Reader x27 S Digest Asia - English Edition October November 2023

62
humour
The Dog Park
Trading Post
Recommendations
abound at the
dog park.
RICHARD GLOVER
96 64
art of living
It’s A Win-Win
46 Celebrating the
CONTENTS health victories of others can
bring joy to ourselves.
No More Aches
Researchers are JULI FRAGA
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
Features working on new
treatments for
osteoarthritis.
70
13 things
24 PATRICIA PEARSON
All About Extreme
ILLUS TR ATIONS: (COVER) PE TR A BR AUN; (WE ATHER/WIND) SERGE BLOCH.
body & mind

When Music Is 54 Weather
Batten down the
photo feature
Medicine hatches!
Pretty Colourful
Music can go places CAITLIN STALL-PAQUET
These animals use
other things can’t.
bright colours in
ANICKA QUIN
PHOTO (BOY): COURTESY THE PELLE TIER FAMILY
spectacular fashion.
32 DORIS KOCKANEK
true crime
The Swiss Miss
Marple
Private eye Louisa
Erismann investigates.
JULIANE SCHIEMENZ
FROM REPORTAGEN 70
ON THE COVER: WHEN MUSIC IS MEDICINE – PAGE 24
rdasia.com 1
46
CONTENTS Departments
the digest
16 Health
76 20 News From
The World Of
inspiration
The Human History Medicine
Of Rust regulars
One person’s junk is 4 Letters
another person’s canvas. 5 Editor’s Note
DOROTHY WOODEND
FROM THE TYEE 90 10 My Story
14 Smart Animals
travel
82 The Land Of The
Happy Cat
42 See The World
Differently
art of living
Small Business, Cats have a special 74 Quotable Quotes
Big Heart place in the hearts of humour
Family run businesses the Japanese. 40 Life’s Like That
hold a special place in HELEN FOSTER
60 Laughter, The
their local community.
SCOTT GRILLS FROM 96 Best Medicine
88 All In A Day’s
THE GLOBE AND MAIL bonus read
Work
Vision Quest
86 A family embarks the genius section
technology on a special trip 106 Puzzles
Pie In The Sky around the world 109 Trivia
Drones are delivering to experience all its 110 Puzzle Answers
medical supplies in wonders. 111 Word Power
Africa. JAMES O’MALLEY LISA FITTERMAN
What’s Behind THE NAME?

ILLUS TR ATION: DAN PAGE
COMPANIES THAT CAN ADAPT TO CHALLENGES

BRANDS THAT CONSISTENTLY OFFER TOP-NOTCH PRODUCTS
BUSINESSES THAT COMMIT TO BETTERING SOCIETY
GO TO PAGE 113
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LETTERS
Reader’s Comments And Opinions
The Other Pandemic

Your story on ‘Obesity: The Other
Global Pandemic’ (June) suggests
we are environmentally inducing
the equivalent of Prader-Willi
syndrome (PWS) which results in
excessive eating that gradually
develops into morbid obesity. It’s
time we started taking the
problem-solving approach in the
story. Thank you for not fat-
shaming us chubbies. JULIE ELLENDER
The Power Of Film I was, I could still feel the magic

Thank you, Reader’s Digest for the of dinosaurs as I had when I was a
article about Steven Spielberg by child.
Jonathan Dean (‘A Life In Cinema’, Thank you, Mr Spielberg, for all
August/September). your wonderful films.
As a child I loved dinosaurs MELANIE BURGESS
and reading about fossils so when
Jurassic Park came out, I was first Tiredness Takes Its Toll
in the queue at the cinema. When Thank you for the article on
they got out of the car and walked tiredness, ‘Tired Of Feeling Tired?’
across to those dinosaurs it was like (July). In these hard times it is
PHOTO: GE T T Y IMAGES
I was walking with them. As old as sensible to be aware of our energy ➤
Let us know if you are moved – or provoked – by any item in the magazine,
share your thoughts. See page 8 for how to join the discussion.
EDITOR’S NOTE LUXURY JEWELLERY
PRIZES TO WIN!
Improving Lives TOTAL
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MUSIC IS ONE OF LIFE’S PRIZES OVER
truly sweet pleasures. The
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It has the power to lift us out
14CT
of depression, move us to tears YELLOW
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or just take us out of ourselves BRACELET
for a while. In ‘When Music Is

Medicine’ (page 24), we meet
people for whom music is not
just a luxury – it’s a necessity.
From managing movement
disorders to making peace
with complex emotions, it’s
an irreplaceable aid in their
everyday lives.
And don’t miss ‘Small 14CT
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➤ levels. I worked as a pharmacist
and have had schizophrenia
diagnosis since 1986, so have seen
many people in need of rest and felt
in myself weariness and exhaustion.
One year my GP referred me
for blood tests in case there was
something physically wrong, but it
was my mind that was tired.
The author Susannah Hickling TUNNEL VISION
listed nine causes, but one could We asked you to think up a funny
add the negative effects of long- caption for this photo.
term mental illness, too. I felt really
Just funnelling my thoughts.
beaten down and rotten. Besides ROBIN HOLMES
engaging with doctors and taking Having a ‘pipe dream’ takes on a
medication, I found meditation and whole new meaning!
reading very uplifting. I have also HATICE KUCUKALI
managed to place essays on mental I just needed to vent!
health blogging platforms. TROY SIMPSON
Being tired is serious and I Public think tank.
encourage people to look after their SHARON LA PIRA
mental health. ANDREW LOW Sucked in!

MARIANNE MCVEIGH
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PHOTOS: GE T T Y IMAGES
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Congratulations to this month’s for the above photo and you could win
winner, Julie Ellender. $100. To enter, email
asiaeditor@readersdigest.com.au
or see details on page 8.
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ASIA
Vol. 124
No. 727
CONTRIBUTE
October/November 2023
RE ADERSDIGESTASIA
Anecdotes And Jokes

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Louise Waterson
Chief Subeditor Melanie Egan $50–$100
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Senior Art Designer Adele Burley
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Life’s Like That or All In A Day’s Work.
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Is The Best Medicine!
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R E A DER’S DIGE ST
MY STORY
The Language Of
Gardening
BY Maree Ackehurst
M
ILLUS TR ATION: GE T T Y IMAGES
y childhood was of people talking over each other as

mostly silent. It was they lived and worked together. The
full of love, laughter, knowledge instilled in me was passed
anger and sadness down by watching my mother as she
like any family, but moved through her silent world.
these things passed quietly. In the garden I loved to watch
There was not the constant noise her hands as she deftly split roots,
My Story
pinched out soil, tucked in seedlings. bushes near where she was working
She would lug rocks as she pruned, so she would look up. Now and then
trimmed, watered, weeded and dug my throw was misjudged and I’d see
her garden. This work made her the stone bounce off her straw hat.
hands rough with cuts and scrapes, Many times she would look at me
but when I held them, they were intently and, without speaking, tell
steadfast and filled with wisdom. me “watch this” or “this is how”,
Her hands were never still, they or “never touch this plant”. We
were always teaching often went for hours
me things by showing IT WAS like this, barely a
me how. Sometimes,
those same hands LIP-READING THAT word spoken and
yet we were talking
spoke to me literally. FILLED MY EARLY in various ways the
Basic sign language CHILDHOOD WITH whole time.
started in the family
quite suddenly one SILENT My mother’s
knowledge, deeply
day and then stopped CONVERSATIONS buried within me,
just as quickly surfaced when
because my mother my husband and
insisted lip-reading was quicker. I bought our first home, which
Indeed, it was lip-reading that filled came with a wild garden. I found
my early childhood with silent myself digging with a stick, which
conversations, and it was our main proved useless, and after investing
form of communication with her. in a small spade I dug over the soil,
From the vegie patch, half through it, under it. The dirt felt like
obscured by giant rhubarb or home. Sinking my hands into it, the
spinach leaves, my mother would cold seeping through my gloves, I
mouth words such as, “Could you sensed this was life, it was yielding,
turn on the tap please” or “Can you peaceful, final – and always silent.
see the lizard?” I would do the same Bails of pea straw, bags of
to her, waving from my cubbyhouse compost, all manner of tools, gum
to get her attention and if that did boots and a paint speckled watering
not work, throwing a stone into the can took up residence in the corner
of our porch. My husband bought
me a large shovel, so I dug up rocks
Language has always fascinated Maree
and replaced them with treasures
Ackehurst. A librarian, she is currently
working on a PhD in applied linguistics. brought to me by my mother.
Maree lives with her husband and two sons Walking around the
and her favourite pastime is gardening. neighbourhood, I found myself
rdasia.com 11
taking cuttings from anything that Her deafness had come during an
was growing over a front fence, era of little tolerance for diversity,
knowing which to put in water and and much stigma about disability.
which to scratch on the stem and The world outside her garden was
place straight into the soil. demanding, unforgiving, inflexible
I knew when to water the garden, and filled with rules that she
and more importantly, when not to. struggled to follow – and there was
Watching the sun no logic to the way in
as it moved through THERE IS A which people reacted
the day, looking at the
shadows, where it was
THREAD OF LOGIC to her.
The language of
hot and dry, which THAT MEANDERS life in her garden
parts never saw light THROUGH IT ALL, was rich with logic
– somehow, I knew
where to plant things.
A LANGUAGE THAT and acceptance. A
language that soon
In areas where the FILTERS THROUGH became as rich and
soil was dead, mulch, THE SOIL AND steady for me as it had
worms and compost
were added, and
RISES FROM THE for her. It whispers
in my ear as I plan
a living patch grew PLANTS my plantings, buzzes
instead. around as I water,
Filling my garden nudges me as I drag
to the brim, I followed the mantra and dig and weed.
that ran through my mind, my Each day as this language grows
mother’s gardening mantra – stronger and the knowledge pours
choose the plants you love, not the out of me, I find myself connecting
ones you should. more frequently to the times as a
There are no rules, which gave child I spent with my mother in her
me total freedom on my patch. Yet, garden and the world of knowledge
undeniably, there is a thread of she passed on.
logic that meanders through it all, I now have gardening hands,
a language that filters through the with cuts and scrapes, and cherish
soil and rises from the plants. their roughness. With any luck my
kids will have them one day, too.
AS I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND
THIS, I also began to see why my Do you have a tale to tell? We’ll pay
mother spent so much time in her cash for any original and unpublished
garden. For her it was the one place story we print. See page 8 for details
under her control. on how to contribute.
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SMART ANIMALS
Animal antics are rewarding to watch
Sweet Tooth brightly spot-lit, which someone

SAMANTHA KENT
was brushing with honey.
I’d heard of a ‘salt lick’, but never a Forty minutes passed without any
‘sugar lick’ – not until I checked into sign of wildlife. I craned my neck
in a rainforest lodge in Queensland. to look into the canopy above but
A sign at reception advertised a all was still. Then I caught a flicker
‘possum show/sugar lick’ that on the side of the trunk – the tip of
evening. I couldn’t imagine what a furry tail. The flicker of fur sped
ILLUS TR ATIONS: GE T T Y IMAGES
this might be – would possums be around the front of the tree and
walking the high wire? Dumping into the light: a sugar glider with
my bags in the cabin, I followed
a path through the undergrowth. You could earn cash by telling us
The appointed spot was a platform about the antics of unique pets or
decked out with chairs. Towering in wildlife. Turn to page 8 for details
front was a massive eucalyptus tree, on how to contribute.
Smart Animals
big dark eyes and two striking

white stripes through its dark fur,
was licking the honey. Shortly
after, a dark shape spiralled
down and landed almost on top
of the glider: it was a brushtail
possum, long and lithe. The
glider scurried up the trunk and
launched itself into the darkness.
Another glider flew into the circle
of light, its skin flaps fully extended
and claws outstretched, and landed
on the trunk.
From then on the action primary school classes and listen to
intensified: there was a mass students read to him. They loved it
of bodies jumping, gliding and and so did he.
corkscrewing down the tree, Henry gave rapt attention to the
landing at different spots up and readers and never corrected them
down the trunk, dashing in and or smirked when they stuttered.
out of the light and chasing each When they finished their book,
other’s tails, all vying for a spot students got to put a treat on
near the honey. The canopy was Henry’s nose, which he’d flip up
now a hive of activity, the trunk the and catch in his mouth.
central pillar of a carousel, only One day, a special education
with possums and gliders circling it student joined us in the library.
instead of horses. Henry lay next to him on the floor
This sugar lick was the highlight as the boy worked hard at reading
of my trip. It beckoned exquisite his picture book, repeating the
animals, scampering and agile, that lines aloud as Henry looked over
I’d previously only seen in books. his shoulder.
When they finished, the teacher
The Reading Buddy whispered, “That was amazing!”
GERALD NABOURS Thinking she meant Henry’s
My Irish setter, Henry, was bred demeanour, I replied, “Yes, he’s
to be a show dog. But I recognised quite a dog.”
his calm, welcoming presence “No,” she said, “that was the first
and docile nature right away time this student has ever read
and instead trained him to be a aloud!” This is just one of many times
therapy dog. His job was to visit Henry created a tiny miracle.
rdasia.com 15
HEALTH
Household
Air Pollution
It’s not just outdoor
pollution that can be harmful
BY Anna-Kaisa Walker
S
urprisingly, the air inside our airways as well. To protect your
homes may be more hazardous family, turn on the extractor
than the air outside. Here’s fan every time you cook; they’re
how to make sure your indoor space designed to remove smoke, grease
is healthy. and pollutants that are released
during cooking. But less than 20 per
GAS STOVES cent of people use them consistently,
Natural gas–powered stoves are says Brady Seals, a manager with
popular around the world. But the US-based environmental think
experts have recently raised tank RMI. “Use the back burners, as
concerns: unlike electric and they’re closer to the exhaust intake,
induction types, gas stoves give off and open a window – even for just
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) when ignited five minutes.”
– and often at levels that exceed the
ILLUS TR ATION: K ATE TR AYNOR
safety limit set by the World Health VOLATILE ORGANIC

Organization. COMPOUNDS (VOCS)
When the stoves are in use, Household items such as paint,
the NO2 can cause coughing and carpet and detergents sometimes
wheezing. People with asthma and contain volatile organic compounds
chronic obstructive pulmonary (VOCs), including benzene and
disease may experience inflamed formaldehyde. While most VOCs
Health
do not pose a significant health can release dust-like spores. This

risk, a 2005 study published in the can trigger eye, nose and throat
Journal of Occupational Health found irritation, sneezing, coughing and
prolonged, concentrated exposure asthma attacks.
in workplaces, such as industrial Patches of black or green specks
factories or nail salons, to be can appear on walls or tiles,
associated with cancer, liver damage along with a musty odour. It can
and neurological problems. be cleaned with vinegar or dish
To reduce your exposure, choose detergent. For patches larger than
paint and furnishings that are a bath towel, call a mould-removal
certified as low or no VOC. When specialist. Mould hides in the walls,
you’re using cleaning products, so it’s best to mitigate the growth.
especially those with bleach, As a habit, turn on an exhaust
ventilation is key, says Trevor fan in the bathroom and run a
VandenBoer, an environmental dehumidifier to keep humidity
chemistry researcher at York levels below 50 per cent. Most have
University in Toronto. “Use an a hygrometer to measure humidity;
exhaust fan, open a window and give home-humidity meters are also
the room time to air out – ideally an widely available.
hour.”
Many VOCs stick to other particles, RADON
such as dust, skin flakes and lint, An invisible, odourless gas that
so VandenBoer recommends an comes from the breakdown of
activated carbon filter air purifier. uranium in soil, radon leaches
Make sure it can capture particulates in from cracks and joints in the
less than 2.5 microns in diameter foundations and can waft up several
(about one-30th the width of a levels. Inhaling high levels of radon,
human hair) because that size can especially over many years, can
be inhaled deep into your lungs. And cause malignant cell growth in
vacuum often with a high-efficiency the lungs, making radon one of
particulate air (HEPA) filter that traps the leading causes of lung cancer
small particles. worldwide.
Standards vary from country
MOULD to country for what are deemed
Common household moulds safe levels of radon, but it’s a good
include Aspergillus, Penicillium idea to find out what level is safe in
and Cladosporium. They’re mostly your jurisdiction – and then check
harmless, but when damp indoor your home if radiation protection
conditions encourage growth, they authorities recommend it.
rdasia.com 17
contain healthy fats. Adding milk
HEALTH to your porridge increases the fat

content, so opt for skimmed or soy.
BLUEBERRIES Most fresh fruit have

low GI scores, though levels creep
up as they ripen. Especially good if
you’re hoping to avoid type 2 diabetes
are blueberries, grapes and apples.
These were associated with a lower
risk of developing the condition in a
large 2013 US study, with blueberries
coming out top of the table. Overall,
Go Low a diet high in fruit and vegetables

is a must if you’re committed to
controlling blood sugar.
BY Susannah Hickling GARLIC In a 2013 study of 60 people

with type 2 diabetes and obesity,
C
ertain foods are linked participants who took metformin,
to a higher risk of type 2 a drug prescribed to lower blood
diabetes. Consistently glucose, and garlic capsules had
eating foods that are high in lower fasting and post-meal blood
fat and low in fibre, and carbohydrates glucose levels than volunteers who
with a high GI (glycaemic index), took just metformin. Another 2017
can raise your diabetes risk. But by study from China found garlic
making a few wise dietary choices supplements had a beneficial effect
you might be able to bring down or on blood sugar and cholesterol
stabilise your blood sugar levels. levels. Eat it raw, cooked or take it in
supplement form.
SWEET POTATO Cut down on white
potatoes and opt for the sweet, YOGHURT But, hang on, yoghurt
orange-coloured variety. They have a is a high-fat dairy product and to be

