July 8

Page Two

Is Your Life-Style Killing You? 3-11

Sound physical, mental, and spiritual health can be a foundation for a happy and longer life. How is your life-style affecting you?

Sydney—A Vibrant Harbor City 14

Captain Cook did not have time to appreciate fully the bay that became Sydney Harbour. But there are good reasons now why you might want to visit Sydney, Australia.

Sun Lover—Protect Your Skin! 22

The skin is a vital protective organ that also needs protection. Read why this is so, and learn how to be prudent in the sun.

[Picture Credit Line on page 2]

By courtesy of Australian Archives, Canberra, A.C.T.

Your Life-Style—What Are the Risks?

IN MANY ways health trends have never looked brighter. A 1998 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) says: “More people than ever before now have access to at least minimum health care, to safe water supplies and sanitation facilities.” To be sure, much of the world’s population still endures poor living conditions, but as the British Broadcasting Corporation reported, “poverty around the world has been reduced more in the last 50 years than in the previous 500 years.”

Improvements in the world’s health-care systems have added years to the worldwide average life expectancy at birth. In 1955 the average was 48 years. By 1995 it had jumped to 65 years. One reason for this increase is the advances made against childhood diseases.

Just over 40 years ago, children under five years of age accounted for 40 percent of all deaths. By 1998, however, thanks to vaccines, many of the world’s children had been immunized against the major childhood diseases. Thus, the number of deaths for children under the age of five has fallen to 21 percent of all deaths. According to WHO, there has been “an unmistakable trend towards healthier, longer life.”

Of course, a longer life with little improvement in its quality would be a hollow victory. In a search for better living conditions, many people place great emphasis on material pleasures. Such a life-style, however, can carry its own set of health risks.

A Better Life-Style?

Recent socioeconomic developments have ushered in tremendous changes in peoples’ life-styles. It is now possible for many in the developed nations to purchase goods and services that previously only the wealthier could afford. And while some of these advances have increased the prospect of a longer life, many people have been enticed into a self-destructive life-style.

For example, millions have used their increased buying power to purchase such nonessentials as addictive drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Sadly, the results have been all too predictable. “The fastest growing public health menace in the world isn’t a disease,” says World Watch magazine, “it’s a product.” The magazine adds: “Within 25 years, tobacco-induced illness is expected to overtake infectious disease as the leading threat to human health worldwide.” Moreover, Scientific American says: “An astonishing 30 percent of fatal cancers can be blamed primarily on smoking, and an equal number on lifestyle, especially dietary practices and lack of exercise.”

Without a doubt, the choices we make about the way we live have a major impact on our health. How, then, can we maintain or improve our health? Are diet and exercise enough? Additionally, what part do mental and spiritual factors play in a healthy life-style?

How to Safeguard Your Health

THE challenge today is to decide what will have the greatest impact on our health. The media have flooded the marketplace with information on dieting, exercise, nutritional supplements, and a host of other health-related matters. Unfortunately, much of it is contradictory. Says science writer Denise Grady: “Advice to the public about what to eat, what medicines to take and, basically, how to live, seems to do an about-face every time a new study is published in a medical journal.”

Some doctors advise that sticking with the basics is a more sensible approach than experimenting with every new health fad that comes along. For example, The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide says: “You can stay healthier throughout your life by making positive lifestyle changes and by having regular checkups, so that any disease that develops can be detected and treated early.” But what sort of “positive lifestyle changes” are the most beneficial? Let us consider three of them.

Choose Healthful Foods

Medical authorities recommend that we eat a wide variety of foods, with the largest portion of our calories coming from complex carbohydrates, especially those found in whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits.a However, our health is affected not only by what we eat but also by how much we eat. It is important to eat in moderation. Regularly taking in more calories than our body can burn leads to obesity. This, in turn, can cause strain on the heart, weaken the body, and make one “more susceptible to heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and many other disorders,” says one medical guidebook.

In recent years much attention has been given to the matter of dietary fat. Many health professionals state that a diet high in saturated fats raises the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. This does not mean, however, that we need to eliminate all fat from our diet. “There’s room in a healthy diet for what you love, in some amount, virtually every day,” says Mary Abbott Hess, past president of the American Dietetic Association. The key is to keep portions small and restrict other sources of fat.

Granted, changing your eating habits is not easy. In fact, some may reason that life is hardly worth living if they have to deprive themselves continually of foods they enjoy. But rather than adopt an all-or-nothing approach, seek to find a moderate balance. It’s more a matter of cutting back than doing without entirely. The previously quoted Family Medical Guide says: “Adopting a healthy lifestyle does not mean that you have to stop enjoying life.”

Dietitians suggest that you can soften the impact of making adjustments to your diet by phasing out unhealthy foods gradually. For example, balance your diet over the course of a week, not just one day. If you presently eat red meat every day, try cutting back to three times a week. The same goes for foods high in saturated fats, such as butter, cheese, ice cream, and high-fat snack foods. The goal should be to reduce your intake of fat so that it represents no more than 30 percent of your total calories.

Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard University cautions against cutting back on dietary fat and then replacing it with foods high in starches and sugar. This often results in weight gain. A better approach is to reduce both fats and carbohydrates in your diet.

Moderate Exercise

A healthy life-style includes a program of regular exercise. Dr. Steven Blair, an editor of the U.S. surgeon general’s report on physical fitness, says: “People who go from a sedentary life style to moderate activity cut their heart disease mortality rate in half.” Sadly, many people today do not engage in even moderate physical activity. For example, in the United States, 1 in 4 people is said to be completely inactive. In Canada a study entitled 1997 Physical Activity Benchmarks found that “63 per cent of Canadians were physically active for less than an hour a day,” reports The Toronto Star. And researchers in Britain say that one group of children they evaluated were “so inactive that their heart rates are little different awake from when they are asleep.”—The Sunday Times.

Previously it was thought that only vigorous aerobic exercise brought health benefits. But strenuous workouts are not necessary to improve fitness. In fact, “burning as few as 150 calories a day [by mild exercise] can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes,” according to the surgeon general’s report.

When you select an exercise activity, it is important to choose something that you enjoy doing. Otherwise, you will not make it a part of your life-style. The key is not so much what you do for exercise but how often you do it. The U.S. National Institutes of Health suggests that as a general guideline, “children and adults alike should set a goal of accumulating at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week.”

What kind of activity is considered to be of moderate intensity? Swimming, brisk walking, riding a bicycle, washing and waxing the car, climbing stairs, and cleaning up the yard. You don’t need to join a gym or a health club to safeguard your health. However, there is one note of caution: Medical authorities recommend that if you have a history of cardiovascular disease or if you are a male over 40 years of age or a female over 50, you should be sure to consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

What About Smoking, Drugs, and Alcohol?

Smoking: Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 health-threatening compounds, of which 200 are known poisons. Regardless of the number of toxins, however, there is little doubt about the devastating effect smoking has on one’s health. Few other consumer products come close to tobacco in the number of deaths they cause. In the United States, for example, ten times more people die from tobacco-related illnesses than from automobile accidents. The World Health Organization estimates that on a global scale, smoking claims three million lives annually!

In addition to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease, smokers suffer more frequently from colds, gastric ulcers, chronic bronchitis, and higher blood pressure than nonsmokers. Smoking also diminishes one’s sense of smell and taste. Clearly, giving up smoking is one of the most important preventive health measures an individual can take. But what about drugs and alcohol?

