Reader’s Digest Australia December 2021

Not On Her Watch THE GREAT TWEET OFF: I walked into our living room and CELEBRATIONS found our expensive decorative sofa AND KIDS EDITION pillow in shreds. I asked my teenage daughter whether she knew which “The best way to see Christmas is of our three dogs was responsible. through the eyes of a child.” Right? “It was Cotton,” she said. Or maybe not. “How do you know?” “I watched him.” When a toy says it’s designed for children ten and older, they mean SUBMITTED BY TONY BUNKER you shouldn’t buy it unless you have Tastes Differ an engineering degree. I was at a coffee shop on my lunch @LMEGORDON break, and the guy in front of me in line asked the barista if she could According to my kids’ Christmas crumble up two blueberry scones lists, they think this parenting and blend them into his drink. gig pays pretty well. Not sure what his story is, but I hope he finds peace. @KENDRA A ALEIGHH @S A R C A S T I C M O M M Y4 STATUS UPDATES Yesterday we bought the rocket ship the toddler wanted for Christmas so it Let’s face it – social should come as no surprise that today media is one big accident he no longer likes rocket ships. waiting to happen: @SNARKYMOMTOBE Accidentally connected my Fitbit account to It doesn’t feel like Christmas until I Facebook and now start threatening to cancel Christmas. everyone knows I only walked 13 steps @MOMMAJESSIEC yesterday. Daughter: And this one? @THECATWHISPERER Me: Also carrots. Accidentally changed Daughter: I don’t like carrots. my Facebook status Me: I know. to ‘Single’ and my mother-in-law posted, [How I’ve kept my three year old from opening the family gifts under the tree.] “WOO-HOO!” @HENPECKEDHAL @BRIANHOP readersdigest.com.au 49

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ILLUSTRATION: GEL JAMLANG FOR READER’S DIGEST A Teacher’s Lifesaving Call BY Emma Taubenfeld Going the extra distance for her students extended to helping their families In the midst of the COVID-19 pan- times, but Koch had never heard demic, Julia Koch began her sec- the grandmother sound quite like ond year as a first-grade teacher in this. Her words were so jumbled that a virtual classroom at Edgewood Koch could barely understand her, Elementary School in Michigan. although she was able to make out One afternoon in September last that Phillips had fallen four times year, she received a call from Cynthia that day. Koch phoned her princi- Phillips, who was having technical pal, Charlie Lovelady, who assured difficulties with her granddaughter’s her that he would call and check on tools for online learning. Phillips himself. Koch immediately knew some- Just like Koch, Lovelady could thing was wrong with Phillips. The barely understand Phillips. He sus- two women had spoken numerous pected she might be having a stroke readersdigest.com.au 51

READER’S DIGEST – he recognised the signs from when “I’m proud of the people I work his own father had suffered one. with, that they responded so quick- Lovelady was able to make out the ly and that it made a difference for word ‘kids’ and immediately became Mrs Phillips,” says Koch. “I am so concerned that Phillips’s two grand- pleased to be part of such a caring children, aged six and eight, were community.” probably home alone with her – she But the school’s crisis response was was their primary guardian – and only one piece of the community’s scared. extraordinary efforts to help Phillips Lovelady asked his office manager and her granddaughters. Another to send an ambulance to the grand- family with young children took in mother’s home. Then Lovelady called the two girls. When that became too his supervisors at the much to handle during local school district, “IF IT WASN’T the day with at-home Vandiebilt Mathews FOR THEM,” learning, school ad- and Keytria Burt-Walk- SAID PHILLIPS, ministrators contacted er, to tell them what the local Boys and Girls was going on. Both “I WOULDN’T Club. The girls now of them dropped BE HERE” spend their days there everything and drove as part of a programme to the family’s home. to help working par- When they pulled up ents, and return to the less than ten minutes later, the am- host family at night. bulance crew was treating Phillips Virtual learning has been a chal- while the two girls, looking visibly lenge across the world, but it’s fair to shaken, were outside with a neigh- say that it has also helped communi- bour. The quick response from Koch ties grow closer. Many teachers have and Lovelady saved Phillips’s life. given their personal phone numbers She arrived at the hospital in time to students and families in case they to get treatment and before chronic needed extra help. In this case, the damage occurred. exchange was literally life-saving. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t “The outpouring has been very be here,” said Phillips from her hos- humbling,” Koch says about the rec- pital bed about a month after her ognition the school staff received for stroke. Thanks to an extended stay in their efforts. “But I also know that it’s the hospital, she has regained most of part of the kind of community we’re the movement throughout her body in. We care about each other, and we except for one hand and a portion of don’t just say the words. We follow her mouth, which affects her speech. through.” 52 december 2021

ILLUSTR ATION: VICTO NGAI FOR READER’S DIGEST, FROM RD.COM A Rescue Brings A Change of Heart BY Tom Parzyk At first, some of us felt resentment. But we soon opened our hearts On July 10, 1980, I was was blowing at 20 knots with about aboard the destroyer USS three-metre swells. There was a Oldendorf DD-972, in typhoon 320 kilometres east of us transit in the South Chi- and heading our way. All of us were na Sea from Singapore to looking forward to arriving in the Subic Bay in the Philippines. The day Philippines as quickly as possible. was grey and dreary, with threaten- Suddenly, the lookout spotted an ob- ing clouds all around us. The wind ject adrift about 16 kilometres east. readersdigest.com.au 53

READER’S DIGEST He looked at it through the large more prepared after that news. Some telescopic binoculars we called ‘the gathered any dry clothes they could big eyes’ and announced that it was spare, and I prepared by getting the a boat with many people on it. We all special decontamination area ready; knew right then that they were refu- it would normally be used to wash gees adrift in an area dangerous with off nuclear fallout. I unlocked the reefs and shoals. compartment and readied it with It was almost noon. I was just fin- soap and all the necessary medical ishing the eight-to-12 watch when the items. I then watched as the whale- captain announced from the bridge boat towed the junk closer and closer that we were heading towards the to the ship. It wasn’t an easy task, as boat to offer assistance. the seas were high. The ship came alive. We finally got along- Everyone prepared for “THEIR FACES side the junk, and the a possible rescue. I left REFLECTED first thing I noticed was the bridge, grabbed the strange sound of a sandwich on the GREAT FATIGUE. babies crying. It was the mess deck, and made THEIR BODIES first time I had heard my way to the fantail, babies crying out at sea. where I would help DID TOO” Then came the sound out. Along the way, I of the men and women noticed that most of excitedly talking with the crew were complaining about pain in their voices. assisting the people. I’ll never forget The women sat holding their chil- how a big, burly engineer looked into dren and caring for the sick, while my eyes and angrily said, “We oughta the men remained standing and leave them out there to die”. stoic. But their faces reflected great We got as close to the boat as we fatigue. Their bodies, sunbaked and safely could to avoid the reefs. We bony, did too. then sent out the whaleboat with a We helped get them settled. The small crew to check it out further. weakest received treatment in the The situation was much worse than sick bay, while the rest stayed in the we’d expected. The whaleboat crew engineers’ berthing compartment. reported back that an old eight- The engineers happily slept in their metre wooden junk boat was jam- working spaces for the remaining packed with about 50 men, women two nights of our voyage. and children. They were very weak During those hours after the res- and trying to keep the slowly sinking cue, I noticed a big change in the atti- junk afloat. Our ship became even tude of the crew. Everyone was happy 54 december 2021