much lower GI score and the flesh is avoided, right? Not necessarily. It’s
also high in fibre. high in saturated fat, but a large 2013
US study indicates it can lower the risk
PORRIDGE Oats are a low GI food of type 2 diabetes. Plain yoghurt has a
– meaning they don’t cause sudden low GI score. Choose the unsweetened
rises and dips in blood glucose – and variety or Greek yoghurt.
News From The
WORLD OF MEDICINE
FERMENTED FOODS MAY (CPAP) machine, controls sleep
REDUCE STRESS apnoea by delivering pressurised
The trillions of bacteria that live in air through a mask while the person
your gut influence how your digestive sleeps. However, it doesn’t address
system communicates with your brain the underlying causes – often
– a fact that prompted scientists from lifestyle related.
University College Cork to investigate So, researchers at Loyola
whether our eating habits could University Andalusia in Spain
influence our mental health. helped half of the recruited patients
In their recent study of people to eat and sleep better, exercise
with poor dietary habits, half the more, and smoke and drink less.
participants received healthy eating Six months later, this group’s sleep
advice and used the food pyramid apnoea improved more, on average,
as a guide. The other half adopted a compared to the control group, and
diet high in fibre, grains and legumes, 60 per cent of patients no longer
and ate two to three daily servings of needed a CPAP machine.
fermented foods such as sauerkraut or
kefir. After four weeks, the latter group A BLOOD TEST FOR ALZHEIMER’S
felt less stressed and showed lower When someone has cognitive issues,
levels of chemicals that are produced a doctor can order a PET scan or
by gut microbes and have been linked spinal tap to look for a build-up
to mental health. of a protein called beta-amyloid
in the brain – one of the signs of
REVERSING SLEEP APNOEA Alzheimer’s disease.
Roughly one billion adults A study in Neurology
live with obstructive confirms that a newer
sleep apnoea. This method, measuring

disorder contributes to the amount of
problems like daytime beta-amyloid in the
fatigue, irritability and blood, is faster, less
heart disease. The go-to expensive, radiation-
treatment, a continuous free – and only slightly
positive airway pressure less accurate.
41&$*"-130.05*0/
BODY & MIND
WHEN
Music
IS
Medicine
This therapy is gaining credibility
as it shows real results
BY Anicka Quin ILLUSTRATION BY Petra Braun
T
here’s one patient that Sarah Rose
Black still thinks about. Back in 2019,
the nursing team in the palliative
care unit at Toronto’s Princess Mar-
garet Cancer Centre asked if she could reach
out to a patient who had been there for about
a week. The man was struggling, and un-
willing to engage with staff or be part of any
rdasia.com 25
activities. “They told me, ‘He’s short She stopped playing. “Do you want
and grumpy with us, and we wonder me to continue?” she asked.
if you might have an in.’” “Absolutely,” he said through tears.
Black isn’t a doctor or a nurse. “It was as if the music went plac-
Since 2013 she has played an im- es that nothing else could,” recalls
portant role for patients as Princess Black. “He shared with me after-
Margaret’s on-staff music therapist. wards that he’d been holding in so
On any given day, she might see one much and had been unable to talk
person who’s anxious about an up- about any thing – but t he music
coming procedure, another who’s showed up at a moment when it felt
undergoing chemo and in need of a like a hug.”
soothing moment. Or, like the man Anyone who has felt that spark of
in the palliative care unit, it might be joy when a favourite song comes on
someone who doesn’t yet know they the radio at just the right moment – or
need her. wept along with a singer who is ex-
A music-therapy session can be as

unique as an INDIVIDUAL PATIENT’S
NEEDS on a given day
So, on a wintry Wednesday after- pressing heartache – will understand

noon, Black approached the patient’s the emotional resonance of music.
room and introduced herself. But now, a growing body of scientific
She asked if she could sit, and of- evidence is actually demonstrating
fered to play some music. In an ef- that music can be medicine, too.
fort to convince him, she said, “If you In a review of 400 research papers
don’t like it, you can just tell me to looking into the neurochemistry of
leave.” music, Daniel Levitin, a psychologist
After some gentle urging, the and neuroscientist at McGill Univer-
70-something man, who had lung can- sity, found that playing and listen-
cer, told her a few composers he liked ing to music had clear mental and
and then turned away to look out the physical health benefits, including
window. But as she started to play one improving our immune systems and
of his favourites, Bach, on her portable reducing stress levels.
keyboard, a change came over him. One 2007 study from a team of
He unfolded his arms, turned towards Spanish researchers found that lis-
Black and started to cry. tening to music before surgery had
When Music Is Medicine
the same effect in reducing pre-oper- She did a Bob Marley tune for a man’s
ative anxiety as taking diazepam – an assisted-dying process. “One woman
important finding, as anxiety before a spoke no English, but she taught me
major surgery can affect post-opera- a Farsi folk song, and we had this
tive pain and recovery time. Another wonderful exchange,” says Black.
Spanish study, conducted in 2018 in “She’d sing a line, I’d sing it back, and
the palliative care unit of Barcelona’s we were singing this beautiful song
Hospital del Mar, found that patients together.”
participating in a music-therapy She’s gentle in her approach with
programme experienced significant patients. “I make it very clear that
decreases in tiredness, anxiety and pre-existing musical experience or
breathing difficulties, as well as an in- training isn’t required to participate,”
crease in feelings of wellbeing. she says. “If I were to ask, ‘What kind
Even major healthcare institutions of music do you like?’ that might be a
are embracing music therapy on a difficult question to answer. Instead I
wide scale. In 2019, ask what they want to feel,
the National Insti- which is an easier ques-
tutes of Health in tion to answer.”
the US introduced If t he goa l is pa i n
funding to support ma nagement, Black
research projects in might match the pace of
music therapy and her playing with the pa-
neuroscience. tient’s breathing, and
A music-therapy then gradually slow the
session can be as music. T h is process,
unique as an individ- called ‘entrainment’, can
ual patient’s needs on a help slow the breath, too,
given day. With Black, who also sings, and has a calming effect.
that inevitably involves the trolley of Or a session might be about help-
instruments she travels with (“I’m ing a patient process the emotions
pretty much a one-woman band,” stemming from what they are going
she jokes). Aside from the keyboard, through. It may even be about con-
ILLUS TR ATION: LYNN SCURFIELD
to create rhythms and texture, she necting with loved ones who are in
has other instruments such as a gui- the room with them.
tar, tambourine and more. She also “Sometimes the patient says, ‘I’m
brings recording equipment and an having such a profound experience.
iPad to supply song lyrics. I have no words,’” she says. “We know
If a patient loves classical music, from so many wonderful brain stud-
she’ll play it. Maybe it’s folk or jazz. ies that music can trigger memories
rdasia.com 27
and touch parts of the brain that oth- movement disorders like Parkin-
er mediums cannot.” son’s and Huntington’s. The centre
provides music therapy and more,
ONCE A WEEK, Carol Cameron hops Dr Pantelyat explains. They’re taking
on Zoom from her home in Madi- music into the ‘precision medicine’
son, Wisconsin. She’ll be joined by realm.
a dozen or so other participants, Applying that kind of treatment
all following along as music ther- to movement disorders is relatively
apist Jason Armstrong Baker leads new; previously, it was mainly the
them through drumming exercises domain of cancer therapies. “There’s
– sometimes clapping their hands in a revolution in oncology and cancer
a distinct rhythm he’s laid research – more peo-
out for t hem, some- ple are being cured,
times tapping on their and much of it can be
own bodies. attributed to a very
Like everyone tak- targeted precision
ing part in the ses- treatment that real-
sion, Cameron, 71, ly is individualised
has Parkinson’s dis- for the patients,”
ease, and this drum- he explains. “Just
ming circle – known listening to music
as Rx 4 Rhythm – is activates many re-
desig ned to help gions of the brain si-
strengthen her coordi- multaneously.”
nation. “My tremor is on He adds that there is an
my left side, so learning things with understanding in the field of music
my left hand is difficult,” she says. medicine that there can be tailored
“But it’s really good to get this regular interventions using music that a
rhythm going – it gives you a feeling of person actually likes, that speaks to
overcoming a problem.” them culturally, personally or auto-
Rx 4 Rhythm is just one of the pro- biographically.
grammes offered at the Johns Hop- One study from the Centre for Mu-
ILLUS TR ATION: LYNN SCURFIELD
kins Centre for Music and Medicine sic and Medicine followed a choir
in Baltimore. The research institu- composed of Parkinson’s patients
tion is the brainchild of Dr Alexander (called the ‘Parkinsonics’) to learn
Pantelyat, a violin player and former how singing might impact the speak-
member of the Penn Symphony Or- ing voice of those patients. After 12
chestra in Philadelphia. Today, he weeks, the singers’ speaking volumes
is a neurologist who specialises in – which often fade as Parkinson’s
progresses – grew demonstrably who are supporting them through

stronger. The Rx 4 Rhythm drum- their illness.
ming circle, meanwhile, came out “There can be folks experiencing
of a 2015 study that showed that intensive symptoms, like a decline
Parkinson’s patients had improved in their ability to verbally communi-
their ability to walk after six weeks of cate,” says Devlin. Music, she notes,
drumming practice. can sometimes help such patients
The centre’s blueprint is to contin- find ways to respond again. “I’ve had
ue to fund these musically-oriented the honour of making music with
groups, even after the studies have people, and all of a sudden they’re
wrapped up. “Patients in the Parkin- coming up with new words. It turns
sonics told us that they didn’t want into this beautiful improvisational
to stop singing when the study was moment – and a care partner is say-
over,” says Dr Pantelyat. The cen- ing, ‘I’ve never seen this happen.’”
tre now funds a professional choir It’s a powerful thing, she says, to
Studies show that MUSIC CAN TRIGGER

MEMORIES and TOUCH PARTS OF THE
BRAIN that other mediums cannot
instructor, a music therapist and a witness someone find themselves

social worker to help the choir mem- again for a moment, and when a song
bers carr y on with their classes, is the vehicle for that shift.
which rolled onto Zoom calls during Much of what Devlin does is de-
the pandemic. signed to help patients feel like more
And while sessions at the centre than just cogs in the medical system.
do have therapeutic goals – working “Of course they want to come and
on coordination, say, or breathing receive medications and treatments,
techniques for anxiety management but they’re also a person,” she says.
– there’s a community-building ele- “It’s important when we’re thinking
ment to the groups, too. Kerry Dev- about holistic care to provide oppor-
lin is the centre’s senior music ther- tunities for patients to actually pro-
apist and runs an online support cess the impact that a diagnosis is
group for people with a broad range having on their lives.”
of neurological disorders, along Music can have a profound effect
with their care partners – those in on helping sick children, too. Ruth
patients’ lives, usually loved ones, Hunston is a music therapist in the
rdasia.com 29
‘play department’ at the Great Or- to join. There’s this beautiful in-
mond Street Hospital in London. teraction between ever yone, and
As the UK’s oldest children’s hos- sometimes I get to step back and just
pital, it sees over 69,000 patients a watch them play – to really laugh
year. and have fun.”
“When children are in the hospi-
tal, their worlds get much smaller,” AT THE DR BOB KEMP HOSPICE in
says Hunston, who explains that Hamilton, Ontario, music therapy has
her programme, introduced in 2019, become an integral part of patient care
helps give young patients back some in residential end-of-life settings. “The
sense of control. “They’re having palliative journey isn’t really about
so many things done to them and someone dying,” says Doug Mattina,
around them, but this allows them director of the hospice’s paediatric
to create something themselves.” unit. “It’s about bringing the most joy.
Extended time in paediatric care It’s providing the wrap-around care
“There’s this BEAUTIFUL INTERACTION

BETWEEN EVERYONE, and sometimes I
get to step back and just watch them play”
can also affect a child’s develop- not only for the individual but for
ment, says Hunston. In light of that, those impacted by it.”
much of her programme is designed Mattina himself experienced the
to help them progress. “I’ve had lots music-therapy programme when
of infants who have sat up for the his father spent his last days at the
first time at the drums, because hospice. “I remember when the mu-
they’re just so motivated to play,” sic therapist said to him, ‘Bill, what
she says. “Or t hey start mak ing kind of mood are we in today?’ And
sounds because I’m singing to them, he said, ‘Today is time to dance,’”
and they want more.” says Mattina.
The parents also become part of He was so moved by the whole ex-
the therapeutic process. “It’s not easy perience that he left a career in the
being in a hospital, and it’s not easy foreign service to work full-time for
to leave your child there,” she says. the hospice. “Even though my father
“What’s really lovely is when you was feeling like crap, and we knew
go in and you start to make music, that we had days or hours left, me,
and the children invite their parents my sister, my brother and my mum
would dance around his bed. His fa- his hands but had always wanted to
vourite song for this was ‘Rasputin’, play guitar,” says Klinck.
and he would request high kicks She brought in the instrument and
from us as he clapped along. Some- laid it on his lap in bed. “He was able
times he’d fall asleep as we danced.” to put his hands on the strings and
S a r a K l i nc k d i re c t s t he mu- interact with them; often I moved the
sic-therapy programme at the hos- guitar, as well,” she says. This music
pice, where, at a patient’s bedside, experience was something his family
she might improvise a call-and-re- felt would be very meaningful to him.
sponse song to help them open up Finding those moments is the
about how they’re feeling that day, skilled therapist’s role, but as Sarah
or help a resident write a song as a Rose Black notes, people have been
legacy for their family. connecting w ith music for their
“We might also revisit songs that whole lives – she is just helping them
have personal significance for resi- access it again at a time when they
dents and families, as a way to com- need it most.
municate emotion to one another,” “We have a heartbeat, so we have
she says. “It can feel like a whole a drum inside us; we are wired to be
choir as visitors and family members musical people,” she says. She smiles
join in. For some people, sometimes softly as she reflects back on one pa-
what’s hard to say is easier to sing.” tient, a man in his late 30s with late-
It could also mean fulfilling a stage brain cancer.
lifelong goal before a patient pass- “He said, ‘I have a lot of friends,
es away, as she did for someone and they’re great, but they don’t real-
with late-stage amyotrophic lateral ly understand what’s going on here,’”
sclerosis (ALS). she says. “He told me that the music
“He had very limited movement in is like a friend who ‘gets it’.”
Bubbling Over
Any day of the week Wellington local and self-confessed ‘bubble
junkie’ Ash Kamel can be seen on the streets practising blowing
bubbles and captivating passers-by. The New Zealander hopes to
break the world record for the largest outdoor free-floating soap
bubble – which stands at a whopping 96.27 cubic metres – by the
end of the year. The record is currently held by American Gary
Pearlman and has stood since 2015. Wellington local Alan McKay
holds the world record for the longest free-floating soap bubble
at 32 metres, set in 1996. STUFF.CO.NZ
rdasia.com 31
TRUE CRIME
The
Miss
A spouse suspected of cheating.
A con man eyeing an elderly woman’s wealth.
It’s all in a day’s work for
Louisa Erismann, private detective
BY Juliane Schiemenz ILLUSTRATION BY Tom Ralston