Drugs: Drug abuse has taken an enormous toll on human life worldwide. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says: “Each year, drug abuse kills 14,000 Americans.” But illicit drug users are not the only ones affected by the drug trade. In order to finance their habit, many addicts turn to violence and a life of crime. The Sociology of Juvenile Delinquency says: “Rivalries in crack [cocaine] distribution networks have turned some inner-city communities into urban ‘dead zones,’ where homicide rates are so high that police have written them off as anarchic badlands.”

Drug abuse, of course, is far from being a problem only in the United States. According to one estimate, every year anywhere from 160,000 to 210,000 people worldwide die from injecting drugs. In addition, millions use other types of harmful drugs, such as khat (a green-leaf stimulant), betel nut, and cocaine.

Alcohol: While hard drugs like crack cocaine and heroin capture public attention, the abuse of alcohol inflicts even more damage. Alcoholism “affects one in 10 Canadians,” reports The Medical Post, “and costs the health care system $10 billion a year.” It is estimated that in the United States, alcohol is a contributing factor in 50 percent of fatal automobile accidents and fires, 45 percent of drownings, and 36 percent of pedestrian accidents. Alcohol abuse is also implicated in many violent crimes. Those committing murder, assault, rape, child abuse, or suicide often have alcohol as a silent partner.

If someone you love has a physical dependence on alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, seek help.b God’s Word, the Bible, says that “a true companion is loving all the time, and is a brother that is born for when there is distress.” (Proverbs 17:17) Yes, relying on the loving support of both family and friends can do much to help you cope with a difficult situation.

But for you to be truly healthy, more is required than good physical health. Mental and spiritual factors also play an important part in maintaining a healthy life-style. The following article will discuss this.

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 5]

“Adopting a healthy lifestyle does not mean that you have to stop enjoying life”

[Blurb on page 6]

The World Health Organization estimates that smoking claims three million lives annually

[Blurb on page 7]

“There’s room in a healthy diet for what you love, in some amount, virtually every day”

[Picture on page 5]

Regular exercise can be a part of a healthy life-style

[Picture on page 6]

Reject tobacco and illegal drugs

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Fruits and vegetables are good for you

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Even daily domestic chores can be healthy exercise

How to Maintain a Healthy Mental Outlook

OUR physical health is dependent to a large degree upon what we take into our body. If a person lives on a regular diet of junk food, his health will eventually suffer. This same principle applies to our mental health.

For example, you could liken the things we take into our mind to a type of mental food. Mental food? Yes, the information that we absorb from books, magazines, television shows, videos, video games, the Internet, and song lyrics can affect our thinking and our personality just as literal food affects our body. How so?

Former advertising executive Jerry Mander wrote regarding the impact that television has on our lives: “More than any other single effect, television places images in our brains.” Those mental images, however, do much more than entertain us. The Family Therapy Networker magazine says: “The language, images, sounds, ideas, characters, situations, values, aesthetics of mass media become the stuff of our thoughts, feelings and imaginings.”

Yes, whether we realize it or not, our thoughts and feelings can be subtly swayed by what we watch on television and by other forms of entertainment. And therein lies the danger. As Mander says, “we humans slowly turn into whatever images we carry in our minds.”

Poison to the Brain

Many people who may carefully monitor their physical diet indiscriminately gobble up whatever mental food is served to them through the media. For example, have you ever heard someone say: “There’s nothing good to watch on TV!” Some seem to be mesmerized, endlessly flipping through channels in the hope that something worthwhile will turn up. The thought of turning off the TV never crosses their mind!

In addition to consuming so much time, many shows feature themes that Christians would want to avoid. “Besides profanity,” says arts writer Gary Koltookian, “controversial and sexual topics are making more appearances on screen today than in the past.” Indeed, a recent study in the United States found that scenes with sexual references appear an average of 27 times per hour during prime-time viewing hours.

One is left to wonder about the effect this has on people’s thinking. In Japan one popular television drama captivated so many people that the nation’s media said it provoked an “adultery boom.” Furthermore, authors of the book Watching America say: “Today most forms of sexual behavior are . . . treated as legitimate choices of personal life-style.”

Nevertheless, TV programs that tout sexual themes are only part of the problem. Graphic depictions of violence are also common. Of particular concern are the damaging effects that violent TV programs and movies can have on young, impressionable minds. “When young children see somebody shot, stabbed, raped, brutalized, degraded, or murdered on TV,” says David Grossman, a retired army officer and expert on the psychology of killing, “to them it is as though it were actually happening.” Commenting on this same problem, The Journal of the American Medical Association said: “Up through ages 3 and 4 years, many children are unable to distinguish fact from fantasy in television programs and remain unable to do so despite adult coaching.” In other words, even though a parent may tell a child, ‘Those people didn’t really die; they were just pretending,’ a child’s mind still can’t tell the difference. To a young child, TV violence is very real.

Summing up the impact of “media violence,” Time magazine said: “Few researchers bother any longer to dispute that bloodshed on TV and in the movies has an effect on the kids who witness it.” What kind of effect does it have? “Decades of violent entertainment have succeeded in altering the public’s perceptions and values,” says movie critic Michael Medved. He adds: “It is hardly a positive development for a society when it loses its ability to feel shock.” Little wonder that one writer said that taking a four-year-old to violent movies “is poison to [his] brain.”

This, of course, does not mean that all television programs are bad. The same holds true for books, magazines, videos, computer games, and other forms of entertainment. Clearly, though, much that is called entertainment is inappropriate for those who desire to maintain a healthy mental outlook.

Choose Entertainment Wisely

Images transmitted to our mind through the eyes exert a powerful influence on our thoughts and actions. For example, if we were regularly to feed our mind on immoral entertainment, our resolve to obey the Bible’s command to “flee from fornication” could be weakened. (1 Corinthians 6:18) In like manner, if we enjoy entertainment that features “men who are practicing what is hurtful,” we could find it difficult to be “peaceable with all men.” (Psalm 141:4; Romans 12:18) To avoid this, we must avert our eyes from that which is “good-for-nothing.”—Psalm 101:3; Proverbs 4:25, 27.

Granted, because of inherited imperfection, all of us have to struggle to do what is right. The apostle Paul candidly admitted: “I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within, but I behold in my members another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my members.” (Romans 7:22, 23) Does this mean that Paul caved in to his fleshly weaknesses? Far from it! He said: “I pummel my body and lead it as a slave, that . . . I myself should not become disapproved somehow.”—1 Corinthians 9:27.

Likewise, we would never want to use our imperfection as an excuse for sin. The Bible writer Jude said: “Beloved ones, . . . I found it necessary to write you to exhort you to put up a hard fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones.” (Jude 3, 4) Yes, we need to “put up a hard fight” and turn away from entertainment that incites us to do what is bad.a

Seek Divine Direction

Cultivating a healthy mental outlook is not always easy in this system of things. The Bible, however, assures us that it is possible to remain both mentally and morally clean. How? At Psalm 119:11, we read: “In my heart I have treasured up your saying, in order that I may not sin against you.”

To treasure up God’s sayings means to view them as precious or to place a high value on them. Obviously, it would be difficult to esteem the Bible if we did not know what it says. By taking in accurate knowledge from God’s Word, we absorb God’s thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8, 9; John 17:3) This, in turn, enriches us spiritually and elevates our thinking.

