SEPTEMBER 2023 `100 PAGE 120 PAGE 100 PAGE 26 DRAMA IN REAL LIFE LIFE LESSON Alligator Attack! 6 Ways to Embrace Anticipation PAGE 154 PAGE 50 WHO KNEW? 13 THINGS HEALTH BONUS READ Turn Anxiety to Your Advantage He Risked Everything to Save Thousands Wacky Birthday Traditions Whirlwind Facts about Extreme Weather PAGE 108 PAGE 162 FOUND! HOW DNA TESTING IS BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER
Features cover story REUNITED How DNA testing is helping to bring families together. by sarah treleaven health The Upside of Anxiety How to worry well. by patricia pearson my story Around the World in 1,000 Mammals A conservationist looks back on his favourite animal encounters. by vivek menon drama in real life The Deadly Swamp An alligator attack was just the start of a hiker’s three-day ordeal. by derek burnett readersdigest.in 3 CONTENTS PHOTO: DALE MAY department of wit For Sale: My Catalog of Dad Jokes Once your kid stops laughing at your quips it’s time to move on. by gary rudoren culture The Beat Goes On Meet the custodians saving recordings from destruction—or oblivion. by simon button heart Bedtime Stories at the Hunting Camp Even grown-ups love to be read to when the lights go out. by l.k. oakley travel Floating Life This community shows how cities can prepare for rising sea levels. by shira rubin who knew? Wacky Birthday Traditions It’s not always about cakes and candles! by stéphanie verge bonus read Portugal’s Schindler Like Oskar Schindler, diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes helped save thousands from the Nazi regime. by chanan tigay cover illustration by Nilanjan Das Reader’s Digest readersdigest.in 3
4 september 2023 (top) courtesy of kathy xu; (bottom) nathan bla ney/getty images Departments 10 Over to You a world of good 13 Below the Surface everyday heroes 14 The Sea Protector by lam lye ching smile 16 Bitten by the Dance Bug by richard glover good news 18 An Innovative Bike Helmet, Tractors that Run on Manure, Ozone Layer is Recovering and More by samantha rideout it happens only in india 42 A Powerful Row-mance, Framed by Fan Art and more by naorem anuja quotable quotes 97 Masaba Gupta, Raghuram Rajan, Hannah Arendt and More trusted friend 196 Lakeside by Jeannie Phan Better Living life lessons 26 It’s Worth Waiting For by holly burns health 32 Just in Case by anna-kaiser walker news from the world of medicine 36 The Upside of Commuting, Antidepressants and Pain, Purple Power and More by samantha rideout food 38 Simply Souvlaki by lucy wildman 13 things 50 All About Extreme Weather by caitlin stall-paquet 36
Reader’s Digest book review: history’s angel 188 A Tale of Our Times by jai arjun singh Brain Games 190 Brain Teasers 192 Sudoku 193 Word Power 195 Trivia Your story, letter, jokeor anecdote may be used by Trusted Media Brands, Inc. and its licensees worldwide in all print and electronic media, now or hereafter existing, in any language. To the extent that your submissions are incorporated in our publication, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free right to use the same. You warrant that: you are the sole owner of all the rights to the submitted material and have the authority to grant the rights herein without restriction; the material is your original work, and that the material does not infringe or violate any copyright, right of privacy or publicity, or any other right of any third party, or contain any matter that is libelous or otherwise in contravention of the law; to the extent the material shared by you includes any of your personal details, you expressly waive your right to a future claim or enjoinment. In the event of a claim or liability on account of the above warranties, you will be required to indemnify us. We regret that we cannot acknowledge or return unsolicited pitches or submissions. It may also take some time for your submission to be considered; we’ll be in touch if we select your material. Selected items may not be published for six months or more. We reserve the rights to edit and condense your submissions including letters. We may run your item in any section of our magazine, or on www.readersdigest.in, or elsewhere. Not all submissions are compensated, unless specified in the invitation for entries or through express communication by the editorial team. We do not offer kill fees for story commissions that cannot be published in print or on www.readersdigest.in for any reason. Personal information limited to full name and city/town location will be used as part of the credit or by-line of your submission, if published. All other personal contact information is used solely by the editorial team and not shared with any third party. Requests for permission to reprint any material from Reader’s Digest should be sent to [email protected]. Humour 40 As Kids See It 98 All in a Day’s Work 152 Life’s Like That 178 Laughter, The Best Medicine 185 Humour in Uniform (top) lekha naidu; (box) tim macpherson/getty images NOTE TO OUR READERS From time to time, you will see pages titled ‘An Impact Feature’ or ‘Focus’ in Reader’s Digest. This is no different from an advertisement and the magazine’s editorial staff is not involved in its creation in any way. Culturescape rd recommends 182 Films, Watchlist, and Books studio 186 Abanindranath Tagore’s Hunchback of the Fishbone by soumitra das 6 september 2023 188 Humour in Uniform
© 2016 Trusted Media Brands, Inc. (Reader’s Digest editorial material). © 2016 Living Media India Ltd. (Living Media editorial material). All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part, in English or other languages, is prohibited. Printed and published by Manoj Sharma on behalf of Living Media India Limited. Printed at Thomson Press India Limited, 18–35 Milestone, Delhi–Mathura Road, Faridabad–121007, (Haryana). Published at F-26, First Floor, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001. Editor: Kai Jabir Friese (responsible for selection of news). TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS, INC. (formerly RDA Inc.) President and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Kintzer Editor-in-Chief, International Magazines Bonnie Munday Founders: DeWitt Wallace, 1889–1981; Lila Acheson Wallace, 1889–1984 MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS/CUSTOMER CARE: Email [email protected] Phone/WhatsApp No. +91 8597778778. Mail Subscriptions Reader’s Digest, C-9, Sector 10, Noida, UP—201301, Tel: 0120-2469900. Toll-free No 1800 1800 001 (BSNL customers can call toll free on this number). For bulk subscriptions 0120-4807100 Ext: 4318, Email: alliances@intoday. com. For change of address, enclose the addressed portion of your magazine wrapper. ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: Phones Mumbai: 022-69193355; Chennai: 044-28478525; Bengaluru: 080-22212448; Delhi: 0120-4807100; Kolkata: 033-22825398, Fax: 022-66063226, Email [email protected]. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Email [email protected] CORPORATE/EDITORIAL: Address Reader’s Digest, India Today Group, 3rd Floor, Film City 8, Sector 16A, Noida, UP—201301; Phone: 0120-4807100. We edit and fact-check letters. Please provide your telephone number and postal address in all cases. Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReadersDigest.co.in; Instagram: @readersdigestindia; Twitter: @ReadersDigestIN; Website: www.readersdigest.in/ HOW TO REACH US Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie Vice Chairperson Kalli Purie Group Chief Executive Officer Dinesh Bhatia Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa Chief Executive Officer Manoj Sharma BUSINESS grp chief marketing officer Vivek Malhotra gm, marketing & circulation Ajay Mishra deputy gm, operations G. L. Ravik Kumar agm, marketing Kunal Bag manager, marketing Anuj Kumar Jamdegni IMPACT (ADVERTISING) sr associate publisher Suparna Kumar associate publisher Vidya Menon sr general managers Mayur Rastogi (North & East) Jitendra Lad (West) general managers Syed Naveed (Chennai) Arup Chaudhuri (Bangalore) chief manager Pushpa Hn (Delhi) Published in 43 countries, 22 editions and 10 languages, Reader’s Digest is the world’s largest-selling magazine. It is also India’s largest-selling magazine in English. senior associate editor Ishani Nandi features editor Naorem Anuja editorial coordinator Jacob K. Eapen senior art director Angshuman De associate art directors Chandramohan Jyoti, Praveen Kumar Singh chief of production Harish Aggarwal assistant manager Narendra Singh Reader’s Digestin India is published by: Living Media India Limited (Regd. Office: F-26, First Floor, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001) under a licence granted by the TMB Inc. (formerly RDA Inc.), proprietor of the Reader’s Digesttrademark. SALES AND OPERATIONS senior gm, national sales Deepak Bhatt gm, operations Vipin Bagga editor Kai Jabir Friese group creative editor Nilanjan Das group photo editor Bandeep Singh A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World SEPTEMBER 2023 8 september 2023
10 september 2023 A DREAM OF HEALTH FOR ALL Our public healthcare system is inadequately funded and inefficiently executed, leading to a very large population in far-flung places unable to access key facilities. With her experience as a member of the planning commission, Ms Hameed is obviously aware of the ground realities and, as such, her assessment of the ‘boat clinics’ and remote hospitals run by people like the Regis gives us a true picture of the National Rural Health Mission. The experiment needs to be replicated across the country. She has rightly pointed out that most doctors avoid rural postings. One reason is the large ‘capitation fee’ paid by students to get into medical colleges and their desire to make up for the same quickly! Governments must abolish this menace of private medical colleges raking in crores. Secondly, we must create decent infrastructure in the far off places for the young doctors to live there. Harsh, Gurgaon by contributing cash and other daily necessities. Richard Kharpuri, Mumbai Let’s be Friends Touch is important T for us, humans. While it is true that technology has helped many of us reunite with lost friends, it is a doubleedged sword. It offers the power to connect, but at the same time, it keeps us entangled in the infinite web of the Internet, thus wasting our precious moments. For a lasting friendship, we must invest real time with friends. They can’t be taken for granted by simply sending messages on social media. Bhushan Chander Jindal, Noida For persons beyond 80 years, without a spouse, and declining health that results in restricted mobility, it’s tough to find ways to meet and share Rachel’s Winning Ticket Lapierre’s courageous step of quitting her nursing job and dedicating her life to reaching out to needy g persons is an edifying act. Her story reminded me of the group of men and women in my native town who build a concrete home for a family of six orphans, three months ago. The men willingly provided both financial help as well as their labour to construct the house. The women aided the family OVER TO YOU Notes on the July issue Harsh wins this month’s ‘Write & Win’ prize of `1,000. —EDs
Reader’s Digest intimate moments with someone, even briefly, to ward off loneliness. Leaving aside close friends we have had for ages, same-age acquaintances are a dwindling species, leaving little opportunity for new, meaningful human interactions. Prafull Chandra Sockey, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand Pass It On Mentoring is often overlooked as a means of building social capital. When an organization invests in mentorship programmes it nurtures four characteristics that grow social capital: conversation, connection, community and culture. Good mentoring begets good conversation. Through connection, mentors and mentees gain broader perspective within an organization. Research shows that mentorship improves results in organizational citizenship creating a better sense of community. A mentoring culture is a network of strong communication, multiple connections and a community built around learning. This creates an sense of belonging in employees, thus building social capital. Pradeep Kumar, Surat “I Have No Idea How to Fly this Plane!” During my career in the Indian Air Force, I was involved in flying a fighter aircraft; so this article kept me captivated. No words of praise are enough for the courage, determination, and never-saydie attitude demonstrated by Darren. He had never been trained to fly a plane but managed to land the craft successfully, without the aid of an instrument panel. Kudos to the air traffic control and ground staff too! The message of the story is clear: Never ever give up. Group Captain Dev Dutta Roy (retired), Greater Noida Rise Above Pain Antony Chuter’s story inspired me and lifted me out of depression. I suffer from chronic neck pain and in the last few months I had begun to believe that I was the most unlucky person in the world, as I was suffering acute pain at the age of 67. The article has assured me that I am only one among many suffering individuals worldwide. The several ways to counter chronic pain using medical and nonmedical interventions covered in great detail in this article has served as a comprehensive guide which has helped me deal with my pain effectively. Aparna Mansabdar , Pune Write in at editor.india@ rd.com. The best letters discuss RD articles, offer criticism, share ideas. Do include your phone number and postal address. 12 september 2023