F R O M R E P O R TA G E N
rdasia.com 33
that from reading the books Guide
to Surveillance and Profession: De-
tective, which Erismann gave me
to help me prepare for our week to-
gether. She advised me on the kind
of clothes and shoes to wear; I, too,
am in dark colours.
Today’s reconnaissance involves
blonde a dispute between a man and his fe-
woman in her mid-60s walks through male neighbour. I am not permitted
an exclusive Zurich neighbourhood. to share all of the details about this or
Well-groomed and slender, she is any other assignments mentioned in
wearing a dark quilted jacket, black this article. But this much I can say:
jeans, st ylish but inconspicuous Erismann has been hired to watch
sneakers, discreet jewellery and fash- the neighbour.
ionable glasses. She doesn’t particu- Erismann completed a one-year
larly stand out. People her age tend to vocational training programme in
fade into the background. private investigating, which cost
She smiles as she squints into the her about 8000 euros (US$9000), at a
sun. Traces of a curious, sassy girl school in Zurich. For her assignments
can be seen in her face – a girl who is she studies the target’s daily routine,
pleased because no one can find her then puts him or her under observa-
during a game of hide-and-seek. Her tion. She’ll watch them at 5am, again
expression seems to say, If they only at noon, then in the afternoon. Some-
knew! The woman’s name is Louisa times stakeouts take up to 15 hours.
Erismann, and she has been a private In her unremarkable car Erismann
investigator for the past six years. I’ll keeps a pair of binoculars, and jack-
be accompanying her for the next ets, toques and scarves with which
week as she does her investigative she can quickly disguise herself; they
work. also help her stay warm during long
“It’s great that you’re coming along periods of surveillance. There are
with me,” Erismann whispers as we shopping bags in the trunk, so she
walk together through the residen- can open it and make it appear as if
tial area. “Two people together are she just came from the supermarket.
less noticeable. And who would ever Her detective kit also includes wigs, a
suspect they’re being staked out by change of shoes, thermal underwear,
two women?” vitamins and bananas.
We’re doing what’s called recon- In her office she has manuals on
naissance. Casing a place. I learned surveillance methods and forensics,
The Swiss Miss Marple
along with a copy of the Swiss Civil she discovered a bag containing sex
Code. Erismann always obeys the paraphernalia.
law when conducting her investi- Indeed, Erismann mostly inves-
gations, and respects the privacy tigates wealthy men suspected by
not only of her clients but also of their wives of cheating; about two-
the people she investigates. “Once, thirds of her clients are women. “In
a client wanted me to record a vid- my experience,” says Erismann, “if a
eo through a keyhole. That is pro- spouse suspects something is going
hibited, and I won’t do it. In proper on, they are usually right.” Only once
surveillance work, you don’t have to in her professional career has a suspi-
violate people’s privacy.” cion of infidelity proved unfounded.
Once, she signed up “Wives wait until they
as a guest at a Tupper- Erismann can’t bear their suspi-
ware party because she cions any longer,” she
was observing the host. does the says. “They don’t want
Another time she was reconnaissance to believe it. And some
hired by a filmmaker work and don’t f ig ure out t hat
who desperately want- takes photos, their partner is cheat-
ed to buy a mansion, ing until they get an
so she tracked down
then gives the STD.” Erismann’s cases
its owners. On anoth- bad news often include gathering
er occasion, she was evidence of infidelity,
assigned to watch a which can be used to
woman who had been substantiate financial
on sick leave for more a nd c ustody-related
than a year due to a broken foot; Er- claims in the event of a divorce.
ismann discovered an up-to-date Erismann does the reconnaissance
photo on social media of the woman work and takes the photos, then de-
walking her dogs. livers the bad news. The emotionally
Erismann always has several cas- charged nature of her assignments
es on the go. A recent one involved quickly creates a friendly, even ma-
a law yer who disappeared once a ternal, bond with her clients. Some-
month. His wife had no idea where he times, she later accompanies them to
was going, but then she discovered court, not only for divorce hearings
that one of his Viagra pills was miss- but also for cases of alleged stalking
ing. The wife hired Erismann, who or rape.
followed his trail to Germany, where In one case, a lawyer hired Eris-
she found he was frequenting various mann because his elderly mother was
hotels. In the wheel well of his car, at risk of being defrauded. A German
rdasia.com 35
man had weaselled his way into the me because this is a good address,”
mother’s heart and wallet; she had says Erismann. “If I were somewhere
already given him more than 100,000 else no one would notice me.”
euros (US$110,000). Her son told Er- Before setting up her one-woman
ismann he thought she was going to detective agency, Erismann worked
change her will to include the man. for 20 years in sales at a large German
The son didn’t want to stand by and optometry group. Before that, she
watch his inheritance disappear. and her then-husband owned a pho-
But his mother refused to share the tography and optometry store. Eris-
suspected con man’s identity with mann had trained as a photographer,
him, so Erismann followed him. She taking photos at events, company
discovered that this parties and weddings,
wasn’t his first scam: and became skilled at
Years ago,
he’d a ssisted ot her close observation and
wealthy seniors with Erismann taking photos when her
their financial trans- tailed her subjects were not pay-
actions so he could ob- own partner. ing attention to her.
tain their credit card “I couldn’t T hen, t wo pa i n f u l
and bank information. events led her to the
Erismann took pho- trust him pr ofe s s ion t h at s he
tographs of relevant anymore” took up at an age when
accou nt statements most people are think-
sit t i ng on h is ca r’s ing about retirement.
dashboard, and for- The first was 12 years
warded the evidence ago, when Erismann
to her client. He was able to convince tailed her own boyfriend “because I
his mother not to change her will. couldn’t trust him anymore,” she re-
Erismann does most of her work calls. “I had asked him many times
from her car, but she also has a small if there was another woman, and he
office in Seefeld, one of Zurich’s pric- always said no. But I could tell by
iest districts. It looks nothing like his facial expressions, by how he an-
those smoky film noir detectives’ swered, that something wasn’t right.
agencies, with light streaming in So she set up camp in a cornfield
through slanted blinds. Instead, it has that gave her a sightline to his home
a desk, chair, computer, telephone, and obser ved it from a Saturday
files and law books. No plants, no morning until the next afternoon.
personal touches. There is a meeting She wore black to camouflage her-
room with a long table, metal chairs self, and brought along binoculars, a
and a flip chart. “People come to see camera and a notepad.
Her t houghts tormented
her. “If you think someone is
cheating on you, it’s horrible,”
she says. “That’s why I un-
derstand my female clients.
There’s this awful self-doubt:
what did I do wrong? Why am
I not enough anymore?” There
in the cornfield, Erismann felt
torn. “I thought, What I’m do-
ing here isn’t fair. But on the
other hand, I wanted to find
out, even if it was going to be
bad.” Erismann discovered
the truth: Her partner was in-
deed seeing another woman.
The second big shock in Er- Louisa Erismann, private detective
ismann’s life was her youngest
brother’s murder at the age of 40. She Next, we reconnoitre the thrift
doesn’t like to talk about it, saying store where the woman works. I enter
only that she helped solve the crime. first, but I’m not sure of the plan; do
She and her family suspected who Erismann and I know each other or
the killer was, and that it had been a not? The target asks me if I need any
contract killing. It was her only mur- help; I tell her I’m looking for a pon-
der investigation, but it proved to be cho. As I browse, I see that Erismann
a turning point: Erismann wanted to is also pretending to be a customer.
become a detective. Wearing a bright red hat, she poses
When we arrive in a labyrinth of in front of a mirror.
semi-detached houses, we walk to Erismann comes over and tells
the one where the woman in the dis- me that I should try on the fringed
pute with her neighbour lives. Sud- poncho. Ah ... so we do know each
denly Erismann whispers: “Some- other! The target looks at me, then
one’s coming.” I want to turn around, busies herself with another custom-
but have been told that it would make
PHOTO: ETHAN OELMAN
er. These stakeouts, as banal as they

us look suspicious. A man crosses our sometimes seem, help Erismann get a
path, looking at us. The last thing we feel for the people involved in a case.
want is for him to question our pres- After a few minutes, I leave the
ence. We talk loudly about buying a store and head for the car, but Eris-
house. mann waves me off. Never go straight
rdasia.com 37
to your car, she tells me later, be- copy records of the husband’s assets.
cause someone could be watching, The next day we visit a middle-class
and maybe noting the plate number. suburb of Basel. A man has hired Eris-
Once a detective’s vehicle has been mann to follow his ex-wife. He claims
‘made’, the only option is to change she treats their children badly, often
to another one. leaving them at home alone. He says
Erismann has a penchant for act- she makes him pay full alimony de-
ing. When she does surveillance in spite the fact that she works as a house
residential areas, she takes a leash cleaner. She also claims not to own a
with her. “If anyone asks me what car, but Erismann discovers that she
I’m doing on their property, I say I’m does have one.
just looking for my lost We keep a lookout for
dog.” Having received the younger son at his
threats during inves- school, until Erismann
tigations, she always recognises him by his
carries pepper spray. A man has backpack; she has been
She hasn’t had a hol- hired Erismann told it has a green dino-
iday in six years. And saur on it. We follow the
her personal life? “I’m
to watch boy to his front door.
always busy – what his ex-wife; He rings the bell, but
man would put up with he says she no one answers, so he
that?” Erismann shows mistreats their crosses the street to a
m e p h ot o s on h er playground and sits on
phone of her cats, Fel-
children a railing. A while later,
lini and Flash. “It’s nice the mother arrives, and
to come home and they’re both there. she and the son enter the apartment.
They cuddle my hurts away. Humans Erismann and I sit on a wall across
can be quite cruel.” from the house and pretend to talk.
So has her view of love and re- After about ten minutes, mother and
lat ionships changed because of child appear on the balcony. Eris-
her work? No, says Erismann. She mann signals to me that the mother
doesn’t like to think in terms of vic- has noticed us, so we walk to the en-
tims and perpetrators in cases in- trance of the next building, where we
volving infidelity. “Both sides have can’t be seen.
a part in the failure or success of “In moments when I have to take
a relationship.” Nevertheless, she cover, I sometimes get a huge adren-
spends hours comforting clients, aline rush,” says Erismann. She’s
recommending lawyers and giving proud of the fact that she’s never been
practical advice such as the need to busted while investigating a case.
The Swiss Miss Marple
We take the long way back to the swings open the car door. We decide
car and pass a bus stop. Erismann to head back to Zurich. On rainy days
sees a teaching opportunity: “What like this, when people aren’t coming
would I do if I was on a stakeout near- and going, Erismann typically does
by and someone spotted me?” She her paperwork: reports, photos, files.
sits down in the bus shelter and as- That evening I leaf through the
sumes the air of an innocent passen- detective books again, which also
ger. “I wait for the bus.” A few times contain ads: one is for a ballpoint
she has had to jump on a bus or tram pen with a spy camera and built-in
to maintain her cover. microphone; another features ‘search
Back in the car, we settle in to gloves’. The ads promise the sort of
watch t he woma n’s thrill that this after-
apartment. Erismann For a second noon did not deliver.
looks out for residents Sitting in a car for
who might be watching round of hours, waiting, watch-
us. “Old folks behind surveillance, ing, tak ing pictures.
sheer curtains are the she puts on a Disappearing into the
most dangerous,” she hat and wears background, far from
says. t he e x c itement a nd
W hen t he mot her
a different drama of private-eye
leaves with two chil- jacket movies and novels. Is
dren, Erismann takes that the daily routine of
pictures and contacts a detective?
the father. Then she A nd yet t here is
decides to do another something Erismann
round of surveillance alone on foot, has in common with those famous
since we may have already been seen fictional detectives: they are non-
together. She pulls her hair into a po- conformists whose curiosity leads
nytail and puts on a hat and a differ- t hem to t he t rut h. That is what
ent jacket. “Call me as soon as they drives her, too. Her lifestyle is un-
return,” she says. conventional and she is interested in
I peer through the car windows. It’s human nature. In a world focused
1.45pm and drizzling. Two boys walk on youth and beauty, on those who
by on their way to the playground. I stand out, Louisa Erismann knows
stare at the raindrops on the window. that staying in the background is an
I’m not allowed to look at my phone; I excellent place from which to ob-
could miss something. serve.
But nothing happens, and about FROM REPORTAGEN (MAY, 2021), © 2021 BY
15 minutes after she leaves, Erismann REPORTAGEN
rdasia.com 39
LIFE’S LIKE THAT

Seeing The Funny Side
day, and explained that our

neighbours weren’t home, so
he’d left the dog in a secure
part of the garden for them.
Later that day, there was
a knock on our door. Our
neighbours had come to tell
us that they had found an
unknown dog enclosed in their
garden, while their own dog
was safely inside the house!
SUBMITTED BY LEAH ROTTIER
Warm Welcome
My brother-in-law recounted
how, several years ago, he
would make regular visits to
France.
He said he was very
impressed that every time he
pulled into a petrol station,
Doggone It! he would be greeted with a “Well,
My husband saw a dog running hello!” by the attendant, and would
to and fro by our gate. “That’s the reply, “Well, hello to you!”
neighbour’s dog – escaped yet He could never understand how
again,” he grumbled. the attendants all knew he was
He went outside and wrestled English-speaking and were all so
with the collarless dog, before polite to him.
CARTOON: SNEL SE
bundling it into our car and taking Then someone pointed out that
it back to its home up the road. He what they were actually saying was,
came back ten minutes later, full of “Huile ou l’eau?” (Oil or water?).
pride about his good deed for the SUBMITTED BY CLED HERBERT
Bright Eyes
“Mum, how come your eyes are so
blue?”
“They’ve always been bright and THE GREAT TWEET-OFF:
sparkly,” I say, smiling, with an
WEATHER WISE
The folks of Twitter observe the
extra glint now at the comment from weather keenly.
my 13-year-old son.
Me in winter: I don’t do well with
“Must be the excitement of this
the lack of sun and cold.
short trip away,” I add, really taken Me in spring: I don’t do well with
with this enlivening image of my allergies while things around
holiday self. me thrive.
“No, underneath.” He pats the Me in summer: I suffer in the heat
skin by his eyes as if rubbing salt and humidity like a dying hog.
into the wound. Me for the two weeks of autumn:
SUBMITTED BY NICKY TORODE Nice. @THEREALCBRAD
The weather is warming up so now
the kids can finally go outside and
get some fresh air while they play on
their phones.
@RODLACROIX
“Rain, rain, you can stay. You’re

BAGGING A SNAKE getting me out of a soccer game!”
Last year we went away for a A parent’s lullaby.
@KSUJULIE
holiday to a wonderful place with
vineyards and orchards. We got How different species deal
back home and started unpacking with winter:
Birds – fly south;
the camper van. As I walked past Bears – hibernate;
one of our bags, I heard a hissing Humans – complain.
sound coming from it. @INTERNETHIPPO
We had heard stories of snakes On the one hand I am excited for

in the orchards. Terrified, I ran to summer. On the other, there are
ILLUS TR ATIONS: GE T T Y IMAGES
find my husband. He came and so many people I don’t want

noticed the hissing was steady – to see in shorts.
@JULIUSSHARPE
no snake could hiss that long. He
started rummaging through the
bag and found a sandal pressed
against an aerosol can.
SUBMITTED BY DAWN FARBER
rdasia.com 41
SEE Turn
THEtheWORLD...
page ››
rdasia.com 43
...DIFFERENTLY
Land Art
In the huge landscape painting
World in Progress II, its creator,
who seems to be supporting
an animal folded out of paper,
is easy to miss. Lying on the
ground, Guillaume Legros,
who works under the name
Saype and lives in Switzerland,
becomes part of his work. It was
to be admired in September
2021 at the feet of the
headquarters of the UN in New
York. “Ephemeral artworks”
is what Saype calls these
paintings, which he sprays
onto grass using biodegradable
paint. World in Progress II was
a gift from Switzerland to
the organisation for its 75th
anniversary. Saype hopes the
work will remind people of their
duty to future generations.
PHOTOS: PICTURE ALLIANCE/KE YS TONE/
VALENTIN FL AUR AUD
rdasia.com 45
HEALTH
I
t might be in yoga class when you first
How we may feel it – when did downward dog start
(finally) be getting so hard on the wrists? Or it could
be at your weekly squash or tennis game
outsmarting that you notice your knees screaming back
at you whenever you pivot. Chances are,
joint pain it’s arthritis, which isn’t just an ‘old-people’
problem: It usually kicks in between the
ages of 40 and 60.
BY Patricia Pearson By far the most common type of arthri-
ILLUSTRATION BY Dan Page tis is osteoarthritis. It’s usually the result
of decades of physical activity that wears
down the cartilage in our joints. That’s the
rubbery, frictionless tissue that acts as a
shock-absorber between bones. After years
of wear and tear, or an injury such as a
rdasia.com 47
fracture or dislocation, that cushion or swimming are good ways to start

