Features

Harvest

Jim Crace

New York: Vintage Books, 2013

Pp. 243

“Harvest” is a novel of transition, set in a small English village at the time when the effects of the Industrial Revolution are expanding into the remote countryside. This can mean replacing traditional farming with raising sheep, their wool prized by the expanding mills — the marriage of agriculture and industry in the rising capitalist system.

Author Jim Crace doesn’t tell the reader this directly, but pens a personal story to illustrate how the change can affect society. He matches his prose to the transition, infusing deliberate, elegant and well-rounded sentences reminiscent of classical English novels with the stark emotional impact of modern literature.

The other theme in “Harvest” is that of “the outsider”, a recurrent motif in modern writing. Again, Crace matches style to theme by designating Walter Thirsk, a relative newcomer to the self-contained village, as narrator. The arrival of a number of newcomers to the village in the first few pages of the novel catalyses the plot.

While Thirsk had arrived twelve years prior with Master Kent and his wife, who had inherited the farm from her father, most of the villagers have been there for generations. Illiterate and distrustful of strangers and change, they cultivate barley, but harvests are decreasing, threatening the self-sufficiency they have known for as long as they can remember. Justice is swiftly meted out to those who don’t belong. Thirsk understands the villagers: “It makes sense in such a distant place as this, where there is little wealth and all our labours are spent on putting a single meal in front of us each day, to be protective of our modest world and fearful for our skinny lives.” (p. 16-17)

Yet, Thirsk also harbours empathy for the three outsiders who light a fire on the perimeter of the property, which under prevailing laws is the same as staking out a claim to stay. Their arrival reminds him of his own outsider status. While he loves the rhythm of nature and outdoor work on the farm, their arrival also reminds him that “there is another world clear of the forest tops, a world beyond the rule of seasons, a redrawn world… I stand at the threshold of the gleaning field and wonder what the future has in mind for me”. (p. 58)

Thirsk feels his tenuous status in the village even more with the arrival of another group of strangers. Master Kent received the farm through marriage and his wife is now dead, leading her cousin to come with plans to repossess the property and make it profitable by replacing subsistence grain farming with sheep raising. Since Thirsk has old ties to the Master, he is privy to these plans and feels guilty about not sharing his knowledge with the other villagers, for the plan “involves the closing and engrossment of our fields with walls and hedges, ditches, gates. He [the cousin] means to throw a halter around our lives. He means the clearing of our common land. He means the cutting down of trees… Our final harvest may have come and gone”. (pp. 36, 59)

Clearly, the village risks losing its autonomy, and villagers who aren’t useful in the new scheme may be let go.

The plot is further complicated when another fire breaks out, destroying one of the master’s stables, and igniting a chain of events which spin out of control: in the course of a single week, the transition is accomplished, clearing the way for the cousin’s plan to be implemented. 

Thirsk stands as a Hamlet-like figure, wanting to take decisive action but paralysed by self-doubt. His descriptions of village life and the surrounding natural world are charming and lush with precise details, as are his musings about his loves and lusts. He is a keen observer of human behaviour and the subtle and not-so-subtle signs of class privilege. But Thirsk is not an omniscient narrator; he doesn’t know for sure who started the fires; neither does the reader. This murky cause-and-effect relationship shrouds many pivotal events in the story and is one of the author’s main techniques for building suspense and making the reader think twice.

What is clear, however, is that the villagers, when facing an unexpected situation, do not always act in their own interests, and their lack of class solidarity plays into the hands of the rich and powerful. Ironically, the three “newcomers were fugitives from sheep themselves, exiles from their own commons”, but the villagers don’t bother to find this out before reacting negatively to their presence. (p. 203)

The shift from grain to sheep could be a metaphor for the many dislocations that are still happening under the banner of progress and profit, just as the outsider theme is predictive of today’s world refugee crisis and the negative reactions it has evoked in some quarters. Like Thirsk, we should be weighing our responsibility to humankind and the world we inhabit. Unlike Thirsk, we should take action before it is too late. Crace has written a compelling story about a small place that has enormous, timeless implications.

Thinking about your heart health? Consider pouring yourself a cup of tea — hold the milk and sugar.

A study published in the peer-reviewed European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggests that people who drink tea three or more times a week may live longer and suffer a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than their non-tea drinking counterparts.

