Readers Digest Asia 03.2022

ASIA SINCE 1922

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MARCH 2022 | THE WORLD’S BEST LOVED MAGAZINE | rdasia.com TRAPPED! ISSN 0034-0383

Deep-Sea Drama SINGAPORE $9.90
In The North Sea MALAYSIA RM 15

PAGE 104 PHILIPPINES P 199

Farewell To
MOROCCO’S BLUE TAXIS

PAGE 42

MUSIC QUIZ
The Stories Behind
Famous Tunes

PAGE 98

Protect Yourself From
DIGITAL IMMORTALITY

PAGE 62

MEET THE GHOSTBUSTERS
Science vs The Supernatural

PAGE 30

w



CONTENTS

MARCH 2022

PHOTOS: (COVER) THE SUN/NEWS LICENSING. (THIS PAGE, QUEEN) GETTY IMAGES; (WOMBATS) COURTESY ANNA CULLITON Features 24
10
24 38
100 years of
reader’s digest earth heroes food on your plate

A Letter From Best Of Buddies I Am Olive Oil
The Queen
Would you be prepared Quality is better
It is our 100th to share your home than quantity for this
anniversary this year, with two cute, cuddly heart-healthy and
and Reader’s Digest but very lively versatile oil.
has been receiving wombats? DIANE GODLEY
praise, both from our KATE LOWENSTEIN
readers and notable 30 AND DANIEL GRITZER
figures. The magazine
is especially honoured phenomena 42
to publish a
congratulatory letter Meet The culture
from Queen Ghostbusters
Elizabeth II. Au Revoir To
In our society, the The Grand Taxis
10 belief in the existence
of ghosts is Morocco’s ancient and
widespread. Scientists highly photographic
and experts offer Mercedes diesel taxi
explanations about fleets may be on the
why we shouldn’t way out. JOHN SILCOX
always trust our eyes,
ears or mind. ON THE COVER:
TRAPPED AT THE BOTTOM
HELEN FOSTER
OF THE SEA – PAGE 104

rdasia.com 1

CONTENTS

MARCH 2022

56 76 82

parenting then and now 98

A New Life The Vending quiz
Machine
A reluctant father lists Say It With A Song
the upheaval a child From holy water to
would create in his life Coke, stamps to Behind every melody
and wonders why sandwiches, history there is a story. Here’s
people would choose shows that there’s little the chance to test your
this ... until it happens. that can’t be dispensed mastery of music.
from a machine.
ROY INNES, FROM THE DORIS KOCHANEK
BOOK THE TURNING POINT ZOË MEUNIER
104
62 82
bonus read
technology health
Trapped At The
How To Avoid A World Of Worry Bottom Of The Sea
Digital Immortality
Anxiety touches A series of accidents
If you don’t want your everyone to varying leaves a deep-sea diver
online accounts and degrees, but struggling for air in the
data to live long after sometimes it can tip cold, dark North Sea.
you’ve gone, you may over into a serious
need to decide what disorder. SIMON HEMELRYK
to do now.
REBECCA PHILIPS
PAUL ROBERT
90
70
personality
photo feature
What Your Glasses
Time To Say Reveal About You
Goodbye
Find the perfect shape
Be it a friendly wave or and style of spectacle
a colourful parade, frame to fit your
there are plenty of character and
ways to say farewell. disposition.

CORNELIA KUMFERT TAYLOR MARKARIAN

2 march 2022

96

Departments 18

PH OTO S A N D I L LU S T R AT I O N S: (O PP O S I T E PAG E) PETE RYAN. (T H I S PAG E) G E T T Y I M AG E S the digest
18 Pets
20 Health
23 News From The

World Of Medicine
115 RD Recommends

regulars 16 HAVE YOU
4 Editor’s Note VISITED THE
6 Letters READER’S

12 My Story DIGEST
16 Smart Animals FACEBOOK
50 Look Twice PAGE LATELY?
68 Tell Me Why
81 Quotable Quotes Constantly
updated, our
humour Facebook feed
offers stories,
36 Life’s Like That videos, advice,
54 Laughter, humour, quotable
quotes, cartoons,
The Best Medicine
96 All In A Day’s Work quirky
photographs
the genius section 20
and more.
118 Opening The Door
On Therapy FOLLOW US
@ReadersDigestAsia
122 Puzzles
125 Trivia rdasia.com 3
126 Puzzles Answers
127 Word Power

READER’S DIGEST PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

EDITOR’S NOTE

A Wider Perspective

WITH TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE STILL LARGELY ON HOLD
for many of us, the urge to explore the wonders on offer beyond our
shores has never been greater. This month, we have a wide selection
of reading that offers a window on today’s world with perspectives
that will enlighten and entertain.

Morocco’s exotic local tastes and sights
have made it popular with travellers for
centuries. It’s also home to one of the oldest
fleet of Mercedes 240D taxis in the world.
‘Au Revoir To The Grand Taxis’ (page 42)
looks at the upheaval caused by phasing
out the old blue taxis that have graced local
roads since the 1970s.

This month’s ‘Then and Now’ traces the
origins and success of vending machines
(page 76). The Romans were the first to shop
via a coin and a slot. Today, vending machines
continue to offer a nifty shopping experience, extending way beyond
drink cans and chocolate bars.

We also tackle a wonderfully perplexing topic: ghosts. In ‘Meet
The Ghostbusters’ (page 30) regular contributor Helen Foster speaks
with scientists and experts to find a rational explanation for ghosts.
What they reveal is fascinating.

These stories and much more in this March issue.
Happy reading!

LOUISE WATERSON Editor-in-Chief

4 march 2022

ASIA

SINCE 1922

ASIA RD
TALKS
Vol. 121
No. 709 AOSURPOSDTCOARSIETSS
March 2022
TRAPPED!PIDAnGEe1T0e4 ph-eSNeoarDthraSmeaa

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Louise Waterson MFaOrReOwCeCllOt’oS BLUE TAXIS

Managing Editor Zoë Meunier PAGE 42

Chief Subeditor Melanie Egan PFTMAaGhUEme9S8oSIuCtosQrTiUeuIsnZeBsehind

Art Director Hugh Hanson PDPAGIrGEo6It2TeActLYIMouMrsOeRlTfAFLroITmY

Senior Art Designer Adele Burley PSMAGcEEi3eE0nTcTeHvEsG. THhOeSSTuBpUeSrTnEaRtuSral

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PUBLISHED BY DIRECT PUBLISHING ASIA PTE. LTD., COMPANY
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READER’S DIGEST

LETTERS

Reader’s Comments And Opinions

Making A Wish

I remember as a child fighting with
my sisters over the wishbone each
time we had roast chicken (‘Tell
Me Why’, December). All I knew
was that the person left holding
the larger part of the bone when it
snapped got to make a wish.
I had no idea that the tradition
originated with the Romans.
I will definitely be sharing this
information (and sounding very
intelligent) when I next invite
my sisters over for roast chicken.

HELEN SWEENEY

Gems From The Past I can’t pick a favourite as each held PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
something for me. I was unaware of
There are few things I enjoy more Churchill’s fascination with painting
than catching up with my reading (‘My Adventures With A Paintbrush’);
over the Christmas and New Year I marvelled at Annette Anselmo’s
break, and the January issue added to bravery and the skill of her surgeon
my enjoyment. The stories you chose (‘Awake Through A Brain Operation’);
from your archives are brilliant – they and teared up reading ‘A String Of
are just as relevant, informative and Blue Beads’. I look forward to next
entertaining today as they would year’s gems from the past. ANNA SIMON
have been when first published.