can harden and fray like a dried-out moving more. Exercise helps ward off
rubber band, causing the entire joint stiffness and keeps muscles supple
to become inflamed and painful. The around the joint.
word arthritis comes from the Greek Yoga might bring relief, too, accord-
arthro, which means ‘joint’ and itis, ing to Arthritis Australia. Some arthri-
which means ‘inflammation’. tis experts also recommend seeing a
Osteoarthritis, or OA, is diagnosed physiotherapist, who can teach you
in two-thirds of people who experi- movements to improve mobility and
ence any sort of joint pain. The World increase your strength to support the
Health Organization estimates that affected joints. But most people find
528 million people worldwide have that these things don’t eliminate pain,
OA, and an increase over the next or they help only if symptoms are mild
decade is projected as the popula- to moderate.
tion ages. Over-the-counter pain relievers,
The joints that bear the brunt of OA such as ibuprofen and naproxen, re-
are most often the knees, knuckles, lieve pain and stiffness, but aren’t a
base of the thumb, lower back and long-term solution because they can
hips. Sufferers might notice swelling irritate the stomach. Doctors might
or even feel a grating sensation in the prescribe an oral corticosteroid such
joints, and some people experience as prednisone, but it can cause side
aching that’s deep enough to wake effects such as weight gain, mood
them up at night. Stiffness is com- swings and high blood pressure, so it
mon, particularly in the morning, and should be used only briefly.
things like opening a jar or bending For some, corticosteroid injections
down aren’t as easy as they used to be. can offer temporary relief, but two re-
Fortunately, some innovative solu- cent US studies found that they might
tions may be on the way. actually lead to a progression of OA.
Doctors may also recommend hya-
HOW CAN YOU EASE luronic acid, which is injected into the
THE PAIN? joint to act as a viscous fluid replace-
Maintaining a healthy body weight ment for the cartilage, like oil in a car
helps, since it’ll mean less load on engine. But it’s no cure. While the in-
your joints. Keeping extra weight off jection may temporarily relieve pain
also minimises your risk of getting and even slow down progression of
OA in the first place. Exercise is often the disease, according to a landmark
the first treatment doctors suggest. study in the British Medical Journal
If you’re not already active, low-im- last year, it provides little to no long-
pact options like walking, cycling term benefit for most patients.
No More Aches?
Another injectable treatment, which could keep up with his busy lifestyle
has been used since the 1980s to treat and stay active. “I dealt with my pain
torn tendons and joint injuries, is that way for 25 years,” says the now
platelet-rich plasma. Your own blood 45 year old.
is removed, enriched with platelets Aside from exercising and keeping
and then injected. Some athletes his weight in check, he tried hyalu-
have tried it for sports injuries – no- ronic acid injections, steroid injec-
tably, Tiger Woods. But it appears to tions and even three arthroscopic,
have mixed success, according to the or ‘keyhole’, surgeries (sometimes
American Journal of Sports Medicine, recommended in cases where the
and much more research is needed OA was caused by injur y). Noth-
to find out how to make it work ing worked. Finally, Bebenroth
better. under went a tota l k nee
So far, the only truly replacement at the unu-
effective osteoarthritis “DIET sually young age of 40.
treatment is a com- HAS BEEN “When you reach the
plete joint switch- CRITICAL FOR ME. point of bone-on-
o u t, w h e t h e r i t ’s The fewer bone contact, you
the replacement of inflammatory just grin and bear it
knuckles, knees or foods I eat, the until you can’t any-
hips. Millions of peo- better I feel” more,” he explains.
ple around the world Bebenroth knows it’s
undergo the surgery, but inevitable that he’ll devel-
the catch is that the new joints op some degree of arthritis in
last only so long – 15 to 20 years – so his right knee – that’s what happens
many doctors don’t recommend it for if one joint takes the brunt of wear
anyone who is under the age of 60. and tear when the injured one is long
favoured – but in the meantime the
HE FOUND POSITIVE WAYS surgery has allowed him to return
TO LIVE WITH IT with new enthusiasm to his work,
Ben Bebenroth, a farm-to-table chef, and to the hiking and snowboarding
didn’t have much relief from OA he loves.
pain until he underwent knee-re- He also avoids all sugar and alco-
placement surgery. His osteoarthri- hol, and supplements his diet with
tis started when he was 15, after nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory
he injured his left knee in a snow- foods like turmeric and ginger from
boarding accident. For a long time, his organic farm, where he grows
he self-medicated with alcohol and ingredients he uses at his restau-
over-the-counter painkillers so he rant. Featuring many foods from
rdasia.com 49
the Mediterranean diet – fish, nuts, “We used a technique called FACS,
beans, lean meats, leafy vegetables which is sort of like a jelly bean sorter.
– an anti-inflammatory diet is well It allows us to separate types of cells
established as being joint friendly. based on the protein on their surface.
“Diet has been critical,” Bebenroth There were around 100 types.”
says. “The fewer inflammatory foods To understand which was which,
I eat, the better I feel.” Stretching, the researchers transplanted the cells
meditation and movement have also into mice to see what they differentiat-
helped. “This way of living helps me ed into. Some turned into bone.
move away from being in a reactive Dr Chan and his colleagues then
state, when you’re angry at your pain discovered that they could foster the
and end up soothing yourself with growth of new cartilage with these
a sweet treat.” cells by sending them a new
set of instructions. In
NEW HOPE their experiments, they
Given how many peo- Researchers created a microfrac-
ple suffer from OA, are working on ture by drilling a tiny
a lot of resea rch- AN INJECTIBLE hole in bone tissue.
ers are working on MEDICATION “This provokes skele-
solutions – and are TO CURE THE tal stem cells to gush
at last finding some. up in a blood clot,” Dr
At Duke University in
CONDITION Chan explains. “Left on
Durham, North Caroli- its own, this would turn
na, for example, research- into scar tissue, or what we
ers are planning to launch a clinical call fibrocartilage. It acts like a Band-
trial this year for a knee gel made of Aid, holding everything in place. But
water-absorbing polymers that simu- it’s not as bouncy or slippery as regen-
lates cartilage. erated cartilage.”
Using stem cells derived from our What if, the team wondered, they
own bodies also shows promise. In somehow changed the chemical
2018, researchers at Stanford Univer- signalling that was telling the cells
sity School of Medicine in California what to do? “We thought maybe we
managed to isolate skeletal stem- could interrupt the cells as they
cells in adult humans, a significant developed into cartilage on their
step towards regenerating cartilage. way to becoming bone – coax them
“We thought skeletal stem cells ex- to finish their work at the carti-
isted for some time, but we weren’t lage stage,” explains Dr Chan. The
sure,” says Dr Charles Chan, an assis- chemicals the team used to try this
tant professor of surgery at Stanford. already had regulatory approval for
other applications, such as bevaci- off by the body’s immune response

zumab for various cancers. and reducing nerve pain.
It worked. The result of their exper- “Patients undergo a mini-liposuc-
iment in laboratory mice, and then in tion,” says principal investigator Julien
human joint tissue infused into mice, Freitag, a Melbourne-based musculo-
“is that you get a nice piece of carti- skeletal specialist. Then, the fat tissue
lage,” Dr Chan says. “It’s durable. is transferred to a laboratory, where
And the subjects get dramatic im- the MSCs are expanded and injected
provements in their pain and their into a patient’s joint; a second injec-
movement.” tion is given six months later.
The team is now raising funds for While it remains somewhat un-
human clinical trials, where they clear exactly how MSCs weave their
plan to start with osteoarthritis in healing magic, says Dr Freitag, “our
patients’ thumbs and fingers. If all clinical research conducted over the
goes well, they may be able to bring last nine years has been incredibly
an injectable medication to market promising.” That research, which
that doesn’t just ease the symptoms includes a randomised controlled
but actually cures the disease. trial and data collected from actual
cases, shows pain reduction and im-
PAIN REDUCTION provements in joint function. “We are
Meanwhile, the Melbourne Stem seeing significant benefit to patients,
Cell Research Centre in Australia whether they have mild, moderate or
has conducted a number of trials severe osteoarthritis.”
on the use of adipose- (fat-) derived Given that other research centres
stem cells in the treatment of oste- are also deep into treatment re-
oarthritis. Similar experiments are search, a government-approved
taking place in Italy and Ireland. breakthrough therapy will probably
The idea is to work with our mesen- emerge in the next ten to 15 years. If
chymal stem cells (MSCs), which are it proves to be as safe and effective as
important for making and repairing it has been in research so far, mil-
cartilage and bone. They seem to lions of sidelined athletes will be able
have multiple positive effects, in- to get back out onto the field, or just
cluding calming inf lammation set enjoy everyday life more.
Mathematically Minded
Forty is the only number spelled with all its letters in
alphabetical order. RD
Tested
and
Veriﬁed.
View eSpring Water Treatment System

at Amway City Shop
(331 North Bridge Road, #01-01 Odeon
Towers, Singapore 188720)
For more information,

visit www.amway.sg or call 65509911.
PRETTY
COLOURFUL
Attracting
comrades of the
same species,
scaring off
predators,
making themselves
invisible –
animals use colour
in so many ways
BY Doris Kochanek
PHOTO FEATURE
PERFECTLY ADAPTED
to their environment,
chameleons remain
virtually invisible to
predators and prey. When
the animals signal to
fellow chameleons, on the
other hand, they take on
brightly coloured hues.
rdasia.com 55
THIS SHIELD BUG from the

Pentatomoidea family shimmers
like a precious stone. That is why it
is also referred to as a jewel bug.
THE RED-EYED TREE FROG is one of

the most beautiful representatives of
its species. Nocturnal, it uses its
bright red eyes to startle predators.
Pretty Colourful
WITH ITS FACIAL COLOURATION, the dominant male mandrill makes it clear
who is the boss of the group and has the right to mate with the females.
ALL PHOTOS: GET T Y IMAGES
rdasia.com 57
AT FIRST GLANCE, the red rock

crab impresses with its colours.
At second glance, it is its unique
ability to cling so tightly to rocks
that even the strongest surf can't
tear it loose.
THE RAINBOW
LORIKEET
(Trichoglossus
moluccanus) carries
the rainbow in its
plumage. Unlike
most bird species,
female rainbow
lorikeets are just as
magnificent as the
males. Which, by the
way, is true for most
parrot species.
Pretty Colourful
IN AQUARIUMS, Siamese fighting fish are a real

eye-catcher. Distinguishable by their colourful
and long veil-like fins, males are highly territorial
and will attack other males if placed in the same
tank. They are so pugnacious they sometimes
even attack their own reflection.
rdasia.com 59
LAUGHTER
The Best Medicine
“It’s the landlord.”
Career Paths
CARTOON: SCOT T MA SE AR. ILLUS TR ATION: GE T T Y IMAGES

The fourth surgeon intercedes, “I
Five surgeons were talking about prefer lawyers. They’re heartless.”
the best patients. To which the fifth surgeon, who
The first surgeon says, has been quietly listening to the
“Accountants are the best to operate conversation, says, “I like engineers.
on because when you open them They always understand when you
up, everything on the inside is have a few parts left over at the end.”
numbered.” NEWS.AMOMAMA.COM
The second surgeon says, “Nah,
librarians are the best. Everything Sweet Pairing
inside them is in alphabetical order.” What do you get when you cross an
The third surgeon responds, “Try elephant and a bumblebee?
electricians, man! Everything inside A ton of honey.
them is colour coded!” SUBMITTED BY SEBASTIAN VALE
Laughter
Home Truths
I love the difference between people’s
stories of rescue dogs and rescue TAKE IT EASY
cats. Dog owners will be like, “I
prepared for months, applied, had
a home check, did a foster-to-adopt
trial period – and then the rescue dog
chose me!”
And cat owners are like, “I found Lounge about and couch
him near the garbage bins.” a hearty laugh
@DANIELLEWEISBER
Why did the genuine leather
In The Dark sofa cross the road?
To get to the other hide.
Two mafia hit men are walking in
the woods at night. One turns to the The furniture store salesman told
other and says, “It’s really dark in me, “This sofa will seat five people
here. I’m scared.” without any problems.”
“You’re scared?” says the other I said, “Where on earth am I going
mobster. “I have to walk out of here to find five people without any
problems?”
alone.” SUBMITTED BY ROBERT LOVE
My wife didn’t want to buy a

Puns That Don’t Fall Flat bed from the local furniture store
because of their motto:
I found a classical composer
crouched down in the corner ‘We stand behind every bed we sell.’
of our wardrobe.
“What are you doing in there?” Never embarrass your mattress.
I said in shock, to which he replied, Otherwise, you’ll make it plush!
under his breath,
“Shh, I’m Haydn!” I lay down on the couch and
my fiancé said,
Everyone used to really like “I thought you said you were
that band The White Stripes, interesting!”
but I always thought they were I said, “No, honey, I said I was
middle of the road. into resting.”

I was listening to Bob Marley on Bought a new recliner sofa.
the radio when I got pulled over by Apparently if I don’t like it, I can take
the police. They asked for my it back.
licence and reggae station.
SOURCES: LIVINGSPACES.COM,
SEAN LEARY, COMEDIAN UPJOKE.COM, EASYFAMILYFUN.COM
rdasia.com 61
The Dog-Park
TRADING POST
BY Richard Glover
D
own at my local dog park, the dogs are a magnet for humans and a
scene is one of constant frivol- lightning rod for conversations.
ity. Everyone smiles. Everyone At the same time, I have to admit
says hello. Are dog owners nicer than that I may have become too depend-
ILLUS TR ATION: SAM ISL AND
other people? I can’t imagine that’s ent on my fellow dog owners. When-
true, but sometimes it feels like it is. ever a question forms in my mind,
Certainly, perhaps due to the pres- instead of turning to Google I think:
ence of their animals, the humans of “There’ll be an answer at the park.”
the dog park find it easy to be friendly. Not long ago, there was the grand
When I take Clancy, my kelpie, there, s wappi ng of recom mendat ions
Humour
for professional services. It started greengrocer? A ten-pin bowling alley?

with an older fellow with a similarly At least I’m confident my account-
elderly Labrador. “Does anyone know ant, as the loyal owner of an even-
a good computer person?” he asked. tempered pug, is unlikely to suddenly
“I’ve got one,” said a lady sitting disappear with all my money.
with her schnauzer, “but I’m slightly Of course, meeting people is easi-
loath to share his details in case he er when you both have a dog in tow.
gets booked up. I’d be willing to do so Think about it: in most places where
in return for a good dentist.” you meet strangers, you have to nav-
“Oh, I have one of those,” said a igate some potentially rocky shores.
young mother, jiggling a toddler on “So where do you work?”
her hip as she patted her blue heeler, “I don’t. I was fired last week.”
“but I wonder if anyone knows a good “But children – you have children?”
place where you can get your knives “Yes, but estranged. They objected
sharpened.” to what I did to their parrot.”
“The butcher up the road does that,” “Hobbies?”
said a man walking past with a whippet. “Taxidermy. That was the problem
Into the pot of offerings I submitted with the parrot.” Suddenly the ship is
an all-female painting crew and an ex- sinking, with all hands lost.
cellent roofing chap. Out of it, I picked Compare this to the smooth land-
up an acupuncturist and a place ing when you meet a fellow dog owner.
where you can get a tarp repaired. “What breed is your dog?” you might
The downside of my dependency inquire. Or the sure-fire “That’s a beau-
on the dog park is that people who are tiful pup. What is his or her name?”
not dog owners think I’m slightly mad. Within minutes, you’ll have invited
“That’s a beautiful painting,” said a each other to dinner.
friend the other day in my living room Clancy, for his part, always chooses
as he stared at a lush green landscape to play with dogs whose owners are
by painter Remnim Alexander Tayco. excellent company. God knows how
“How did you come across the artist?” he assesses their character from a
“While walking my dog,” I said. “He distance. Maybe they just smell right.
has a kelpie-cross that Clancy adores.” Whatever the reason, dog parks are
Or when asked where I found my a rich source of not only top tips but
accountant, I reply: “I met her at the also the small joys of strangers reach-
dog park.” ing out to each other – a reminder
At this point, people crinkle their that people, most of the time, are
noses, as if to say, “What a peculiar kind, generous and welcoming.
place to find an accountant.” But what We’re not as good as dogs, of
would be a better place? The local course, but we’re not half bad.
rdasia.com 63
ART OF LIVING
W
hen Eugenie George first
Celebrating other
hea rd t hat her f r iend
people’s victories can passed a financial counsel-
ling exam, her heart sank. She’d failed
bring on more that test weeks earlier, and needed the
of our own credential to advance her own career.
“My inner child got upset,” recalls
George, a financial writer and educa-
ILLUS TR ATIONS: MAGUMA
BY Juli Fraga tor. But then, instead of stewing, she

called her friend. “I told her I failed
F R O M T H E N E W YO R K T I M E S and admitted I was jealous,” she
says. George knew that being upfront
would defuse her envy, but she was
surprised when it shifted her attitude
rdasia.com 65
might really sting, making freuden-

EMPATHY HAS A ROLE IN freude feel out of reach. If you were
DAILY LIFE, PROPELLING raised in a family that paired win-
KIND ACTS SUCH AS ning with self-worth, Chambliss says,

you might misread someone else’s
HELPING OTHERS victory as your own personal short-
coming. And factors such as mental
health and overall wellbeing can also
so she could share her friend’s happi- affect your ability to participate in
ness and experience her own, in turn. someone else’s joy.
“I congratulated her and told her she Still, indulging in freudenfreude is
inspired me,” she says. worthwhile – and there are ways to
Finding pleasure in another per- encourage the feeling.
son’s good fortune is what social
scientists call freudenfreude, a term TO BETTER UNDERSTAND freuden-
(inspired by freude, the German word freude, it can be helpful to demys-
for ‘joy’) that describes the bliss we tify its better-known counterpart,
feel when someone else succeeds, schadenf reude: t he pleasure we
even if it doesn’t directly involve us. feel when w itnessing someone’s
Freudenfreude is like social glue, misfortune.
says Catherine Chambliss, a profes- In a 2012 study, Chambliss and
sor of psychology at Ursinus College in her colleagues examined instances
Pennsylvania. It makes relationships of freudenfreude and schadenfreude
“more intimate and enjoyable”. Erika among college students, some of
Weisz, an empathy researcher at Har- whom were experiencing mild depres-
vard University, says the feeling close- sion. Freudenfreude scores were high-
ly resembles positive empathy – the er, and schadenfreude scores were
ability to experience someone else’s lower, among those who were not de-
positive emotions. A study in 2021 ex- pressed. The mildly depressed college
amined positive empathy’s role in dai- students, however, had a harder time
ly life and found that it propelled kind adopting a joy-sharing mindset.
acts, such as helping others. Sharing “When you’re feeling down, it’s
in someone else’s joy can also foster natural to puncture positive news
resilience, improve life satisfaction with negativity,” Chambliss explains.
and help people cooperate during a Even when people aren’t experi-
conflict. encing mental distress, moments of
W hile the benefits of freuden- schadenfreude – when a movie vil-
freude are plentiful, it doesn’t always lain gets what he deserves, for exam-
come easily. Sometimes, your loss ple, or a nemesis faces scrutiny – can
It’s A Win-Win
be comforting and serve a purpose. compassionate towards those who

“Schadenfreude is one way we try to differ from them. Other research sug-
cope with jealousy and vulnerabili- gests that delighting in the mishaps
ty,” says clinical psychologist Emily of others can lower people’s self-es-
Anhalt, co-founder of Coa, a mental teem, especially when they are com-
health app. It’s an ‘ego protector’ paring themselves to high achievers.
that shields people from pain and re-
inforces social bonds within a group IS IT POSSIBLE TO
– like when joy erupts among sports EXPERIENCE MORE
fans after their rival team faces a FREUDENFREUDE?
humiliating loss.
Indulging in too much schaden- “Empathy isn’t always an automat-
freude, however, can backfire. One ic ref lex,” Weisz says. “It’s often a
study found that schadenfreude motivated process.” To help peo-
on socia l med ia ca n push em- ple strengthen joy-sharing mus-
pathy aside, mak ing people less cles, Chambliss and her colleagues
rdasia.com 67
developed a prog ra m me ca l led Attachment Can Help You Make – and