No Ordinary Day about the successful rescue effort. We were very happy. Compared to the discovered that boat people were just small boat they’d been on for the past as human as any of us. month, they must have felt as though they were on the Queen Mary instead The next day, after our guests were of an old Navy destroyer. properly rested, we ate, sang and laughed with them and made them On the last evening before we as comfortable as we knew how. pulled into port, I walked into the engineering berthing space and was We soon discovered their story. greeted by another sight that I’ll They were from Vietnam and had never forget. The same big, burly, left their homeland a month earlier bearded engineer who had wanted with Singapore as their destination. to avoid the rescue, was now seated After one week, their motor had bro- at the table looking right at me and ken down. They had gone without smiling widely. In his large arms, he food and water for the past ten days. held a bright-eyed baby girl, careful- There had been 55 of them, but seven ly wrapped in one of his old faded had died. blue work shirts. She looked so se- cure as he gently fed her a life-giving Outside, the weather was grow- bottle of milk. ing worse, but inside, everything felt warm and pleasant. Our new friends Why Scum Forms on Tea We all have our own views about what makes a cup of tea perfect, but scientists from Switzerland – a nation not known for its tea-drinking habits – have one over us. The scientists have discovered how to get rid of the layer of film that often forms on top of a cup of tea. It was believed the film forms when the waxy coating on tea leaves rises to the top of the water, but apparently this is not the case. Instead, experts in rheology, the study of how liquids and gases flow, found the film is created when polyphenols, the organic compounds in tea leaves and other plants, bond with the calcium carbonate in tap water. Using soft water, which has a lower mineral content, will stop a thick layer of scum forming, but the Swiss scientists warn that pure forms of water can make the tea taste bitter. Drinking the tea while hot and adding lemon juice can also stop the layer of scum. Anyone fancy a cuppa? DAILY MAIL readersdigest.com.au 55

BYE-BYE 2021 BY Patricia Pearson ILLUSTRATION BY Sam Island 56 december 2021

HUMOUR T wo years ago, before Clara could only imbibe baby food The Time of the Virus, through a straw; my husband, Am- my husband and I spent brose, is a diabetic vegetarian who a wonderful New Year’s had just gone off flour, potatoes and Eve ringing in 2020. We sugar; and Geoffrey wasn’t focused drank sparkling wine on food at all. He yearned for some- and played charades with good thing unobtainable, like a girlfriend friends at their country house. Our he might meet at a party. two kids were off at parties with doz- ens of their friends, as one would ex- Everyone was miserable and short- pect from young adults. fused. Even I, a mother who prides Celebrating the start of 2021 was herself on being calm, burst out with more like a hastily-assembled fami- an uncalled-for bellow: “Fine, I GIVE ly meeting of Neurotics Anonymous. UP! Fend for yourselves. I’ll support How swiftly times had changed. local business by ordering triple Although he would rather have amounts of steak-frites for myself”’– been stuck in a lift with bees, Geof- after which, not knowing what else frey, our 20 year old, came to stay for to do, I marched in a confused and New Year’s Eve because he had liter- guilty huff down the dark, empty ally nothing else to do without break- road with our dog, who had doubtless ing the law. No gatherings allowed. just scarfed down the cat’s renal-sup- Our 24-year-old daughter, Clara, port kibble. At least she was happy. who hasn’t lived with us in years, spent the evening in our guest room Towards midnight, my son and I recovering from having wisdom teeth were reduced to watching the mid- yanked out of her head. While one night countdown from New York’s moped and the other moaned, for Times Square. But the scene was my husband and me, the presence populated with ‘air dancer’ balloons of two other humans in our quaran- rather than people. And then we fi- tined home was alarming, like we’d nally noticed the ‘celebration’ was been invaded by bears. airing with a one-minute delay. Ten, The only thing I could think to do Nine, Eight ... oh wait, never mind. for the evening was contribute to the war effort, so to speak, by support- We counted our blessings, though. ing local restaurants, which were We were healthy, more or less. There desperate for take-away orders. But was an uptick of hypochondria and germ phobia, with Clara having been terrified of opening her mouth at the dentist’s office, and Ambrose refusing readersdigest.com.au 57

READER’S DIGEST to leave the house due to the target of us understand technologies like on his back; diabetes and high blood Zoom. A lawyer in Texas appeared pressure were COVID-19’s favourite before a judge with a sad-faced-cat vulnerabilities. image over his own face, and he Geoffrey, a robust young man, grew couldn’t figure out how to switch it convinced that a mole on his stom- off. Working parents tried to present ach was cancerous – it was not – and I themselves formally to colleagues actually have generalised anxiety dis- during meetings, but pets, children order. So, maybe we weren’t mentally and neighbourhood noises crashed healthy. But we were together, and we through their façades. were alive. In other words, we all became much IT’S HARD to imagine ALL FOUR OF more human. And the most celebrated what the upcoming US STANDING IN moments of the pan- New Year’s Eve will be THE QUEUE demic weren’t driven like, since we have all by celebrities, but by learned to lower our WERE WEARING ordinary people all expectations to almost OUR PYJAMA around the world just nil. But maybe that’s a trying to see the funny good thing. There’s BOTTOMS side. Like the young something to be said choreographer from for finding small, unexpected mo- Vietnam promoting proper hand- ments of joy when, seemingly over- washing through a dance challenge night, the story of your life changes. on TikTok, and the bored BBC Sports One thing I observed is that peo- broadcaster. Stuck at home, he began ple stopped trying to be glamorous. publicly broadcasting his dogs Mabel Women stopped wearing mascara, and Olive as they simultaneously ate and what was the point of lipstick if their bowls of food – providing col- you wore a mask? Bra sales, surely, ourful commentary in the style of an dropped. I got so unused to wearing Olympics race. It all reminded me of mine that I drove to the city for a meet- something attributed to the ancient ing and realised I’d forgotten to put it poet Rumi: “If everything around you on. Then there was the day I went to seems dark, look again. You may be the corner shop and noticed that all the light.” four of us standing in the queue were This December 31, as we ring in wearing our pyjama bottoms. 2022, are we allowed to shout “Happy Many attempts to seem polished New Year!” this time? I say let’s just and ultra-successful at work were do it and raise a glass to a happy and comically undermined by how few healthy New Year. 58 december 2021



