Table of contents for September 2020 in Readers Digest Australia

OUR SEPTEMBER ISSUE brings together stories that demonstrate that individuals have the power to turn tough times into better days. Being part of a community builds confidence, self-worth and wellbeing. In ‘Kindness of Neighbours’ (page 40) we share the experiences of users of Nextdoor, a digital app that helps neighbours connect and engage and, for many, this has had life-changing results. The Black Lives Matter movement has made us all consider the injustice of racism. In ‘A Long Road to Freedom’ (page 130), Paul Robert from our Dutch edition travels to Alabama and Mississippi to visit lynching memorials and civil rights museums, where he meets with inspirational leaders of the 1960s Freedom Riders movement. Their stories are a testament to the fight for equality and deserve to be shared. Then,…

PETS HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE in teaching life skills to children, and help prepare kids for real-life situations. For many young children, the loss of a pet is likely to be their first experience of death and dying. Veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren shares her expert knowledge and advice about helping children deal with the death of a beloved pet. BE HONEST Kids inherently sense when changes occur in their environment, so it’s best to be direct and honest. If your pet is euthanised, avoid telling children she was ‘put to sleep’, as they might wonder when their pet will wake up. Avoid telling kids their pet has run away, as they may wonder why it left and end up feeling abandoned. Speak plainly and truthfully, and use language such as…

1 To soothe red, itchy, swollen eyes, simply dampen a face washer with cool water and place it over your eyes as often as needed. Always use a clean face washer each time to avoid the possibility of introducing infection into your eyes. 2 Saline nasal sprays have long been used to clear nasal mucus and can also help keep your nasal passages moisturised. But be careful not to overuse medicated nasal sprays as they can actually damage the cells of your sinuses. If you need to take a break, try dissolving half a teaspoon of salt in 250 ml of warm water. Fill a bulb syringe, lean over the sink and gently squirt the saline into your nose. 3 A simple way to relieve pain and encourage drainage of…

USUALLY starting as a small, swollen and painful area, cellulitis rapidly spreads along the skin and the tissues just beneath the skin. It often happens because bacteria get into a scrape, cut or insect bite. THE SYMPTOMS are skin that is red, painful, swollen, tender and warm. It can also make you feel generally unwell, with fever, chills, sweating and nausea. THE BACTERIA can enter the bloodstream and cause sepsis, which can be fatal. You can go downhill quickly, so it’s very important to see a doctor if you think you may have cellulitis.…

+ Maybe your feet have started to tingle every so often or you’ve developed a mild fever. Nothing to worry about, right? Maybe. But given the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, you don’t have to be a hypochondriac to think hard about whether a niggling symptom is a clue that something more serious is happening in your body. How can you tell when not to worry – and when to panic? These stories feature people who faced that quandary and discovered that their discomfort emanated from conditions far different from what they had suspected. The welcome result: after a proper diagnosis, they all got the treatment they needed. Consider their journeys to be a guide for all of us. ABDOMINAL PAIN “The Burning Sensation Turned Out to Be Bowel Cancer” When Amy…

I don’t forgive people because I am weak. I forgive them because I am strong enough to know that people make mistakes.MARILYN MONROE, ACTRESS WE HAVE TO WALK IN A WAY THAT WE ONLY PRINT PEACE AND SERENITY ON THE EARTH. WALK AS IF YOU ARE KISSING THE EARTH WITH YOUR FEET.THICH NHAT HANH, BUDDHIST MONK Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.WINSTON CHURCHILL, STATESMAN Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.BILL GATES, ENTREPRENEUR THOUGHT IS AN IDEA IN TRANSIT.PYTHAGORAS, MATHEMATICIAN Everybody always says that I’m the girl next door, which makes me think that y’all must have a lot of weird next-door neighbours.KELLY CLARKSON, SINGER AND TV HOST…

1 Reality of Fatherhood Never Truly Dawned on Man Until He Held Newborn Son’s Hospital Bill Describing how he found himself overwhelmed by a flood of intense emotions, Mike Bentzen told reporters the reality of fatherhood didn’t truly set in for him until the moment he held his newborn son’s hospital bill. “Wow, this is going to totally change my life,” said Bentzen as tears welled up in his eyes, adding that he was left completely speechless by the little bundle of papers and that it would probably take some time before the magnitude of what had just happened fully sank in. “I’ve had friends tell me about their experience, but you can’t understand what it feels like until you’re looking down at it in your own hands. It’s hard…

Literal Delivery I used to work as a courier in a large city. I had a small designated route and was expected to deliver a package every five minutes. Sometimes, when I was running behind, I would rush in carrying a box for delivery to a customer, who would look up slowly from their computer and ask, “What’s that?” I would answer honestly, “It’s a box!” SUBMITTED BY PETER BOWMAN Clean Sweep I grew up above my father’s tavern. When we were children, we would race each other down the stairs every morning to sweep up the bar and find the change customers had dropped during the night. Years later, as an adult, I found out that my father would throw a few coins over the bar for us to…