Freudenfreude Enhancement Train- Keep – Friends. To that end, freuden-
ing (FET). They found that depressed freude encourages us to look at suc-
college students who used the prac- cess as a community achievement.
tices for two weeks had an easier “No one gets to the top alone, and
t ime ex pressing f reudenf reude, when we elevate others, we’re often
which enhanced their relationships carried up with them,” Anhalt says.
and improved their mood. Jean Grae, an artist and self-iden-
Enjoy more freudenfreude with tified ‘multipotentialite’, supports
the tips below. friends and colleagues by adopting
this mindset. When someone gets a
VIEW INDIVIDUAL SUCCESS new opportunity or reaches a mile-
AS A COMMUNAL EFFORT stone, she makes sure to celebrate.
Grae says she’s especially moved
“When we feel happy for others, their when anyone considered ‘other’ suc-
joy becomes our joy,” says psycholo- ceeds. “It’s truly inspirational,” she
gist Marisa Franco, author of the says, “because it lifts us all up and
book Platonic: How the Science of makes us shine.”
It’s A Win-Win
SHOW ACTIVE their help. Be specific. If your friend’s

INTEREST IN SOMEONE accountant advised you to squirrel
ELSE’S HAPPINESS away more money, for instance, you
might say: “My savings are growing.
One way to summon good feelings for Thanks for recommending your great
others is to ask questions. Chambliss accountant.” Practising bragitude is
and her colleagues call this practice like sharing dessert: both parties
‘shoy’ – or sharing joy. enjoy the sweetness of the moment,
To start, invite the bearer of good which enhances freudenfreude for
news to discuss the experience. Even them both.
if your heart isn’t in it, research by
Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology BECOME A JOY SPECTATOR
professor at the University of Cali-
fornia Riverside, suggests that hap- “Too often, we think of joy passively,”
piness can flourish when you make a Franco says. “We see it as something
heartfelt effort to engage with a posi- that comes to us, instead of some-
tive activity. So when you speak with thing we can generate.” But you don’t
your friend, be sure to maintain eye need to wait for someone else’s good
contact and listen attentively. This news to exercise freudenfreude.
should motivate you to keep going Cultivate joy by inviting others to
and make you feel as if your efforts share their victories. You might ask:
will pay off. “What was the bright spot of your
day?” or “I could use some good news;
SHARE CREDIT FOR YOUR what’s the best thing that happened
SUCCESSES WITH OTHERS to you this week?” Asking about oth-
er people’s wins turns you into a joy
Because emotions are contagious, spectator, giving you a chance to wit-
showing appreciation can increase ness them at their best.
freudenfreude for the gratitude giv- Experiencing more freudenfreude
er and the recipient. In this way, you doesn’t mean you’ll never cheer
can think of freudenfreude as some- against a villain again, but being able
thing you can spread when you’re to reach for happiness is inherently
experiencing personal joy. beneficial. Says Chambliss, “As deli-
To do this, try a FET exercise called cious as it is to delight in our enemy’s
bragitude, which involves expressing defeats, celebrating our friends’ suc-
gratitude when someone else’s successes – big and small – helps us all
cess or support leads to your own. triumph.”
Start by sharing your win, then tell THE NEW YORK TIMES (NOV. 28, 2022), © 2022 THE
the other person how you appreciate NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY
rdasia.com 69
13 THINGS
All About
Extreme Weather
BY Caitlin Stall-Paquet
1 2
What’s in a name? Plenty, when The association with destruc-
meteorologists assign them to tion tends to make some storm
hurricanes and typhoons. It’s a names unpopular baby names,
practice that began in the 19th cen- which is what happened to Katrina
tury, when a British meteorologist after a Category 5 storm with that
living in Australia started naming name devastated the US state of
storms after Polynesian women and Louisiana in 2005. A very damaging
ILLUS TR ATION: SERGE BLOCH
politicians he disliked. Using female storm may have its name retired, and
names caught on with US meteorol- some years there are enough storms
ogists in the 1950s; weather reports to run through the 21 alphabetical
included sexist clichés about ‘tem- names (Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used).
peramental’ storms ‘f lirting’ with The World Meteorological Organiza-
coastlines. Male names were finally tion keeps a list of backup names pre-
included by 1979. pared for that eventuality.
13 Things
3
From cows lying down when and record daily snowfalls could be-
rain is on the horizon to birds come more norm than outlier.
that fly lower before a storm,
6
there are plenty of theories that an- After bursting onto the scene
imals can predict the weather. One in the 1970s, the disaster-mov-
that’s proven is that coastal sharks ie genre – with hits like The
swim deeper during the drop in Swarm and The Poseidon Adventure
barometric pressure that precedes – really hit its stride in the 1990s.
tropical storms. Sometimes animals (Twister grossed nearly US$500 mil-
are the weather: waterspouts or tor- lion in theatres). Since then, disaster
nadoes can pick up critters and carry movies have stagnated, possibly be-
them long distances, leading to ac- cause we feel ever closer to life im-
counts of frogs or fish falling from the itating fiction. The 2021 film Don’t
sky, like the anchovies that rained Look Up served as an apt commen-
down on San Francisco in 2022. tary on climate change and society’s
collective reluctance to act.
4
When ice forms on trees, the
7
weight of branches can in- Rising average temperatures
crease 30-fold. In 1998, the are contributing to more heat
freezing rain of a devastating ice waves and larger storms. Ear-
storm in North America brought lier this year, Cyclone Freddy hit
down millions of trees. The ice lay- parts of Africa and lasted a record
ers also collapsed enough electrical 34 days. Human activity is known
wires and cables to go around the to compound the disastrous effects
world three times. Power outages left of extreme weather directly, too,
more than five million people in the like in Canada in 2021 when torren-
dark – some for as long as 30 days. tial rains led to deadly mudslides in
areas that had been clear-cut. Major
5
Blizzards can be equally de- flooding in Germany and Belgium in
structive, especially when they 2021, and Australia’s unprecedented
happen in unlikely places, like bush fires of 2020, were also caused
Iran’s 1972 blizzard – called the worst by climate change.
in history. Almost eight metres of
8
snow fell over nearly a week, cover- When forest fires are followed
ing 200 villages and killing a report- by drought in the US, bark
ed 4000 people. But ‘once-in-a-gen- beetles can make a bad situa-
eration’ storms are happening more tion even worse by turning wooded
often as polar winds meet warm- areas into fields of tinder. An infes-
er-than-usual winters. Cold snaps tation along the west coast of North
rdasia.com 71
America, from the Yukon to Mexico, apocalyptic-seeming ‘blood rain’, a

killed more than 102 million trees rare event that occurred in Spanish
in California alone. To make mat- skies in 2022. This red precipita-
ters worse, trees can secrete highly tion was caused by dark sand being
flammable chemicals called terpe- carried from the Sahara Desert and
nes as a defence mechanism against mixing with water before falling
insect invasion. back to Earth.
9 12
Lightning sprites make t he The United States expe-
skies glow with jellyfish-like riences 75 per cent of the
shapes during thunderstorms, world’s tornadoes, w it h
from the Chilean Andes to Israel’s about 1200 reported every year. And
Negev Desert. The crimson lights ‘Tornado Alley’, which runs vertical-
are produced by electric discharges ly through the middle of the country
in the mesosphere and their name from South Dakota to Texas, gets the
is thought to be inspired by Shake- brunt of it. In 2013, a record 4.2-kilo-
speare’s mischievous fairies in A metre-wide tornado hit El Reno,
Midsummer Night’s Dream. Oklahoma, with never-before-seen
ground speeds of 476 kilometres
10
Intense heat waves have per hour!
a way of making societ y
13
go off the rails. They can Thanks to computer tech-
melt power lines and buckle railway nolog y and global data
tracks, which happened during the sharing, weather forecasts
United Kingdom’s 2022 heat wave. are improving in accuracy, giving
People also tend to lose their cool: residents more time to seek safety.
studies show that violence spikes as But some people still run towards
our bodies heat up, possibly due to danger: amateur and professional
a drop in serotonin and an increase storm chasers track high-impact
in testosterone, which can make us weather and gather invaluable mete-
more aggressive. orological data – and perhaps a viral
video or two. An episode of the 2021
11
Sandstorms occur when documentary series Wild Canadian
strong winds sweep across Weather followed the adventures of
dry desert landscapes. In Prairie Storm Chasers. And Dutch-
2021, Mongolia’s southern prov- TReX, a storm-chasing group based
ince of Dornogovi experienced a in the Netherlands, travels to the US
record 20-hour sandstorm. These each year during tornado season in
s tor m s c a n s omet i me s t r ig ger search of the perfect storm.
ANG ORIGINAL NA PLASTIK,
PLASTIK NA PLASTIK PA DIN!
Orocan Icebox 30L
Orocan
Utility Pail 12L
OrocanPH Also available in

QUOTABLE QUOTES
PEOPLE CAN I think some things
BE LIKE, “OH, are just meant
IT [THE to happen; you can’t
UNIVERSE] change your fate.
MAKES ME FEEL Maybe we have
SMALL”, BUT I a small amount
THINK FOR A of control.
LOT OF PEOPLE SAR AH SNOOK, ACTRESS
IT ACTUALLY
MAKES YOU Kids are really smart. And I
FEEL UNIFIED, think they’re underestimated
CONNECTED, all the time.
PART OF R.L. STINE, CREATOR OF THE GOOSEBUMPS SERIES
SOMETHING
THAT’S SO
GRAND AND SO Life can
BEAUTIFUL.
JOE DEPASQUALE,
only be
SPACE IMAGE DEVELOPER
FOR NASA
understood
backwards;
but it must
be lived Musicians want to be
forwards. the loud voice for so
many quiet hearts.
SØREN KIERKEGA ARD,
PHILOSOPHER BILLY JOEL, MUSICIAN
Keep a little fire burning;

however small, however hidden.
CORMAC MCCARTHY, WRITER
INSPIRATION
BY Dorothy
Woodend
FROM
THE TYEE
Old tractor parts went

into the creation of this
sculpture of an American
bison in South Dakota
A Human History In Rust
THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THEIR
JUNK IS A CURIOUS ONE.
A 2022 documentary called Scrap Take, for example, the iconic red
shows just how oddly intertwined phone booth, an object familiar to any
these two things can be. Anglophile. Back in the 1980s, when
When the film’s director, Stacey Tony Inglis, who ran a trucking firm in
Tenenbaum, came across a photo of the United Kingdom at the time, got
an aeroplane graveyard just outside the contract to remove phone booths
Moscow, the place’s ghostly quality – that had fallen into ruin, he thought,
seemingly frozen in time – led her to We can’t just let them go.
wonder what happens to these kinds of So he started f i x ing t hem up.
things when they are no longer useful. Over time, he purchased more than
The film is chock-a-block with visual 2000 of the decommissioned booths
pleasure. Viewers float alongside re- and set about resurrecting them:
tired trams and peer into the rotting scraping off decades of buck led
husks of muscle cars spotted with paint, replacing broken glass, slowly
moss and lichen. But a harder mes- restoring dignity and handsomeness.
sage lurks beneath the lilting images: Now, decades later, the refurbished
the way back from irrelevance and ob- booths are being put to a variety of
solescence demands work – often the new functions – everything from
hard, dirty and dangerous kind. miniature libraries to coffee kiosks
That humans use and then discard to defibrillator stations.
endless amounts of stuff isn’t exact- There is something deeply sooth-
ly news. But how do we interact with ing, even redemptive, about watching
what we throw away? The film show- a person attend to the act of restora-
cases an alternative approach to the tion with care and precision. Surely
cycle of junking things once they’ve if an ancient discarded thing can be
PHOTO: COURTESY JOHN LOPEZ
reached the end of their active life: brought back to a state of shining glo-
there is worth in the saddest old hulks ry, humans can also be returned to a
of refuse, including a downed plane, state of wholeness.
a wizened train or an ancient phone The film is as much about objects
booth. In fact, old stuff can be trans- as it is about the people who love
formed into something not only use- them. Consider Ed Metka of Wiscon-
ful but beautiful. sin, US. In the 1980s the retired civil
rdasia.com 77
engineer began buying out-of-service He welds old tractor parts, bits of ma-
trams from several North American chinery and rusty lengths of chain into
cities with a plan to refurbish and re- larger-than-life figures of bison, tigers
sell the vehicles. and draught horses. In a stunning
As a child he was enthralled by homage to his late father, he even cre-
trams and watched the operators ated an ancient, gnarled tree covered
so carefully that by the age of five, with delicate pink metal petals.
he imagined he was fully capable of As Lopez explains, part of his inspi-
driving them himself. ration came from an old farming cus-
“I was fascinated by their appear- tom in South Dakota: dragging broken
ance and their clickety-clackety pieces of equipment up to the top of
sound.” Today, some of the tram car- hills. “It just brings back all the memo-
riages he bought are back in active ries from the old days,” says Lopez. “It
service. “It’s very satisfying to see has meaning, a lot of meaning.”
these cars running again,” says Metka. Poised against the landscape, the
The tenacity of metal, which stands sculptures stand like dinosaurs,
long after fragile human bodies are markers of a time and place – and a
gone, is the subject of South Dakota lifetime of work. His intent was that
artist John Lopez’s metal sculptures. the relics would take on new life as
Old phone booths were given new life for this art installation in London
In Delhi, India, workers strip parts out of discarded mobile phones
conversation pieces, and so continue Resurrection is also the focus of ar-

to be useful. chitect Tchely Hyung-Chul Shin, who
PHOTOS: (OPPOSITE) PE TER DA ZELE Y/GE T T Y IMAGES; SAUMYA KHANDELWAL
In another part of the world, aban- works in South Korea and France.
doned machines become a home His architectural firm repurposes
for families and a source of income. sections of old tankers and cargo
Just east of Bangkok, Thailand, Fah ships into churches and other struc-
Boonsoong and her kids and grand- tures. Freed from rusting turpitude
kids live in a hollowed-out jumbo jet and fashioned into soaring vaulted
airliner – just one of many spread spaces, ships’ hulls, ribbed like the
across a field. Tourists pay to take inside of a whale, become things of
photographs with the derelict planes. airy beauty.
As the kids bounce up and down on But such startling transformations
the wings of the aircraft, their grand- aren’t easy. Cutting massive ships
mother talks about being the caretak- into their component parts is grit-
er of this aeroplane graveyard. But ty, rough work. Retired vessels are
she takes issue with the word ‘grave- sourced around the globe, but the
yard’, insisting this is a vibrant com- reconstruction takes place mainly in
munity, alive with laughing, playing Spain, where an international team
kids. “Graveyards are for the dead. of shipwrights disassemble the boats.
We’re living people, not spirits.” Scrap shows extraordinary scenes
rdasia.com 79
of the behemoths being dragged out give Life Meaning’ to the worn dirt
of the water, turned on end and sliced paths carved through the woods,
into parts. the place is a distinctly rustic venue.
As Shin explains, when wiping The constellations of automotive rust
away decades of accumulated rust possess great beauty, patterns and
from a section of hull he feels con- colours stippled on the metal exte-
nected to these old aquatic warriors. riors like a modernist painting. It is
“There is a lot of emotion when I see both lovely and sad: the hopes and
these pieces and this boat. It’s like ambitions of another age slowly dis-
taking care of a friend or a parent.” integrating into rust and dirt.
Meanwhile in the US, the disinte- In other parts of the world, the
grating hulks of old cars emerge out scale of disposable culture takes
of the landscape of White in Geor- on epic proportions. In Delhi, old
gia like some new type of growth. phones and TVs are dismantled by
Throughout t he workers who make
14 -he c t a r e s it e – IT IS BOTH LOVELY a living stripping the
k now n as Old Car
Cit y – more t ha n
AND SAD: THE HOPES parts out of junked
t e c h nolo g y. Pho -
4000 vehicles have AND AMBITIONS OF tog rapher Saumya
permanent parking ANOTHER AGE SLOWLY K handelwal docu-
spaces, and curious
sights emerge from
DISINTEGRATING ments t he lives of
these workers, her
t he gloom. Atop a images driven by a
1950s sports car heaped with pine need to do something in the midst of
needles, an abandoned doll pokes a juggernaut of waste. “When there is
out. Some vehicles have been here so something that bothers me, the only
long that trees have grown through thing I can do is photograph it.”
them. It’s kind of beautiful, and a lit- The intermingling of decay and
tle eerie. new life as portrayed in Scrap makes
Proprietor Dean Lewis sees the for an interesting conjunction of op-
White junkyard as a kind of a muse- posing forces. The sheer magnifi-
um. “It’s art, nature and history,” he cence of elemental, brutalist scrap
says. Lewis inherited the place from remade into functional, beautiful
his parents, who started it as a used things is a reminder that with care
car lot in 1931, but since then it has and love, almost anything can be
evolved into something more akin to brought back from the brink.
a kingdom of decay.
FROM ‘HUMAN HISTORY IN RUST’, BY DOROTHY
From the hand-painted signs that WOODEND, THE TYEE (OCTOBER 21, 2022) © 2022,
declare ‘The Meaning of Life is to DOROTHY WOODEND, THETYEE.CA
ART OF LIVING
Small
Business,
Caring for people is part of the deal