READER’S DIGEST 60 december 2021

SEE THE WORLD... Turn the page ›› readersdigest.com.au 61

READER’S DIGEST ...DIFFERENTLY THE CHRISTMAS MARKET in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is one of the most beautiful in Europe. One reason for this may well be the stunning Christmas tree set up in the market every year. The 27-metre-high metal structure is lit up by thousands of lights along its 6000 or so branches. The tree certainly proved to be a crowd-pleaser in 2018, when from above it resembled a giant clock. PHOTOS: SAULIUS ZIURA/VILNIUS.LT 62 december 2021

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READER’S DIGEST 64 december 2021

RELATIONSHIPS My Parents, LoInve How could I tell? It was clear in a single moment ILLUSTRATION: NADIA GRAPES/SHUTTERSTOCK BY Lauren DePino FROM NEW YORK TIMES W hen I was growing Moonstruck, their hair back then ink- up, I could never tell dark like Cher’s. if my parents were wildly in love or “I can’t understand why you peo- careening towards ple just can’t get along,” my Sicilian grandmother would scold when she divorce. I awoke some mornings to saw them fight. As I matured, I be- gan to understand that, since they the noise of their voices climbing, had married young (my mother was 18, my father 24), they were still forg- straining to make out their words ing their identities independently of each other. Early in their marriage, from two rooms away. Other times I’d catch them planted in the mid- dle of the couch watching the movie readersdigest.com.au 65

READER’S DIGEST they juggled teaching full-time and the beat, my mother shimmied her work ing towards higher degrees way through a sea of bopping “old while raising my sisters, ten and 14 people”, as she kiddingly called her years my senior. Their relationship peers, to snag prime space on the in- was bound to have its cracks. door dance floor. It wasn’t until I was in my late 20s, Once we were near enough to the when I started spending a week with speakers that we could feel the bass them every year, that I learned that in our chests, my mother raised her the foundation of Cathy and Andy arms and let the funk rhythm take DePino’s 57-year marriage is anything her. My dad grooved too, his stiff hips but a fixed layer of stone. It thrives loosening as the music drove on. with fluidity and mo- IT TOOK NO My mother momen- tion, like dancing. tarily left her reverie to Trip after trip, year TIME FOR point out that, in the after year, night after MY PARENTS spot where we stood, night, my mother would TO SEE EACH “the craziest thing hap- don a flowing skirt and pened”. Two “old men” sparkling costume jew- OTHER AS had tapped my father on ellery and say, “Let’s go THE ONLY the shoulder and asked to the dance!” Transla- ONES THERE if they could dance with tion: let’s go to the bar her. “Dad told them off,” with the live band and Mum shouted over the dance until they kick music. “He said, ‘My us out. wife wouldn’t give you a second look,’ On my last visit before the pan- and then the men slithered away.” demic, it was almost 9pm, and even Dad said to us, joking, “Nobody though my parents are both close to dances with my wife but me.” Or four decades older than me, I was the was he serious? Just then, the band’s tired one. It had been one of those bluesy version of ‘At Last’ swelled, family holidays with every hour ac- and like a spell, it dissolved the counted for – swimming, eating, crowd in twos. My father clasped his beach-walking, eating and more eat- arms behind my mother’s back; she ing of mostly rich Italian dishes and wove hers around his shoulders. sundaes for dessert. It took no time for him and my At ‘the dance’, all the windows and mother to see each other as the only doors were open, and ‘I Love Music’, ones there. My father smiled, his lips by the soul group the O’Jays, had hardly apart, the way he does in mo- people disco dancing on the foot- ments I’ve seen him truly happy. Like paths and in the streets. Sticking to the morning his first grandson was 66 december 2021

My Parents, In Love born. Like the afternoon at the coast promise, a life-giving leap – that they when the power went out and we could always, always return to each stared at the periwinkle clouds with other and know the other would be bright pink cores, a dusk undeterred completely there, completely present. by artificial light. They’ve lived half a century to- My mother was relaxed and happy gether. They’ve learned if you bend too, which isn’t the easiest state for and you move, the person you’ve her to reach. Her impossibly large been looking to all your life does the eyes were soft. I’d picked up on that same. Sometimes it takes something same softness earlier that evening on as simple as a slow dance or a sunset the pier, when we saw the sun fall be- for a lifetime of love to become incan- neath the sea. “There it is,” she’d said. descent. “There it is.” During my visits, I took videos As I witnessed my parents danc- of the afternoons my parents and ing, I felt a weightless understand- I watched the glowing, tangerine ing between them that I never knew sphere disappear into viridian blue, before. I’ve seen them at the height bordered by crowds of people, all of of distress and at the fathoms of de- us bearing witness to the mortal mo- spair – when they lost their own par- ments we ache to hold on to. ents, when my father lost his young- er brother. I’ve heard them yell and I reverse the camera to see our blame and slam their doors. And faces together. The light breathes I’ve seen them release it all for that through us, encasing us in rose-lit soft, familiar look they find mid-slow gold. It binds our hair, theirs bronzed dance, never looking away. with age, mine ink-dark like theirs once was. We are outlined, immor- Recently, I began to see that my talised by flame-coloured light. discovery had nothing to do with the tangible details of the moment, noth- I turn the camera back, towards ing to do with the dancing or the mu- only them, their hands entwined. sic. I could tell that my parents were in love because what I saw in their There it is. faces was a live memory, a living There it is. FROM NEW YORK TIMES (JANUARY 23, 2021), © 2021 BY NEW YORK TIMES No Kidding A herd of goats, brought in to clear weeds growing next to a shop in an Atlanta neighbourhood, became a thorn in the side for authorities when the kids wandered onto the busy road nearby. They were eventually rounded up and removed. WWW.KMBC.COM readersdigest.com.au 67

68 december 2021

CULTURE Take a tour of the traditional foods and drinks enjoyed across the globe each December A WORLD Of CHRISTMAS TREATS by The Editors readersdigest.com.au 69

