Reader’s Digest Australia December 2021

Conquering The Laundry Load PHOTOS: FROM LEFT, GET T Y IMAGES; GET T Y IMAGES; COURTESY YANKO DESIGN garments, the trusty urine was again into a tank, turning a lever to wash used, mixed with ash and euphemis- the clothes and then wringing them tically dubbed ‘chamber lye’. between two rollers. As populations and cities grew, This, and other early washing ma- items designed to aid with the wash- chines, actually pre-dated the hum- ing process became commonplace. ble washboard, which didn’t really These included, wooden washtubs make its knobbly, knuckle-shredding and dolly-tubs or possing-tubs – tall presence felt until the 19th century. vessels in which clothes were beaten Nonetheless, small, inexpensive and and stirred with a large metal plung- portable, the washboard soon became er, variously known as a posser, dol- widespread, and is still used in some ly, poncher, possing-stick, dolly leg, parts of the world today (and in oth- peggy leg, peggy or maiden. At least ers, as a snazzy percussion musical ye olde name-makers were having instrument!). some fun, if not the washerwomen themselves. Meanwhile, 19th-century inven- tors continued tinkering with im- At a time when cholera, smallpox provements to hand-operated wash- and typhoid fever were ravaging ing machines. This mostly involved populations, the rise in popularity of turning a handle to move paddles in wash-houses – covered areas decked a tub, as well as developing the man- out to allow the laundrywomen to do gle, or wringer, to squeeze water out their work – became a key method of of clothes. improving public hygiene. Ash lye was still used to clean The world’s first washing machine everyday clothing in the 1800s, with was thought to be invented by Ger- soap reserved for tackling heav- man scientist Jacob Christian Schäffer ily soiled linen or stains, But, by in 1767. It involved pouring hot water the end of the century, you could 1930s 2000s THE FUTURE LAUNDROMAT DOMESTIC MACHINE SLEEK SPACE SAVERS readersdigest.com.au 99

READER’S DIGEST buy branded laundry soap bars or such an icon of the Australian Dream pre-packaged soap flakes, borax, or that it has been exalted to the status of washing soda. National Treasure – just ask the gener- By the early 20th century, some ations of Aussie kids who would hang washing machines used an electrically monkey-style and take it for a spin. powered agitator. Many were simply a B y t he 1950s, ma ny wash i ng tub on legs, with a motor rotating un- machines were being made with derneath and a hand-operated man- a spin-dr y feature to replace the gle on top. The design flaw? Short cir- dreaded wringer, while the first com- cuits and electric shocks were readily puter-controlled consumer washer available if water dripped appeared in 1998. onto the motor. And, if Laundry tech is still electrocution didn’t get evolving. Washing ma- you, the mangle was chines can have inte- also renowned for man- grated Wi-Fi for deferred gling hands and yanking start-up. Some models out hair (buttons barely dole out the perfect stood a chance). A PROTOTYPE amount of detergent, At last, in the 1930s, a OF THE while others do without MODERN detergent at all, thanks machine was invented to electrolysis separat- that could wash, rinse WASHING ing positive and nega- and extract water from MACHINE WAS tive ions. The rest of us clothes in a single oper- INVENTED IN can take our pick from ation. That same decade detergent with oxygen would also see the pro- THE 1930S duction of the first auto- bleach, prewash soil and matic clothes dryer. Of course, most stain removers, laundry powders with households still didn’t have their own enzymes, detergents for cooler water machines, which, in the West, saw washing, concentrated powders and the rise of laundromats and ‘Chinese fabric softeners. (Although spaghetti laundries’ run by hard-working immi- sauce remains impervious to all.) ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES grants. Meanwhile, energy-efficient com- Even for those who did have wash- pression or heat pump dryers and ing machines, line-drying was – and is dryers using microwave technology – the most popular method of drying may soon see the clunky old tumble clothes due to the cost of owning and dryer relegated to the history books. running a dryer. In Australia, the Hills But until there’s an invention to Hoist, a rotary clothesline invented iron, sort, fold and put away clothes, by Lance Hill out of old pipe, became there’s still loads to be done. 100 december 2021

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READER’S DIGEST QUOTABLE QUOTES If somebody NATURE IS asks, “What are THE BIGGEST you doing in five years?” and you TEACHER: have an answer, I SHE’S ALWAYS think there’s a good TEACHING YOU chance you aren’t HOW TO ADAPT. going to get there. If you pick one GISELE BÜNDCHEN, thing, then you’ve SUPERMODEL neglected all other opportunities. IF OPPORTUNITY DOESN’T KNOCK, BUILD A DOOR. DARLA MOORE, MILTON BERLE, PHILANTHROPIST COMEDIAN AND ACTOR I HAVE NO SOCIAL MEDIA. I DON’T NEED THINGS IN MY LIFE TO DISTRACT ME FROM MY LIFE. PAUL RUDD, ACTOR Discipline If we do PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES shows who you not maintain justice, justice really are. To control will not yourself, that maintain us. is the ultimate FRANCIS BACON, power. ENGLISH PHILOSOPHER KENDRICK LAMAR, RAPPER 102 december 2021

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SCIENCE PHOTOS: OMOMOM The Couple Who Helped SAVE THE WORLD 104 december 2021

An unpretentious husband-and-wife team is behind a leading vaccine to help solve COVID-19 BY David Gelles FROM NEW YORK TIMES T hree years ago, Dr Ugur Sahin took the stage at a conference in Berlin and made a bold prediction. Speaking to a room- ful of infectious-disease experts, he said his company might be able to use its so- called messenger RNA technology to rap- idly develop a vaccine in the event of a global pandemic. At the time, Dr Sahin and his company, BioNTech, were little known outside the small world of Europe- an biotechnology start-ups. BioNTech, which Dr Sahin co-founded with his wife, Dr Özlem Türeci, and Aus- trian oncologist Professor Christoph Huber, was mostly focused on cancer treatments. It had never brought a product to market. COVID-19 did not yet exist. But his words proved prophetic. Two years later, on November 9, 2020, Bi- oNTech and US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer BioNTech announced that a coronavirus vaccine devel- founders oped by Dr Sahin and his team was more than Dr Ugur Sahin and 90 per cent effective in preventing the disease Dr Özlem Türeci among trial volunteers who had no evidence at the company's of having previously been infected. The stun- headquarters in ning results vaulted BioNTech and Pfizer to Mainz, Germany the front of the race to find a cure for a disease readersdigest.com.au 105

READER’S DIGEST that has killed more than 4.8 million and in March 2020 they agreed to col- people worldwide. laborate on a coronavirus vaccine. “We believe it is the start of the end Since then, Dr Sahin, who is Turk- of the COVID era,” Dr Sahin said in ish, developed a friendship with Al- an interview at the time. bert Bourla, the chief executive of Pfiz- er. The pair said that they had bonded BIONTECH BEGAN WORK on the vac- over their shared backgrounds as sci- cine in January 2020, after Dr Sahin entists and immigrants. read an article in the medical journal “We realised that he is from Greece, The Lancet that left him convinced and that I’m from Turkey,” Dr Sahin that the coronavirus, at the time said. “It was very personal from the spreading quickly very beginning.” in parts of China, On their DR SAHIN, 56, was would explode into wedding day, born in Iskenderun, a full-blown pan- Turkey. When he demic. Scientists at Dr Sahin the company, based and Dr Türeci was four, his family in Mainz, Germany, returned to the moved to Cologne, cancelled holidays Germany, where and set to work on lab after the his father worked at what they called ceremony a Ford factory. He ‘Project Lightspeed’. grew up wanting to PHOTO: (PREVIOUS SPREAD) DINA LITOVSKY VIA REDUX IMAGES “There are not too be a doctor, and be- many companies on the planet with came a physician at the University of the capacity and the competence to Cologne, where he earned a doctorate do it so fast as we can do it,” Dr Sa- for his work on immunotherapy in tu- hin said in October 2020. “So it felt mour cells. not like an opportunity, but a duty Early in his career, he met Dr Türe- to do it, because I realised we could ci. She had early hopes of becoming a be among the first coming up with a nun but ultimately wound up study- vaccine.” ing medicine. Dr Türeci, now 54 and After BioNTech had identified the chief medical officer of BioNTech, promising vaccine candidates, Dr Sa- was born in Germany, the daughter hin concluded that the company of a Turkish surgeon who immigrated would need help to rapidly test them, from Istanbul. On the day they were win approval from regulators, and married, Dr Sahin and Dr Türeci re- bring the best candidate to market. Bi- turned to the lab after the ceremony. oNTech and Pfizer had been working The pair were initially focused on together on a flu vaccine since 2018, research and teaching, including at 106 december 2021