at family-run shops
I GREW UP IN AND AROUND a department
store. It was run by my maternal grandmoth-
er, Mrs Sharp, and when I was growing up in
the 1960s and ’70s, I was one of various family
members who occasionally worked there.
BY Scott Grills
I learned the difference between nylon and
metal zippers, which fabrics should be cut
ILLUSTRATION
and which needed to be torn, and how to sort
BY Elijah White
patterns and match colours of embroidery
FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL floss. I also learned something much more
important: the place of a family business in
the community.
Mrs Sharp knew her customers. She heard
the rumours of domestic violence; of women
rdasia.com 83
who had little money to buy essen- two year old had developed a passion
tials; of families struggling to care for mussels normally reserved for ice
for sons who had returned from war cream and chocolate cake. Without
suffering with what was then called fail, after the mussels were weighed
‘shell shock’; of unplanned pregnan- and priced, the scoop went back into
cies and the need for the discreet the tank – “Just a few extra to make up
purchase of certain sewing patterns for the ones that don’t open.”
to help prevent gossip. On one visit, a staff member asked
End-of-the-bolt fabrics and dis- if we had seen the Scottish salm-
carded patterns made their way into on that had come in that morning.
the hands of mothers whose children “Looks beautiful,” I said. “Just the
needed clothes for the mussels, thanks.”
start of the school year. FACING A He wondered if I
Widows without cash
for u nder g a r ment s
TIGHT BUDGET, could make use of
some tails: “The res-
bought them on credit, WE WERE THE taurant only wants the
sometimes in tears: “I BENEFICIARIES best steaks, and I really
hate to ask. It has been don’t have much of a
so hard since Charlie
OF THE market for these.” Two
died. You know I am KINDNESS tails went into the bag,
good for it. Thank you. OF LOCAL no charge. “Mussels for
God bless you.” the little guy and a treat
W hen my par t ner
BUSINESSES for you and your wife.
and I were still in uni- On the house.”
versit y, we beca me When my wife was
parents. Our budget was tight – at the expecting our second child, she de-
time, inflation was more than 11 per veloped a deep craving for a local
cent and interest rates were above Chinese restaurant’s version of tai
18 per cent. Still, we saved so we dop voy, a mixture of meats, shrimp
could afford the occasional splurge. and vegetables. Even though they
We benefited from the kindness of rarely saw us, the owners always
local merchants who understood that remembered us. One evening, well
treating customers equally did not into my wife’s eighth month, I or-
mean they were treated the same way. dered tai dop voy to go. Since he was
The local fishmonger, who supplied up, I took our young son with me. It
lobster and crab to steak houses and was a chillingly damp night.
immaculate scallops to a French res- The next thing I knew, we were
taurant, showed incredible thought- seated at the bar and my son had a
fulness. We were regulars because our soft drink in his hand. Our order
Small Business, Big Heart
came and I settled up. The bag was I witnessed it recently at my local
heavier than normal. farmers’ market. A young family – it
“We are closing soon,” the serv- could have been my crew years ago
er said. “There is some fried rice – was debating whether to add an-
in there that would be thrown out. other zucchini to the order (eaves-
Enjoy. Have a healthy baby.” When dropping is an occupational hazard
I got home, there was not only fried of mine). The farmer serving them
rice but also an order of chow mein said, “Sorry I forgot, I have so many
and two orders of tai dop voy. zucchinis this year. If you buy two,
you get another for free. Pick out any
THAT WAS MANY YEARS AGO. But one you like.”
those small kindness- I like to think the
es from people who COMMUNITY, fa r mer was being
ran local businesses ethically f lexible: no
made a difference. It
CARING AND pr ic es on t he pro-
wasn’t just the savings KINDNESS duce, but everything
– t hough t hey were ARE ALL is fairly priced. Fair in
appreciated. Custom- the sense that com-
ers were seen as more
PART OF THE mu n it y, ca r i ng a nd
than a source of reve- MERCHANT- kindness are all part
nue; we were members CLIENT of the merchant-client
of the community that relationship.
the business served.
RELATIONSHIP The kindness of mer-
These days, I’m not chants during leaner
sure many people as- times is a sign of some-
sociate airlines, telcos or supermar- thing deeper: we are all making our
kets with ‘service’ to the community. shared way together. For my part,
Their customers are mostly anony- I will continue to support farmers’
mous, and their life circumstances markets and family-run restaurants. I
are relevant only to the extent that am happy to pay a ‘fair’ price, know-
the apps they use help the companies ing that there may be an extra cob of
determine which products to display corn for the widow buying her eggs a
prominently. half-dozen at a time.
Once again, many of us have been My g ra nd mot her wou ld have
forced to tighten our belts. Fresh expected it of me.
fruit? Maybe we’ll buy some next
week. Bacon or eggs, not both. But FROM ‘A FAMILY RUN BUSINESS WILL ALWAYS HAVE
A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY COMMUNITY’, THE GLOBE
the generosity I experienced all those AND MAIL (OCTOBER 27, 2022), © 2022, SCOTT
years ago hasn’t disappeared. GRILLS. THEGLOBEANDMAIL.COM
rdasia.com 85
Zipline uses
drones to
distribute
medical supplies
to health
facilities in
Ghana
PIE
WHEN DRONES first became widely
available, around 15 years ago now, it
wasn’t uncommon to find tech peo-
ple painting dramatic pictures of how
In The PHOTOS (ZIPLINE): JOERG BOE THLING/AL AMY S TOCK PHOTO

they were soon going to change the
world.
SKY
However, if you look up into the
largely empty sky above us, you can
quite clearly see that hasn’t hap-
pened yet.
Sure, drones are useful for taking
aerial photos, and are a fun hobby
for nerds like me – but we’re a long
Will widespread drone way away from aerial superhighways,
packed with autonomous drones zip-
deliveries ever happen? ping parcels, medical supplies and
perhaps even your pizza order to
BY James O’Malley your front door at speeds that would
TECHNOLOGY
be near-impossible on the ground.

And we’re seemingly still a very long
way away from it. In 2016, in a blaze
of publicity, Amazon announced that
it had completed its first ever aerial
delivery. In a heavily stage-managed
video, we saw an Amazon UK ‘Prime
Air’ drone pick up a parcel from the
company’s Cambridgeshire ware-
house and fly it across the country- receiving regular shipments of blood
side, landing in the buyer’s garden, and other medical supplies by drone,
dropping the parcel, and then re- thanks to a company called Zipline.
turning back to its home base. And the service is very much for real.
But as far as I can tell, Amazon Like Amazon, Zipline drones are
still has not completed its second not quadcopters with propellers, but
ever drone delivery. In fact, since the fly more like traditional planes.
video was released the company has After being launched into the air
reportedly downscaled its drone pro- using a catapult system, they f ly
gramme, and laid off or redeployed autonomously to their destination
many of the people working on it. hospital, and once over the hospi-
So, will drone delivery ever be a tal grounds, drop their payload via
thing? There are some glimmers of a parachute, which doctors can then
possible drone delivery future, not in pick up and take straight to their
Britain or even the US, but in Africa. patients. The drone then flies back
Because also since 2016, rural hospi- to where it started – landing like a
tals in Ghana and Rwanda have been plane on an aircraft carrier by catch-
ing it with a wire.
It’s a hugely impressive system, and
one that surely has saved lives thanks
to the speed at which blood can be
delivered in a country with a poorly
developed road network. And since
then the company has already ex-
panded its operations to Ghana – and
has delivered over a million doses of
COVID-19 vaccine by drone.
rdasia.com 87
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

Humour On The Job
CARTOON: PAUL NOTH/THE NEW YORKER COLLECTION/THE CARTOON BANK

“The smarter we make the AI, the less it wants to do our jobs.”
Mister Burger Living The High Life

I work in a large government agency. For no reason I just thought of the
Occasionally the helpdesk or admin time a guy I was dating was hired to
folks will send out an organisation- dog sit for a famous filmmaker.
wide circular to announce My then boyfriend took me
something. My coworker thought with him once to dog sit and I was
he was replying to an email to me surprised that the apartment was
and said, “Yo, wanna get a burger for super nice but also, like, relatively
lunch?” normal.
Many of the 10,000+ people who We later found out that it was the
received that email never let him live dog’s apartment.
it down. TR AVELLOVE88, METRO.CO.UK @MELISSAPETRO
All In A Day’s Work
Footing THIS JOB IS A JOKE!

The Bar Bill Three well-known comedians
Remembering that describe their earlier gigs.
time at university when
“I used to work at McDonald’s
my adviser, a well-known
making minimum wage. You know
ornithologist, got a random call:
what that means when someone
Drunk guy (bar noises in pays you minimum wage? You know
background): IS THIS THE BIRD what your boss was trying to say?
PROFESSOR? ‘Hey, if I could pay you less, I would,
My adviser: Um … yes? but it’s against the law.’”
CHRIS ROCK
Drunk guy: DO
HUMMINGBIRDS HAVE FEET?
“I got fired from my last job. It was
My adviser: … Yes. fair. I had stopped working. When
(Wild cheering over phone they fired me, they called me into
from bar) human resources and they were
@NORTHERNSPRW
like, ‘Michelle, it seems like you’re
just not doing your job.’ And I was
like, ‘Yeah, but for like nine months.
Do Not Reply So, I think two of us haven’t been
doing our jobs.’ ” MICHELLE WOLF
I can’t be the only person who says
“Please leave me alone!” out loud “I called a temp agency once. They
to her email. were like, ‘Do you have any phone
@ASHLEYN1COLE skills?’ I was like, ‘I called you,
didn’t I?’ ” ZACH GALIFIANAKIS
Email Sign-Offs
Several funny email sign-offs to use
at your own risk at work: Hasta la
pasta, Anyways, Later sk8r, Meow for
now, Your move, Alrighty then.
@WINDOWS
IMAGES: GE T T Y IMAGES
Off To A Poor Start

Me: Click on the start button.
Client: Let me just get my daughter,
you’ve lost me.
CLIENTSFROMHELL.NET
rdasia.com 89
These white waving
cats are placed
in homes and
businesses all over
Japan for good luck
TRAVEL
THE LAND OF THE
Japan has an GOTOKUJI TEMPLE, TOKYO

affinity for all One of Japan’s famous cat symbols is the
white waving cat known as a maneki-neko.
things feline: cat You’ll see these in homes and businesses
cafés, cat shrines, all over the country, but only at Gotokuji in
south-west Tokyo will you be surrounded by
cat islands and even thousands of them.
cats with jobs. Around the 16th century, goes the legend,
Here’s a few places a feudal lord who was caught in a rainstorm
near Gotokuji saw the temple’s cat beckoning
any cat lover him in to shelter. Once he was safely inside,
visiting Japan lightning struck the point at which he’d been
standing. Feeling that the beckoning cat had
shouldn’t miss saved his life, the lord bestowed his patronage
on the temple turning the simple place of wor-
ship into a temple of great standing.
Today, people place their own waving
BY Helen Foster cat sculptures at Gotokuji for good luck
rdasia.com 91
Maneki-neko, Japan’s famous beckoning cats, surround Gotokuji temple
and prosperity in business and to of a waving cat. Using local pottery,

bless their own furry friends. If you she created some in the design the
want to do the same, you can buy cat had shown her, and started sell-
your own cat-themed ema (prayer ing them at the shrine. They were so
plaques) at the shop inside. popular they raised her out of pov-
If, however, you’d prefer to bless erty – and created a Japanese icon.
your relationship, you’ll want to
head to Tokyo’s second waving cat KISHI STATION,
worshipping spot, the Imado Shrine WAKAYAMA
in the historic Asakusa district. This
competes with Gotokuji as the orig- Nitama, the stationmaster at the Ki-
inal home to the figure – and has its shi station in Wakayama, watches
own fun story to boot. the trains from her stationmaster’s
Back in the day, the Imado area office. After a few minutes, she rolls
PHOTOS: HELEN FOS TER
was famous for pottery and legend over, licks her feet and goes to sleep.
has it that one night, a local resident The average stationmaster would
who couldn’t afford to keep her be- probably get sacked at this point,
loved cat, had a dream where the cat but the average station master isn’t
told her to make dolls in the shape a 13-year-old tortoiseshell cat.
Nitama is one of the two cat station-
masters that you can visit along the
line of the Wakayama Electric Rail-
way, which runs between the city of
Wakayama in Japan’s Kansai region,
and the smaller town of Kishi to the
east. A rescue cat, Nitama took over
the role, cute hat and medal, in 2016,
after the original tortoiseshell station-
master Tama, a cat that lived in the
station when it was being built, passed
away after nine years of service.
Pictures of Tama in her station-
master’s hat turned the fortunes of
the line around, which was on the
verge of closing in 2006. Now, around
2.3 million people a year ride the
railway to remember Tama and visit
Nitama and her colleague Yontama, Nitama, Wakayama Electric Railway’s
stationmaster, sporting her hat
who ‘looks after’ Idakiso station. The
and medal
day we visited she was being very
vocal about it, jumping from her cat bed by the president of the train
tree to her cat tunnels and meowing company himself.
loudly for a snack.
As you ride the train out to Kishi, the
scenery is stunning – traditional hous-
TETSUDOKAN CAFÉ,
es are surrounded by green fields, riv-
OSAKA
ers, and you can even spot the odd wa- About 90 k ilometres away from
terfall, but most people aren’t looking Kishi, in a residential area of Osaka,
out of the window, they’re snapping I sit in a room full of people intensely
pictures of all the cat-themed decor watching a cream and red train chug
inside the train. Yes, even two of the its way around a model train set. Sud-
trains here are Tama-themed. denly, a huge cheer goes up – a little
When we pulled into the station, black and brown cat nestled in be-
most people went to visit Nitama, tween a valley of green felt-covered
but my guide, Yamaki, led me to a mountains has just swiped the train
small shrine on the platform ded- off the track with a quick paw pat.
icated to Tama. The small pile of You see, while the cake they serve
stones was collected from the river for afternoon tea in this café is nice,
rdasia.com 93
and now, Tetsudoken is so popular
you have to book a seat to visit the
café. (To make a reservation in Eng-
lish message them via their twitter
feed at @official86839977).
To say thank you, the café has now
turned into a fully-fledged cat rescue
and rehoming centre, with proceeds
from the café funding their mission.
TASHIROJIMA, SENDAI
One of Wakayama Electric Railway’s
The aforementioned destinations
two cat-themed trains
can easily be included in a normal
it’s the chance to spot cats choosing tourist trip to Japan, which common-
violence that’s really brought every- ly takes in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka,
one here. however true feline fanciers might
The café is called Tetsudokan Café want to go out of their way and visit
and Rest Bar, and five years ago it was one of Japan’s cat islands where the
struggling. Their main selling point, a cat populations equal – if not out-
diorama model railway people could number – that of people.
watch as they ate steaming bowls of If you’re travelling south, visit Ain-
ramen, wasn’t bringing in people like oshima, a short train and ferry ride
it used to and the owners weren’t sure from Hakata in Fukuoka. Here you’ll
what to do. Then, they adopted a stray
A stray cat family transformed the
cat family. As cats do, the new family Tetsudokan Café into a social media hit
decided the model trains were there
for their amusement and the café’s
owner, Naiko, uploaded pictures of
them playing with the engines to the
restaurant’s Instagram page.
Not surprisingly, in a country that
made Godzilla an honorary citizen
PHOTOS: HELEN FOS TER
of Tokyo, the sight of ‘giant’ cats

wandering through a backdrop of
tiny trees and miniature houses, oc-
casionally batting the odd train into
oblivion, became a huge hit on social
media (76k followers and counting)
f i nd a r ou nd 2 3 0
cats – and 280 resi-
dents – living hap-
pily side-by-side in
a small fishing port.
Or, from Tokyo, take
the 90-minute bullet
train north to Sendai
where a 90-minute
train and ferry ride
away will take you to
the cat-filled island
of Tashirojima.
Cats were original- Cats on the island of Tashirojima now outnumber humans
ly brought to Tashi-
rojima to protect silkworms used CAT-THEMED FUN, JAPAN
by textile workers on the island, but
fisherman also used them to predict The ideas I’ve outlined in this story are
their catch, one Tashirojima local only a few of the cat-themed things
told me. “They would look at the you can do in Japan. There is so much
cats’ eyes and if they felt they looked more for feline fanatics to discover.
bigger than normal, it was a sign that You’ll also find cat-shaped toast in
the catch was going to be good.” fashionable Takeshita Street in Ha-
The ancestors of those fortune-tell- rajuku. Towns such as Tokoname,
ing cats now outnumber human res- near Nagoya, are filled with cat art.
idents around two to one. You’ll find And a museum near Hiroshima
cats lounging all over the island, but was put on the map by two intrepid
the peak kitty-spotting point is the cats trying to out-smart the security
verandah of the café Tashirojima guard and sneak inside each day.
Nyanko Kyowakoko Shimanoeki in You can even ride a pink and white
the middle of the island. Staff here high-speed bullet train themed
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JAPAN R AIL
feed the cats at noon and it seems that around Hello Kitty, the cute cartoon
half the population arrive for snacks. cat with a bow.
If travelling to Tashirojima, be No wonder there’s a term for how
aware that the crossing can be chop- much money neko (cats) bring to the
py, and check the twitter feed of the Japanese economy – nekonomics.
Ajishima line (@ajishimaline) before Which begs the question, how much
you set off to ensure the waves aren’t might your trip to Japan contribute
too high for them to land at the island. to the nekonomy?
rdasia.com 95
BONUS READ
This family is travelling the

world — before the kids lose their
vision to a rare genetic condition
BY Lisa Fitterman
Vision Quest
The Pelletier children (pictured in

Damaraland, Namibia) travelled to
13 countries over the course of a year
rdasia.com 97
peaks of Namibia, and hot-air bal-

looning over the brown, lunar-like
landscape in Turkiye.
ALL PHOTOS: COURTESY THE PELLE TIER FAMILY

