Table of contents for March 2022 in Readers Digest Australia

WITH TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE STILL LARGELY ON HOLD for many of us, the urge to explore the wonders on offer beyond our shores has never been greater. This month, we have a wide selection of reading that offers a window on today’s world with perspectives that will enlighten and entertain. Morocco’s exotic local tastes and sights have made it popular with travellers for centuries. It’s also home to one of the oldest fleet of Mercedes 240D taxis in the world. ‘Au Revoir To The Grand Taxis’ (page 54) looks at the upheaval caused by phasing out the old blue taxis that have graced local roads since the 1970s. Then, in ‘Cape Town Revival’ (page 120) we take a look at the city’s transformation from one once overshadowed by violence, to an…

Do you fancy yourself as someone capable of responding to a person suffering from cardiac arrest? If not, you are not alone. Very few of us have had any professional training in such things. Even basic first aid training is something that most of us have never done. And yet, new technology makes it possible for anyone to save the life of a cardiac arrest victim without any formal training. The secret is in a machine known as the automated external defibrillator (AED). This small, lifesaving device can be used by anyone capable of opening its case and reading basic instructions. The fact that the device is automated means it requires very little input from its human user. CARDIAC ARRESTS Sudden cardiac arrest, a condition characterised by the sudden stopping…

In a heartbeat, 52-year-old Anna was out the door and driving to the Jenolan Caves, 20 kilometres away, to retrieve the tiny animal. When the mother wombat was hit by a vehicle, her baby, which was the size of a pear, was flung from her pouch and sustained gravel rash to its head and torso. The tiny joey was lucky to have survived. Anna, who originally lived in Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Surry Hills, decided when she had children 25 years ago that the bush would be a better place to bring up her kids than the city. So they moved due west to the Kanimbla Valley, on the western side of the Blue Mountains in the central west of New South Wales. But what motivated this former city slicker…

End Of An Era Morning at Essaouira’s Place des Grand Taxis is a unique scene. Long before daybreak, drivers start demisting cracked windscreens with filthy wads of old newspaper while oil-covered mechanics coax weary engines back to life through clouds of blue smoke. Groups of travellers huddle together, dotted among cars. They are waiting for a ride, their faces concealed from the cold by hooded woollen cloaks called djellabas. Along the many lines of battered and bruised diesel relics being readied to hit the road, one in particular stands out. It’s a 1974 Mercedes Stroke 8 belonging to Hassan Mesfar, a wellknown character in the neighbourhood. Back in England, a car of this vintage would most likely grace a motor museum, but in Morocco it’s just another rolling ruin, albeit…

I’m a throwback. I admit it. Back to the days when men were men as the saying goes, male through and through – in thought, word and deed. I have, however, learnt to temper the word and deed parts, a necessity if I want to safely navigate the minefield of modern sentiment. The trend to unisex is everywhere these days but there are times when a distinct gender difference exists. No better example of this is having a newborn infant thrust upon the scene. Males do not handle this well – at any age. I distinctly remember my first encounter, forced upon me by my mother when she brought my baby sister home from the hospital. I was six years old. THE SCREW GOT TURNED, EVER SO SLOWLY. IT BEGAN…

There was a time when the treasure chest of memories left to us by our ancestors was simply a shoebox filled with faded photos, postcards and letters. But what we leave online can be used by anyone when we are gone, until authorities figure out a way to extend privacy legislation to our digital afterlife. The worst-case scenario is that your photos (including photos of yourself) may end up in commercial or political messages, or your identity used for fraudulent emails. At the least, your friends and loved ones will continue to be confronted with things like unexpectedbirthday reminders and ‘friend’ suggestions. Here’s how to mitigate that. 1 APPOINT A DIGITAL EXECUTOR Give a trusted friend or relative access to your accounts and instructions for what you want done with them.…

FIVE YEARS AGO, Meredith Arthur, a 45-year-old employee of the social media company Pinterest, arrived at a neurologist appointment in a distraught state. She spoke a mile a minute, rattling through her extensive research on the vagus cranial nerve and explaining why she thought it might hold clues to her crippling shoulder and neck pain, frequent dizziness and nausea and chronic migraines. “I was presenting my inexpert case to an expert, and she stopped me and said, ‘I know what’s wrong. You have generalised anxiety disorder’.” For Arthur, the diagnosis was a shock. She had been so focused on her debilitating physical symptoms that she hadn’t considered that they could be linked to her mental health. But almost immediately, it clicked. “My brain has been in overdrive since early childhood,”…

FROM THE CONVERSATION.COM If you peered through the keyhole of any psychotherapy session, chances are they would all look very similar. There may be nearly 1000 types of therapies – such as cognitive behavioural and family therapy – but you will typically find a client and practitioner in a room, sitting opposite each other, talking. Even if you travelled back in time to the 1960s, the 1940s, or even visited Sigmund Freud at the turn of the 20th century, things would also appear similar. But this is starting to change. WHAT IS OUTDOOR THERAPY? During COVID-19, many therapists took their sessions online. But others went outside, sitting on a park bench with their clients or taking a leisurely stroll through a nearby park. This added to the existing use of…