READER’S DIGEST Can a whole country agree on something? At Christmas time, anything is possible. We asked editors of our international editions to share the special treats and classic drinks enjoyed at their tables at the end of each year. ARGENTINA AUSTRALIA PHOTOS (PREVIOUS SPREAD AND THIS ONE): GETTY IMAGES, (EXCEPT PUTO BUMBÓNG) SHUTTERSTOCK & NEW ZEALAND SAVOURY DISH: VITEL TONÉ SWEET TREAT: PAVLOVA This is one item that makes it onto almost every festive table. A cold There’s one thing Aussies and Kiwis veal steak served with a creamy can agree on: this meringue-based anchovy and tuna sauce, vitel toné creation, so named after Russian was brought over by the three mil- prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, who lion Italian immigrants who arrived toured the region in the 1920s. But in Argentina at the turn of the 20th who actually invented the dessert? century. It is garnished with hard- Both countries claim it as their own, boiled eggs and capers and arranged and there’s no convincing each oth- in slices on a large platter. “It’s a per- er otherwise. Best to just top it with fect meal: easy and quick to make, whipped cream and your favourite and great when feeding a crowd,” combination of fresh fruit and call it says editor Leonardo Schiano in a draw. Buenos Aires. CLASSIC DRINK: MEXICO ANYTHING ICE-COLD SWEET TREAT: LOS BUÑUELOS Given the heat in Australia and New When a dessert is this delectable, it Zealand at this time of year, sum- travels. Made of wheat, variations on mer-appropriate beverages are the these dough fritters long existed in standard choice. Whether it’s a Christ- Turkey, Morocco, Egypt and Spain mas-morning mimosa made with before migrating to Mexico, where orange juice and a local sparkling they are now enjoyed in various wine, or a crisp lager to accompany a ways. In Baja California Sur, they’re holiday barbecue on the beach or in prepared with guava and a sugary pi- the backyard, ‘refreshing’ is the opera- loncillo syrup; in Chihuahua, they’re tive word. “Anything cold and liquid!” paired with cheese; and in Oaxaca, says Zoë Meunier, managing editor of they’re sprinkled with red sugar. RD’s Asia-Pacific editions. 70 december 2021

LOS BUÑUELOS A World Of Christmas Treats PAVLOVA THE PHILIPPINES PUTO BUMBÓNG SWEET TREAT: PUTO BUMBÓNG A Filipino holiday street food, puto bumbóng is usually served outside church after Simbang Gabi, a mass held on each of the nine nights leading up to Christmas. A sweet purple-rice cake, it gets its colour from dark rice that is soaked and then ground. Cooks in search of a shortcut, however, simply add pur- ple-yam flavouring to rice flour. It’s then poured into bamboo cylinders, steamed, topped with butter, grated coconut and sugar, and served on a banana leaf. CLASSIC DRINK: TSOKOLATE A popular treat during the holi- days is this hot chocolate, made by dissolving tablets of pure cocoa in hot water, adding sugar and ei- ther milk or cream, and then froth- ing the mixture with a whisk called a batidor. It’s a constant on Christmas morning or alongside puto bumbóng after mass. THE NETHERLANDS SWEET TREAT: KERSTSTOL The core of this Dutch Christmas loaf is spijs, a paste made from sugar and ground almonds that is chilled and rolled. The spijs is wrapped in a sweet dough filled with nuts and dried fruit, and then baked and dust- ed with icing sugar. “It is gorgeous,” says Amsterdam-based RD editor readersdigest.com.au 71

READER’S DIGEST Paul Robert. “It may be bad for your teeth and your diet, but the best way to eat kerststol is to take a slice and smear it with butter.” FINLAND SAVOURY DISH: KINKKU According to editor Ilkka Virtanen in Helsinki, most Finns can’t im- KINNKU agine the holidays without this baked ham. “It’s the undisputed winner of Christmas dinner,” he says, “and slowly baking the dish in the oven is a beloved ritual.” It’s widely agreed that homemade mustard is the best accompaniment, and that any lefto- vers must be used in homemade pea soup. EGGNOG FRANCE LEBKUCHEN SAVOURY DISH: FOIE GRAS Although gavage – fattening a duck or goose’s liver through force feeding – is increasingly contested, it remains standard in France. And the resulting deli- cacy, foie gras, is one of the country’s most popular Christmas dishes. True liver lovers can buy it canned or sliced into medallions, but they will usually opt to poach, sear or bake the foie gras at home, and then top it with figs, truffles, onion jam or even gin- gerbread crumbs. CLASSIC DRINK: EGGNOG Champagne may be king at end-of- year celebrations in France but egg- nog has a special place in French 72 december 2021

A World Of Christmas Treats PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES TURRÓN GERMANY culture. Says Paris-based editor SWEET TREAT: LEBKUCHEN Stéphane Calmeyn: “There are ref- erences to it in the works of some Made with almonds, hazelnuts and of our great writers, from Gustave walnuts, these iconic cookies get their Flaubert’s Madame Bovary to Jean distinctive taste from a spice mixture Anouilh’s Antigone.” Served hot or that includes cloves, ginger and carda- cold, as an aperitif or to cap off a hol- mom. The Bavarian city of Nuremberg iday meal, this mix of milk, sugar, has long established itself as the cen- egg yolk and cinnamon or nutmeg tre of lebkuchen production, as it was pairs perfectly with a shot of rum once the country’s main destination and a crackling fire. for spices arriving from Asia. BELGIUM Scrumptious holiday cookies are also popular in neighbouring coun- SAVOURY DISH: BOUDIN tries. Austrians are partial to the Linzer Augen (‘Linz eyes’), an ele- Turkey, foie gras, lobster and oys- gant jam sandwich that showcases ters all have pride of place in holi- apricot or raspberry preserves pok- day spreads across Belgium, but no ing through a window cut into but- dish is more traditional than boudin. tery shortbread. In Switzerland, the With origins dating back to Greek cockscomb-shaped chräbeli, which antiquity, these small sausages com- are crispy on the outside and moist monly include pig’s blood, pork (fat on the inside, are known as well for and meat), raw onions, salt and pep- their unusual form as for their dis- per. At Christmas, home cooks like tinctive anise flavour. to “show boldness and imagination”, says Calmeyn, and may add choco- SPAIN late or cognac-soaked grapes to their recipes. SWEET TREAT: TURRÓN A typical tidbit around the holidays, turrón (nougat) was introduced to the Iberian peninsula in 711 when Mus- lim forces invaded. Popular belief holds that nougat was the result of an attempt to create a nutritious food that would keep over a long period of time. Whether you prefer a creamy or crispy version, your basic recipe will involve sugar or honey, egg whites and almonds. Chocolate and almond brittle are popular add-ons. readersdigest.com.au 73