The Couple Who Helped Save The World the University of Zurich, where Dr Sa- making the couple among the richest hin worked in the lab of Rolf Zinker- in Germany. nagel, who won the 1996 Nobel Prize in medicine. The two billionaires live with their teenage daughter in a modest apart- In 2001, Dr Sahin, Dr Türeci and ment near their office. They ride bi- Professor Huber co-founded Gan- cycles to work. They do not own a car. ymed Pharmaceuticals, which devel- oped drugs to treat cancer using mon- “Ugur is a very, very unique in- oclonal antibodies. dividual,” said Albert Bourla, Pfiz- er’s chief executive. “He cares only Seven years later they co-found- about science. Discussing business ed BioNTech, looking to use a wider is not his cup of tea. He doesn’t like range of technologies, including mes- it at all. He’s a scientist and a man of senger RNA, to treat cancer. principles.” Even before the pandemic, BioN- IN GERMANY, where immigration Tech was gaining momentum. The continues to be a fractious issue, the company raised hundreds of millions success of two scientists of Turkish of dollars and now has more than descent was cause for celebration. 1900 people on staff, with seven offic- es across Germany and two in the US. “With this couple, Germany has a shining example of successful in- In 2018, it began its partner- tegration,” stated the conservative ship with Pfizer. In 2019, the Bill & current-affairs site Focus. Melinda Gates Foundation invested $55 million to fund its work treating Dr Sahin said that when he and HIV and tuberculosis. The same year, Dr Türeci learned about the vac- Dr Sahin was awarded the Musta- cine’s efficacy data, just one year fa Prize, a biennial Iranian prize for ago, they marked the moment by Muslims in science and technology. brewing Turkish tea at home. “We celebrated, of course,” he said. “It Dr Sahin and Dr Türeci sold was a relief.” Ganymed for $1.4 billion in 2016. Two years ago, BioNTech sold shares to FROM NEW YORK TIMES (NOVEMBER 10, 2020), the public; as of July 2021, its market © 2020 BY NEW YORK TIMES. ADDITIONAL value stood at more than $54 billion, REPORTING BY CHRISTOPHER F. SCHUETZE. Did You Know? Scotland has 421 words for snow. Some examples in the Scots language: sneesl (to start raining or snowing); feefle (to swirl); flinkdrinkin (a light snow). RD readersdigest.com.au 107

READER’S DIGEST ALL IN A DAY’S WORK Humour On The Job “A tattoo? You’re kidding. It sure looks like a suit.” CARTOON: PETER STEINER/CARTOONSTOCK.COM; ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES Instilling Confidence Stick Around Before heading out to the office, I My kindergarten student needed asked my eight-year-old daughter, a glue stick, so I opened my supply “So, do I look OK?” cabinet to see what I had. She slowly looked me up and “Wow! You have a lot of stuff!” down before giving me the thumbs- he said. up and saying, “Not as bad as you did yesterday!” “You must make a lot of money. Where do you work, anyway?” SUBMITTED BY BARB LEE SUBMITTED BY CONNIE GAHM 108 december 2021

Dodgy Resume INTERVIEWER: “I see you managed a vegetarian restaurant.” APPLICANT: “What?” INTERVIEWER: “It says here you managed a vegetarian restaurant.” APPLICANT: “I guess I did write that. Not really, though. My girlfriend had an art exhibition, and I organised RESTAURANT REVIEWS WITH ATTITUDE the sandwiches for the opening. Eating out tonight? They were vegetarian.” RD.COM Choose your restaurant carefully. Recovery Time These are actual reviews: I get so cross when people ask me “Primary attraction was the small wildlife wandering what I’m going to do on my day off. across the table.” I’m going to recover from all my “‘Breaking bread’ should not mean you have to use the days on! @PANT_LEG side of the table.” Coal For Christmas “I thought I was looking at an oil painting when suddenly it A reddit.com contributor called moved. It was my waitress.” Simon explained that his extensive educational background came in “The only way the tables handy when he worked as a Santa in a could be closer together would shopping mall, especially when faced with a smart-alec preteen. be to stack them.” “The duck was tired, tough “When I asked him what he wanted and took 90 minutes to arrive. for Christmas, he flatly said, ‘Coal,’” It must have had a long flight.” recounts Simon. “Being a jovial spirit, “The chef keeps renaming I asked, ‘Bituminous or anthracite?’ and relocating the restaurant like it’s a member of a witness “Absolutely threw him for a loop.” protection programme.” Catching Her Eye “The waiter repeatedly called my ageing parents ‘coach’ As I leaned in to check her eyes, my and ‘darling.’” older patient got a little frisky. “Overpriced and undergood.” “You remind me of my third FROM ZAGAT husband,” she said coyly. readersdigest.com.au 109 “Third husband?” I asked. “How many have you had?” “Two.” DR LEON PENDRACKY

READER’S DIGEST 13 THINGS Scent-sational News About Smell BY Emily Goodman 1When a sample of people were their sense of smell. Many of these ILLUSTRATION: SERGE BLOCH asked in 2018 which sense they specialists then developed the same would miss most if they lost it, condition, and some became very ill. smell came in dead last – only two Suddenly, the stepchild sense took per cent of respondents picked it. centre stage. Then came COVID-19. In early 2020, ear, nose and throat doctors around 2Researchers soon realised the world saw an unusual number of that loss of smell was a leading patients who had unaccountably lost indicator of COVID-19. Those 110 december 2021

infected with earlier variants of 6If seeing is believing, smelling the virus were 27 times more likely is tasting. Our palates are than non-infected people to exhibit almost entirely dependent on smell dysfunction – but only 2.2 our ability to smell. While taste buds to 2.6 times more likely to have a distinguish among broad categories fever, cough or respiratory difficulty. of flavour, such as sweet and salty, Some public health experts started it’s the receptors in our nasal cavities proposing using smell tests – not that differentiate pasta from pastry. temperature checks – to screen people for COVID-19. 7 Women have keener noses than men, perhaps because they 3Loss of smell could also have as many as 50 per cent be an early warning sign more cells in the part of the brain of Alzheimer’s disease, that processes smell. Studies have schizophrenia or autoimmune shown that women are better able diseases such as lupus. Smell to identify and distinguish among receptors at the top of our noses are scents than men. connected to the base of our brains, and these disorders can shrink or 8Pregnant women have especially disrupt the parts of our brains that sensitive noses. One theory is process smell. Smell dysfunction that the increased sensitivity is also the most common early during pregnancy reduces the symptom reported by Parkinson’s likelihood of the mother ingesting patients – even before they begin to toxins. On the other hand, depression experience motor-related symptoms. literally depresses our ability to smell. 4That said, if your sniffer isn’t 9While no scent is universally as sharp as it used to be, don’t ‘good’ or ‘bad’, our negative panic. Our sense of smell response to odours we perceive naturally declines as we age. A third as foul is detectable during an of 80 year olds can’t smell at all. MRI brain scan. The smell/mind connection is such that smell can 5Smoking dulls the sense, too, play a role in the treatment of post- which is one more reason to traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). quit. But you can boost your Most current approaches try to teach smelling sense with a bit of training. trauma victims to suppress their fear Vary what you eat and pay attention memories, but they must first be able to food’s aromas – our sense is to recall those memories. Suggestive strongest when we’re hungry. smells can help trigger them. readersdigest.com.au 111

