Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Readers Digest International May 2017
Readers Digest International May 2017
HOUFR
O T
E A
G R ING
R E AD
Upwith
Close
a
Cheetah
45 Minutes Ill Never Forget
PAGE 84
HOUF
O T
RS
A
GREDING
50%
OR 12 ISSUES
FO
RE A
UpwCithlo
a
se
Th worlds
The
Cheetah Ill Never
45 Minutes PAGE
Forget best-loved
magazine
84
.............. ......................... 54
laughs and
100-Word Story Winners
Quotable Quotes: Moth
ers Day Special ..............
............................... 125
.......
innspiring stories
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Contents MAY 2017
Wisdom
32 BEHIND OUR ANXIETY, THE FEAR
OF BEING UNNEEDED
P. | 32
Why pain and indignation are sweeping
through prosperous countries. T H E DA L A I LAMA
A N D A R T H U R C . B R O O KS F R O M T H E N E W YO R K T I M E S
First Person
36 THE MISSING PIECE
A mother helps her very young adopted
son come to terms with where he is from.
S U SA N S I LV E R M A N F R O M C AST I N G LOT S
Health
44 TO HELL AND BACK WITH
KIDNEY STONES
Causes, prevention and treatments for a
painful condition on the rise. H E L E N S I G N Y
Look Twice
50 SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY
Not your average birds-eye view. P. | 44
Drama in Real Life
60 LOST
In the Arctic Circle, even the supremely
prepared face deadly risks. LISA FITTERMAN
True Crime
70 MY FATHER WAS THE BTK KILLER
At age 26, Kerri Rawson was told shed been
raised by a brutal serial murderer who had
evaded capture for decades. Could she learn
to forgive? ROY WENZL FROM THE WICHITA EAGLE
COVER: iSTOCK
Technology
78 YUCK! CLEAN YOUR TOUCH SCREEN!
What happens when germs are left to their own
devices. KAT E M U R P H Y F R O M T H E N E W YO R K T I M E S
May2017 | 1
Contents
MAY 2017
Humour
P. | 88 81 THE PRISONER OF MENSA
Being the worlds second-smartest man isnt
quite what its cracked up to be. R I C K R O S N E R
Cover Story
84 HITTING THE HIGH SPOTS
One womans Kenyan safari takes a terrifying
turn when a stalking big cat gets a little too
close for comfort. V I JAYA P R ATA P
Photo Feature
88 WEDDING STORIES
An international photographers unique take
on love through the lens. M A R I N KA P U L A R
Relationships
92 WHAT A GOOD MARRIAGE
REALLY LOOKS LIKE
The Einstein of Love, Professor John Gottman,
takes time out from his Love Lab to share his
P. | 96 findings on wedded bliss. C H A R LOT T E A N D E R S E N
Travel
96 CARVED IN STONE
Stonehenge, the Sphinx, the moais of Easter
Island what drives mankinds fascination for
such monuments to eternity? CO R N E L I A KU M F E R T
Bonus Read
102 THE MIRACLE OF DYLANS BRAIN
A young mans return from hopeless case
status has changed the game for severe brain-
trauma patients. ST E P H E N S . H A L L F R O M N E W YO R K
Life Lessons
114 TAKE BACK YOUR TIME
If you feel like youre stuck in a busyness trap,
it could be time to take control. N AO M I K . L E W I S
2 | May2017
THE DIGEST
Health
18 Sleep routines; health insurance;
kidney health; prostate problems
Food
24 Whip up a speedy seafood stew
Home
26 Clever coconut oil; window-
cleaning tips
Travel
28 Hit the road with your caravan
ormotorhome
Money
30 Tips for beginner investors
Pets
31 Your problems can affect your pets
Out & About
116 All thats best in books, films,
DVDs and unexpected news
P
P. | 28
REGULARS
4 Letters
8 Finish This Sentence
10 My Story
14 Kindness of Strangers
16 Smart Animals SEE
PAGE 6
68 Quotable Quotes
113 Thats Outrageous
122 Unbelievable
122 Puzzles, Trivia & Word Power
May2017 | 3
Letters
READERS COMMENTS AND OPINIONS
Speaking Up
Kate Swaffer deserves many thanks for her
hopeful, promising article Life Beyond
Dementia (February), which shows her steely
determination and courage in the face of
adversity. One should never hesitate to tell his or
her doctor about problems with memory loss for
fear of being isolated or scared. Doctors should
also encourage their patients to speak up about
early symptoms of dementia. GHAZANFAR ALI
long time as the ones I tried merely So, when I asked him about which
amplified sounds. However, after side of the brush to use, he asked me
reading All About Hearing Aids to use my head. ARFA ZAFAR
(February), I consulted an audiologist A major breakthrough in the eld
and was recommended a CROS of art. FATIMA ANSARI
(contralateral routing of signal)
hearing aid with super high-definition I promise to brush up on my
grooming. MOHAN M. PANJABI
sound, background noise reduction,
voice recognition and hearing I must get ahead with that painting.
protection. Thank you for the article ISABEL WHITTY
May2017 | 5
Vol. 192
No. 1144
CONTRIBUTE
FOR DIGITAL EXTRAS AND
May 2017
SOCIAL MEDIA INFO, SEE PAGE 13.
6 | May2017
Editors Note
The Need to Be Needed
YOU DONT HAVE TO LOOK FAR to encounter people who feel
overwhelmed, angry or anxious. We regularly feature stories on how
to overcome anxiety, manage stress and strive for a happier state of
mind. Yet, why is it that people living in prosperous countries feel
this pain, and why is it becoming increasingly common? In the
article Behind Our Anxiety, the Fear of Being Unneeded (page 32)
the Dalai Lama addresses this modern conundrum. He points out
that people thrive when they feel needed, when they have a purpose
and are able to share their talents with others. His solution is for
individuals to make sharing a habit a simple message from a
revered Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Among my favourite stories in this months magazine
is a travel story set in Africa. Its a well-known fact in
publishing and media that travel writers enjoy the
lions share of the fun (pun intended). Exciting
and intrepid as it might often be, nothing quite
prepared reporter Vijaya Pratap for her bizarre
encounter with a very chilled cheetah while on a
Kenyan Safari (Hitting the High Spots, page 84).
And before you start to recoil, no, her encounter
didnt turn into a Drama-in-Real-Life. It was
one of those little unexpected moments that
makes travel so worthwhile.
LOUISE WATERSON
Managing Editor
May2017 | 7
FINISH THIS SENTENCE
We Should
Finally Stop
What would you like to change
about the world? See what
other RD readers aspire to
being
racism greedy
because it
because causes wars,
it divides pain and
suffering.
our SHERYL SIMMONDS,
DAVID TARBIN,
Medina, WA
8 | May2017
ruining our
environment
because our
children using plastic
deserve more! bags because
LEIGH MILLS
Sunshine Coast, Qld
they cause so
much
ecological
coal mining because damage.
JILL HALL,
it is destroying our Sunshine Coast, Qld
planet.
DEBRA HUMBLEY,
Deception Bay, Qld
overfishing
because our seas are talking
starving. because we
PAMELA SMITH
learn more by
Lismore, NSW listening.
MONA NAGUIB,
Gold Coast, Qld
denying climate
change because we are
threatening the future
of the world.
KATHLEEN OLLERENSHAW,
worrying Queanbeyan, NSW
because its
a waste of having wars because all
time. people are created equal.
FIONA LEE LLOYD ELLIS, Melbourne, Vic
Ballarat, Vic
May2017 | 9
MY STORY
Rebecca Chieng, 38, IT HAS BEEN 34 years since my husband, Keng Ben Sen,
lives in Kuching, left his Ah-Mas (grandmothers) house in Ayer Tawar,
Malaysia, with her Perak, Malaysia, and settled down in Kuching, Sarawak,
husband and two on the island of Borneo. Ah-Ma passed away late last
daughters. She is a
year but, during her life, my husband always took every
teacher and also runs
a business teaching
opportunity to visit her little hut. I call it a hut because
public-speaking skills it is reminiscent of the wooden shacks we drew as kids
to children. As well as in art class. When we were instructed to draw a scene
going to the gym and of a kampung (village), we commonly drew a timber
doing yoga, Rebecca house surrounded by tall coconut trees situated in the
enjoys reading. middle of a wide expanse of meadow. The sky above
would be dotted with V-shaped birds and fluffy clouds.
That was a kampung to a lot of us.
Ah-Ma lived in Ayer Tawar in the middle of a
1.2-hectare palm oil estate all her life and, in 1972 when
her husband passed away, she continued to live there,
managing it single-handedly and reaping a comfortable
income from it every year. In recent years, when
harvesting work became too strenuous, she hired
workers to reap the palm oil fruits.
As a city child, the first wooden village hut I saw was
in 2005 when, as a newlywed, I visited Keng Ben Sens
Ah-Ma. It had been his home for the first four years of his
life, where he had played freely, where mornings were
greeted with cool mist and nights were illuminated by
themoon. Even after his family moved out, he would
10 | May2017
He pointed outside the
itchen. I saw a makeshift
ubicle with zinc sheets
nd a rickety door. Inside
, there was no toilet.
y face fell, as did my
eart. Th-thats the
ilet? I could see he
as trying not to laugh.
This is it, he grinned
reply. Just wash up
hen youre done. My
sides and toes curled
I decided to hold on
ittle longer.
Ah-Mas living room was
ple. The floor was bare:
ple grey concrete that
uld penetrate your
nes on a chilly day. She
uld rest in her recliner
air with a small,
tiquated television set as
companion. To the side
he living room was a
room where Keng Ben
had slept as a young
. He and his two
thers would fight over
regularly return for sleepovers. To him, the one single mattress that was a
Ah-Mas humble hut was a haven. luxury back then. The victor slept
But to me, the first annual visit cosily, while the others would curl
we took to Ah-Mas hut was a shock, up on wooden planks. Despite this,
chiefly because it was toilet-less. Ah-Mas house was the only place
After the four-hour drive from Kuala where my husband has ever slept
P HOTO: iSTOCK
May2017 | 11
M Y STO RY
Ah-Mas only source of drinking water. rusty bicycle. It was probably more
Every day she would draw water from than 50 years old, another relic from
the well, collecting it in buckets to her past. Ken Ben Sen remembers
filter before boiling it for consumption. riding with her as a six year old.
Ah-Ma devised her own Wherever she went,
water-filtration system sometimes long distances
and, true to form, it is to shop or visit friends,
right out of a school Ah-Ma he was her companion.
science textbook; large was a feisty, There were no helmets
rocks on top, sitting on independent lady he simply held on tight
layers of pebbles and
sand of different densities.
who baulked at to Like Ah-Ma!
many elderly
The kitchen was a place the idea of living people, Ah-Ma didnt like
of love. As a boy, Keng under someone to bother us with her
Ben Sen would collect elses roof troubles. Even with her
eggs from the chicken closest neighbour just
coop; sometimes by 300 metres away, she
reaching underneath the hen. He says preferred to be independent and
nothing beats the taste of fresh half- seldom asked for help. People would
boiled organic eggs. I was shocked to ask, Why is Ah-Ma on her own? or,
see that Ah-Ma cooked using firewood Why dont you upgrade her house
that she collected herself a feat for so that shes more comfortable? Yet
a woman in her 80s. When others tried Ah-Ma was a feisty, independent lady
to help her, she teased them for not who baulked at the idea of living
doing it properly. She relished cooking under someone elses roof.
for her grandchildren and did not see I hope that some day our two
collecting firewood, drawing water, daughters will regard their home the
gathering vegetables or catching same way: as a place that always
chickens as a burden. remains in their hearts. I once asked
Then, in 2013, it became apparent Keng Ben Sen whether he would feel
that Ah-Ma was starting to struggle embarrassed if his business associates
with the heavier chores and it was knew about his humble origins.
time to buy her a gas stove. Ah-Ma was Embarrassed? Im proud of it!
thrilled with the new appliance and, he replied without hesitation.
although it took her a while to master,
she soon happily declared that it no Do you have a tale to tell?
longer took hours to cook a simple Well pay cash for any original and
bowl of mee sua (noodles). unpublished story we print. See page
To get about, Ah-Ma rode her trusty, 6 for details on how to contribute.
12 | May2017
JOIN THE
CONVERSATION
Four great reasons why you should
join us online
We give
great advice
Get regular home,
health and food tips
from The Digest
A Ray of Light in
the Bleakness
An open letter to the shoppers who consoled me
BY DE BO R A H G R E E N
14 | May2017
for me, leaving an urgent message thinking of me. That gift voucher
for him to call me. I recall hearing helped me to feed my family when
you discuss among yourselves who the idea of cooking was so far beyond
would drive me home in my emotional reach.
my car and who would I never saw you after
follow that person back that. But I know this to
to the store. You didnt In the worst be true: because you
even know one another, moment of my reached out to help, you
but it didnt matter. life, you offered a ray of light in
You encountered me, coalesced around the bleakest moment
a stranger, in the worst Ive ever endured. You
moment of my life, and
me to help may not remember it.
you coalesced around You may not remember
me with common purpose to help. me. But I will never, ever forget you.