Is there a reliable measuring rod for that which is spiritually and mentally healthy? Yes! The apostle Paul counseled: “Whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things.”—Philippians 4:8.

But for us to receive real benefit, more is required than gaining a knowledge of God. Under inspiration, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk.” (Isaiah 48:17) Yes, we not only need to seek divine guidance but also need to act on that knowledge.

Another way to benefit morally and spiritually is to call on Jehovah, the “Hearer of prayer.” (Psalm 65:2; 66:19) If we approach our Creator in sincerity and humility, he will listen to our entreaty. And if we “search for him, he will let himself be found.”—2 Chronicles 15:2.

So is it possible to maintain our mental health in this violent and immoral world? Indeed, it is! By not allowing our minds to be desensitized by this world’s entertainment, by fortifying our thinking ability through a study of God’s Word, and by seeking divine guidance, we can maintain a healthy mental outlook!

[Footnote]

[Blurb on page 9]

“Many children are unable to distinguish fact from fantasy in television programs”

[Blurb on page 11]

“Decades of violent entertainment have succeeded in altering the public’s perceptions and values”

[Box on page 11]

Lowering Your Risk of Heart Disease

The Nutrition Action Healthletter suggests the following steps to help you lower your risk of heart disease.

• Stop smoking. Quitting today can cut your risk of heart disease within a year, even if you gain weight.

• Lose weight. If you are overweight, losing as few as five to ten pounds can make a difference.

• Exercise. Regular exercise (at least three times a week) helps to lower bad cholesterol (LDL), keep blood pressure from rising, and keep off excess weight.

• Eat less saturated fat. If your LDL is high, switch to leaner cuts of meat and try 1-percent (low-fat) milk or skim (fat-free) milk instead of 2-percent milk.

• Limit alcohol consumption. There are indications that those who drink red wine in moderation may reduce the risk of heart disease.

• Eat more fruits, vegetables, and other foods rich in soluble fiber.

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TV violence is like poison to the brain of a child

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Children sometimes imitate the violence they see on TV

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Parents can help their children by providing a variety of good reading material

Where Is the Legendary Vinland?

By Awake! correspondent in Canada

THE land had self-sown wheat, salmon-filled streams, wild “wine berries” (cranberries), and frost-free winters. By the standards of a millennium ago, this was paradise. The account of 36 courageous men who made a journey there formed the basis for a 20th-century investigation into the location of the place where Europeans may have first set foot in North America.

Sometime between 990 and 1000 C.E., Viking Leif Eriksson and his men began their 1,500-mile [2,000 km] journey of exploration. Sailing northward along the west coast of Greenland and then turning west, Eriksson came upon two land areas, which he named Helluland and Markland. Today they are identified with Baffin Island and Labrador. The third landing of the party became a mystery—where is the legendary Vinland?

In 1959, archaeologists Helge Ingstad and his wife, Anne Stine Ingstad, began the search. They had at hand little more than the clues in the ancient records of the Norsemen, called the Icelandic sagas, which contain a blend of truth and fiction. The couple’s travels took them thousands of miles by sea, land, and air, up and down the eastern seaboard of North America. Finally they were rewarded when they stumbled across the small community of L’Anse aux Meadows, on the northern peninsula of Newfoundland island. There a local resident, George Decker, led them to an area that had what appeared to be overgrown ruins of homes.

Seven years of archaeological digging seemed to establish the history of the site and captured world attention. Significantly, the Ingstads unearthed eight turf-walled buildings and a bronze pin used to fasten a garment. All of these bore the stamp of Viking origin. One of the most crucial discoveries was a small furnace used to smelt iron. The remaining slag was dated to the time recorded in the sagas for Eriksson’s arrival in the New World. The evidence, finally in, appeared to testify to a Viking presence in North America.

The place we now know as L’Anse aux Meadows does not truly match the legendary description of Vinland. We will probably never be able to pinpoint the exact location of that land with certainty. It seems, however, that while the Vikings may not have been the first to set foot in North America, their arrival was about 500 years in advance of Columbus.

Today you may visit the site and get a glimpse into the ways of the Vikings. Reconstructed sod homes and a replica of a Viking ship in which Eriksson might have sailed his epic voyage can be seen. Historical interpreters in period apparel may provide the stimulus to take you back a thousand years and help you to envision yourself living the Viking life.

[Map on page 12]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

GREENLAND

BAFFIN ISLAND

LABRADOR

NEWFOUNDLAND

L’ANSE AUX MEADOWS

[Picture on page 12]

The “Snorri,” a 54-foot replica of a Viking merchant ship known as a “knarr”

[Credit Line]

Nordfoto/Carl D. Walsh

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Reconstructed sod homes at L’Anse aux Meadows

[Credit Line]

L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site/UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Leif Eriksson

Sydney—A Vibrant Harbor City

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN AUSTRALIA

WHAT comes to mind when you hear the words “Sydney, Australia”? Do you immediately think of the unique opera house at the water’s edge, with its roofs billowing out like yacht sails or huge shells? Depending on your interests, that could be the image that springs to mind.

Sydney—Australia’s gateway city—is rated by many as one of the most attractive cities in the world. It is the capital of New South Wales, the continent’s most populous state. The national capital, however, is Canberra, about midway between Sydney and Melbourne.

Sydneysiders, as residents of the city like to be called, are generally friendly and easygoing. Often referred to in ballads as “Sydney Town,” Sydney is noted for at least three outstanding landmarks: (1) a deep natural harbor, (2) an impressive, single-span harbor bridge, and (3) a unique opera house.

The climate is temperate, with an average temperature in February, the warmest month, of 72°F. [22°C.], while the coolest month, July, averages 54°F. [12°C.] Australia’s rainfall tends to be erratic and unpredictable, but the average rainfall in Sydney is 45 inches [1,140 mm] per year, most of it falling during the summer months (December to March).

You will hear a lot more about Sydney in the coming months because it has been selected as host city for the Olympic Games in the year 2000.

From Penal Colony to Thriving City

Compared with many other world-renowned cities, Sydney is a child, for its history goes back just over 200 years to 1770, when British explorer Captain James Cook made his historic landing at Botany Bay. (The north shore of Botany Bay is now home to Sydney’s international airport.) Sailing north a few miles, he bypassed a deep natural harbor that he named Port Jackson. Thus, he did not go between the two headlands leading into the harbor.

Then, in 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip arrived from England with the First Fleet and its cargo of British convicts. He went ashore to establish a settlement at Botany Bay but decided that it was unsuitable. Accordingly, he took three open boats and sailed north to see if he could find a better site.

Sure enough, just a few miles away, he discovered the surprisingly deep and spacious bay that Cook had passed up. In a famous dispatch to Lord Sydney, England’s home secretary, Phillip conveyed his impressions of Port Jackson: “We . . . had the satisfaction of finding the finest harbour in the world, in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security.” In honor of Lord Sydney, Phillip named the cove Sydney Cove and set up the first settlement there. The name Sydney has stuck to this day.

All the male convicts were landed and immediately began clearing the land and assembling rough shelters. The fleet carried many convicts as well as a number of wives and children, all of whom had to make the best of this enforced new “home” thousands of miles from their country of birth. For the next 20 years, the settlement consisted of makeshift tents and temporary dwellings—many of them just huts and hovels—for originally it was to be no more than a penal settlement. In 1810, however, Governor Lachlan Macquarie arrived in Sydney, and his 11-year tenure caused a rapid transformation of the colony.

