. 18 and moves out of your house.
His friend takes a sip from his beer, @momTruthBomb
puts it down on the bar, turns to his
friend, and slurs, “That’s a mirror.” Whoever coined the phrase
SUBMITTED BY JACK ARZONICO ‘the pitter-patter of little feet’
clearly never heard a four
year old walk. @MYMOMOLOGUE

CHRISTMAS CRACKER When I see the frazzled

Q. What is Santa’s parents of a newborn, I tell
favourite pizza? them, “Don’t worry.
It gets easier.” Then I laugh
A. One that’s deep-pan, maniacally for 20 minutes.
crisp and even. @XplodingUnicorn

65
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

Wild
HORSES

66 december 2019
 ADVENTURE

A story of spirited horses

and enduring friendships in Iceland
BY Tory Bilski
FROM THE BOOK WILD HORSES OF THE SUMMER SUN

67
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

“Blame it or praise it, there is no

denying the wild horse in us.”

A
– V I RG I N I A WO O L F

t parties or at our But with that first glance of the Ice-

local coffee shop, I landic horse, I was girl again. It was
get introduced as, a well-muscled horse with a noble
“This is Tory, I told head, a compact body, flaring nos-
you about her. She trils and a Fabian black mane. There I
goes to Iceland every was at work, staring at this dark horse
year to ride horses.” that stared right back at me.
If this once-a-year gig is part of my So the dream began.
identity, I’ll take it. The Icelandic horse is a genetic
And as far as identities we make mix of the Norwegian fjord horse,
ourselves, I check the usual boxes: the Shetland pony, the Irish Conne-

PH OTOS: (O PEN IN G S PRE A D) G E T T Y I M AG E S. A L L OT H ER I M AG E S: CO U R T E S Y

mother, wife, worker bee, subur- mara, and the Fell and Dales ponies
banite. But being the woman who of Yorkshire. There is even a dab of

OF A. WESTPHAL FROM THE BOOK WILD HORSES OF THE SUMMER SUN

rides horses in Iceland – that gives Mongolian horse in it.
me, at least in my own mind, a bit It quickly evolved into a breed with
more panache. a second winter coat, a thick mane,
Why Iceland, why horses? Because stout trunk, short thick legs, a low-set
I was in my office, bored at my desk tail, and the ability to survive without
job in 1999 and had one of my first shelter. In 930, the Althing, the early
forays into ‘surfing the web’. I was Icelandic parliament, passed a law
only a few years out from my gradu- banning all other horses from com-
ate degree. I studied the Norse settle- ing into the country. And any horse
ments in Iceland. But the clicks down leaving the country could not be
those new Google steppingstones led brought back. These laws are still in
to the official page of Icelandic horse. effect today, making this a breed that
On my screen was a dark bay horse has remained isolated on this island
standing alone on a misty hill of green for over a thousand years.
tussocks. It’s hard to say why certain Once the North got in my psyche,
topics, objects or places resonate with it didn’t let go. Iceland was not on the
certain people. Why some people may tourist grid back then. Maybe people
gravitate towards the African conti- had heard of Bjork or the burgeoning
nent, or all things Italian. music scene of Reykjavik.

68 December 2019
 Wild Horses

I got laughed at by a cousin: “You need to belong and there wasn’t a

want to go where? To do what?” horse-lover among them.
It wasn’t just her. I knew no one Sometimes life circles back and
who had the slightest interest in Ice- gives us a chance to revisit some prior
land. Or their national horse. incarnations. So, 30-odd years later,
My husband initially discouraged I was travelling in a van in Iceland
it. Mishaps always happen when I with a pack of women, new friends.
was gone: the roof leaked, the dog got The common bond was Icelandic
sick, as if I were the household lucky horses. And we didn’t plan on mak-
charm. “Why can’t you fall in love ing a pact to return every year – but
with a horse around here?” he asked. we did. Each June, we left our ordi-
One friend did encourage me to go, nary lives behind and ran with the
wondering aloud if it was my midlife horses in Thingeyrar.
crisis. Within 30 minutes of leaving Rey-
I was a horse-crazy young girl. I did kjavik we are at a fork in the road. We
the riding lessons and horse camps, are nine women stuffed in a van, with
and the grooming, fussing over the luggage on our laps and at our feet –
mane of a 450-kilogram animal. But four teenagers, five middle-agers.
by age 11, I had lost my fervour. The teenagers sit in the back of the
On the cusp of puberty, my solitary van and tune out on their iPods.
horse love was usurped by the tribal I barely know the two women, Eve

The group of women on their hardy Icelandic horses

69
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

Thingeyrar

ICELAND

Reykjavik

Greenland Sea

Iceland

UK

France

The author and Sveppur on the shores of the Greenland Sea

and Sylvie, who have organised the and wrote a lengthy email to Sylvie
trip; the other women and the teen- asking if there was room for me. She
age girls, I know not at all. We are wrote back: “Van crowded. Wheel
going to Helga’s farm, a person and hub seat over heater avail.” I took it
place I don’t know either. But I am in as a yes.
a place that I love: Iceland. They love Perched up on the wheel hub with
what I love: Icelandic horses. my head bumping the top of the van,
Sylvie is the connection to Helga: my seat is literally the hot seat. June
“We became friends when we drove in Iceland can still require heat, and
to Saratoga together to look at a it is pouring out of the side door.
horse. We couldn’t find the stables After a few Dixie Chicks songs, I
and we drove around for hours and hear Eve murmur to herself, “We’re
got lost in the dark, but we found our supposed to go through a tunnel at
friendship.” some point.”
Before the trip, I met Sylvie a few But the landscape has changed
times, and Eve twice up at her horse from a few horses in the fields to hun-
farm. I found out from Eve’s stable dreds of horses, with herds of fecund
manager about their trip to Iceland, mares and k nobby-k need colts.

70 December 2019
 Wild Horses

“Babies!” It’s a horse-lover’s dream. “They are complicated horses, with

All the Icelandic horses the eye can all of the gaits,” Eve says. “There is so
behold in all the Icelandic greenery. much to learn.”
We give up on the map and pick up We finally arrive and at the end of
our cameras, haphazardly dangling the driveway, we park next to Helga’s
them out the window to click away. house, a modern two-storey duplex,
And it’s the grown ups who revert and our guesthouse, an older house,
to childhood at the sight of horses. I behind which looms a large black
am 46 and Sylvie is going on 66, Mag- stone church.
gie is Eve’s negligibly older sister and Helga comes walking up from the
Eve, I’m guessing, is about 52. Hang- barn to greet us. She is stunningly
ing out the window, cooing at all the beautiful in a way that is mundane
horses, we are ten again. in Iceland. Light, almost white,
We drive on but we are lost. June in blonde hair, ruddy cheeks, dazzling
Iceland is all daylight. It might dim a blue eyes, high cheekbones, flawless
little from clouds, but night won’t get skin. She looks to be in her early 30s,
dark. And even in a worst-case sce- though I know she is closer to my age.
nario, we have enough junk food in She hugs Sylvie, “Good to see you
our car to last us a my friend.”
few days.
I share my horse
Here there are An hour later we
a re dow n at t he
history, how I was a hundreds of horses, barn.
horse-crazy young herds of fecund We have to wait
girl, but how desire
bubbled up in me
mares and knobby- in the saddle, in the
paddock, for every-
soon after turning kneed colts one else to mount.
40 a nd I sta r ted This is what
taking riding les- we’ve come all this
sons at a local barn. Once a week I way to do: ride. This is what I sit in my
rode Charlie, a 21-year-old thorough- office all year long dreaming about –
bred, around and around the ring. I being in Iceland, riding.
loved the big, old gelding. I spent And off we go, out through the
most of the time grooming him, as if main gate to the outer lands. The
he were the most important horse in horses pick up the pace immediately.
the world, as if he had won the race. Travelling in a pack of ten, the
Each one of our horse histories, horses bunch up together, like they
our searches, ends with “And then I would in their herd. Two of the teen-
found Icelandics.” But finding these age girls are very good riders and
horses was only the beginning. they know how to slow their horses

71
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

this endless treeless expanse,

to ride in the place these hors-
es come from, where they
have been birthed, where their
ancestors have run for a mil-
lennium on this rough terrain.
Even after a long, cold trek
to get here, I can’t tamp down
the spirit of this mare when we
finally reach the sea.
All the horses get wilder
here, their blood filled with
the wind and the waves of the
Arctic waters. I can’t really
stop her, so I let her go, let her
Riding through fields of blueish purple lupine run to her heart’s desire. I am
part of her rhythm and speed,
down, turning them in circles to get galloping along the densely packed
back in line. I envy that ability. My sand, sea-spray splattering my face,
horse Perla is passing everyone and breaking an imagined barrier. The
wants to be in front. She is young whole world becomes what I can see
and has no manners, and my skills through the space between her ears,
are too limited, my reactions not her wind-parted mane. She is fast
reflexive yet. and sleek. I don’t think of falling or
Horses’ ears are the barometers of stopping, I only think which one of
their mood. But Perla’s are not easi- us – horse or rider – will tire first. I
ly decipherable. They do get twitchy a m w i ld ly f ree, g idd i ly so, t he
when she senses another horse might long-forgotten impulses of my youth
pass her, and I feel her power tick up awakening and leaving my heart in
a bit, as she wants to race against the flight mode.
other horse. I give her some rein and
let her keep her lead. This is an edited
My mind clears of all else to focus extract from
on the ride: staying on, staying bal- Wild Horses of
the Summer Sun
anced, feeling the horse’s rhythm,
by Tory Bilski,
looking ahead at the path, the rocks, Murdoch Books,
the tufted grass, the calls of the terns RRP $32.99.
flitting in front of me. It is a complete- Available in all
ly different experience to ride here in good bookstores.

72 december 2019
 QUOTABLE QUOTES

BOOKS CAN BE My idea

DANGEROUS. of Christmas,
THE BEST ONES whether
SHOULD BE old-fashioned
LABELLED ‘THIS or modern, is
COULD CHANGE very simple:
YOUR LIFE’. loving others.
HELEN EXLEY, AUTHOR BOB HOPE, ACTOR

Hard work should be

rewarded by good food.
KEN FOLLETT, AUTHOR

You can find You have those

inspiration in moments
everything. If you where you
can’t, then you’re not reflect. Wherever
looking properly. you’re at – driving
PAUL SMITH, the car, in the plane,
ALL I
FASHION DESIGNER
wherever – and
you say, ‘No matter
what I’m going NEED IN A
through in life at
the moment, from
RELATIONSHIP
IS SOMEONE
PHOTOS: GET T Y IMAGES

where I came from

to where I am now, TO WATCH TV
you know what?
Life ain’t bad.’ WITH ME.
JENNIFER L AWRENCE,
DWYANE WADE, ATHLETE
ACTOR

73
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

YOUNIVERSE
('yoo-nuh-vers) n. – The
immediate environment of
the terminal narcissist.

74 December 2019
 HUMOUR

The Best
MADE-UP
WORDS
Ever BY Bill Bouldin
FROM DEL RIO NEWS-HER ALD

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said

in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I
choose it to mean – neither more nor less.”
I L LU S T R AT I O N S: J E A N -M I C H EL T I X I ER

– THROUGH THE LOOKING GL ASS

I
agree w ith Mr Dumpt y: the crowdsourced online dic-
words have meaning. But tionary urbandictionary.com
surely we can seize upon a and others I’ve concocted my-
meaning and then create a self – don’t exist according to
word to match it. The follow- established dictionaries … but
ing words – some culled from should. I call them ‘worderfuls’.

75
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

AFTERCLAPPER
('af-ter-kla-per) n. – The last
person to clap after everyone
else has stopped clapping.