In my fog, I told you that I had a And though you may never know it,
friend who worked at Whole Foods, I give thanks for your presence and
and one of you brought her to me. And humanity, each and every day.
P HOTO: iSTOCK
May2017 | 15
Smart Animals
Classic tales of clever creatures
Mismatched Brood
GAIL MORRIS
My daughter, Kellie, moved
out of town and bought
some hens. After
two clutches of
eggs, there
were plenty of
chickens, but
one, Betty, was
a clucky hen.
One day, as an
experiment, Kellie
decided to see if Betty would
sit on a duck egg. She did, and
miraculously it hatched. She put
another egg in and Betty hatched that
as well. Kellie named the first duck
Minstrel, and the second Jemima.
Later, a neighbour gave Kellie some
guineafowl, but they were too small
for the big chicken pen, so Kellie
Love Birds
ILLUSTRATIONS: EDWI NA KEENE
16 | May2017
had to amputate one of her
wings, she was unable to return
to the wild. Soon wild cockatoos
came visiting and one amorous
male bird managed to find his
way into her cage.
Mumma Cocky was soon
expecting but she couldnt fly;
Dad Cocky gave up his freedom
and built a nest in the backyard,
fending off everyone who
approached his bird bride. Baby Swine Sense
Cocky eventually fledged and spent PAULA GLENNIE
his days flying off with Dad, both Years ago we owned an English setter
returning home in the afternoon. named John, who often suffered
The family stuck together and each from infected and sore ears. He was
night Mumma and Dad would sit and constantly being treated for it, and
lovingly groom each other. absolutely loved ear rubs as they
seemed to make him feel better.
Tortoiseshell Shock One day my brothers pet pig,
ANDREW BROWN Chloe, was in the front yard with
Our neighbours tortoise Harold John. When John settled down for
would constantly escape from their a nap, Chloe trotted over and started
garden, often warranting a large rubbing behind Johns ears with her
search party to find him. My father, snout. He groaned with relief so
who was a scientific engineer, offered Chloe continued rubbing his ears.
to build a tracking device. Our From that day on, whenever John
neighbours gratefully accepted. lay down, Chloe would trot over to
The small box was glued to the top rub his sore ears. Maybe animals
of Harolds shell with engineering have a sixth sense and hers told her
epoxy and my father said we could John needed an ear rub.
track it down in minutes if he
escaped. The day after the device was B R O U G H T TO YO U BY
attached, they found Harold trying to
escape under the fence.
Funnily enough, the tracker didnt
need to be used that time, because
Harold couldnt get under the fence
houseofpets.innovations.com.au
due to the box glued on his shell!
May2017 | 17
THE DIGEST
HEALTH
May2017 | 19
HEALTH
20 | May2017
might affect health inssurrance
policies. Health insuraancce
is generally still
available when you
have pre-existing
conditions, but youll
need to disclose this
fully upfront so you ca
an
be covered correctly.
Keeping your personaal situation g your
or change y p
policyy and whether
in mind will help you in finding the your premiums might increase if your
right type of cover and prevent you situation changes. This is the best way
from paying more than you need. to guarantee there are no hidden fees
involved. If you have any questions
USE COMPARISON SITES Once you regarding a policy, always check with
know what you need, you can find the insurance provider. If they are
health insurance quotes on price unwilling to answer your questions,
comparison sites. Start by searching: you should move on!
health insurance comparison sites.
When you are shopping online, it REMEMBER TO HAGGLE Haggling
is important to keep in mind that may not be the most enjoyable thing
not every insurer provides their to do, but it could end up saving
services on all comparison websites. you money. Get on the phone, tell
Therefore, in order to find the best insurers what youre looking for and
deal, you should look at a number what youve already been offered.
of different websites, as well as visit Remember, insurers know the
insurance websites that arent part of markets better than anyone, so dont
comparison websites. be tempted to make up numbers
in the hope of getting a better deal.
READ THE FULL POLICY Before you Be honest with what youve been
purchase health insurance, set aside offered, and if you already have
the time to read the full terms and health insurance, see if you can get
conditions of the policy. This will help your premiums down by showing
you understand things such as what cheaper health insurance quotes
are you covered for, how to cancel and offers to your current provider.
May2017 | 21
HEALTH
Enlarged Prostate
Its a Man Thing
CHECK
Heres how to nd relief for a YOUR MEDS
common condition in older men Diuretic pills will
increase your
Men, are you noticing that its taking STOP DRINKING at trips to the
a bit longer these days to, well, go? least two hours before bathroom
Do you find yourself looking for your normal bedtime.
the nearest bathroom? Dont be CHOOSE DECAFFEIN
embarrassed. Every other man your One cup of coffee or tea in the
age probably has the same problem. morning is ne. But after that, ask for
An enlarged prostate, technically decaf, as caffeine is a natural diuretic.
known as benign prostatic CHECK YOUR PILLS If youre taking
hyperplasia (BPH), is a common diuretics for high blood pressure or
health problem among men aged heart failure, talk to your doctor. A lower
60 and older. The prostate is a gland dose or even a different medication
that creates and releases the fluid could help reduce trips to the bathroom.
that makes up much of your semen. Also avoid reliance on decongestants
It surrounds the urethra, the thin tube and antihistamines as these drugs can
that carries urine from your bladder tighten the band of muscles around
to outside your body. As you age, your the urethra, making it harder to go.
prostate gets larger and presses on DONT WAIT Dont try to hold it in. Visit
the urethra, like a clamp on a garden the bathroom at the rst urge so you
hose, turning the stream into a trickle. dont overstretch your bladder.
BPH is not usually life threatening, TRY SAW PALMETTO An analysis of 21
but symptoms can have a major clinical trials with more than 3000 men
impact on your lifestyle. If your GP concluded that the herb worked better
PHOTO: iSTOCK
22 | May2017
NEWS FROM THE
World of Medicine
Lifting Lighter Weights Is levels rose slightly. The researchers
as Effective as Heavy Ones calculated that if someone were to
Intimidated by heavy weights? For switch from a diet free of fruit and
building muscle and gaining strength, vegetables to eight servings per day,
lifting light objects many times works he or she would theoretically gain
just as well as lifting heavier objects as much life satisfaction as someone
fewer times, concluded a recent who transitioned from unemployment
Canadian study published in the to a job. The exact reason is unclear,
Journal of Applied Physiology. The key but it may be related to the effect of
is to work the muscles until theyre carotenoid levels in the blood.
fatigued. Low-load, high-repetition
training is the method of choice for Coffee Doesnt Promote
fostering muscular endurance, and Cancer Unless Its Too Hot
a 2015 paper suggested its effective Good news for coffee fans: it was
for increasing bone density, too. stripped of its possibly carcinogenic
classification during a
Fruit and Vegetables recent meeting of the
Boost Happiness International
A study conducted Agency for
by the University of Research on
Queenslands School Cancer. But, the
of Pharmacy involving agency warned
more than 12,000 against any
Australians revealed beverage served
that the benefits of a at a temperature
fresh produce-rich diet higher than 65C.
PHOTO: A DA M VOORHES
FAST FOOD
Speedy
Seafood Stew
Whip up a meal quick smart with
inexpensive pantry staples and fresh, real food
1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over
Preparation 10 minutes medium heat. Add onion, leek and
Cooking 15 minutes garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until
Serves 2 softened. Add tomatoes and stock.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer
1 tablespoon olive oil for 35 minutes.
PHOTOS: READERS DIGEST
1 small red onion, sliced 2 Add marinara mix, cover and simmer
1 small leek, white part only, thinly for 45 minutes, or until seafood is
sliced cooked through. Serve garnished with
parsley or basil leaves.
1 clove garlic, crushed
410 g can chopped tomatoes PER SERVING
1368 kJ, 327 kcal, 35 g protein, 15 g fat (3 g
1 cups (375 ml) fish or vegetable stock saturated fat), 14 g carbohydrate (12 g sugars),
300 g seafood marinara mix 5 g bre, 1181 mg sodium
24 | May2017
Couscous
with Haloumi
Preparation 10 minutes PER SERVING
Cooking 5 minutes 1301 kJ, 310 kcal,
18 g protein, 9 g fat
Serves 4
(5 g saturated fat),
38 g carbohydrate (3
1 cups (310 ml) chicken or g sugars), 1 g bre,
vegetable stock 1866 mg sodium
1 cup (185 g) instant couscous
1 tablespoons olive oil Passionfruit
f
200 g haloumi cheese, cut into thin slices
200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
Fool
Handful baby rocket leaves Preparation 10 minutes
1 Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan over Serves 4
high heat. Turn off heat, add couscous,
cover with lid and swirl pan to submerge Using an electric beater,
couscous. whip 200 ml whipping
Let stand 5 minutes; remove lid. Drizzle with cream, 2 tablespoons icing
1 tablespoon olive oil and uff up grains with sugar and 1 teaspoon
a fork. Transfer to a large bowl. vanilla extract in a bowl
until soft peaks form. With
2 Heat remaining oil in a large non-stick
a large metal spoon, gently
frying pan over medium-high heat. Add
fold about cup (150 ml)
haloumi and cook for 30-60 seconds each
passionfruit pulp (about
side, or until golden brown.
10 passionfruit) intothe
3 Mix tomatoes and rocket cream, reserving alittle for
through couscous. Divide decoration. Dont overmix.
among serving plates and Spoon into 4 glasses.
top with haloumi. Drizzle with remaining pulp
and serve with biscotti or
other sweet biscuits.
Quick Fix
Fresh passionfruit not in
season? Keep a couple
of large and small cans
of passionfruit pulp in
the pantry.
May2017 | 25
HOME
Household Uses
for Coconut Oil
BY JACQUELINE MELDRUM
CAKE RELEASE OIL Coat baking tins oil with a soft, clean cloth in a
generously with coconut oil before circular pattern, leave it for a few
pouring in cake batter. Baked cakes minutes, then shine with a second
will slide out of the tin with no fuss. soft cloth.
26 | May2017
Clear Solutions to Dirty
Window Problems
to make washing bleach and 30 ml of laundry detergent
windows easier and more efficient. in a litre of water. Wearing rubber
gloves to protect your hands, sponge
If your windows always streak after the solution onto the spots, let it sit
washing, steal this tip from the pros. forten minutes, and then rinse
Use a window-washing squeegee thoroughly with clean water.
with a smooth, soft rubber edge
(or crumpled-up black-and-white If you cant keep the outside
newspaper avoid the colour windowsills clean, apply a coat of
sections). Dry a 2.5 cm strip at the floor wax to protect your sills.
top or side of each window and
always start your squeegee there. If your blinds are always dusty, use
Starting on dry glass is one key to an anti-static spray. The best way to
avoidinng streaks. Dont wash keep dust from piling up quickly is by
window ws in direct sunlight, applying the spray on the blinds
becausse glass that right after you clean them.
dries quickly is
more susceptible If your windows get
to streaaking. Cloudy dirty unusually fast,
days arre best for change the filter in your
window w washing. heating and cooling
system. While air-
If theres mildew conditioner filters
on you ur window extend the life of your
framess, wash with appliances, they also
a bleacch-detergent help trap dirt. Filters
solutio
on. Black or should be changed
grey mildew spots every month or two,
on woo oden frames can orany time you cant see
be cleaaned with a solution through the filter when you
of 60 ml of household hold it up to a light.
May2017 | 27
TRAVEL
28 | May2017
3. CONSIDER INSTALLING A
REVERSING CAMERA If your
motorhome doesnt already have one,
consider installing a reversing camera.
Its a handy accessory that will make
pulling into those tight parking spaces
a lot easier and give you additional
peace of mind. (Alternatively, if youre
travelling with passengers, you can at campgrounds, local attractions
always ask them to check behind the and restaurants, and forming a
vehicle before you reverse.) motorhome convoy. Travelling with
other drivers is fun, but it can also
4. BE AWARE OF HANDLING enhance your sense of safety: a large
DIFFERENCES WHEN DRIVING convoy of motorhomes will be easier
Driving a motorhome is different from for other drivers to spot.
driving a car or even a full-sized utility
vehicle. The higher centre of gravity 6. GET ONLINE AND BECOME
means you need to take turns wider, A MEMBER Life on the road can be
and the large size means youll need exhausting and no-one wants to pull
a bigger turning radius. Practising up at a caravan park only to find
ahead of time can help you get used the place fully booked out. Think
to handling the vehicle. You will also of signing up to one or more of the
need to be mindful of the wind speed big caravan parks, such as BIG4 in
as you drive. When the winds get Australia (big4com.au includes
strong, it could cause the vehicle to a handy Big4 mobile app), or Kiwi
drift unexpectedly. Take a tighter grip Holiday Parks in New Zealand
on the wheel when its windy, and give (kiwiholidayparks.com). Membership
other drivers more space. comes with benefits, and can include
free book-ahead services and
5. CONSIDER FORMING A CONVOY discounted rates. Other helpful online
Chances are youll meet other groups include thegreynomads.
motorhome drivers on your road trip, com.au and holidayparks.co.nz. In
P HOTO: iSTOCK
particularly if youre travelling down addition, you get the confidence that
a popular road trip route. If youre comes from being part of an online
all going the same way, consider community while you satisfy your
teaming up with the drivers you meet wanderlust.