READER’S DIGEST 10Scent also heightens our 12People with anosmia have positive experiences – even if no sense of smell. Unable to Smell-O-Vision movies never detect odours such as smoke caught on. A Dutch museum recently or spoiled milk, they are twice as likely took advantage of this by surrounding to succumb to fire and food poisoning Jan Willem Pieneman’s painting than those with the sense intact. Most The Battle of Waterloo with a unique cases are the result of illness or head fragrance combination of gunpowder, injury, with car accidents being a sweat and 4711 Eau de Cologne, leading cause. Those who are born which Napoleon wore. with anosmia often don’t realise it until they are in their teens. 11Humans might not have the greatest sniffers in the animal 13Companies in France and kingdom, but we’re sharper Canada are developing home than we might think. People willing appliances that mimic our to crawl through grass like dogs are sense of smell. Ovens will be able to perfectly capable of finding and shut themselves off when they detect following a scent trail. The species burning, and refrigerators will be able with the strongest sense of smell, to alert you when your produce is at however, also has the biggest schnoz: its peak ripeness. Imagine all the the African elephant. Elephants are so wasted food we could save – not to sensitive to scent that they can smell mention never burning another water from 20 kilometres away. piece of toast. SOURCES: INTECHOPEN.COM, LEARNABOUTCOVID19.ORG, MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM, MEDPAGETODAY.ORG, NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV, NPR.ORG, NY TIMES.COM, STATNEWS.COM, THEHEALTHY.COM, THESPOON.TECH, VUMC.ORG, WORLDATL AS.COM, YOUGOV.COM, ZDNET.COM, YALEMEDICNE.ORG, HMS.HARVARD.EDU Monument To Love Some people go to great lengths for love. Bosnian man Vojin Kusic is one such person. The 72 year old’s wife was not content with the same views outside her windows, so he built her a house that rotates full circle. Each day she is presented with a fresh perspective. “After I reached an advanced age, and my children had taken over the family business, I finally had time to task myself with granting my wife her wish,” says Kusic. He designed and built the house by himself, with no formal training, using electric motors and the wheels of an old military transport vehicle. HUFFPOST.COM 112 december 2021

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CULTURE This Is Dedicated To… The fascinating history behind these often-cryptic opening words that make a book dedication BY Lizzie Enfield Ernest Hemingway was once the author and the person to whom ILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY IMAGES challenged to write a telling they have dedicated their book. My story in six words and came latest novel, Life After Beth, is out soon up with his famous: “For and I have yet to write the dedication. sale. Baby shoes. Never It’s my fifth novel and I’ve already worn.” But often, without realising it, used up all the usual suspects. many authors tell a much bigger sto- ry in the few brief words contained in SPOUSES AND LOVERS their book dedication. These sparse offerings, dropped into preliminary Husbands and wives, partners and white pages, say far more than the lovers generally come first and some- brevity suggests. times both feature on the same page. Ayn Rand dedicated Atlas Shrugged Behind every ‘For Charlotte’ or to Frank O’Connor, her husband, and ‘Michael’ or enigmatic series of initials Nathanial Branden, her lover. is the tale of the relationship between Some are touching tributes to a 114 december 2021

long-lasting partnership. “In the book Romantic Copper is dedicated vastness of space and immensity of to his wife: “She ain’t so good lookin’ time, it is my joy to spend a planet so that any other fella besides myself and an epoch with Annie,” wrote is likely to get stuck on her.” Carl Sagan to his wife in Cosmos. Graham Greene left his wife Vivi- Other husbands have become an in 1948 and embarked on a series weary with wife dedications. “Once of affairs including one with Lady again to Zelda” wrote F. Scott Catherine Watson, also known as Fitzgerald in his sixth novel, The ‘C’, to whom he dedicates The End Great Gatsby. By this time their mar- of the Affair. riage was not a happy one, but the dedication was a little less belittling FRIENDS WILL BE FRIENDS than geologist Ira B. Joralemon, for whom romance was clearly in min- Friends are perhaps a safer choice. erals rather than his women. His J. K. Rowling dedicated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, ‘For Sean readersdigest.com.au 115

READER’S DIGEST P.F. Harris, getaway driver and foul author father, Kingsley Amis, even weather friend’. He was the first of her though Kingsley had openly stated he friends who learned to drive and the struggled to read his son’s books. first person to encourage her writing. I, too, have some experience of Antoine De Saint Exupery asks the parental reticence and dedicated children who read The Little Prince my third novel Living With It to my to indulge his dedication to a grown- parents: “Not your sort of book, and up, Leon Werth; “I have a serious you don’t have to read it”. My second, reason, he is the best friend I have Uncoupled, was to my children, who in the world.” were very young when it came out: “You shouldn’t be reading this, yet”. In the very early days of dedications, writers were bound to offer books to P. G. Wo d e h o u s e’s d a u g h t e r, their patrons. Both Horace and Virgil Leonora, got a different kind of nod in dedicated to Gaius Maecenas and, The Heart of a Goof: “Without whose centuries later, Jane Austen dedicated never-failing sympathy and encour- Emma to the Prince Regent, a politi- agement, this book would’ve been cal move since she was privately con- finished in half the time.” temptuous of him. The more books you have pub- Charlotte Brontë became the sub- lished, the more scope there is for ject of literary London gossip when creative dedication. Agatha Christie she dedicated the second edition inscribed The Secret Adversary “To all of Jane Eyre to William Makepeace those who lead monotonous lives, in Thackeray, by way of a thank you for the hope that they may experience at his enthusiastic review. Readers saw second-hand the delights and dangers unintended parallels between Mr of adventure’. Rochester and Thackeray, whose own wife was insane. Perhaps my favourite is Neil Gaiman’s in Anansi Boys, which is for A FAMILY AFFAIR anyone who has picked up a book and found the author dedicated it to some- I know only too well that anyone one else: ”Not this time. Because we who lives in the same house as a haven’t yet met/have only a glancing writer must put up with someone acquaintance/are just crazy about who is there but not always fully each other/haven’t seen each other in present. Wilkie Collins dedicates much too long/are in someway relat- The Moonstone to his mother per- ed/will never meet, but will, I trust, haps by way of apology for all the despite that, always think fondly of hours spent in the attic. each other! This one’s for you. With you know what, and you probably Meanwhile Martin Amis dedicated know why.” his opus London Fields to his famous 116 december 2021

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES ONLINE FIND THESE UNIQUE READS AT ReadersDigest.com.au FOOD CHRISTMAS RECIPES AND TREATS Save money and have a lot of fun by making homemade treats to give as gifts this Christmas. HOME + GARDEN DIY from small to big Whether you’d like to revamp your kitchen or build a stone wall, we can help with DIY advice and easy instructions. PETS Funny dog photos you need to see From dogs making funny faces to pooch partners in crime, the ulti-mutt collection of dog pics. ReadersDigestAustralia PLUS SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER FOR MORE HOT OFFERS, TOP STORIES AND PRIZES!

READER’S DIGEST Jenga! PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; (PLEXIGLASS) LOUIS VUITTON Who invented Jenga, what does it mean and what’s the best way to play it? BY V. Kumara Swamy When Leslie Scott’s family moved to Ghana in the ’70s, they used to play a game with small wooden blocks sourced from a sawmill near her home. When she moved to England a few years later, she brought a few sets of these wooden blocks with her and introduced the game among her friends in Oxford. “I took the game to a London toy show in 1983. I’d grown up speaking Swahili and gave it the name Jenga, which means ‘build’,” says Scott in an interview with The Guardian. And that’s how Jenga was born. After initial hiccups, the game finally took off when it was introduced at the Toronto toy fair in 1986. What is particularly remarkable about Jenga’s success 118 december 2021

is that it caught the imagination of Louis Vuitton’s multi-coloured buyers when computer games were luxury version of Jenga already becoming popular. plexiglass blocks, wooden blocks This is how Scott describes the are just fine. After all, the excitement game’s popularity in The Guardian is the same. interview: “It took off in Canada and the US, but I didn’t know it was If you want to ace the game, Scott big in Britain until I went into a toy has some tips. Speaking to WIRED shop near Oxford with my sister magazine, she advised players not one day. There was a Jenga on the to rush and focus on individual shelf. A woman picked it up and my moves. “With Jenga, you lose it rather sister shrieked: ‘That’s my sister’s than win it. Each brick is a slightly game!’ And the woman clutched it to different size and weight, so every her chest and said: ‘No, it isn’t – it’s time you assemble a tower of bricks, mine!’ I got such a kick out of that.” it’s a different game,” she said. KNOW YOUR GAME Enjoy playing! Jenga is a fairly simple game. Fifty- four rectangular blocks are stacked in 18 layers of three blocks each. A player removes one block at a time and places it on the top of the stack; if the tower collapses, you lose. The world record for the tallest Jenga tower is 44 levels. The popular game has made an appearance in several films, including The Firm, which starred Tom Cruise. And if you are a fan of the hugely popular TV show Big Bang Theory, chances are you would have spotted a Jenga in an episode. Jenga is not limited to wooden blocks though. In 2019, luxury fashion label Louis Vuitton designed Jenga blocks that were made of plexiglass. For the most of us who cannot afford the readersdigest.com.au 119