A City Begins to Take Shape

Under Macquarie’s direction, an architect who had accompanied him from England, assisted by an emancipated convict who was also an architect, designed many buildings in and around Sydney. This immediately gave the convict camp an atmosphere of permanence. Of course, labor was no problem, for convicts were plentiful. Additionally, there was an abundant supply of sandstone that was perfect for building.

Author Portia Robinson, in her book The Women of Botany Bay, describes the rapid transformation of the colony: “Visitors, free settlers, officials, soldiers, the convicts themselves who arrived in New South Wales in the latter years of the Macquarie decade [1810-21], expecting to find the debauchery, inebriety and licentiousness believed in Britain to be characteristic of the colony, were astounded at its ‘civilisation’. Instead of huts and hovels they saw mansions ‘which would grace Hanover Square . . . streets as long as Oxford Street’, magnificent churches and public buildings, roads and bridges, shops and businesses of all descriptions, neat cottages for labourers, fine carriages for the wealthy . . . ‘everything belied it was a convict colony’.”

So by the time Governor Macquarie left in 1821, Sydney already had 59 buildings of sandstone, 221 of brick, and 773 wooden houses, in addition to government-owned houses and public buildings. Today the city of Sydney, with a population of nearly four million, stands as a tribute to the ingenuity of the convicts and the free settlers and their families and to the vision of the colony’s early governors.

Sydney’s ‘Noble and Capacious Basin’

Though Sydneysiders colloquially refer to Port Jackson as Sydney Harbour, the harbor proper is really made up of three areas—Middle Harbour, North Harbour, and Sydney Harbour. Cutting back from the harbor deep into the suburbs are the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers.

Sydney Harbour is one of the world’s finest natural harbors, its rugged sandstone foreshores extending for 150 miles [240 km]. The actual distance in a straight line from the harbor’s entrance to where it blends into the Parramatta River is 12 miles [19 km], and its total water surface area is 21 square miles [54 sq km]. The harbor’s inshore depth is one of its outstanding features, and the deepest point has been measured at about 150 feet [47 m]. The striking entrance from the Pacific Ocean is through two precipitous headlands—North Head and South Head. The headlands are just one and a half miles [2 km] apart, and the full extent of the harbor is not realized until you are well inside. This may explain why Captain Cook failed to explore more thoroughly what he thought was just another bay.

Back in 1788, Governor Phillip is quoted as saying of Sydney Harbour: ‘In extent and security, superior to any I have ever seen, and the most experienced navigators who were with me fully concurred that it was a noble and capacious basin, having soundings sufficient for the largest vessels, and space to accommodate, in perfect security, any number that could be assembled.’

Sydney Harbour Bridge —An Engineering Masterpiece

As far back as 1815, the need for a bridge across the harbor from north to south was seriously considered, but the first recorded drawing of a bridge did not appear until 1857. As it stands today, the bridge stretches from Dawes Point on the south side of the harbor to Milsons Point on the north shore—in the exact location first suggested! One of the longest single-span bridges in the world, it took nine years to build and cost almost 20 million Australian dollars—an enormous amount in the depression years of the early 1930’s. It was officially opened for traffic on March 19, 1932.

The massive central arch is 1,650 feet [503 m] in length, with its top measuring 440 feet [134 m] above the water. The clearance under the bridge is about 160 feet [50 m], thus allowing the largest ocean liners to pass underneath with safety. The deck itself is 160 feet [49 m] wide and originally had a double-track railway, a double-track tramway (streetcar line), six lanes of roadway, and two footpaths. In 1959, Sydney replaced its streetcars with buses, so the tramway tracks were converted into lanes for road traffic. Now there are eight lanes for cars, buses, and trucks. The total length of the bridge, including the approach spans, is 3,770 feet [1149 m].

By the 1980’s, road traffic on the bridge was so congested that consideration was given to opening another harbor crossing. It was more practical to go underwater this time. Therefore, in August 1992, a four-lane harbor tunnel was opened.

A stroll across the bridge offers panoramic views of Sydney. On the harbor’s north side, set on wooded slopes, is the Taronga Zoological Park. On the opposite side of the harbor and almost below the bridge, on Bennelong Point, is Sydney’s unmistakable opera house.

Sydney’s Jewel on the Harbor

Described as the “jewel of Bennelong Point,” the Sydney Opera House is surrounded on three sides by the blue waters of Sydney Harbour. In bright sunlight it certainly looks like a jewel. At night the Gothic shells sparkle at their best under the lights of the opera house.

The foreword to the book A Vision Takes Form gives a description of the visual impact of the opera house: “Sydney Opera House has become one of those buildings that take on a decisive new character with each small shift of perspective or change in light. . . . An early morning mist or the gleams of a late sunset can help to burnish the shells like helmets from a saga of legendary giants.”

The design of the opera house was conceived by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and was finally selected from among more than 200 international entries in a design competition. But aspects of his design were deemed impractical and required substantial alterations.

The London Architects’ Journal described it as “the epitome of romantic sculpture on the grand scale.” Yet, converting this romantic dream into a reality presented great engineering difficulties. Two of the engineers, Sir Ove Arup and Jack Zunz, said: “[The] Sydney Opera House is . . . an adventure in building. . . . Because the circumstances under which it is being built are so unusual, and because its problems are so difficult, it has created unique opportunities . . . for the development of new techniques. Many of these have since been used in more orthodox bridge and building works.”

The original estimated cost of the opera house was 7 million Australian dollars, but by its completion in 1973, the cost had skyrocketed to an astronomical 102 million dollars!

A Look Inside the Opera House

As we enter the foyer, we notice that sunlight filters through the two layers of glass in the cone-shaped mouths of the shells. Enclosing the building is an amazing total of 67,000 square feet [6225 sq m] of special glass made in France. Next we enter the concert hall. As we stand at the back looking across the 2,690 seats toward the stage, we are impressed to see the largest mechanical tracker organ in the world, with its 10,500 pipes.a The ceiling rises to a height of 82 feet [25 m], resulting in a cubic capacity of 880,000 cubic feet [26,400 cu m]. This “gives a reverberation time of approximately two seconds allowing symphonic music to be heard with a full, rich and mellow tone,” says an official guide.

Equally impressive are the other three auditoriums, which were designed for opera, symphony concerts, ballet, films, solo recitals, drama, chamber music, exhibitions, and conventions. In total there are 1,000 rooms in the opera house building, including restaurants, dressing rooms, and other amenities.

Don’t Miss the Zoo!

If you are planning a visit to Sydney, be sure to include a boat or ferry cruise around the harbor. You won’t regret it. Take a ferry to Taronga Zoo. Not all visitors coming to Australia have the time to see the Australian bush and its wildlife. Therefore, a day at the zoo can be a convenient adventure into the Australian “countryside.” The zoo features Australia’s unique wildlife, from kangaroos to koalas and platypuses to dingoes. Just a few minutes by harbor ferry from the ferry terminal near the opera house, the zoo is almost in the heart of Sydney. It is ranked one of the best in the world. While in the harbor area, enjoy the free entertainment provided by a wide variety of buskers—acrobats, Aborigines playing the didgeridoo (a typical Aborigine wind instrument), or a jazz ensemble.

We are confident that you will thoroughly enjoy your stay in Sydney—truly a vibrant city set on an incredible harbor in the blue expanse of the South Pacific. And who knows, we might even put another shrimp on the barbecue for you!