May2017 | 29
MONEY
Its easy to find the world of Which shares should I invest in?
stocks, mutual funds and property Buying individual company stocks is
investment intimidating, but the too risky for most ordinary people.
sooner you start investing, the greater Even big household names can
your ultimate benefit. Here are some perform poorly. Most people should
common questions new investors ask. start with a managed fund investing
in a mix of 30 or more different
Where do I start with investments? companies to spread your risk.
First decide what you want to achieve.
Are you saving for a specific short- What does diversification mean?
term goal, such as a deposit for your Diversifying your portfolio means
first home or a new car? Or are you spreading your money between
saving for the long term, to fund your different assets, sectors (agriculture,
retirement? Your answers will largely construction, mining, etc) and parts
determine how and where you invest. of the world. For example, you should
keep some funds in an instant-access
How much risk should I take? The savings account for emergencies,
shorter your timescale, the fewer and spread the rest of your portfolio
risks you can afford to take. Avoid between shares, bonds, property
putting money that you may need and even some gold.
in the next few years into the
stock market, as you may need How often should I review
enough time to recover from my portfolio? You should
a sudden drop in the market. check once a year, to see how
If investing for at least five, well it is performing and
ten, 15 years or longer, whether you are investing
then consider putting in the right places. But
some money into resist the temptation
P HOTO i STOCK
30 | May2017
PETS
How Your
Problems Can
Affect Your Pets
BY SOPHIE TAYLOR
OBESITY Its very common for to nasal and lung cancer in dogs and
an overweight owner to raise an lymphoma in cats. Birds can develop
overweight pet. Excess weight in cats pneumonia, lung cancer and eye,
and dogs can lead to serious health skin, heart and fertility problems.
problems including diabetes, joint Make sure you smoke outside. After
and ligament damage, heart disease, smoking, change clothes and wash
breathing problems, decreased liver before touching your pet, and dispose
function, increased risk of cancer, of cigarettes out of reach of your pet.
decreased immune system, skin/coat
problems and decreased quality and DEPRESSION While our mental
length of life. Make sure your pet is health issues do not have a negative
being fed the recommended daily effect on our pets behaviour,
nutrition allowance, and given when we are dealing with our own
enough exercise for its breed. problems we may neglect the needs
of our pet. Try to keep up with your
SMOKING Second-hand smoke can pets usual routine and give it the best
P HOTO: iSTOCK
affect animals as their oral tissues are interaction you can. If the thought of
exposed to carcinogens in the air, our taking your dog for its usual walk is
clothes, hair and furniture. Health causing you anxiety, attempt a short
risks range from respiratory problems stroll or play fetch indoors for longer.
May2017 | 31
WISDOM
32 | May2017
The 14th
Dalai Lama,
Tenzin Gyatso
B E H I N D O U R A N X I E T Y, T H E F E A R O F B E I N G U N N E E D E D
34 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
FELINE GATECRASHERS
In November 2015, world leaders convened at the G-20 Summit
in Antalya, Turkey but their focus was briefly taken away from
economic policy when three stray cats crashed the events main
stage. Unaware of the events global significance, the felines
casually walked around and sniffed a few flowers as
the organisers tried to shoo them away.
SOURCE: MENTAL_FLOSS
May2017 | 35
FIRST PERSON
The
Missing
Piece
I had so much love to give our adopted
son. What I didnt have were answers
BY S U SA N S ILVE RM AN
F R OM C AST I NG LOT S
36 | May2017
May2017 | 37
THE MISSING PIECE
At the end of fourth grade, while my couch huge smile, arms outstretched.
mother was drying a wooden salad Cue the lights, the applause, the
bowl with a dish towel, I made an an- laughter and that big hug. Here you
nouncement. Mummy, when I grow are, our hug said to each other. Always
up, Im going to adopt a hundred chil- here. Always mine. Mama, where is
dren, one from every country. my tummy-mummy? he asked, his
Thats a wonderful idea, my mum nose against mine.
said. She turned and placed her cool, I dont know, sweetie, I said, brac-
damp fingers under my chin. Even ing myself, gathering my thoughts.
adopting one child would be a beauti- Sometimes I wonder about her, too.
ful thing. Every night when he
So it was perhaps in- was four, Adar pulled
evitable that after hav- the same book from his
ing two daughters, my
Neither of shelf, handed it to me,
husband, Yosef, and I us could climbed onto his bed,
decided to expand our understand and nestled under my
family by looking abroad. arm, leaning into me.
In October 1999, I flew not wanting It was missing a
to Ethiopia and brought to belong to piece, I read to Adar
back ten-month-old Adar from the book.
to our home in Massa- someone Even though he could
chusetts. not yet read, he turned
When Adar was a tod- each page at the right
dler, hiding wasnt a way to vanish. It time. The illustrations prompted him
was a way to appear. to recite the prose along with me, word
Where is Adar? a tiny, disem- for word.
bodied voice called from behind the And it was not happy. So it set off
couch, signalling me to find him. in search of its missing piece, he said
Hands on my hips, I scanned the solemnly.
room. Where IS Adar? In a drawer? The Missing Piece, written and
No on the bookshelf? No illustrated by Shel Silverstein, is about
My heart stretched to bursting in its a circle, drawn with sparse black lines
pull towards him: his soft cheek against on a white page, that has a missing
mine, his arms surprisingly strong, his piece the shape and relative size of a
hands imprinting themselves on my pizza slice.
shoulder blades, the kiss I will plant on The circle goes on a journey in
his silky forehead. This was his story of search of its missing piece, travelling
becoming my son. through rain and snow and hot sun,
He jumped out from behind the finding pieces that either dont fit or
38 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
ing I was pregnant with him. Often set off internal alarms. His eyebrows
at bedtime, Adar would sit nestled scrunched in his telltale mix of con-
under my T-shirt, look out through the cern and curiosity. Funny, Yosef and
stretched neckline, and whisper the I had just been talking about having
command, Pretend youre walking. another birth child.
Lying supine on his bed under his We lay smushed together on his sin-
warm, soft weight, I would move my gle bed, his pile of storybooks stacked
feet as if strolling along the pavement. beside us on the green bedside table.
Peeking through my neckline, hed In the soft light that glowed through a
May2017 | 39
THE MISSING PIECE
40 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
mosaic of stories our family inside Perhaps Adars birth mother pre-
the unwieldy, unfolding narrative of pared him in a basket, wrapped and
the Jewish people within which he warm. Perhaps she, like the woman
could weave his life. who released Moses to the Niles flow,
Appreciating mystery was the only stationed herself at a distance to en-
way that I could honestly approach sure his safety as long as she could.
Adars origins. In this way, he was a She and I were a team, like Yoch-
portal to kedusha, the Hebrew word eved and the daughter of Pharaoh. Did
for holiness. I will be what I will be Yocheved call out for her son after he
was Gods answer to Mosess question was ensconced in Pharaohs palace?
Who are you? Mosess future was Did the daughter of Pharaoh, raising
becoming known, even as his origins her beautiful, wise boy, ever cry for
were unknown to him. How could Yocheveds loss?
he have remembered his mother, Oh, Adar. Your birth mother has
Yocheved, placing him in the basket taken her place in the long line of
that would carry him on the river away women who could save their children
from the Egyptian edict of death? How only by leaving them. Our tapestry of
was she able to let go of that basket? stories has raw, ragged holes. And,
My deepest fears formed themselves now, a bedtime story.
into prayer, even when I was simply I held him tightly, his head on
buckling my child into his car seat. my chest as we read aloud together.
Mosess cry carried beyond the hum Towards the end, the circle finds its
and thrum of the river and pierced the missing piece. Finally a complete
conversation of Pharaohs daughter circle, it gains momentum and rolls
and her handmaids as they bathed. along so fast that it could not stop to
Thus, the grown daughter of Pharaoh talk to a worm or smell a flower, too
heard the cries of the child. Tragi- fast for a butterfly to land.
cally, Yocheved hid herself in order to Aha, the circle says, so thats how it
save her son. is, and gently sets the piece down.
FROM THE BOOK CASTING LOTS 2016 BY SUSAN SILVERMAN, PUBLISHED BY DA CAPO PRESS. WWW.DACAPOPRESS.COM.
May2017 | 41
Lifes Like That
SEEING THE FUNNY SIDE
APR
1976
From the Archives
Some things like awkward conversations about the
birds and the bees are as old as time itself,
as this 62-year-old letter from May 1955 shows.
It was Saturday evening and I was waiting for a friend
in front of a store on our local Main Street. Nearby
stood a cowboy in boots and Stetson, beside him
asmall boy who was a junior-sized version of him.
The child stared for a time into the shop window,
which featured a display of brassieres, and then
asked: What are those, Daddy?
The cowboy turned his head briefly to look, then
drawled, Well, son, theyre kinda like holsters.
SUBMITTED BY GILBERT DOUGLAS
42 | May2017
My name is Fin, which
means its very hard for The Great Tweet-off:
me to end emails without Mothers Day Edition
sounding pretentious. How does Twitter observe Mothers
COMEDIAN FIN TAYLOR
Day? Same way it observes every
other day: with a tonne of laughs.
SWEET NOTHINGS
My husband gave me a beautiful Happy Mothers Day to a special
anniversary card that had lovely art lady who still loves me even though
and heartfelt verses. Wiping away I pooped my pants for over a year
a tear, I said, This is the sweetest after we first met. @PRIMAWESOME
card Ive ever received. [Hands mum flowers on Mothers
Really? he said, grinning broadly. Day] Thanks for a life of sacrifice,
What does it say? these cost me 20 bucks.
SUBMITTED BY MARY WEBSTER @REVEREND_SCOTT
STEPS MOTHER
Bought
B ht my y mum a mug that says,
Ive started wearing a fitness Happy Mo others Day from the
tracker to count my da aily Worlds WWorst Son. I forgot to
steps, and the first tim
me mail it to her,
h but I think she
Imade it to 9899 stepss knows. @OTHERDANOBRIEN
M mother gave me
My
youd better keep walkiing. the greatest gift of all,
Youre looking at it uppside- by still not being on
down. SUBMITT TED BY the internet.
JENNY JOH
HNSON @KEVINSECCIA
HEALTH
KIDNEY
STONES
With painful kidney stones on the rise and
affecting younger people its important to
know their causes, preventions and treatments
BY HELEN SIGNY
May2017 | 45
TO H E L L & B AC K W I T H K I D N E Y STO N E S
Then, just as Joanne was driving And the incidence worldwide has
through the morning peak-hour traf- been rapidly increasing. Considering
fic towards her office, she felt a sharp their prevalence, its important to be
pain on the left side of her back that informed.
then seared towards the front. It
was like someone was putting a knife How the Stones Form
into me and just turning it, she says. Various substances circulate through
Other than childbirth, I have never your body all the time; any excess is
felt pain like it. And it was constant, it sent to the kidneys for disposal. The
was never-ending. more urine you produce, the more
Terrified, Joanne turned around likely your body is to flush away this
and made it back home, where she excess. But when minerals and other
collapsed as her mother called an substances clump together before
ambulance. A few hours later, after an they can be expelled, kidney stones
ultrasound and several doses of pain can form.
medication, a doctor told her she had The typical kidney stone is a com-
five kidney stones. bination of calcium and oxalate or
Kidney stones are probably the most phosphate. Sometimes stones develop
painful condition known. Considering from uric acid, the culprit in gout
their tiny size typically just a couple not surprisingly, gout predisposes
of millimetres although some may be people to produce kidney stones. Less
smaller or grow larger its surprising common are stones caused by an in-
that they can cause such debilitating fection in the urinary tract, due to in-
symptoms. And for so many of us. herited abnormalities, or stones that
About one in ten Australian men are due to other medical conditions,
and one in 35 women will develop such as high blood pressure, diabetes
46 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
and blocks the flow of urine, the pain is a major risk factor. Theyre very
can be extreme usually in the back common in the summer months in
or the side, but sometimes in the ab- Australia and thats associated with
domen. Its the bodys unsuccessful dehydration, says Sydney urologist Dr
attempts to push through the block- Michael Wines.
age thats causing the pain. Other But with more and more people de-
symptoms include blood in the urine veloping stones, it cant be all chalked
or an urge to urinate more often. up to low fluid intake. Instead, blame
Thats why Joanne Bulls pain was it on the good life. As we grow in bulk,
so extreme. One of her kidney stones, becoming a more overweight popu-
measuring 6mm, was too big to lation, we also grow more prone to
pass from her kidney to her bladder kidney stones. And its not just how
through her ureter it was stuck, and much we eat, but what we eat.
causing her agony. A high-protein diet is associated
She was discharged from hospital with kidney stones as protein makes
but rushed back there at 3am when urine more acidic, says Heathcote.
she had a second attack. All day she A diet heavily reliant on processed
received strong pain relief until she food, such as canned, frozen and other
was finally taken for surgery at 8pm packaged fare, can also increase the
to insert a stent into her ureter. Ten risk of stone problems, according to
days later, still in severe pain, she was the USs National Intitute of Diabetes
back in hospital to have the stones re- and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
moved by laser surgery and then start Processed foods tend to be high in
a slow recovery. During her ordeal, sodium and increased salt increases
Joanne lost 8kg. the amount of calcuim you excrete in
your urine.