READER’S DIGEST I Am The FOOD ON YOUR PLATE Sweet, sour, gorgeous Cherries BY Diane Godley You would be hard pressed – and as mentioned previously, fla- PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES to find anyone who didn’t vours – sweet (Prunus avium) – and like me. At the risk of sour (Prunus cerasus). sounding arrogant, I would say that most peo- My sweet varieties are most like- ple adore me – if not for my delicious ly what you’re more familiar with. plump red fruit, then for my attrac- Ripening just in time for Christmas, tive spring blossoms. And regardless I am devoured (I say ‘devoured’ be- of whether you have a sweet tooth or cause realistically, who can stop at a savoury palate, my sweet and sour just one or two?) fresh out of the box varieties satisfy all. Yes, I, cherry, am and bring a festive cheer to any din- much beloved. ing table. And when found in pairs, children just love to dangle me from While I am often thought of as a their ears for an impromptu pair of berry, I am actually a small stone ruby-red earrings. fruit. I come in a variety of colours – from yellow to deep blackish-red My sour varieties have a high acid content, making anyone game 74 december 2021

enough to try them fresh screw up throw their own celebrations. Timing their face – and mostly likely spit is everything with these festivals, as them out. Regardless of their tart- my blossoms are short-lived – usually ness, you humans are so in love with lasting just two weeks – and the date me you found a way to make this changes from year to year depending acerbic dark-red drupe more pal- on my capricious ways, and when I atable. Old sourpuss is frozen and decide to flower. In Japan, the entire canned, and added to sauces, pas- country keeps a keen eye on my trees, tries and even turned into Maraschi- waiting with bated breath for my first no, an alcoholic beverage. floral outing, which is usually in April. Marasca cherries are the principle Radio stations even provide a ‘blos- ingredient in Maraschino – a deca- som forecast’ so the populace is ready dently rich flavoured liqueur which to burst into celebration at the first can be traced back to hint of a bloom. 1759, when it was pro- IN JAPAN, But, your love for duced in Zadar, Cro- THEY WAIT WITH me doesn’t end there. atia. Today it is made BATED BREATH My timber is also in several European FOR MY FIRST highly sought after. countries, especially FLORAL OUTING With a delectable Italy, where other sour dark-red wood, some varieties are used. of my tree species are A favourite in cock- valued for woodturn- tail circles since the ing, as well as making 1800s, Maraschino is described as a fine furniture and musical instru- dry liqueur with a hint of sweet, va- ments – and even for smoking meat. nilla, sour cherry and almond notes. While my fruit is adored all over NATIVE TO THE NORTHERN HEM- the world, there are some who simply ISPHERE, my pips have been found grow me for the beauty of my pink and in prehistoric caves and Bronze Age white blossoms. Tree varieties that are settlements. Roman soldiers who selected for their stunning and prolific munched on my fruit, spitting out my spring flowers usually don’t bear fruit pips as they marched far and wide, and are planted in parks and gardens are thought to be responsible for my as ornamental trees. In Japan, Cher- spread throughout Europe and Brit- ry Blossom Festivals are held every ain. By 800 BCE, I was being actively year in my honour to celebrate my cultivated in Turkey and later Greece. bountiful blooms. This festival is so Today I am cultivated all over the popular that other countries around world, or at least in temperate regions the world have caught on and now where the mercury doesn’t drop too readersdigest.com.au 75

READER’S DIGEST steeply in winter and rise too sharply PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES in summer. CHERRIES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE You humans are not the only ones who admire me, though. Ingredients My fruit is readily gobbled up by birds and mammals, who continue • 200 g chocolate melts what the Romans started all those years ago – dispersing my seeds. (dark, milk, white or all three) In temperate regions, such as New • 1 kg cherries, stems intact Zealand, where my seeds have been deposited in this manner, my nor- Method mally well-behaved species has es- caped cultivation and become ‘nat- • Line a tray with baking paper. uralised’ or ‘wild’. But a word of • Wash cherries, keeping warning to my many admirers: you may love my fruit to bits, but don’t go stems intact. consuming other parts of my plant as I contain toxin cyanogenic glyco- • Place chocolate in a small bowl sides, a deterrent for herbivores. or saucepan and place over a larger Did I mention that I am clever in saucepan of simmering water. other ways? If my tree bark is inflict- (If using different types of chocolate, ed with a gash or wound, I exude melt in different vessels.) an aromatic sap or gum to seal my lesions and eliminate insect infes- • Stir until chocolate is smooth. tations or fungal infections. Some • Hold each cherry by the stem historians even believe that Native Americans chewed my sap as an ear- and dip into the melted chocolate, ly form of chewing gum. letting any excess drip into the bowl. Like most fruit, I am also nutritious • Stand cherries on the prepared and am packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals and powerful plant com- tray and refrigerate until chocolate pounds. These are thought to help has set. Enjoy! reduce inflammation, speed recov- ery time after exercising, boost heart 76 december 2021 health and even improve sleep. So, don’t feel guilty when tucking into a bowl of my sweet, plump fruit. Now, for a decadent sweet treat, try dipping me in chocolate!



READER’S DIGEST LAUGHTER The Best Medicine washes over you when you realise you’ve been cornered by a known chatterbox. CINE-VOID: The guilt that follows browsing Netflix and seeing an ‘important’ film you know you should watch but instead choosing an action thriller you’ll convince yourself you’ve never seen. R E MBA R R A SSMEN T: A feeling of humiliation at the memory of an awkward or shameful “Don’t worry folks, experience from long ago, I’m just a basking shark.” often unrelated to current You Know That Feeling? circumstances. Hangry, a word that describes the irritability that arises from hunger, CREDITPHORIA: succinctly gets at a very particular human emotion. Should we have The pleasure, denial, delusion and more of these terms? Here are some clever nominees. mania from being in a store you BURALYSIS: The paralysing anxiety you feel when confronted with don’t belong in and buying an item bureaucracy. PRETEDIUM: The mixture of you cannot afford. frustration, ennui and anxiety that PREMOJI: The feeling of searching on 78 december 2021 your smartphone for an emoji that doesn’t exist. Thecut.com CARTOON: ROYSTON Bashful Biters I’ve got sensitive teeth. They’ll probably be upset I’ve told you. GORDON SOUTHERN, COMEDIAN

ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES Checking Up JUST MONKEYING AROUND MUM, VIA TEXT: Don’t forget to My wife recently adopted a pet peel the potatoes. monkey. She’s already so fond MUM: Did you put the dog out? of it that she’s suggested we let MUM: Did you finish your it sleep in our bed. homework? MUM: Your father and I talked “But what about the smell?” about getting you a car. I protested. SON, VIA TEXT: You are?? Ooh, my gosh, thank you!!! Wow!!! Really? “Well, I’ve lived with it for MUM: No, I just wanted to make sure 25 years, so I’m sure the you were receiving my texts. monkey can put up with it,” she replied. AIDAN, SON JOKES SUBMITTED BY ANGIE BORODZICZ No Rainer Q: What do you call a baby A golfer standing on a tee box monkey? overlooking a river sees a couple of A: A chimp off the old block. fishermen and says to his golfing partner, “Take a look at those two Q: What’s the difference idiots fishing in the rain!” between a poorly dressed monkey on a tricycle and a well- SUBMITTED BY GREG LANG dressed monkey on a bicycle? A: Attire. Snow Place Like Home @SCARYMOMMY My husband purchased a world map and then gave me a dart and said, Q: Where do monkeys get their “Throw this and wherever it lands, gossip? that’s where I’m taking you when A: Through the ape-vine. this pandemic ends.” www.wideopenpets.com Turns out, we’re spending two weeks behind the fridge! readersdigest.com.au 79 THE SCOTSMAN Christmas Crackers Q: What does Miley Cyrus eat for Christmas dinner? A: Roast twerky! Q: Who delivers presents to baby sharks at Christmas? A: Santa Jaws!