1. In which year did explorer James Cook draw the first chart of the coastline of New Zealand? a) 1769. b) 1870. c)1620. 2 points 2. Among land animals, what species has the largest eyes? 2 points 3. Humphrey Bogart won his only Oscar for what motion picture? 1 point 4. Which Disney princess had two stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella? 1 point 5. When you earn or lose money very quickly and easily, you earn or lose it hand over ___. What body part completes the idiom? 1 point 6. Which member of boxing’s ‘Fabulous Four’ was the only one who defeated each of the other three at least once? 3 points 7. Which of Sri Lanka’s official languages also has official status in Singapore and parts of India? 1…

1. shuck – A: shake vigorously to mix. B: remove from an outer covering. C: slice into thin strips. 2. mezzaluna – A: knife with a curved blade and two handles. B: medium-spicy sausage. C: moon-shaped pasta. 3. sear – A: soak in brine. B: heat sugar until it liquifies. C: cook the surface of something quickly with intense heat. 4. dredge – A: coat lightly. B: drain liquid. C: break apart by hand. 5. coulis – A: soup served chilled. B: cucumber salad. C: sauce made from puréed fruit or vegetables. 6. knead – A: work moistened flour into dough. B: grind into fine particles. C: trim fat. 7. infuse – A: steep in liquid to extract flavour. B: fill the centre of something. C: cover with glaze. 8.…

Lasting Overture I was 16 years old and living in Suva, Fiji, in the early 1950s when the von Trapps (‘The Story Behind the Songs’, July) visited. They sang at our local town hall and also at Mass. I will never forget their rosy cheeks and Austrian costumes – and the singing was incredible to hear. This was, of course, long before The Sound of Music and the film portrayal did little justice to the family’s quite magnificent music. They were simply unique. JIM LITCHFIELD Simple Medicine I really loved the two articles about the basics of health, ‘Got an Ear Full?’ and ‘What Causes Dry Eye?’ (Health, June). Both perfectly debunked myths and explained solutions to maintaining good ears and eyes. I appreciate the language you use to convey…

• Hold a ceremony where each family member can express their loss and love for the pet in his or her own way. • Encourage kids to be actively involved in the funeral or memorial ceremony, to dress for it, or to decorate the grave. • Allow kids to invite their friends or others who may have known their pet. Place a symbolic stone in the garden as a place kids can visit their pet and talk to them if they feel the need. • Kids might like to draw a picture or write a poem.…

CAN’T STAND BITTER VEGGIES? IT MIGHT BE GENETIC Compounds found in certain vegetables taste exceptionally harsh and bitter to people with particular gene variants. The same people, an estimated 15 to 25 per cent of the population, also sometimes dislike coffee or dark chocolate. In a US study, the participants with variants were likely to consume fewer veggies, according to a US study. “The problem vegetables tend to be in the cruciferous family: broccoli and Brussels sprouts, among others,” says study author Jennifer L. Smith. Instead of missing out on the health benefits of vegetables, try sweeter ones such as carrots and beetroot. WELLNESS AND THE ARTS Artistic activities are making inroads as treatments for medical conditions – including tango for Parkinson’s and choral singing for lung conditions. A WHO…

Dads are a constant source of wisdom and, of course, Dad jokes. Get your dad what he really wants this Father’s Day by turning off the lights when you leave a room. @PRIMAWESOME A dad’s favourite part of a holiday is acting like he’s better than everyone else because he woke up the earliest. @SIMONCHOLLAND Dad at a restaurant looking at the bill:”What’s the damage?” @SWEATYHAIRY Dad: “Tall latte, please.” Barista: “Sure thing. Can I get a name?” Dad: “What, your parents didn’t give you one?” *All the other dads give him high fives* @HOME_HALFWAY Dad: “Your grandpa used to cut the grass before he died, but now he’s…” Son: “Dad, please don’t…” Dad: “Lawn gone.” @PRO_JONES…

As a child, I was an easy target for playground torments: smart, insufferably rule-abiding, decidedly unpretty. The tormentor I remember most distinctly was not my first bully, nor my last, but his attacks would turn others into footnotes. He was in my class for years. In class photos, his face is round and almost cherubic, but I remember it contorted in anger as he spat insults at me, telling me to shut up, flailing his hands against his chest and moaning – an approximation of what he said I sounded like. We were seated next to each other year after year, and when I finally complained about this arrangement, one of my teachers said that maybe I’d be “a good influence on him”. It didn’t work. His mum was also…