What Causes Them? In Australia, youre also more likely
People who develop kidney stones to develop kidney stones if you live in
are usually genetically predisposed to a regional area or if you are Aboriginal.
them they dont have any underlying But during heatwaves when we dont
disease, its just bad luck. Dehydration drink enough, everyone is at risk. >>
May2017 | 47
TO H E L L & B AC K W I T H K I D N E Y STO N E S
48 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
>> And, while kidney stones are fluid intake and output make sure
most often a problem for the middle- your urine is the colour of gin rather
aged and older, according to a 2016 than whiskey, says Wines.
US study, children, too, especially ad- You should also eat a balanced diet,
olescents, are susceptible. In the US, with plenty of calcium which actually
the risk of kidney stones in adoles- means youre less likely to develop cal-
cents doubled between 1997 and 2012 cium stones plenty of fibre, low salt
a worrying trend because having the and low protein. If you tend to form
condition young can increase your calcium oxalate stones, you may need
risk of developing kidney, heart and to eat fewer foods containing oxalates,
bone diseases. such as rhubarb, beetroot, spinach,
May2017 | 49
SEE
THE WORLD ...
Turn the page
DIFFERENTLY
The gentoo penguin can swim up to
36km/h through the water before
piercing the surface, shooting through
the air and landing on solid ground.
That makes these otherwise flightless
birds the fastest of their kind. Speed
isalso a must when they fight among
themselves for the best nesting
locations on Cuverville Island, in a
channel off theAntarctic Peninsula.
Here during November and December,
this 5km2 parcel of land is shared by
up to 9000 mating penguin couples.
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
CONTEST
100
WORD
STORIES WINNERS
54 | May2017
Eric Edward
NELSON, NEW ZEALAND
WINNER $1000
ABOUT ERIC
Formerly of
Christchurch,
New Zealand,
Eric Edward is a
retired teacher.
He now divides
his time between
Australia and
New Zealand
andis currently
nishing tie-in
novels for several
of his speculative
Martini in hand, he escaped the lounge party to o lm scripts. The
the patio. The Caribbeans evening breeze cooled ctional what
might have been
his
hi brow.
b was inspired
A chap in civvies was taking an inordinate interest in byarecent
nocturnal flutterings in a nearby creeper. newspaper
So, youre a twitcher? photo of the real
I guess. Written a couple of books on Caribbean twitcher, and
Ericsays that he
birds. married it to the
Here, Ian pondered, was someone who could writers creative
perhaps be of value if he was to return after the war springboard,
and settle down to write. Maybe Ive read them. What if.?
Probably not. Thereaders
emotional
PHOTO: iSTOC K
May2017 | 55
RUNNER-UP $250
Margot Ogilvie ABOUT MARGOT
VICTOR HARBOR, AUSTRALIA
Margot Ogilvie is a
The trip had been a long one. Seventeen married mother of
hours in the air. Too many movie reruns. three from South
Not enough sleep. Bland in-flight food. Who Australia. Writing
short stories is
knows how long in various airports across
something of a
theglobe. Then straight from plane to train. passion. Her work
They call it the Ghan, heading north. No has appeared in
movies now. Just a parade of strange wildlife three short story
emu, kangaroo and wildly coloured birds anthologies and has
won several short
amidst the red dust out the window. Endless
story competitions.
rattle and sway. The 54 year old
The bus from Alice Springs takes us further loves all things
into scrubby nowhere. Australian: its vast
Then suddenly, the rock appears red. No, landscape, its
strong people, its
P HOTOS: iSTOCK
56 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
RUNNER-UP $250
Joan Brimelow
HORNSBY, AUSTRALIA
May2017 | 57
All in a Days Work
HUMOUR ON THE JOB
QUEUE JUMPER
The scene is a ticket line at a theme park.
Customer My son wants to go on the ride.
There are a tonne of people in the way.
Me You need to wait in line like everyone else,
madam. May I interest you in getting a Fast Pass?
Customer (shouting) Just take me and my son
to the front!
Me If I let you go to the front of the line, then Id
have to let everyone go to the front of the line.
Customer Then why dont you do that?
Source: notalwaysright.com
58 | May2017
LOVE AT BURST SIGHT
The ophthalmologists very cute
assistant was examining my 20-year-
old grandson, when out of the blue
she said, You must really work out.
Well, yes, I do, said my grandson,
beaming. I run and lift weights.
Thank you for noticing.
Oh, you misunderstood, she said.
You have popped blood vessels in
your eyes. We see that with people Well run a few tests, but it looks
who work out. like you have jazz hands.
SUBMITTED BY ELIZABETH BOGAERT
patio?
Q Now, the baked potato, what is THE STAGES OF
that? WORKING FROM
Q What would you do if I robbed HOME
you? Source: reddit.com
1. Yay, I get to work
from home.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT
2. It would be nice to
A close friend, Abigail, was keen to
talk to people.
make a good impression at her
interview, after a decade of caring for 3. I hope that pigeon sits in
her children full time. the window today.
@MARKAGEE ON TWITTER
While in the lift to the interview,
May2017 | 59
DRAMA IN REAL LIFE
D he r i wiil e s s,,
hs sh o p a n da
an r
BY LISA FITTERMAN
The couple checks their backpacks: that are their only contact with civi-
sleeping bags, instant coffee and two lisation.
water-resistant covers theyll use at Married for only four years, they
night in the rustic wilderness huts met over half a century ago, when
they plan to shelter in. Theyll stop Liisa, now 65, was a shy, tall, talented
en route for a night and buy food. teen with a thick, blonde plait. A dec-
After attaching their backcountr y ade later, she would win the womens
skis atop their car, they settle down world orienteering championship.
for the two-day drive to just beyond Tuomo, nearly six years older, with
Kilpisjarvi, a settlement of Sami, craggy features and a dry sense of hu-
an indigenous people also known mour, was in the same orienteering
as Laplanders. There, theyll begin
their trek.
Its easy driving, and on occasion,
Liisa points out a bird that Tuomo THEYD BEEN SKIING
must squint to see, for he has taught FOR NEARLY THREE
her to love birdwatching as much as HOURS, AND STILL
he does. THE FIRST HUT HAD NOT
You can see so much further than COME INTO VIEW
me, he grumbles good-naturedly.
Yes, she says happily. I can.
62 | May2017
Liisa was the
BY SUNDAY MORNING, as they reach womens world
their starting point, the wind has champion
orienteer when
picked up to a gale force 72 km an hour
she was in her
and is blowing snow that turns the mid-20s
landscape white with fat, black clouds
overhead. But the weather doesnt
scare them. As orienteers, theyve dealt
with bad weather before.
They pull on their backpacks, don
facemasks and goggles, and step into
the storm. Tuomo, carrying a much-
used map, leads the way. Its about
4pm, and they plan to reach the first
hut around 7pm, before darkness falls.
At least we can see about 150 me-
tres in front of ourselves, Liisa says.
Today, their route is to take them
to the Lossujarvi wilderness hut, near
the border with Norway. Its just 12
kilometres to the east, beyond a rein-
deer fence that cuts through the re-
gion. The fence, which Sami reindeer Liisa asks Tuomo if his compass is
herders use to prevent individual broken.
stock from escaping their herds, will Dont know, he shrugs. His mobile
be Liisa and Tuomos marker. phone cant find a signal, either. Maybe
Two hours pass before they start go- its the weather, or magnetic fields. Or
ing up what they think is their last hill maybe, like them, its just having trou-
before the hut, still fighting the wind. ble telling where the sky ends and the
As if choreographed, they start to side- ground begins.
step up, digging the edges of their skis Im an engineer, he says. Some-
into the hard-packed snow to gain times, things work. Sometimes, they
traction. Slowly, they cover several dont.
hundred metres; by the time they reach They ski for another hour before
PHOTO: ESA URHON EN
the top, they have been out for nearly they stop and camp for the night.
three hours. They cant see exactly In the morning, we can figure
where they are. They only know it isnt out where we are when its light out
where they are supposed to be: the hut. again, Tuomo says.
Did we turn around? they wonder They scoop out a shallow snow
aloud. cave, just large enough for them to
May2017 | 63
LOST
lay out their sleeping bags. Using one I just need to rest, he says.
of the waterproof covers as a liner Liisa thinks nothing of it. He
and the other as a makeshift roof, doesnt, either. All he needs is a min-
they have a meal of bread, cheese and ute or two to catch his breath. They
bananas, and then burrow into their stand there, drinking and silent, until
sleeping bags for the night. he nods. Liisa takes the lead, hoping
By 8 on Monday morning, Liisa has her rangy body can provide a wind-
had bread and cheese for breakfast. break for her husband.
Tuomo drinks only black coffee be- Liisa can hear Tuomo behind her,
cause no matter how active hes go- labouring, the orienteer and engineer
ing to be, he has learned that eating who has always been able to do what
anything early in the day makes him he sets his mind to, stubborn, strong
feel tired. In his 70th year, vital and fit, and fearless. They fall into a rhythm:
he knows he cant afford to be tired on
this trip.
The wind is still blowing hard and
the light is flat, with visibility a mere LIISA GROWS MORE
30 metres around them as they start CONCERNED: COULD
out. Tuomo is convinced they came too TUOMO BE FIGHTING
far south the day before. They consult SOMETHING MORE
the map, which has the length of the THAN EXHAUSTION?
reindeer fence and the location of the
hut on it, but because they arent sure
where they are, it isnt much help.
We need to go northeast, Tuomo ski for a few minutes, stop for Tuomo
says. to catch his breath, then start again.
For about 90 minutes, the two take Dont think about Tuomos fatigue,
a chance that theyre going the right Liisa tells herself, sharply. Deal with
way, concentrating on striding, glid- the task at hand. We can do this.
ing and breathing. Then, just as he She thinks back to her time on the
had predicted, the fence rises before national orienteering team, to when
them, partially hidden by snow. she won the championship while
Were going left and following it! pregnant with the oldest of her sons; to
he calls. Relieved, they set off again. when she calmly fought through every-
But they go barely 300 metres when thing, including morning sickness.
Tuomo starts to feel dizzy. He stops, This, she tells herself, is just another
leaning on his poles for support. challenge.
Whats wrong? Liisa asks, coming Time passes: stride, glide, breathe
up close behind him. All of a sudden, she realises she can
64 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
no longer hear Tuomo labouring Tuomo lies down on one of the lin-
behind her. ers. After a 20-minute nap, they con-
Tuomo! Tuomo! tinue for another couple of hours until
For a few seconds, theres nothing. around 7pm, when he can go no fur-
Then, a faint human whistle. ther, although he is convinced the hut
She waits for him to catch up. is only a kilometre away, due north.
By 5.30pm, they realise that theyll Its as if his strong body has been
have to stop again for the night. Its taken over by someone old and frail.
been a long, hard day. Deal with it, Liisa tells herself
We should have found the hut by fiercely. Gently, she gets him into
now, Liisa thinks to herself, then says his sleeping bag, and places a water-
out loud to him: Well find the hut proof cover over him. He goes to sleep
tomorrow. immediately.
As they settle in for another night in I need to do something!
a snow cave, Tuomo is shivering and Liisa plants one of Tuomos skis in
nauseous. the snow, ties his torch to the tip and
On Tuesday morning, hes even switches it on a beacon that will
sicker but puts on his skis anyway. bring her back to him in the dark.
Itll pass, he says. We have one task. She bends down to kiss him good-
Just find the hut. bye. She says: Ill be back soon, and
Its the same pattern as the day heads off in search of the hut. Its
before, start and stop, over and over about 8pm.
again, with each stop becoming
longer. By now, Liisa is both frustrated THE SKIES SLOWLY CLEAR and the
and concerned. Could there be some- temperature drops to -5C. But Tuomo
thing more than exhaustion at play doesnt feel cold, cocooned in the
here? Flu, maybe, or an infection? sleeping bag like a mummy. There is
They ski on. no pain and no fear. There is a great
In the middle of the afternoon, stillness.
Tuomo stops dead. At some point during the night, he
Liisa, I need to sleep before going slips into unconsciousness, his body in
any further, he says. deep freeze, unmoving. In the dark, the
Something is clearly wrong, some- light from the torch Liisa left casts him
thing beyond fatigue. in shadow, a shroud on the ground.
Shes worried. Sure, he naps every Meanwhile, Liisa skis north, the
day at home but what if what if he bulb in the torch she brought flick-
doesnt wake up here? She doesnt fin- ering intermittently in the dark until
ish the thought with its logical conclu- it goes out. Its good that its clearing,
sion: what if he dies? she thinks. I can still find my way.