READER’S DIGEST 120 december 2021

ART OF LIVING Go With The Flow little LaeachtRsumoafckspontaneit How y can your day BY ILLUSTRATION BY KATE TRAYNOR make T he pandemic has made Socially-distanced burger in the me a more spontaneous park? Sounds glamorous! Walk with person. Weird, I know. Be- an acquaintance who lives around fore COVID-19, I was very the corner? My new best friend forev- Type  A about my social er! Lawn cocktails with the neighbour? life: dinner between 6pm and 6.30pm Why didn’t I think of this before? if I was feeling adventurous – usually at a restaurant of my choosing that My new “Sure, why not?” vibe has I’d researched and booked with three been one of the surprising upsides friends, four weeks in advance. The of this time. I’ve made some new upheaval of this last year completely friends, seen parts of where I live changed my Virgo approach to rec- that I didn’t even know existed, and reation. Now, with so many activi- become extremely good at dropping ties off the table, whenever there’s a everything at a moment’s notice. chance to do anything, I jump. I’ve also learned that embrac- ing novelty and openness to new readersdigest.com.au 121

READER’S DIGEST experiences can make us happier – “It’s just like exercise,” says Pro- even if it’s confined to small changes fessor Joordens. “You may have to in our daily routines. Here are some force yourself in the beginning, but easy ways you can give spontaneity a then hopefully it becomes your new fighting chance to thrive. habit.” FOCUS YOUR EFFORTS MAKE SOME ROOM Someone who’s naturally more in- Having gaps in my day, thanks to the troverted or anxious doesn’t need to widespread closure of restaurants, revamp their entire approach to life bars and cinemas, definitely helped to reap the benefits of spontaneity, foster the creation of Brave-New- says psychology pro- Why-Not?-Me. I could fessor Steve Joordens. accept last-minute The key, he says, is to “THE invites for bike rides identify which areas FIRST STEP or phone chats, and are the ones you feel IS ASKING I quickly learned the could benefit from a small joys of unex- little more of an off- YOURSELF pected fun. the-cuff approach WHAT’S According to Ed- and focus on chang- ing your habits there. LACKING IN ward Slingerland, a professor of philos- “The first step is YOUR LIFE” ophy, the first thing asking yourself what’s you need to do to lacking in your life,” nurture spontane- he says. “What’s your ous experiences is goal?” Once you iden- to create some space tify your aim (more friends? a new hob- for them. The author of Trying Not by?) you then need to identify which to Try: Ancient China, Modern Sci- habits are keeping you from getting ence and the Power of Spontaneity, what you want. Maybe your weekend he became interested in spontane- routine is too packed or too rigid, or ity while studying Chinese philos- you keep making flimsy excuses to not ophers who wanted to cultivate a try that new online baking class. state of Wu Wei, or effortless action, Then you can consciously substi- and saw spontaneity as an impor- tute those spontaneity-killing habits tant goal. for ones that will help you achieve “We overstructure our lives and your goal. If this doesn’t exactly plan too much,” he says. “Most peo- sound spontaneous, that’s because it ple don’t have any gaps in their day isn’t – at least not at first. to play.” 122 december 2021

Go With The Flow And while Professor Slingerland You’re not going to strike up that admits that leaving those gaps is defi- interesting conversation with the nitely trickier if you’re juggling things person next to you in line if both like work, taking care of family mem- of your faces are buried in your bers or a busy volunteering schedule, phones. And you’re not going to even just having the mental goal of notice that you’ve just passed a not overscheduling yourself can help scrumptious-looking new bakery if change your approach. Many rabid you’re too busy checking email as list checkers (guilty!) might also be you scurry by. initially baffled as to how to put this into practice. EMBRACE FAILURE “Spontaneity is this weird combina- Learning not to fear failure is a tion of trying and not trying,” says Pro- daunting but essential step in the fessor Slingerland. He suggests giving path to becoming more spontaneous. yourself a very loose goal – like, say, “The hardest thing for a non-sponta- going for a walk without a particular neous person is going to be that risk,” destination, or just writing ‘leaving the says Professor Joordens. house’ on your agenda – to help build the scaffolding for interesting things Even though we’re not necessari- to happen. ly talking about capital-B Big Risks here, even making small changes to You just have to get comfortable your routine can be enough. Your with the idea that you might not al- partner might not like that new bed- ways be ‘accomplishing’ something, room design idea; you will perhaps per se. look silly if you take up tap dancing (OK, you will look silly); it could be Another quick way to give spon- a flop if you stream that movie you taneity a fighting chance is to stop know nothing about. scrolling. Screen time, says Profes- sor Slingerland, is a “black hole” for The trick, says Professor Joordens, adults and children alike. is to take a cue from the entrepre- neurial world and try to reconcep- “Digital addiction is a real barrier tualise failure as a learning oppor- to spontaneity,” he adds. The mod- tunity. ern instinct to reach for our devices at the first hint of empty time (guilty “Entrepreneurs embrace failure again!) eats up both actual time and the notion of learning from it,” when we could be engaging with he says. “The upside is if you’re spon- our environment in a more present taneous, you’re more likely to discov- way and the sudden mental break- er something new, and that could throughs that can occur when we let turn out to be something you really our minds wander. love.” readersdigest.com.au 123

A FEAST PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES For The SENSES Look beneath the surface of Delhi’s never-ending chaos and you will find treasures both great and small BY Priya Krishna FROM HEMISPHERES MAGAZINE FOR UNITED AIRLINES 124 december 2021

TRAVEL The Tomb of Isa Khan at Humayun’s Tomb complex in Delhi readersdigest.com.au 125

READER’S DIGEST NDIA’S CAPITAL CITY is of- Fort, whose moat-lined stone wall PHOTOS: (RED FORT, SPICE MARKET) MARCO ARGUELLO. (MINA BAZ ARR) GET T Y IMAGES ten described as ‘organised separated the palace complex from chaos’, a concept that ap- the rest of the city during Mughal plies to every aspect of Del- times. I know we’ve reached our des- tination when we begin to share the I hi: the crowded streets, the road with cows and sugarcane juice boutiques and art galleries vendors. coexisting with centuries-old ruins, the fruit and tea vendors traversing Our first stop is the Jama Masjid the city with their wares. mosque, which was completed in 1656. I can’t help but compare the In recent years, however, the city breathtaking structure – soaring red has undergone a transformation. sandstone minarets, white marble Interwoven among the stately build- domes, lines from the Quran carved ings, relics and beloved food stalls in black onyx – to the Taj Mahal. Both are new restaurants, markets and were commissioned by Emperor developments that lean into India’s Shah Jahan. bountiful heritage. Instead of gazing outwards, Delhi, it seems, is finally From there, we take a brisk walk looking inwards. into the Chandni Chowk markets where people are hawking everything I’ve been visiting this city since I from silver jewellery to gulab jamun was a kid. Indian culture normally (sugar syrup-dipped milk dump- dictates that I stay at my aunt’s place, lings). I want to browse, but Vishnu so it’ll take some time to adjust to my is on a mission to show me the hav- spacious room at The Oberoi, in the elis, centuries-old townhouses with New Delhi district of Delhi. I’m excit- elaborately decorated doors. I see ed to explore the city on my own for one etched with incredibly detailed the first time. roses, another that’s bright blue and outlined with mint-green vines. O n my first day I decide to dive head-first into Old Delhi, so Chandni Chowk has a lot of al- named because it was a for- leyways (galis, in Hindi). I have my mer capital of the Mughal stomach set on Paranthe Wali Gali, Empire. It is 600 hectares of sensory home to a cluster of stands that sell overload: rickshaw horns blaring, only stuffed breads called parathas. frying pooris (unleavened bread) giv- Vishnu directs me to a simple setup ing off their nutty scent, and throngs with just a few tables that dates back of people weaving through narrow to 1872. alleys. After breakfast I set off with Vishnu, a ToursByLocals guide. I order two parathas stuffed with paneer, a mild Indian cheese. A cook Along the way, we pass the Red rolls out the dough, folds in crumbled 126 december 2021