Researchers in China tracked self-reported tea consumption as part of the China-PAR project, monitoring the cardiovascular health of more than 100,000 Chinese adults with no prior history of heart attack, stroke, or cancer.

Overall, they found that, on average, consistent tea drinkers were diagnosed with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease 1.41 years later and live 1.26 years longer than those who drink tea rarely or not at all. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or atherosclerosis, is caused by high cholesterol levels, causing plaque to form and arteries to harden and become blocked.

Among these, a subset of 14,081 participants surveyed twice over an average of eight years found a more definitive correlation between tea drinking and cardiovascular health. Individuals who habitually drank tea in both surveys had a 56 per cent lower risk of fatal heart disease and stroke and a 29 per cent decreased risk of all-cause death, per the report.

Dongfeng Gu, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and co-author of the study, said in a statement that tea’s “protective effects” affected consistent habitual tea drinkers the most.

“Mechanism studies have suggested that the main bioactive compounds in tea, namely polyphenols, are not stored in the body long-term,” he said. “Thus, frequent tea intake over an extended period may be necessary for the cardioprotective effect.”

What about tea makes it so heart-healthy?

“Tea is rich in flavonoids, a natural, plant-derived antioxidant that has been shown to reduce inflammation and improve heart and vascular health,” said Dr Benjamin Hirsh, the director of preventive cardiology at Northwell Health’s Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in Manhasset, New York. He is unaffiliated with the study.

The type of tea might make a difference, researchers noted. Green tea was linked with approximately 25 per cent lower rates of heart disease, stroke and death. However, no significant associations were observed for black tea.

This might merely be due to the number of people in the study drinking black tea. Only 8 per cent of those surveyed primarily consumed black tea, while nearly half drank green tea. The study also raises the possibility that the polyphenols in black tea could be deactivated during the fermentation process, and that black tea tends to be consumed with milk — possibly counteracting tea’s health benefits.

Since the study only surveyed people in China, these benefits may or may not extend to people of other races or ethnicities, Dr Olujimi Ajijola, a cardiologist at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre, told USA Today.

The study also acknowledged that the positive benefits of tea were more robust in men than women. Dr Eugenia Gianos, the director of women’s heart health at New York City’s Lenox Hill Hospital, said that may be due to the lower levels of habitual tea consumption and the lower risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the women surveyed, compared to men. She is unaffiliated with the study.

It may also be attributed, however, to differences between sex, noted Dr Jordan C. Ray, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic who is unaffiliated with the study. Atherosclerosis is complex and can be varied by sex hormones and genetic differences, he said.

Ray further cautioned that the consistent tea drinkers in the study tended to be older men who were heavy smokers and heavy drinkers. Age and tobacco use, he said, increase cardiovascular risk, while drinking lowers it.

“Anytime there are population differences you have to ask if the tea is the source of the decreased number of events or [if it’s another] common reason,” Ray told USA Today.

Nevertheless, tea may help reduce inflammation and be a good part of a heart-healthy diet and a steady exercise routine, Ray said, which continue to be the best routines to limit cardiovascular disease.

By Joshua Bote

Are you upset about irritating issues at work or at home? Do you feel angry with other people who will not cooperate?

One way to address problems is to stop criticising the people involved. Instead, define the problem as something that can be fixed.

“As long as you attack a person, you’ll likely never fix a problem,” says a psychologist we’ll call Marianne. “When you attack a person, the fight becomes totally personal.”

If you’re having a problem with a stepchild, employer, sister, or neighbour, take time to look at the core issues.

“My stepdaughter has caused a lot of problems in our marriage,” says a nurse we’ll call Vickie. “She is 40 years old and angry. She was on a mission to wreck our happiness.”

When Vickie looked at the real problems, she realized her stepdaughter needed to vent. “I asked my husband to get into counselling with her,” Vickie told us. “It turned out she was angry with her dad and his first wife, who is now deceased.”

Solving any problem means getting to the truth of the matter. For example, if your cousin is wrecking his life by drinking, avoid criticising your cousin. Instead, act hopeful he can reverse his problem.

“I confronted my cousin Leonard, who is 50, about his addictions,” says a man we’ll call Martin. “I told him I love him very much, and I told him I want to encourage him without attacking his character.”