May2017 | 65
ill. But Liisa doesnt
panic. Her experience
The couple at home. tells her this shouldnt
Two things saved be happening, but she
Tuomo: his top doesnt berate herself.
physical condition That would be a waste
and Liisas of time and besides,
determination
nobodys perfect.
Right now, what you
have is stamina and
instinct, she thinks.
She chooses one
direction, skiing in a
straight line for about
one and a half kilo-
metres until some-
thing makes her turn
around and follow her
When she thinks of Tuomo, she tracks back to the boulders and con-
imagines him waiting for her. Hes tinue in the other direction. Its as if
there and sending me strength, she a presence is guiding her a star of
thinks. Bethlehem, or God, or her own stub-
After about an hour of skiing, with- bornness.
out finding the hut, she turns back to
Tuomo, deciding that the search can AS THE SUN RISES on Wednesday
wait until the morning. But for some morning, it gives way to a vista that,
reason, she cant find the light she left for the first time in three days, is clear.
blazing. Did it go out? Tired, hungry and running on adrena-
Ski on, she tells herself fiercely. She line, she makes her way up a hill and
turns back in search of the hut. stands on its summit, and there, glint-
Not much later, she guides her skis ing in the sun, is the roof of the hut.
between some boulders and encoun- She makes it to the hut in about half
ters wait are those her own ski an hour, at around 11am. Ole-Thomas
PHOTO: ESA URHONEN
66 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
No, she says, slurring her words temperature is 25C, 12 degrees lower
from exhaustion. My husband is out than the norm. Dr. Geir Bjrsvik, a
there. Ive been skiing for 15 hours specialist in cardiac anaesthesiology,
straight to find help. Do you have wa- decides that as Tuomo is breathing on
ter, please? Im so thirsty. his own, the procedure to warm up his
Ole-Thomas manages to make out body can begin right away.
that her husband is in serious trouble. For the next two hours, a heart-lung
After giving Liisa some of his water, he machine slowly drains Tuomos cold,
goes outside, mounts his snowmobile sluggish blood from his body and re-
and follows her ski tracks. Within 30 turns it warmed up. Bit by bit, no more
minutes, he sees something dark and than a couple of degrees at a time, until
unmoving on the snow. his temperature is back to normal.
Im too late, he thinks. Although the doctors were unable
He moves closer to Tuomo, kneels to definitively diagnose the cause of
down and, startled, hears a sound. Tuomos original fatigue and illness,
Holding his breath, he listens again. the resulting hypothermia had done
Its no mistake. The body is snoring. serious damage. In the coming days,
He pulls out his mobile phone and hell have emergency surgery to re-
punches in 113, the number for medi- move a metre of intestine that ne-
cal emergency services in Norway; crotised on the fell because his blood
he knows the nearest major medical was busy preserving major organs.
centre is the University Hospital of Hell also lose four and a half toes
North Norway hospital in Troms, because of frostbite, and his kidneys
just under 100 kilometres away. Told will take two weeks to start working
that a helicopter will arrive within 30 properly again.
minutes, he switches on the headlight But really, his doctors say, he
of his snowmobile to make the two of should have been dead.
them easy to see from the air. Two things saved Tuomo: his top
At the hospital, Tuomo is rushed physical condition and Liisa, his
into an operating room. His body determined wife.
May2017 | 67
Quotable Quotes
IN CELEBRATION OF MOTHERS
Mothers and dogs both had a kind of second sight GOD COULD NOT
BE EVERYWHERE,
that made them see into peoples minds and know
AND THEREFORE HE
when anything unusual was going on. MADE MOTHERS.
P HOTO: (EVERAGE) A LAM Y
E N I D B LY TO N , Th e My s te r y o f t he Hi d d e n Hou s e ( 1 9 4 8 ) R U DYA R D K I P LI N G
68 | May2017
FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE
May2017 | 69
Could you ever forgive a serial kill ?
What if he were your father? Here
story of Kerri Rawsons hunt for a s
BY R OY W E N Z L FR O M T H E W I C H I TA E AG LE
Kerri Rawson
in 2015, ten
years after
learning the
truth about
her father
M Y FAT H E R WA S T H E B T K K I L L E R
But she decided to let the FBI agent defended Dennis. Back in Detroit,
into her kitchen, where she had made Kerri yelled at the FBI agent. The last
chocolate Bundt cake. From then on, time she had seen her dad was in Park
the smell of chocolate cake would City at Christmas. Hed looked sad.
make her queasy. She remembered his bear hug, how
The man asked if she knew what he smelled, his brown uniform. This
BTK was. Yes, she did. BTK Bind, could not be true, she told the man.
Torture, Kill was the nickname for Dad had called last night, asking if
the serial killer who had scared her shed checked the oil in her car.
mother decades ago and who was re- At that point she did something she
sponsible for murdering ten people in would do many times over the next
Kansas between 1974 and 1991. seven days: defend and then doubt
The FBI guy was her dads age, in her father at the same time. She told
his late 50s, wearing glasses and a tie, the agent about Marine Hedge. Hedge,
nervous. Kerri was a 26-year-old sub- 53, was a grandmother, 1.5 metres tall,
stitute teacher taking a day off, still in weighing no more than 45 kilograms.
her pyjamas. The man said her father Shed lived six doors down from the
had been arrested as a BTK suspect. Raders and disappeared in 1985,
72 | May2017
Celebrating Christmas at the Rader home in 1984 in Park City, Kansas (left);
a fatherdaughter fishing trip to Oklahoma in 2002 (right)
was innocent but then told her hus- camped outside, and when Darian
band she was matching her memories drove to work, they followed.
to BTKs murder timeline, wondering Darian watched his wife change.
if her whole life might be a lie. Athletic and nearly 1.7 metres tall,
she was no girlie girl, and he loved
THE NEXT DAY, police and politicians that. She could walk for days carrying
gathered in Wichitas city hall. BTK is a backpack. But now, she was BTKs
arrested, the police chief announced. daughter. She looked like her dad:
Kerri was furious when she learned same dark hair, same eyes. She shared
that to link her dad to BTK, cops had his middle name, Lynn. She felt as if
obtained one of her Pap smears taken shed done something wrong.
years before at Kansas State Universi- Kerri searched her memories. The
tys clinic. They used it to confirm that night of Hedges murder, Dad had
P HOTOS: COURTESY KERRI RAWS ON
the Rader family DNA closely matched taken Brian, her brother, on a Boy
DNA in the semen that BTK left at Scout camp. Was it an alibi so he
the scene of a quadruple homicide could sneak out and murder their
in 1974. The FBI guy had asked Kerri neighbour? In 2004, around Christ-
for a cheek swab so he could double- mas, after BTK threatened in letters
check her DNA. to the police and news outlets that he
The first nights, Kerri and her hus- would kill again, Dad had driven her
band, Darian, slept as if one of them to the airport to pick up her brother.
needed to be on watch she on the But Dad had wandered off. Was he
couch, he on the floor. TV crews posting one of those letters? Watching
May2017 | 73
M Y FAT H E R WA S T H E B T K K I L L E R
the news to see if he was mentioned? Brian, her older brother, had been an
She minutely analysed her whole life. Eagle Scout and was training to serve
Kerri remembered how he spoke on US Navy nuclear submarines.
sharply if she sat in his chair or failed Dennis couldnt understand why no
to put her shoes away. Cops said BTK family members visited. Kerri wrote
made strange marks in his commu- to him: You have had these secrets,
nications to them. She recalled weird this double life, for 30 years; we have
marks Dad made on newspaper only had knowledge of it for three
stories. Code, hed called it. months We are trying to cope and
Mike Clark, the familys pastor, vis- survive You lied to us, deceived us.
ited Dennis Rader in jail a week after The family dreaded a trial, where his
his arrest. Clark called Paula after- crimes would be described. Dennis
wards, and Kerri watched her mother pleaded guilty to spare them. Kerri felt
take the call, with a yellow legal pad in relieved until the plea hearing. Her
her hand. Paula wrote, Hes confess- dad told a TV audience at length how
ing, and underlined it as they talked. he had killed people, lingering over
It was true. He had murdered the how hed murdered the Otero kids.
Oteros: a mum, a dad and two chil- He seemed to enjoy the story. He even
dren, ages 11 and 9. He had tortured brought up Kerri. Joseph Otero had a
victims, sexually defiled several. He daughter; I had a daughter.
had taken Hedges body inside Christ One night the next year, while
Lutheran Church, where he was con- Darian slept, Kerri lay beside him and
gregation president. He posed her wrote to her father.
and took photos. BTK had started his Should I tell you that I grew up
crimes in 1974, before Kerri was born. adoring you, that you were the sun-
Everybody assumed BTK was a sa- shine of my life true, even if it is
distic genius. But the real BTK is an coming out jaded and bitter now
ordinary, inarticulate doofus, Darian Sometimes I just want to go out and
thought. And a good dad, Kerri said. buy the biggest, buttery tub [of pop-
With Paula, hed taught the kids godli- corn] I can find and wave it in your face
ness. Kerri had two university degrees; and say, Ha, you wont ever have this
74 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
again and ask was it worth it? In the Kerri had had good people around
next breath I want to ask if youre stay- all her life, Parker thought. A loving
ing warm at night Im so sorry that husband. Church. Friends. And good
youre alone in that small, cold concrete parents. Not just Mum. Dad, too.
cell and sometimes I just wish I could The cops said Dennis Rader fancied
give you a hug. himself a James Bond character with
cover stories Boy Scout volunteer,
She never sent that letter. And when congregation president. But BTK had
her dad wrote to her, his letters some- also been a good dad, Parker said.
times went into the rubbish bin, where Maybe it was all a cover story, she
she dumped cat litter on them. Other added. But if it was, it was a cover
times shed write, and he would not story that actually worked.
reply, later telling her hed been busy. After her daughter, Emilie, was
born, Kerri clung to teachings about
D E N N I S C O M M I T T E D his first Gods love. But when a sermon on
murders at age 29. At age 29, Kerri forgiveness was announced at church,
became a mother, and suddenly she she stayed away. She had a second
truly despised her dad. In 1974, he had child, Ian, in 2011, but her dads be-
killed two children. In 1977, he had trayals kept poisoning her life. When
strangled Shirley Vian while her six- Emilie was five, she asked her mother
year-old son watched through a key- where her grandfather was.
hole. In 1986, he killed Vicki Wegerle In a long time-out, Kerri replied.
as her two-year-old stood in a playpen. Could Kerri see him? Emilie asked.
Man hurt Mummy, the child told Its a really long time-out, Kerri
police. Kerri stopped writing to her answered.
father and cut him out of her life.
Sue Parker, a therapist, treated Kerri ONE DAY AT CHURCH, Darian and
for five months in 2007. Parker saw a Kerri listened to a woman describe
woman with above-average intelli- being raped. She said she forgave,
gence, poise and post-traumatic stress. not to help the rapist, but to lighten
(Kerri gave permission for Parker to be her own suffering. Kerri talked about
interviewed for this story.) that idea for days. In August 2012, she
Many factors determine how well announced at church that her father
people can recover. Its about the was a serial killer and told her story.
severity of the trauma and how long I have not forgiven him, she said.
it goes on, but it also depends on the Marijo Swanson, a friend, talked to
coping mechanisms the victims have her. If we choose not to forgive or not
their support system, who they work at healing from the betrayal, she
have around them, Parker said. told Kerri, we continue to give the
May2017 | 75
church. [God] told me, You have a
dad problem; you have a trust and
obedience problem. You trusted and
obeyed your earthly father, and he
hurt you, so now youre holding out
on me. Lets fix that.
She said, I told Him that I love
you. He said, Then show me.
And so she had done it, she told
them. She had forgiven him. She wrote
again to her father, telling him once
more that she forgave him. Her father
Dennis Rader walks Kerri down the was stunned. Forgiveness is there be-
aisle at her wedding in 2003 tween the lines, he wrote in his ram-
bling style. She recalls all that we did
as a family many good memories,
other person power to control us and and that helps her make the day. That
our feelings. is true love from a daughters heart.