76 December 2019
 The Best Made-Up Words Ever

A
a crapella
cellfish
('sel-fish) n. – Someone
who talks on the phone
E
epiphinot
(ah kra-'peh-luh) to the exclusion of those (ih-'pih-fuh-not) n. –
adj. – Sung (badly) while he or she is with. An idea that seems like
listening to music using an amazing insight
headphones. chairdrobe to the conceiver but
('chair-drohb) n. – is in fact pointless,
athlethargy A chair on which one mundane, stupid or
(ath-'leh-ther-jee) n. – piles clothes that belong incorrect.
The triumph of the La-Z- in the wardrobe.
Boy over the StairMaster. Not to be confused errorist

B
beerboard
with a floordrobe.

chiptease
('air-er-ist) n. – Someone
who is repeatedly or
invariably wrong.
('beer-bohrd) v. –
To extract secret
information from
('chip-teez) n. – A
bag of potato chips
that seems full but is
F
fauxpology
colleagues by getting mostly air. (foh-'pah-luh-jee) n. –
them drunk.
D An insincere expression
of regret.
blamestorming
('blaym-stohr-ming) n. –
The act of attempting to
destinesia
(des-tuh-'nee-zhuh)
n. – When you get to
I
illiteration
identify the person who where you intended (il-lih-tuh-'ray-shuhn)
is most at fault for to go but forget why n. – The mistaken
a plan’s failure. you wanted to go impression that

C
carcolepsy
there.

dudevorce
you know more
about rhetorical
devices than you
('kahr-kuh-lep-see) ('dood-vohrs) n. – When really do.
n. – The tendency to fall two bros end their
asleep as soon as the car friendship. internest
starts moving. ('in-ter-nest) n. – The
dullema cocoon of blankets
caroma (duh-'leh-muh) n. – and pillows you gather
(kah-'roh-muh) n. – The The choice between around yourself for
smell of that old cheese two equally boring extended periods on
burger under the seat. outcomes. the internet.

77
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

suckrifice
M
metox
P
pregret
('suh-krih-fys) n. –
Doing what you
('mee-toks) v. – (pree-'gret) v. – To absolutely must
To take a break from know what you’re do, even though
self-absorption. about to do is wrong, you really, really
wrong, wrong while hate it.
N
narcisexual
also knowing you will
do it anyway. T
(nahr-suh-'sek-shoo- textpectation
uhl) n. – Someone presstitute (tekst-pek-'tay-shuhn)
attracted only to him- ('preh-stih-toot) n. – n. – The anticipation
or herself. A biased or one-sided felt when awaiting
journalist. a response
nerdjacking to a text.
('nurd-jak-ing) n. – preteentious
Filling a conversation (prih-'teen-shuhs) typerventilate
with unnecessary adj. – A level of drama (ty-per-'ven-tih-layt)
detail about one’s achievable only by a v. – To send messages
passion to an obviously 12 year old. in rapid sequence.
uninterested bystander.

nonversation
S
sinergy
U
unlighten
(non-ver-'say-shuhn) ('sih-ner-jee) n. – (uhn-'ly-ten) v. –
n. – A completely When two bad acts feel To learn something
meaningless or useless as good as three. that makes
conversation. you dumber.
FROM DEL RIO NEWS-HERALD (JUNE 29, 2018), © BILL BOULDIN, DELRIONEWSHERALD.COM.

Having His Day in Court

An English man spent almost three years and almost $37,000
fighting a traffic ticket – a fine that initially would’ve cost him
around $120. Richard Keedwell, 71, says he was wrongly clocked
driving 35 mph in a 30 mph zone while taking a trip to the city of
Worcester in 2016. He hired experts to defend him in court about
the possibility of a faulty speed camera, but the case – which he
eventually lost – spun out. bbc.com

78 december 2019
 THAT’S OUTRAGEOUS!
BY Alex Verman

SCRIMP ’N SCHEME January. The city’s GHOULISH RULES

Earlier this year, a US archaeologists If you’re over the age of
supermarket owner confirmed suspicions 12 and head out door-
proved a little saving that something more knocking on Halloween
can really add up. than dirt was sitting in Chesapeake,
Michael John Mihelic under a bus station: Virginia, you could be
is accused of ordering the remains of a 13th- in for more of a trick
employees at his Shop century Carmelite than a treat. Since 1970,
’n Save locations to cut monastery. According the town has had a law
coupons out of unsold to historic maps and that penalises teenaged
newspapers. evidence from other trick-or-treaters.
Employees local digs, the old Offenders could receive
would then skim a monastery belonged a fine up to US$100 – or
corresponding amount to the Whitefriars even face jail time.
of cash from the monastic organisation, Residents needn’t
registers and hand over who lived outside the get too spooked: no
the coupons to Mihelic, city to avoid its ‘sinful’ one has ever been
who submitted them influence. Who knows arrested under this law,
to manufacturers for what kind of sinning which aims to deter
credit. The pilfered they might have gotten teens from crime on
profits eventually up to if they ever Halloween. Still, after
amounted to more than managed to catch a a parody video went
US$306,500 – a sum lift into town. viral and earned the
worth thinking about policy bad press, the
before you toss this town said it would
week’s coupons. revise the rule.
Meanwhile,
HIDDEN HISTORY the true Halloween
For some transit criminals continue to
riders in Gloucester, go free: the people who
UK, the commute hand out healthy
to work got more snacks instead of
interesting in sugary treats.

79
 ANIMAL KINGDOM

THE PUSH
TO SAVE
SYDNEY’S
Koala
Habitat
T
On the outskirts of racey is driving around
the local bushland areas
Australia’s largest city of Campbelltown on Syd-
live some of the healthiest ney’s urban fringe search-
PH OTO: CO U R T E S Y PAT D U R M A N

ing for and collecting gum

koalas in the country. leaves. She does this every second
But many environment day when she has a koala in resi-
groups and locals fear dence. Today, she is foraging for not
just any old koala-edible eucalyptus
for their future leaves, she is looking for brand new
regrowth leaf tips because her fur-
ry visitor, Modi, is feeding for two.
BY Diane Godley Inside Modi’s pouch is a joey.

80 December 2019
 Koala young
stay with their
mothers until
they are about
one year old

81
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

Modi, who is sitting on a branch knew she’d just given birth. Females
of a makeshift tree in Tracey’s like to get well away from the males
purpose-built koala aviary, came to when they are giving birth so they’re
be here after wandering into a subur- not harassed.”
ban backyard occupied by two dogs.
“The owner locked the dogs in the A destructive disease
house and I was called,” says Tracey, After the vet found her to be healthy
who does not wish her surname to be and chlamydia-free, Modi was re-
used. Fortunately, the dog owner re- leased back into bushland near where
acted before too much harm came to she was found.
the koala. “We believe Modi knocked The Campbelltown colony is unique
her head when she was being chased as it is the only disease-free koala pop-
by the dogs, because she was throwing ulation in the Sydney Basin. In some
her head backwards, which is a sign of parts of Australia, up to 90 per cent of
concussion.” koala populations are believed to be
The WIRES (Wildlife Informa- infected with chlamydia – a sexually
tion, Rescue and Education Service) transmitted disease that can lead to
volunteer took her new charge to the blindness, severe bladder infections,
University of Syd- infertility and death.
ney’s veterinarian It is estimated that
teaching hospital to THIS COLONY of the 1000 koalas
have her checked OF KOALAS treated each year in
over and, to find out WAS ONLY wildlife hospitals in
her identity, as she DISCOVERED New South Wales
was tagged – mean- IN THE and Queensland,
ing she had been
rescued once before.
EARLY 1980S n e a r l y ha l f hav e
late-stage chlamydia
“This is in fact the – which is not only
second time Modi untreatable, it means
has been in my care,” says Tracey. the koalas can’t be released back into
“Last October she was found in a sub- the wild.
urban cul-de-sac, just one street away So how has the Campbelltown col-
from a shopping mall. All the people ony of koalas avoided the disease? “I
living in the street kept a close eye on think it’s pure luck,” says retired bi-
her until she could be captured, which ologist and marsupial genetics pro-
took about a week. fessor, Robert Close. And if anyone
“When I took her to the vet hospi- would know, it is the professor, who
tal, we discovered she had a joey the ran a research programme of this
size of a jellybean in her pouch – so we population of koalas between 1989

82 December 2019
 The Push to Save Sydney’s Koala Habitat

JOEYS NURTURED
IN POUCHES
Like all marsupials, baby
koalas are called joeys. The
tiny animals are the size of
a jellybean (2cm) when
they are born, and don’t
have hair or ears, nor can
they see. Immediately
after birth, the joey crawls
into its mother’s pouch
where it stays for around
six months, until it has
grown fur and ears, can
see and waddle on its own.

and 2016 and found that the colony colony of disease-free koalas very
was not only chlamydia-free, it was special indeed.
expanding. According to a United Nations-
“It takes time to build up a colo- backed review published this year,
ny, especially when starting with low nature is declining globally at a rate
numbers, such as the Campbelltown unprecedented in human history.
colony,” says Professor Close. In fact, One million species of plants and
this population of koalas was only animals are under threat of extinc-
discovered in the early 1980s because tion, and it warns this will have grave
there were so few of them. impacts on people around the world.
“Some colonies have females pro- “The health of ecosystems on which
ducing three offspring in their life- we and all other species depend is
time. Our girls live up to 17 years and deteriorating more rapidly than ever,”
produce 15 offspring. That’s when says Sir Robert Watson, chair of the
PHOTO: GET T Y IMAGES

you start getting the compound in- Intergovernmental Science-Policy

terest factor.” Platform on Biodiversity and Eco-
system Services. “We are eroding the
Dire findings very foundations of our economies,
Koalas are listed as a threatened spe- livelihoods, food security, health and
cies, which makes this expanding quality of life worldwide.”

83
 Habitat loss
Mayor Brticevic encourages
residents living near the col-
ony to plant koala-friendly
trees in their backyards to ex-
tend the natural habitat. And
for the past three years, he
has been holding tree plant-
ing days. This year, more than
3000 trees, shrubs and grass-
es beneficial to koalas were
planted on a public reserve in
a northern suburb of Camp-
belltown.
“The existing vegetation cor-
ridor in Campbelltown is not
wide enough for the colony
of 300-plus koalas [Professor
Close puts the number closer
to 1000], and as a result, they
are making their way into res-
idential areas where they risk
Rescued koala Modi with her newly emerged joey being hit by cars or attacked by
dogs,” says Mayor Brticevic.
The report blames human expan- “The presence of koalas in
sion and exploitation of habitat for significant numbers in our area is a
the dire findings. However, it also great privilege for anyone living here,
says that it’s not too late to make a but equally a big responsibility to
difference – as long as we start now, ensure the long-term sustainability
and at every level, from local to glob- of the colony.”
al. “Through ‘transformative change’, But it’s the long-term sustainability
nature can still be conserved, re- of the colony that has local environ-
stored and used sustainably,” says mentalists concerned.
Sir Robert. The koalas migrate between two
It’s this kind of transformative rivers to the south of Campbelltown.
change which is inducing George To get to the Nepean River, they leave
Brticevic, a passionate koala advo- the bushland around the Georges
cate and Mayor of Campbelltown, River, navigate a busy road, then cross
to take action. a narrow wildlife corridor at Mount

84 December 2019
 The Push to Save Sydney’s Koala Habitat

Gilead, which is surrounded on both estate’s] backyards. That would allow

sides by cleared land. koalas to move freely from garden to
What has community groups up garden.
in arms is the 2017 rezoning of the “Dogs are another issue,” he says.
property at Mount Gilead for urban “Koalas need access to dog-free
use. This has enabled a massive de- places, but if you could control the
velopment proposal that, if approved, dog size in the development, allow-
could see up to 1700 houses built ing only small dogs, that would help
in the wildlife corridor. Last year, a the koalas a great deal.”
community group And then there is
attempted but failed the threat from cars.
to overturn the re- CONTROLLING Along with the new
zoning of the Mount TRAFFIC, development will
Gilead property in DOGS AND come the widen-
the Land and Envi- INCREASING ing of a major road,
ronment Court. To- PLANTINGS which will also in-
day, the fight is to
try and halt the new
WOULD HELP crease the speed of
traffic.
development. How- “If we could con-
ever, with high rates trol speed and dogs
of population growth in Sydney, the and increase plantings, it would help
housing estate looks inevitable. the koalas. And anything that’s done
“Any development in this area is go- for the koalas will aid other lesser
ing to have an adverse effect on wild- known animals in the area that are
life,” says Professor Close. “Of course, just as vulnerable, such as platypus,
I’d prefer it not to go ahead, but it if gliders, antechinus, wallaroos and
can’t be stopped, then we need to swamp wallabies.”
make it more amenable to koalas. Meanwhile, Modi, who is asleep on
“My suggestion is to have small a branch in her koala aviary with her
eucalypt species, about three to joey, Julie, is oblivious to the battle to
four metres, planted in the [housing save her habitat.

A Side Note
Did you know that enneacontakaienneagon is actually a word
in the English language? And the meaning of the word is just as
bizarre as the word itself: it’s a shape with 99 sides.
www.grammarly.com

85
 PHOTO FEATURE

86 December 2019
 Mind the
STEP!
You need to be fit and have nerves
of steel to climb these steps
BY Cornelia Kumfert

87
88 December 2019
 Mind the Step

 241 steps, cliffs, sea and wind – San

P H O T O S : ( T O P ) G E O R G E O Z E /A L A M Y S T O C K P H O T O ; ( B O T T O M ) L O G A N H A V E N S /A L A M Y S T O C K P H O T O ; ( R I G H T ) I M A G E B R O K E R /A L A M Y S T O C K P H O T O

Juan de Gaztelugatxe (previous

page) is a tourist magnet. Scores of
visitors climb this little rocky island off
the Basque coast in the north of Spain,
especially since scenes from the Game
of Thrones series were filmed here.
Unlike in the series, however, there’s
no castle, just a small church.