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

6 march 2022

Family Ties Across The Ocean Letters

‘Leaving New Zealand Behind’ JUICE BE YOURSELF

(My Story, November) depicts the We asked you to think up a funny
caption for this photo.
importance of social and family
Don’t look so sour.
ties in times of hardship. Although
ZOEY TAN
the writer loved New Zealand’s
Now here’s a lemon with zest!
gorgeous scenery, he tried not to
MISCHELLE SCHILLER 
post too many pictures of it because
ExSqueeze me!
he empathised with his family and
SINDHURA VIJAY
friends who were in lockdown in
Who said that I have lost zest for life?
the UK. A family’s love is life’s
RAJ SANEJA
greatest blessing. LIN ZHAO
When life throws you a lemon...
Vivid Sunsets After Explosion face it !

When my husband, John, was a MELISSA GOEDHART
young boy, he would often hear
stories from his grandfather, Congratulations to this month’s
William Ryan, who was born in winner, Zoey Tan.
South Australia in 1878. One yarn
that he remembers well was about WIN!
the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883
(‘When Krakatoa Blew Up’, January). CAPTION CONTEST

WIN A PILOT CAPLESS Come up with the funniest caption
FOUNTAIN PEN for the above photo and you could win

The best letter each month $100. To enter, email
will win a Pilot Capless [email protected]
Fountain Pen, valued at over
$200. The Capless is the or see details on page 8.
perfect combination of luxury
and ingenious technology,
featuring a one-of-a-kind
retractable fountain pen nib,
durable metal body, beautiful
rhodium accents and a 14K
gold nib. Congratulations to this
month’s winner, Denise Tarrant.

rdasia.com 7

READER’S DIGEST

William was five years old at the CONTRIBUTE
time and witnessed the glorious
sunsets that occurred after the R E A D E R S D I G E S TA S I A
volcanic explosion. Every evening
for about 12 months, he would Anecdotes and jokes
look forward to the ever-changing $50–$100
colours in the sky. DENISE TARRANT Send in your real-life laugh for
Life’s Like That or All In A Day’s Work.
Pinpointing Ankle Pain Got a joke? Send it in for Laughter
is the Best Medicine!
As someone with a large family
who are all extremely keen on Smart Animals
exercise, I found your health article Up to $100
on ankle pain (December) very Share antics of unique pets
interesting. It was a good basic or wildlife in up to 300 words.
introduction to the various causes
and treatments, how serious it may My Story $250
be, and whether or not you may Do you have an inspiring or
need to see a doctor. CYNTHIA REYES life-changing tale to tell?
Submissions must be true,
Using Social Media Smartly unpublished, original and
800–1000 words.
Thank you for publishing ‘Nine
Social Media Rules Every Parent Here’s how to reach us:
Should Teach Their Kids’ (August). Email: asiaeditor@readersdigest.
As a teacher, I advocate for the com.au
proper use of social media. Write: Reader’s Digest Asia

As the article suggests, parents Editorial Department
and educators should guide Singapore Post Centre
children in the way they express PO Box 272, Singapore
themselves in the cyberworld. 914010
Children need to be made aware Online: rdasia.com/contribute
that social media is not the place to
rant, express anger, disappointment Include your full name, address,
or spread falsity and, most of all, to phone number and email.
seek affirmation and find self-worth. Letters: We may edit letters and use them in all
Rather, it should be a tool to inspire print and electronic media.
others, touch lives and make a Submissions: All submissions become our property on
difference. Adult supervision and payment and subsequent publication in the magazine.
guidance is strongly advised. We may edit and fact-check submissions. We cannot
return or acknowledge material not accepted for
ANA IGLORIA publication. For terms and conditions, go to www.
rdasia.com/terms-and-conditions/submission-
8 march 2022 guidelines. Figures refer to US dollars.

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100 YEARS OF
READER’S DIGEST

A Letter From
The Queen

“I hope you continue to
inspire people through the

power of the written word”

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

10 march 2022

rdasia.com 11

READER’S DIGEST T HE TIME HAD COME, ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES
the writing was on the
MY STORY wall – we were not going
to make old bones! I had
The been given a terminal
Garage cancer diagnosis in October 2019
with a prognosis of five years. My
Sale husband’s atrial fibrillation episodes
were happening with increasing
A thorough clean-up regularity – and his father died of
cleared away more than heart-related problems at exactly
just junk and cobwebs his age.

BY Robin Keown We had cared for my parents in
their own home for the last few
years of their lives – a very bonding
experience – and had bought their
home when they died in their 90s.
The usual clause about having to
clear one’s chattels before selling
had been glossed over. After all, we

12 march 2022

were family, and they were not My Story
capable of clearing anything as
their health had declined. faithfully kept for future tinkering.
Vacuum cleaners were tucked in
Out of respect, we did not touch spaces all around the rafters like
their property while they were empty cocoons, while old washing-
alive. We knew there was a lot of machines, dishwashers and clothes-
stuff stored in the barn, not to dryers sat about rusting.
mention the garage and several
smaller sheds on the property. My mother, a great sewer, mender
and all-round fix-it person, kept a
However, not all the dozen mattresses that the abundant
accumulated stuff was theirs. We vermin from the surrounding bush
had substantially added to the had discovered were warm and
collection of superfluous goods comfortable refuges. There were
over the previous six years. also piles of pillows and old wool
blankets.
My scary health diagnosis was
the catalyst that motivated us to Once we had taken the unusable
start clearing the mountain of stuff to the tip, we decided to have
junk. My parents were from the a garage sale. It was quite a job
Depression era, so hated to throw setting up benches to display what
anything away. My stepfather was we wanted to sell, and then dusting
an engineer-turned-mechanic down the furniture and other items.
and loved to fix things, so We had renovated the house after
collections of appliances were we bought it, and so there were
discarded window frames and
Robin Keown is a writer, poet, musician cupboards from an old kitchen
and artist who lives in Golden Bay, New to get rid of, plus my parents’
Zealand. Prior to moving to the ‘Top of the old lounge suite and other dated
South’, she was involved in education. furniture.

We watched the weather forecast
closely in the weeks leading up to
the Saturday of the garage sale,
hoping it would be dry.

We’d set the opening time for
9am, but half expected people to
start arriving at 8am. So we were
ready when a forlorn old lady
arrived early to get the best goodies.
We later learned that she arrives
first at every local garage sale. She
chatted away to us for some time

rdasia.com 13

READER’S DIGEST

while picking over the stuff like a The thought of them having

curious bird. Then, people began to to clear the property of four

arrive in dribs and drabs, buying a generations worth of rubbish was

few pieces here and there. But our enough to fill me with guilt and

big break came when a man bought dread. It certainly was not why we

both our old camper vans and my had our beautiful children, and the

parents’ old caravan – none of which thought that the clean-up might be

were roadworthy. They had leaks in their last memory of us made me

the roofs and dings in DURING shudder.
the bodywork. Sorting the vast

Our property would THE PROCESS pile had seemed
look less like a used insurmountable.
car yard once they OF CLEARING Although time-
were gone. OUT THE JUNK, consuming, it was a

We re-ran the I HAD AN A-HA! satisfying task.
garage sale the During this
following Saturday, MOMENT process I had an

advertising stuff ‘Free a-ha! moment about

For Removal’. Over the next couple materialism, consumerism and our

of weeks the venture bore fruit, as indulgent modern lifestyle. Sayings

one by one the windows, kitchen such as “less is more” and “if you

cupboards and freezer were taken. haven’t used it in two years you

We loaded up the trailer with the don’t need it – throw it out” assumed

leftovers and made several trips to particular significance. But “too

the recycling depot at the tip. By the little, too late” also competed for

end of this exercise we could see headspace, as I was tortured by the

space in the barn for the first time possibility of not completing the

in years. clearance before I ran out of energy

The anxiety I had been suffering – or time.

from for weeks started to lift as But, we eventually finished,

daylight entered the barn. halting the snowball effect of our

What I had been worrying about out-of-control accumulation and

was, that although we were retired hopefully saving our precious ones

when my parents died, we were from a future nightmare.

now in our early 70s, and our four

wonderful children were all full- Do you have a tale to tell? We’ll pay
time working professionals, with cash for any original and unpublished
their own families. Two were also story we print. See page 8 for details

living on the other side of the world. on how to contribute.