READER’S DIGEST Former chief medical officer, Professor Chris Baggoley AO, at his home in the Adelaide Hills 80 december 2021

HEALTH Fighting NATURE’S Silent CANCER The odds are stacked in the fight against pancreatic cancer, but a team of scientists and medical professionals are determined to do all they can to change that PHOTO: THE AUSTRALIAN/MORGAN SETT BY Zoë Meunier S triding out on a 12-kilo- diet and exercise regime in the pre- metre run through the na- vious 18 months, having been told by tional park near his home a doctor that he was borderline dia- in the Adelaide Hills in betic, and felt fitter than ever before. January 2019, Professor Chris Baggoley AO, former Australi- His only niggling health issue was an Government chief medical officer, some changes in a recent blood test, was feeling in peak physical condi- which concerned his GP enough to tion. Then 66, he had overhauled his refer him to a haemotologist, whose tests included a scan of his abdomen. readersdigest.com.au 81

READER’S DIGEST Further testing would reveal the when diagnosed,” he says. “Those shocking news: he had pancreatic people have a five-year survival rate cancer. of around 37 per cent in the US. But if Unlike the majority of Australians it’s already spread beyond the lymph who know little about this relatively nodes to the liver or lung, the five- rare cancer, as the nation’s top med- year survival rate is just three per ic from 2011 to 2016, Dr Baggoley was cent. So simply by being diagnosed grimly aware of the gravity of his earlier, I have 12 times the survival diagnosis. Pancreatic cancer is Aus- rate of someone whose cancer has tralia’s third deadliest cancer, killing already spread, which is why early over 3300 Australians each year. detection is so important.”  Dr Baggoley was one of the lucky For these reasons, PanKind, an ones – his chance diagnosis meant Australian foundation exclusively he was one of a small percentage of dedicated to pancreatic cancer, has pancreatic cancer patients who was launched an Early Detection Initia- able to be operated on. tive, working with the research com- “It was early stage, OFTEN THE munity to improve so it was only in my early diagnosis. pancreas, about 2.5cm SYMPTOMS CAN “Often when a pa- in size,” he explains. BE MISTAKEN tient is diagnosed, they “I had what’s called a are close to death,” says Whipples procedure, FOR SOMETHING Michelle Stewart, CEO in which they cut out ELSE of PanKind. “This is half the pancreas, the largely because most first part of the small patients are diagnosed intestine, the gall bladder, a bit of when the cancer has already pro- stomach and liver, then join it all gressed too far for existing treatments back together in a way that nature to work,” she says. never intended. It’s a big operation, “If you have inoperable pancreatic so it laid me low for quite a while, and cancer, 80 per cent of patients only after that I had six months of chemo- survive six to 12 months. We believe therapy.” that early diagnosis offers the greatest Follow up tests have shown Dr hope to triple survival rates by 2030.” Baggoley currently shows no sign of A sea of challenges cancer, for which he is ‘very grateful’, citing recent sobering data from the The odds are stacked against the US National Cancer Institute. doctors and scientists fighting this “Only ten per cent of patients have deadly disease for several reasons. their cancer localised to the pancreas Firstly, there are often few signs or 82 december 2021

Fighting Nature’s Silent Cancer PHOTO: COURTESY FERN LAGUNA symptoms, or the symptoms Fern Laguna (left) with his late father are so vague they can easily Oscar Leguna, before their diagnoses be mistaken for something else. For example, Dr Bag- cancer early detection research pro- goley had put his weight jects are being undertaken. “The loss prior to diagnosis down challenge for both patients and GPs to his new health regime. is deciding when it’s something that Looking back, he says, needs to be investigated.” “There’s no doubt, given my background in medicine, Often, she says, it might be a case if I’d seen someone my age of seeing where these symptoms who’d lost 15 kilograms of might be occurring in tandem. “Let’s weight, even if they’d said it say you have upper abdominal pain was deliberate, I would have and you’ve unexpectedly lost some said, ‘Yeah, but where’s your weight, or lost your appetite – that cancer?’” could signal something is amiss with the pancreas.” Along with unexplained weight loss or loss of appe- Another issue is that there is no tite, some of the subtle signs of pancreatic cancer include upper abdominal pain, of- ten radiating through to the back, and reflux-type symp- toms. If the tumour arises in the head of the pancreas it can compress the bile duct, which can cause jaundice – presenting as yellow eyes, yellow skin, dark colour- ed urine or pale-coloured stools. “The real challenge is that pan- creatic cancer occurs rarely and the signs and symptoms occur common- ly, and are usually signs of some- thing else,” says Professor Rachel Neale, head of the Cancer Aetiology and Prevention Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Insti- tute, Brisbane, where one of two groundbreaking new pancreatic readersdigest.com.au 83

READER’S DIGEST Fern Laguna recuperating in hospital obesit y, pancreatitis, PHOTO: COURTESY FERN LAGUNA after his operation heavy drinking, ethnici- ty, or an inherited genetic early screening test for pancreatic condition. cancer, nor is there likely to be. Such was the case for Fern “Unfortunately screening all Aus- Lecuna, 58, from Sydney. tralians for pancreatic cancer is His father, Oscar Lecuna, not a viable option. Instead, we are had consulted his GP sev- looking to identify who is most at eral times complaining of risk of pancreatic cancer and deter- stomach pains and feeling mine whether monitoring this group unwell, for which he was would lead to better outcomes,” prescribed various pills. Professor Neale says. Eventually, Oscar consult- ed a new doctor who recom- Like all cancers, pancreatic can- mended a CT scan, which cer arises due to mutations in a revealed he had stage 4 person’s DNA, but the exact causes pancreatic cancer. Diag- of the disease are largely unknown. nosed in September 2020, Risk factors may include smoking, just after his 81st birthday, the loving husband and fa- ther and devoted Reader’s Digest fan passed away in April this year. Following his father’s di- agnosis, Fern devoted his time to learning more about the disease. With the knowledge that his pater- nal grandmother had also battled pancreatic cancer, Fern could see there was a potential hereditary link. In consultation with the ex- perts at Pankind, Fern had a CT scan himself – only to learn that he had a tumour in his pancreas, as well as a 4.5cm spot in his liver. He was in total shock – like Dr Bag- goley, he had had no symptoms and was also very fit – running, cycling and attending the gym regularly. 84 december 2021