 Visitors can work up a sweat by

scaling an artwork in New York. The
Vessel is 15 storeys high and made up
of 154 interconnecting flights of stairs.
Anyone wanting to enjoy the
panorama from the highest viewing
platform needs to climb 2500 steps.

 A 70 million-year-old rock provides

visitors with one of the most beautiful
views over Colombia. The rock, La
Piedra, stands 220 metres high and is
found near the town of Guatapé in the
northwest of the country. Visitors
willing to tackle the 700 or so steps are
rewarded with a breathtaking vista.

 Getting to heaven can be a risky

business in Hawaii. The Haiku Stairs are
also known as the Stairway to Heaven.
The 3922 steps are extremely slippery
and have been in a state of disrepair
since 2015. As a result, they are now
closed to the public. Anyone
still compelled to climb the
600-metre-long set of
steps is not only
risking a fine,
but also their
very life.

89
  It’s not just practising Hindus

P H O T O S: ( T O P) M O H D D A U D/N U R P H O T O V I A G E T T Y I M A G E S;
who make the pilgrimage over this
rainbow to their place of worship.
Every year, the colourful 272 steps
to the Batu Caves, a Hindu

( B E L O W ) I N G E J O H N S S O N /A L A M Y S T O C K P H O T O
temple site near Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, attract hundreds of
thousands of people.

 A stairwell without stairs,

commonly referred to as the
Bramante Staircase, is used by
Vatican museum visitors. It was
designed by the Italian architect
Giuseppe Momo in the 1930s. He
was inspired by a staircase from
the 16th century, which
connected the Vatican palaces to
the more elevated Villa Belvedere.

90 December 2019
 Mind the Step

 Apart from the loop-the-loop,

visitors can access all parts of the
Tiger & Turtle walking roller-
P H O T O S : ( T O P) I M A G E B R O K E R /A L A M Y S T O C K P H O T O ;

coaster in Duisburg, Germany,

which offers stunning views over
(BELOW) GE T T Y IM AGES/MUSLIANSHAH M A SRIE

the town. The structure gets its

name from the fact that it weaves its
way through the landscape with the
grace of a tiger, while only allowing
a stroll at the pace of a turtle.

 Chand Baori is one of the

largest stepwells in India. At one
time, this architectural marvel
provided water for the people of
Abhaneri. No matter how low the
water levels became, the villagers
always had access to cool water,
thanks to the 3500 steps.

91
 MEDICAL ADVANCES

NEW
HOPE
For
ACHING
KNEES
Knee-replacement surgery can dramatically
lessen pain and return you to the activities you love,
but it’s not the answer for everyone

BY Richard Laliberte

FROM A ARP THE MAGA ZINE

92 december 2019
93
A
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

power drill whirs nois- of people are experiencing knee pain.

ily – shavings curl from There are many short-term remedies,
the bit as it bores a such as weight loss, physical therapy,
precise hole. Cement knee braces, injections and supple-
oozes from a caulking ments, but for a perpetually painful
gun to join two surfac- or arthritic knee, the go-to solution is
es. A hammer whacks to replace it.
repeatedly on metal. Behind the Put simply, an artificial knee works
workers, a busy crew shares meas- as a multi-directional hinge that con-
urements and part sizes. nects the bottom of your femur (the
It’s the sounds of renovation, but upper leg bone) to the tibia (the shin-
it’s not a new kitchen. A medical team bone). To install it, surgeons remove
led by orthopaedic surgeon Dr Mat- damaged cartilage and bone and con-
thew Austin is replacing a knee joint. nect the artificial knee to your bones.
It is his fifth surgery of the day. An The surgery takes about an hour,
hour later, he’s off to his next case involves a team of four to eight health-
while the rest of the team handles care professionals supporting a lead
the final details. surgeon, and is done with the patient
Three hours af ter t he surger y under local or general anaesthesia.
wraps up, Ralph Gabriel, then 69, Doctors can choose from more than
the construction-business owner 150 sizes and variations of artificial
upon whom those tools whirred and knees. Most are made with polished
banged, is awake and joking with titanium or a cobalt-chrome alloy,
his family. He didn’t want surgery. plus high-grade plastics, and can last
But years of tile installation had de- for decades. For most patients, the
stroyed the cushion of cartilage in type of implant is probably irrelevant,
his right knee, creating constant pain many experts say.
from bone grinding on bone. “You “The key is to trust that your PHOTO, PRE VIOUS SPRE AD: SHUT TERS TOCK

have to have the will to get it done,” surgeon is familiar with the device
Gabriel says. being used,” says Dr Stephen Kelly, a
joint-replacement surgeon. “Choose
LESSENING THE PAIN the surgeon, not the implant.”
The human knee is particularly vul-
nerable to wear. Every step, every WHEN SURGERY ISN’T
jump, every crossing of the legs, puts THE ANSWER
stress on the joint. When you com- Few would dispute that knee replace-
bine the active lifestyle of the over-50 ments are generally safe and, in most
population and longer life spans, it’s cases, appropriate. But not all doc-
no wonder that an increasing number tors are convinced that replacement

94 December 2019
 New Hope for Aching Knees

“You don’t leap out of bed after-

wards,” says musculoskeletal disor-
der specialist and medical Professor
Nortin M. Hadler. “In addition to the
inevitable risks of surgery, you have
months of rehab ahead of you.”

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE

SAYING YES OR NO
Keep in mind these six concerns be-
fore you book your knee replacement.
1 There is no clear standard.
Surprisingly, there are no definitive
criteria to determine whether you
should undergo surgery, explains
physical therapy Professor Daniel
Riddle. Doctors assess three varia-
bles: pain, limits on daily activities
and visible evidence of bone dam-
age. Only the last of the three can be
measured objectively.
is the best answer for many patients. Ask your doctor to gauge how your
One study looked at the level of symptoms compare with those of
pat ient-repor ted pain and k nee others, using a standardised scale
function, along with X-ray evidence that can be compared with research.
of arthritis, in people who had total The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis
knee-replacement surgery. The con- Outcome Score is one example. “I’d
clusion: about a third of the proce- want to know if my symptoms are
dures were “inappropriate” using a considered mild, moderate or severe,
standard classification system de- and what I can expect a year from
veloped in Spain. now,” Professor Riddle says.
A 2015 follow-up study found that 2 Marketing is often inaccurate.
surgeries classified as inappropriate Surgeons likely will tell you that
PHOTO: GET T Y IMAGES

yielded little or no benefit in relieving post-op, you should expect to dial

pain or improving function. That is, back overall physical activity. But
patients with mildly bad knees had many hospitals promote surger y
much less to gain from knee-replace- with ads showing fit people playing
ment surgery than those with severe sports. Surgeons themselves can get
pain or bone-on-bone arthritis. caught up in the enthusiasm. “In

95
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

professional meetings, there’s al- more. Only one-third of those who

ways someone showing pictures of considered sports or recreational
patients surfing or mountain climb- activity important were pleased with
ing,” says Dr Kelly. “We all like to their results.
hold up our patients who are doing And about 20 per cent of patients
crazy activities.” will have long-term pain, suggests
Professor Hadler advises not even one study review. Ralph Gabriel,
talking to a surgeon until you’ve had now 73, is one of them. Post-surgery,
a thorough conversation with a GP he has been in constant pain, he
who has less of a stake in operating. says, and nothing he has tried so far –
And even if you are referred to a sur- extensive physical therapy, electrical
geon, keep an open mind. Most sur- stimulation, over-the-counter pain-
geons agree that knee replacement killers – has helped.
shouldn’t be taken lightly, even with Ask your surgeon detailed ques-
its overall history of success. tions, specific to your hobbies and
“It’s major surgery,” says ortho- daily activ ities, about what you
paedic surgery Professor Dr Joshua should and shouldn’t expect af-
Jacobs. “You should contemplate ter the surgery. Most surgeons say
it only after you’ve explored other you may have to forgo hobbies that
options.” require lateral movement and are
3 Expectations vary. high impact (such as singles tennis),
In one European study, 93 per cent because they could prematurely
of patients were generally satisfied shorten implant life.
five years after surgery. But most 4 Recovery takes time.
also reported that they had expected “You have to work hard to get better
from this operation,” Dr Kelly says.
That means six to eight weeks of
Symptoms That May rehabilitation and physical therapy
Signal It's Time to Act to regain range of motion and rebuild
muscles and ligaments that stabilise
and support the knee.
JOINT-PAIN SEVERITY Even with modern rehab tech-
STIFFNESS niques, one study found that a third
of patients didn’t have measurable
LIMPING
improvements in pain six months
MUSCLE WEAKNESS after surgery. Another found that one
SWELLING in eight patients still had moderate
LIMITED RANGE OF MOTION to severe pain one year post-op. In
the latter study, however, almost all

96 December 2019
 New Hope for Aching Knees

patients felt satisfied with their oper- data by the independent journalism
ations five years out. organisation ProPublica found that
Ask if your hospital has an educa- surgeons with extremely low rates
tion programme that allows patients of complications tended to express
to meet with providers to under- a sense of personal responsibility
stand what’s going to happen with for patients before, during and after
their surgery and recovery. Dr Kelly surgery.
recommends that anxious patients
also visit a physical therapist before KNEE REPLACEMENT
surgery to discuss rehab.
5 All doctors are not the same.
SHOULDN’T BE TAKEN
Research suggests that you’ll do best LIGHTLY, EVEN WITH ITS
with a surgeon who does more than HISTORY OF SUCCESS
50 knee-replacement operations a
year.
High- and low-volume surgeons 6 Risks are small but serious.
had similar results on pain relief, The odds of having a major complica-
one study found. But surgeons who tion from knee-replacement surgery
do six or fewer knee replacements are relatively low. Few people assume
a year in low-volume hospitals may they’ll be among the fraction of those
be less skilled at the soft tissue fine- who have more serious complications
tuning needed to achieve normal such as blood clots. “That’s why the
motion and full function. In that discussion about risks needs to be
same study, patients of low-volume more substantial than simply sign-
surgeons were twice as likely to score ing a consent form,” Professor Riddle
poorly on function measures such as says. “You need to have a detailed
being able to fully extend their knees conversation with your doctor.”
two years after surgery. The earlier you discuss possible
Ask your surgeon about his or her complications with your physician,
outcomes, complication rates, infec- the better, Professor Hadler says.
tion rates and readmissions. Don’t “Once the mind-set is, ‘I need this,’
settle for an answer from your surgeon you don’t hear the risk, you hear the
citing national averages: you want his benefit,” he says.
or her rate. The number should be
around two per cent or lower. THE NEWEST
Just as important, ask yourself TECHNOLOGIES
whether your surgeon is taking a Scientists are looking hard for better
personal interest in what happens to solutions that improve outcomes for
you. A recent analysis of US medical knee-replacement surgery or bypass

97
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

it with less invasive but equally suc- makes the operation shorter and more
cessful procedures. Here are some of efficient,” says Dr Steven Haas, chief of
the options that have emerged. knee service at the Hospital for Special
Patient-Specific Instruments Digi- Surgery in New York.
tal imaging creates tailor-made instru- ‘Partial’ Surgeries Surgeons switch
ments that surgeons use just once to out just one part of the knee for an im-
guide cuts and implant placement so plant, leaving healthy cartilage, bone,
they better match a patient’s anatomy and ligaments intact on the rest of the
and potentially preserve more of it. “It knee. Recovery tends to be quicker.

Some of the Most Common Complications

While knee-replacement surgery usually goes well, complications
do occur. Read on to learn which problems are most prevalent

FAILED IMPLANTS 60 and older in the two

Prosthetics can pop out weeks following surgery,
of the joint or wear down, according to a study
releasing tiny particles in JAMA Archives of
of implant material. In Internal Medicine. Knee
osteolysis, particles patients routinely take
trigger inflammation blood thinners to reduce
that can weaken bones this risk.
and cause implants to only one to 2.5 per cent of
come loose over time. cases, and doctors work NERVE INJURY Nerves
About ten per cent of to keep risks low with can be damaged as a
joint replacements measures such as giving result of complications
eventually fail and patients preventive of anaesthesia, or the
need to be redone. antibiotics. surgeon could damage
a nerve during the
INFECTIONS An BLOOD CLOTS Clots are operation. Both scenarios
infection can be triggered by inflam- are rare, though, occur-
devastating, potentially mation that occurs ring in less than one per
destroying the function during healing – a cent of cases. Nerve
of the joint and, in the process that boosts the injuries can cause pain
worst cases, threatening risk of having a heart and numbness, but they
the patient’s leg or even attack as much as generally improve over
life. Infections occur in 31 times for people time, though not always.