A World of GOOD Reasons to Smile Dive into the sapphire-blue waters off the coast of Cancun, Mexico and you may find yourself finning past more than 400 life-size statues standing in defence of their oceans. Titled The Silent Evolution, it’s the work of British eco-artist Jason deCaires Taylor and calls attention to a startling fact: more than 75 per cent of the world’s reefs are threatened. His sculptures are crafted from sustainable, marine-grade cement and serve as an artificial habitat for aquatic life while drawing tourists away from overstressed natural-reef areas. “I incorporated as many references to climate change, habitat loss and pollution as I could; those are the defining issues of our era,” Taylor told CNN Travel. Below the Surface COURTESY OF JASON DECAIRES TAYLOR readersdigest.in 13 Reader’s Digest
14 september 2023 An innovative ecotourism venture is helping combat shark fishing The Sea Protector BY Lam Lye Ching EVERYDAY HEROES Kathy Xu teaches a group of young students about shark conservation. KATHY XU, A high school teacher in Singapore, had always wanted to see a shark in the wild. The opportunity finally came in 2011, when she went on a snorkelling trip to the Ningaloo Reef, off the coast of Western Australia. Not only was she not scared of the whale shark, the then 29-year-old was so inspired by its beauty and grace that tears sprang to her eyes inside her snorkel mask. “I was screaming with excitement inside, while still trying to keep calm and enjoy the moment,” she says. After returning home to Singapore, Xu learnt about the shark trade taking place at one of Indonesia’s largest fish markets. In the village of Tanjung Luar, courtesy of kathy xu
readersdigest.in 15 on the island of Lombok, shark parts including meat, cartilage and teeth are cut up for export. Most prized are the fins, which fetch high prices because of the popularity of shark-fin soup. Curious, Xu packed her bags and headed to Tanjung Luar. There, she spoke with several fishermen. Shark fishing is risky and involves hard physical work, but it is one of few ways for them to provide for their families. The fishermen were knowledgeable and felt a great sense of pride for the local sea life. Once they heard that Xu liked to snorkel, they urged her to visit the coral reefs near the fish market. The reefs were stunning, teeming with life and colour. Xu was confident that ecotourism was the solution—a way the fishermen could make a living without having to catch sharks. “I told them I’d pay them to take tourists out to see these snorkelling havens,” she says. Together, Xu and the fishermen came up with the idea of snorkelling boat trips, and a deal was struck. In late 2012, Xu quit her full-time teaching job to focus on building The Dorsal Effect, an ecotourism business she hoped would help save the declining shark population in Lombok’s waters. Initially, Xu struggled to find investors, but in 2013 she won the Young Social Entrepreneurs competition funded by the Singapore International Foundation and was awarded the equivalent of `6.2 lakh. She purchased snorkel gear, life vests and equipment and paid for boat repairs and refurbishments for the fishermen. In late 2013, The Dorsal Effect launched its first boat trip. Snorkellers paid US$120 [around `10,000] for a oneday excursion to explore places the local fishermen know about but could not be found on a Google search. It provides a much more reliable income for the fishermen than the precarious, and often dangerous, job of shark fishing. In 2019, while working on a research project, Xu and Singapore-based shark scientist Naomi Clark-Shen found a female Rhynchobatus cooki, or clown wedgefish, at Jurong Fishery Port in Singapore. A relative of the shark, the species had not been seen for more than 20 years and was believed to be extinct. The discovery gave scientists hope, and it could be grounds for an in-depth conservation study. For now, Xu, 41, is proud of the small changes she sees happening on Lombok, from the fishermen who now have a new way to earn an income to the school children who learn about sharks on tours with The Dorsal Effect. In the past decade, global demand for shark fins has declined—a promising result of conservation campaigns—but stricter government regulation is needed. “I love the grace of sharks and decided that I wanted to change the negative opinion people have of them,” Xu says. “By encountering a shark respectfully, in its natural habitat, maybe there could be more compassion and empathy toward marine wildlife.” Reader’s Digest
16 september 2023 Bitten by the Dance Bug By Richard Glover my exercise regimen now includes 40 minutes of vigorous dance in the kitchen just before bedtime. I leap into the air like a youthful Nureyev, performing a grand jeté to the left and then one to the right. Next it’s tap work, madly stamping the ground like a frenzied Fred Astaire. The cause is a double insect infestation. Pantry moths fill the air; cockroaches scurry across every surface. Both are common here in Australia, particularly during summer. I’m determined to win my battle. I say the cockroaches ‘scurry’, but that’s not the right word. Rather, it’s a brisk, purposeful walk. They have no fear; they own this place. From the dignified manner of their perambulation, illustration by Sam Island SMILE