Martin met his cousin in a local restaurant to talk about the issues. Leonard had caused a lot of damage to his family and his children. Rather than attack him personally, Martin asked him to get into a recovery programme and fight the problem.

“Within six months, Leonard was in much better shape,” says Martin. “I told him he could defeat his addictions and regain his life. He’s well on his way.”

The remarkable outcome of going after a problem is that you can think more logically. The minute you start focusing on the people who caused it, the crazier you’ll feel. And, the crazier you’ll behave.

These tips can help:

• Start with the solution to a problem. For example, if your adult child is unemployed, ask him or her to find a part-time job. Anyone in reasonably good health can work four hours a day.

• Be encouraging. A messy marriage or a stressful work environment need not get worse. Help all people involved to focus on the positive. Sometimes, one small change can reverse a lot of stress.

• Allow people to fix themselves. While we all can help fix problems, we can’t “fix” people. They have to decide how to behave better or make better choices. Never dish out hateful language or act as if someone needs fine-tuning.

“My son-in-law, Don, lost his job six weeks before Christmas,” says a woman we’ll call Betty. “I told him not to panic, to stay cool. This man is my grandchildren’s father, and he’s always worked very hard. I told him I’d type his resume, which I did, and we’d find him a job.”

Betty says Don’s phone was ringing the day after Christmas. Her son-in-law has been offered two good jobs.

“The only way to reverse a problem is to stay upbeat,” says Betty. “Otherwise, you get tired and quit. When we go after fixing the problem at hand, it becomes a game instead of a chore. Doors start to open.”

By Judi Light Hopson

The fourth-graders gathered for a lesson on division, listening as math teacher Mindy Pyle talked them through a word problem.

One child used a whiteboard to demonstrate how to divvy up a pile of pencils equally. Students discussed which multiple-choice answer was correct and why.

It happened from different places across Ohio, using computer programmes, instant messaging and webcam video. The students attend Ohio Connections Academy, a statewide, virtual K-12 school, which means they don’t meet Pyle or any other teachers face-to-face.

“Anything you do in a traditional classroom, you can do in this environment — it just looks a little different,” said Pyle, 37, who lives in Sunbury and has taught for the school since 2006. This year, she intervenes with students who need extra help with math, either working from her home or at an academy office near Worthington.

Ohio does not require additional certifications or requirements beyond a valid teaching license for those who teach in e-schools.

Although online education is still somewhat rare, experts say it’s a possibility that teachers should be exposed to — especially as more traditional brick-and-mortar schools adopt a “blended learning” curriculum that uses both online and face-to-face instruction.

Often, learning how to use technology is a small part of effectively training teachers for an online environment, said Christopher Harrington, director of the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute. Rather, the focus should be on how to manage online classrooms, connect with students who are not physically present, and curate content that resonates with them.

Ohio has 984 teachers employed in what the state Education Department calls e-schools, according to 2019 data. More than 24,000 students are enrolled in 14 schools, nine of which are dropout-and-recovery schools for struggling students.

In comparison, more than 100,000 teachers are employed in about 3,000 traditional public schools that have about 1.6 million students.

Pyle, like many other online teachers, had to learn mostly on the job, she said. But more Ohio colleges and universities are finding ways to prepare future teachers for the possibility of leading a virtual classroom.

Cedarville University, in Greene County southwest of Columbus, has connected students with 23 mentor teachers from Ohio Connections Academy and Ohio Virtual Academy, another e-school, to learn about online education and observe their classrooms.

Many schools, including Ohio State University, offer courses on designing online curriculum. Others, including Ohio University, educate future teachers in online courses to familiarise them with the platform.

Miami University, which is in the Butler County city of Oxford north of Cincinnati, has 10 students tutoring third-graders at Ohio Connections Academy.

The academy offers K-12 education as part of a national network owned by the Pearson education company and is sponsored by the Ohio Council of Community Schools. It has 4,800 students and 163 teachers, making it the state’s second-largest e-school. Maumee-based Ohio Virtual Academy is about three times its size.

Both schools lend their students a laptop, but the students must use their own Internet connection.

Miami University education majors Emily Smith and Shivangi Padhy, who are 19-year-old sophomores, said tutoring online students weekly has exposed them to a learning environment that is personalised and flexible. They say it comes with challenges, though, particularly connecting with students and keeping them engaged.