98 december 2019
 New Hope for Aching Knees

“The trade-off is that partial knee re- no better results than sham surgery in
placements fail at a significantly high- which orthopaedists scope the knee
er rate than total knee replacements,” but don’t fix anything.
Dr Haas says. Plus, there’s no guaran- “That’s made a lot of surgeons
tee you won’t have to come back for pretty cautious about recommend-
a total knee replacement if arthritis ing arthroscopy for patients with
progresses. Only people with healthy
ligaments are good candidates.
Robotic Surgery Robotic systems
ROBOTIC SYSTEMS HELP
can help surgeons position implants SURGEONS POSITION
more precisely and consistently. “The IMPLANTS PRECISELY
surgeon controls the tool, and the
robot keeps him from going outside
the area he wants to cut,” says Jere- arthritis of the knee,” says ortho-
my Suggs, engineering manager at paedic surgeon Dr Craig Della Valle.
the ECRI Institute, a nonprofit that Whether the balance of risk and re-
independently researches medical ward finally steers you towards knee-
devices. Doctors most often use ro- replacement surgery depends on a lot
botic systems for partial knee re- of factors, but it ultimately comes
placements that require extra preci- down to your tolerance for one type of
sion to preserve ligaments. discomfort over another. “We tell pa-
Arthroscopic Procedures People tients, ‘You’ll know when you’re
get ‘scoped’ in a procedure called ready,’” Dr Austin says. “They say,
partial meniscectomy. It entails a sur- ‘What do you mean?’ Then they come
geon going into the knee through a back when they’re no longer willing to
‘keyhole’ incision, to trim and smooth tolerate daily pain and dysfunction,
jagged edges of torn meniscus, a lay- and they say, ‘Now I understand’.”
er of cartilage that cushions bones in
REPRINTED FROM THE FEBRUARY-MARCH 2017
the joint. Some studies, however, have ISSUE OF AARP THE MAGAZINE. © 2017 AARP. ALL
found that this procedure produces RIGHTS RESERVED.

Holiday Fun
Beach holidays are awesome if you’re looking for a more scenic
backdrop for your toddler’s tantrums. @snarkymommy78
At the public pool with the kids; we’ve been here for 17 minutes
and 247 shouts of “Mum, watch this!” long.
@six_pack_mom

99
 CULTURE

WITH LOVE
FROM THE

DDR
AN UNUSUAL MUSEUM OFFERS A
GLIMPSE INTO DAILY LIFE IN THE
FORMER EAST GERMAN STATE
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY Paul Robert

100 December 2019

Friso De Zeeuw with
his collection of East
German curios

101
I
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

n 1985, Friso de Zeeuw, a interest in their context and back-

young Dutch politician on ground. Asked what his favourite
his first working visit to West item is, De Zeeuw doesn’t point at
Berlin, was fascinated by the old Trabant car in his front yard
the divided city. He and his (if you wanted one in the DDR, there
colleague obtained a one-day was a waiting period of 15 years, and
tourist visa to the German you had no choice of colour), but at
Democratic Republic (DDR) a tiny red cardboard shield with the
and crossed over to East Berlin on words ‘Best waiter of the month’ –
the other side. once proudly worn by a restaurant
“We did the whole thing,” says worker who had distinguished her-
t he now ret ired urban develop- self through her work ethic. “I find
ment professor, aged 67, “including it touching because it is so parochi-
smuggling in West German marks al, and it is a physical reminder of
to exchange for East German marks. the way people in the DDR worked,
We got a rate of seven to one. The organised in labour brigades.”
problem was, there was nothing to The couple bought more and more
spend them on.” They ended up buy- items. “In the end we decided we ei-
ing a pile of books and records. ther had to stop buying or do some-
“I’ve always had this odd urge to thing with them,” says De Zeeuw.
collect all kinds of things,” says De The couple moved to a new house,
Zeeuw. “But I was fascinated by the 20 kilometres north of Amsterdam,
absurdity of Berlin and that gave that had a garage big enough to
direction and purpose to the urge display their grow ing collection
to collect.” Back in West Berlin, he in a battery of glass display cases.
bought some East German medals. They established a foundation and
Together with his wife, he returned on September 2, 2000, their DDR
to the divided city every year. Museum was officially opened by
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 Marius Ernsting, a former official of
and the former Soviet satellite state the Dutch Communist Party, CPN,
was reunified with the western part which had disbanded in 1991.
of Germany a year later, the couple De Zeeuw commemorated t he
started roaming the f lea markets 30th anniversary of the fall of the
looking for interesting items. First Berlin Wa l l last mont h w it h an
came t he medals and f lags, but event that included a Trabant car
soon other items followed, including show, music, a ‘dictatorship game’,
unopened bottles of beer and rolls of lectures and the launch of a new
toilet paper. book, De Tastbare DDR (The Tangible
With these items came a growing DDR).

102 December 2019

TREASURES
FROM THE PAST
Some of the highlights
from De Zeeuw's collection

The gold-fronted DDR happy snapper

CHICKEN AND THE EGG
The chicken egg cup, along with the presentations. But the positive health
Trabant car and the Berliner effects of eggs had to be played-up
Ampelmännchen (pedestrian crossing whenever they were in oversupply.”
lights), is an icon of DDR industrial
design. Originally produced in the SAY CHEESE
1970s in seven flat pastel colours, Since the 1920s, the Saxony region of
these simple breakfast table utensils the DDR was a hub for the German
survived the political upheaval of the optical industry. Carl Zeiss of Jena and
1980s and 90s. “They are still Ihagee of Dresden were its main
produced today,” says De Zeeuw. protagonists, producing world
“They are campish ostprodukte famous cameras with brand names
(Eastern Bloc products) that you can such as Contax, Exakta and Pentacon.
now even get in metallic gold.” These camera factories became the
Eggs themselves suffered from the paramount of East German industry
typical tension between supply and and major sources of hard currency
demand in the planned economy of income for the socialist government.
the DDR. “At times of shortage, For the local market, the camera
TV anchor men and women would industry combined as the VEB
receive official instructions to avoid Pentacon to produce a small, simple
using the word ‘egg’ in their camera with a golden front, the
Pentiand. Its customised 35mm film
cartridge also meant users were
bound to an East German film brand.
Exports of the Penti were negligible,
but the quality Praktica and Exakta
cameras were serious competitors of
major Japanese brands on the West
Iconic European market. VEB Pentacon was
breakfast dismantled almost immediately after
curios the reunification of Germany.

103
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

major monument of socialist

architecture in Berlin, however. The
Palace of the Republic or People’s
Palace (Palast der Republik) opened as a
national political and cultural centre in
1976 and its restaurants, disco and
other venues attracted around 13,000
visitors a day.
After reunification, demolition of the
palace was deemed necessary when
A hand mixer still found in asbestos was discovered in the
German kitchens today construction. What remains are flimsy
souvenirs of the building.
MADE TO LAST
Unhindered by commercial STRICT SECURITY
competition, the quality of East If anything, the DDR was a state of
German consumer products varied absolute control. Tens of thousands of
immensely, from objectionable East German citizens voluntarily or
cheapness to solid durability. An involuntarily spied on their co-workers
example of the latter is the AKA and neighbours in support of the
Electric RG28 hand mixer, which was massive homeland security service,
the product of extensive development the ‘Staatssicherheitsdienst’ or Stasi.
and testing. Virtually indestructible, To control who came in and out of
the appliance can still be found in the country, customs officials were
many German kitchens, decades after supplied with a special briefcase that
it first appeared in the 1970s. The
basic mixer came with a range of
accessories and was available in white
and typical 1970s yellow and orange.

ENDURING LEGACY
Standing 368 metres high, the Berlin
Fernsehturm (TV tower) is the country’s
most lasting and least disputed legacy.
It has towered over both sides of the
formerly divided city since its official
opening in 1969 – the DDR’s 20th Replicas of
anniversary. the TV tower and
A different fate awaited the second People’s Palace

104 december 2019

 With Love From the DDR

the fall of the Berlin Wall and the

consecutive disintegration of the DDR.
Reruns as well as new episodes make
Sandmännchen a fixture of German
television.

ARBEIT (WORK)
East German workers were typically
organised in company brigades led by
communist party members. The
brigades would discuss work issues
and targets, as well as the latest
A DDR briefcase that helped government policy plans. To improve
operatives detect devious deeds team spirit, labour brigades were
encouraged to socialise privately and
had built-in lights to discover forged report on events in their brigade log,
passports, visas and documents, and including lists of those who did and
guidelines to recognise suspicious did not participate.
physical features, such as “signs of
nervousness,” says De Zeeuw. HUNTING DIPLOMACY
An avid hunter, East German party
MR SANDMAN leader Erich Honecker enjoyed taking
In 1959 East German television his guests, such as Soviet party leader
introduced ‘Unser Sandmännchen’ Leonid Brezhnev, to the woods for a
(Our Little Sandman) to escort mix of marksmanship and diplomacy.
children to bed in the evening. Part The standard East German hunting
harmless entertainment, part knife was a popular gift to
propaganda, Sandmännchen commemorate such hunting trips.
gained tremendous
popularity as generations The fibreglass Trabant was the only car
of East Germans grew available to the East German people
up with him.
Sandmännchen is one
of the few cultural
phenomena that survived

This little puppet

entertained East German
n
children at bedtime

105
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

106 december 2019

SEEE Turn
THEtheWORLD...
page ››

readersdigest.com.au 107
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

...DIFFERENTLY

A Christmas tree
with wheels? Sydney
residents were surprised one
day in 2010 to find exactly
such a work of art in the
city centre. One hundred
bicycles were used to create
this vibrant, seven-metre-tall
sculpture which was made
even more spectacular at
night by the use of colourful
spotlights. After the holiday
season had passed, this tree
wasn’t just unceremoniously
discarded like most
– all of the bicycles were
completely recycled.
PHOTOS: MARK METCALFE
/G E T T Y I M A G E S

108 december 2019

See the World

109
 ART OF LIVING

10 Cool
Christmas Tree Ideas
Forget the fir and
celebrate the holidays
with these fun, non-
traditional trees
BY Rachel Brougham

h Book trees
Is there a book lover
in your home? This
book tree works well
in a small space
decorated with a
strand of mini
Christmas
lights.

110 december 2019

 j Craft project tree
Kids can help create alternative
Christmas trees with simple craft
supplies such as felt, ribbon and glue.
When finished, hang your favourite little
ornaments from the ‘branches’.

i Christmas tree art

If you have a fireplace and no room for
a traditional tree, try decorating the
mantel with DIY tree art. Use Washi
(patterned) tape to form a simple
zigzag and decorate with ribbon or
strips of fabric taped to the wall.

h Timber offcuts tree

Use wood odds and ends from other
DIY projects to create an eye-catching
PHOTOS: SHUT TERSTOCK

festive decoration. Thread the

branches onto a dowel or old
broomstick, with offcuts used as
spacers and the tree base. For more
details on how to make a similar one,
go to http://www.handyman.net.au/
create-timber-christmas-tree

111
 g Reclaimed wood tree
Pinterest has lots of ideas for using
reclaimed wood to build
alternative Christmas trees. Once
completed, add paint or stain and
wrap a strand of lights around the
finished project.

i Felt trees
These felt trees are a great project
to get kids started in DIY. These
types of Christmas tree
alternatives work well in small
spaces, and are great in a child’s
bedroom.
PHOTOS: SHUT TERSTOCK

g Wine cork tree

For the sparkling wine drinker, try
using all those corks to create DIY
alternative Christmas trees. There
are several ideas on Pinterest to
provide inspiration.

112 december 2019

 Christmas Tree Ideas

g Ladder tree
An eye-catching ladder tree spotted on
Pinterest may not save any space, but it is
certainly a new take on a traditional
Christmas tree. Try decorating with
sparkly ornaments, some strands of
lights and a star or angel on top.

i Pebble tree
This tree uses items found at the beach
i Blackboard tree (or dollar shop) for a unique take on
If you have a blackboard painted wall, Christmas tree alternatives. So get your
why not draw a chalk tree on it? You can hot glue gun out and try using pebbles,
also hang a small blackboard in the starfish, driftwood, coconuts and other
living room with a chalk tree drawn on it. beach finds to recreate this look.