That autumn, Kerri suffered a frac- What else can a father ask for?
ture in her tibia. She was laid up for That was not the end to Kerris
weeks. Shortly afterwards, forgiveness struggles. In September 2013, Stephen
poured over her one day. The anger King said in a TV interview that hed
was gone. In December, Kerri wrote to written a story inspired by the Rader
her dad for the first time in five years. family called A Good Marriage, about
She told him she would never forget discovering a monster in the house.
his crimes or be at peace with them, Furious, Kerri gave her own interview,
but she was at peace with the man who lashing out at King. Among people
had raised her. Then she wrote of her giving her rave reviews: Dad.
life and of the grandchildren he would She reminds me of me, he wrote
never meet. I dont know if I will ever to the Wichita Eagle. Independ-
P HOTO: COURTESY KERRI RAWSON
be able to make it for a visit but know ence, fearless, uses the media. I was
that I love you and hope to see you in touch[ed] by it People reading
heaven someday. will see we had a good Family. Noth-
After that letter, Kerri changed. ing to hide; Only me with my Dark
Before she forgave him, she thought Secrets. Like she said, I was a good
of herself as BTKs daughter, Darian dad (but only did bad things).
said later. But as soon as she forgave Memories came back to Kerri. In
him, she was Kerri again. 1996, the Raders had lost a cousin
In February 2013, Kerri spoke at to a car wreck and were losing a
76 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
grandfather to illness. To comfort the that for him, she says. I did it for me.
family, her mum made manicotti, but She returns to her old block and
the Raders got into a fight at dinner. points. Theres my grandmas house,
We had this old rickety table and and theres where Mrs Hedge lived
someone I dont remember who And here is where our house was.
pounded on it, and the legs broke and It is a vacant lot. The city razed the
all the dinner came crashing down house to discourage sightseers. To get
My dad was so angry at my brother, to my grandmas house, I had to walk
he put his hands around my brothers past Mrs Hedges house, and now [at
neck and started to try to choke him. age six] I was afraid. And the guy who
I can still picture it clearly, and I can killed her was living in our house.
see the intense anger in my dads face She shows where a tree house
and eyes. Close to manic. stood, built by her dad. She indicates
For Kerri, life continued to be com- with her arms how big his garden had
plicated. I fight my dad sometimes in been. He turned my bedroom into a
my dreams, never understanding who nursery for plants when I was three,
let him out of prison, she said. Im and Id sleep with my brother in the
always very fearful of him and very bunk bed. I was so annoyed with my
angry in my dreams. Sometimes Im dad. But now you realise that kept him
even fighting for my life or frantically out of trouble. He was trying to stop.
trying to convince others of the truth. So it was plants or murder.
She points to a depression in the
ON A COLD MORNING in January grass: the grave of Patches, a pet dog
2015, Kerri is back in Wichita. Coming long dead. The cops were so suspi-
back here to Wichita is like stepping cious of BTK that they had dug up
into enemy territory, she says. She the dogs remains to see whether BTK
wonders whether people might recog- had buried any secrets with them. He
nise her, and she talks about forgive- had not.
ness. I feel bad for the 30 years of But nothing about her life was
bad things because of one man, my spared, Kerri says. Not even the graves
dad I forgave him. But I didnt do of long-dead dogs.
WICHITA EAGLE (FEBRUARY 21, 2015) 2015 BY THE MCCLATCHY COMPANY
ONE-SIDED CONVERSATION
According to Durham University researchers, the inner voice
you hear in your mind is accompanied by subtle movements of the
larynx. In other words: we are all talking to ourselves. THE GUARDIAN
May2017 | 77
TECHNO
Yuck!
Clean
Your
Touch
Screen! BY KATE M URP HY
FR O M T H E NE W YORK TIMES
Do you see oily fingerprints and lint? show that what accumulates is germy
Dust and crumbs? Is that a hair stuck nastiness worse than what is on the
at the screens edge? bottom of your shoe. Like your tooth-
We take our electronics into public brush, your mobile device is some-
restrooms, hand them to runny- thing you want to clean regularly,
nosed toddlers, pass them around to says Dr Dubert Guerrero, an infec-
share photos, and press them against tious disease specialist. And probably
78 | May2017
not something you want to pass to-one ratio of 70 per cent isopropyl
around the dinner table. alcohol and distilled water, which can
be found at most pharmacies.
For Basic Sanitation Fill a spray bottle with the diluted
Cleaning your device can be tricky be- alcohol, lightly moisten a lint-free
cause you dont want to damage it, cloth, preferably microfibre (no paper
and manufacturers dont give you towels), and gently wipe down the
much guidance. It can be done, how- screen and case. Never spray directly
ever, if youre conscientious. Health onto the device. To clean corners and
experts advise wiping it down with a around ports, use lint-free foam swabs
moist microfibre cloth at least daily, rather than cotton swabs.
which is sufficient to eliminate finger-
prints and dust. Bacteria such as To Keep It Looking New
Clostridium difficile (which can cause Using a can of compressed air to blow
diarrhoea and inflammation of the around ports and between keys will
colon) and flu viruses help maintain the look,
may require a sterilising performance and resale
agent such as bleach or value when its time to
alcohol. The germy mess upgrade. This gets rid of
This is a problem, on your mobile dust and particles that
since Apple officially
warns against using win-
phone is worse can infiltrate and dam-
age electronics.
dow cleaners, household than whats on Another option is to
cleaners, aerosol sprays, the bottom of buy a specialised air
solvents, abrasives or compressor such as the
cleaners that contain your shoe DataVac Electric Duster,
hydrogen peroxide to which comes with all
clean its products. sorts of little attach-
Nevertheless, disinfectant wipes ments for cleaning out your devices
made for electronics are great at clean- crevices and seams.
ing grime. But its far cheaper to make An air compressor gets things really
your own solution. To clean his mobile clean, says Miroslav Djuric, former
devices, Derek Meister, a repair and chief information architect at iFixit, an
online support technician, uses a one- online do-it-yourself community.
NEW YORK TIMES (JANUARY 2, 2015) 2015 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES CO., NYTIMES.COM.
May2017 | 79
Laughter
THE BEST MEDICINE
UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE
Teacher If I gave you two cats
and another two cats and
another two, how many would
you have?
Johnny Seven.
Teacher No, listen carefully.
If I gave you two cats and another
two cats and another two, how
many would you have?
Johnny Seven.
Its a middle-aged potbellied baldo.
Teacher Let me put it to you this
way: if I gave you two apples and
another two apples and another DEEP
two, how many would you have? Imagine youre just walking down
Johnny Six. the street one day and a hamburger
Teacher Good. Now, if I gave you appears mid-air. You bite into the
two cats and another two cats and hamburger and the next thing you
another two, how many would you know, youre on the moon. Is that
have? what its like for fish when we go
Johnny Seven! fishing? COMEDIAN SAM SIMMONS
Teacher Johnny, where on Earth
are you getting seven from? BACK IT UP
Johnny Because Ive already got Having just been driven home in a
a flaming cat! Source: laughfactory.com taxi from a night out at a bar, a man
CARTOON: JOE DICHIARRO
80 | May2017
HUMOUR
The
Prisoner
of Mensa
The worlds
second-smartest
man does mostly
dumb stuff
BY RICK ROSNER
May2017 | 81
THE PRISONER OF MENSA
odds that the rock wont be deflected bouncers who didnt have statistical
by the fence are negligible (25 per algorithms.
cent squared, or one in 16), so I dont When I was writing for the TV quiz
have to duck. Then the rock passed show Weakest Link, we had a quota
clean through the fence and clonked of 24 questions a day. This didnt
me on the head. seem like enough for someone with
Having the worlds second-highest my big brain, so I set my own quota
IQ, I can tell you genius has its draw- of 60 to 100 questions a day. I didnt
backs. My less-bright know that my bosses
friends put it like this: were evaluating writ-
Theres the right way, ers based on how many
and theres the Rosner Instead of a of our questions were
82 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
May2017 | 83
NATURE
Hitting the
High Spots
On an African safari, Vijaya Pratap got closer
to a big cat than shed hoped for
T
here was a cheetah on the roof deep in the midst of the Maasai Mara
of my jeep. National Reserve in Kenya.
Its golden, spotted coat glis- It was March 2014. My job as a
tened under the overhead sun. The travel writer and blogger had finally
great cat stood still, an arms length yielded a trip to Kenya. Landing in
away the only thing separating us Nairobi, I travelled en route to the
was the metal roof. I could not see market town of Nanyuki the same day.
its head. Was it watching me and pre- We took a ten-seater caravan plane
paring to leap in at the right moment? (we had two women pilots). Flying
What if it jumped in through the open very close to the ground, it offered a
sides? I had stopped breathing. As I fabulous aerial view of the area, which
P HOTO COURTESY OF VIJAYA P RATAP
waited for the cheetah to make its lay along the Equator. After about
next move, cold shivers ran through 40 minutes, I experienced my first
my body. bush landing. We travelled by road
Seated inside our 44 safari jeep to reach the nearby Ol Pejeta con-
were our driver Evans, guide Gilbert servancy. After a few days of spotting
Kipchumba, both local men, and three of the Big Five game animals
three other tourists. I was in the African elephant, Cape buffalo and
open viewing area of the jeep, taking rhinoceros (we missed the lion and
pictures. Long stretches of savannah leopard) it was time to head to the
grasslands surrounded us. We were wilds of Maasai Mara.
84 | May2017
H I T T I N G T H E H I G H S P OTS
galed us with stories of wild animals we were lucky, perhaps we could wit-
and the life of the Maasai tribe. Gilbert, ness a dramatic hunt. I stopped taking
a stout man in his mid-30s, joined in. pictures and went still. Its always a
I listened intently while staring out of good idea to listen to someone who
the jeep to get the best possible view. has spent 20 years tracking animals.
Our vehicle suddenly veered and
came to a stop near a small bush. WITHIN A FRACTION of a second,
Instantly I spotted a cheetah, crouched the cheetah jumped onto our open
nearby, its gaze fixed on some- jeep, its body right in front of me. It
thing in the distance. I started taking stood there, almost undecided. This
86 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
unfolded so fast, I had no time to duck Outside, the savannah breathed and
into the jeep. Was it going to jump in? moved on. A few safari jeeps came by
Not yet it just stood there, as if time and stopped. Excited at this windfall
had stopped. I prayed fervently, as the of rare footage, they took photographs
cheetah remained still, for almost four hurriedly. I posed for pictures, even
minutes. This was just too close. My life faking smiles and responding with a
depended on the mood of a feline that thumbs up. Then they left. We were
had been an interesting subject for a alone once again. Just the six of us,
travel story for me so far. Suddenly, the the cheetah and the vast wilderness
cheetah sprang up and perched on top that stretched for kilometres.
of the jeep. I started breathing again. I Evans and Gilbert cracked a few
heard Evans and Gilbert chuckle qui- cheetah jokes none of which I re-
etly. This was clearly the first time they member. I was too petrified to laugh,
had experienced this as well. being the one closest to the animal.
The big cat was in no hurry. It If it got distracted from the hunt,
needed an elevated observation post it would certainly attack me first. I
to track its prey. We followed its move- thought of my husband and children.
ments through the shadow on the roof. Was the end going to come so far from
It stretched out, tail dangling and well home, away from my dear ones?
within reach. As time passed, I relaxed
a bit. I was even tempted to touch it, Forty-five minutes later, the cheetah
to feel the texture of its fur. There was finally stood up and jumped down,
an aura of danger around the slender before sauntering away. It crouched
cat, yet it was strangely beautiful and in another spot, waiting to attack its
irresistibly charming. prey. Lets go, I told Evans, my voice
Evans gestured as if to say, Dont crackling with anxiety. No more hunt-
worry, it will leave. Its like if a snake watching for me.
glides over your foot, its best not to Well, not until my next trip to
shake it off, because it may bite. Its Uganda, on the trail of the mountain
better to stay still, until it leaves. Easier gorilla. Im sure I will live to tell that
said than done. tale, too!
STRIKE A POSE
Why do you look surprised in all your selfies? Didnt you know
you were taking the picture? @TURTLEDUMPLIN (LINDA)
May2017 | 87
PHOTO FEATURE
WEDDING
STORIES
O
A globe-trotting photographer finds emotions
rather than perfection in couples big days
BY M ARINKA P U LAR
P H OTO GRAP H S BY SAM O ROVAN
A SWEET-TOOTHED DONKEY
TAKES GATE-CRASHING LITERALLY
This rustic wedding venue in Lbeck,
Germany, offered charming farm
buildings, lush pastures and stunning
views. An uninvited guest named
Florine was also part of the package.
PORTRAIT OF A BRIDE
WITH A FISHERMAN
A bride stands on a rocky
outcrop and stares at the
lastlight of the day on the
horizon. Will her marriage be
as calm as the sea stretching
in front of her? Seaside
weddings area popular
wayto celebrate one of the
happiest days in the life of a
couple. The sea itself provides
the perfect backdrop and
theoutdoor setting allows
couples to avoid the expense
and formality of an indoor
wedding venue.
A COLOURFUL BOUQUET
An Indian bride solemnly poses
for the last photograph before
she steps into the garden of the
Villa di Maiano near Florence,
Italy, where the ceremony is
totake place. Flowers are a
traditional part of wedding
ceremonies, dating back to the
time of the ancient Greeks and
Romans, who believed that herbs
in the brides hair protected her
from evil spirits.
A PLAYFUL MOMENT AT A
WEDDING IN PERU The bride
laughs as the bridegroom
attempts to remove her garter
with his teeth. One explanation
for this centuries-old tradition is
that everything the bride wore
atthe wedding was thought to
bring good luck, so rowdy guests
would try to rip off a piece of her
outt. The tradition of the groom
removing and then throwing the
garter was introduced to protect
the bride.