Padhy laughed as she described a distracted girl performing gymnastics while on her webcam. The two said they’ve learned that lesson-planning and frequently communicating with families are important in keeping kids on track.

In contrast, Anna Ridenour, 26, an Ohio Connections Academy graduate, said most of her preparation for being an online teacher was being an online student. She returned to her alma mater in 2015 for her first job and is now the school’s state testing coordinator. She lives near Cincinnati.

In 2016, just 3.5 per cent of US teacher education programmes had virtual field experiences like Miami’s, according to a study cited by the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute.

Ridenour said of her university experience: “I think there was one PowerPoint slide that mentioned online schools existed.”

Richard Ferdig, a professor of learning technologies at Kent State University, said preparing teachers for virtual education might be moving slowly in much of Ohio because of how the state funds virtual schools. Although states such as Florida, Georgia and Michigan have large, state-run online schools, Ohio’s are typically commercial operations, so tax money moves with public school students if they choose to enrol in one. That competition causes tension.

One cautionary example is the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, or ECOT, once Ohio’s largest charter school. It had to repay the state millions of dollars for overstating its enrolment and, as a result, shut down.

Kui Xie, a researcher and learning technology professor at Ohio State, said she has found that the most significant factor in whether teachers use technology successfully is having a positive attitude.

“It’s not about age; it’s about values,” Xie said.

By Alissa Widman Neese 

LOS ANGELES — Disney’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” maintained its perch at the top of the box office for a third consecutive weekend, adding $33.7 million for a cumulative $450.8 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore.

The film has grossed $918.8 million globally and stands to become Disney’s seventh 2019 release to cross the billion-dollar milestone.

In second place, Sony’s “Jumanji: The Next Level” added $26.5 million in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $236.2 million.

At No. 3, the studio’s “Little Women” added $13.6 million in its second weekend (a mere 19 per cent drop) for a cumulative $60 million.

In fourth place, the first nationwide release of the new year, Sony’s reboot of “The Grudge”, opened with $11.3 million, within range of analyst projections of $11 million to $13 million.

Produced by Sam Raimi, the film is a reboot of 2004’s popular horror film, which itself is a remake of the Japanese series.

It was poorly received with a 16 per cent “rotten” score on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes and a rare F rating from audiences on CinemaScore. Less than two dozen movies have ever received the failing grade with the last being Darren Aronofsky’s “Mother” in 2017.

Rounding out the top five, Disney’s “Frozen 2” added $11.29 million in its seventh weekend for a cumulative $449.9 million. The film is now the highest grossing animated film of all time worldwide with $1.32 billion in global receipts.

At No. 6, Fox’s animated “Spies in Disguise” added $10.1 million in its second weekend (a small 24 per cent drop) for a cumulative $46.7 million.

In seventh place, Lionsgate’s “Knives Out” added $9 million in its sixth weekend for a cumulative $130.3 million.

At No. 8, A24’s “Uncut Gems” added $7.8 million in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $36.8 million.

In ninth place, Lionsgate’s “Bombshell” added $4.1 million in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $24.6 million.

Rounding out the top 10, Universal’s “Cats” added $2.6 million in its third weekend for a cumulative $24.7 million.

In limited release, Universal’s “1917” added $590,000 across 11 locations in its second weekend (up from its $570,000 debut last weekend) for an impressive per-screen average of $53,100 and a cumulative $2.3 million.

Warner Bros.’ “Just Mercy” remained in four locations in its second weekend, adding $76,000 for a per-screen average of $19,069 and a cumulative $400,000.

Neon’s “Clemency” expanded into nine locations in its second weekend (up from two in its debut) to $32,011 for a per-screen average of $3,557 and a cumulative $78,551.

This weekend, “1917” and “Just Mercy” expand into wide release, Paramount releases the Tiffany Haddish comedy “Like a Boss” and Fox opens the action thriller “Underwater”.

By Sonaiya Kelley 

As 2019 recedes, it leaves behind a sobering legacy: Unhappiness continues to haunt Americans.

Social media tends to drain joy from teenagers and adults, both by stoking anxieties about the “better” lives others seem to be leading online and by robbing time we should be spending interacting with others in the real world.