113
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

Humour on the Job

“All this time I assumed it was a misprint.”

Anyone There? Easy to Forget

Ninety-five per cent of my workday The new busboy was just 16, and
is emailing people to see if they because it was his first job, we were
got my email. @TheCatWhisprer all impressed with how well he had
done on his first day. Which is why
Zombie Alert we were surprised the next day
In May 2018, a mysterious power- when he didn’t show up for his shift.
CARTOON: HARLEY SCHWADRON

outage text message in Lake Worth, Then, an hour late, he came

Florida, warned the public of a running in, breathless. “I’m sorry,
“zombie alert”. No one is sure how the I’m sorry,” he said. “I forgot I had a
text was sent, but one local official job.” SUBMITTED BY JOY MASSEY
had the dubious task of reassuring
thousands of anxious local residents: Brain Box
“I want to reiterate that Lake Worth During an English grammar lesson
does not have any zombie activity about adjectives, my friend, a
currently.” Currently? Palmbeachpost.com primary school teacher, asked her

114 december 2019

 All In a Day’s Work

class to describe their mothers. One Heavy Heart

boy described his mother’s hair as My paramedic team was called
auburn. to an emergency. Before we took
Impressed by his sophisticated the patient to the hospital, I had
word choice, my friend asked, a question for his wife. “Does
“How do you know her hair colour your husband have any cardiac
is auburn?” problems?” I asked.
Her student replied, “Because “Yes,” she said with a note of
that’s what it says on the box.” concern. “His cardiologist just died.”
SUBMITTED BY JOAN ANASTASI SUBMITTED BY A ARON WEBSTER

HORRIBLE BOSSES
There is a professional line that should never (ever, ever)
be crossed by bosses. These did.
“The timberyard A Chinese sales group “My first job was in
where I worked was made news back in sales, but it operated
experiencing losses 2016 when it came out more like a call
from theft. Our vice that executives forced centre. Every rep
president ordered employees who’d was required to be
polygraphs for every missed their goals on the phone and at
employee. A week to drink a cocktail of their desk at all times.
later, on a routine grain alcohol and live That meant we had a
patrol, the police mealworms. ‘bathroom request’
caught the thief The workers, button on our
loading a truck with though disgusted, computers. Any time
material from the didn’t seem all that you had to use the
yard. It was the vice fazed. Said one, restroom you’d click
president.” inc.com “We have also eaten the button, cross your
live squid and ants fingers (or legs!), and
before.” ecns.cn hope for the best. The
requests got kicked
up to my not-so-
great manager and
nine times out of ten
denied immediately.”
themuse.com

115
 TRAVEL

GR EEN

PHOTOS: OMOMOM

Tea plantations and the

Muthirappuzhayar River
near Munnar in Kerala

116 december 2019

HEAVEN
offers a mixture of exuberant chaos, hidden
backwaters and rugged mountain treks
BY Stephanie
S h i Pearson
P
FROM OUTSIDE MAGA ZINE

117
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

E
ach autumn, residents to celebrate. At the Coconut Lagoon
of the southern Indian eco-resort, I feasted on the tradition-
state of Kerala celebrate al Onam meal known as sadya. The
Onam, t heir ten-day 26 vegetarian servings included ash
harvest festival. It com- gourd, masala curry, sambar, papad-
memorates the return ams and mango pickles.
of the legendary king On the festival’s last day I attended
Mahabali, who is said to have given the Aranmula Boat Race, a 700-year-
every Keralan – whether Hindu, Mus- old contest that starts at the Aran-
lim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jew or mula Temple on the River Pamba.
other – equal rights and prosperity. Thirty-metre-long palliyodams, or
I bumped into Mahabali in the city snake boats, from 48 villages went
of Vaikom. As I attempted to cross the head-to-head in front of thousands
street, a parade of hundreds following of spectators. The race had the pomp
a bejewelled man with a giant belly and circumstance of the Olympics.
came along. Mahabali handed me a During the race, one of the boats
lolly, while a TV news reporter stuck capsized and the revellers gasped

PLANT ANYTHING HERE AND IT WILL GROW,

FROM COCONUTS TO MANGOS TO GINGER

P H O T O, P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : D M I T R Y R U K H L E N KO/S H U T T E R S T O C K
a microphone in my face and asked: as the paddlers swam towards the
“What do you think of Onam?” opposite shore. A motorboat packed
“It’s a happy time!” I stammered. with men impersonating foreign
When I made my plans to travel to tourists with devil masks, fake boobs
Kerala, I knew nothing about Onam. and blonde wigs sped past.
All I knew was that I had always want- If this raucous festival was an accu-
ed to see the vivid beauty of this vast rate representation of life in the state
country but was intimidated by the known as God’s Own Country, then,
volume of humanity – India is home I decided, God must thrive on chaos
to 1.21 billion people. In Kerala, I had and fun.
heard, one could still experience the “In Kerala, many things make
diversity of India, yet also find quiet sense and many things don’t,” said
beauty, tropical ocean beaches and my guide, Rajesh ‘Raj’ Padmanabha
cultural festivals that attract visitors Iyer Ramakrishnan, a 36-year-old
from around the world. Hindu priest and yoga instructor.
After a few days of exuberance, I On our nearly 1000-kilometre car
can attest that Keralans know how and train journey across the state, he

118 December 2019

 Green Heaven

Houseboats tour through the backwaters of Kerala

chanted a melodic devotion to Lord tigers roam the Ghats through the
Shiva, one of Hinduism’s primary sprawling Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
forms of God. In between are the ‘backwaters’, an
“It boils down to a plea for victory interconnected waterway of lagoons,
over death,” Raj said of the prayer. canals and lakes near the Arabian Sea.
Which makes sense – I don’t have a Plant anything here and it will grow,
seat belt, so I’m trusting Shiva for safe from coconuts to mangos to ginger.
passage through the rolling country- “Kerala can not only be a great recu-
side of rubber tree and banana plan- peration place after a big Himalayan
tations, Hindu and Christian shrines, trek or expedition, but a destination
P H O T O : C H R I S T I A N O U E L L E T/ S H U T T E R S T O C K

goats, cows, people and tuk-tuks. in itself,” says Mandip Soin, a moun-
taineer, founding president of the

K
erala is smaller than the Neth- Ecotourism Society of India and the
erlands but has about twice the owner of Ibex Expeditions. Together,
number of people – 35 million. we mapped out an itinerary between
Despite the masses, it is intensely Kerala’s five national parks, 17 wildlife
beautiful. In the west, 580 kilometres sanctuaries, hundreds of kilometres of
of sandy coastline hugs the Arabi- forest and endless beaches.
an Sea. To the east, the mountain- As the epicentre of the world’s spice
ous Western Ghats rise up to the trade, Kerala has endured as a large-
2700-metre summit of Anamudi. ly independent, multicultural society
Herds of wild elephants and solitary for centuries. “Kerala is perhaps the

119
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

An elephant bathes in the Periyar River at Kodanad Training Centre in Kerala

only place in the world that is able the lowest infant mortality rate in
to produce both a practicing Catho- India and a life expectancy of 74.9,
lic and an agitated Communist,” says seven years higher than the national
Jose Dominic, the managing director average.
of CGH Earth Hotels, a group of eco- Which isn’t to say that it is without
resorts and properties in southern struggles, including occasional out-
India. bursts of political violence, strikes and
Yes, Kerala has Communists. In one of the highest rates of alcoholism
1957, the state became the first in in India. And in a state where there are
the world to democratically elect a 860 people per square kilometre, my
Communist government. The Com- Western notions of wide-open spaces
munists enacted a major step in land may need a little adjusting.
reform in 1970, making Kerala one

R
of the first Indian states to end the aj and I are kayaking on Meena-
feudal system. pally Kayal, a wide, beautiful
Drawing on a long history of en- lake and an important link in
lightened Hindu rulers and Christian the backwater ecosystem. It’s also
missionaries, the Communists and a popular backdrop for Mollywood
successive parties made education a blockbusters (Malayalam-language
priority. Today, about 94 per cent of movies), because of its impressive
Kerala’s population is literate. It also expanse and uncluttered shoreline
has affordable universal health care, ringed with coconut palms.

120 December 2019

 Green Heaven

Known as ‘the rice bowl of Kerala’, and the local Communist Party head-
the backwaters are one of the few quarters before heading into peaceful
places in the world outside of the Muslim, Christian and Hindu neigh-
Netherlands where land is cultivated bourhoods, where orchids grow with
below sea level. Small villages line abandon, kids race our boats in wood-
the canals and are surrounded by rice en canoes and kingfishers, egrets and
paddies, banana leaves and gardens cormorants dart.
of spinach and long beans. Lavender Almost everything needed to sustain
houses, women in brightly coloured life can be found along the waterways,
saris and men in checked dhotis pop including a floating medical clinic,
out of the foliage in brilliant relief. churches, schools, mosques, temples
This is the land of Arundhati Roy, and supermarkets. At one point the
who lived for some time in the village canal is so narrow and choked with
of Aymanam, where she set her haunt- water hyacinths that it feels like we’re
ing novel The God of Small Things. on a path of no return. But after a few
Normally Raj leads trips through the hundred metres, the channel widens
backwaters on kettuvallams, rice and and spits us back into the lake.

KIDS RACE OUR BOATS IN CANOES, AND

KINGFISHERS AND CORMORANTS DART

spice trade boats that are now motor- Binu is married and has a bache-
ised party barges for tourists. But to lor’s degree in business from Kerala
reach the remote channels, a kayak University. His family hopes that he’ll
is required, which is why we’re with go to law school, but, he tells me, “I
Binu Joseph, a 26-year-old local guide. don’t want to go to the court. I like
PHOTO: DMY TRO GILITUKHA/SHUT TERS TOCK

“They are not experiencing the my life.”

backwaters,” Binu tells me as we I can see why. I felt the pull of the
paddle past kettuvallams belching backwaters a few mornings earlier
diesel fumes. when I awoke to a driving, predawn
We stop at an open-air restaurant monsoon at a family-run inn called
for a breakfast of appam, which is like Philipkutty’s Farm. Crickets, frogs
a coconut pancake, accompanied by and roosters chirped, croaked and
sambar, a South Indian lentil stew and crowed the world to life. Minutes
some fresh toddy, a fermented coco- later their cries were drowned out
nut alcohol. It’s a little sweet, a little by the staccato blast of firecrackers,
tangy, and it goes down smoothly. a Hindu offering popular during the
Next we paddle past a Hindu temple Onam festival. By 6am, a melodious

121
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

hymn wafted over the water. Believers isn’t surprising – they are solitary
at St Mary’s Church in Kudavechoor and nocturnal. But at Nagarhole, I
were already celebrating mass. see a bull elephant, wild peacocks,
a gaur (Indian bison) and a crested

“D
o you see this? It’s Spanish hawk eagle.
lady, we use it to treat kid- Between stints at the hill stations,
ney stones,” says Renjith we take a short detour to Marari
Hadlee, a wiry 28 year old in an Beach. Even as temperatures were
elephant T-shirt. “And this is camphor pushing the high twenties, the long
basil. We use it to treat cold and flu. stretch of white sand was nearly
This is an African tulip. The bark is empty, save for a woman in a black
good for treating malaria.” burka chasing a toddler, a few Indian
I’m at 465 metres near the hill honeymooners and a dozen fisher-
station of Munnar in the Western men launching a boat into the sea.
Ghats. Hadlee, who runs a trekking Most Keralans seem to have a
a nd mou nta i n-bi k i ng compa ny distant relationship with the ocean.
called Kestrel Adventures, is lead- “It is not part of our culture,” a Ker-
ing me up and down a moss-covered alan businessman tells me later.
path through a shola, or tropical “The ocean means a lot of sun, and
mountain forest. It’s hard to believe we don’t need the tan.”
that this mist-shrouded mountain As much as I want to shed my long
landscape, filled with wild pharma- skirt and long sleeves, seeing the
ceuticals and exotic birds, is in the burka reminds me to stay covered in
same state as the backwaters. a conservative culture that doesn’t
Hadlee sees this shola as a medi- easily tolerate women in bathing
cine chest for Ayurveda, an Indian suits.
healing practice that dates back 5000

I
years. I have yet to experience a treat- have an early-morning appoint-
ment, but it’s evident that these hills ment with Sony Sumi, the first
are alive with healing powers. woman in a long family line of
Over the next few days I vis- male doctors to practice Ayurve-
it three more hill stations, includ- da, at her office at Spice Village, an
ing one near Periyar National Park, Ayurvedic spa on the edge of Periyar
a 777-square-kilometre tiger and National Park.
elephant sanctuary, and Nagar- “How is your bowel movement?”
hole National Park in neighbouring she asks. “How is your appetite?
Karnataka state, which has one of the Your immunity power?” After the
highest tiger densities in the world. rapid-fire Q&A, Sumi, who is wear-
The big cats evade me at both, which ing an elegant gold salwar kameez