One of the most curious and funny aspects of language is the use of idioms. These expressions use words in a non-literal way to mean something other than the actual meaning of the individual words – and they’re often quirky and funny. And, notably, a lot of them involve animals, from ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’ to ‘let the cat out of the bag’. When we say ‘let the cat out of the bag’, we’re not actually talking about a feline that was in a bag but about a secret or surprise that was revealed. Where did this phrase come from? Well, first, let’s consider the first recorded use of the phrase. In a 1760 book review in the London Magazine, the reviewer complained that he “wished that the author…

We arrived on a wet September day and drove for kilometres past fields and farms to our lodging, a golf resort and spa tucked into western Prince Edward Island (PEI). In the early evening chill, my husband, Glen, and I hurried to the soon-to-close restaurant and ordered seafood chowder. Generous bowls of steaming, creamy goodness were brought. We inhaled the salt-air aroma and spooned in prawns, clams, haddock, lobster and potatoes. It tasted heavenly – rich and hearty – and we devoured it, all but licking the bowls as we relaxed for the first time that day. Holidaymakers flock to PEI, Canada’s smallest province, for its parks, red-sand beaches and quaint seaside villages. Fans of the red-haired Anne, of the classic children’s books, are drawn from far and wide to…

Spymaster Difficult Deduce a secret number made of four different digits from 1 through 9. The chart shows four guesses at the number and a score for each guess, represented by marbles. Any digit that appears in the secret number in the same position as the guess is scored with a black marble. Any digit that appears in the secret number in a different position than in the guess is scored with a white marble. Any digit that does not appear in the secret number doesn’t get a marble at all. What’s the secret four-digit number? Bubble Maths Moderately Difficult Assign a whole number from 1 to 5 to each of the ten bubbles, using each number exactly twice. The sums of some of the numbers are revealed in the…

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Chris Mor iarty clambered onto the rowing machine and continued his workout. It was barely 5am but he loved the chal lenge of his early morning gym sessions. As he pulled the rubber handle, he shaved the top off a tiny pimple on his knee, just below the kneecap. I’ll wash it when I get to the shower, he thought to himself. A 41-year-old IT professional who had recently emigrated to Sydney with his family from Cape Town, Chris’s life was a fast-paced juggling act with young children and a new high-level job. He was focused and determined, constantly pushing himself physically and setting himself challenges which he would achieve, then surpass. Up until recently, he’d never run before, even so he completed his first half-marathon in one hour, 49…

Whether it’s a steaming cup of Earl Grey, a chawan of matcha, a mug of spicy chai, or an ice-cold bubble tea, today many people around the world wake each morning to a cup of me, thanks to a chance discovery 4000 years ago. According to legend, Chinese Emperor Nun Shen was out with his servants when they stopped to boil water by one of my trees. A gentle breeze blew a leaf into their pot, which released a pleasing aroma. The Emperor tasted the water and was immediately taken by my flavour. From that day on my popularity spread and before long I became China’s national drink. In Japan, an artform when they turned the making of me into a ceremony. I wasn’t introduced to Europe until the 16th…

FINDERS KEEPERS What would you do if you stumbled upon a bag of money on the street? That’s what happened at least 13 times in the last six years to residents of Blackhall Colliery, England. Someone was leaving bags of £2000 in cash around the village. Most remarkably, honest citizens kept turning in the bounty. After two weeks, if the money wasn’t claimed, the person who found the money got to keep it. Police finally discovered that a pair of good Samaritans were leaving the mystery cash. The duo, who wanted to remain anonymous, were doing it as a way to ‘give back’ to vulnerable people in the community. So, for all of the 13 citizens who became £2000 richer, honesty really did pay off. PRICE OF STAYING Once travel…

CULTURE 8 secrets your body language reveals about you Find out what your gestures and movements are saying. ENVIRONMENT 11 crazy ideas that just might save our oceans Seas are acidifying, warming and losing oxygen. These odd solutions might help. PETS CAT BREEDS THAT GET ALONG WITH DOGS Certain cat breeds are more sociable. These friendly felines love dogs as much as you do! Readers Digest Australia PLUS SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER FOR MORE HOT OFFERS, TOP STORIES AND PRIZES!…

Life along the Pearl River Delta in the late 1950s in the dawning of the ‘New China’ was full of challenges. For eight-year-old Ah-mun Kwong (aka Andrew) and his siblings, cousins and friends, nothing was more important than helping the ‘Great Leap Forward’ and earning a ‘Red Scarf’, the symbol of revolutionary youth worn by members of the Young Pioneers of China – an organisation that selected children in primary school who were seen to be dedicated to the cause. The production of steel was central to the nation’s prosperity and the whole country was expected to contribute, by whatever means necessary. “As well as building roads and dams, the whole populat ion had to participate in the rapid expansion of steel production. Our teacher taught us another slogan to…