Meanwhile, broad issues such as opioid addiction and the pursuit of money contribute to unhappiness.

In March, the UN World Happiness Report set the tone on comprehending our plight, showing, through a complex formula, how happiness in the United States has dipped in recent years.

Findings were based on numerous variables, such as economics, levels of political corruption, and survey questions, including, “If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends… to help you?” Also, people were asked about feelings of enjoyment, worry, sadness and anger.

On a scale of one to three, American happiness slipped from a high of 2.28 in the 1980s to recent score of 2.16, according to the UN report. The US is slotted as only the 19th-happiest country in the world, just after Belgium and right above the Czech Republic. The happiest is Finland; the least happy, No. 156, is South Sudan.

In unrelated WalletHub reports measuring happiness, Hawaii ranked first and West Virginia last. Among cities, No. 1 was Plano, Texas, while No. 182 was Detroit.

One of the traits that hurts Americans most is their quest for more money when they already have enough, said Jacksonville, Florida, psychologist Gary Buffone.

People in other countries say that once their basic needs are met, “any more money doesn’t help toward happiness,” Buffone said. “Excess can lead to unhappiness. Eating the extra piece of chocolate cake, looking for that high, doesn’t bring more happiness.”

“Happiness comes from having good relationships with people, and a sense of purpose in life.”

Buffone cited a study showing that people making $75,000 a year won’t get any higher satisfaction from more money.

Happiness is elusive, but you need to search it out, according to Quintelina Lewis, 77, of Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, who has endured her share of woes.

“You have to find it within yourself to push to be happy,” said Lewis, an endometrial cancer survivor and a widow who has raised and continues to live with her four grandchildren, ages 18 to 21. The family lives on Social Security income and food stamps.

“My house is a mess, I can’t keep up with what needs to be done, but I’ve always been upbeat, and I try to do the best I can with what I have,” she said. “I’ll get depressed sometimes, but I keep on truckin’.”

As optimistic as Lewis is, however, she’ll allow that one thing gets to her more than anything else: Facebook.

“Going online just adds to unhappiness,” she said. “Someone saying on Facebook they got new siding and windows on their house — I’d love that. But I can’t afford it.”

Beyond the envy factor, Facebook presents sad stories people must somehow absorb, noted Burgandy Holiday, 41, a married Mount Airy therapist and mother of two.

“They set us up for the worst humanity has to offer,” she said. “And Facebook has this feedback loop that plays the horrible things in the world, and it circles and circles among us. We’re overconsuming this content that drives down our happiness.”

Life online proved difficult for Americans, especially teenagers.

On average, 12th graders in the US spent six hours a day online in 2017, according to the UN report. This meant spending less time interacting with friends, socialising, going to parties, and even sleeping.

All that corresponds with growing teen unhappiness, the UN report concluded. Girls spending five or more hours a day on social media are three times more likely to be depressed than non-users.

“Bullying also is a factor of the dark side of social media that increases kids’ sadness,” noted Barbara Becker Holstein, a Long Branch, Pennsylvania, psychologist who works with teenagers.

“Kids are waiting for us adults to calm them down from the excesses of being online and give them feelings of purpose. Not everyone is sitting down together at dinner for 45 minutes, chatting and laughing.”

To illustrate the problems teens face, Holstein shared a video of a 13-year-old-girl named Alyssa (her last name is withheld to protect her privacy).

“Cyberbullying”, Alyssa says in the video, “makes you keep all jumbled-up feelings inside and can ruin lives”.

She speaks of a friend who was the victim of “horrible” false stories told about her online by former friends. When the girl responded online by saying, “I thought we’d be friends forever,” her tormentors retorted, “Stop talking to us, clown trash.” The girl cried.

Beyond online complications, American happiness is also being thwarted because we are a “mass addictions society”, according to the UN report.

For complex reasons stemming from socioeconomic inequality and growing anxiety, among other things, Americans are indulging in drugs, alcohol, and food, and are spending too much time shopping. They’re even exercising more than is healthy.

Addictions “directly lower well-being… [and] may also give rise to clinical depression”, the report concluded.

Statistics may bear out that sombre diagnosis. Suicide in the US increased 30 per cent between 2000 and 2016; it was up 50 per cent for girls and women in the same time frame, according to the American Psychological Association.