[Footnote]

[Maps on page 14]

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Sydney

Manly Beach

Port Jackson

Sydney Harbour Bridge

SYDNEY

Botany Bay

[Picture on page 15]

Sydney’s central business district

[Picture on page 15]

Replica of the “Bounty,” in Botany Bay

[Picture on page 15]

Aerial train in downtown Sydney

[Picture on page 16, 17]

Sydney Opera House and harbor bridge

[Credit Line]

By courtesy of Sydney Opera House Trust (photograph by Tracy Schramm)

[Picture on page 17]

Interior of the Opera House, with its 10,500-pipe organ

[Credit Line]

By courtesy of Australian Archives, Canberra, A.C.T.

[Picture on page 18]

Manly Beach, Sydney

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Is It Wrong to Be Proud?

THERE is a traditional saying that pride is the first of seven deadly sins. Yet, many today believe that such an idea is hopelessly outdated. On the threshold of the 21st century, pride is considered an asset, not a sin.

However, when the Bible speaks of pride, it is usually with a negative connotation. The Bible book of Proverbs alone has several statements condemning pride. For instance, Proverbs 8:13 says: “Self-exaltation and pride and the bad way and the perverse mouth I have hated.” Proverbs 16:5 states: “Everyone that is proud in heart is something detestable to Jehovah.” And Pr 16 verse 18 warns: “Pride is before a crash, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.”

Pride That Harms

The pride condemned in the Bible can be defined as inordinate self-esteem, an unreasonable feeling of superiority as to one’s talents, beauty, wealth, education, rank, and so on. It may manifest itself in disdainful behavior, boasting, insolence, or arrogance. Thinking too much of self may lead to a failure to accept needed correction; a refusal to admit errors and to apologize, back down, and lose face; or the unreasonable taking of offense at what someone did or said.

The proud may insist on always having things done their way or not at all. It is not difficult to see that such an attitude often results in personal conflicts of one kind or another. Pride of race or nationality has led to countless wars and the shedding of blood. According to the Bible, pride was the problem that led a spirit son of God to rebel, making himself Satan the Devil. With regard to the qualifications for Christian elders, Paul counseled: “Not a newly converted man, for fear that he might get puffed up with pride and fall into the judgment passed upon the Devil.” (1 Timothy 3:6; compare Ezekiel 28:13-17.) If these are the results of pride, it is no wonder that God condemns it. However, you might ask, ‘Are there not situations in which pride might be legitimate?’

Is There Legitimate Pride?

In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the verb kau·khaʹo·mai, translated “take pride, exult, boast,” is used in both a negative and a positive sense. Paul says, for example, that we may “exult, based on hope of the glory of God.” He also recommends: “He that boasts, let him boast in Jehovah.” (Romans 5:2; 2 Corinthians 10:17) This means taking pride in Jehovah as our God, a sentiment that may lead us to exult over his good name and reputation.

To illustrate: Is it wrong to want to defend a good name when it is slandered? Of course not. If people spoke unjustly about members of your family or others whom you love and respect, would you not feel indignant and impelled to defend them? “A [good] name is to be chosen rather than abundant riches,” says the Bible. (Proverbs 22:1) On one occasion, Almighty God said to a proud Pharaoh of Egypt: “For this cause I have kept you in existence, for the sake of showing you my power and in order to have my name declared in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16) So God exults over his own good name and reputation and is zealous for it. We too can be interested in defending our own good name and reputation yet not be motivated by vanity and selfish pride.—Proverbs 16:18.

Respect is essential to any wholesome relationship. Our social life and business dealings suffer when we lose confidence in our associates. Likewise, a joint activity or partnership may be ruined if just one of its promoters does something that brings himself or his fellows into public disrepute. In order to reach objectives, whatever they may be, reputations have to be maintained. This is one reason why overseers in the Christian congregation must have “a fine testimony” from outsiders. (1 Timothy 3:7) Their desire for a good name is prompted, not by prideful self-exaltation, but by the necessity to represent God in a worthy and dignified manner. After all, how credible can a minister with a poor testimony from outsiders be?

What about pride in personal achievements? Take, for example, the delight parents might feel when their child does well in school. Such an achievement is a source of appropriate satisfaction. When writing to fellow Christians in Thessalonica, Paul revealed that he too rejoiced over accomplishments: “We are obligated to give God thanks always for you, brothers, as it is fitting, because your faith is growing exceedingly and the love of each and all of you is increasing one toward the other. As a result we ourselves take pride in you among the congregations of God because of your endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the tribulations that you are bearing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3, 4) Yes, the natural tendency is to feel delight at the achievements of loved ones. So, what distinguishes pride that is wrong from pride that is right?

It is not improper to want to maintain our personal reputation, to succeed, and to be happy with such success. However, self-exaltation, haughtiness, and boasting about self or others are things that God condemns. It would indeed be sad if any began to get “puffed up” with pride or to ‘think more of themselves than is necessary.’ Christians have no room for pride or for boasting in anyone or anything but Jehovah God and what he has done for them. (1 Corinthians 4:6, 7; Romans 12:3) The prophet Jeremiah gives us a fine principle to follow: “Let the one bragging about himself brag about himself because of this very thing, the having of insight and the having of knowledge of me, that I am Jehovah, the One exercising loving-kindness, justice and righteousness in the earth.”—Jeremiah 9:24.

[Picture on page 20]

“Pope Innocent X,” by Don Diego Rodríguez de Silva Velázquez

[Credit Line]

Scala/Art Resource, NY

Sun Lover—Protect Your Skin!

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN BRAZIL

DO YOU like to spend a vacation at the beach? How about hiking in the mountains? Then you are one of the millions who enjoy outdoor activities. However, a word of caution: This often means added exposure to the sun. Is there any danger in that? If so, how can you protect yourself?

“Your skin is the largest and one of the most visible organs in your body,” writes Dr. W. Mitchell Sams, Jr. Your skin helps to protect your body against dehydration and to keep you warm. It enables you to sense cold, heat, pain, and vibration, as well as rough or smooth surfaces. Your skin also plays an important role in the production of vitamin D, which is essential to bone formation. This production of vitamin D takes place with the help of sunlight.

However, there is increasing danger in excessive exposure of the skin to sunlight. Solar radiation reaching the earth’s surface is composed of infrared and visible light, as well as ultraviolet light in the A and B ranges (UVA and UVB). Fortunately, the atmosphere absorbs the cosmic rays, gamma rays, and X rays produced by the sun. The atmosphere’s ozone layer effectively blocks ultraviolet C radiation (UVC) and filters out most of the UVA and UVB. Unfortunately, this ozone layer is breaking down in places. Many scientists blame certain refrigerants and aerosol propellants for the problem. In any case, exposure to the sun is becoming ever more dangerous to your health.

Besides giving you a sunburn, ultraviolet rays can cause brown spots and progressive thickening and drying of your skin. Ultraviolet can also weaken your skin’s elastic fibers, resulting in premature aging, including those dreaded wrinkles. Worse yet, excessive ultraviolet exposure can interfere with your body’s immune system and may lead to the development of lesions and skin cancer. As if this were not enough, damaged or diseased skin affects your appearance and may, in some cases, contribute to feelings of insecurity and even depression.

What Can You Do?