readersdigest.in 17 Reader’s Digest I assume they’ve already contacted my bank and taken over the mortgage. I have tried traps, of course, which the cockroaches regard as mobile housing, dotted around the place for their convenience. I have tried insecticide, which has a worse effect on me than on them. There are so many cockroaches, I wonder if they’d mind fetching my asthma puffer from my bedroom drawer before I spray. More recently, I’ve considered contacting Kim Jong-Un and arranging a nuclear strike, but I’ve heard cockroaches can survive that, as well. The pantry moths are also oblivious to products that promise their eradication. Chief among them is the moth trap—essentially a sheet of sticky paper impregnated with female pheromones. It’s like an insect version of a nightclub. The problem: While it works on 95 per cent of the males, the ones that survive and breed with the females are, of course, the strongest ones. My pantry is now home to accelerated evolution. Wait three weeks and the moths will be the size of bats. Wait three months and you’ll open the door to be greeted by the dragons from Game of Thrones. And so I’m left with my dance routine. I pluck the pantry moths from the air with my hands; the cockroaches I dispatch with my feet. For reasons that are unclear, the insect infestation is my fault. Or at least my responsibility. “It’s repulsive,” says my wife, Jocasta. “When are you going to do something about it?” She means: “When are you going to hire a real man to solve the problem?” In fact, I’ve already called a real man, a professional pest controller, only to be told a visit will cost $365. It’s a figure that instantly brought new energy to my dance moves. I’m now more like Mikhail Baryshnikov with a side order of Jackie Chan, leaping from one side of the kitchen to another, a flying machine of death. I go to bed each night panting with exhaustion and calculating the bugs’ nightly losses against the breeding that will inevitably occur overnight. Female cockroaches can produce eight egg capsules in a lifetime, each holding as many as 40 eggs. How many is that? Just multiply eight and 40 and you’ll get the answer: Eww! Actually, that’s nothing compared to a female pantry moth, which lays 400 eggs at a time. They take as little as seven days to hatch. This is too much, even for Baryshnikov. I’ll need a whole corps de ballet. Apparently the pantry moth smuggles itself into your home through your shopping, so by freezing all your dry goods, you can kill off the eggs. Not so practical, though. Worse, who knew that flour, rice, almond meal and the rest of it are full of moth eggs? I never want to eat anything ever again. The only thing I can do is wait. Maybe Kim Jong-Un will destroy all life on the planet, proving science wrong by killing the cockroaches, too. Or maybe I’ll get over my reluctance to spend $365. That’s unlikely. So wish me luck.
18 september 2023 BY Samantha Rideout GOOD NEWS from around the world AN INNOVATIVE BIKE HELMET INCLUSIVITY In her work as an occupational therapist, Tina Singh has seen how devastating a brain injury can be. Singh also knows that a bicycle helmet reduces the risk of brain injury by up to 69 per cent. But until recently, none of her three active school-aged sons had a helmet that fit properly. That’s because, as a sign of their Sikh identity, they wear their long hair tied in a top knot under a patka, or small head covering. Taking matters into her own hands, Singh, of Ontario, Canada, spent several years developing child-sized helmets with space for a patka on top. Earlier this year, she launched Bold Helmets, as she has branded them. They were a labour of love for Singh, who wanted to promote greater diversity in sport by ensuring Sikh children could safely participate. Singh’s helmets are safety certified for bicycling, inline skating, kick scootering and skateboarding. “There are many other groups of people who lack the appropriate safety gear for their needs,” she says. “I hope my initiative provides inspiration for others. Just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean we can’t find a way now.” Tina Singh, founder of Bold Helmets. gagan singh, courtesy of tina singh
readersdigest.in 19 Reader’s Digest These Tractors Run on Manure INNOVATION Most tractors burn diesel, but global manufacturer New Holland Agriculture is tapping into an energy source that’s already found on farms: animal dung. Using a covered slurry pit and a processing unit, farmers can collect and purify the methane gas coming off waste as it decomposes. Normally, this methane would have floated into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. Instead, it can power tractors, and the leftover material can fertilize the soil for growing animal feed. This virtuous cycle reduces a farm’s carbon footprint and shields it from fluctuating fuel prices. The manufacturer unveiled the prototype for the world’s first fully methane-powered tractor back in 2013, but it’s only since 2021 that these machines have been commercially available for farmers in Europe and North America. Finishing Crafts for Loved Ones COMMUNITY When somebody passes away before completing a thoughtful handicraft, such as a knitted blanket or needlepoint piece, their expression of love could get discarded or stored away rather than cherished. Knowing this, American knitters Jennifer Simonic and Masey Kaplan launched Loose Ends, a not-for-profit that connects skilled volunteers with handwork projects that were started but not finished by people who have died. The two match families with volunteers based on geography, the skills required and types of projects the volunteers enjoy. So far, some 8,000 crafters from around the world have signed up to complete meaningful mementoes and return them to the bereaved loved ones of those who started them. Ozone Layer is Recovering ENVIRONMENT In 1987, delegates from all over the globe met and agreed to regulate the human-made chemicals that were depleting the ozone layer. The layer protects life on earth by absorbing most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Their efforts produced the Montreal Protocol, which not only prevented a radiation disaster but also mitigated climate change, since some of the ozone-depleting substances it phased out are also greenhouse gases. The progress report released in 2022 is promising: If current policies, such as banning chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in air conditioners, continue, much of the layer will return to its overall 1980 levels by 2040. “This is an encouraging example of what the world can achieve when we work together for the sake of our planet and its people,” tweeted UN Secretary- westend61/ westend61/g General António Guterres. getty images
26 september 2023 BETTER LIVING Wellness for Body & Mind IT’S WORTH WAITING FOR ALLE PIERCE KNOWS how to plan a vacation. A few months ahead of time, she “goes on a crazy Google spree,” constructing a spreadsheet of all the things she wants to do and see. She scrutinizes the menus of restaurants she is planning to visit. She uses a picture of the destination as her phone’s locked screen image and downloads a countdown app. To enjoy life more, embrace anticipation BY Holly Burns from The New York Times illustrations by Alexei Vella
eadersdigest.in 27 reader’s digest