Far from their home in Quebec,
Canada, the children’s experienc-
es, steeped in colour, shape, touch
mouth open in both wonder and and smell, are especially important
horror, Laurent Pelletier stares at the to them. Because unless science
carnivorous armoured bush cricket makes a breakthrough soon, three
that has landed in front of him on of the four siblings – Mia, Colin and
the picnic table. The boy is camping Laurent – will become blind, likely
with his family near Fish River Can- in adulthood. They have been diag-
yon in Namibia, in southwest Africa. nosed with a disease that has no ef-
The insect, yellow and light green, fective treatment as it gradually robs
has a collar of spikes and six spindly them of their sight.
legs planted in a boxer’s stance. It’s
as big as the five year old’s hand. FOR THE CHILDREN’S PARENTS, Ed-
“Can we eat it?” he asks his mother, ith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier,
Edith Lemay. the diagnoses came after a four-year
“I don’t think so,” she says, laughing. search for the reason their eldest
“Can I take it as a travel companion?” child couldn’t see at night. Then a
“No, but you’ll meet many more.” toddler, Mia banged into furniture
And Laurent did, over and over that her parents could make out once
again during the first few months of their eyes adjusted to the dark.
a year-long trip through Africa, Asia In 2013, when Mia was three, the
and the Middle East with his par- family began a frustrating series of
ents and three older siblings, Mia, visits to doctors, none of whom had
12, Léo, 10, and Colin, 7. Bush crick- an answer for her lack of night vision.
ets, ground crickets, baby crickets, In 2015, as a last resort, a paediatric
crickets whose chirping lulled them ophthalmologist enrolled the family
to sleep at night; they became talis- in a research project in which their
mans, part of a panoply of encounters entire genome was mapped out. After
during which the kids experienced two interminable years, the mapping
the world in technicolour and sur- was completed.
round sound. Imprinting memories The family was called into the
by horseback riding across the bright ophthalmologist’s office, where the
green steppes of Mongolia, kayak- specialist gave it to them straight.
ing on the azure sea off Cambodia, “It’s retinitis pigmentosa, a mutation
camping under the soaring brick-red called PDE6B,” they were told. The
Vision Quest
gene was inherited from both Edith like reading, writing and driving, die
and Sébastien, neither of whom knew off, too.
they were carriers. “Right now,” the doctor continued,
RP, as it is known, is a catch-all “there is no cure.”
term for a group of about 50 inherit- Awash with emotion, Edith stood
ed genetic mutations that affect the up, excused herself and walked to the
retina, tissue at the back of the eye nearest bathroom, where she locked
that interprets images in both black herself in a stall. I can’t cry in front
and white and colour. The cells at its of Mia, she told herself. She wouldn’t
edges, called rods, crucial for periph- understand. There, alone, she cried
eral and night vision, die first. As the gasping, heaving sobs.
disease progresses, the cells in the After a few minutes, Edith splashed
middle, called cones, used for seeing cold water on her face before return-
in colour and for everyday activities ing to the ophthalmologist’s office,
Sébastien and Edith

with Mia and their
sons Laurent (far
left), Colin and Léo in
Walvis Bay, Namibia
rdasia.com 99
where her husband and daughter Edith and Sébastien watched as
were waiting, and they talked about their daughter continued, unprompt-
next steps. ed, to feel her way around the house
While it was tempting to seek a with her eyes closed to see what it
second opinion, Edith and Sébastien was like to navigate without sight,
knew that genetic mapping did not up the stairs and down, through the
lie: the results were definitive, irre- kitchen, living room and basement,
versible and life changing. Soon tests memorising shapes with her finger-
would show that Colin, at the time an tips. “She is finding solutions on her
infant, and Laurent, yet to be born, had own,” they told each other. “We need
PDE6B, too. Only Léo, the couple’s sec- to follow her lead.”
ond eldest, didn’t have the mutation. And so the idea of a year-long trip
“Everything we hope for our chil-
dren, for their future, for what they BEING BLIND DIDN’T
could become, has to change,” Edith
said as she and her husband embraced MEAN THE END OF
one evening, in tears. “How will they THE WORLD. RATHER,
cope?” They vacillated over explain- THE WORLD WOULD
ing to Mia what her condition meant.
Should they let her be a kid, innocent BE DIFFERENT
and unaware, for as long as possible?
A few weeks later, it just came out,
part of a conversation about disabil- was born, one that would show the
ities in general while having lunch kids the world, not through two-di-
at their kitchen table. “You know mensional picture books and lec-
the problem with your eyes?” Edith tures in a classroom, but in person
asked Mia. “You’re probably going to and close-up, from windswept vistas
be blind when you’re an adult.” The to waterfalls and warthogs. A trip
revelation was more abrupt than that would show life in all its gran-
Edith had hoped, but at least it was deur and gritty detail – while the kids
done. Edith held her breath as she could still see it.
waited for Mia to respond. When Edith and Sébastien first
“Oh, that’s not fun,” the seven year broached the idea in March 2020, the
old said before changing the subject. kids didn’t understand. A whole year
Later that week, Mia approached away from school, their grandparents
her, saying she needed to keep her and friends? “It was hard to imagine,”
bedroom especially clean from then says Léo. “I didn’t think it was real.”
on. “In the future, I’ll need to know For the next two years, Edith and
where things are,” Mia explained. Sébastien continued to work – she

in health logistics and he for a fi-

nancial start-up. They saved money,
researched places to visit and asked
their children what they wanted to
do on their big trip. Mia wanted to
ride a horse. Colin wanted to sleep
overnight on a train. Laurent thought
it would be fun to drink juice while
riding a camel. Léo wanted to tour
Pokémon attractions in Japan.
In early 2022, they were ready.
Edith and Sébastien quit their jobs,
rented out their home for the next
year and gathered textbooks so the
kids could study French and mathe-
matics a few times a week. The rest of
the time, they’d be learning from the
world around them – the best teach-
er of all. Travelling with four children
wouldn’t be cheap, but they’d save
money by camping, staying in hos-
tels, guest houses and even a Mon-
golian yurt made from goatskins.
On Monday, March 21, they flew
out of Montreal, with no set itiner-
ary save for a meandering initial trip
from the southwest coast of Africa to in a cacophony, sometimes in a
the east, through Namibia, Botswa- whisper. There was the shouting
na and Tanzania. Once there, they of hawkers selling bananas at each
would make plans on the fly. “How stop of a 24-hour train ride through
we adults see the world and how Tanzania. And then the near-cathe-
kids see the world is so different, and dral silence of Namibia’s Deadvlei.
we had to respect that,” says Edith. Once a marsh, it’s now bone-dry,
“That was clear from the start. It w it h sand dunes rising 400 me-
would have to be less about temples tres and trees that are black skele-
and museums and more about what- tons against a cloudless sky. They
ever caught their eye.” played patty cake with uniformed
Over the months, that world con- schoolchildren in Botswana, and
stantly unveiled itself, sometimes while in Tanzania they danced with

Maasai tribesmen and stayed on a Each day, Edith and Sébastien
banana farm. In Borneo, they went watched their kids change, physically
parasailing over the South China and emotionally. Mia grew taller and,
Sea. In Thailand, Mia touched an on the cusp of adolescence, needed
elephant, calling out in surprise at more independence. Both Léo and
how rough it felt. In northern Cam- Colin became more confident and
bodia, Colin, who had always been outgoing, unafraid to engage with
more withdrawn than his siblings,
dressed like a miniature pirate and Clockwise from top left: In Turkiye, an
brandished the wooden sword a Istanbul mosque; Léo in Cappadocia. In
guide had carved for him on the spot Indonesia, Mia and Laurent in Sulawesi; the
from a piece of mahogany they’d rice fields of Flores Island. In Mongolia, the
found while hiking. Orkhon River; meeting an eagle
rdasia.com 103
Clockwise from top left:
peeling cocoa grains in
Indonesia; Laurent in a
temple in Laos; Léo in a
flower market in Bangkok
strangers, kick around a football with forest, likely hidden by his parents
locals and try new food – such as red to protect him. Edith and Sébastien
ants in Laos gathered from under a held their children close, to make
tree. “They taste like lemons,” the them feel safe.
kids chorused. Other times, the goal was pure fun
The family itself grew more tight- and adventure, like when the family
knit and protective of each other, went up in a hot-air balloon on July
which helped when they faced situ- 1, in celebration of Laurent’s fifth
ations that were difficult to explain. birthday. Or the visit in January to
One example came when they drove the Tad Fane waterfall in Laos, when
past villages in Cambodia that were the family ziplined across a gorge.
the sites of massacres, the ‘killing Rarely did they talk about why they
fields’ during the genocide perpe- were abroad in the first place, with
trated by the Khmer Rouge in the late one exception: while travelling along
1970s. Their guide told of how he was through Mongolia, Laurent, who
abandoned as an infant in the nearby had seemed unaware of what was to

Vision Quest
come, asked: “What does it mean to people globally, was once consid-
be blind? How will I cross the street? ered untreatable. But over the past
Will I be able to drive a car?” 20 years, science has seen consider-
“It’s like when you have your eyes able breakthroughs.
closed,” Edith said. “It won’t happen While there is not yet a cure for
overnight, but slowly, over years.” PDE6B, the mutation the Pelletier
Being blind, she continued, didn’t kids have, genetic research has re-
mean the end of the world. Rather, sulted in the development of a suc-
the world would be different. Nothing cessful treatment to reverse the ef-
would prevent them from doing most fects of another mutation, RPE65.
things, including skiing, swimming or This has given science a clear road
even becoming scientists who worked map for developing treatments for
on cures for their condition. Laurent other forms of RP.
nodded, then went back to making up
his own games to pass the time.
By the time the trip began to wind
EDITH AND SÉBASTIEN
down early this year, the family had WANT THEIR KIDS TO
travelled 83,700 kilometres and vis- LEAD FULL LIVES,
ited 13 countries. The kids reflected
on what they had learned about the
WHETHER THEY’RE
world and themselves. “There’s a BLIND OR NOT
lot of suffering and poverty, but lots
of good and interesting things, too,”
says Colin. “Kids are kids ever y-
where, just like us, but with their own Until then, science has managed to
customs and traditions.” temporarily slow the progress of RP in
Léo’s take was a bit less philosoph- many cases by injecting antioxidants
ical. “I am not fond of durian,” he such as vitamin A and omega-3 fatty
says, wrinkling his nose in distaste acids. Edith and Sébastien know there
at the thought of the spiky fruit with is some hope but they downplay the
a pungent smell he tasted in Indone- possibility because they want their
sia. But that hasn’t stopped him from kids to lead full lives, whether they’re
wanting to travel more. blind or not.
Mia nods her head. “This has been The trip has reinforced what Mia
a magic year we’ll remember for the showed them all those years ago when
rest of our lives.” she wandered the house with her eyes
shut. They will find their way. “Today,
RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA, which af- my vision is good and I’m going to
fects bet ween one in 3000-4000 make the most of it,” says Mia.
rdasia.com 105
PUZZLES
Challenge yourself by solving these puzzles and mind
stretchers, then check your answers on page 110.
Crossword
Test your general
knowledge.
DOWN
1 Sterile (6)
2 Lofty place (8)
3 Dark blue powder (6)
CROSSWORD: CROSSWORDSITE.COM. SUDOKU: SUDOKUPUZZLER.COM

4 An enlarger (10,5)
5 To coach (8)
6 Impulse
transmitter (6)
7 Delivery
ACROSS professionals (8)
8 Smallest state down 14 Broad appeal (7,8) 15 Type of seal (8)
under (8) 18 Knight cap? (6) 16 Efforts to change
9 You can’t get out this 20 Went south (3,5) society (8)
way (2,4) 23 Fallen angel (3,5) 17 Former name of
10 Sultanate in Borneo (6) 24 North German city on the Zimbabwe (8)
11 Kind of ale (3,5) river Weser (6) 19 Dividing line in a
12 Switch positions (2,3,3) 25 They are acquired on triangle (6)
13 Americans who conduct marriage (2-4) 21 Turn these to gain
military operations at sea 26 Author of 18th century an advantage (6)
(1,1,4) play The Rivals (8) 22 Oscillate (3-3)

BRAIN POWER
brought to you by
Puzzle
Answers
PAGES 110
Sudoku
HOW TO PLAY: To win, you have to put a number
from 1 to 9 in each outlined section so that:
• Every horizontal row and vertical column
contains all nine numerals (1-9) without repeating
any of them;
• Each of the outlined sections has all nine
numerals, none repeated.
IF YOU SOLVE IT WITHIN:

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FAMILY FUN Puzzle

Answers
PAGE 110
Spot The Difference

There are 13 differences. Can you find them?
Fitting Shapes
Which are the only two pieces that will fit together
perfectly to form a blue flower identical to this yellow
flower? Pieces may be rotated, but not flipped over.

TRIVIA
Test Your General Knowledge
1. Which soccer team suffered the international standard, making the

worst loss in World Cup history in entire population one or two years
2001 by losing 31-0? 1 point younger? 1 point
2. What fruit was Mark Twain 9. What is the outdoor game from
referring to when he wrote, “When Finland that involves throwing logs
one has tasted it, he knows what the to knock down blocks of wood in a
angels eat”? 2 points race to reach 50 points? 1 point
3. What country pioneered the first 10. What country designated
F1 night race? 1 point the yellow fin tuna as its national
4. Who was the first person to be animal? 2 points
awarded two Nobel Prizes? 1 point 11. What US city held an official
5. William Moulton Marston, an early ceremony, complete with eulogies,
polygraph developer, wrote stories when it removed one of the last
about what fictional superhero and public pay phones from its streets
her ‘Lasso of Truth’? 1 point in 2022? 1 point
6. At 21 metres, the world’s 12. What do evening primrose
tallest sandcastle was created flowers do upon hearing
in Denmark in 2021 to bees buzz? 2 points
symbolise what recent 13. On which planet in
global event? 2 points our solar system does
7. In what country summer last 21 years?
can certain prisoners 1 point
shave time off their 14. What modern
sentences by writing book science began with
reviews? 2 points surveys conducted by
8. Which country the Marquis of Pombal
15. What state in

recently changed Australia has an annual after an earthquake
its traditional age- public holiday dedicated destroyed Lisbon in
counting custom to the to a horse race? 1 point 1755? 1 point
16-20 Gold medal 11-15 Silver medal 6-10 Bronze medal 0-5 Wooden spoon
11. New York. 12. Sweeten their nectar. 13. Uranus. 14. Seismology. 15. Victoria.
Curie. 5. Wonder Woman. 6. COVID-19 pandemic. 7. Brazil. 8. South Korea. 9. Finska. 10. Maldives.
ANSWERS: 1. American Samoa, they played against Australia. 2. Watermelon. 3. Singapore. 4. Marie
rdasia.com 109
PUZZLE ANSWERS
From Page 106
Crossword Sudoku
CROSSWORD: CROSSWORDSITE.COM. SUDOKU: SUDOKUPUZZLER.COM. ILLUS TR ATION: GE T T Y IMAGES

Fitting Shapes
Which are the only two pieces that
will fit together perfectly to form a
Spot The Difference blue flower identical to this yellow
flower? Pieces may be rotated, but
not flipped over.
A and E

The Genius Section
WORD POWER
Let’s Head Outside
And camp out virtually with this quiz
BY Rob Lutes
1. gazebo – A: shelter with a roof B: campfire. C: technique used to

and open sides. B: campsite with full sleep against a tree.
amenities. C: inflatable mattress. 10. leave no trace – principle of:
2. tinder – A: rainwater. B: dry, A: not informing others where you
flammable material used for lighting are camping. B: leaving nature
a fire. C: straw used as bedding. unchanged by one’s presence.
C: camping without gear.
3. boondocking – A: travelling by
raft. B: parking a recreational vehicle 11. glamping – A: camping with
in a remote area. C: foraging. celebrities. B: outdoor camping with
the comforts of home. C: camping in
4. magnetic north – A: direction in
famous locations.
which a compass needle points.
B: appeal of winter camping. 12. blaze – A: group camping trip.
C: Arctic camping region. B: portable stove. C: trail marker,
such as a painted symbol on a tree.
5. billy – A: canteen. B: knife.
C: cooking pot. 13. mummy bag – sleeping
bag that is: A: tapered at the feet
6. potable – A: suitable for drinking.
and enclosed around the head.
B: lightweight. C: edible.
B: wider to accommodate a parent
7. altimeter – A: GPS. B: instrument and a child. C: made from rings of
that measures elevation using fabric.
barometric pressure. C: tool for
14. haversack – A: pullover with
determining flatness of ground.
pockets for hiking. B: animal-proof
8. bivouac – A: temporary camp food-storage device. C: bag carried
under little or no shelter. B: large on the back or over the shoulder.
cave. C: dish baked over open fire.
15. bushwhack – A: clear a path
9. lean-to – A: simple shelter with a while hiking. B: create a disturbance
roof sloping in one direction. to scare wildlife. C: cut firewood.
rdasia.com 111
Answers 9. lean-to – A: simple shelter with a
roof sloping in one direction. Aunt
1. gazebo – A: shelter with a roof Lynn built a lean-to to keep the
and open sides. Gina waited out firewood dry.
the downpour under the gazebo. 10. leave no trace – B: principle of
2. tinder – B: dry, flammable leaving nature unchanged by one’s
material used for lighting a fire. presence. A believer in ‘leave no
Nathan gathered dry grass for trace’, Derek was careful to always
tinder. stay on established hiking trails.
3. boondocking – B: parking a 11. glamping – B: outdoor camping

recreational vehicle in a remote with the comforts of home. When
area. Ken and Barbie avoided Bonnie pulled out her solar shower
the campground fees by bag, Gail realised they were
boondocking. glamping.
4. magnetic north – A: direction 12. blaze – C: trail marker, such as

in which a compass needle points. a painted symbol on a tree. Stella
Clem knew the compass indicated was relieved to see a blaze on a
magnetic north, not the north nearby trunk.
pole. 13. mummy bag – A: sleeping
5. billy – C: cooking pot. Carol bag that is tapered at the feet
poured soup into the billy and and enclosed around the head.
suspended it over the coals. Brendan loved the cocooning
effect of his mummy bag.
6. potable – A: suitable for
drinking. Shauna hoped that the 14. haversack – C: bag carried
remote cabin had running on the back or over the shoulder.
potable water. Alyssa tossed sandwiches in her
haversack before hitting the trail.
7. altimeter – B: instrument
that measures elevation using 15. bushwhack – A: clear a
barometric pressure. Lenny’s path while hiking. Fran used a
altimeter specified that he was machete to bushwhack up the
3500 metres above sea level. mountainside.
8. bivouac – A: temporary camp VOCABULARY RATINGS

under little or no shelter. Mark 5–9: Fair
used a trench in the snow as his 10–12: Good
bivouac. 13–15: Word Power Wizard