Your skin needs day-to-day protection from the sun as much as it does during brief periods of intense exposure. What can be done? Besides wearing protective clothing and limiting the time you are exposed to the sun, you can follow the advice of experts who recommend the use of a sunscreen. How can you choose an effective sunscreen? Check the sun protection factor (SPF) indicated by the manufacturer. The higher the number, the greater the protection. People with light skin need sunscreens that have a higher SPF number than those with a darker complexion need. A note of caution: The SPF refers only to a sunscreen’s protection against UVB radiation. Therefore, give preference to broad-spectrum sunscreens, which also provide a measure of protection against UVA radiation.

Children, particularly those with fair skin, are especially sensitive to the sun. Moreover, notes the publication Fotoproteção (Photoprotection), children often get more exposure to sunlight than adults do. Taking steps to protect your child’s skin from the sun during his first 18 years of life can greatly reduce his chances of developing skin cancer, states Fotoproteção.

Sunlight is indispensable to life on earth. And who does not enjoy beautiful sunny weather? But do not be fooled by popular images portraying bronzed skin as the epitome of beauty and youth! Protect your health—protect your skin from excessive exposure to the sun.

[Box on page 23]

Save Your Skin!

1. Protect yourself from the sun especially between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest.

2. Even on cloudy days, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays and that has a sun protection factor of 15 or greater.

3. Reapply sunscreen every two hours when outdoors, especially if you are swimming or perspiring.

4. Wear protective, tightly woven clothing. Dark colors give more protection.

5. Wear a hat with at least a four-inch brim and sunglasses with ultraviolet protective lenses.

6. Stay in the shade whenever possible.

7. Avoid reflective surfaces, such as water, sand, and snow, which reflect most of the sun’s damaging rays.

[Credit Line]

(Based on Skin Savvy, published by the American Academy of Dermatology)

[Pictures on page 23]

Protect your health and appearance—shield your skin

Extra care is needed in areas where the sun’s rays are reflected

How Did the Passionflower Get Its Name?

TO WHAT passion are we referring? Apparently it is not romantic passion.

The story is that back in the 16th century, Roman Catholic priests gave this plant its name. They said that some parts of the flower reminded them of the passion, or suffering, and death of Jesus Christ. Look carefully at the illustration, and you might be able to follow their explanation. They said that the flower’s five petals and five petallike sepals represented the ten faithful apostles who remained with Christ during his suffering. (They conveniently excluded Judas, the traitor, and Peter, who denied Christ three times.) They even saw Christ’s crown of thorns in the hairlike rays above the petals. The five stamens (male pollen-producing structures) represented Christ’s supposed five wounds. The three styles, which rise above the ovary, end in a buttonlike stigma, rather like a large-headed nail. They were supposed to represent the nails used in the execution of Jesus. Those priests certainly did not lack imagination!

When they discovered this beautiful flower, it was growing in what we now call Latin America. Today it is cultivated in many parts of the world, including many botanical gardens. Its diameter varies from half an inch to six inches [13 to 150 mm], and it comes in a wide variety of colors.

There are approximately 400 species of passionflowers, which normally grow in the warmer regions of the world. Some even give an edible fruit that may be slightly sour or very sweet. This fruit can be used to make juice, marmalade, and even ice cream. The giant granadilla is like a gourd and may weigh as much as seven or eight pounds [three and a half kilograms].

As you can appreciate, there is much more to a flower than meets the eye. And there are about 250,000 species of angiosperms or flowering plants! Now there’s a subject for a passionate student of floriculture.

[Diagram on page 24]

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SEPALS

RAYS

PETALS

STYLES

STAMENS

Surströmming—A Stinking Delicacy

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN SWEDEN

In the 16th century, a war between Sweden and the city of Lübeck, Germany, was raging. Since Lübeck controlled the sea, imports were difficult to obtain and salt became scarce. There was less and less salt available to preserve the herring, which was a staple food in northern Sweden. To economize, someone put too little salt in a barrel. The preservation process went bad, and the fish started to stink. “Rotten” was the obvious conclusion.

UNDER normal circumstances the fish would have been thrown away, but famine gave people little choice, so they ate it anyway. To the surprise of everyone, it tasted far from rotten; some even considered the mild sour taste to be a delight. The fish was not rotten but had fermented. The rumor about this new dish spread, and since salt was expensive even in times of peace, fermenting became a popular method of preserving herring among poor people in northern Sweden, where fresh food was difficult to obtain.

According to legend, this was how a national dish came into existence. Swedes have cherished this peculiar culinary legacy ever since. Not everybody believes this legend. Some scholars claim that fermentation was used to preserve fish both in Sweden and in other places in the Northern Hemisphere long before the 16th century.

Known by Its Smell

Whatever the origin of surströmming, a strong smell has always been its hallmark. An author of a late 19th-century cookbook sarcastically wrote: “By them [the enthusiasts] it is considered a delicacy of the most exquisite kind; but it will never be served at banquets unless the host prefers to eat alone or perhaps chooses guests without noses.” Today he is proved wrong. In spite of its smell, surströmming is served at banquets and is considered a delicacy. People rarely eat it regularly for dinner or lunch anymore. Inviting friends over for surströmming is more of a social event. Its popularity has spread all over Sweden, even though the center of surströmming is still the part of the northeast coast called the High Coast.

This dish remains a very Swedish phenomenon. Few people outside Sweden have either heard of or tasted surströmming. Unwarned foreigners invited for this “delicacy” are therefore inevitably shocked at least twice. The first shock comes when the can is opened and the smell starts to spread. Logically, they conclude that the food has gone bad and that their host will undoubtedly throw it out and serve something else. Then comes the second shock—the host and the other guests actually start to eat the stinking fish, and this seemingly with great delight! Some courageous foreigners have learned to enjoy surströmming; others have not. The famous chef Keith Floyd gave this comment on his first, and presumably last, encounter with surströmming: “Disgusting beyond description.” Floyd has eaten worms in Africa, sea cucumbers in China, and cobras in Vietnam, among other things. But surströmming was the limit. He said: “People often ask me what is the most repulsive thing I have ever eaten. Now I know the answer.” An attempt to introduce the dish to Americans during the 1930’s was aborted when customs officials in New York opened a can and thought they were victims of a gas attack. They declared the substance “unfit as food.”

Even Swedes are divided over it. The dish leaves no one indifferent. Either you love it, or you detest it. Anders Sparman, a physician at Queen Christina’s royal court in the mid-17th century, wrote that surströmming smelled like fresh excrement. The famous 18th-century Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus, on the other hand, sang its praises and even gave some useful recipes in his writings. Swedes abroad often mention that surströmming is one of the things they long for the most.

The book Längs Höga Kusten (Along the High Coast) mentions that successful attempts to eliminate the smell have been made but without any commercial success. Connoisseurs felt strongly that surströmming without the smell was just not the real thing.

How Is It Prepared?

There are many ways to eat surströmming. Those who really appreciate it eat it without anything else, straight from the can. People have even been observed eating it with lingonberries and milk! But the most common way to eat it is to put it on a piece of bread with butter and finely chopped onions, tomatoes, and potatoes, preferably accompanied with cold beer and schnapps. Eating it this way has made surströmming converts out of many staunch unbelievers.

The herring is caught in April before the female has spawned. The head and the intestines are removed, but the spawn is left for taste. The appendix is also left, since it contains enzymes vital to the mellowing process. For a few days, the herring is kept in barrels with strong brine, which removes blood and fat. Then the fish is put in barrels with less-concentrated brine to mellow and ferment for about two months. In July the fish is canned and refrigerated. The quality of the final product is determined by the concentration of brine and the temperature at which the barrels are kept. Each producer has his own jealously guarded formula.