1. The longest river in Australia is the Murrumbidgee River. True or false? 1 point 2. Governments around the world have offered prizes such as a $1.4-million Hong Kong apartment and a cow as incentives to do what? 1 point 3. Which famous French artist painted Le Bateau which was accidentally displayed upside down for 47 days at the Museum of Modern Art, New York? 2 points 4. What is the name of Chris Pratt’s character in the Avengers movies? a) Space-Lord; b) Star-Lord; c) Time-Lord; d) War-Lord. 2 points 5. What colour were the earliest cultivated carrots? 1 point 6. What sparkling adornment are some scientists trying to ban, due to its harmful effects on the environment and human skin? 1 point 7. Scuba diver Hiroyuki Arakawa developed a…

Making A Wish I remember as a child fighting with my sisters over the wishbone each time we had roast chicken (‘Tell Me Why’, December). All I knew was that the person left holding the larger part of the bone when it snapped got to make a wish. I had no idea that the tradition originated with the Romans. I will definitely be sharing this information (and sounding very intelligent) when I next invite my sisters over for roast chicken. HELEN SWEENEY Gems From The Past There are few things I enjoy more than catching up with my reading over the Christmas and New Year break, and the January issue added to my enjoyment. The stories you chose from your archives are brilliant – they are just as relevant, informative…

TELL YOURSELF YOU’RE NOT TIRED Dwelling on how exhausted you are may make you feel more run-down, according to a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. Researchers asked 164 participants how they’d slept the previous night, then hooked them up to a sham machine that purportedly revealed to scientists their REM sleep. People who were told they had above-average REM sleep performed better on cognitive tasks than those who were told their sleep was below average, regardless of how they’d actually slept. IGNORE YOUR CRAVINGS Fatty foods require a lot of energy to digest, leaving you even more sluggish, and sweet treats and processed carbohydrates cause your blood sugar and energy levels to spike and crash. Try a mix of complex carbs and protein, such as porridge with fruit. ALTERNATE…

Winners And Losers When I played games with my son Luke, aged seven, I used to let him win. But then I decided he should learn that in life things don’t always go your way. So I won the next game. This clearly bothered him. In the supermarket later that day he said in a loud voice, while in a long queue to the cashier, “Don’t beat me again, Mummy. I don’t like it.” I got some very suspicious looks! SUBMITTED BY AVA JACOBS Follow The Scent While working in our garden, my partner and I noticed the most beautiful floral scent. Trying to determine the source, we sniffed every plant, weed and shrub around us. Finally, my partner exclaimed, “I found it! The neighbour’s spin-dryer is running and it’s…

Many people avoid taking, or even looking into, medication for anxiety because of the stigmas associated with psychiatric drugs. They may worry about dangerous side effects, that they’ll become dependent on them or that loved ones will see them as weak or flawed. But the fact is, modern pharmacological treatments for anxiety disorders are safer and produce fewer side effects than they did 30 years ago. Attitudes towards mental illnesses are also improving. If you’re ready to explore medication, talk to your doctor, who can prescribe the medications taken for anxiety, suggests Dr Debra Kissen, who specialises in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for anxiety. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered a good starting medication for many forms of anxiety, she says. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a role…

QUESTIONS 1 One of the Rolling Stones’ most melodic hits is Ruby Tuesday, written by Keith Richards. According to his autobiography, the song refers to the breakup with his girlfriend at the time. But Ruby Tuesday was not just a hit. What else bears this name? a) a restaurant chain in the US b) a painting by Mark Rothko c) a star discovered in 1970 d) the world’s biggest ruby gemstone 2 Ludwig van Beethoven’s composition Für Elise (For Elise) is world famous. Why is it still not clear who exactly is behind the name Elise? a) Beethoven had several lovers named Elise b) The dedication is disputed and the original piece is lost c) It is disputed whether the piece is really by Beethoven d) Beethoven was not responsible…

It’s not every day we receive a letter from the Queen, which is why we are delighted to share with our readers the one the magazine received marking its 100th Anniversary. Over the years, Reader’s Digest has published many articles and photographs, both in print and online, offering compelling glimpses into Queen Elizabeth II’s public and private life. Features about the Queen have offered not only insights about her role as the head of a royal dynasty and a leader of the Commonwealth but a living history of our times.…

WE LOVE OUR PETS and always try to take good care of them, but there are some simple things that can be harmful to pets – and even kill them – that many pet owners aren’t aware of. PLAYING FETCH WITH STICKS Most dogs love playing fetch with sticks and it may be tempting to throw one for your dog when you don’t have a ball or rubber toy handy, but they can be extremely dangerous. Sticks can easily splinter and pieces can cut the mouth or throat. Dogs can also be impaled on a stick or it can get lodged in their throat or soft tissues which can be life threatening. LILIES ARE TOXIC TO CATS Lily toxicity is a devastating poison which often affects young cats. Despite aggressive…

TRAFFIC NOISE MAY IMPACT HEART HEALTH According to a recent review of noise and cardiovascular health co-authored by cardiologist Thomas Münzel, night-time noise from planes, trains and cars affects sleep quality, stress-hormone levels and oxidative stress, which leads to cell damage. In turn, these factors promote vascular dysfunction, inflammation and hypertension. Therefore, it’s important to reduce noise pollution, perhaps with heavy curtains or by sleeping in a room that doesn’t face the street. PREVENT DIABETES WITH FRUIT – BUT NOT JUICE A new Australian study has found people who consume two servings of fruit per day have 36 per cent lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consume less than half a serving. The five-year study, published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism,…

Changi Beach, Singapore Scene of a military massacre during WWII, visitors to the beach claim to hear the cries of soldiers and even see bloodstains appear on the sand. Monte Cristo Homestead, Australia This Victorian-era home in Junee, NSW, has had at least four deaths at the property – and it seems the victims haven’t left! You can stay overnight but be warned, sceptics are apparently visited more often than believers. Kellie’s Castle, Perak, Malaysia This folly close to Ipoh has underground tunnels, impressive architecture and at least four ghosts, including its former owner William Kellie Smith and his young daughter, who still runs around her bedroom. The identity of who haunts the wine cellar is unknown. The Vulcan Hotel, New Zealand The ghost of a murdered prostitute is said…

In early 2017, a special unit of the Italian police arrested 33 members of the ’Ndrangheta, an organised crime group based in the Calabria region. The offence for which the men were apprehended did not involve selling drugs, committing murder or laundering money (although the group is known for those things, too). It was about me, olive oil. This notorious Italian mafia had been taking low-quality olive mash, called pomace, and selling it in the US as the good stuff – extra virgin – making millions of dollars in the process. This isn’t the first time I have been at the centre of high drama; in fact, that’s been part of my deal for millennia. Take the Hanukkah story – the one in which the Jews had only one night’s…

“Do you have her password for Facebook?” My sister, Louise, looked across the table from behind our mother’s iPad, while I leafed through a tiny notebook full of scribbled telephone numbers, addresses and an occasional user ID and password. “Nope,” I said. “Nothing here.” Only the day before, our nonagenarian mother, Miep, had passed away peacefully. Louise and I, still numb, were in her apartment, going through the next steps – cards, funeral arrangements – and trying to erase her digital footprint. She didn’t have a huge online presence; insecure about the digital world, Mum had really only played Wordfeud with us, read the news, checked local shops for their weekly offers, and sent emails to her friends and family. She had a Facebook account only to keep up on…

When we think about the benefits of vending machines, convenience probably springs to the forefront, but in its very first incarnation, the purpose was more about minimising greed. Apparently, temple goers in first-century Egypt thought ‘more was more’ when it came to blessing themselves with holy water. Saving the day was renowned Greek engineer and mathematician, Hero of Alexandria, who devised the world’s first vending machine. A coin was inserted in a slot, which pushed down a bar to release a measure of holy water. Fast forward to the dusty taverns of England in 1615, and you could find brass honour boxes containing opened the box for a pinch of your snuff and tobacco. A coin in the slot choosing. This was usually placed directly in front of the watchful…

COLOURFUL FRAMES ARE FOR CREATIVE TYPES Glasses frames come in every imaginable colour nowadays. While black and brown frames still exist, they are no longer the only options. Those who dare to colour their vision are typically creative, says optician Lynn Green. “Artists love colour,” she says. “They are very particular with what they like and they know what they like.” But artists aren’t the only ones who gravitate towards colour frames. Both the extrovert and the introvert veer towards this kind of eye wear. “Usually people wearing bright, bold colours are fun and outgoing,” Green discerns. What’s nice about fun colours is that somebody who normally wears neutral colours may have reached a point in their life where they need a change. While it is natural for an outgoing…

You don’t have to be rich to live a rich life – and to me,
taking time to prepare and enjoy food at a communal table with the ones you love is the best way to live richly.RACHAEL RAY, FOOD PERSONALITY If you can affect someone when they’re young, you are in their hearts forever.MARA WILSON, ACTRESS MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS THE ABILITY TO SEE THE BRIGHT SIDE OF A HOPELESS SITUATION. ADVERSITY IS AN EXPERIENCE, NOT A FINAL ACT.GEORGE RAVELING, BASKETBALL COACH People don’t come to rock shows to learn something. They come to be reminded of something they already know and feel deep down in their gut … It’s the reason true rock ’n’ roll will never die.BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, SINGER Grief and loss, those are things that don’t ever go…

1. A-line – A: vertical axis on a graph. B: roof with steep angles. C: garment flaring slightly from top to bottom. 2. also-ran – A: short film that plays before the main show. B: unlikely to win or succeed. C: printing press run for discount sellers. 3. by-bidder – A: auction that restricts bidders to certain criteria. B: bidder on a government project. C: one who bids on behalf of another to inflate prices. 4. catch-22 – A: dilemma due to conflicting conditions. B: desirable outcome achieved by unethical means. C: legal clause allowing withdrawal from contract. 5. coat-trailing – A: provocative writing, speech or behaviour. B: following close behind. C: using another’s success to bolster your own. 6. derring-do – A: avant-garde fashion. B: action displaying courage. C:…