90 | May2017
RELATIONSHIPS
What a Good
Marriage Rea
Looks Like
BY C HA R LOT T E A N D E RS E N
92 | May2017
He cites a 1977 study by Bernard found that successful
Murstein as the first to find that quid couples also understand
pro quo thinking was a characteris- each others feelings and
tic of ailing relationships rather than needs without having to be
happy ones.
ones Weve
We ve found in our rere- told all the time.
time One of John
search that the best marriages are the Gottmans studies found a link be-
ones in which you are really invested tween satisfied marriages and a hus-
in your partners interests, as opposed bands ability to interpret his wifes
to yyour own,, Julie
J y The
Gottman says. nonverbal cues.
happiest couples have a high level of
BUBBLES AND EM OTICON S: GETTY IM AGES
trust, which lets them give without MYTH COUPLES WHO HAVE
expecting anything in return because SCREAMING FIGHTS ARE HEADED
they know their partner has their back. FOR DIVORCE
Volatiles have been flagged by the
MYTH YOUR PARTNER ISNT A Gottmans as one of three types of
MIND READER, SO YOU SHOULD happy-stable relationships. (The
TELL HIM OR HER EXACTLY WHAT other two, if youre curious, are vali-
YOU WANT daters and avoiders.)
Make no mistake: open communica- In fact, the average happy volatile
tion is an essential tool for a happy couple has at least a five-to-one posi-
relationship. But the Gottmans have tive-to-negative ratio during conflict
May2017 | 93
W H A T A G O O D M A R R I A G E R E A L LY L O O K S L I K E
94 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
and triggers, but it doesnt mean you and what he or she can do to help you
cant have a great relationship, John feel better.
Gottman says.
Psychologist Tom Bradbury coined MYTH OPPOSITES ATTRACT
the phrase enduring vulnerabilities The idea that one partners strengths
for these historical triggers. Certain compensate for the others weaknesses
words and actions might dig up old and vice versa sounds good at first, but
feelings and provoke a reaction. Make the Gottmans say that their research
sure you and your partner understand provides no support for this. You can
what sets the other off, and avoid those be opposites on some smaller subjects
weaknesses. (youre on the sand
Circumstances from reading a book; hes
your past could also You can have hitting the waves), but
p ro m p t w hat p s y - when it comes down to
chologists call pro-
a happy, stable the core issues, its best
jective identification relationship to be similar. The ma-
an example is taking despite jor incompatibility that
something you resent weve found that is re-
from your childhood any emotional ally predictive of
and applying it to your baggage divorce is how people
partner. feel about expressing
If you had a distant, emotion, John Gott-
cold parent, for instance, you might man says. For instance, if one person
assume your partner is being distant wants to talk about anger and sadness
and cold, too. Instead of blaming your while the other thinks you should keep
partners character or motivations, negative feelings to yourself, each
explain how the actions make you feel partner will start to resent the other.
WEIRD WORDS
May2017 | 95
Created by man,
built for eternity
in
Stone BY CO R N E L I A KUM FE RT
High up in the Peruvian Andes, around 2400 metres above sea level, stands
the regal Machu Picchu. Blending in perfectly with the subtropical vegetation,
it is thought that Machu Picchu (meaning old peak in the Quechua language)
PHOTOS: ( PRE VIOU S PAG E AND L E FT ) G E T T Y IMAG E S;
was built by the Incas in around 1450 as a royal retreat. A century or so later,
the Spanish would conquer South America and almost entirely wipe out the
Inca civilisation. For almost 400 years, this rock city up in the clouds lay
completely forgotten. It was not until 1911 that US amateur archaeologist
Hiram Bingham arrived at the city, with its slate-grey walls, temples and
( RIG HT) NAG E L E STOCK .COM/AL AMY
May2017 | 99
Few places have so many stories surrounding them as Stonehenge.
Mount Rushmore, one of the worlds largest stone sculptures, has depicted
important icons of American history since its completion in 1941. Gutzon
INGRAM PUBLIS HI NG
100 | May2017
BONUS READ
The human mind has a previously
hidden aptitude for recovery.
Here is the story of one young mans
journey back from the brink
May2017 | 103
T H E M I R AC L E O F DY L A N S B R A I N
104 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
Day 2
Dylan came from a small town and
a big family. To keep everyone in-
formed, his parents, Tracy and Steve
Rizzo, issued daily updates on the Day 31: Incisions show where parts of
website CarePages. Dylan was re- Dylans skull were removed during surgery
cently involved in a car accident, the
initial entry began. He is currently need stimulation, but it probably
stable, but still in a critical condition didnt matter. At the neurological level,
The next three days will be tough, but a coma is like a deep sleep. The una-
he is fighting hard to get through this. roused brain is dormant, awaiting a
In the neuro ICU, the definition of kick from an internal generator. That
consciousness boils down to two con- generator resides in several arousal
ditions: being awake (or aroused) and nuclei in the brain stem, clusters of
being aware. A coma is the loss of both cells barely bigger than grains of salt.
of these qualities. One recent revela- When were conscious, those clusters
tion is that disorders of consciousness are our neural pacemaker, keeping the
P HOTO COURTESY THE RIZZO FA MILY
are dynamic patients can travel back lights on when were awake and shift-
from a coma through a series of way ing us down to sleep.
stations that are increasingly well That same area controls other auto-
marked, although some are still con- nomic functions of the body, such as
tested by doctors and researchers. breathing, heartbeat and tempera-
ture regulation. The gurgling Dylan
Day 5 had made suggested the accident had
At the ICU, the Rizzos played an iPod disrupted the function of his brain
filled with Dylans favourite music. stem, which might prevent him from
Some nurses thought Dylan didnt waking up. His doctors wouldnt know
May2017 | 105
T H E M I R AC L E O F DY L A N S B R A I N
until they could do an MRI, when he When doctors pored over images
became more stable. from Dylans MRI, they were shocked
by the damage. In a car accident,
Day 8 the impact sends the brain banging
On the same day as Dylans first MRI, around inside the skull. It shears
neuropsychologist Joseph Giacino ad- or literally tears the axons, the wires
ministered a test known as the Coma that send signals from one part of the
Recovery Scale. He prised Dylans brain to the other, said neurologist
eyes open to see if there was any sign Dr Brian Edlow, a member of Dylans
of visual tracking. There wasnt. Dylan treatment team. The MRI showed
scored a 1 on the scale, out of 23. frayed wires everywhere. In his notes,
The director of rehabilitation Giacino wrote that the probability of
neuropsychology at Spaulding Reha- recovery of functional, vocational and
bilitation Hospital and an authority social independence is low.
on disorders of consciousness, Gia-
cino had been called in to consult on Day 10
Dylans case. He is among a growing Dylans family members sat in a
number of experts warning of what he conference room with doctors, who
calls a rush to judgment in predicting showed them the scans. Steve re-
an outcome for brain-trauma patients. called, They kept saying it was like
In a study of Canadian trauma cen- 90 per cent of what we were looking
tres, researchers reported that one- at This [area] will never recover, this
third of the patients who went into will never recover.
the ER with severe traumatic brain They told us they didnt think he
injuries died. Half died in the first would ever be able to live at home, that
72 hours. Nearly two-thirds of those he would probably be institutionalised
early deaths had life support with- and have moments of clarity where he
drawn, suggesting that the cases were would recognise us, Tracy recalled as
deemed hopeless in the first few days. tears welled up. But they didnt think
According to Giacino, it can take he would even have that.
much longer than that for a persons About the only factor in Dylans
chances of recovery to become clear. favour was his youth. After the doctors
Recent literature suggests that if a pa- left, Dylans father ran out and button-
tient displays any form of conscious holed one of them. Look, he said, we
awareness within 60 days, his or her dont need time to think. You need to
chances are considerably better. As a do whatever you can do What would
realist, Giacino knows hardly anyone you do if it were your kid? He got no
families, doctors, insurers can wait disagreement from the doctor, who
that long. replied, We want to do everything.
106 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
Tracy and her sister stayed in the And then the question is: What do we
conference room and cried for half have at that point?
an hour. Then Tracy said she told her
sister and her husband, When we go Day 17
out there, were not going to tell any- Dylan opened his eyes. Hed passed
body this. And we didnt. We came from a coma into a vegetative state, a
out, and [our family and friends] said, condition of wakeful unconsciousness
How did the meeting go? We said, eyes open wide but mind shut down.
It was good. And were going to do His brain stem had begun sending
everything we can do for Dylan. pulses of arousal to the rest of the
brain, but he still lacked awareness.
May2017 | 107
T H E M I R AC L E O F DY L A N S B R A I N
Day 25 Day 33
One great tension in monitoring a pa- During his fifth week, Dylan began to
tients struggle to regain conscious- show more signs to his team that he
ness is the gap between the expertise was becoming aware of the outside
of doctors, who observe the patient world. His eyes followed a moving
intermittently, and the observations mirror. When a doctor pinched Dylans
of the family members, who hover nails, he tried to push away his hand.
nearby for hours, seeing everything He had passed into the minimally con-
without knowing how to interpret scious state, instantly increasing his
what they are seeing. There was chances of meaningful recovery.
108 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
Day 44
Dylans doctors performed a second
MRI. Remarkably, the scan suggested
that some of his damaged wiring had
begun to mend. To our knowledge,
the doctors noted later, this type of
reversal has not been previously de-
scribed with serial neuroimaging or in
a case with such a widespread extent
of axonal injury. The repair process,
referred to as plasticity, is much more
robust in a young brain than in an
old brain, Edlow explained. One rev-
elation of recent research is evidence
that severe injury can activate mech- Day 45: Taking steps to his mother with
the help of two therapists
anisms of neural development that
normally deploy during childhood.
At one point, Steve reached for the
Day 45 other end of the tube and blew into it.
Dylan was still in and out. Sometimes The noise sounded like a fart. Dylan
he seemed to pay attention; other laughed. To Tracy, this was a glimmer
times he seemed lost. In mid-February, not only of consciousness but of per-
the Rizzos brought in his Xbox control- sonality: We were like, Oh my God!
ler. When they placed it in his hands, Like, he knew what a fart is, right? Hes
he stared at it for a few minutes. Then still in there!
P HOTO COURTESY THE RIZZO FA MILY
May2017 | 109
T H E M I R AC L E O F DY L A N S B R A I N
Day 97
At the request of his parents, Dylan
was transferred to the paediatric floor.
He began to do better. Rehabilitating a
minimally conscious brain is a bit like
recapitulating childhood. Dylan re-
learned basic activities: how to stand
up, how to walk, how to put on a shirt.
Day 1460: Shopping at a craft beer
Some days he participated avidly; on
specialty store
others, he had no focus.
110 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
liked: Beerfest. Ace Ventura: Pet De- struggled with cognitive tasks. A brain
tective. Anchorman. Dylan laughed at scan on day 366 confirmed the extent
the right parts, just as he responded of his recovery and the permanence of
to hockey games when goals were other injuries. In the left frontal lobe,
scored. Once, when Dylan appeared some tissue had atrophied and would
to be sleeping, an aunt told his mother never come back. Still, at a fund-raiser
a dirty joke. Dylan erupted in laughter. in July, he danced.
smiling. His smile has the megawatt talks about recovery in patients who
quality it had before the accident, but reached a minimally conscious state
the wave is on a two-second delay, within 60 days of their injury. It is a
almost slow motion. That day is the vivid embodiment of his argument
first thing he remembers since the for patience. What this tells us, Gia-
day of the accident. Coming out of it, cino said, is that the story doesnt
it was like I was asleep, and I was just end at 12 months. Dylan is among a
back alive, he said later. The last day growing number of patients who defy
at Spaulding, thats when I felt alive. the odds. We dont know how many
Before he left Spaulding, he hit an- exceptions to the rule there are, Gia-
other milestone: he said his first word cino said. So I dont believe in the
since the accident. rule anymore.
May2017 | 111
T H E M I R AC L E O F DY L A N S B R A I N
mother talked about how her son had prior to the accident or the seven
changed. Hes still the same person, months after.
Tracy said. Just neater. He was a slob Not only is Dylan functional, but
before the accident. Dylan smiled. hes functional in a red-blooded
The most conspicuous reminder of 20-something way. When we went out
his injury was a slight indentation in for lunch, Dylan ordered a sampler of
his left temple and two shiny lanes of microbrews (His neurologist says he
hairless skin that run back from the can have one or two beers, Tracy said).
crown of his forehead. Now 24, he is Back at home, I asked to see his room.
functionally independent. He volun- Dylan effortlessly climbed the stairs
teers as an assistant track coach at and led me there. Inside was a flat-
his old high school, helps his father screen TV, and a lacrosse stick was
on construction projects and hopes propped in one corner. The bed was
to attend TAFE. He continues to need made, and Steve opened the cupboard
speech and cognitive therapy. Dylan to reveal T-shirts, each hung and col-
still has memory issues, organisation our-sorted. There was nothing in here
issues and time-management issues, before the accident. Everything was on
Tracy said. He does not remember the floor, he said, then laughed. Re-
a single thing about the six months programming the brain works.
NEW YORK (JUNE 10, 2015) 2015 BY NEW YORK MEDIA LLC, WWW.NYMAG.COM.