122 December 2019

 Green Heaven

(dress and trousers), takes my pulse. considering that I’m a restless wan-
Behind us is an ornate copper lamp. derer and chronic insomniac.
Its flame, Sumi explains, illuminates She gives me a long list of foods to
the presence of God. “Before and af- eat (such as maple syrup and avoca-
ter the treatments, we pray to God. do) and to avoid (chocolate and raw
God resides everywhere,” she says. garlic) and recommends a sirodhara
Hindus believe that Ayurveda was Ayurvedic treatment.
handed down from Brahma, the god After a rigorous scalp and body
of creation. Its premise is that we are massage, I lay on my back on a tradi-
a mixture of three doshas, or ener- tional teak Ayurvedic treatment bed
gies. If our doshas are out of balance, while a clay pot that swings a few feet
disease, depression and physical above me drips sandalwood-infused
pain set in. Balancing the doshas sacred oil across my forehead, directly
requires a stringent routine of diet, over the third eye.
exercise, massage, meditation and The steady drip relaxes the nervous
often less pleasant detoxifiers such as system a nd relieves m ig ra ines,
enemas, bloodletting and vomiting. insomnia, stress and fatigue. It puts
“In modern medicines, they treat me in such a relaxed trance that I
t he pa r t icu la r sy mptom,” Sum i wonder if Shiva himself is reaching
tells me. “In Ayurveda, we treat the down to erase my worry lines.
disease from its root.” FROM OUTSIDE MAGAZINE (FEBRUARY 2015),
©STEPHANIE PEARSON
Diagnosis and treatment can take
up to three weeks, but I have only a After the worst flooding in almost a
day, so Sumi diagnoses my primary century in August 2018, due to unusually
dosha as vata. “Basically, the qual- high rainfall during the monsoon season,
ity of vata is movement, very fast Kerala’s major tourist destinations are
acting,” she says, which is no surprise, again operational.

Hide and Squeak

Scientists in Germany have spent weeks playing games of hide and
seek with a group of rodents, taking cover behind obstacles and
encouraging them to unleash their inner Basil the Great Mouse
Detective. The adolescent male rats quickly developed various
strategies for finding the human players – including re-visiting
spots they had been during previous rounds. The rats got a
real kick from their victories, leaping into the air or letting out
ultrasonic giggles that express happiness. sky news

123
 BOOK BONUS

Ripples
of
TearsFor families shaken by tragedy, this time of year
is a poignant reminder of those they have lost.
Following the death of Australia’s ‘Backpacker
Murderer’, Ivan Milat, two of his victims’ families
PHOTO: GET T Y IMAGES

speak of the pain and anger that never goes away

BY Simon Bouda

124 December 2019

125
 R E A DER’S DIGE ST

“ HE DESERVES TO SUFFER
a thousand times for what he’s done,” says Tim Everist,
brother of Deborah Everist who, at 19, was one of
Milat’s first victims. “It’s wrong to say that of any
human being, but what he did was inhumane, and I’ve
got no sympathy, none at all. Nothing can bring back
my sister, and the other people. People say, ‘there’s
closure’, well, the door has been closed a couple of
inches, but [there’s] still a massive, gaping hole.”
When Ivan Milat died on October 27 of Sydney. The Clarkes had also lost
this year from cancer at the age of 74, contact with their travelling daugh-
Tim Everist felt no sorrow. Instead, it ter. “Her ambition since her early
reignited an anger he’s lived with most teens was to get to Australia – that
of his adult life – since his little sister was her big goal,” Jacqui Clarke re-
disappeared along with her friend calls. “Whether it was a diet of Home
James Gibson, also 19, after they left and Away or Neighbours, Australia
Sydney heading for a festival near Al- was always sunny. It never rained on
bury on December 30, 1989. those programmes.”
For nearly four years, the Everist Wiping a tear from her eye, Jacqui
family had no clue as to what hap- continues. “I’m glad she fulfilled some
pened to Deborah. of it.” Even after so many years, the
“Just not knowing was terrible,” Tim emotions are still raw when she thinks
tells me. “You’re constantly waiting of Caroline. “It was her beautiful blue
for a news report or a phone call and, eyes,” she says as the tears flow again.
eventually, that phone call came.” She apologises for being human –
for missing her daughter. “She had

O
n the other side of the world, a most marvellous laugh, very infec-
in the north of England, tious – it could set the whole room off.”
Ian and Jacqui Clarke also Ian and Jacqui were apprehensive
received a terrible phone when Caroline set off on her travels.
call. But it came a year earlier when “I think any parent would be anxious
the bodies of their daughter, Caroline about a young girl setting off on her
Clarke, and her friend, Joanne Wal- own on such a big adventure,” Ian ex-
ters, were found in the Belanglo State plains. “It’s the other side of the world
Forest, a two-hour drive southwest – she had no real experience of that

126 December 2019

 Ripples of Tears

The road into Belanglo State Forest, where the murders took place

sort of thing and we were concerned.” they had been thrown into a world of
Caroline met Joanne Walters at turmoil, a world of questions, a world
a backpacker’s hostel in Sydney of sadness.
and the two became friends. They With Milat on his death bed, I
planned to travel the Great Southern again reached out to this dignified
Land, fruit-picking along the way. couple. I was taken aback when Ian
They were last seen in Sydney’s Kings Clarke answered the telephone at the
Cross on April 18, 1992. couple’s home in northern England.
Their bodies were the first to be “I remember you,” he said.
found in the Belanglo State Forest, Hoping it was for positive reasons,
on September 19, 1992, when two ori- I inquired why.
PHOTO: GET T Y IMAGES

enteering runners discovered their “There were a number of journal-

concealed remains. ists who were particularly kind and
At the time, I was a fledgling re- understanding to us and I number
porter for Nine News. I met Ian and you amongst those.”
Jacqui Clarke when they came to Tears welled up in my eyes.
Australia. I met them at a time when “You a nd a nu mber of ot her

127
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

Clockwise from top left: Caroline Clarke; Joanne Walters; Deborah Everist;
Gabor Neugebauer; Anja Habschied; Simone Schmidl; James Gibson

journalists were very courteous and known as the Backpacker Murder-

understanding of what we were feel- er. Over time, I met the families of
ing and for that we will always be all seven young victims. They were
grateful.” just like you and me. None of them

T
expected to be throw n into this
here were seven victims. Car- mayhem.
oline Clarke, 21, and Joanne After Deborah and James were
Walters, 22, from the UK, found, a police team called Task
Deborah Everist, 19, and her Force Air was set up. It was headed by
boyfriend, James Gibson, 19, from Superintendent Clive Small. “My sin-
Victoria, and Anja Habschied, 20, gle thought was, we have to catch this
Gabor Neugebauer, 21, and Simone killer because until we do, the murders
Schmidl, 21, who were all from Ger- won’t stop,” Small tells me. “That was
many. All were found in the Belanglo the single and primary thought I had
State Forest. All were the victims of from the moment I went to [work on]
Ivan Milat, a serial killer who became the Task Force.”

128 december 2019

 Ripples of Tears

Clive Small pulled together a ded- conclusions about a person’s nature

icated team of detectives. With the from the things a person does,” says
nation – in fact, the world – watching, Dr Milton.
their job was to catch a killer. Examining the scene of the mur-
Bob Godden was the lead detec- ders of Caroline and Joanne, Dr Mil-
tive. “Being an investigator, you think ton at first thought the investigators
about what the victims went through should be looking for two killers, not
and t hat is just unimag inable,” one. “The very deliberate nature of
Godden tells me. the killing of Ms Clarke, who’d been
Like Clive Small, Bob Godden is shot many times and from someone
now retired. While he was a seasoned who sat some distance from her,” he
homicide investigator, Godden ad- remembers. “She was killed in a very
mits the backpacker killings left an deliberate fashion. Ms Walters was
indelible mark on him. “I’m a father killed in a much more brutal, vicious
– I felt for the parents of the victims,” fashion with a stab wound to the back

“We have to catch this killer because

until we do, the murders won’t stop”

he says. “If that was to happen to one of the neck and suggestions she’d
of my children, I know what I’d feel. been sexually assaulted, as well.”
Sometimes my thoughts go back to That complicated the investiga-
the forest when I was with the parents tion. Were there two killers?
– it’s still there, I still think about it.” Having worked alongside the FBI’s
Every police officer on Task Force Behavioural Science Unit, Dr Milton
Air knew they were facing a mam- had learned how to profile a killer.
moth task. This killer had used the He also knew a serial killer is proud
Belanglo State Forest as his killing of his or her conquests and would
fields for at least four years. probably keep trophies as mementos.
Forensic psychiatrist Dr Rod Mil- “I thought that the principal killer
ton, now retired, worked closely would be quite violent in life but in
with police investigations over many a very controlled manner – and in a
years. When the first bodies were fairly sadistic manner – because of
discovered, Task Force investigators the way he had been at the murder
reached out to Dr Milton. They took scene of Ms Clarke.”
him to Belanglo Forest. Dr Milton formed an opinion of
“It’s possible to draw quite a few who the police should look for.

129
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

“Quite limited emotionally in their lives up here in the north of England,

ability to be close and affectionate to very close to us. Caroline is buried
others, but not limited in other ways. up here and so he goes and sees her
“And this meant that he had a from time to time. Emma, on the
normal intellect and would give full other hand, lives down in the south
play to that in all his deviant inter- and keeps her feelings very private. I
ests, principally about weapons and think that’s the best way of describ-
thoughts of killing and fantasies of ing it.” Both Simon and Emma are
that kind.” now married and have children of
their own.

I
n a quaint churchyard in their Scattered around the Clarkes’ home
village in northern England, the are photographs of Caroline – all fond
Clarkes often visit their daughter’s memories. “We have our special
grave. They tenderly maintain the memories of her that come out from
sandstone headstone nestled among time to time and we have a laugh,
the trees. Sometimes the couple ar- don’t we?” Jacqui says, glancing at Ian.

I liken murder to dropping a pebble into

a still pond – the ripples never end

rives to find a fresh bunch of flowers “Oh yes, we have photographs

resting against the headstone. It tells around the house of her in various
them their son has been to visit. It odd poses. She was a great comedi-
was his adventures in Australia that an,” he adds. It’s the ‘what ifs’ that
inspired Caroline to do the same. “It still bring tears to their eyes.
was something she wanted to do for At Milat’s Supreme Court trial, Jus-
a number of years, following in her tice David Hunt made that precise
brother’s footsteps,” Ian laments. point. Ian Clarke remembers it well.
“It was just so sad it ended the way “She was at the beginning of her
it did.” life, what might have been?” Ian re-
The Clarkes’ other children, an members the judge asking. “Would
older son and younger daughter, she have married? Would she have
deal with Caroline’s loss differently. had children? What would she have
Both have suffered terribly. “Simon, become? W here would she have
our son, was particularly close to lived? All of those things that any
Caroline and I think it hit him in a parent wishes for their children.”
big way,” says Ian. “Fortunately, he As a cr ime repor ter for some

130 December 2019

 Ripples of Tears

Belanglo State Forest, predominately a pine plantation, is located in

the NSW Southern Highlands

40  years, I’ve dealt with too many Deborah and Tim’s father died of
tragedies perpetrated by one human cancer before Deborah’s body was
being on another. I liken murder to discovered. He died without know-
dropping a pebble into a still pond ing what happened to his daughter,
– the ripples never end. Ian agrees. not knowing if she was alive or dead.
“Time is a healer, but the ripples are After he passed away, Tim’s mother,
always there,” he says. “The real sort Patricia, became the rock of the fam-
of sharp hurt and agony that one ex- ily. I remember clearly Pat Everist
periences in the first days – or more attending Milat’s trial. She was stoic
than first days, several years – cer- and resolute.
tainly, in my case, has softened. I But just over a decade ago, cancer
PHOTO: GET T Y IMAGES

cope with it by remembering the also gripped Patricia Everist’s body.

good times and trying to put the bad That, coupled with so many years of
bits in a box somewhere.” grief, was just too much. “It was slowly
Tim Everist has his own way of dragging her down,” Tim says. “It was
mourning. Today, he is the sole eating away at her from the inside.
sur viving member of his family. Mum did her best to go along with life