Fighting Nature’s Silent Cancer “They wanted to operate that Sep- the group who would be at the very tember, but because I had so much high-end risk, who we could put into work to arrange, I waited until No- a structured surveillance screening vember 20,” recalls Fern. “The sur- programme for the next few years af- geon said if I had waited another ter their diabetes diagnosis, so if they three months my survival rate would do have pancreatic cancer, we’re able have gone from 60 per cent to three to pick it up earlier.” per cent.” The researchers are also interested During a mammoth nine-and-a- in people whose long-term diabetes half hour operation, Fern lost “half has recently become unstable and my stomach, 40 per cent of my pan- hard to manage, as that might also creas, my gall bladder and my duo- be an indicator of pancreatic cancer.  denum”. He is now being monitored “Interestingly, diabetes is proba- for symptoms. bly both a cause and a consequence Researchers are now looking at of pancreatic cancer,” explains Pro- how they can monitor families of fessor Neale. “People with diabetes, pancreatic cancer pa- THERE IS A over the long term, tients to assess their have an increased risk risk and potentially LINK BETWEEN of getting pancreat- increase early detec- DIABETES AND ic cancer, but people tions. And yet, ge- who have new-onset netically linked pan- PANCREATIC diabetes, that might creatic cancer only CANCER have actually been accounts for about ten caused by undetected per cent of cancer, so pancreatic cancer.” it’s only a small part of the puzzle. A second research project, led by The diabetes indicator Associate Professor Andrew Metz at the Jreissati Family Pancreatic Cen- One primary area of interest for Pro- tre at Epworth, Melbourne, is also ex- fessor Neale is the relatively strong ploring the diabetes link. Funded in link between diabetes and pancreatic partnership with PanKind and Tour cancer, particularly new onset diabe- De Cure, it unites the disciplines of tes, as was the case with Dr Baggoley, gastroenterology and endocrinology who went on to develop diabetes, to explore their different perspectives which is being managed with pills, of pancreatic disease. diet and exercise. Why such a strong focus in this Says Professor Neale: “What we area? Of the patients with pancre- want to do, among all the people atic cancer, about 50 per cent have with late-onset diabetes, is predict a diagnosis of diabetes. And about a readersdigest.com.au 85

READER’S DIGEST A SEARCH FOR BIO-MARKERS F inding a non- launched a multi- into the bloodstream, invasive bio- cancer early- which is different marker to help detection blood test from the DNA output detect the cancer with called Galleri that can of healthy cells in the a simple blood test is detect more than 50 body, and can reveal another important types of cancer early whether a signal for area of focus all on, with pancreatic cancer is present as around the world. cancer being one of well as where in the the more successful body the cancer Recently, there ones. signal is coming from. have been some very positive advances in The test works by With more than this area. In June this analysing small 140 clinical study year, Grail, a US pieces of DNA sites, the test picked health company released by tumours up 66 per cent of pancreatic cancers and came up with less than one per cent of false positives. Once this test becomes more widely available, it may become another weapon in the arsenal of early detection. quarter have had a diagnosis of dia- Andrew Metz. To assist them, the re- PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES betes within the previous three years. searchers will be linking the national data of thousands of patients who “This really gives us an exciting op- have pancreatic cancer over the past portunity to try and work out which 15 years, using sophisticated, non-per- one of these patients, who has been sonal-identifying machine-learning diagnosed with diabetes or has un- methods to predict people’s risk of derlying pancreatic disease, would pancreatic cancer. be suitable for ongoing testing to see whether pancreatic cancer can be “By making the most of existing detected,” says Associate Professor data we can hopefully understand 86 december 2021

Fighting Nature’s Silent Cancer more about the disease faster,” says when they feel they have something Professor Neale, admitting that all of concern.” of this research is still in the early stages. “If someone’s got the symptoms they should persist,” concurs Dr “There’s a long road ahead, but Baggoley. “They shouldn’t just put we just need to chew it off bit by bit,” up with it for months and say, ‘Oh she says. well, I was told it wasn’t anything important.’ Everyone has to think But just as important as all the about it.” research work being done globally, she says, is that patients advocate for It’s undeniably a challenging road their own health. ahead, but for pancreatic cancer pa- tients and the loved ones left bereft by “I think it’s well worth people the rapidity and devastation wrought being aware that if they’ve got dia- by this disease, it’s essential that the betes, a history of smoking, they’re fight continues on every level. overweight and then they get tum- my pain, they shouldn’t just ignore “This needs a combined attack,” it,” says Professor Neale. “It’s en- concludes Dr Baggoley. “There’s a couraging people to listen to their lot to be done and I can help in that, own bodies and be aware of their and as I say to people, ‘while I can, risk factors, and present to their GP I will’.” Santa Claus Around The World For many of us, Santa Claus is that guy with a white beard in a red suit who drops off gifts by sleigh. In other parts of the world, however, Santa is a different person. Hoteiosho in Japan: This holiday gift donor is a kindly Buddhist monk who carries a sack full of toys and has eyes in the back of his head to see well-behaved children. La Befana in Italy: In Italian folklore, this friendly witch drops treats, figs and other tasty treats in the socks of well-behaved kids and coal in socks of naughty ones on Epiphany morning, January 6. Ded Moroz in Russia: Also called Grandfather Frost, Ded Moroz has a long white beard, wears a blue suit and carries a magical staff. Instead of reindeers, three horses pull his troika on New Year’s Eve so he can deliver gifts to the children. EASEMYTRIP.COM readersdigest.com.au 87

We Make A Wish On Wishbones Wishing on a wishbone is part and parcel of eating roast chicken. But where does this tradition come from? BY Sam Benson Smith M aking a wish after the The order in which the rooster PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Sunday roast by splitting pecked the grain would spell out a a greasy wishbone with a message, such as what lay ahead for family member while sit- society. ting around the dining table is a tra- dition in many families. But did you When the rooster ‘oracle’ died, know the origins of this wish-making the furcula, or wishbone, was dried go back as far as the Etruscans, an and preserved – as it was viewed as Italian civilisation contemporary to being the centre of the bird’s pre- the Romans (and who were eventually dictive prowess. absorbed by the Roman empire). They believed in alectryomancy, or rooster As the Etruscan culture was ab- divination, a form of prophecy which sorbed by the Romans, the valua- involved using the movements of a tion of the wishbone remained but rooster to determine future events. with a twist – the Romans began the tradition of breaking it to allow The process was simple. An Etrus- two people to wish upon the bone, can alphabet would be drawn on the as there weren’t enough birds for ground by a diviner who would then everyone. scatter grain over each letter. Then a rooster was set loose to peck the grain. As the Roman Empire continued to expand, it carried the wishbone tradition with it. 88 december 2021

CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS Looking for a Publisher? The Melbourne-based Sid Harta Team appreciates that Sid Harta Publishers it is a brave step to hand over one’s work to a stranger. specialises in new and emerging Our editors bear this in mind with an assessment that authors, and offers a full range is sensitive while critical, encouraging, and realistic. Sid of publishing options. Harta Publishers is offering writers the opportunity to receive specialised editorial advice on their manuscripts We publish: SIDHARTA with a view to having their stories published. • print editions & print- BOOKS Visit our websites for submission requirements on-demand via Amazon / & further supportive information: Lightning Source & PRINT PTY LTD Sid Harta Publishers: http://sidharta.com.au • ebooks for all platforms. Send us your manuscript: Submission details: CALL US TO DISCUSS http://publisher-guidelines.com OUR SERVICE. Sid Harta Book Launch and Reviews: http://on.fb.me/sidhartapub Contact SHP at: [email protected] Phone: (03) 9560 9920 Mobile: 0408 537 792 Web: sidharta.com.au SID HARTA PUBLISHERS: 17 Coleman Parade, Glen Waverley Vic 3150 RECENT TITLES…

PHOTO FEATURE S Around 1500 millstones are scattered throughout the Peak District in England. The stone wheels were once used for grinding grain into flour and weighed more than two tonnes. Now relics of a bygone age, millstones were still being made in the Peak District for the entire surrounding area until the 19th century. 90 december 2021

PHOTO: RICHARD WHEELER/AL AMY STOCK PHOTO; Making The World Go Round The wheel is one of the greatest inventions of humankind By Cornelia Kumfert readersdigest.com.au 91

READER’S DIGEST W The Wheel of Life is set PHOTOS: (THIS SPRE AD,CLOCK WISE FROM TOP LEF T): JEJIM120/AL AMY STOCK PHOTO; SCOT T BARBOUR/GET T Y IMAGES; in stone in the Chinese THOM A S KELLE Y/GE T T Y IM AGE S. NE X T SPRE A D: (CLOCK WISE FROM TOP): PIC T URE A LLI A NCE/BECKERBREDEL; WIKIPEDI A; 92 december 2021 district of Dazu. It depicts CHARLES WALKER COLLECTION/AL AMY STOCK PHOTO the eternal cycle of life in Buddhism and is one of the core concepts of Buddhist teaching. Created between the 9th and 13th centuries, the elaborate stonework is one of China’s most beautiful ancient rock carvings. X Soaring 135 metres into the sky, the London Eye on the River Thames is the largest Ferris wheel in Europe. Its 32 ‘capsules’ can carry more than 700 people. One revolution takes about half an hour to complete and passengers enjoy phenomenal panoramic views as far as 40 kilometres on a clear day. W In the mid-19th century, thousands of paddle steamers would anchor in the port of New Orleans every year. The ships’ enormous paddle wheels were powered by steam engines. During voyages up and down the Mississippi River, or across the Atlantic, the fuel would sometimes run out, so anything that was not nailed down would end up in the ship’s coal furnace.

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READER’S DIGEST 94 december 2021

Making The World Go Round W The old flywheels of the Völklingen ironworks in Germany have long stood still. When the blower hall was still in operation, the large steel wheels transported steam into the ironworks’ blast furnaces at up to 75 revolutions per minute. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, today the fully preserved plant serves as a museum and event venue. W W The world is your oyster but watch out because the wheel of fortune, or Rota Fortunae, never stops turning. In Ancient Greek philosophy the wheel belonged to the goddess Fortuna, who spun it at random. The metaphor was popular in the Middle Ages, and illustrations often had kings and other powerful figures clinging to the wheel. Riding to the top will inevitably land you back at the bottom. W The TV game show Wheel of Fortune first aired in America in 1975, before being syndicated in 1983. Winning – contestants guess hidden phrases by selecting letters one at a time – depends on luck determined by the wheel of fortune. It can send contestants bankrupt with one spin or onto the bonus round where cash and prizes await. The show has been adapted in 56 countries, including Australia (1981-2006), and New Zealand (1991-96, 2008-09). readersdigest.com.au 95

THEN AND NOW Conquering The Laundry Load As you bemoan the pile of dirty clothes piled up in the corner, spare a thought for those who came before you. Pop on a load and put your feet up as we take a spin through the history of laundry BY Zoë Meunier I f you’ve ever winced after ac- a) the coarseness of the fabric used ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES cidentally washing your del- and b) the extent of stench and grime icates in the ‘cottons’ cycle, that needed to be extracted. you’ll shudder over the beat- ing ancient clothing took. Literally. On the positive side, laundry day Garments were bashed over rocks, was a social event, with communities scrubbed with abrasive sand or heading down to the local river en stone, and pounded underfoot or masse to have a good chat while pul- with wooden implements in an at- verising their clothes into submission. tempt to clean them. This probably gives a pretty clear indication of Over time, the role of washing clothes became a primary occupation. This practice of public laundry 96 december 2021

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READER’S DIGEST services peaked in Ancient Rome, with the skin of a hedgehog to make with those fancy Romans transform- it nice and fluffy, then draped on a ing the concept of laundering gar- special basket, under which sulphur ments into a high-scale commercial was placed to whiten the cloth (and industry. add its own distinct aroma). Then, The place of work of these men – to get things extra bright, a fine white PHOTOS: FROM LEFT, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; GET T Y IMAGES; GET T Y IMAGES yes, there was a heady time in history dirt was rubbed into the cloth. “Your when men were solely responsible clothing is ready, Domina!” for doing the laundry – was called a By the Middle Ages, laundry had fullonica. If you’re imagining a laun- become the women’s domain – where, dromat-style arena delicately per- let’s face it, it has largely remained. fumed by fabric softener, you may Medieval Europeans mostly did their need to adjust your mental olfactory own laundry, and because it was such senses with the news that clothes an arduous task, it was only done were washed in human urine col- every few weeks at the most. Dirty lected from public restrooms. Urine’s laundry had to be hauled to a nearby high ammonia content was consid- water source like a river bank, with ered the most top-notch cleaning tools such as washing bats or ‘beetles’ agent available. Although, the Ro- used to agitate the clothing to force mans did also invent a soap contain- the dirt out, before garments were laid ing ash and fat from sacrificed ani- on the (hopefully non-muddy) ground mals. Take your pick. for the sun to bleach and dry. Under- Clothes were washed in tubs garments and delicate fabrics filled with the ‘cleaning agent’, were washed more frequent- and stomped on by the feet SCRUB ly, sometimes in a wooden of the fullones. After dry- AWAY tub at home. To remove ing, the wool was brushed stains and bleach yellowing Washing through the ages Middle Ages 1760s 1900s THE RIVER THE TUB THE MANGLE 98 december 2021