112 | May2017
Thats Outrageous!
DOUBLE TAKE
May2017 | 113
Unbelievable
TRUE TALES TOLD TALL
Criminally Offensive
Being really annoying is a crime, contends Nury Vittachi
114 | May2017
in the same town on the same day, a Justin Bieber video all the way to the
woman who was the sort of annoying jail. There was no follow-up report
person who gets called an eco-Nazi on whether the crime rate fell, but I
my family is full of them was worry that there may have been an
putting a piece of garbage in her bin. unexpected boom in arrestable
She noticed someone had thrown crimes committed by teenage girls.
away a paper coffee cup in the The one group of Annoying People
LITTERBIN instead of THE PAPER whom I rarely find useful are folk who
RECYCLING bin. Outraged, she are Excessively Politically Correct.
retrieved it and found An example is the British
it contained a crumpled Medical Association,
piece of a paper with which recently issued
writing on it: THIS IS A The moral of a guidance document
ROBBERY GIVE ME THE this story? telling doctors and
MONEY QUIETLY AND ALWAYS put nurses they could replace
NO-ONE WILL GET draft copies of the term expectant
HURT. Police guessed it mothers with pregnant
was the robbers practise
illegal threats people to include trans
note and immediately you write in the men who might become
set off in pursuit of the correct bin pregnant. This is a bit
womans cleaners much. Of course, it is
boyfriend. possible that I may be
The moral of this story? ALWAYS put swamped with angry letters from
draft copies of illegal threats you write pregnant trans men but I will take
in the correct bin. that risk.
In another example, a Spanish It would be annoying to lose the
debt collection agency employed a word mama, a term you find in
bagpiper and a dog with an annoying almost every language in the world.
yap to visit the houses of debtors. The exception is Buckingham Palace
More recently, the Minnesota in London, where the Queens babies
police department in the US have to address her as maam or find
announced that arrested people may themselves on the to be beheaded
be subjected to a really annoying list. Now that would be annoying.
WITTY WISDOM
Experience is what you get when you dont get what you wanted.
ANN LANDERS
May2017 | 115
NEWS
out& about BOOKS FILMS DVDS
Be My Eyes
A visually impaired man
from Denmark has come up
with a brilliant idea to assist
those in similar situations.
Hans Jrgen Wiberg, 52,
was volunteering at a
facility for the visually
impaired when he noticed
people using their phones
video call facility to get help
from friends or family when
they were stumped by
everyday tasks, such as
checking the use-by date
on a carton of milk.
I thought, What if they
could ask strangers for
help? says Wiberg. The
result was an app called Be
My Eyes (www.bemyeyes.
org) that allows users to
contact a volunteer on
video. There are 450,000
volunteers registered with
the app, helping 30,000
visually impaired people.
Its a way to be more
independent, says Anne
Hansen. When Im cooking, A second
I call someone to say, How
does this look? Does it look
setof eyes is
done or does it need just a phone
moretime? Tim Hulse call away
116 | May2017
Power Up!
A team of scientists
at Bristol University
have come up with an
idea to address problems
of nuclear waste, clean-
electricity generation and battery life in
ILLUMINATING one swoop. It involves combining a man-
WISDOM
made diamond with a radioactive eld,
Words of wisdom, which then generates an electrical current.
worksofart
The plan is to extract carbon-14 from
Deirdre Hassed
andCraigHassed
graphite blocks used in nuclear power
plants, reducing their radioactivity and
Exisle Publishing
lessening the challenges of storing them
How seldom
weremark what
safely. The carbon-14 is incorporated into
beautiful handwriting a diamond to produce a battery that will
aperson has. Sadly, for take more than 5000 years to lose even
most of us, shaping letters half its power. Source: Good News Network
into words is a messy
business and a chore for
the reader to decipher. But THE LOVERS
in many cultures theart of Romance, Comedy
calligraphy has been
This contemporary
celebrated for its aesthetic
take on marriage stars
value. Deirdre and Craig
Tracy Letts and Debra
Hassed have brought
Winger as Michael and
together more than 80
Mary, a husband and
quotes on the subject of
wife whose marriage is
wisdom in a book that is
dispassionate and on
visually rich with Deirdres
the verge of collapse.
exquisite lettering and that
Both have lovers and
resonates across the
both are committed
boundaries of religion,
to their new partners. between them, now
ILLUSTRATIONS : iSTOCK
May2017 | 117
OUT & ABOUT
THE SENSE OF
AN ENDING Drama
Based on Julian
Barness novel, The
Sense of an Ending centres
on Tony Webster (Jim
Broadbent), in his 70s and
divorced. His quiet, reclusive
existence is shaken up by
the arrival of an unexpected
letter revealing a bequest
and a long-forgotten diary
from 50 years ago. This
unleashes ashbacks to
Tonys college years; his
intense admiration for school
friend Adrian (Joe Alwyn)
and his courtship of Veronica CRUDEN FARM GARDEN DIARIES
(Freya Mavor and Charlotte Michael Morrison and Lisa Clausen
Rampling in old age) who
Lantern
later paired up with Adrian.
Tony (in youth, played by A garden is a work in
Billy Howle) ended his progress that begins
relationship with both inthe minds eye of the
ofthem via a nasty letter gardener, and, as the years
wishing them the worst. The pass, takes shape in ways
ashbacks help Tony realise heor she cannot predict.
the foolishness of his youth Nature is full of surprises,
and the consequences asthis beautifully illustrated
ofhis decisions. book about one of Australias nest
privategardens shows. Cruden Farm, near
Melbourne, was a wedding present in 1928 to
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch from her husband,
Sir Keith Murdoch. In 1971, Michael Morrison
took on Sunday morning work in the garden
and stayed. For more than 40 years, he and
the Boss experienced fullment, frustrations
and a great deal of fun in the sanctuary
theynurtured. He remains head gardener,
devoted to keeping alive their shared vision.
Morrisons diaries are more than a record of
the triumphs and tribulations of gardening:
they provide a touching insight into a
friendship forged across the owerbeds.
118 | May2017
READERS DIGEST
May2017 | 119
SNATCHED Comedy
On the eve of what should have spontaneous and open to new
been a blissful holiday to South experiences, the once fun-loving Linda
America with her boyfriend, is serious and cautious. At Emilys
Emily Middleton (Amy Schumer) is insistence, they seek out adventure but
unceremoniously dumped. With some end up embroiled in a kidnapping plot.
persuasion, she convinces her mother, Trapped in the wilderness, their bond
Linda (Goldie Hawn), to travel with her istested, as the two must overcome
in his place. The pair could not be more their differences while they navigate
different: where Emily is outgoing, the jungle in an attempt to escape.
120 |
READERS DIGEST
CHRISTINE
Drama, Biography
Christine Chubbuck
(Rebecca Hall), the
smartest person in the
room at her local TV news
station, feels destined
forbigger things and is
relentless in her pursuit
ofan on-air position in
alarger company. As an
Cristiano aspiring journalist and
Ronaldo newswoman, Christine
under the hasan interest in social
spotlight justice but nds herself at
odds with her boss (Tracy
Letts), who is after juicier,
sensationalised stories
that will drive ratings.
Christine is riddled with
THE GREATEST self-doubt, disillusioned
The quest for sporting perfection and tormented by a
difficult home life. Based
Matthew Syed
on the true events of
Hachette Australia July15, 1974, Christines
Picture this: the cliffhanger point world soon takes a dark
in a game, relying on a split- and shocking turn.
second calculation to win or lose,
while millions watch. The perils of
performance for an ageing mind
and body. The demands of being an icon. An
athlete is but human, subject to the physical and
psychological frailties of us all. What motivates
them, who do they rely on, what demons do
they confront? This series of fascinating articles
P HOTO: (RONA LDO) iSTOCK
May2017 | 121
BRAIN POWER
TEST YOUR MENTAL PROWESS
Puzzles
Challenge yourself by solving these puzzles and mind stretchers,
then check your answers on page 113.
BY MARCEL DANESI
FILL MY CUP
Three cups and four
coins are on a table. You
must place the coins in
the cups according to
the following two
stipulations:
Q No cup can be left
empty.
Q Two of the cups must
contain two coins each.
SEVEN UP
If you wanted to roll a total of seven or higher, which dice would you rather use?
A B C
122 | May2017
6 1
4 3 5 6
1 4 9 2
3 4 6 5
4 5 1 8
9 1 5 7
9 5 1 3
7 6 9 1
1 8
TO SOLVE THIS SUDOKU
You have to put a number from 1 to 9 in each
square so that:
Q every horizontal row and vertical column
contains all nine numerals (19) without
repeating any of them; and
Q each of the 3 x 3 boxes has all nine numerals,
none repeated.
HIDDEN MEANING
Identify the common words or phrases below.
GREENVY
A B
May2017 | 123
BRAIN POWER
1. Revolutio
onaryy 9. The inland
9
Che Guevaras taipan is
name at considered to
birth was be the worlds
what? 15. What is the scale used to measure most venomous
1 point the heat of chilli peppers? land snake the
2. Does 1 point venom from one
starboard on a bite is enough to
boat refer to left or right? 1 point kill 100 humans. In which country
3. True or false: the Moon has is it found? 1 point
moonquakes just as the Earth has 10. Who wrote the controversial novel
earthquakes. 1 point Satanic Verses in 1989? 1 point
4. In which US city did Rosa Parks 11. The supernatural beings of Arabic
refuse to give up her seat on the bus? mythology, djinn, are anglicised as
2 points what? 2 points
5. What game uses the terms flop, 12. King Wenceslas from the
hero call and idiot end? 1 point popular Christmas carol Good King
6. What is unusual about cuckoos as Wenceslas has a famous square
parents? 1 point named after him. In which city and
7. What seven-letter word is the name country is it? 2 points
given to a territory surrounded by 13. Name the two films in the Oscars
a foreign dominion? 2 points 2017 Best Picture envelope mix-up.
8. Named after its national bird, 2 points
the quetzal is the currency of what 14. What are high notes, as opposed
Central American country? 1 point to bass notes, known as? 1 point
P HOTO: iSTOCK
16-20 Gold medal 11-15 Silver medal 6-10 Bronze medal 0-5 Wooden spoon
error saw La La Land initially declared the winner. 14. Treble. 15. The Scoville scale.
9. Australia. 10. Salman Rushdie. 11. Genies. 12. Prague, Czech Republic. 13. Moonlight won, but only after an
own young but instead lay their eggs in other birds nests for them to raise. 7. Enclave. 8. Guatemala.
ANSWERS: 1. Ernesto Guevara. 2. Right. 3. True. 4. Montgomery, Alabama. 5. Poker. 6. They dont raise their
124 | May2017
BRAIN POWER
Word Power
Elementary, or Is It?
This months quiz is for fans of the BBC series and Netflix favourite
Sherlock, as well as readers of the original Sherlock Holmes
detective novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sleuth out the meanings
or follow the trail to the next page for answers.
BY E M ILY COX & H E NRY RATH VON
May2017 | 125
WORD POWER
Answers
1. connoisseur [B] expert. Can Bluntley can be as tenacious as a
you recommend an art connoisseur? bulldog.
the auctioneer asked at the museum. 10. desultory [C] having no plan.
2. faculties [A] powers. The After finding no clues at the crime
prosecution set out to test the full scene, the police began what felt like
faculties of the defence team. a desultory search for evidence.
3. infallible [A] never wrong. Not 11. proficiency [C] great skill.
to worry our key witness has an I claim no proficiency at lab work
infallible memory, the lawyer said. but I am a huge CSI fan!
4. minatory [B] with a menacing 12. illustrious [B] eminent. After
quality. The thief gave his victim an illustrious 30-year career, Detective
a minatory gaze before running Klein finally decided to step down.
off down the alley. 13. injunction [A] order. For failing
5. furtive [B] sneaky. I didnt to follow the injunction, Thomas
for one second trust the suspect he served 90 days of community service.
has a furtive look. 14. truculent [A]
6. untoward [C] hostile. The witness
CALLING ALL
unfavourable. was unscathed by the
DETECTIVES
Barring untoward prosecutors truculent
The term private
circumstances, said the eye alludes simply
remarks.
judge, well have a to private i (short 15. sardonic [C]
decision by weeks end. for investigator). You mocking. Catch me
7. facilitate [A] make may also call such if you can! cried the
a person a tec (short thief with a sardonic
easier. The sergeant
for detective), a
needed at least one laugh.
gumshoe (from
more lead to facilitate quiet, rubber-soled 16. panoply n. A:
the investigation. footwear), a sleuth impressive array.
8. incisive [C] (from an Old Norse The gang lords were
impressively direct. word for trail), a offered a panoply of
shamus (of Yiddish delicacies.
Guilty, the jury
origin), or a
foreman offered in a hawkshaw (from a
most incisive tone. detective in the 1863 VOCABULARY RATINGS
9. tenacious [A] play The Ticket-of- 9 & below: Bloodhound
1013: Detective
persistent. Though not Leave Man).
1416: Word Power
very personable, Officer Wizard
126 | May2017
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