“What’s so exciting about a trip is the anticipation before it,” says Pierce, founder of a luxury travel company called Gals Abroad Getaways, which plans group trips for women. Experts say she is probably right. Numerous studies suggest that having something to look forward to boosts your mood and lowers your stress. “Imagining good things ahead of us makes us feel better in the current moment,” says Simon A. Rego, chief psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York. “It can increase motivation, optimism and patience and decrease irritability.” Of course we can’t just book a flight every time we need a little cheering up. But there are ways to harness and incorporate the power of anticipation into your everyday life. GET EXCITED ABOUT A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS Anticipating a smattering of small, delighful experiences can be as enjoyable as looking forward to one big event, says Carrie L. Wyland, a social psychologist at Tulane University in New Orleans. “At the end of every day, write down one thing you’re excited for tomorrow,” she says. “Maybe it’s a new book, or getting pastries, or a package you’re expecting.” The accumulation of these mini thrills means you will still reap the benefits of looking for ward to something, even if it’s not a big-ticket reward, says Christian E. Waugh, a psycholo g y p ro f e s s o r w h o reader’s digest 28 september 2023
readersdigest.in 29 studies anticipation at Wake Forest University i n Wi n s t o n -S a l e m, North Carolina. “ P l u s , w i t h t h e nearer stuff, there’s more of a sense it’s going to happen for sure,” he says. “You’ve got more control over a small gathering this evening than a vacation in six months.” CONNECT WITH YOUR FUTURE SELF Research has shown that feeling as if you are on a path to your future self can have a positive effect on your well-being by snapping you out of short-term thinking. Thinking ahead may help you prioritize your health and maybe even act more ethically. While it’s fun to daydream about your future self, the steps you need to take to get there can be intimidating, so start with clarifying the things in life you value the most, Rego says. Then set goals around them. If your priority is staying fit as you age, maybe your goal is to run a fiveklilometer race. But don’t wait to feel motivated before you take that first step. Instead, when you do something towards your goal, “focus on how motivated you feel afterward, not before,” he says. As you start seeing progress, it will get easier: You will look forward to doing the things that get you closer to your future self. CONSIDER A GENTLE BRIBE Anyone who has taken a child to get a flu shot and then ice cream afterward knows the power of building anticipation for a thing you don’t
30 september 2023 want to do by pairing it with a thing you do. In a study on “temptation bundling,” participants who were given an iPod loaded with audiobooks that they could listen to only at the gym worked out 51 per cent more than those who weren’t. It was so incentivizing that, when the study ended, 61 per cent of subjects said they would pay to have gym-only access to the audiobooks. To build anticipation for the group vacations she leads, Pierce sends clients detailed packing lists a month in advance. “I get equally as excited about the clothes I’m going to wear on the trip as I do about the trip itself,” she says. But the promise of a new shirt works just as well for things you are not so excited about. “Let’s say you’ve got a work presentation you’re nervous about,” she says. “If you’ve also got a new outfit that you can’t wait to wear, you’re going to look forward to it more.” FOCUS ON EXPERIENCES Several studies have also suggested that we get more happiness from anticipating experiential purchases than material goods. Ramping up anticipation is an important trick of the trade for Lydia Fenet, a charity auctioneer. If it’s dinner with a celebrity, for example, she will envision all the ways that dinner could turn out. Maybe you and the celebrity become buddies. Maybe they become a godparent to your kid. “And right as I’m about to hammer down the gavel and sell the lot,” says Fenet, “I’ll turn to the audience and
readersdigest.in 31 say, ‘So they’ll be dining with their new best friend, George Clooney, and you’ll be sitting at home eating pizza.’” Dinner with Clooney aside, you can still maximize anticipation before an experience, such as a date. Choose an activity that is meaningful to you or a place you want to show the other person, says Erika Kaplan, vice president of membership for the matchmaking service Three Day Rule. “Then you’re looking forward to two things: the date itself but also introducing the other person to your world and seeing how they react,” she explains. REMEMBER THAT ANXIETY AND ANTICIPATION CAN COEXIST The flip side of positive anticipation is anticipatory anxiety—and the fascinating thing, Waugh says, is that they often happen together. “Anxiety and excitement are sister emotions,” he says. “Think about when you’re getting married or you’re having your first kid. It’s a jumble of both.” But it is detrimental only “when you just focus on the anxiety part and neglect the excitement part,” he adds. The key is acknowledging the happy, positive aspect of what you are doing along with the nervous feelings. Waugh says that research suggests “when you reappraise anxious things as exciting, it actually makes you feel better about them.” CREATE SOMETHING NEW If parties are something you look forward to, don’t wait for a holiday to celebrate—just invent an occasion. Throw a birthday party for the dog, or host a breakfast for all the kids on your street. Whether it is a party or a bribe or a nightly list, anticipation can be a powerful tool in manipulating our emotions. When TV writer Anna Beth Chao tries to look forward to something she is dreading, such as the four-day drive she just made from Los Angeles to her home in New Orleans, she uses this trick: “I basically tell myself a little story about what might happen,” she says. “If you frame it within ‘Well, what if it’s an adventure?,’ it’s easier to get excited about it.” THE NEW YORK TIMES (7 JUNE 2022), COPYRIGHT © 2022 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY Life Lessons Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practise any other virtue consistently. MAYA ANGELOU If there’s a single lesson that life teaches us, it’s that wishing doesn’t make it so. LEV GROSSMAN reader’s digest
32 september 2023 Just In Case Does your first-aid kit have all the essentials? By Anna-Kaisa Walker The last time I cracked open my home’s first-aid kit, I had o n e t hu m b s w a d d l e d i n bloody paper towels after I’d accidentally nicked it while chopping onions. Fumbling through the zippered compartments as my thumb throbbed, I discovered nothing but a few yellowed bandages, dried-out antiseptic wipes, some gauze, tape and a pair of scissors like the kind kids use in kindergarten. Luckily I managed to stem the bleeding with the gauze and went on to cook a decent spaghetti Bolognese. But I’d come to the sober realization that my cheap, neglected first-aid kit illustrations by Kate Traynor HEALTH
would do my family no good in an honest-to-goodness emergency. “First-aid kits are most commonly used for minor injuries like cuts, but they can also help you in less-common emergency situations, such as heart attacks or life-threatening bleeding,” says Nathan Charlton, an emergency physician in Charlottesville, Virginia, who serves on the Scientific Advisory Council for the American Red Cross. That’s why our list is so comprehensive. Build yourself a good kit, then keep one at home and one in the car and be sure to take one along if you go camping. To help you make sure your kits contain all the right things, we spoke to experts in emergency medicine. These are the items they recommend: Aspirin Two 81-milligram tablets of chewable aspirin can be lifesaving if taken within the first hour of a suspected heart attack. But call a doctor first and await instructions; it’s not safe for everyone (for example, those on other blood thinners). Disposable non-latex gloves When helping another person, put these on first. Hand sanitizer If you can’t wash your hands, use this before treating any wounds. Wash or sanitize hands before putting on gloves. Antiseptic wipes If you don’t have access to clean running water, use these to clean and disinfect cuts before applying a bandage or ointment. Antibacterial ointment This helps prevent infection by stopping the growth of bacteria in minor wounds. For a cut or wound, clean the area first, then use this—not hydrogen peroxide, which is not on our list because it can cause the skin to dry out and might prevent the area from healing correctly. Hydrocortisone cream It relieves itching and irritation from insect bites or poisonous plants. Abdominal dressings These large dressings can help control heavy bleeding from major wounds. Keep firm pressure on the dressed wound until help arrives. Gauze It comes in small squares and rolls; both are good for packing and dressing wounds and stabilizing protruding objects (which you should never pull out). Waterproof adhesive tape Use this to firmly secure the dressing on a wound. Self- adhesive bandages Ideally, keep a variety of sizes in your kit, for minor cuts and scrapes. Triangular bandageThis can be used as an arm sling. Instant cold packs These work just as well as ice and are ready when you need them; just squeeze to activate. Use to help reduce pain and swelling for muscle sprains or bruises. Tweezers Pointed tips are best for removing ticks or splinters and for cleaning debris from a wound. Scissors It’s worth having a quality pair so you can quickly and easily cut thick bandages or clothing. A special kind called trauma shears, which have sharp, serrated blades are especially good in a first-aid kit. readersdigest.in 33 Reader’s Digest
34 september 2023 CPR face shield If you need to perform rescue breaths, these shields, with a one-way valve, provide a good barrier against bacteria and viruses. Burn hydrogel Gel-saturated burn pads cool and soothe damaged skin; they’re ideal when it’s not possible to run skin under cool water. Mylar blanket These ‘space blankets’ help maintain a person’s core temperature after a severe injury or shock. Tourniquet If bleeding from an extremity is so severe that direct pressure can’t stop it, a tourniquet can help. You can improvise one using a minimum twoinch-wide strip of cloth and a small tree branch, but a commercially made tourniquet is better. The latest models consist of a wide nylon strap with a turn crank and a locking mechanism to hold it in place. IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP your kit accessible because you never know when you’ll need it. More medically reported injuries happen at home than in public places, at the workplace and on the road combined. Here are the important basics to be as prepared as you can be for any emergency. Buy the Right Container Your first-aid items should be kept in a waterproof bag or an airtight container
readersdigest.in 35 with clear compartments that allow you to quickly see what’s inside. That way you won’t have to dig around or dump things out of the kit to find what you need. A good quality ready-made first-aid kit should have most, if not all, of the things we’ve suggested. Look for one created by a reputable organization such as the Red Cross, which are sold at major retailers, then buy any missing items separately. Check Expiration Dates Add notifications to your calendar to remind you to check and make sure any medications in the kit are up to date. “That also reminds you why you have a first-aid kit, and it may also help you recall any training you’ve had,” Dr Charlton says. Get Some Training There’s no better way to prepare yourself for emergencies than by taking a course. Organizations like the Red Cross offer basic first aid and CPR certifications that can be completed over a weekend. They also publish manuals, some in pocket size that you can keep in your kit. These guides can steer you through a range of scenarios—from panic attacks to spinal injuries—with pictograms. To be even better prepared, you can download the First Aid app, free from the Red Cross. It has step-by-step instructions, videos and more. The Red Cross also offers an online course on how to recognize signs of an opioid overdose and administer the lifesaving medication naloxone (Narcan). Learn more or sign up at redcross. org/take-a-class/opioidoverdose. Be Ready on the Road In addition to keeping a first-aid kit in your car, also keep a reflective vest and a warning triangle to put beside the vehicle in case you have to pull over, to make sure that other drivers (including an ambulance driver, should you need to call for help) can see you. Know When to Get Help Any cut longer than 1 inch will need stitches, says Lyle Karasiuk, volunteer chair of the Canadian Council for First Aid Education. If a wound is large or deep, or doesn’t stop bleeding after 10 minutes of pressure, head to the nearest hospital emergency room. Also seek help if you or someone else has trouble breathing, or experiences sudden or severe pain or any other potential medical emergency. Reader’s Digest MORE MEDICALLY REPORTED INJURIES HAPPEN AT HOME THAN IN PUBLIC PLACES, AT THE WORKPLACE AND ON THE ROAD COMBINED.
36 september 2023 The Price of Procrastination More than just a lazy habit, procrastination can be bad for your health, suggests a study of more than 3,500 students in Sweden. Over nine months, those who habitually delayed important tasks experienced more anxiety and depression, poor sleep and pain in the neck, shoulders and back. Fortunately, cognitive behavioural therapy, either in person or through books and websites, can help. Strategies include learning to break down big goals into smaller ones and managing distractions—for example, turning off your smartphone until you’ve finished a task. news from the WORLD OF MEDICINE By Samant By Samant y ha Rideout ha Rideout CRAVING CAFFEINE? TRY DECAF If you love your coffee but worry about consuming too much caffeine, you will be reassured to know that research indicates that regular coffee is a low-risk stimulant. It might even offer some protection against type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. But it can also cause heartburn, jitters or insomnia. So if you are trying to quit or cut back on caffeine, try decaf. An Australian study shows that drinking decaffeinated coffee can alleviate withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and irritability. This surprising result probably tapped into the placebo effect: Even when people knew they were drinking decaf, it looked, smelled and tasted like the real thing, which they associated with feeling alert and well. PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM VOORHES, PROP STYLIST: ROBIN FINLAY (PILLS). -SLAV-/GETTY IMAGES (DATEBOOK)
The Upside of Commuting People who work from home know the rub: For all that it costs in time and money, commuting to and from a job provides an opportunity to disengage from work before jumping into the responsibilities of home life. This ‘in-between’ time can help prevent burnout, according to a report in Organizational Psychology Review. Ob - viously, this works best if you can take public transit or opt for an easy drive instead of a busy road, and if you use the time well, perhaps to do something fun and relaxing such as listening to music. Chronic Pain and Antidepressants For more than two decades, doctors have been prescribing depression medications for ongoing pain, which is notoriously hard to treat. In fact, data from a cross-section of countries—the US, Canada, Taiwan and the UK— shows that among seniors, antidepressants are used for pain more often than for depression. Most of these prescriptions are ‘off-label’ (meaning they are not officially approved for this purpose). And this treatment isn’t as strange as it may sound: Antidepressants affect neurotransmitters, including those that send pain signals to the brain. A new BMJ review synthesized 156 trials involving about 25,000 participants to get an overview of what we’ve learnt so far about treating chronic pain with antidepressants. Although tricyclics are the most commonly used antidepressant drug class for pain, it’s unclear if they really help. But the review did find evidence that SNRI (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) antidepressants can help relieve people with fibromyalgia, nerve pain, post-operative pain and chronic back pain. Purple Power For an extra boost of good health, reach for vegetables that are red or purple in colour. Radishes, purple potatoes, red cabbages, purple carrots, eggplants, purple cauliflowers and red onions all contain anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that can help lower blood pressure and may slow cancer growth. A new study review from Finland says these veggies also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by affecting energy metabolism, gut microbiota (tiny organisms including bacteria) and inflammation. Reddish fruits such as blueberries, strawberries and blackberries contain anthocyanins too, but the research shows that the kind found in vegetables are particularly powerful. readersdigest.in sdigest.in 37 NATHAN BLANEY/GETTY IMAGES reader’s digest
photographs by K. Synold tmb studio Simply Souvlaki Over millennia, this sizzling skewer has conquered the world By Lucy Wildman FOOD City street corners, village marketplaces and beaches across Greece have something in common: the scent of sizzling meat. Sold in restaurants and takeaways called souvlatzidikos, this staple of Greek cuisine is more ancient than the country’s classical buildings. The word souvlaki is from the Greek word souvla, meaning spit (although in Athens and southern Greece the dish is called kalamaki, which means ‘little reed’). It’s wonderfully simple: small cubes of pork that have marinated 38 september 2023
readersdigest.in 39 overnight in olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper. The cubes are threaded onto wooden skewers and cooked over charcoal. Souvlaki can be enjoyed piping hot direct from the grill or wrapped in soft pita bread along with tomatoes, parsley, onions and the garlicky yogurt sauce tzatziki. “The earliest references to meat cooked on a skewer are found in Homer’s epic poems ‘The Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey,’” says Mariana Kavroulaki, author of The Language of Taste: A Dictionary of Greek Gastronomy. But cooking meat in this way is even more ancient than Homer’s time in the 7th century B.C. Excavations a few years ago of Bronze Age settlements on Santor ini, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, sent the history of souvlaki back another 3,600 years. Archaeologists found evidence of skewer cooking, according to Lara Gonzalez Carretero, a lecturer in Bioarchaeology at the University of York in the United Kingdom. Much more recently, souvlaki gained popularity as a street food in Athens in the 1960s after vendors from Boeotia, a region of central Greece, introduced it to the capital. The dish also became a global hit. Throughout the 20th century, waves of Greek migrants, fleeing civil war in the 1940s and the military dictatorship that seized power in 1967, took souvlaki all over the world, with large numbers of immigrants settling in Germany, the United States, Canada and Australia. Today, more than five million people of Greek origin live in 140 countries across the globe. No wonder so many of us are familiar with arguably its most famous dish. New York alone claims more than 200 souvlaki outlets. In Paris, souvlaki on a pita is known as un sandwich Grec. And while pork is considered the classic souvlaki meat, in sheep-farming Australia, lamb souvlaki is very popular—especially in Melbourne, home to 400,000 people with Greek heritage (more than in any city outside of Greece). Can’t get enough souvlaki? Neither could the people of Livadia, a town in Boeotia. Using 300 kilograms of pork and 150 kilograms of charcoal, 30 volunteers created a 201-metre long souvlaki running through the town square in 2018. It won the Guinness World Record for the longest skewer of meat. Sounds like a feast fit for all of the Greek Gods. COOKING MEAT THIS WAY IS EVEN MORE ANCIENT THAN HOMER’S TIME IN THE 7TH CENTURY B.C. Reader’s Digest
40 september 2023 Reader’s Digest will pay for your funny anecdote or photo in any of our humour sections. Post it to the editorial address, or email: [email protected] AS KIDS SEE IT “I’ll have the spaghetti with meatballs but don’t let the meat, sauce or noodles touch.” My husband was a professional violinist and once performed at our son’s school. Some of the students sent him letters of appreciation. One eight-year-old wrote, “Dear Mr. Violinist, thank you so much for coming to play for our school when you could have been doing something more useful.” —Margaret Growcott My son walked into the kitchen and said, “I bet you don’t know what 47 divided by 4 is.” I told him it was 11, remainder 3. He said thanks and walked back to the room in which he was doing his homework. — @DevonESawa cartoon by Susan Camilleri Konar
42 september 2023 A Powerful Row-mance Roses are red. Violets are blue. If you climb a high tower, I will follow too! This rhyme succinctly surmises the spat between a young couple in Chhattisgarh that went viral on social media. The girl, a minor, was annoyed with her boyfriend and decided to climb a 80-feet-tall high-tension power tower in the Gaurela Pendra Marwahi district. The boy, perhaps at a loss of how to defuse this high-voltage situation decided to follow her to the ends of the electric tower. Ah! To be young, in love, and dumb! This lovers’ tiff playing out at dizzying heights was noticed by the locals, who alerted the police and their respective families. As the police spent hours negotiating with the two, a large crowd of spectators milled about, one of whom captured the whole ordeal on camera making the lover’s quarrel internet famous. No CARTOON BY RAJU EPURI It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
readersdigest.in 43 official complaint has been filed against the couple, but stern warnings were issued to the younglings that no amount of love or lack thereof necessitates risking life and limb. source: INDIATODAY.COM Framed by Fan Art Two thieves, Vijay Yadav and Sonu Yadav, broke into the house of corporator Anwar Kadri in Indore. The job was to steal and sneak away with their ill-begotten gains, but their best laid plans were waylaid because Vijay couldn’t ignore his heart’s calling. Staring at the house’s bare walls, a canvas flashed before his eyes and voila! He transformed into artist extraordinaire. Abandoning his role as a larcenist, he located a few sketch pens and started doodling on the walls. As he stood engrossed playing muralist—he even paid homage to his favourite actor Amitabh Bachchan in his doodle—he stumbled and crashed into a glass pane, waking the house’s inhabitants. His co-burglar avoided the law by disappearing as soon as he had rid the house of its valuables. But Vijay, who decided to take a crack at wall graffiti couldn’t draw enough patronage for his art, and was quickly handed over to the police. source: INDIATODAY.COM Ghosts of fines past It was 30 August 1997, and railway ticketing clerk Rajesh Verma working at the Kurla Terminus Junction, Mumbai, was going through his working day. Missing a magic crystal with powers to predict the future, Verma presumably did what he always did— overcharge passengers. But, that day his luck went off track: a decoy check was being carried out and a Railway Protection Force constable posing as a passenger requested a ticket from to Ara. Verma who was supposed to return `286 in change after accepting a `500 note for the `214 fare, returned only ` ` 280—a full sum of `6 missing. A vigilance team check followed and `58 was found missing from Verma’s railway cash. They also recovered `450 from a cupboard which the team believed was used to hide more such skimps. A disciplinary inquiry followed, which led to Verma’s dismissal in January 2002. Since then, Verma has resorted to several unsuccessful departmental remedies to get himself reinstated, even taking his plea to the Bombay high court, which in August 2023—a whopping 26 years after the incident—rejected his plea, bringing his gravy train to a stop. source: INDIATODAY.COM —COMPILED BY NAOREM ANUJA Reader’s Digest will pay for contributions to this column. Post your suggestions with the source to the editorial address, or email: [email protected] Reader’s Digest