131
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

The brass plaque placed in the Belanglo State Forest to remember the victims

T
as normal but…” Tim’s voice falters. wo-and-a-half decades after
“You think these things can’t happen Debora h’s rema i n s were
to you, but it did happen to us. It was found, Tim and I go back to
shock, it was tears, it was terrible.” Belanglo Forest. A small brass
I asked Tim how his mother man- plaque adorns a bush rock. On it is
aged. “She coped with it, but she the list of the seven backpacker vic-
struggled. Sometimes I’d come home tims’ names. At the base of the rock
from work and I’d just find Mum in visitors have placed flowers, small
tears. As a young man you’re not ready toys – simple tokens of respect. I leave
for that, and you don’t know what to Tim to his thoughts as he just stares
do – there’s no manual for this.” at the memorial. When he emerges
PHOTO: GET T Y IMAGES

Tim used to go to the cemetery from his mournful trance we walk

to visit Deborah’s grave. “You look into the bush and to the spot where
down and you think of what could’ve Deborah’s remains were located.
been and then you look down and It is a beautiful piece of the Aus-
k now what’s happened. It’s soul tralian bush, but it’s a spot with ter-
destroying.” rible overtones. We stop at the base

132 december 2019

 Ripples of Tears

of a large gum tree. “This is it,” Tim investigators needed to take samples
whispers quietly, as the wind rustles of Milat’s blood for DNA analysis. It
through the top of the eucalypts. A si- was Bob Godden who held Milat’s
lence seems to descend on the forest hands as the blood samples were
that envelops us. “Sadness, so much extracted.
sadness, so much anger... so much “I looked down and thought of the
loss of faith in humanity,” he says. horrific violence and torture that
His t houghts t hen drift to his these hands had committed,” he
mother. In her dying days, Pat Everist says. “I had a cold shiver [run] down
spoke of finally being reunited with my spine. Then I looked up and
her daughter and husband. “It’s like here’s Ivan looking at me with those
pulling someone’s soul out while they cold, sadistic eyes – with a smirk on
are still alive,” says Tim, as we stand his face.”
there staring at the tree trunk. In retirement, Clive Small has

“It’s like pulling someone’s soul out

while they are still alive”

T
he one thing Tim Everist will turned his hand to writing. He’s au-
never forget is the day he came thored many books, among them the
face to face with the man who definitive book about the backpacker
murdered his sister. He was investigation – Milat: Inside Australia’s
called to give evidence at Milat’s trial. Biggest Manhunt – a Detective’s Story.
It was his sleeping bag, which his For him the key breakthrough in
mother had lent to Deborah, that was the hunt was a phone call from Paul
found in Milat’s home and was a vital Onions, a British backpacker. Onions
piece of evidence. It was one of the told of a horrific experience as he was
many ‘trophies’ Dr Milton had pre- hitchhiking along the Hume High-
dicted the killer would collect. way south of Sydney. A driver who
“He only looked me in the eye gave him a lift suddenly pulled out a
once,” he says. “I eyeballed him, and gun as the vehicle neared the turn-off
he just looked up at me and then to the Belanglo State Forest. Onions
looked down again. You look at the managed to leap out of the vehicle
man and… it was just pure evil.” and flag down a passing motorist. He
And it’s that evil that now retired could so easily have become another
chief investigator Bob Godden can victim. He identified the gunman as
never forget. Soon after his arrest, Ivan Milat.

133
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

Paul Onions’ account helped easier for the families of his victims.”
convince Small that Ivan Milat acted Godden is more forthright. “I won’t
alone – despite many hypothesising shed a tear for Ivan Milat,” he says.
that he had an accomplice. “I’ve got “He was a man of evil. He didn’t show
no doubt that he acted alone,” Small any remorse for his victims or for the
assures me. Milat virtually confirmed victims’ families.”
this during an exchange with Small

T
while he was inside Goulburn’s Su- he last words belong to Milat’s
permax prison, where the killer served living victims.
the majority of his life sentence. At the Jacqui Clarke breaks up: “I
time, Small was working with the In- would like to think when he
dependent Commission Against Cor- meets his maker he would be in for a
ruption and was at the jail for another very hard time.”
matter when Milat spotted him. Milat Her husband agrees. “Yes, if there
was furious, claiming Small had impli- is a hell, I don’t think there will be
cated his sister, Shirley, in the killings. much question about whether he’ll
“Why are you saying my sister was go there,” Ian Clarke says. “He’s just
involved when she wasn’t?” Milat de- an evil man who deserves everything
manded. Small replied that he had he gets in the afterlife.”
never said that. “Yes, you have,” Milat Anger flashes in Tim Everist’s eyes.
continued. “You and John Marsden, “For a person like that to have sur-
my solicitor, said that.” vived for so long, [his death is] just
Small responded: “No, I haven’t, not a day too soon.
I have never said that, and I wouldn’t “Other people may have other
say that because I know she wasn’t. thoughts, but they’re my thoughts
You did the murders yourself.” and I’m entitled to those.”
To that Milat answered: “Yes – so, After Pat Everist died, among her
why are you saying it?” belongings Tim found the Coroner’s
Suddenly Milat realised he had report that detailed his sister’s mur-
slipped up with the word ‘yes’ and der. He’d never seen the report before.
quickly shut up. He didn’t say another The details were so gruesome his
word to Small. It was the closest thing mother had hidden it from him. Tim
to a confession Milat ever made. tells me that his mother’s dried tear
I ask Small if he felt any sorrow for drops were clearly visible on the aged
Ivan Milat, now that he is dead. “No, sheets of paper.
I don’t,” he says thoughtfully. “I think I remember her words to Milat at
that if there had been one ounce of the end of his trial: “You’ve deprived
decency in him, he would have con- someone of the greatest gift they
fessed to his crimes to make life a bit could ever have: life.”

134 December 2019

 RD REC DS

Movies

JoJo Rabbit Black Comedy, Satire

D
irected by New Zealander mother (Scarlett Johansson) is
Taika Waititi (Thor: hiding a Jewish girl in the attic.
Ragnarok, Hunt for the Waititi brings his signature wit
Wilderpeople), this World and pathos to JoJo Rabbit, as
War II satire follows JoJo, a lonely well as playing the part of JoJo’s
ten-year-old German boy (Roman imaginary friend, an idiotic Adolf
Griffin Davis), who is desperate Hitler. The film has received a
to follow his hero Adolf Hitler into mixed reception from critics,
war. However, his world is turned drawing both praise and criticism
upside down when he discovers his for its portrayal of Nazis.

COMPILED BY DIANE GODLEY

135
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

Knives Out Drama, Whodunnit

A
witty tribute to mystery Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel
mastermind Agatha Christie, Craig) is mysteriously recruited to
Knives Out is a modern-day investigate. Blanc sifts through a
take on the murder mystery. When web of deceit and lies to uncover
acclaimed crime novelist Harlan the truth behind Harlan’s untimely
Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), death. The all-star cast includes
is found dead at his estate just Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette and
after his 85th birthday, debonair Don Johnson.

Playmobil: The Movie

Animation, Family

I
f your kids or grandkids loved
The Lego Movie and you’re
looking for somewhere to take
them over the school holidays, then
Playmobil: The Movie could be just
the ticket. Marla and her younger
brother, Charlie, are transported to
a Playmobil (the German take on
Lego) universe and find themselves
in the middle of a Viking battle.

136 december 2019

 RD Recommends

Star Wars: The Rise of

Skywalker Sci-fi, Drama

T
he third instalment of the
Star Wars sequel trilogy,
Star Wars: The Rise of
Skywalker is the ninth and final
film in the Skywalker saga. The
‘space opera’ sees the Resistance
face the First Order again – and
the end of the ancient conflict
between the Jedi and the Sith.
Produced by Lucasfilm and Bad
Robot Productions, the epic
production sees the return of
Daisy Ridley (left), Adam Driver
and Mark Hamill among other
Star Wars luminaries.

Frozen 2 Animation, Family

T
he sequel to every little girl’s is summoned across enchanted
favourite 2013 flick, Frozen 2 lands to find the truth about her
sees Elsa the Snow Queen, magical powers. The friends set off
her sister Anna, and old friends on an adventure-packed journey –
Kristoff, Sven and snowman Olaf and hope her powers are enough to
reunited in another adventure. Elsa save the kingdom.

137
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

The Truth Foreign, Drama Books

A
cclaimed Japanese
writer and director
Hirokazu Kore-
eda unites French screen
legends Catherine Deneuve
and Juliette Binoche to tell
the story of a celebrated
actress and her estranged,
now-adult daughter.
Fabienne (Deneuve), a
French film star, has a
problematic relationship
with her daughter Lumir,
a screenwriter. When
Lumir and her husband
(Ethan Hawke) return to
Paris, the mother-daughter Travel Goals:
relationship boils over Inspiring Experiences
when Fabienne’s memoir to Transform Your Life
is published – a recounting Lonely Planet

L
quite different from what
onely Planet surveyed more
h
her d ht
daughter
than 7500 members of its
recalls. In French
community of travellers to
and English with
write this book – a modern-day
subtitles.
bucket list for responsible, feel-good
travel. Filled with an extraordinary
collection of transformative travel
experiences, the goals in this book
are less about ticking off a list of
destinations, and more about
filling your life with variety and
self-discovery. With sage advice
such as “leave your smartphone at
home”, to introducing places to get
lost in a crowd and push yourself
beyond your comfort zone, this
tome for travellers has the potential
to change lives.

138 december 2019

 RD Recommends

How to be a Dictator
Frank Dikotter
BLOOMSBURY

F
rom the Samuel Johnson
prize-winning author of Mao’s
Great Famine comes How to
be a Dictator: the cult of personality
in the 20th century – a timely study
on how a cult of personality takes
hold, grows and sustains itself.
Dikotter looks at some of last
century’s most chilling dictators,
such as Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong
and Kim Il-sung, and how these
modern-day tyrants ceaselessly
worked on their own image in order
to create an illusion of popularity. A
ground-breaking piece of research
that’s horrific and brilliant at the
same time. Trim:
The Cartographer
Cartographer’ss Cat
Cat
Matthew Flinders, Philippa
Sandall and Gillian Dooley
ADLARD COLES

T
his hardcover edition is an
ode to Captain Matthew
Flinders’ much-loved cat,
Trim. The ship’s feline stayed
by Flinders’ side while the
cartographer circumnavigated
and mapped Australia between
1801-1803. Including original
letters and journal entries Flinders
wrote at the time, plus maps,
original artworks and illustrations,
and excerpts from Flinders’
manuscript, this book is one for
Australian history buffs and cat
lovers alike.

139
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

The Secrets of
Great Botanists:
and What They Teach
Us About Gardening
Matthew Biggs
EXISLE

T
his beautifully
illustrated book
presents the stories
of 36 plant collectors and
garden pioneers from
the past and present,
including Joseph Banks,
Asa Gray and Marianne
North – trailblazers who
first discovered how
plants work. Arranged in
chronological order, this
informative guide details
the botanists’ life stories,
discoveries and legacies,
while feature pages
reveal their secrets and
what ordinary gardeners
can learn from them.
Illustrated with period
botanical watercolours
and vibrant photographs,
this book provides
inspiration and guidance
to both novice and
advanced gardeners.

140 december 2019

 RD Recommends

Podcasts

RD Talks: Rage on The Christmas Saturday

the River Zambezi Stocking Morning Theatre
Without realising it, You’ve decorated Highly suitable for
the river guide and a the tree with sparkly children (think
group of tourists in tinsel and shining family road trip),
kayaks were paddling baubles. Now gather and styled like an old
straight towards a the family one and radio broadcast, the
rogue hippopotamus’s all for Lee Cameron’s series gives listeners
territory. Then podcast celebration short imaginative
disaster struck as with tales of how adventures along the
the hippo emerged treasured Christmas lines of superhero
from the depths and traditions arose, and tales, westerns
lunged at them. some great music. and mysteries.

HOW TO GET PODCASTS To listen on the web: Google the website for ‘The Christ-
mas Stocking’, for example, and click on the play button. To download: Download an
app such as Podcatchers or iTunes on your phone or tablet and simply search by title.

TO LISTEN TO RD TALKS GO TO
www.readersdigest.com.au/podcasts, www.readersdigest.co.nz/podcasts or
www.rdasia.com/podcasts and click on the play button.