14 march 2022



READER’S DIGEST

SMART ANIMALS

Some pets are very quick learners

A Lesson For Kittens climbing up the white cedar tree and ILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY IMAGES
tiptoeing out onto a branch. Then,
CAROLE LAWRENCE one by one, those naughty little
kittens jumped from the branch onto
When I was a teenager living in the top of Mummy-Puss’s head while
Ouyen in the Victorian Mallee she sat under the tree.
region, we had quite a few pet
cats about the place that helped This happened four times until
to keep the ever-present mice poor Mummy-Puss got heartily
population down. sick of it. The next time a kitten

One day I watched as one of our You could earn cash by telling us
cats, a grey tabby called Mummy- about the antics of unique pets or
Puss, sat peacefully on the grass wildlife. Turn to page 8 for details
in our back garden under a white on how to contribute.
cedar tree. Meanwhile, her three
young kittens were playing a game:

16 march 2022

Smart Animals

landed on her head, she grabbed another in the evening with Bill,
it and with one of her front he’s always ready for more.
paws, smacked the kitten until it
squealed. She then let it go. He gets so excited by the sight of
them putting on their running shoes
The other two kittens, who that he has literally knocked them
obviously didn’t want to face the to the ground. When they walk
same admonishment, very slowly past the laundry, where his lead
and carefully climbed backwards hangs, he jumps frantically, starts to
down the tree. With their heads bark, and bolts to the front door in
hanging low and very sorry looks anticipation.
on their little kitten faces, the two
kittens walked slowly over to their The very mention of the word
mother and lay down beside her ‘walk’ intensifies this behaviour
on the grass. so Liz and Billy started using the
Irish word siúl to keep him calm.
Mummy-Puss expressed her My children were instructed to
forgiveness by licking all three substitute siúl for walk unless they
kittens with her long pink rasping had his lead in hand and were
tongue, before cuddling up with ready to take him out.
them as they all fell asleep.
This trick worked for a few
Bungee, The Bilingual months until clever Bungee worked
Border Collie out the translation and now he
jumps, barks and tears through
MICHAEL DAVIDSON the house whenever the Irish word
is spoken.
Our neighbours Liz and Bill
moved in next door four years ago rdasia.com 17
and very soon after became proud
parents to Bungee, a now four-year-
old border collie.

Our children, who do not have
a dog of their own, adore Bungee
and like to think of him as their
own. Thankfully Liz and Bill are
very happy for the extra hands
as, like most border collies, he is
extremely active.

Bungee loves his walks and even
though he gets a run or a walk in
the early morning with Liz and then

READER’S DIGEST

PETS

Avoiding Common Dangers

Some activities, plants and food can be hazardous

BY Dr Katrina Warren

WE LOVE OUR PETS and always try to take good care
of them, but there are some simple things that can be
harmful to pets – and even kill them – that many pet
owners aren’t aware of.

Our regular pet PLAYING FETCH WITH STICKS
columnist,
Dr Katrina Warren, Most dogs love playing fetch with sticks and it may be
is an established tempting to throw one for your dog when you don’t have
and trusted animal a ball or rubber toy handy, but they can be extremely
expert. dangerous. Sticks can easily splinter and pieces can cut
the mouth or throat. Dogs can also be impaled on a stick
18 march 2022 or it can get lodged in their throat or soft tissues which
can be life threatening.

LILIES ARE TOXIC TO CATS

Lily toxicity is a devastating poison which often affects
young cats. Despite aggressive treatment, many cats die
from eating lilies. The leaves, flowers, pollen and stems
from plants of the lily (Liliaceae) family are highly toxic
to cats. For some reason cats, especially young cats, are
prone to ingesting them and becoming intoxicated.

Only small amounts of the plant are required to
cause serious problems. Even a kitten mouthing a
plant should be considered a serious and potentially
fatal ingestion. If you suspect lily toxicity, take your cat
straight to your vet.

Pets

FEEDING COOKED BONES Don’t give your dog cooked bones as
they can break into sharp shards
Dogs love chomping on bones and
human leftovers, but cooked bones mouth above water they must tilt their
should never be fed to dogs. They can head upwards, which points their
splinter and break into small, sharp back end downwards, making them
pieces that have the potential to cause almost vertical in the water and prone
choking or cuts to the mouth, throat or to sinking.
gut. Pieces of bone can also compact
and cause bowel obstructions. Most dogs need to be taught how to
swim. To do this, get in the water with
If your dog has eaten cooked bones them and support them under the
it is possible they will pass through tummy until they get the hang of using
the digestive tract without causing all four legs to propel themselves.
any problems, but look out for signs Don’t force your dog if they are not
such as vomiting, loss of appetite or comfortable, and always start by
abnormal bowel movements. paddling in a shallow area. Many dogs
will learn to swim by following other
If you choose to feed your dog dogs into the water.
bones, only feed raw bones and
always under supervision – chat to If you have a swimming pool, be
your vet about the right type of bones sure it is securely fenced not only for
for the breed and size of your dog. people, but also for dogs. Dogs can
squeeze through pool fencing and end
NOT ALL DOGS CAN SWIM up stuck in the pool treading water
until they become exhausted and
Dog owners often assume that all drown. Be aware that pool covers are
dogs can swim, but in fact some dangerous as dogs can get trapped
dogs may not be able to swim at underneath them. Always supervise
all. Breeds with heavy bodies, short your pet at a swimming pool, just as
legs or short noses are often poor you would with children.
swimmers – pugs, French bulldogs,
dachshunds and similar. In order for
these breeds to keep their nose and

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES KEY FOODS

THAT CAN POISON PETS

Chocolate Grapes and their
Onions dry products such
Alcohol
Xylitol as raisins and
sultanas

rdasia.com 19

READER’S DIGEST

HEALTH D o you fancy yourself
as someone capable of
responding to a person
suffering from cardiac
arrest? If not, you are not
alone. Very few of us have had any
professional training in such things.

Even basic first aid training is
something that most of us have never
done. And yet, new technology makes
it possible for anyone to save the life
of a cardiac arrest victim without any
formal training.

The secret is in a machine known as
the automated external defibrillator
(AED). This small, lifesaving device
can be used by anyone capable of
opening its case and reading basic
instructions. The fact that the device
is automated means it requires very
little input from its human user.

Small Device CARDIAC ARRESTS Sudden cardiac PHOTO: GETT Y IMAGES. FROM READERSDIGEST.CO.UK
Saves Lives
arrest, a condition characterised by
Automated external the sudden stopping of the heart, is
defibrillators (AEDs) the third leading cause of death in
can be used by anyone industrialised nations.

in an emergency The deadly nature of sudden
cardiac arrest is due to the fact that
BY The Editors a stopped heart requires some sort
of electrical charge to restart. CPR
20 march 2022 rarely works to restart a stopped heart.
Rather, it only serves to manually
force the heart to pump for as long
as it is applied. The heart needs a jolt
of electricity – whether internal or
external – to start beating again.