Dependable brands understand the vital role they
play – and work tirelessly to protect the trust
customers have in their products and services
rdasia.com 113
202 3 WHAT’S BEHIND THE NAME
What’s Behind
THE NAME?
Reliable brands work hard to exceed their
customers’ expectations
FOR BRANDS EVERYWHERE, having capacity to voice their views, good and
consumer trust means that they bad, about a brand’s performance.
are successfully connecting with According to Adobe’s Future of
customers. That’s because customer Marketing 2021 research, customer
trust is an asset of measurable trust is rewarded by more sales, loyalty
valuable. Trust has always been and positive recommendations. But,
important in brand marketing, but the study also revealed that brands
it has become increasingly crucial in need to be particularly careful with

the digital age. With social media and how they use their customer’s data.
online reviews, consumers have more This reality is well documented. If a
access to information about brands consumer doesn’t trust a brand – or
than ever before – and even more they betray trust through controversy

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
or disappointment – they are very

unlikely to purchase that brand,
ever. Some 81 per cent of consumers
responding to an Edelman survey said
trust is a deal-breaker when it comes
to buying from a brand.
However, brands that have their
customers’ trust enjoy repeat
customers, receive positive reviews,
and benefit from word-of-mouth
marketing. Brands that are able to
build and maintain trust with their
customers are more likely to succeed
in the long run.
Consumers are increasingly wary of
marketing tactics that aren’t genuine,
or are believed to take liberties with
the amount of private information USER-GENERATED
they share. The global economy is
characterised by sudden and extreme
CONTENT IS POWERFUL IN
fluctuations and in this climate – BUILDING BRAND TRUST
just as we’ve witnessed increased
consumer scams and corporate
breaches in data privacy – we’ve the judgement of other customers,
also seen the role of social media who share their proven and reliable
influencers decline. experience of a brand. These
Now, once again, user-generated personalised customer-generated
content shared by customers with user recommendations remain
genuine experience of a brand’s powerful in the task of building trust.
products and services has far greater Customers who trust a product –
success of drawing a customer’s and the company behind the product
attention than a paid social media – become repeat buyers, and this
influencer does. Customers who loyalty can span years, generations,
are intent on getting the best value and even lifetimes.
for their dollar don’t ‘buy’ into the Congratulations to all the brands
social media influencers’ objectives and companies that enjoy this level of
– which can amount to paid success in the market. They are valued
comment. Instead, customers value members of the economy.
rdasia.com 115
202 3 WHAT’S BEHIND THE NAME SINGAPORE
USANA HEALTH SCIENCES

A leader in the health and wellness industry, USANA’s
superior nutrition system is designed to nourish the
human body at a cellular level
invested in its IT and digital tools to
make the shopping experience and
enrolling process more user friendly
for customers. The company has also
invested in expanding the business
to grow USANA’s footprint around
the world and emerge in new and
exciting markets.
AS A COMPANY FOUNDED ON DR. MYRON WENTZ, USANA’S

science, USANA has invested heavily founder and chairman, is an
into both research & development internationally recognised
and product innovation to ensure microbiologist, immunologist and
it remains a leader in the vitamin pioneer in the development of human
and supplement industry. As cell culture technology and infectious
well as its stringent, world-class disease diagnoses. When naming
pharmaceutical manufacturing USANA, which means ‘true health’,
processes, extensive research goes Dr. Wentz turned to classical
into every single USANA formula, languages, combining the Greek
giving it high bioavailability and word eu for ‘true’ and the Latin word
guaranteeing the product’s potency. sana for ‘health’.
USANA products have been
trusted by professional and Olympic OVisit www.usana.com
athletes for 30+ years. Since the facebook.com/
pandemic, the company has OfficialUSANASingapore
seen substantial growth because instagram.com/usanasingapore
consumers are placing a higher
priority on supplementation to
support their long-term health goals.
In the past year, USANA has

A GLOBAL RECOGNISED BRAND

HERE ARE THE REASON WHY

USANA
BECOMES A
CONSUMERLAB
FDA
REGISTERED GUARANTEED
CERTIFICATION
Have received the
seal of approval from
ConsumerLab
FACILITY POTENCY
LEARN MORE:
FOLLOW US FOLLOW US CONTACT US

@OfficialUSANASingapore @usanasingapore +65 8699 0140
202 3 WHAT’S BEHIND THE NAME PHILIPPINES
PANASONIC
Committed to societal wellbeing and a greener future through
wellness solutions and sustainability in products and services
MAINTAINING A Refrigerator, as well as

THRIVING BRAND the industry’s first Front
requires a dynamic Loading Washer with
approach that resonates Heater Drying function
with both existing up to 1kg (Hybrid Dry
and new customers. Lite).By incorporating
Through a multifaceted Panasonic’s patented
approach that includes ‘nanoe X’ technology
pushing the boundaries into products such as
of technological air conditioners, air
advancement while purifiers, hair dryers and
delivering unparalleled refrigerators, Panasonic
elegance and utility to also provided customers
customers, Panasonic with advanced solutions
aligns with the evolving consumer for a healthier and cleaner lifestyle.
landscape. Panasonic’s unwavering Beyond its innovative products,
commitment to societal wellbeing Panasonic also invested in enhancing
and environmental responsibility touchpoints to create meaningful
also ensures it stays relevant, familiar interactions with customers. The brand
and front-of-mind with customers. established showrooms and Beauty
Over the past year, Panasonic’s Displays in prominent locations, while
strategic investments have played shopfront investments featuring the
a pivotal role in elevating and Prime+ Edition Display Racks and the
enriching the brand, and positioning Care+ Edition Display Racks serve as
it at the forefront of innovation immersive showcases of its cutting-
and sophistication. Industry-first edge products and invites customers
breakthrough product-offerings into the world of Panasonic innovation.
included the convenient Bottom OVisit www.panasonic.com/ph/
Freezer Refrigerator, the elegant
Glass Door Refrigerator, and
the energy-efficient DC Inverter

Built to inspire wellness in your life.
Care for your well-being.
HYGIENE DRY AI SMART

CARE CARE WASH
Brave the new normal with care,

thanks to nanoe™ X’s 24-hour protection.
202 3 WHAT’S BEHIND THE NAME PHILIPPINES
JC ORGANIC BARLEY
The healing power of natural and organic
THE DEMANDS OF supplementing with

MODERN LIFE often this green juice, and
leave us drained, now she’s cancer-free!
stressed and Lilia Birayon, 40,
vulnerable to various who struggled with
health issues. However hypertension, found
amidst the chaos, relief through the
there is a natural consumption of JC
remedy that promises Organic Barley Grass.
to restore balance and Her triglycerides
vitality to our lives – dropped from 310 to
Organic Barley Grass. 125 after a month of
Cultivated in the pristine pastures incorporating organic barley juice
of New Zealand, this remarkable into her daily food intake.
superfood holds the key to a Juan Miguel Delmacio, 21,
healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle. experienced low platelet count due
One brand that stands out in to dengue fever, but after taking
providing top-quality Organic Barley this barley grass for almost a week
Grass products is JC Organic Barley. in the hospital, his platelet count
Barley Grass has been celebrated normalized from 24 to 120.
for its incredible healing properties, An internationally trusted brand,
and testimonies from individuals JC Organic Barley offers a range
across various health conditions of products, a refreshing leaf juice
further validate its effectiveness. drink and convenient capsules. This
Selina Alas, who battled against superfood not only replenishes our
a rare form of cancer, found solace bodies with vital nutrients but also
in incorporating JC Organic Barley helps us reclaim our balance, vitality,
into her daily routine. “I added this and zest for life.
green juice, and I saw the effects. OVisit www.jcpremiere.com
There was evidence and proof in
my blood works,” she shared. Her
HCG levels eventually dropped to a
normal range after seven cycles and

202 3 WHAT’S BEHIND THE NAME M A L AYS I A
SUNWAY INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOLS
Prioritising student development in a rapidly evolving
global and digital environment
Ontario School Curriculum;

Cambridge international
programmes; and International
Baccalaureate (IB) programmes
– and the group is one of only
a few private educational
facilities in Malaysia to be given
a 5-Star rating by the Ministry of
Education. SIS have also received
numerous accolades, including
winning the Malaysian-Canadian
Business Council (MCBC) Award
SUNWAY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS for Education twice, and the
(SIS) offer a wide range of quality Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Gold
educational pathways that embrace Award seven times.
the different interests and needs To understand priorities and
of students from kindergarten to remain relevant, SIS engage with
pre-university. parents and school communities.
SIS places students at the centre In Malaysia, the origins of SIS’s
of everything they do to prioritise brand include Sunway Education
their development and success in a Group (SEG) and The Jeffrey Cheah
rapidly evolving global and digital Foundation (JCF). SEG is home to
space. By providing quality, holistic, 18 institutions of Sunway University
international education, the schools’ and Sunway College, which are
students are empowered to become already household names. All SEG
creative, collaborative, intellectually institutions are owned and governed
critical and socially responsible by JCF, Malaysia’s largest education
global citizens. focused social enterprise.
SIS offer three globally
recognised school OVisit www.
curricula – Canada’s sunwayschools.edu.my

21st CENTURY HEALTHCARE

Bringing quality health supplements to Singapore and
Malaysia direct from the manufacturer
MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL LOOKING formulation and packaging technology,

FOR HELP TO BOOST their general these probiotics are protected from
immunity, as well as to manage their external heat and moisture, without
health, weight and digestion, post the need for storage in the fridge. Plus,
pandemic. Among these aids are 21st all 21st Century products are shipped
Century Healthcare’s comprehensive directly from the USA state-of-the-art
range of probiotics capsules. These manufacturing facilities to Singapore
high-quality dietary supplements can and Malaysia, ensuring customers
help to colonise the human gut with receive only the highest quality and
‘good’ microorganisms to support body freshest product at affordable prices. For
health and maintain the health of the these reasons, 21st Century customers
digestive system. have long known that they can trust
Since launching onto the Singapore the quality and efficacy of the extensive
and Malaysian markets 30-plus years range of digestive, weight management,
ago, the brand has had its eyes firmly immunity booster and wellness range.
fixed on the future. Indeed, 21st “21st Century Healthcare is honoured
Century’s founder’s vision proved to have won the Reader’s Digest
wise as the dawn of the new century Trusted Brand Gold Award for Health
witnessed rapid scientific innovation Supplements for Malaysia and Singapore
globally, as well as increased consumer this year – one of the most highly
interest in the benefits of dietary and regarded accolades in the industry –
nutritional supplements. and we are humbled and grateful that
Today 21st Century Healthcare consumers recognised us to be among
is one of the largest international Malaysia and Singapore’s leading
manufacturers of health supplement companies in the health and wellness
products. The company has achieved industry,” said Director of 21st Century
this strong international position Healthcare, Karen Venetia Marsh.
by employing advanced OMalaysia:
preservation techniques in www.21stcentury.com.my
the manufacture of its live OSingapore:
probiotics. With advanced www.21stcentury.sg

Supplements for your Eyes, Liver, Digestive
and Urinary Tract Health
are ab o u t yo u r health
We c
life.
at all stages of
21st Century Healthcare Pte Ltd

Quality Vitamins at Affordable Prices
1 Yishun Industrial Street 1 #04-15, A'Posh Bizhub, Singapore 768160
Website: (SG) www.21stcentury.sg | (MY) www.21stcentury.com.my
@21stcenturyhealthcaresg @21stcenturysg
202 3 WHAT’S BEHIND THE NAME M A L AYS I A
GLENEAGLES HOSPITAL
As a leading private hospital, Gleneagles Kuala
Lumpur’s medical professionals take exemplary care of
patients from Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region
research and breakthroughs,
GKL constantly upgrades its
facilities and invests in cutting-
edge technology. Today, GKL
is home to some of the most
advanced medical technologies
and procedures available, such
as Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
– a minimally invasive way
of treating brain tumours,
vascular malformations and
functional disorder – and Da
Founded in 1996, Gleneagles Vinci Si Surgical System – a
Hospital Kuala Lumpur (GKL) has surgical platform powered by robotic
become one of the leading private technology and designed to enable
hospitals in the capital. As part of complex surgery.
IHH Healthcare, GKL has grown into With a vision to becoming the
a highly respected and reputable world’s most trusted healthcare
healthcare service provider in provider, GKL’s committed team of
Malaysia and the Southeast Asian highly qualified and experienced
region, providing professional medical professionals, consultants
healthcare to both local and and nurses take exemplary care of
international patients. patients, and continuously raise the
GKL provides a wide and diverse bar in clinical, operational and service
range of medical specialties and excellence.
procedures – from urology, cardiology
and paediatrics to adult flu and O gleneagles.com.my/kuala-lumpur
pneumococcal vaccinations and
fitness testing.
To keep pace with medical

CUSTOMER
WORD-OF-MOUTH
IS POWERFUL
The power of authentic brand experience
% of people said they’d
90 purchased a product after
being influenced by friends or family.
% of people were more likely to

82 purchase a brand’s products
or services if genuine customer-generated
reviews and comments appeared in their
marketing campaigns.
Social media influencers? – No thanks

% of people admitted they scroll
51 right past influencer posts.
81% of people say a brand’s use of

influencers has either no impact or
a negative impact on their view of a brand.
90% of people prefer to see brands share

content from actual customers.
86% of people are more likely to trust

a brand that publishes user-
generated content as opposed to influencers.
Just 12% of people would

purchase a product if
promoted by an influencer.
Source: State of User Generated Content Survey by EnTribe (www.entribe.com/resource/the-state-of-ugc-2023) https://www.entribe.
com/news/new-entribe-survey-reveals-user-generated-content-impacts-consumer-purchases-more-than-social-media-influencers

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62

body & mind

What’s Behind THE NAME?

 COMPANIES THAT CAN ADAPT TO CHALLENGES

The Other Pandemic

The Power Of Film I was, I could still feel the magic

I was walking with them. As old as sensible to be aware of our energy ➤

for a while. In ‘When Music Is

mental health. ANDREW LOW Sucked in!

WIN A PILOT CAPLESS Congratulations to this month’s

The best letter each month

durable metal body, rhodium

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TO BE ELIGIBLE, all you have to do is:

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Anecdotes And Jokes

y childhood was of people talking over each other as

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Sweet Tooth brightly spot-lit, which someone

big dark eyes and two striking

safety limit set by the World Health VOLATILE ORGANIC

do not pose a significant health can release dust-like spores. This

contain healthy fats. Adding milk

HEALTH to your porridge increases the fat

BLUEBERRIES Most fresh fruit have

Go Low a diet high in fruit and vegetables

BY Susannah Hickling GARLIC In a 2013 study of 60 people

orange-coloured variety. They have a is a high-fat dairy product and to be

News From The

sleep apnoea. This method, measuring

BY Anicka Quin ILLUSTRATION BY Petra Braun

A music-therapy session can be as

So, on a wintry Wednesday after- pressing heartache – will understand

progresses – grew demonstrably who are supporting them through

Studies show that MUSIC CAN TRIGGER

instructor, a music therapist and a witness someone find themselves

“There’s this BEAUTIFUL INTERACTION

BY Juliane Schiemenz ILLUSTRATION BY Tom Ralston

er. These stakeouts, as banal as they

LIFE’S LIKE THAT

day, and explained that our

“Rain, rain, you can stay. You’re

We had heard stories of snakes On the one hand I am excited for

find my husband. He came and so many people I don’t want

fracture or dislocation, that cushion or swimming are good ways to start

other applications, such as bevaci- off by the body’s immune response

View eSpring Water Treatment System

For more information,

THIS SHIELD BUG from the

THE RED-EYED TREE FROG is one of

AT FIRST GLANCE, the red rock

IN AQUARIUMS, Siamese fighting fish are a real

“It’s the landlord.”

CARTOON: SCOT T MA SE AR. ILLUS TR ATION: GE T T Y IMAGES

My wife didn’t want to buy a

for professional services. It started greengrocer? A ten-pin bowling alley?

BY Juli Fraga tor. But then, instead of stewing, she

might really sting, making freuden-

KIND ACTS SUCH AS ning with self-worth, Chambliss says,

be comforting and serve a purpose. compassionate towards those who

developed a prog ra m me ca l led Attachment Can Help You Make – and

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