The fermentation continues even after the fish has been canned. Therefore, trying to open a can without taking precautions will most likely cause an unpleasant surprise. The pressure that has built up might cause the juice to spray everywhere. To prevent this, the can should be opened outdoors or under water!

For a long time, there was a royal decree stating that the first surströmming of the year was not to be put up for sale until the third Thursday in August. However, in the fall of 1998, this decree was abolished, and now surströmming may be marketed throughout the year. However, it seems that by popular demand, the third Thursday in August will continue to be one of the most celebrated days of the year for the people of the High Coast and other surströmming lovers.

[Picture on page 26]

Served with Swedish flatbread, potatoes, onions, and cheese, “surströmming” can lure even the most staunch resister into giving it a try

[Picture Credit Line on page 26]

Fish on pages 25-6: Animals/Jim Harter/Dover Publications, Inc.

The Bible Said It First

● “Conversation was never begun at once, nor in a hurried manner. No one was quick with a question, no matter how important, and no one was pressed for an answer. A pause giving time for thought was the truly courteous way of beginning and conducting a conversation. Silence was meaningful with the Lakota . . . [This] was done in the practice of true politeness and regard for the rule that, ‘thought comes before speech.’”—Luther Standing Bear, Oglala Sioux chief (1868?-1939).

“Know this, my beloved brothers. Every man must be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath.”—James 1:19, the Bible (first century C.E.).

“The heart of the righteous one meditates so as to answer, but the mouth of the wicked ones bubbles forth with bad things.”—Proverbs 15:28, the Bible (about eighth century B.C.E.).

“All his spirit is what a stupid one lets out, but he that is wise keeps it calm to the last.”—Proverbs 29:11, the Bible (about eighth century B.C.E.).

[Picture Credit Line on page 27]

Photo by David Barry, the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection

Watching the World

Record Hole Found in Antarctic Ozone Layer

In September 1998, the hole that forms each year in the ozone layer over Antarctica reached an all-time record size, reports The UNESCO Courier. Satellite pictures showed that the hole had grown to some two and a half times the area of Europe. The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the world’s living creatures and ecosystems from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Increased radiation puts people at greater risk of sunburn, skin cancer, and cataracts, notes the report. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are used as refrigerants and aerosol propellants, are said to be a major cause of damage to the ozone layer. In 1987, at a conference in Montreal, 165 countries pledged to phase out their use. Despite this, The UNESCO Courier observes that “it will take at least 60 years for CFCs to disappear completely from the stratosphere.”

Global High Temperature Year

Last year, 1998, was the warmest year since 1860, reports Science News. It was estimated that the earth’s mean surface temperature reached 1.04°F. [0.58°C.] above the average temperature between 1961 and 1990. “For climatologists, who worry about global changes in hundredths of a degree, last year’s warmth stands out like a Himalayan peak,” says the magazine. The report also notes that seven of the warmest years on record have occurred since 1990, and all of the top ten since 1983. According to Jonathan Overpeck, of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the past two decades may have been the hottest in the last 1,200 years. The World Meteorological Organization reports that only northern parts of Europe and Asia escaped the increase. The southern United States experienced extreme summer heat, and in central Russia a hot spell in June killed more than 100 people and led to large fires.

Cork, Economics, and Wildlife

Eighty percent of the world’s cork comes from the bark of cork-oak trees in southern Spain and Portugal. There farmers strip off the bark of their majestic trees every nine years. The cork oak is the only tree that regrows its bark in this way. Recently, this centuries-old occupation has been threatened by increased use of plastic bottle stoppers, reports the Guardian Weekly of Manchester, England. If the natural-cork industry dries up, the trees may be cut down to plant more lucrative crops. Conservationists fear that many birds would thus lose the forests they rely on for survival. “Forty-two species depend on the oaks,” states the newspaper, “including the endangered Spanish imperial eagle which nests in them and has a total population of 130 pairs.”

New ‘Cold War’

“Storekeepers are trying to keep their ice-cream freezers full as Slovenians pounce upon all the different types and flavors of ice cream available,” reports Delo newspaper of Ljubljana. According to the newspaper, the Slovenian taste for ice cream is getting stronger—ice-cream producers there recently recorded a 22-percent increase in annual sales. At this rate of growth, the national annual ice-cream consumption of 4.5 quarts [4.3 L] per person will eventually surpass the Western European average of 5.8 quarts [5.5 L]. In the European ice-cream race, however, the Swedes are still comfortably ahead. According to the market intelligence group Euromonitor, Swedes consume on average almost 17 quarts [16 L] of ice cream per person each year. Worldwide, Americans hold the lead, eating more than 21 quarts [20 L] each year per capita.

Funerals That Increase Poverty

“The cost of living is getting high,” reports the Times of Zambia, “but . . . the cost of dying is getting even higher.” In many parts of Africa, including Zambia, funerals are often delayed to allow time for friends and relatives from distant places to come and join in mourning rituals lasting a week or longer. Often, all who are present expect to be fed and housed. The bereaved family is also expected to provide needy ones with money for transport back to their homes. Such funerals push many bereaved families deeper into poverty. “Modern funerals,” states the report, are “becoming more expensive because of a large number of mourners who do not help in any way.” The newspaper suggests that funerals be held soon after a person’s death in order to lessen the burden on the bereaved.

How Green Tea May Fight Cancer Cells

Studies indicate that people who drink green tea tend to develop fewer cancers and that even animals given the tea receive similar benefits. Recently, researchers at Purdue University in Indiana, U.S.A., discovered what may be part of the reason for that, reports Science News. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), a substance present in green tea, shuts down a certain enzyme that cancer cells need in order to divide. EGCg does not seem to have the same effect on division in normal cells. Black tea, the choice of about 80 percent of the world’s tea drinkers, contains a smaller concentration of EGCg. That fact, say the researchers, may explain why black tea is only one tenth to one hundredth as effective as green tea in inhibiting the enzyme reaction in test-tube grown cancer cells.

Dog Bites and Children

Small children are the most frequent victims of dog bites in the United States, reports the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. Still, the report comments, most dog bites are preventable. To reduce the risk, the Wellness Letter recommends that parents begin by selecting a puppy with a good disposition. Next, they should have it neutered and then kindly but firmly train it to obey and to be friendly with people, especially children. The Wellness Letter states: “Never assume that even the gentlest dog will welcome a new baby or will be deferential to a toddler. Provide supervision.” Children should be taught not to approach a dog on their own. Let the dog’s owner introduce it. Speak to the dog, and offer it a closed fist to be sniffed. If the dog growls or bristles, remain quiet and do not turn and run. The Wellness Letter notes: “Dogs, like wolves, will instinctively chase and attack a fleeing target.”

Eau de Metro?

Transportation officials in France have introduced a new perfume to improve the less-than-pleasant aroma of the Paris underground railway system. The scent, named Madeleine after one of the Metro stations, is being added to cleaning products used by the system, reports Reuters news service. Metro director Jacques Rapoport explained that the endeavor has required five years of research and development. “We had to find a smell that was sweet rather than violent, that lingered for two weeks and that suggested a feeling of cleanliness and well-being,” he said. Metro officials commented that Madeleine is intended to impart the scent of the “countryside, woods, flowers and fruit.”