Puzzle Answers See page 146 SUDOKU

5 7 4 6 9 2 8 1 3
JERRY MANDER’S 6 1 2 8 5 3 4 7 9
STUFFING OLD TRICKS 3 8 9 7 1 4 6 2 5
B D A B 2 4 5 9 3 1 7 8 6
EVENING 8 3 6 5 4 7 2 9 1
C B A C UP THE
ODDS
1 9 7 2 8 6 5 3 4
B A C D 2/9.
9 6 3 4 2 8 1 5 7
4 2 1 3 7 5 9 6 8
A C D B 7 5 8 1 6 9 3 4 2

141
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

THE
GENIUS
SECTION
Sharpen Your
M
Mindd

TEACH YOUR
BRAIN NEW TRICKS
PHOTO: THE NOUN PROJEC T (ICONS)

Exercising these three talents is a good

reminder that, even on a bad day,
your built-in computer is very powerful

BY Eric Haseltine
F R O M P S YC H O L O G Y T O D AY.C O M

142 december 2019

 The Genius Section

THE AVERAGE PERSON’S BRAIN con- and mentally place the image of each
tains 86 billion neurons and trillions object on the list in a different room
of synapses. All those brain cells mean or distinct location, within the house.
your mind can do so much more than For instance, place a very large lady-
you think – such as these seemingly bird – say a metre in diameter to make
impossible feats. it really vivid – where the welcome

1 MEMORISE ANYTHING mat would lie by the front door. Then

deposit a large orange comb on the
Say I asked you to memorise this list floor just inside the front door. Con-
of ten words: ladybird, comb, oatmeal, tinue to place each successive object
lawyer, coal, stamp, knife, worm, bell, on the list throughout your house.
lettuce. You’d normally have to repeat When you’re done, take another
them in your head many times before stroll through your home and ‘see’
you achieved 100 per cent recall. Even the objects you’ve left in different
after accomplishing this feat, a few places. You should have no trouble
hours later, you’d probably remember visualising each and every object.
only two to three words from the be- You can use this same trick to mem-
ginning and end of the list. That’s be- orise strings of numbers, letters, sym-
cause of what cognitive psychologists bols, or anything else. Just convert
call the primacy and recency effects: what you’re memorising into some-
information at the beginning and end thing meaningful; for example, the
of a series interferes with recall of number 2 might be represented by an
information in the middle of a series. image of you and your spouse.
This difficulty stems from the lim-
itations of our verbal memory; the 2 NAVIGATE IN THE DARK
linguistic portion of our brains, where Bats navigate in the dark by listening
we store arbitrary lists of words, has for the returning sound they create
limited storage. from ultrasonic clicks, chirps and
However, our visual brains have tones. We all have an inner bat that
vastly more storage than our linguistic can also echolocate. Find a long stick
brains. Thus, when you store informa- or pole with a hard tip (metal is ideal)
tion visually, as opposed to linguisti- and a friend to spot you, then go to an
cally, you can recall it much better. uncarpeted area of your house. Close
And that’s the secret to remembering your eyes and tap the stick in front
the ten words above. of you, as visually impaired people
Instead of repeating the words in do. Observe that you can get a rough
your head, convert them to images sense of the presence and distance of
– and not just any images, but vivid large nearby objects, just by listening
pictures. Then visualise your house to the clicks.

143
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

If you’re like most haave a conspicuous

sighted people who sound source, such as
do this for the first a rradio, located about
time, you will just thrree metres behind
‘know’ when you yo u to create back-
are getting closee to a groound noise.
wall or a large object
o As your friend
without knowin ng ex- a p p ro a c h e s f ro m
actly how you know.
This ‘knowing with- WE HAVE AN behind, even though
you can’t see or hear
out knowing how’ is UNCONSCIOUS him or her directly,
another example of ABILITY TO SENSE you should be able
implicit memory.
But if you listen SOMEONE to ‘feel’ the person’s
p rox i m i t y by t h e
carefully to the clicks IS BEHIND US sound shadow that he
of your stick, you’ll or she casts – the way
start to notice that a the person blocks the
click made from tapping the floor a sound. If you pay close attention to
metre or so from a wall has a hollow the sound shadow, you’ll perceive it
quality because of slight echoes that has two parts: a slight lowering of vol-
immediately follow the original click ume and a deadening of echoes of the
of contact. If you tap the stick closer radio noise off surfaces behind you.
to the wall, the click will have a some- These two effects become increasing-
what higher pitch. ly obvious as the person gets closer to

3 SEE BEHIND YOU you. Our unconscious ability to sense

that someone is behind us may have
Sound shadowing is a close cousin of given rise to that overworked phrase
echolocation. It lets you sense when in thrillers and mysteries: “She felt
someone – or a large something, such someone watching her.”
as a predator – is right behind you, Although the perception of sound
even when that someone (or some- shadows, like echolocation, is yet
thing) makes no sound. another example of implicit memory,
Stand with your eyes closed on a it may also have a hardwired survival
sound-deadening surface such as component that helps us fill in a large
carpet, grass or beach sand, and have blind spot behind us that predatory
a friend sneak up behind you so that animals (and nasty humans) could
you don’t hear his or her footsteps, otherwise exploit.
breathing or clothes rustling. The EDITED FROM PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM (JUNE
experiment works best when you 2018), © 2018 BY ERIC HASELTINE.

144 december 2019

 The Genius Section

FAMILY FUN
Spot the Difference
There are six minor differences. Can you find them?

Smashed plate
Which one of B
these pieces was D
not part of the
plate that has just
been broken?
C F

Check your answers for Family Fun on page 150.

145
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

PUZZLES
Challenge yourself by solving these puzzles and mind
stretchers, then check your answers on page 141.
BY Marcel Danesi and Jeff Widderich

(PL ACE YOUR CHIPS) FR A SER SIMPSON; ( JERRY M ANDER’S OLD TRICK S) RODERICK KIMBALL OF ENIG A MI.FUN
Stuffing Moderately Difficult
If you try to fit these pieces into a 4 x 4 square, you’ll need
to overlap them. Without rotating them, how can you do it
so that only matching letters overlap?

D C C B A
B D A B B A C B A C A C D
C A A C D D B

Jerry Mander’s Old Tricks Easy Your name is Jerry Mander. Not for
the first time, you’ve taken a bribe to
draw voting districts so that George
Cherry remains mayor instead of
getting defeated by his more
popular rival, Les Indigo. This map
shows which candidate each
household supports. Divide it into
three districts of five contiguous
households so that Cherry (red) will
get the majority of the votes in a
majority of the districts. For a district
to be contiguous, each household
must share a border with at least one
other, and shared corners don’t
count. The tree represents a park
that won’t be a part of any district.

146 december 2019

 BRAIN POWER
4 9 2 1 brought to you by
2
3 7 4 2
4 5 7 8
8
9 7
4
5 3
1
JUICE UP
6 4 8 7
9
5 1 6 3
Sudoku To Solve This Puzzle:
Put a number from 1 to 9 in each empty
square so that:
 every horizontal row and vertical column
contains all nine numbers (1-9) without repeating
any of them;
 each of the outlined 3 x 3 boxes has all nine
numbers, none repeated.

Evening Up the Odds

Difficult
You have ten balls numbered
1 through 10. They go into a
bag, and you randomly draw
them out one at a time.
What’s the probability that
you draw all five of the even
ones (not necessarily all in a
row) before getting four of
the odd ones?
R E A DER’S DIGE ST

TRIVIA
TEST YOUR GENER AL KNOWLEDGE

1. Developed in Germany in 1959, 7. Actor and director Kevin Costner

the soft drink Fanta Klare Zitrone claims he nearly convinced
(Clear Lemon Fanta) is now known Princess Diana to act in a sequel
by what one-word name? 2 points to what movie? 2 points
2. What comic-book character 8. Which country’s flag is called
possesses super-human strength the Sang Saka Merah Putih (Lofty
and is best friends with Asterix? Red and White)? 2 points
1 point 9. What impressionist painted
3. In 2017, the Louvre opened a The Cup of Tea, The Child’s Bath
museum in which Middle Eastern and Lydia Reading the Morning
city? 2 points Paper? 2 points
4. What’s missing from the titles 10. The Unemployed Philosophers
of these musicals: Mamma Mia; Guild sells a plush toy depicting
Hello, Dolly; Oklahoma and Vincent van Gogh, with what
Oliver? 1 point detachable part connected
5. A city in the Southern by Velcro? 1 point
Hemisphere has hosted 11. Sammy Davis Jr.
the Olympic Winter Drive, Frank Sinatra
Games. True or false? Drive and Dean Martin
1 point Drive all meet at an
6. The world has several intersection in what
city? 2 points
PHOTO: IS TOCK.COM/PROX YMINDER

countries with no
permanently running 12. Sipadan Island is
rivers. By area, which is 13. What’s the main a small island off the
the largest of these dry food source for most coast of Malaysia.
lands? 2 points butterflies? 1 point True or false? 1 point

16-20 Gold medal 11-15 Silver medal 6-10 Bronze medal 0-5 Wooden spoon
13. Nectar from flowers.
7. The Bodyguard. 8. Indonesia. 9. Mary Cassatt. 10. His ear. 11. Las Vegas. 12.True.
ANSWERS: 1. Sprite. 2. Obelix. 3. Abu Dhabi. 4. Exclamation marks. 5. False. 6. Saudi Arabia.

148 december 2019

 The Genius Section

WORD POWER
HOLIDAY CL ASSIC

Find out if you have the gift for Victorian vocabulary

with words from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol

BY Linda Besner

1. avarice – A: extreme desire for 9. sexton – A: church caretaker.

material wealth. B: vermin. B: navigational instrument for
C: clove-studded orange. measuring altitudes. C: sixth
2. ruddy – A: steering mechanism note in a musical scale.
on a boat. B: widow younger than 10. shun – A: avoid or reject.
30. C: red or reddish. B: cobbler’s hammer. C: peel away.
3. hob – A: metal shelf at the side 11. slipshod – A: chest where
of a fireplace. B: naughty child. summer clothing is kept during
C: surface upon which a blacksmith winter. B: carelessly done. C: clad
pounds iron. in light shoes.
4. lamentation – A: process by 12. legatee – A: ballroom dance
which milk becomes cheese. in two-four time. B: stewed mutton
B: expression of regret or sadness. dish. C: recipient of a legacy.
C: singing and making merry. 13. curtsy – A: formal greeting
5. irresolute – A: under poor gesture made by bending the
financial management. B: abrasive. knees. B: flowered cotton fabric.
C: uncertain and hesitant. C: rude demeanour.
6. negus – A: hot spiced port drink. 14. cupola – A: Victorian clapping
B: fortune teller. C: evil spirit. game. B: small structure on a roof.
7. relinquish – A: reattach. B: C: drinking vessel made from a
reduce by boiling. C: give up. sheep’s horn.
8. boisterous – A: able to float. 15. solemnise – A: mark an
B: noisy and energetic. occasion with celebration or ritual.
C: light and springy. B: assume a sombre attitude. C:
blaspheme.
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R E A DER’S DIGE ST

Answers 11. slipshod – [B] carelessly done. The

1. avarice – [A] extreme desire for slipshod workmanship made the
material wealth. Mrs Pincher’s garden steps dangerous to tread.
avarice led her to raise the rent on 12. legatee – [C] recipient of a
her tenants. legacy. On discovering herself to be
2. ruddy – [C] red or reddish. The Mrs Gassama’s legatee, Ms Cohen
child’s cheeks were ruddy from the was overcome with gratitude.
crisp winter air. 13. curtsy – [A] formal greeting
3. hob – [A] metal shelf at the side gesture made by bending the
of a fireplace. A servant stirred a knees. When presented to the
pot of porridge on the hob. queen, the young girl made a
4. lamentation – [B] expression deep curtsy.
of regret or sadness. Finding the 14. cupola – [B] small structure on
cupboard empty, Mr Jameel gave a roof. The barn’s cupola was
voice to a heartfelt lamentation. topped with a brass weathervane.
5. irresolute – [C] uncertain 15. solemnise – [A] mark an
and hesitant. Caught between occasion with celebration or
the misery of going back to the ritual. The couple solemnised their
orphanage and the dangers of wedding with a waltz.
continuing in the dark, Shira
was irresolute. VOCABULARY RATINGS
6. negus – [A] hot spiced port 5-9: Fair 10-12: Good 13-15: Word Power Wizard

drink. When the vicar arrived at

the holiday party, his host handed Family Fun Answers See Page 147
him a mug full of negus. SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

7. relinquish – [C] give up.

The pickpocket reluctantly
relinquished the stolen watch.
8. boisterous – [B] noisy and
energetic. Jack was admonished
for his boisterous behaviour in the
classroom.
9. sexton – [A] church caretaker.
The sexton guided the visitor to
her grandmother’s grave.
10. shun – [A] avoid or reject. After
the argument about the right way
to drink tea, Mr Kapoor shunned
Ms Whinmoor’s company. SMASHED PLATE: D is not part of the broken plate
150 december 2019
 HOW I LEARNED TO BE HAPPY PAGE 52

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