A defibrillator provides that jolt
of electricity. The amount of current

Health

delivered by an AED is enough to across public buildings since it
restart the heart but not so much as was discovered how effective they
to damage the heart muscle. That are at saving lives.
makes it the perfect tool for saving a
life that could otherwise be taken by For the record, survival rates
cardiac arrest. among cardiac arrest victims
fall by as much as ten per cent
CARDIAC ARRESTS DIFFER FROM with every minute that passes
HEART ATTACKS It is important to without defibrillation. Successful
defibrillation within the first minute
point out that cardiac arrest is not the or so gives a cardiac arrest patient
same thing as a heart attack. Cardiac the highest chances of survival
arrest is a condition in which the heart without injury.
stops beating. As you might imagine,
every second that cardiac arrest SIMPLE TO USE AEDs are one of the
continues increases the chance of
serious injury or death. simplest of all medical devices to
use. You just have to be able to read
A heart attack is different in a instructions and place a couple of
couple of ways. First, a heart attack electrodes on the skin using adhesive
is clinically defined as a loss of blood patches.
flow to the heart due to arterial
blockage. Without sufficient blood, Your typical AED comes in a
heart tissue begins to die. A heart plastic case. To use it, you open the
attack can eventually lead to cardiac plastic case and read the instructions
arrest if it is not treated quickly printed on the inside. There should
enough. However, it doesn’t have to. be diagrams or illustrations included
It is entirely possible to have a mild in those instructions. You then place
heart attack and never experience the electrodes in the right locations
cardiac arrest. by peeling adhesive strips and
pressing the electrode to the skin.
Why is this important to know? Then you turn the device on and let
Because learning to recognise it do its thing.
the signs of a heart attack could
help prevent cardiac arrest. And Because an AED is automated,
recognising the symptoms may be it does not require your assistance
enough motivation to locate an AED, once it is up and running. It
just in case it is needed. automatically monitors the patient’s
heartbeat. If no heartbeat is detected,
EARLY INTERVENTION Standard it delivers a controlled electrical
shock before resuming monitoring.
defibrillators and AEDs have both This cycle continues until the
become more commonplace paramedics arrive.

rdasia.com 21

READER’S DIGEST

HEALTH

Tricks To Fix
Poor Sleep

Had a bad night? Here’s sugar and energy levels to spike and
how to cope the next day crash. Try a mix of complex carbs and
protein, such as porridge with fruit.

BY Lauren Gelman ALTERNATE PHYSICAL AND PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
MENTAL ACTIVITY Slog away at
TELL YOURSELF YOU’RE NOT
TIRED Dwelling on how exhausted your desk for an hour, then take a
break to walk or stretch. This toggling
you are may make you feel more run back and forth between rest and
down, according to a new study in the activity usually improves alertness.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Exercise “stimulates alertness in the
Researchers asked 164 participants brain and wakefulness,” says sleep
how they’d slept the previous night, expert Dr Jeffrey Durmer.
then hooked them up to a sham
machine that purportedly revealed CONCENTRATE YOUR CAFFEINE
to scientists their REM sleep. People IN THE MORNING “Caffeine is
who were told they had above-
average REM sleep performed better beneficial for keeping individuals
on cognitive tasks than those who who are sleep deprived more alert,”
were told their REM sleep was below says sleep researcher Timothy Roehrs.
average, regardless of how they’d Caffeine makes you feel more alert by
actually slept. temporarily blocking out adenosine,
a natural sedative. Be aware, however,
IGNORE YOUR CRAVINGS Fatty that caffeine has a half-life of eight to
ten hours, which means that half the
foods require a lot of energy to digest, amount in your noon cup will still be
leaving you even more sluggish, circulating come eight to 10pm. This
and sweet treats and processed can prevent you from falling asleep
carbohydrates cause your blood that night.

22 march 2022

News From The

WORLD OF MEDICINE

ILLUSTR ATION: VECTEEZY.COM TRAFFIC NOISE MAY IMPACT that fruit juice didn’t have the same
HEART HEALTH effect, possibly because it contains
more sugar and less fibre.
According to a recent review of
noise and cardiovascular health LOW BONE DENSITY RAISES
co-authored by cardiologist Thomas THE RISK OF HEARING LOSS
Münzel, night-time noise from
planes, trains and cars affects sleep Hearing loss is the third most
quality, stress-hormone levels and common chronic health condition
oxidative stress, which leads to among adults. A Harvard teaching
cell damage. In turn, these factors hospital study has discovered one
promote vascular dysfunction, common cause: the likelihood of
inflammation and hypertension. developing moderate to severe
hearing loss was up to 40 per cent
Therefore, it’s important to reduce higher among participants with
noise pollution, perhaps with heavy osteoporosis or low bone density.
curtains or by sleeping in a room
that doesn’t face the street. What’s the link between
brittle bones and hearing loss?
PREVENT DIABETES WITH FRUIT The research suggests that
– BUT NOT JUICE abnormalities in the body’s ability
to create new bone and remove old
A new Australian study has found tissue may weaken the integrity of
people who consume two servings the bone that protects the nerves
of fruit per day have 36 per cent
lower odds of developing and structures involved
type 2 diabetes than in hearing.
those who consume Another theory is
less than half a that those issues
serving. The five-year may alter the
study, published conduction of
in the Endocrine sound through the
Society’s Journal of cochlea, the main
Clinical Endocrinology structure involved
& Metabolism, reported in hearing.

rdasia.com 23

READER’S DIGEST

24 march 2022

EARTH HEROES

Best
Of

Buddies
It was the middle of the night, back in September 2020,
ALL PHOTOS: COURTESY ANNA CULLITON when Anna Culliton was woken by a phone call.
A traffic accident had killed a female wombat.
Could Anna take care of her baby?

BY Diane Godley

I n a heartbeat, 52-year-old her pouch and sustained gravel rash
Anna was out the door to its head and torso. The tiny joey
and driving to the Jenolan was lucky to have survived.
Caves, 20 kilometres away,
to retrieve the tiny animal. Anna, who originally lived in
Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Surry
When the mother wombat Hills, decided when she had children
25 years ago that the bush would be a
was hit by a vehicle, her baby, which better place to bring up her kids than

was the size of a pear, was flung from

rdasia.com 25

READER’S DIGEST

the city. So they moved due west to Australia’s largest wildlife rescue or-
the Kanimbla Valley, on the western ganisation. To date, she has raised
side of the Blue Mountains in the 14 orphaned wombat joeys as well as
central west of New South Wales. kangaroos, wallaroos, wallabies, pos-
sums, echidnas and native birds.
But what motivated this former city
slicker to become a wildlife carer was So Candy, as Anna would later call
the school run. As she ferried her two the joey she rescued that late Sep-
children along country roads each tember night “because she was so
morning, she’d often have to move pink”, was in capable hands. Weigh-
dead animals off the road, pulling ing just 394 grams, less than a tin
joeys out of pouches and calling the of tomatoes, Candy was, in human
wildlife rescue organisation to come terms, equivalent to a premature
and collect them – which caused a lot baby and needed immediate medi-
of drama from the backseat. “I’d have cal attention.
screaming children yelling ‘can’t we
keep them?!’” says Anna. Like all marsupials, wombats
are just two centimetres long when
But rearing two young children was they’re born – the size of a jellybean.
not the time to open a menagerie in Immediately after birth, the joey
her home. Anna bided her time and crawls into its mother’s pouch where
four years ago, when her two kids were it stays for around six months until it
“fully fledged”, she became a volun- has grown fur and ears and can wad-
teer with WIRES (Wildlife Informa- dle on its own.
tion, Rescue and Education Service),
Candy, a bare-nosed wombat, was
Anna with Candy in her backyard about four months old when she
in January this year came into Anna’s care. In wildlife
rescue parlance she was a ‘pinkie’ be-
cause she hadn’t yet grown fur. There
was no way the tiny joey, which could
fit in the palm of Anna’s hand, would
survive outside her mother’s pouch
without the dedication of volunteer
wildlife carers like Anna.

