Freedom from crime

were willing to cooperate. You could imagine the discussion:

BY NURY VITTACHI

Five years ago I lived in a housing estate that was so safe that I didn’t even own a front door key. Our only line of defence against evil was a deeply confused dog that barked at family members and gave strangers a friendly licking.

(My wife tells me to be kind, since dogs have brains the size of walnuts, but I argue that a walnut would be cheaper and more effective, since you can throw it at people and it never needs its poop picked up. But whatever.)

Safe places to live were on my mind after a reader sent in a news report about what is being called “the safest place in the world”. Eibenthal is a village with a little church in the mountains of Romania. Inhabitants hang money in bags on lampposts. The baker passes by, takes the money and leaves food behind.

But there are super-safe places everywhere, if you know where to look. India has Shani Shingnapur, a famously low-crime town of 3,000 people in Maharashtra where most houses don’t even have doors, let alone locks.

This columnist wrote about it a few years ago when a bank was built there. Townsfolk ordered executives at UCO Bank to follow tradition and have no locks on its doors. The bankers thought this was a bit unusual for a bank, but

Townsfolk: “You must follow our tradition and not lock the doors of your bank.”

Bankers: “Well, okay. It’s your money.”

Townsfolk: “Wait. Maybe we need to talk about this a bit more.”

The only grumble came from local police, but they could have taken inspiration from Sark, an island near England which maintained a tiny security presence.

In the 1970s it was invaded by France. The invasion fleet consisted of one Frenchman. The defending army consisted of a part-time policeman, who arrested the Frenchman without harming him. As wars go, it was rather sweet. (You can’t say that about a lot of wars.)

Even the United States, which the media paints as a land of guns, has super-safe places. Wikipedia says top of the list is Irvine, California, which had 0.8 of a murder in the most recent year counted. How can you have 0.8 of a murder? Did the guy’s hair survive or something?

Now here’s the thing: you can create individual safe spots. Over the years, this column has received dozens of news reports about armed robbers who failed because their would-be crimes didn’t fit the ambience.

Example: in 2012, a masked man entered a bar in the Netherlands and levelled a gun at people inside. Lost in the usual fog of drink and chatter you find in European bars, they ignored him. The whole thing is on YouTube, including the deflated robber’s sad exit.

Matrimonials

Seeking Grooms

Sister based in Sydney seeks suitable match for 39-year-old/5’5’’ Never married Punjabi Khatri girl. Doctor by profession, vegetarian. Settled in India, but willing to move overseas. Currently in Sydney (on holidays). Caste no bar. Email: guruji2111@gmail.com, Mobile: +61 424 386 04

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney based, never married Australian citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 45-year-old, 5’3” slim, fair, attractive girl. She is a postgraduate and is working on a good position in a government organisation. Please send details with photo to Indsyd2016@gmail.com

Seeking a match for Australian citizen, Sydney-based Sikh girl born in 1991, 170cm, qualified chartered accountant, working for Australia’s leading bank. Parents highly educated and well settled in Sydney. Please respond to hs52216a@gmail.com

Seeking Brides

A 43-year-old, issueless divorcee, 5’5”, PR holder, non-smoker, nondrinker, spiritual, Bihari, Hindu, Srivastava Kayastha working in one of the biggest IT companies of world, seeks an Indian girl willing to relocate to Sydney. Caste, language, state no bar. Ph 0415 063 532

At a bank in Kowloon, Hong Kong, staff told a raider than they were far too busy to be robbed. He nodded and left the counter. The whole thing was marvellously civil. Now I am not saying that our generation is creating a crime-free world. Given the propensity of snacks to disappear in this columnist’s house, I can’t even create a crime-free apartment. Who took my walnut?

Seeking 25-30-yr-old Hindu/Punjabi girl from Australia for our 31 year old Specialist Doctor son 5’9”, born and brought up in Sydney. Please respond gupta_rsr@hotmail.com or call 0414 282 510.

Australian citizen, university educated Indian man, early 50s, working in a government organisation. Contact 0406 688 262, email tamavu@hotmail.com.au

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney based, never married Australian Citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 44, 6’, athletic built boy. He is project manager with engineering background and is working in a private organisation. Please send details with photo: Indsyd2016@gmail.com

Professional match for North Indian boy, 33, 5’11”, Chartered Accountant, Australian citizen & working as a Manager with an MNC bank in Sydney. Family settled in Sydney for 25 years. Girl should be Hindu, 25 to 31, Australian citizen, and Sydney based. Please send photos & details to: sanjdeep6@gmail.com

Match for boy aged 26, Telugu Brahmin family. Master’s degree IT, 5’10”. Working in Sydney, parents well educated and settled in Sydney. Seeking Indian girl brought up in Australia aged 22-25 degree, qualified, fair, slim and at least 5’3”, working, able to drive. Call 0425 224 614 or email umarajaj.matrimony@gmail.com

August 2018 By Minal Khona

Minal Khona has been reading tarot cards for the last two decades. She uses her intuition and connect with the cards mostly to help people.

Aries

March 21 - April 19

Increased social and business activities and new avenues of fulfilment are on the agenda for you this month. You look for deeper meanings in relationships and might even move home. You might be considering marriage or a live-in arrangement. Creative pursuits interest you but you have to make time for them. A breakthrough at work keeps you busy. If stuck in a rut, do things differently and act on alternatives. A trip proves to be financially rewarding.

LEO

July 21 - Aug 22

There are delays, but with the promise of success, so relax. Focus on passive rather than active pursuits – feelings, emotion and self-expression. You will feel like something is lacking but don’t know what. You might consider moving in with someone but you won’t do it because it doesn’t feel right. Upper back causes health issues. If there has been a delay in finances, the money will come in shortly. Success comes through a positive change in attitude. Trust your gut instinct.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22 - Dec 21