Clockwise from top left: Some of the distinctively carved sandstone of Red Fort; the fragrant bounty of the Chandni Chowk spice market; the Mina Bazaar in front of the Jama Masjid mosque readersdigest.com.au 127

READER’S DIGEST Left to right: Some of the historic artefacts on display at the National Museum; Pepper crab topped with rice noodles, part of Indian Accent's tasting menu paneer dotted with fenugreek and co- kebab house in Chandni Chowk has PHOTOS: MARCO ARGUELLO riander, rolls it out again, and slides it the city’s finest grilled meats. It was into a pan filled with ghee. It’s served started more than 100 years ago by alongside sabzis (stewed vegetables). the son of a chef who had worked in I dip a piece into a pumpkin sabzi. the court of the Mughal emperor. The It’s a rich, crisp, spicy and slightly seekh kebabs’ beef is so tender it falls sweet mess. off the skewer. Back on the crowded streets, Vish- After lunch, I spy a group of plumb- nu advises me to “walk like an Indi- ers, electricians and carpenters an”. As he charges confidently into napping in the shade, awaiting cus- traffic, rickshaws magically get out of tomers. “It’s a good system,” Vishnu the way. I try my best to mimic him, insists. “If you need a plumber, you but I can’t help but flinch at oncom- know exactly where to find one.” ing cows. After a nap at the hotel, it’s time for On Khari Baoli, one of the district’s dinner at Indian Accent. The famed most bustling streets, we browse a tasting menu restaurant is a far cry spice market with fragrant bags of from Old Delhi – the dining room cardamom pods and saffron threads. is spacious, serene and dimly lit. A I pick up a vial of saffron perfume at a parade of dishes appears: pepper 100-year-old perfumery. crab topped with idiyappam (rice noodles); pork ribs laced with rum After all that walking, I’m hungry and mango pickle; and for dessert, again. I’ve been told that Karim’s 128 december 2021

A Feast For The Senses makhan malai, impossibly light saf- Around me, I see couples cuddling fron cream topped with rose-pet- on benches and elderly aunties out al brittle and almonds. “The idea for a stroll. With the temperature at is to do pan-Indian regional food, 38°C, it’s time for indoor activities. but make it new,” explains Manish Mehrotra, corporate chef at Indian I meet my aunt Manisha, who has Accent Restaurants. lived her whole life in Delhi, at Café Lota. Warm, bubbly and open to eat- Belly full, I crawl into bed. I’m al- ing anything, she is the perfect din- ready looking forward to everything ing companion. The café, housed I’ll eat tomorrow. in the National Crafts Museum, serves regional food showcasing the After breakfast, my driver country’s range of heritage lentils takes me to Red Fort, the and grains. There’s corn dhokla, sa- Mughal emperor’s prima- voury fermented cakes from Gujarat ry residence. Considered adorned with crisped curry leaves by many to be Delhi’s most impor- and bhatt ki churkani, a stew of a tant monument, it’s surrounded by local variety of black bean. 2.5 kilometres of imposing red sand- stone walls, with ornately carved We digest our meals with a spin domes and tall watchtowers. Inside, through the museum, where I find I explore Rang Mahal, which was an early-20th-century purple sari home to the emperor’s wives, and embroidered with hunting scenes in Diwan-i-Khas, where the emperor, gold thread. I’m also enamoured of seated on his bejewelled Peacock two hamsa (swan masks) from West Throne, met courtiers and visitors. Bengal, used in classical dance. Next is Humayun’s Tomb, which Manisha wants to check out an ex- was built in the 16th century to hon- hibit at the National Museum called our Emperor Humayun. With its Jewels of India showing 173 gems and triptych-style facade capped by an items of jewellery from the collection imposing dome, the tomb served as of the nazims (monarchs) of Hydera- inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Compli- bad. I’m dazzled by the 184.75-carat cated marble inlay patterns line the Jacob diamond and a seven-string facade to the 47-metre-tall structure. pearl necklace called a satlarah. Delhi is full of public parks, and My dinner reservation is at Nico- I’m off to see the most famous one: Caara, located in the Chanakya, an Lodi Garden, which is both a garden upscale mall in Chanakyapuri. The and a tomb for the rulers of the 15th- restaurant, a collaboration with the and 16th-century Sayyid and Lodi chic Delhi clothing brand Nicobar, dynasties. is appropriately stylish, with botani- cal wallpaper and plants in gold pots readersdigest.com.au 129

READER’S DIGEST around before my head hits the pillow. The next morning I vis- it the market at Bikaner House, a former palace that has been converted into an art gallery and cultural space. Every Sunday, ven- dors sell everything from fresh dosas (pancakes) to artisanal granola. I have my eye on The Pickle Stu- dio, which specialises in The Lotus Temple is one of Delhi's newer wonders achaar, or Indian pickles. I buy a pungent dry garlic version – whole cloves in hanging from the ceiling. Co-founder chilli powder and ghee. Ambika Seth is one of only a few res- From there, I’m off to one last ar- taurateurs in India focusing on local chitectural marvel: the Lotus Tem- sourcing. ple, a Baha’i house of worship. Fin- “We have this colonial hangover ished in 1986, it draws more than based on this strange complex that four million visitors a year. The flow- imported was always better,” Seth ering lotus shape, which reminds tells me over a plate of nutty zarai me of the Sydney Opera House, was cheese, made in Uttarakhand, near chosen because it’s a symbol of pu- the Himalayas. “That’s changing rity and peace. Crowds of sari-clad with my generation.” elderly women stream by, elbowing The rest of the meal is a pageant me out of the way so they can take of bold flavours – orecchiette with selfies against the backdrop of the fresh pesto made using basil grown temple. at Seth’s organic farm, and a coco- For lunch, I am told that one of nutty prawn stew from Malabar laced the best restaurants in town is Little with rice noodles, lentils and earthy Saigon in upscale Hauz Khas. Viet- PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES mustard seeds. For dessert: a fluffy namese food in India? I’m surprised. almond-orange cake with a dollop of “I wanted Indian people to know not-too-sweet cream. Vietnamese food the same way they After dinner, I check into Bunga- know Thai or Chinese,” says chef low 99 in the Defence Colony neigh- Hana Ho, a Ho Chi Minh City native bourhood. I barely have time to look who came to Delhi in 2010 to cook at 130 december 2021

A Feast For The Senses the Blue Ginger restaurant in the Taj trust my clumsy sari-tying skills Palace hotel, before opening Little with the delicate fabric. Saigon. I enjoy a round of summer rolls, followed by a cold noodle salad For dinner, I try something new with homemade pork patties dappled at Mizo Diner, which is devoted to with herbs and fish sauce. the food of Mizoram in northeastern India. The cuisine is heavy on rice, For dessert, I stop at Evergreen pork and bamboo shoots. I enjoy Sweet House, a place I’ve been fre- vawska rep, a smoked pork stew with quenting since I was a kid. The store leafy greens, and sawhchiar, a chick- is a Willy Wonka factory of activity en and rice porridge served with an and colour. I’m here for the kaju ki addictive sweet-spicy onion jam. barfi, diamonds of cashew, milk and sugar. They’re soft, creamy and not By the time dinner wraps up, too sweet. the city is showing no sign of slow- ing. Car horns honk furiously, and Now, time for a little shopping. I vendors try to sell me the last of their head for nearby Kamayani, which fruit. offers the full range of Indian saris, from the tie-dyed bandhani saris of I go to bed dreaming of smoky pork Gujarat to the striped leheriya style and saris the colour of fairy floss and of Rajasthan. The store’s owner buys all the things I’ve discovered in a city textiles from Indian artisans who I thought I knew – and where I’ve still have spent their lives mastering clas- barely scratched the surface. sic sari-making traditions. FROM HEMISPHERES, © 2020 BY INK FOR UNITED “These saris are works of art and AIRLINES, UNITEDMAGS.COM. treasures of our country,” she says. I’m tempted to try one on, but I don’t Editor’s Note: The writer visited Delhi before the pandemic. CLEARING THE AIR In recent years, Delhi on the Air Quality ending the use of coal- has become notorious Index. Low visibility due fired power plants in the for its poor air quality. to smog sometimes city; promoting cleaner- The smog is worst even affects local burning natural gas in between October and airport operations. public transport December, and it isn’t vehicles; and effectively unusual for it to hit 500 The good news is that limiting the use of cars – considered Delhi’s authorities have to every other day. ‘hazardous’ – or more made some significant changes to turn the tide: The Editors readersdigest.com.au 131