Perhaps as a result of people trying to self-medicate because of the unhappiness in their lives, experts say, drug overdose deaths increased by nearly 10 per cent from 2016 to 2017 throughout America. Pennsylvania registered 44.3 deaths per 100,000, among the highest rates, figures for the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention show.

As the opioid crisis has advanced, news reports have shown that many drug deaths are related to drug manufacturers’ push for profits.

While unhappiness persists, there may be ways to cope, said psychologist Mary Mercer of Las Vegas, an expert on optimism.

“To be happy, what I advise people is to focus on their problems as not being permanent, and being fixable,” she said. “Optimistic people know this, and figure out ways to solve problems.”

Further, she said, the happiest people are those who don’t blame others for their difficulties. “Optimistic people take responsibility. It causes them to feel better.”

“In the end, you’re not doomed to being depressed.”

By Alfred Lubrano 

A long-running, practical, dependable and very attainable seven-seat SUV with genuine off-road ability, the Mitsubishi Pajero was one of the earlier players in the now hugely popular high riding vehicle segment, when it first appeared in 1982. Thoroughly tried, tested and proven on and off the road, and in competition variants on the gruelling Dakar rally raid series, where it holds several records, the Mitsubishi Pajero is one of the most recognisable and enduring names in the SUV segment, if not necessarily one that courted the limelight in recent years.

Popular presence 

Introduced in its current generation way back in 2006 with revisions and updates since, the Pajero is expected to be replaced in the not too distance future by a new model that will probably share development and platform with the next version of its traditional Nissan Patrol rival now that the two companies are in a corporate alliance. However, for the time being, the current Patrol sits at smaller end of the broad more traditionally inclined large SUV segment and is one of the most affordable and popular such vehicles in Jordan and the Middle East.

An ubiquitous sight on Jordanian roads, the Pajero’s proportions have a classic sensibility, with a short front and long rear overhang and near equal width to height proportions. Its comparatively low bonnet line elegantly combines with a tall glasshouse and upright roofline, while the bulk of its visual heft rests on the rear axle. Its design elements feature big swept backlights and grille, bulging wheel-arches and muscular flank mouldings. During its long tenure, its design has been subtly freshened, but it looks reassuringly pre-face-lift versions, and not particularly dissimilar to the previous generation model.

Tried and true

Offered with a choice of three naturally-aspirated V6 petrol engines not to mention turbo-diesel versions for certain markets, the range-topping variant is however the 3.8-litre petrol variant. Reliable, robust if less complicated or advanced as some more modern engines, the Pajero’s 3.8-litre V6 features variable valve timing and multivalve technology, yet employs single overhead cams on each cylinder bank. Sold in the Middle East in a slightly detuned, less stressed and presumably more durable guise, the Pajero 3.8 produces 240BHP at 6,000rpm and 241lb/ft torque at just 2,750rpm, and can achieve a 200km/h top speed.

Responsive from standstill given its 2,165kg mass and employment of a 5-speed automatic gearbox rather than more modern gearboxes with more ratios, the Pajero may not be the quickest of more efficient of SUVs, but benefits from a very broad and near flat torque curve, with generous low-end and mid-range twisting force for confidence on inclines, when overtaking and off-road. Power delivery is meanwhile smoothly progressive and responsive to throttle inputs. As refined as need be if not the quietest of V6 engines, the Pajero’s top engine however propels delivers respectably quick estimated 10.8-seconds 0100km/h acceleration.

Rugged off-roader 

A somewhat traditional design with rugged ladder frame built into its monocoque body, and a front-mid engine, rear-drive layout for better weight distribution, handling and a short overhang with very generous 36.6 approach angle, the Pajero is well disposed for off-road driving. It also features 22.5-degree ramp and 25-degree departure angles and good 235mm ground clearance for inhospitable terrain. The Pajero’s tough four-wheel-drive system meanwhile delivers good road-holding and generous ability in 4H mode, but one can also engage its centre differential lock in both high and low gear ratios for more difficult low traction off-road situations.

Highly capable off-road, the Pajero is also available with an optional rear differential lock that ensures both rear wheels keep turning for traction in extreme low traction conditions. Meanwhile, it rides on sophisticated fully independent double wishbone front and rear multilink suspension to provide good wheel travel and surface contact off-road, and a comfortable ride on road. With independent suspension and a front-mid engine layout focusing major weights near evenly within its wheelbase, the Pajero also delivers better than expected handling ability, with a tidy turn-in and is balanced through corners.