Anna immediately placed Candy in
a humidicrib, where she stayed for six
weeks and was given round-the-clock
care. Every four hours, Anna would
retrieve the tiny animal from her hu-
midicrib, tuck her up on her lap and
bottle feed her a special formula of

26 march 2022

Best Of Buddies

wombat-milk replacer – each bottle

taking Candy an hour to finish. “It

was a very slow but rewarding pro-

cess,” says Anna fondly.

Anna was not only feeding Candy

six times every 24 hours, she was also

looking after three other wombats, two

brushtail possums, and four wallaroos

– all of which came into her care after

road accidents. Plus, she was checking

32 surrounding properties that were

treating wombats with mange – a skin

condition caused by mites which is Although initially Candy gave
deadly to wombats if not treated. Ernie (top) a frosty reception, they

Candy’s first two weeks with Anna became inseparable
were agonising because she refused

to drink the formula and was losing a strong animal-based bond. When

weight fast. “Some wombat joeys take the joeys are very small, human car-

to the wombat-milk replacer right ers nurture them to replicate their

away, but not Candy,” says Anna. But mother’s love and warmth. “However

once Candy was feeding regularly, she we must always be aware that they

started to bulk up. Every four are not pets and avoid
Orphaned joeys need humanising them,

to be looked after for hours, Anna which is detrimental to
between 18 months fed Candy a successful release out-
and three years before come,” says Anna.
they are able to return a bottle
to their natural habitat. of special Wombat joeys need
Wombats are very affec- wombat-milk to be ‘buddied up’ while
tionate creatures and if in care, not only so they
are not ‘humanised’ but

allowed, they’ll snuggle formula also so they can learn
up to their human car- from each other and de-

ers to get the cuddles velop the necessary sur-

they would otherwise have received vival skills to be successfully released

from their mothers. Although this back into the wild.

sounds lovely, the outcome is not in Because much of Australia’s wild-

the wombat’s best interest. life is nocturnal, there are countless

A key step in the animal’s rehabilita- deaths every night due to vehicle col-

tion is finding them a buddy to create lisions. So, you would think finding

rdasia.com 27

READER’S DIGEST

an orphaned wombat for a buddy The pair at the entrance of their enclosure,
would be straightforward. But like a year after Anna took Candy into care
humans, wombat dynamics come
into play. Then the magic happened and
they are now inseparable. “They can
Ernie came into Anna’s care a play quite roughly and enjoy biting
month after Candy. His mother was one another, which is how wombats
also hit by a car, but fortunately, communicate. They also like to chase
the motorist stopped, checked for each other a lot,” says Anna.
a pouch, discovered the joey and
called WIRES. At about six months of age, Can-
dy’s gravel rash sores had all healed,
Although Ernie was a little older the wombats’ top teeth had begun
than Candy when he arrived at An- to appear and their velvety fur start-
na’s, he was severely underweight, ed growing. Anna moved the two
weighing just 370 grams. “Maybe the animals into an outdoor enclosure
health of his mother had been com- where they now live full-time. “As a
promised in some way,” says Anna. It bonded pair they are always close to
took an agonising four weeks for Er- one another. They provide each oth-
nie’s tummy to cope with the wom- er warmth and companionship, and
bat-milk replacer, but eventually it together they are learning the skills to
did and he, too, started putting on survive in the wild.”
weight.
They are acclimatising to the out-
After six weeks in humidicribs, the door environment and acquiring
two joeys were moved into pouches independent wombat skills, such as
to replicate their mothers, and placed digging a burrow and ‘unfriending’
in a portable cot in a room Anna has their human companion.
converted into an animal nursery.
It was time to introduce the pair to
each other.

While Anna was feeding one wom-
bat, she would place the other close
by. They were also next to each other
during ‘play time’, which, like human
babies, they had after finishing their
bottles. But it certainly wasn’t love at
first sight.

“Candy was not impressed with
Ernie at all,” says Anna. “It took her
around a month to decide he was
worth knowing.”

28 march 2022

Best Of Buddies

Ernie has already decided he and continue to provide food and wa-
doesn’t like Anna touching or ap- ter so they can always come ‘home’ if
proaching him, but Candy is still af- they need to.
fectionate towards her carer.
When the time comes to say good-
To protect herself from aggres- bye to Candy and Ernie, Anna says
sive wombats, Anna has leather she’ll definitely shed a tear or two.
horse-riding chaps for her legs and a “It’s a huge moment, which is ac-
metal garbage bin lid which she can companied by angst and concern.
use like a shield if a wombat decides They have to have all the skills, and
to charge. She hasn’t had to use them it’s my call to say they are ready,”
with Ernie yet, but she has with other says Anna. “So it’s exciting but it’s
wombats. Anna doesn’t find this be- horrible, too.”
haviour discouraging, because when
a wombat is aggressive towards hu- Anna worries about the dangers
mans it means it will be able to fend they will face when they leave her,
for itself in the wild. such as catching mange, being at-
tacked by foxes, and being hit by a
Candy and Ernie will remain with car – which happened to one of the
Anna until spring 2023 and, like the wombats she raised.
other three wombats she recently re-
leased, will be given what’s called a “Looking after orphaned wildlife is
‘soft release’. This means Anna will a journey that takes patience and
leave the gate open to their enclosure dedication,” says Anna. She has both
qualities in spades.

Golf Balls On The Moon

When Apollo 14 landed on the moon on February 6, 1971,
Commander Alan Shepard managed to accomplish the

unprecedented — by teeing off just outside the lunar lander.
Though it took Shepard a minute to get the hang of it, he eventually
sent his second golf ball flying for what he believed was “miles and
miles and miles.” Now, NASA digital image restorer Andy Saunders

believes he’s found the balls, and as it turns out, they didn’t go
that far. He told the US Golfer’s Association that ball number one
travelled 22 metres, and ball number two travelled 37 metres. But
while the ball may not have gone as far as was once believed, the
fact that Shepard could even make contact with it when the moon’s

gravity is one-sixth of the Earth’s is a feat in itself. ATI

rdasia.com 29

30 march 2022

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES PHENOMENA

While some dismiss it
completely out of hand,
others believe inexplicably
in the spirit world. We ask
the experts to weigh in

BY Helen Foster

ccording to recent sur-
veys, a belief in ghosts
is widespread across
Asia. In China, Malay-
sia, Singapore, Viet-
nam and Thailand, the
seventh month of the lunar calendar
(which falls in August this year) her-
alds the Hungry Ghost Festival, when
it is believed that spirits of the depart-
ed are temporarily released from the
lower realm to visit the living.
But are the spirits that may walk
among us actually the souls of the
deceased, or the result of more down-
to-earth phenomena? While science

rdasia.com 31

READER’S DIGEST

and spirits might not seem to go hand explanation – you’re seeing a ghost.”
in hand, you’ll be surprised how The good news is you can treat
many evidence-based explanations
for spooky sightings there are. We ask sleep paralysis with a four-step meth-
some ghostbusters in white coats for od Dr Jalal has created: the first step
alternative ideas about why things of which is just closing your eyes so
might go bump in the night. the mirror neurons can’t create their
picture. Without this the ‘ghost’ can’t
THE SLEEP EXPERT appear.