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BONUS READ An unlikely friendship leads to some unexpected outcomes BY Laura Greaves F R O M  THE BOOK A DOG’S BEST FRIEND  PHOTO: COURTESY YVONNE HONG It usually goes without saying that much time with them. “I grew up in adults whose lives include many Malaysia, in small apartments and pets were animal lovers in child- with a mum who would never let us hood. It’s hard to imagine some- have any animals. There’s a lot of body with a houseful of dogs, or stray animals around in Malaysia, multiple cats, or a farm on which but unless you live in a house, peo- dogs are friends with llamas, not hav- ple don’t really have pets,” Yvonne ing had lots of formative experiences says. “I did have a hamster, but that with animals growing up. was all I could have. Even then, Mum thought it was a rat and said, But that’s not always the case. ‘Get rid of it!’” There are plenty of people who, for one reason or another, never had Being a predominantly Muslim pets as a child. There are people who country, dog ownership is uncommon didn’t like or were even afraid of ani- in Malaysia. Cats are quite popular, mals their whole lives. And there are however, but an early experience with people who thought they weren’t cut a crotchety kitty meant young Yvonne out for pet ownership until a particu- was decidedly not a cat person. lar furred, feathered or finned friend changed their minds later on. “I remember going to a friend’s house as a child and they had cats. I IT’S STORIES LIKE THESE that best picked up their cat and it scratched describe Yvonne Hong’s relationship me and hissed, so I just dropped with animals. Today, her life is quite it. I was terrified of cats after that,” literally consumed with the care of she says. pets – both other people’s and her own – but it was a very different story Deep down, Yvonne was a dog when she was a child. She liked an- lover and always longed for one of imals, but was never able to spend her own, but “it wasn’t something I would think about because it just wasn’t going to happen”. readersdigest.com.au 133

READER’S DIGEST In 2003, when she was 20 years 2008 and called him Henry. “As soon old, Yvonne decided to pursue her as we bought our house I got Henry. dream of a life working with animals. We didn’t even have our furniture, She moved to Australia to study vet- but we had a dog.” erinary science at the University of Melbourne. Sadly, she was forced to AS A CHILD, she’d also had a dream drop out of the degree after a year be- of one day starting her own charity, cause her parents were no longer able but unlike her eventual ascent to ‘dog to cover the cost of full fee-paying mum’ status, that goal had fallen by international student tuition. But by the wayside as she got older. After then she had fallen in love with life working in animal welfare and mak- Down Under and was determined to ing friends in the rescue communi- stay, so she took on other studies that ty, however, that forgotten ambition would keep her student visa active began to crystallise in her mind once while working to fund her veterinary more. science studies. “I had wanted to start a charity At the same time when I was younger; I as working “so many “AS SOON AS just didn’t know what odd jobs”, Yvonne was WE BOUGHT sort of charity. Then I also volunteering at an GAOHTOHUESNER, Y. was going to start an animal rescue. It was I WE DIDN’T animal rescue group partly a way to indulge with some friends her unfulfilled need HAVE that I’d met through to have animals in her FURNITURE, another rescue life, as well as being a BUT WE HAD group,” says Yvonne. way to give back to her A DOG!” adopted community. She ultimately decided not to join By now Yvonne had her friends in their also met her Australian venture because partner, Jon, and they she had begun to had bought a house in think about ways Melbourne’s south-east- to address a dif- ern suburbs. After years of living in ferent need she saw in the commu- small apartments, becoming a home- nity. She had started to notice the owner meant she was also able to re- number of people sleeping rough alise her lifelong goal of owning her on Melbourne’s city streets – and very first dog. she also noticed that many of those She and Jon bought a golden re- people had pets. She began to won- triever puppy on Anzac Day in April der whether they had the resources 134 december 2021

George And Tiger to buy nutritious pet food or pay to do something, so I went out and for veterinary care for their animal bought pet food and handed it out companions, and started to look into and never looked back. Sometimes whether there was anything in place the best plan is to have no plan.” to assist them. Almost before she knew it, her work “I wanted to do something with with POTH began to have an impact. pets and homelessness, so I went She registered the organisation as around and researched what already a charity and started fundraising. existed. There was one small group in More and more people started to Sydney that was essentially just two like the Facebook page. People got ladies that would hand out pet food in touch asking how they could do- on their trip to work,” she recalls. “I nate money or volunteer their time contacted them and said, ‘Is there packing pet food and distributing it something like this in Melbourne to people in need. that I could volunteer for?’ It wasn’t my intention to actually start a char- And growing numbers of people ity, but they said no, so I thought, OK, began to reach out to Yvonne seek- maybe I’ll start something.” ing assistance with feeding, hous- ing or paying for veterinary care for That was in 2013. It would be an- their pets. other two years before she was able to put her plan into action. From early on, Yvonne implement- ed a policy that POTH would only IN JULY 2015, she set up a Facebook accept requests for help from social page called Pets of the Homeless workers, not directly from pet own- (POTH) Melbourne (later changed ers. Every person at risk of or expe- to POTH Australia to reflect Yvonne’s riencing homelessness is unique and ambition of one day going nation- every case is complex. Yvonne knew al). Its stated mission: keeping best that this way her charity could focus friends together. on helping pets while confident their owners were also receiving support The irony was that when she finally for their other issues. threw caution to the wind and clicked ‘publish’ on that page, there was al- “People have lots of different most no planning involved whatsoev- needs, whether it’s mental health or er. “The night I decided to start POTH financial or something else. We don’t it was literally, ‘That’s it! I’m going to have the experience to support peo- do it!’ I just started the page and in- ple in finding housing or finding help vited my family and friends to like it,” with substance abuse – they need to she says. “Then I thought, If you have have a social worker, someone al- a Facebook page you actually have ready supporting them with that,” she explains. readersdigest.com.au 135

READER’S DIGEST “The most important thing is having a vision of where you want things to go. Then, even if you don’t plan it, you will do things that lead you towards that goal anyway,” she says. One of the most common requests POTH receives is for help finding temporary accommodation for pets whose owners have nowhere else for them to go. It’s a sadly common situation in the ex- pensive and unstable rental accommodation market, as well as for people leaving do- mestic violence situations to stay in refuges, because few Yvonne gives 17-year-old Tiger, a palliative short-term or crisis accom- care cat, a cuddle modation facilities will allow pets. SIX YEARS ON, POTH is one of the Such was the growing demand that largest charities of its type in Aus- in late 2018 Yvonne decided to add tralia, and in 2019 became the first emergency foster care to POTH’s list in Victor ia to open a dedicated of services. Unlike the launch of the Pet Food Bank. It has distributed charity three years earlier, rolling out more than 625,000 meals to hun- the foster care programme required a gry pets, and has either partially or lot of planning. fully funded tens of thousands of “Coming from an animal rescue PHOTO: COURTESY YVONNE HONG dollars’ worth of both emergency background, I knew how much work it and routine veterinary treatment, is to run a foster programme and to do from vaccinations to major lifesav- it right. It was months and months of ing surgeries. And the charity now writing policies and putting the pieces has two employees and a dedicated together, making sure everything was group of volunteers. in place before we took on the first an- Yvonne says she never imagined imals,” Yvonne says. t hat POTH would g row into t he In the three years since its launch, organisation it has become today. the foster-care programme has placed 136 december 2021

George And Tiger more than 200 dogs, cats, and even a she needed emergency foster care for turtle, in loving foster homes while her dog in the midst of a domestic their owners get back on their feet. violence situation. She didn’t know there was a cat in the mix as well. P O T H O N LY PL AC E S A N I M A L S “She had moved, but her ex-part- within its own pool of fully trained ner had found out where she was and vetted carers and works hard to staying. She had to go away for a few match each animal with the right fos- days to hide and there was no one to ter home. Sometimes, however, there look after her dog,” Yvonne says. “She is nobody in the pool of carers that is had actually got the dog because the quite right for the animal in question. police had told her she should have When that happens, Yvonne will often one for protection.” foster the pet herself. After a weekend in foster care, the That was the case in dog was returned to the summer of 2020, Megan. On that oc- when a desperate cat FROM THE casion, she had been owner asked Yvonne to MOMENT referred to POTH by take in her senior mog- EYTYVIEOGSNEONRNEWLHAAISMID, a social worker. The gy. And again in April A SURPRISE next time she needed 2021, when an old PACKAGE help, however, Megan dog’s foster care place- contacted Yvonne di- ment fell through and rectly. POTH usually she had the capacity to only works with re- step in. ferred cases, but given But if Yvonne was their previous collab- worried about man- oration and Megan’s aging the care of two obvious desperation, sick, elderly pets on top of her own Yvonne wasn’t about to turn her animal pack and the relentless de- away. mands of running a growing chari- ty, she would soon discover that she UNBEKNOWNST TO YVONNE the first didn’t need to. Because this dog and time they worked together, Megan this cat were happy to take care of had a cat as well as a dog. A rather each other. ancient cat – 17 years old, in fact. His * NAME CHANGED From the moment Yvonne laid eyes name was Tiger. Megan had been on him, Tiger the cat was a surprise forced to flee her home again and package. Firstly, his very existence had had no option but to leave Tiger was a shock. Yvonne had previously behind. assisted Tiger’s owner, Megan*, when “It was urgent and she had already readersdigest.com.au 137

READER’S DIGEST left the house. She had found a likely only had a few months left, so friend to look after the dog, but Ti- it was a matter of just keeping him ger was there alone. She asked me if comfortable,” she says. “We didn’t I could pick him up that night,” says even discuss whether he would go Yvonne. “I went to her house at nine back to Megan because I thought o’clock at night because we had to the few months he had left proba- find a time to go when it would be bly wasn’t going to make much dif- safe.” ference for her. She probably still She agreed to foster Tiger herself, wouldn’t be back on her feet when rather than placing him with anoth- his time came,” she says. er POTH carer, both because he was But there was no doubt that Megan a palliative care case and because adored her cat, and that leaving him she was sure that she could bring the in POTH’s care was heartbreaking for elderly feline home without causing her. “She cried when she had to let too much disruption for Henry and him go and said, ‘Goodbye, my son’,” her other pets. Yvonne recalls. But then something “I was confident incredible happened. in taking an old cat A couple of months because I thought he THOUGH HIS passed and Tiger kept would be easier to in- CANCER going. Then a few tegrate with my pack. more months went by Any animals that WAS STILL and still he kept hang- come into my care go GROWING, ing in there. Though into the laundry or the TRIEGAEDRYWTAOSNG’OT his cancer was still spare room for a few growing, Tiger clear- days to settle in,” she JUST YET ly wasn’t ready to go explains. just yet. Megan had told “He was so loving Yvonne that Tiger was and affectionate, very old and sick, but and ver y brave,” as soon as she saw him she realised Yvonne says. “He would be in your his problems were more severe than face, tr ying to steal your food. I she had anticipated. Tiger was pain- think if he was younger he would fully thin, and his nose was being have been more successful!” eaten away by what turned out to be He may have outlived his origi- an aggressive type of cancer. nal prognosis, but Tiger’s life wasn’t “I could see straight away that without its challenges. While lit- there was something wrong with ter-box trained and not techni- his nose. Megan told me that Tiger cally incontinent, he was prone to 138 december 2021

George And Tiger developing urinary tract infections, and whenever he had one he would uri- nate outside of his litter box. Carpeted areas and stand- ing atop Yvonne’s bathroom scales were his preferred locations. Then, in Novem- ber 2020, Tiger suddenly took a turn for the worse. He stopped eating and had to be rushed to the vet. “When he came back he still wasn’t himself and I had to syringe-feed him every hour for 24 hours. He also had thyroid issues – that was why he was so skinny – and if he couldn’t eat there was nothing for his body to metabolise, so I had to make Yvonne celebrating George’s 15th birthday sure he was constantly eat- with a special doggy cake ing,” says Yvonne. “After a day he started to follow me to the April 2021 when his owner, Robert*, PHOTO: COURTESY YVONNE HONG. * NAME CHANGED laundry, which is where I would feed was temporarily unable to look after him, and that’s when I knew he was him. He had been hauled off to the feeling better.” pound, which is no place for an old dog with a long list of medical issues, TIGER’S NEW LEASE ON LIFE un- and faced the prospect of euthanasia. doubtedly had something to do with “A social worker reached out to us the company he was keeping. Yvonne and said that it wasn’t Robert’s wish doted on him, and he got on well with for George to be put down. He want- the rest of her animal family mem- ed him to go into a foster home until bers, but more importantly Tiger had he was in a position to take him back,” made a friend. A best friend. says Yvonne. She had only just fin- His name was George and he was a ished fostering a dog called Pumkin, kelpie-Labrador mix. At 15 he was also who was elderly, blind and battling an elder statesman in his own right. a large and painful bladder stone George came into POTH’s care in that had required surgical removal. readersdigest.com.au 139

Tiger would sleep on top of George’s head, using him as a pillow Yvonne needed a break, so after The following day she rushed to PHOTO: COURTESY YVONNE HONG springing George from the pound she get him some doggy nappies. It was placed him with a POTH foster carer. a small step in the right direction, but there still remained the mystery of ex- Hours later, however, the carer actly why George struggled to stand called with bad news. up. He wasn’t yelping, but given his age the vet Yvonne consulted felt that “She said, ‘I can’t look after him starting him on pain medication for because he’s incontinent and he can’t arthritis was a safe bet. It paid off. get up on his own.’ He would just lie in his bed and pee himself all the “After we put him on pain meds he time, and she physically couldn’t lift would get up, and once he got up he him up,” Yvonne recalls. could walk around,” she says. Taking advantage of his limited and poten- So George came to stay with tially short-lived mobility, she took Yvonne. He was indeed unable to him for walks and trips to the beach, get from lying down into a standing where the buoyancy of the water position on his own. “The first night would ease his aching joints. He loved he came to my house he could not the experience, and also adored the get up so I would roll him over every daily massages Yvonne administered. hour or so and then change the tow- els underneath him. I think I used George was also suffering from a all the towels in my house,” she says. 140 december 2021

George And Tiger chronic bladder infection when he concern. Yvonne thought the elderly arrived. He took antibiotics for that, cat’s unexpected attention was a por- as well as pain relief and steroids for tent of doom. his mobility issues. He also had hydro- “I started to notice that Tiger was therapy and laser treatment to ease always with George, licking him and his aching joints and improve muscle sleeping next to him. They say ani- tone. mals can sense things, and I had never Because he couldn’t get to his feet seen Tiger lick any animal before,” she unaided when he ar- says. “I thought, Uh- rived, George received oh, George is going to a special exemption TIGER’S pass away soon.” from Yvonne’s usual ATTENTION But George didn’t ‘decompression period’ in the laundry or spare REVIVED pass away. In fact, bedroom. He was al- GEORGE. with Tiger’s devoted lowed to meet Henry, MAKING ministrations, he ral- the cats and his foster FRIENDS lied. sibling, Tiger, right WITH A CAT away. RENEWED It was as if Tiger’s at- HIS PURPOSE tention revived George. GEORGE’S FIRST He was unwell, in pain, and undoubtedly miss- ing his owner, but mak- INTERACTION with ing friends with a cat Tiger was uneventful who was doing it just – but that all changed as tough seemed to give a couple of weeks later. Yvonne had him a renewed purpose. begun weaning George off his steroid “From that day on, Tiger would medication, because it can damage sleep on top of George’s head, using dogs’ kidneys if used long term. Out him as a pillow,” Yvonne says. “It of the blue, he began vomiting and didn’t matter where George went, seemed generally flat and lethargic. Tiger would always follow. It was so She took him to the vet, who advised sweet. I had never had the privilege continuing with the steroid regimen of experiencing that bond before.” because his advanced age would like- She wasn’t the only one who was ly be an issue long before any kidney surprised by the unusual friendship. problems arose. George’s owner, Robert, who visited Even after the medication was re- his beloved dog whenever he could, instated, however, George just wasn’t was taken aback. “Robert was very himself. She was terribly worried – surprised because he said George and it turned out that Tiger shared her used to chase cats.” readersdigest.com.au 141

READER’S DIGEST But even when George was able to choose euthanasia for Tiger if it meant stand up on his own and walk with he would pass away in a sterile clin- greater ease, he never showed the ic all by himself. She hoped he could slightest inclination towards aggres- hang in there just a little longer. sion or even teasing. He didn’t recip- But on June 3, 2021, Yvonne came rocate the licking, but he definitely home to find Tiger gravely ill. She seemed to enjoy it. At the same time, knew it was his time. Tiger was completely indifferent to the “The rest of the night I held him other pets in the house. That’s why in my arms and I put on the electric Yvonne is so sure George and Tiger’s blanket to keep him warm,” she says. friendship was the real deal. “He passed in my arms.” “Even when I would take George Running a charit y like POTH and Tiger to the POTH office, I would means that saying goodbye to much- set up two separate beds for them and loved pets is a sadly common expe- Tiger would just go and sleep next to rience for Yvonne, but losing Tiger George every time.” hit hard. “Tiger was the best cat,” she says simply. TIGER R EM A INED DEVOTED to George has coped relatively well George for the rest of his life. In mid- with the loss of his best mate. Bit- PHOTO: (BOOK COVER) COURTESY PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUSTRALIA 2021, Tiger’s cancer became signif- tersweet as it may be, Yvonne thinks icantly worse. He also lost weight his dementia has made things easier which, given he was thin to begin for George. He continues to enjoy his with, was a worrying sign. And yet, beach walks, swims and massages, says Yvonne, “He was still and his easy-going rap- himself. He was meowing, port with Yvonne’s other happy, eating. He was still animals. But she knows grooming himself,” she he will never again have a says. friend like Tiger. She was grateful, because Though their time to- Melbourne was enduring gether was relatively brief, a series of lockdowns in both of their lives were all response to the coronavi- the richer for having each rus pandemic. Vets wer- other in them. The best en’t making house calls, friends didn’t need words and pet owners couldn’t THIS IS AN EDITED to express what they accompany their ani- EXTRACT FROM  meant to each other. As mal companions into vet George and Tiger proved, clinics. She couldn’t bear A DOG’S BEST FRIEND  there are so many ways to the thought of having to BY LAURA GREAVES. say, ‘I love you’. © 2021. PUBLISHED BY MICHAEL JOSEPH. AVAILABLE NOW. 142 december 2021

A LEGACY OF HOPE Chris O’Brien Lifehouse is a ProfessRr Chris O’Brien AO comprehensive cancer centre treating both public and private 3 Jan 1952 - 4 Jun 2009 patients. When Professor Chris O’Brien AO was diagnosed with Chris O’Brien Lifehouse is not only brain cancer, he used his diagnosis Chris’ legacy, but the legacy of our to advocate for his vision of bringing community of gift in Will together all elements of cancer care supporters. As a not-for-profit in one place. hospital, our model of care relies on our generous supporters, who Today, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse is the enable major breakthroughs in leading referral centre in Australia world-first cancer research and for rare and complex cancers. We further advance our standards of offer every type of treatment and specialised and holistic care. service that people with cancer need under one roof. Our clinicians are By leaving a gift in your Will to Chris world-leaders in cancer research, O’Brien Lifehouse, you leave a determined to find better ways to legacy of hope for people with treat patients, improve outcomes cancer and their families, both now and deliver uncompromising, and intRWKHIXWXUH. patient-centred care. To find out more about how you can make an impact, please contact Rebecca Scott for a confidential discussion on 02 8514 0988 or [email protected].



RD RECOMMENDS PHOTO: COURTESY © 2021 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Movies House Of Gucci Drama Looking for an adult movie revenge that consume all with a bit of crime and a bit of whose name is Gucci. intrigue? House of Gucci should satisfy. Inspired by the When the marriage between shocking true story of the Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) family behind the Italian and the heir to the fashion fashion house, the House of empire Marizio Gucci (Adam Gucci spans three decades Driver) ends in a messy divorce, and delves into the loves, she plots his murder. Also betrayals, decadence and starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto and Salma Hayek. COMPILED BY DIANE GODLEY readersdigest.com.au 145

Sing 2 Animated/Family PHOTOS: (SING2 AND DEAR EVAN HANSEN) COURTESY © 2021 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. If you saw the first Sing movie, you’ll be rushing off to the cinema to watch Sing 2, even if you don’t have little ones to take. With the voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson and Pharrell Williams, Sing 2 returns with big dreams and spectacular songs by can-do koala, Buster Moon, and his all-star cast of animal performers. Dreaming of a bigger slice of the limelight, the fun really starts when Buster promises the theatre promotor that his show stars rock legend Clay Calloway (Bono of U2), who has not been seen for a decade and Buster has never met. Dear Evan Hansen Musical/Drama A hit Broadway musical, this coming- of-age story has been turned into a cinematic event. Tony Award- winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an awkward teenager aching to belong at school amid the cruelty of the social-media age. His journey of self-discovery takes off when his classmate, Connor, steals a letter Evan is writing to himself for therapy with tragic consequences. The letter starts a rollercoaster ride for Evan which he can’t get off. 146 december 2021

PHOTOS: COURTESY PAN MACMILLAN; HARPER COLLINS; EXISLE PUBLISHING Fiction Freckles Non Fiction Devotion Cecelia Ahern The Turning Point Hannah Kent HARPER COLLINS Gareth St John PAN MACMILLAN Irish author Cecelia Thomas Ahern has a fondness for Hannah Kent writes writing about outsiders, EXISLE PUBLISHING exquisitely. If you’ve and her latest novel, read either of her other Freckles, will no doubt Exisle’s founder Gareth books (Burial Rites, resonate with readers St John Thomas has The Good People), you of her 13 best-selling made it his mission will know that she novels. Allegra Bird, aka to bring books to the uses language like Freckles, grew up with world from voices that a true artist, writing her eccentric father. otherwise would not each scene in vivid Now in her early 20s, be heard. The Turning colour. For her latest she wants to meet the Point – born out of an novel, Kent turned mother who disowned international writing to her own ancestors her at birth, so she takes competition – is such for inspiration – 19th- a job in Dublin to be a book. The premise century German- close by. But an insult of the competition: speaking immigrants from a stranger makes write about a turning who escaped religious her confront what she’s point in your life. The persecution in Prussia been avoiding, and her deeply personal stories to settle in South highly organised life is submitted astounded Australia. Devotion turned upside down. the judges. This book is a story about Thoughtful, inspiring features 40 intimate friendship and love, a storytelling with accounts of the human celebration of place and believable characters experience; life- persistence, as well as a you’ll fall in love with. changing moments ghost story with a twist. that will take your breath away. readersdigest.com.au 147

READER’S DIGEST Explain That You Can’t Stop The Big Panda And PHOTOS: COURTESY PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE; HACHETTE Sun From Shining Tiny Dragon Felicity Lewis Sonny Bill Williams James Norbury PENGUIN RANDOM with Alan Duff HOUSE PENGUIN HACHETTE RANDOMHOUSE Have you ever wanted to know why sharks A champion in rugby This is an absolutely bite? Is time travel union, rugby league gorgeous book and the possible? Or, what and boxing, Sonny Bill perfect Christmas gift for is the point of table Williams is a sporting friends who may need a manners? All these genius. With esteemed little emotional support pressing questions and writer Alan Duff (Once just now. Norbury started more are answered Were Warriors), Sonny writing and illustrating in this collection tells the story of a shy Big Panda And Tiny of short stories by boy growing up in the Dragon  after talking to journalists from The Age suburbs of Auckland people who were finding and Sydney Morning with a dream to play it hard to cope with life. Herald. For three years NRL. In 2004, the Inspired by Buddhist now, these journos 18 year old’s dream philosophy, it’s his have been putting came true when he attempt to brighten a difficult questions made his first-grade person’s day. The book under the microscope debut for the Bulldogs follows two friends as and sharing their and was named Rookie they venture through the investigative expertise of the Year. But the wilds, exploring thoughts and storytelling talents lifestyle had its pitfalls and emotions, hardships in the newspapers’ and Sonny Bill soon and happiness. Each ‘Explainer Articles’. Now struggled to find a page is illustrated with you can read the pick of sense of purpose. elegant drawings that the crop in one tome. touch your very soul. 148 december 2021