Balance Exercises to Avoid Falls

“One-third of people over 65 fall at least once a year, many of them incurring injuries like broken hips that may never properly mend,” reports The New York Times. As we age, our body’s ability to sense its own position diminishes, which makes it more difficult to keep our balance. A recent study at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine indicates that regular balancing exercises, such as standing on one leg or walking along a low wooden beam, can improve balance in older people. However, Gina Allchin, of the Sullivan & Cromwell corporate fitness center, advises starting slowly, limiting balance-exercise sessions to ten minutes, two or three times a week. She notes: “This type of training is deceptively challenging and can leave you feeling exhausted and sore if you overdo it.”

Education and Infant Mortality

“Just $7 billion more each year are required for the next decade to achieve universal primary [school enrollment] worldwide by the year 2010,” says The State of the World’s Children 1999—Education, a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund. “This sum is less than what Europeans spend on ice-cream or Americans spend on cosmetics every year.” According to The Times of India, only 66 percent of adult males and 38 percent of females in India are literate. Where more females are enrolled in primary school, infant mortality decreases. The effect of such basic education can be seen in the southern Indian state of Kerala, where literacy is almost 90 percent and “the infant mortality rate is the lowest in the whole of the developing world.”

From Our Readers

Young Cancer Victim I am 18 years old, and I want to thank you for the experience of Matt Tapio, in the article “He Did Not Give Up.” (October 22, 1998) I was really moved by his faith, his appreciation for spiritual things, and his sense of urgency. I hope to thank Matt personally after his resurrection in Paradise.

E. G. G., Spain

On behalf of our family, thank you for the article. Since we have teenage sons, we found it very beneficial to consider with them Matt Tapio’s example of faith. It gave us a chance to analyze our own priorities as individuals and as a family.

M. F. N. G., Brazil

The article was of great encouragement to us young ones because it highlighted the zeal of a young man who, despite his illness, never stopped talking about Jehovah.

D. M., Italy

Even though Matt Tapio faced a deadly infirmity, he held on to life so that he could praise and serve Jehovah. This is a good example for those of us who have good health.

D. P., Puerto Rico

The article about Matt, who had to undergo surgery for a brain tumor at age 14, caught my attention. Among his last words were, “Don’t ever stop witnessing about Jehovah.” This encouraged me not to give up and helped me realize how important it is to study the Bible and gain the knowledge that leads to life!

D. V., Philippines

AIDS I wanted to thank you sincerely for the series “The Battle Against Aids—Will It Be Won?” (November 8, 1998) It was very informative. I am 19 years old and have been taught many things about AIDS and HIV in school and at home, but I was still confused. This article helped me to appreciate how vital it is that I choose a marriage mate wisely and lead a morally clean life.

S. T., United States

Your articles were informative, accurate, and truthful. I have been living with AIDS for over ten years. A friend is teaching me the Bible with the help of your publications. Thank you for not being afraid to publish such articles.

B. W., United States

I could not put Awake! down until I finished reading the articles on AIDS. I have never read such accurate information on this subject. And that means something, since I am a nurse. Many thanks.

D. E., Germany

My appreciation comes from the fact that my son left the Christian way and returned with full-blown AIDS. With the help of Jehovah, he is now in good standing spiritually. His health has stabilized thanks to medical treatment. We know that there are many who are infected and do not realize it yet. This should be of great concern to anyone thinking of marriage.

N. J., United States

Bridges Just after Hurricane Mitch destroyed up to 80 percent of the bridges here in Honduras, we received the November 8, 1998, issue, with the article “Bridges—How Would We Manage Without Them?” My husband and I are always traveling here, and we quickly learned how important bridges are to us in our work. We want to thank you for the interesting and timely article. As the closing paragraph says, we will no longer take bridges for granted!

C. H., Honduras

Seeds That Bore Fruit Many Years Later

The following letter was received as a result of the article “The Challenges and Blessings of Raising Seven Sons,” in the “Awake!” of January 8, 1999.

Dear Brother and Sister Dickman,

I’ve just finished reading your story, and I had to write a letter to you. I knew your family years ago in Mississippi [1960-61]. In fact, I went to school with your sons, and I used to come over to your house and play with the boys quite frequently. But these were not the things that were the most deeply impressed on my young mind. Even at such a young age, I was very impressed by the fact that the boys did not salute the flag in school because of their Christian conscience. Although I was a member of the Grandview Baptist Church, when one of your boys explained his stand to me, I knew it was right.

One of them gave me the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained,a or I stole it. I can’t remember which, but I read the whole thing. At the time, it was just a beautiful storybook to me. Little did I know that seeds of truth had been planted that would lay dormant for years.

My family moved North in 1964, and I quit going to church. The hypocrisy in religion disillusioned me, so for many years I wanted nothing to do with organized religion.

Years later, when I started thinking seriously about the purpose of life, I realized that I wanted a relationship with the Creator. I wanted that relationship without the hypocrisy of religion. Those seeds of truth that had been sown years before were starting to sprout; I just didn’t know it yet.

I was agonizing over the fact that I did not want to go to heaven; I wanted to live right here on earth. I felt that this planet was a pretty marvelous creation in itself, so why would God destroy it? I also did not think that Jesus was God. If he were, then his sacrifice would have been a sham. These thoughts, feelings, and convictions, if you will, could not be reconciled with what I had learned at the Baptist Church. So I started praying, really praying, and Jehovah acted quickly. Witnesses were at my door within a couple of days, and a Bible study was started immediately. Even though I had had no contact at all with Jehovah’s Witnesses from the time I was acquainted with your family until I started studying, I had never lost respect for your sons and their courage in taking a stand for what was right. Once my study began and I started taking in knowledge, everything fell into place. It took me a year and a half to get my life sorted out. I was eventually baptized in 1975.

Whenever we consider information about how our conduct can give a witness without our even being aware of it, I think of your family. When we consider the importance of sowing lots of Kingdom seed because we don’t always know where or when it will take root, I know from personal experience how true this is.

I want to thank you for being among Jehovah’s people and being true to your beliefs back then. You unknowingly helped someone find the truth. Your conduct and conviction, and that of your children, let the truth shine through. I thought I’d never know for sure what became of you or be able to thank you. Again, thank you.

Much Christian love,

L. O.

[Footnote]

Awake! Inspires Antismoking Poster

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN ITALY

RECENTLY, in the city of Mortara in northern Italy, the Italian Anticancer League and a local newspaper organized a contest among high school students to design an antismoking poster. Fourteen-year-old Simona, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, consulted various issues of Awake! for ideas about the dangers of tobacco, particularly the July 8, 1989, and May 22, 1995, issues. Simona writes: “When doing research, I was struck by the covers of these issues. I drew a skull with a cigarette in its mouth like the one I saw in Awake!, and the cover title gave me the idea for my slogan.” Her slogan was, “Smoking—It Kills Millions of People to Make Millions.” Her poster was one of 250 entered in the contest.

Although Simona was younger than many of the other students in the contest, she was awarded the first prize, including a $300 scholarship. Simona wrote to the branch office of the Watch Tower Society to express her gratitude for the effective covers of Awake! that gave her the ideas. She enjoys reading Awake! not only because of its covers but also because of its timely and practical articles regarding health, current events, and the challenges facing young people. She concludes her letter: “PS: Keep up the good work!”

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