Sleep paralysis is a condition where THE COGNITIVE
you wake at night unable to move. It SPECIALIST
affects around 20 per cent of people
at some point and sleep specialist If you’ve ever looked at a cloud or
Dr Baland Jalal from Harvard Univer- building and seen a face, you might
sity feels it could explain some ghost be more prone to seeing ghosts. The
sightings. “The stage of sleep called ability, known as pareidolia, is your
REM sleep is when we have our most brain’s way of creating patterns from
vivid dreams and, to protect us from randomness and, according to psy-
acting these out, we go into a state of chologist Toby Prike from the Uni-
paralysis,” he says. “If you wake up at versity of Western Australia, those
this point you can see and hear, but who are good at it might also be more
your body can’t move. And, our re- prone to seeing ghosts. “Humans are
search has found that about 40 per primed to see faces as it’s important to
cent of people start to see things when quickly read information from them,
this happens.” and if you’re a good pattern observer,
you’ll be more likely to ascribe forms
The sightings are the brain trying or faces to something like a shadow
to make sense of this. It’s telling your than someone else. Your brain then
arms and legs to move and expecting fills in the gaps to make it a ghost.”
feedback from them as to where they
are ‘in space.’ When it doesn’t get that THE PLANT
feedback, cells in the brain called mir- PAT H O L O G I S T
ror neurons start to draw a picture of
what should be happening. “And in Conjure up an image of a haunted
its confusion we can visualise this im- house and you probably think of
age as something in front of us,” says somewhere dark, mouldy and a bit
Dr  Jalal. “Some people experience run down – which led researchers
this as an out-of-body experience, at Clarkson University in the US to
where they look down upon them- suggest that mould might be behind
selves in bed, others impose another some spook sightings.

“It’s a really interesting idea; some

32 march 2022

Meet The Ghostbusters

depression, they might be
more impressionable.”

However, you wouldn’t
just walk into a haunted
house, breathe in some
mould and ‘see a ghost’,
he says.

THE GRIEF

COUNSELLOR

Around 50 per cent of wid-

owers experience some

IF YOU’RE ABLE TO SEE kind of ‘visit’ from their
A FACE OR PATTERN IN A loved one after their death.
These encounters normal-

CLOUD, YOU ARE MORE ly fit something research-
PRONE TO SEEING GHOSTS ers call the four Rs: reas-
surance from the deceased

that they are OK; resolving

– allowing for forgiveness

or closure; reaffirming

moulds do give off biotoxins that can connections; and/or release. “This is

affect the health and the brain,” says a normal part of the grieving process,”

Jordan Bailey, curator for the New says grief counsellor Eugenie Pepper

South Wales Plant Pathology and My- from Sydney. “The idea that someone

cology Herbarium. “There is a fungus is lost to us forever is huge, sometimes

called aspergillus fumigatus which too huge to accept, and so the brain

can produce hallucinogens – and it may protect us by creating this ongo-

does grow quite nicely on latex paints ing connection after death.”

in homes, although I don’t know of Pepper says she’s heard enough sto-

many old houses painted in those.” ries of unusual encounters to make

He points out that if you’re breath- her think that perhaps sometimes

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES ing in enough spores to cause hallu- something more spiritual is going on.

cinations, you’re probably quite sick “There’s a famous exercise in psychol-

with other symptoms. But people see ogy where you’re told to concentrate

what they want to see, he says, “and on some people throwing balls and

if someone is starting to suffer from halfway through a gorilla appears.

neurological problems of mould tox- Because they’re told to watch the

icity, like brain fog, sleep problems or balls, most people don’t see the gorilla

rdasia.com 33

READER’S DIGEST

– until they are told about it.”
She says that sometimes she

wonder if this is the case with
ghosts. “Maybe they are there
and we ignore them. Only when
we deeply want to see some-
thing does it become visible.”

THE SOUND THE FREQUENCY OF PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
SPECIALISTS INFRASOUND COULD
DISTORT VISION AND
Infrasound has a frequency of EXPLAIN UNUSUAL
under 20 Hertz, below the range
of human hearing. Although we SIGHTINGS
can’t hear infrasound, it can ef-
fect our body causing discom- Hertfordshire, 22 per cent of people
fort, dizziness, blurred vision said they felt uneasy listening to music
and panic attacks. In the 1990s, ‘spiked’ with infrasound.
infrasound was linked to ghosts
after British engineer Vic Tandy There’s a few reasons why this might
felt a sense of unease and saw a occur. A study at Max Planck Institute
figure he couldn’t explain in a labora- in Germany found that infrasound ex-
tory he was working in. Eventually, he posure triggered activity in the amyg-
realised a recently installed fan, which dala, a part of the brain involved with
was emitting vibrations at 19 Hertz, stress and fear.
was to blame. But once the same fre-
quency was discovered in a ‘haunted’ “There’s also some evidence that
pub, the theory of infrasound causing the frequency of infrasound might
hauntings was born. cause vibration of the head and neck
which could distort vision and explain
It’s a controversial idea. “I’ve stud- unusual sightings,” says Professor
ied infrasound for years and it gets Wiseman. But even he admits there
blamed for a lot of things that are may be a level of suggestion about
actually caused by other issues,” says how the feelings are interpreted.
Norman Broner from the Australian
Acoustical Society. “If you walked into a modern
building and suddenly felt uneasy,
But it is true that a few experiments
have shown a change in people’s feel-
ing upon exposure to infrasound. In
a study by Professor Richard Wise-
man from the UK’s University of

34 march 2022

you might ignore it. But walk into Meet The Ghostbusters
an old Scottish castle with a reputa-
tion and feel the same thing, that’s a 5 SPOOKY SPOTS TO VISIT
ghost,” he says. – OR AVOID AT ALL COSTS

THE PSYCHOLOGISTS Changi Beach, Singapore
Scene of a military massacre during
People who believe in ghosts are WWII, visitors to the beach claim to
more likely to see them (not surpris- hear the cries of soldiers and even see
ingly), but there are also other per- bloodstains appear on the sand.
sonality traits that psychologist Neil
Dagnall from Manchester Metropol- Monte Cristo Homestead, Australia
itan University in the UK associates This Victorian-era home in Junee,
with people he names ‘ghost-experi- NSW, has had at least four deaths at
encers’. “They tend to be less tolerant the property – and it seems the victims
of ambiguity and look for solutions haven’t left! You can stay overnight but
for unknown occurrences/sensations be warned, sceptics are apparently
rather than ignore them,” he says. visited more often than believers.
“They are also higher in imagination
and creativity than other people.” Kellie’s Castle, Perak, Malaysia
This folly close to Ipoh has
The combination is a recipe for at- underground tunnels, impressive
tributing ordinary things to spooky architecture and at least four ghosts,
causes. including its former owner William
Kellie Smith and his young daughter,
Loneliness has also been associ- who still runs around her bedroom.
ated with a greater chance of seeing The identity of who haunts the wine
ghosts. Reports of home hauntings cellar is unknown.
increased during Melbourne’s long
lockdown and New York saw a sim- The Vulcan Hotel, New Zealand
ilar rise. The ghost of a murdered prostitute is
said to haunt this hotel in Saint
Asked why by The New York Times, Bathans, Otago. Some male guests
psychologist Professor Kurt Gray said they experienced a feeling of
from the University of North Carolina being held down at night.
blamed it on a combination of pan-
demic stress and isolation. Nam Koo Terrace, Hong Kong
Now abandoned, this was once used
“If you’re trapped at home needing as a military brothel and is reportedly
human contact, it’s comforting to haunted by a number of women. Its
think there might be a supernatural spooky reputation grew after
agent there with you.” rumours that some schoolgirls who
snuck in to stay overnight were so
Although we guess that depends on distressed they needed psychiatric
how friendly they are! treatment afterwards.

rdasia.com 35

READER’S DIGEST

LIFE’S LIKE THAT

Seeing The Funny Side

Follow The Scent CARTOON: DAN REYNOLDS/CARTOONSTOCK.COM. PHOTO: VECTEEZY.COM

While working in our garden,
my partner and I noticed the
most beautiful floral scent.
Trying to determine the
source, we sniffed every plant,
weed and shrub around us.
Finally, my partner exclaimed,
“I found it! The neighbour’s
spin-dryer is running and it’s
coming from their vent.”

SUBMITTED BY LINDA LEVERMAN

Winners And Losers Remember When?

When I played games with my son “Yeah, but that was only one
Luke, aged seven, I used to let him or two years ago.”
win. But then I decided he should
learn that in life things don’t always Me, talking about anything
go your way. So I won the next game. that happened between 1991
This clearly bothered him. and 2019.

In the supermarket later that day ANNE T. DONAHUE, AUTHOR
he said in a loud voice, while in a
long queue to the cashier, “Don’t Cow-herd
beat me again, Mummy. I don’t like
it.” I got some very suspicious looks! Outside the ladies’ and men’s toilets
of a Texas-themed steak house,
SUBMITTED BY AVA JACOBS I found a confused and anxious
young woman who sighed with
relief when she saw me.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here,” she
said. “I was afraid to enter. I don’t
know whether I am a steer or a
heifer.”

SUBMITTED BY CHRISTINE LOONEY

36 march 2022

Timely Reminder Life’s Like That

My husband surprised me with THE GREAT TWEET OFF:
a night out to celebrate the MOVIES EDITION
anniversary of our first date. I was
reminded of the man I fell in love Grab some popcorn as Twitter
with. We arrived at the cinema goes to the cinem-ha!
and discovered that the movie we
were supposed to be watching had The tenth Fast and Furious movie
started an hour earlier at a different should be called Fast 10:
location. I was reminded of the man Your Seatbelts.
I married.
@SOPHIEKEEN
@GOODSHEWRITES
Jurassic Park is a movie about how
Closing The Books just because something is great it
doesn’t mean you should bring it
Mum, who is 94 and an avid reader,
was perusing a list of new books back, and it has three sequels.
from the public library when she
noted disappointedly, “I never see @MEAKOOPA
familiar authors on these lists.”
Don’t call me “honey” and expect
My ever-helpful husband it to soften the fact that you
explained, “That’s because Louisa SHRUNK THE KIDS.
May Alcott died.”
@BROTIGUPTA
SUBMITTED BY COLLEEN WEBER
The mayor in Jaws is still the mayor
LINGUISTIC GOOFS in Jaws 2. It is so important to
vote in your local elections.
I collect malapropisms (misused
words). Some good ones include: @ADAMGOODELL
‘Sitting back on one’s hinges’ and
‘Bull in a china closet’. My question is, did Disney come
up with the movie and then the
My favourite came in response name, or did someone just think of
to a first-aid questionnaire handed the pun ‘Aristocats’ and design the
out by my women’s group. To the
question: “If someone was entire movie around it?
choking, what would you do?” one
person wrote, “I would perform @MEMANTULA
the Hamlet Manoeuvre.”
rdasia.com 37
SUBMITTED BY VIRGINIA COOK

READER’S DIGEST

I Am The n early 2017, a special unit of PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
the Italian police arrested 33
FOOD ON members of the ’Ndrangheta,
YOUR an organised crime group based
PLATE
Iin the Calabria region. The of-
I Am fence for which the men were
Olive Oil… apprehended did not involve selling
drugs, committing murder or laun-
Beware of dering money (although the group is
imposters and known for those things, too). It was
about me, olive oil.
spoilers
This notorious Italian mafia had
BY Kate Lowenstein been taking low-quality olive mash,
and Daniel Gritzer called pomace, and selling it in the US
as the good stuff – extra virgin – making
38 march 2022 millions of dollars in the process.

This isn’t the first time I have been
at the centre of high drama; in fact,
that’s been part of my deal for millen-
nia. Take the Hanukkah story – the
one in which the Jews had only one
night’s worth of lamp oil but, mirac-
ulously, it lasted eight. That was me,
back when I was more important as a
source of light than as a food.

I’ve also been used as perfume, skin
lotion, hair ointment and even a clean-
ing agent. The ancient Romans had no
soap, so instead they’d slather me all
over their bodies and then scrape the
oil off with a dull blade called a strigil.
I was used similarly in ancient Greece,
where the sweaty, dirty scrapings from
the bodies of elite athletes would be
collected and sold as a medicine be-
lieved to reduce inflammation and
other maladies. I give myself a lot of
credit on the health front, but I don’t
think I really did much good like that.

Much more recently, I’ve been cat- a shorter supply chain by buying from

egorised into quality grades based a specialty shop that has a direct rela-

on processing methods and levels of tionship with the farmers, or from big-

free oleic acid (the lower the level, the ger (often more affordable) producers

more pristine the oil). Extra-virgin ol- that have a transparent process.

ive oil, or EVOO, has the lowest oleic It’s also smart to skip those giant

acid and the best f lavour; it’s good jugs of me unless you’re sure you’ll use

raw in dressings or as a cooking oil. me up within a couple of months, as I

Virgin olive oil has higher oleic acid go rancid rapidly once my container is

but can work as a frying oil. However, opened. Good versions of me can taste

refined olive oil (referred to as ‘pure’, herbal, grassy, almondy, artichoke-y,

‘classic’ or simply olive oil) is so heav- green tomato-ish and peppery, while

ily processed it’s better for lubricating some varieties are floral, some mild

machinery than for use ANY COMPANY and others spicy.
in food. SERIOUS ABOUT Among my main
EVOO QUALITY
Instances of fraud WILL SELL ME IN sources of bitterness
aside, high-quality DARK GLASS OR TIN are the antioxidants
EVOO can be difficult known as polyphenols.
to find, as there’s little An oil isn’t inherently
guarantee that I will higher quality if it’s bit-
still be in good form ter, though that might

when you open the be indicative of more

bottle. Time and heat can degrade my health benefits. In general, I’m one of

taste and health benefits and bring the healthiest oils you can eat, cour-

me closer to full-on rancidity. Best-by tesy of my low ratio of saturated fats

dates often give more than two years and high proportion of heart-healthy

for the oil in the bottle, but that as- monounsaturated fats, which tend to

sumes good storage conditions, which be more plentiful than in other vege-

are far from guaranteed in many plac- table oils.

es. How do you avoid such pitfalls? My uses in the kitchen are vast, but

There’s no easy answer, but look for I’m most handy for oiling a pan before

bottles that have a best-by date that’s sautéing and for making simple sauc-

as far into the future as possible, es, vinaigrettes and marinades. I have

which suggests it’s fresher. a distinctive flavour, so using me in a

Avoid super cheap EVOO. Because dish is a question of whether you want

light speeds oxidation, steer clear of my flavour in your food. If the answer

clear bottles; any company serious is no – say, if you’re making a cake or a

about my quality will sell me in dark vegetable stir-fry – a more neutral oil

glass or tin. Look for companies with might be a better fit.

rdasia.com 39

READER’S DIGEST

If you’ve read much about oils for frying, but this isn’t necessarily the MARK DERSE/TMB S TUDIOS; PROP S T YLIS T: MELISSA FR ANCO; FOO D S T YLIS T: JOSH RINK
cooking, their smoke point – the tem- case. Thanks to my high antioxi-
perature at which the oil begins to visi- dants, I am also a very stable oil, so
bly emit bluish smoke, a sign of the oil while my smoke point is low, I resist
degrading as harmful free radicals form free-radical formation quite well,
– has likely come up. EVOO has a rela- making me, counterintuitively, a
tively low smoke point as cooking oils pretty decent oil for frying. But of
go, somewhere in the 160-180°C range. course, that assumes you’re getting
the real me and not some cheap
It’d be easy to conclude that EVOO knock-off.
should therefore be avoided for

GARLIC-HERB OIL DIP

• In a small bowl, stir together:
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil;
• 2 finely minced cloves garlic;
• ½ tsp finely minced fresh rosemary needles;
• ½ tsp finely minced fresh oregano leaves;
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes,

and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.

• Leave to infuse for at least 15 minutes

and up to 1 hour before serving with fresh

crusty bread.

• Garlic-herb oil can be refrigerated in an

airtight container for up to two days.

Artist Takes Money And Runs

A Danish artist who was paid by a museum to create artwork has
submitted two empty canvases titled Take The Money And Run.

Jens Haaning was given the equivalent of nearly $US84,000 by the
Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg. The artist said the blank
canvases were a commentary on poor wages. Although not satisfied
with the explanation, it didn’t stop the museum from displaying the

canvases – and trying to reclaim its fee from the artist. AP

40 march 2022



Au Revoir To The

GRAND
TA X I S

BY John Silcox
PHOTOGRAPHS BY Sam Christmas

42 march 2022

CULTURE

In Morocco, locals travel by Grand
Taxis, battered but colourful old diesel

Mercedes that never let them down.
With the government trying to force
these cars off the streets, we hitch
a ride to understand their cultural
significance, while shedding light on
the legacy of the West’s new car market
and the rapid expansion of North

African automotive production

rdasia.com 43

READER’S DIGEST

End Of An Era Along the many lines of battered
and bruised diesel relics being read-
Morning at Essaouira’s Place des ied to hit the road, one in particular
Grand Taxis is a unique scene. Long stands out. It’s a 1974 Mercedes Stroke
before daybreak, drivers start demist- 8 belonging to Hassan Mesfar, a well-
ing cracked windscreens with filthy known character in the neighbour-
wads of old newspaper while oil-cov- hood.
ered mechanics coax weary engines
back to life through clouds of blue Back in England, a car of this vin-
smoke. Groups of travellers huddle tage would most likely grace a mo-
together, dotted among cars. They tor museum, but in Morocco it’s just
are waiting for a ride, their faces con- another rolling ruin, albeit one that
cealed from the cold by hooded wool- boasts the dubious honour of being
len cloaks called djellabas. the oldest taxi in town.

44 march 2022

Au Revoir To The Grand Taxis

Far from being unique, this car is the Moroccan government is keen to
among thousands of Mercedes 240Ds rid them from the country’s roads.
from the 1970s and ’80s that have In 2014, it launched an incentive
spent their twilight years in the sun, scheme offering Grand Taxi drivers
shipped over when deemed too old 80,000 Diram (A$12,000) to scrap
for the European market. their old vehicles. So far, more than
half of the 45,000 Grand Taxis in ser-
Here they are woven into the fab- vice have been updated thanks to
ric of society, providing an essential this programme; something the gov-
long-distance travel link for locals as ernment aims to increase to 100 per
well as a colourful snapshot for tour- cent this year.
ists, much like the old cars in Cuba.
“It’s the end of an era,” says Mesfar.
Sadly, the days of the Mercedes “The government is offering us mon-
Grand Taxis are now numbered, as ey to update our cars for shiny new
ones but they’re not the same as my
old Mercedes. It’s the best car I have
ever driven – so solid, so reliable, so
comfortable – and it never lets me
down. That’s why around here we
call them Merci dix.”

In Moroccan French this literally
translates as “thanks times ten”, but
there’s also a play on words with the
local pronunciation of Mercedes as
Mersids, which Mesfar delivers with
a smile and a shake of the hand.

Vital Link

It’s easy to understand why t he
Grand Taxis play such a vital link in
the country’s long-distance trans-
port system when you consider there
is, on average, just one private car
registered for ten Moroccans. There
is also a near complete lack of public
transport alternatives.

The Place des Grand Taxis is more
than a simple taxi rank: it’s a main
transport hub and every city in the

rdasia.com 45

READER’S DIGEST

1600-kilometre long country has one. it: from horse-drawn carriages to
They are all organised in a similar people’s front doors – even the Petit
manner: a chief broker, usually found Taxis. Most Moroccan cities chose
in a prominent position surrounded different colours to differentiate Petit
by assistants, orchestrates opera- Taxis, which are smaller cars (usually
tions. Travellers going to a particular French hatchbacks) that are only al-
city up north are ushered into one lowed to take a maximum of two pas-
taxi, those going south into another sengers on much shorter rides within
and so forth. And then, when all the the urban perimeter.
seats in a car are taken, it can set off.
The World’s Scrapyard
“Look at the green taxi parked over
there,” says Mesfar. “That’s stayed “In the 1980s Africa started to ex-
overnight from Taroudant and that perience an influx of second-hand
one over there is from Rabat, as it’s Mercedes cars,” says Flavien Neuvy,
white. Each city in Morocco has its an economist specialising in the Afri-
own taxi colour scheme that makes can automobile industry. “Moroccan
it easy to spot.” taxi drivers simply started catching
on to what cab owners in Europe had
Essaouria boasts a unique shade understood: diesel Mercedes were
of blue that originally came from built to last.”
crushed seashells. Nearly everything
in the city has been painted with Mesfar’s Mercedes W114 Stroke 8

46 march 2022

Au Revoir To The Grand Taxis

IN THE 1980s AFRICA
STARTED TO EXPERIENCE

AN INFLUX OF
SECOND-HAND MERCEDES

model was a game-changer for the car market. Finally, when deemed
Stuttgart-based manufacturer and too old for the European buyers they
1.9 million rolled off the line during were picked up at discounted rates by
its eight years of production. Its suc- exporters and shipped to emerging
cessor, the W123, appeared in 1976 countries, with African nations being
and even more were produced with the favourite destination.
2.9 million of these cars built in the
nine years that followed. In 2000, more than 70 per cent of
all cars imported into Morocco were
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the more than five years old, including
average age of cars in Europe was many old Mercedes, which have en-
less than seven years. So millions of joyed incredible longevity thanks to
robust and reliable Mercedes were their robust mechanics, simple main-
soon swapped for newer cars by their tenance requirements and an abun-
original owners and sold on the used dance of salvaged spare parts. It was

rdasia.com 47

READER’S DIGEST

estimated 35,000 W123 240Ds alone been suffering from increasing-
were still on Moroccan roads in 2011, ly bad air pollution. According to
more than 30 years after the last car the Barcelona Institute for Global
rolled off production lines. Health, mortality due to air pollu-
tion in the country has increased by
“Africa is a hotbed of mechani- 50 per cent since 1997. Vehicle emis-
cal resourcefulness,” says Neuvy. sions are the most significant source
“Everything has a value, even if we’d of air pollution in Moroccan urban
deem it rubbish in Europe. When centres, accounting for nearly 60 per
things break, people always find a cent in total.
way to fix them. Local taxi drivers have
many tricks up their sleeves to keep “Some developing countries have
their vehicles on the road: from bits of some pretty hideous pollution prob-
string and wire to rocks in the boot to lems in their cities,” says Mike Bern-
fix a driveshaft – they know it all.” ers-Lee, a leading expert in carbon
footprinting. “With old diesel engines
Clearing The Air there are two types of pollution: the
type of pollution that clogs up your
The downside of this longevity is, lungs and kills you and passersby
while European drivers have en- with particulates; and then there’s
joyed generations of cleaner, more carbon emissions which affect
efficient vehicles, Moroccans have

48 march 2022