Everyman luxury

Adept for its height, weight and comfortably tuned suspension, the Pajero may lean somewhat through hard-driven corners and isn’t as ultimately agile as a harder sprung, lower and more overtly “sporty” crossover SUV, but doesn’t feel out of its depth and remains poised. Dispatching lumps and bumps with ease, its tall sidewall tyres well absorb shocks and can sustain more impact force than trendier low profile tyres. As stable and settled as necessary for reassuring highway driving, the Pajero can meanwhile be used in rear-drive mode for more efficient city and highway driving.

A sort of rugged, reliable and affordably accessible everyman’s alternative to a Range Rover, the Pajero features spacious three-row seven-seat passenger capacity — albeit without third row headrests — and a generously configurable cargo volume capacity past its accessibly large but occasionally inconveniently long side-swinging tail-gate. Comfortable, hard-wearing and homely inside, it has a non-premium luxury feel with seemingly sturdy build, practicality, generous equipment levels and decent if not outright luxurious appointment. User-friendly controls meanwhile combine with big side mirrors, 11.4 metre turning circle and good in-segment visibility owing to its big glasshouse to make it comparatively easy to drive and manoeuvre.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

EEngine: 3.8-litre, in-line V6-cylinders 

Bore x stroke: 95 x 90mm

Compression ratio: 10.5:1

Valve-train: 24-valve, variable valve timing, SOHC

Gearbox: 5-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive

Drive-train: Locking rear differential, low gear transfer case

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 240 (243) [179] @6,000rpm

Specific power: 62.7BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 110.8BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 241 (327) @2,750rpm

Specific torque: 85.4Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 151Nm/tonne

0-100km/h: 10.8-seconds (est.)

Top speed: 200km/h

Fuel capacity: 88-litres

Height: 1,870mm

Width: 1,875mm

Length: 4,900mm

Wheelbase: 2,780mm

Track: 1,570mm

Overhangs, F/R: 765/1,355mm

Ground clearance: 235mm

Approach/ramp/departure angles: 36.6/22.5/25 degrees

Kerb weight: 2,165kg

Gross vehicle weight: 3,765kg

Seating capacity: 7

Steering: Power assisted rack and pinion

Turning radius: 11.4-metres

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbone/multilink, with anti-roll bars 

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/discs

Brake calipers, F/R: 4-piston/1-piston

Tyres: 265/65R17

Brahmi is a wonder herb known to stimulate memory and enhance mood.

Did you know?

Known scientifically as Bacopa Monnieri, the herb has other names, including Water Hyssop, Babies tear or Gotu Kola and Brahmi. You’ll find it along the marshes and ponds in Southern and Eastern India, parts of Asia, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, South Africa and the tropics. 

The wild variety also grows in the South American tropics and Australia.

Therapeutic herb

Used in Indian medicine for centuries, this rejuvenating herb is known to improve concentration and short and long-term memory, and keep the mind calm and anxiety-free.

It contains powerful antioxidants and reduces inflammation. A class of powerful compounds called bacosides in the plant is believed to be responsible for all the health benefits. It has been used to aid in the treatment of dementia, Parkinson and neurodegenerative disorders. 

Brain and hair tonic

The leaves of this plant are extensively used in making hair oil for accelerating hair growth. It is considered to be food for the brain in addition to being recommended for wound healing.

It is also used in treating skin conditions like leprosy, lupus, varicose ulcers, eczema and psoriasis besides being used for treating fever and fortifying the immune system. It has been used successfully for treating burns and reducing scars.

Culinary flavour

This herbaceous, frost-tender perennial plant in the flowering plant family is used as a culinary delight in Asia. It is rich in nutrients and sweet and bitter in flavour. A typical dish consists of shredded gotu kola leaves, shallots, line juice, chilli and coconut milk. The ancient Eastern tea has been used for detoxification to prevent dementia and as one of the oldest holistic Indian systems. 

Precautions

If taken in excess, the herb may cause nausea and stomach pain. It might interfere with some medication like sedatives.

Everyone, especially pregnant women and lactating mothers should consult physicians before using any herbal supplements.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine