MEDITATION: Reflection and Relaxation

MEDITATION: 
Reflection and Relaxation 
When the sun is in its zenith, half the day is gone, half of the work done, half of life's stirrings over, yet the joy of living, its challenges and rewards are whole and forever, meditate.

Dr Abe V Rotor 

A Paulinian student takes time out to meditate over a landscape mural painted by the author for St Paul College of Ilocos Sur, February 26, 2018. 

When things seem to be overwhelming, the road long and rough, the horizon far and dim, and you feel powerless under this situation, give yourself time to meditate;

When the wind stops to blow, the treetops still, birds no longer fly, the fields lay bare after harvest time, summer creeps in, and you feel the false calm of doldrums, meditate;

When the first rain is but a shower, shy and naive over the parched landscape and the dry riverbed, listen to the distant thunder, watch the gathering cloud, meditate;

When the mountains are blue in the distance, as blue as the azure sky and the sea resting after tempest, the valley deep and green, be part of the scenery, meditate;

When the birds migrate to the south before winter sets in and return in springtime, imagine the magnificence of the view from above, the adventure of travel, meditate;

When the trees proudly stand together to form a living fort, bastion against the vagaries of nature, abode and domicile of creation to which you are a part, meditate;

When the habagat is in its peak with days and days of rain, the fields now a huge lake, joining the rivers and lakes, it's nature's process of dynamic balance, meditate;

When the amihan sets in, cold wind from the north sweeps over the ripening grains, golden in the sun, undulating, lilting with kids flying kites - you're with them, meditate;

When the world seems to be moving too fast, on a chartless path, you feel you are adrift and part of a bandwagon, move out before it's too late, meditate;

When the trees come alive with music at dawn, mists settle into dewdrops, sparkling like diamonds as the sun rises, the curtain opens a new day - awake, meditate; 

When the sun is in its zenith, half the day is gone, half of the work done, half of life's stirrings over, yet the joy of living, its challenges and rewards are whole, meditate;

When the sun sets, dusk the prelude to rest, angelus prayer itself in silence, peace and harmony set in, be at the center of Home, Family and Creator, meditate. ~

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Poetry reading is an art. In fact, poetry is intended to be read before an audience to fully appreciate it, its style, its rhyme and rhythm, meter cum expression of the reader. For this particular piece, the author suggests as a background music, Meditation, a symphonic intermezzo from the opera Thaïs by French composer Jules Massenet. The piece is written for solo violin and orchestra. The opera premiered at the Opéra Garnier in Paris on March 16, 1894.

Self-Test for Hypochondria*

Self-Test for Hypochondria* 

Researched and organized by Dr Abe V Rotor

Generally we worry about our health at times, but there are some of us who fear of being ill, often so strong, that even when we are in good health, we find it hard to cope with our everyday life.

A hypochondriac is one who lives in fear of having a serious illness, despite medical tests that find nothing wrong about him or her, a somatic symptom disorder, also known as illness anxiety disorder, a condition also been known as hypochondria, or hypochondriasis.

Are you a hypochondriac? 

For each number, rate yourself  that best fits the way you feel.  Add up all scores.  The higher the total, the better the chances that you are a hypochondriac.   
1 - Not at all
2 -  Little bit
3 - Moderately
4 - Quite a bit 
5 - A great deal

1. Do you worry a lot about your health?

2. Do you think there is something seriously wrong with your body?

3. Is it hard for you to forget about yourself and to think about all sorts of other things?

4. If you feel ill and someone tells you that you are looking better, do you become annoyed?

5. Do you find that you are often aware of various things happening in your body?
6. Are you bothered by many pains and aches?

7. Are you afraid of illness?

8. Do you worry about your health more than most people do?

9. Do you get the feeling that people are not taking your illnesses seriously enough?

10. Is it hard for you to believe your doctor when he or she tells you there is nothing for you to worry about?

11. Do you often worry about the possibility that you have a serious illness?

12. If a disease is brought to your attention (through radio, TV, or newspapers or by someone you know), do you worry about getting it yourself?

13. Do you find that you are bothered by many different symptoms?

14. Do you often have the symptoms of a very serious disease?  
-------------------------
There are no hard-and-fast cutoffs in the Whiteley Index , but people who score between 32 and 55 are generally considered to be hypochondriacs, while those who score between 14 and 28 are generally considered not to be. These numbers are merely indications, however; people suffering from depression also often score high. The best way to find out for certain is to consult a sympathetic physician.
------------------------
*Based on the Whiteley Index.The Whiteley Index is a widely used test to find hypochondria. As with all tests the result must be interpreted cautiously. A high score is an indication that you could profit from talking this over with your doctor.

Answers to Self-Administered Test on Teachers and Teaching:- True or False, 50 Items

 Test on Teachers and Teaching 
Nodding your head means approval, but it could also mean at the same time sign of respect. 

Dr Abe V Rotor

1. The Anecdote, a form of story telling, is Christ’s powerful teaching tool. (False, parable)

2. For effective teachers what is most important is the substance and its delivery through verbal means. Kinesics or body language contributes about 10 percent of teaching effectiveness. (False, higher value)

3. Folding arms across chest may be understood as competitive attitude or even resistance to change. It should not be used often in teaching. (True: maton attitude has no place in the classroom.)

4. Scratching your head whether you are a teacher or student may be understood as embarrassment or insult. (True. This is a mannerism outside the classroom)

5. Body tilted forward means that to get attention, so that the speaker must have to make himself clearer and to talk louder – or explain further. (True. Give the favor or benefit of the doubt.)

6. Extending arms out in front with palms up should never be used by teachers, more so by students because it violates humility. (False, this is a good gesture – just do it with respect.)

7. Covering your face and tapping the table is a reaction of one who is embarrassed. (False – impatience, too which does not go with good manners)

8. There are teachers who wag a finger. It means blaming and warning the students at the same time. (True, avoid as much as possible.)

9. Handshake with a smile is a genuine expression of recognition, which teachers must used often on the right occasion. (True, but be genuine with your intentions – not the politician’s way. )

10. Humanities and Science must go together in teaching. This requires the use of both the left brain which is creativity and the right brain which is for logic or reason. (False, brain lobes interchanged)

11. Handwriting is a mirror of your personality. This means that a person who is good in classical writing style has a better personality than one who is poor with this style of writing. (False)

12. Never allow your students to critique you as their teacher inside the classroom. Confront them after class. (False, be open to them even in the classroom.)

13. AJA is the acronym of a useful guide in making decisions and acting on the decisions properly. It means Action Judgment and Analysis. (False. Analysis first)

14. Tell your child to change wet clothes immediately to prevent colds. In the absence, of dry clothes or towellete, it’s all right to place newspaper under the wet clothes to absorb perspiration and keep the back warm. (False, newspaper contains chemicals, like lead.)

15. Be like the Greeks, specially Demosthenes, and practice talking before the mirror. Tape your voice and listen to it. Get an expert to critique you on how you talk in front of people. (True, always aim at self improvement.)

16. As a teacher aim at developing a low pitch, and high volume of your voice - like a radio announcer. (False, whether you are male or female, and other factors – level of students)

17. These two should go together always: articulation and logic. (True)

18. Tempo is the speed of talking, while Rhythm places emphasis on different words and the cadence of speech. (True)

19. Non-verbal messages are transmitted through human actions and behaviors rather than through words. These occur mostly face-to-face. The impact of each component is as follows: Facial – 25%; Vocal or Verbal – 75% (False 55% and 45%, respectively)

20. When you are angry the pitch of your voice goes up. This is but natural and students will understand. In fact this is one way you should instill discipline in the classroom. (False. Generally an angry voice is of a higher pitch. That’s why we say to an angry person, “Don’t raise your voice.” True, there are some who, if angry talk with a lower pitch, oftentimes aloud and exaggerated. It speaks of fine social grace to be able to maintain the pitch and volume of our voice even when we are angry.)

21. When posing for a photograph, relax your shoulders. (True. You will be surprised on how relaxed the muscles of your jaw, cheek, and forehead become, radiating to your nape and torso and then to your arms and legs. Use this technique when you are in for a stage fright or nervousness in a conference. It even induces you to sleep.)

22. Dr. Albert Schweitzer was great English explorer and teacher-missionary in Africa who became famous for his philosophy “reverence for life.” (True. He was one of the last great explorers to bring knowledge, peace and Christianity into the Dark Continent.)

23. We are all teachers in our own rights – parent to children, elders to the young ones, extension worker to farmers, broadcasters to audience. (True)

24. Mother Teresa’s example of service to the “poorest of the poor” is a model of a true teacher. We have a Mother Teresa Awardee Filipina in the person of Sis Eva Fidela Maamo, who is also a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Community Development . (True.)

25. The Enhancers of teaching are the requisites or “musts” for the attainment of teaching expertise; while the Essentials are teaching practices and behaviors contributory to teaching expertise. (False, other way around)

26. Subject matter expertise means thorough/excellent knowledge of content, being up-to-date with the latest developments in their fields; knowledge of the interrelationships among the structural elements or concepts of the subject matter. (True)

27. Knowledge of the relationship of the lesson with other courses is good but not necessary in effective. (False)

28. Classroom Management Expertise is the ability of the teacher to efficient handle routine activities and time management – All expert teachers manage classroom routine and time efficiently. The teacher is familiar with the names of his students, and knows who is absent, who is a fast or slow learner. (True)

29. More than half of the experts (58%) do not check attendance because the students are properly monitored and absenteeism does not pose a problem. Classes start and end on time. The teacher employs different ways of maximizing class time, such as the use of OHP, and other instructional devises, including handouts. (True)

30.Maintenance of students’ on-task behavior - 92% of the experts use this enhancer. They use socialization techniques, encourage students to recite, motivate, and check their progress. There is never a dull moment in the classroom for an expert teacher. (True)

31. 90% of the expert teachers use varied teaching strategies. The expert teachers demonstrate facility in the use of varied instructional strategies, demonstrate knowledge of different teaching strategies, adopt group dynamics, and are particular in instructional clarity. They have the ability to simplify and clearly present lessons. (True)

32. Use of varied teaching strategies –The expert teachers employ other than lecture and recitation, song and movement, role-playing, pantomime, choral; reading visual imagery, concept mapping, brainstorming, contest, simulation, oral debate, cooperative learning etc. depending on the needs of the subject. (True)

33. All the expert teachers are very fluent, articulate and have good voice quality, like a DJ. They use English, and Pilipino often. (False)

34. The expert teacher spots and readily identifies students who experience learning difficulties. Thus he makes provisions to encourage students, or to prevent the occurrence of learning difficulties, as may be the case. Sensitivity to students’ learning problems/difficulties. (True)

35. Classroom humor – Filipinos are fond of humor, but not even one-half of the expert teachers could ignite laughter in class through jokes and anecdotes. (False)

36. Jonathan Swift is a popular novelist and poet, as well as a teacher, mainly for his trilogy of “The Travels of Gulliver.” the third and last travel of the kindly doctor is the world of the spirits and of the dead. (True)

37. Generally, the less intelligent a person is, the more he is sensitive and most likely affected by psychological/emotional problems. (False)

38. Homo sapiens mean “thinking man” while Homo faber is “playing man.” (False, faber is man, the maker.)

39. Beliefs, perceptions and views originate and are naturally produced by a local community, thus called communal property. Among these works are Iliad, Odyssey and Lam-ang. (True)

40. Traditional wisdom and ethno-science still no longer flourish in Philippine traditional cultural communities, because they are regarded as "superstition" and "works of the devil". (False. They are much felt and visible in rural communities.)

41. For the science educator and communicator, the trend of research is towards the unknown, and must bear away from tradition and the past for these have very little scientific bases. (False, they are as important as prospective research)

42. Globalization, along with information and communication in hi-tech form, very much affects the cultures of peoples and nations in the world today. The global market regime continues to erode the cultural rights of local communities. This is the trend that is happening throughout in the world. (True)

43. Our ancestors were a happier lot than us today. They had more time for themselves and their family, and more things to share with their community. They lived healthier lives and were endowed - more than we are - with the good life brought about by the bounty and beauty of nature?  (True)

44. Modern music makes a wholesome life; it is therapy. It is unlike ethnic music. (False)

45. Village folks sing or hum as they attend to their chores; they have songs when rowing the boat, songs when planting, songs of praise at sunrise, songs while walking up and down the trail, etc. Seldom is there an activity without music. Even the sounds of nature to them are music. (True)

46. Here is one example of a fallacy that education should correct today: thunder and lightning spawn mushroom because is just one of the ancestral belief handed down to us. (False, it should not be.)

47. Haystacks (mandala) once dotted the rice fields as we once knew when we were schoolchildren, but because they are inefficient for storing harvest and hay they have become obsolete. (False, the mandala is an engineering feat, and an efficient system of grain storage on the farm)

48. By examining the physical characteristics of plants, we can read how nature intended them to be used. This is a belief called Doctrine of Signatures. (False,physical appearance has nothing to do with the curative powers of plants, or animals for that matter. It is true that garlic is an effective respiratory cure, but it is its active ingredients that are responsible for it.

49. Children nursed with formulated infant food prove to be more intelligent as in the case of a girl claimed by a milk company to have an IQ higher than that of Galileo. (False)

50. Breastfeeding allows longer spacing of children; it’s nature’s way to allow the baby to be weaned properly, and the mother to recover fully before having the next child. This is only an unfounded claim of a group fighting the multi-national companies’ claim on the superiority of their infant food products. (False, mother’s milk is still the best; this is indeed nature’s way of family planning.) ~

12 Tips in Harvesting Fruits and Vegetables

Pineapple is ready for harvest when the "eyes" are filled, and the base of the fruit becomes yellow advancing upward.

 

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable. Here is list of do's and don'ts in harvesting, in order to reduce loss and enhance quality. 

1. Fruits like mango, avocado, chico, caimito and guava should be harvested with a picking pole with a catching bag. 

 Siniguelas: Ready-to-pick fruits are shiny, well formed and purplish.  

 Sampalok or tamarind: Pods are dull brown, well formed.  Press rind if loose and open. Semi-ripe (manibalang, Tag) and fully ripe brown (kalanakang, Ilk) are eaten directly, or made into jelly or jam.
 

 Sapote: Ready to pick fruit are full and rounded, with tinge of brown or purple. 

Shrinks as it ripens. 

Guyabano:  The fruit is harvested green, it ripens in two to three days.  Fruit shown in this photo is immature when harvested, it will simply go to waste. 

2. Harvest pechay, mustard, lettuce, cauliflower, with sharp knife close to the root and trim at the same time. Uprooting is tedious and may predispose the harvest to early deterioration.   

3. Harvest green corn, melon, pineapple and the like, in the morning, they are sweeter.  They have lower sugar content in the afternoon.   

4. Avoid harvesting leafy vegetables early in the morning, they are brittle, and easily break and rot.  Allow them to get supple and the dewdrops to evaporate.   

5. Harvest root and tuber crops (e.g. radish, carrot) when they are large enough or at marketable size. When over mature the pith is hard and even dry. 

6. Harvest onions, garlic and potato when the top begins to dry out, spreads out and topples. 

7. Do not let yam (sinkamas) and ginger to over stay in the field, otherwise they become tough and fibrous. 

8. Harvest lettuce, pechay and mustard before they flower.

9. For cabbage, the head should be well formed, if cracked it is over mature.  Cauliflower head is well formed, clean white or cream. 

10. Harvest papaya, as soon as 10 to 15 percent of the fruit's surface is yellow to yellow orange.

11. Pineapple is ready for harvest when the "eyes" are filled, and the base of the fruit becomes yellow advancing upward.  

12. Apply the simple thumbnail test on the following:

• Sweetcorn exudes milky sap
• Okra snaps easily at the tip
• Upo, patola, cucumber easily give way and exude sap
• Cowpea, sitao, batao, sigarillas snap easily
• Squash when fully mature does not give way
• Chico, sampalok - scrape lightly, immature if green 

Living with Folk Wisdom - 50 Useful Trivia and Practical Tips (Test, 50 items True or False)

Living with Folk Wisdom - 50 Useful Trivia and Practical Tips  (Test, 50 items True or False)

True or False: To catch a live monkey, bore a hole into a green coconut (buko) just enough for the monkey's hand to enter, scoop the soft flesh and make a firm fistful of the harvest, thus trapping its hand. Then it is time to subdue the bewildered animal.

Dr  Abe V. Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog

Lesson: How rich is your knowledge handed down by old folks? How relevant is   traditional knowledge today? These items may be looked upon as science or superstition, so that separating the grain from the chaff is important. Reprint of previous post by popular request. (edited) 

This lesson was given to school teachers undergoing special training program at UST Graduate School sponsored by DECS and DOST.

1. A child around 5 years old is ready for school if he passes the “touch your opposite your ear” test.

2. Añil or azul makes white clothes whiter. Añil is made from Indigo plant which is also used by farmers as green manure.

3. Of all the banana varieties the leaves of latundan and lakatan are the best for food wrapper.

4. For school children the circumference of the neck is twice the waistline – ideally.

5. Diamond is real if it scratches glass. 

6. Leaves of Madre de Cacao or kakawate is used to hasten the ripening of fruits.

7. Salt is applied on the butt end (peduncle) of mango, chico, atis and the like, to hasten ripening. .

8. More fish are caught in the sea during full moon.

9. Mungo seeds that remain hard after cooking are seeds which were immature when harvested.

10. Oranges with indented bottom are sweeter; elongated lansones is sweeter than rounded ones.

11. Don't stir rice while cooking, otherwise it results in uneven cooking. 

12. During thunder and lightning nitrogen gas is combined with Oxygen to form nitrate (NO3) which is vital to plant growth and development. 

13. When planting on sloping land be sure that the rows follow the contour of the field to minimize erosion and siltation.

14. Burying fruits in ash, sand or sawdust delays ripening.

15. Corn harvest increases by decapitating the standing crop (detasseling). 

16. You can count with the finger the macapuno trees in a coconut grove, and if you find one, not all the nuts of that tree are macapuno.

17. Farm animals grow faster with melodious music, like Mozart's composition, so with certain plants.

18. Bad gums can lead to hearty attack.

19. A candidate of heart attack is known by his features, like being bald, having a big tummy.

20. An unconscious person is revived by pressing his base of his foot thumb.

21. This is a test for fresh egg. When immersed in water it lies at the bottom on its side.

22. Pruning enhances survival of seedlings and cuttings, pruning stimulate flowering and fruiting.

23. It is true that raining while the sun is out breeds insects.

24. Jackfruit or nangka may bear fruits under the ground. 

25. Light trapping of insects, such as gamu-gamo (winged termite),  is effective and practical.

26. Old folks on the farm are more familiar with wild food plants than today’s agriculturists. 

27. Old folks use garlic and red pepper (siling labuyo) to control common insect pests.

28. Pinag-aasawa ang kalabasa (pollination) to insure fruit formation.

29. Carabao’s milk is more nutritious than cow’s milk. 

30. Chopped banana stalk makes a cold pack substitute.

31. Corn silk tea is good for the kidney.

32. The elbow, rather than the finger, is ideal to test a tepid bath for the baby.

33. Ethnic music in the rural area is part of a wholesome life, it is also therapeutic. 

34. Fly maggots heal deep wounds, a medical practice, before the advent of antibiotics.

35. Contrary to common belief, guava seeds don't cause appendicitis.

36. Gulat ang gamut sa sinok. Jolting the patient stops his hiccup.

37. In the absence of vinegar or any medication, urine is immediately applied on wound caused by sea urchin.

38. Ipil-ipil seed is used by old folk to expel ascaris worms (bulate sa tiyan), just by pounding around 5 mature seeds and mixing it with syrup. 

39. Ipon or dulong is the a favorite delicacy of Ilocanos, quite often eating it raw.

40. It’s strange but true, “When dust gets into your eyes, blow your nose.”

41. Kamote or sweet potato builds as much gas (flatulence). 

42. Lead (Pb) poisoning can be obtained unknowingly from paints, prints, dyes, because lead is an excellent fixer.

43. Lead poisoning was common among the Romans when they changed their drinking bronze vessels into lead alloys.

44. A mother should read, sing and talk to her baby in the in the womb from the time of conception. Pregnant mothers should also have a happy and positive disposition.

45. Mothers should not do heavy work for 40 days after childbirth.

46. Pansit-pansitan or Piperonia pellucida relieves arthritis.

47. To catching a live monkey, bore a whole on a green coconut (buko) just enough for its hand to enter. It will gather the soft flesh and make a firm grip, thus trapping its hand. Then it is time to subdue the bewildered animal.

48. The female seahorse turns over her eggs to her partner after mating and frees herself from "babysitting".

49. Dogs eat grass for self-medication, so with parrots eating clay.

50. A brown grasshopper in summer turns green in the rainy season. ~

ALL ITEMS ARE TRUE.  

45-50  OUTSTANDING
40-44   Very Good
31- 39  Good
21- 30  Average
20 and Below  Visit this Blog more often
  
REFERENCE: Living with Folk Wisdom, 2008, by AVRotor (UST Publising House, Manila). Acknowledgement: Internet photos. 

"What's essential can't be seen by the eye." 50 Verses for Meditation

"Who sees silver lining of clouds dark and bold
seeks not at rainbow's end its pot of gold." avr
Dr Abe V Rotor
Read verses with pipe in music of Meditation (From the Thais) by Massenet, or any appropriate meditative music. 

 

1. When the skies cry and tears fall,
The grass is greener, so with the soul.

2. The rain pelts on the faces of children
Turned heavenward. Look my brethren.

Adventure in nature. Girl before a wall mural by the author.

3. Walks he alone in the rain singing,
Whether the wind's cool or the sun peeping.

4. If I'm responsible for what I tame,
Would I have a choice of only the lame?

5. A gentle breeze came through a lid;
Where's the window when the wall's solid?

6. Pray, but if Thor holds back the lightning bolts,
We may not have mushroom and the jolts.

7. Hush! Suddenly the world became still;
Gone is the lark or the raven on the sill.

8. Saxon wall, each turret a guard-
Now empty, lonely is war afterward.

9. Radial symmetry starts from the center,
That balances an outside force to enter.

10. What good is a lamp at the ledge?
Wait 'til the day reaches its edge.

11. In seeing our past we find little to share,
If the past is the present we're living in.

12. In abstract art you lose reality;
How then can I paint truth and beauty?



13. Brick wall, brick roof, brick stair,
Glisten in the rain, dull in summer air.
Lawin or osprey on a backboard, painting  by the author 

14.What's essential can't be seen by the eye
Like the faith of Keller and Captain Bligh.

15. Similar is rainbow and moth in flight
When you see them against the light.

16. From respite in summer fallow,
The fields start a season anew.

17. From green to gold the grains become
As they store the power of the sun.

18. Not all sand dunes for sure
Ends up on empty shore.

19. One little smoke tells the difference,
Like a faint pulse is life's reference.

20. It's collective memory that I'm a part
To write my life's story when I depart.

21. Lost time, lost opportunity and lost gain,
like passing wind that may not come again.

22. Who sees silver lining of clouds dark and bold
seeks not at rainbow's end a pot of gold.

23. A clenched fist softens under a blue sky
like high waves, after tempest, die.

24. When a flock of wild geese takes into the air
a leader must get ahead to break the barrier.

25. Even to a strong man, a little danger may create
the impression he's small or the problem is great.

26. In the doldrums or during sudden gusts,
the ship is much safer with a bare mast.

27. Wind, current, and keel make a perfect trio
only if they have one direction to follow.

28. You really can't tell where a sailboat goes
without keel, but to where the wind blows.

29. The sound of a yes may be deep or hollow,
and knowing it only by its own echo.

30. Walk, don't run, to see better and to know
the countryside, Mother Nature and Thou.~

31. We do not have the time, indeed an alibi
to indolence and loafing, letting time pass by.

32. As we undervalue ourselves, so do others
undervalue us. Lo, to us all little brothers.

33. Self-doubt at the start is often necessary
to seek perfection of the trade we carry.

34. What is more mean than envy or indolence
but the two themselves riding on insolence.

35. The worst kind of persecution occurs in the mind,
that of the body we can often undermine.

36. How seldom, if at all, do we weigh our neighbors
the way we weigh ourselves with the same favors?

37. Friendship that we share to others multiplies
our compassion and love where happiness lies.

38. Evil is evil indeed - so with its mirror,
while goodness builds on goodness in store.

39. That others may learn and soon trust you,
show them you're trustworthy, kind and true.

40. Kindness and gladness, these however small
are never, never put to waste at all.

41. Beauty seen once breaks a heart,
Wait for the image to depart.

42. Being right and reasonable;
Black or white, and measurable.

A make believe adventure in nature. Wall mural by the author. 


43. She's coy who speaks soft and light;
Smoke first before fire ignites.

44. Every promise you can't keep
Drags you into a deeper pit.

45. To endure pain of hatred,
A leader’s wisdom is dared.

46. Make believe prosperity;
Sound of vessel when empty.

47. Take from the ant or stork,
Patience is silence at work.

48. Good wine grows mellow with age;
Good man grows into a sage.

49. He finds reason for living
Who sees a new beginning.

50. Beauty builds upon beauty,
Ad infinitum to eternity. ~

Forest Stream

"... bred from the sky, tempered by wind, cloaked with green, home of life..."

Dr Abe V Rotor

Forest Stream Mural in acrylic, 2009, AVRotor.  Author's residence, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur  

Children ask who made you, from where you came, to where you go;

you're too naive to be true, until you are weaned to be free

from hidden springs and aquifers among the rocks and trees;

sweeping down to the fields, rest in lakes, and flow to the sea -

you are bred from the sky, tempered by wind, cloaked with green,

home of life, source of power, bless you and the hands unseen. ~

Part 1 - Hypochondria or imagined illness: Are you a hypochondriac?

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Chances are,  you may be suffering of hypochondriasis, a condition you are unduly alarmed about any physical or psychological symptoms you detect, no matter how minor the symptom may be. You are convinced that you have, or are about to be diagnosed with, as serious illness.

I have a friend of my age, built and lineage diagnosed of cancer.  Suddenly I felt my breathing difficult. It took months after his funeral that I was not suffering of the same disease.  But what an anxiety I underwent! 

In another incident a religious sister, an aunt of mine, called on the phone, "Abe I am here in the hospital." She had pneumonia. "Will you play the violin for me?" On the phone I played On Wings of Song by  Mendelssohn. My wife held the phone close. "I'm going to sleep now." Auntie Madre never woke up.

Such an experience leaves behind anxiety you think you are vulnerable to a simple cold becoming deadly pneumonia. To date, two decades after, a lingering cough could bring back the residue of that fear.  

So I developed the habit to go to the library for health references, or bought books about the subject.  Beginning in my sixties, I began using the Internet for self diagnosis and treatment. 

I have a mole becoming bigger in area, though not raised, I looked for signs of skin cancer.  Heartburn and early symptoms of heart attack have similarities. Angina! I panic. Blood rushes and elevates blood pressure.  I must go to the hospital. Nearing a hospital all signs and symptoms suddenly disappear. "You are tired." The doctor would say and gives you tranquilizer. Nurses and attendants look at each other. 

Now hear this.  A fellow journalist and I drove through heavily traffic in downtown Manila and finally reached the editorial desk beating the deadline for submission of articles. Whew! It was summer noontime. We took a quick lunch.  All of a sudden I had palpitation.  I had my BP taken in a nearby clinic. 180 over 100!  We rushed to an emergency hospital. The doctor asked what I ate. Yes, Vetsin or MSG in noodles, I recalled.  I was thinking of a good friend who died of vetsin overdose right in his parked car.  The doctor gave me anti-histamine shot and assured my condition is not anaphylaxis or fatal allergy.

Fill in my shoes.  What comes to mind when dining in a Chinese restaurant, in adding magic cubes in your cooking? On discovering you have taken canned goods beyond expiry date?  On getting intoxicated with attendant symptoms you think you are going to die?  What if you suddenly feel dizzy and you are alone in the house.  

Hypochondriacs are self made. Their anxieties are persistent, in fact commutative. Particularly in our present post modern age with computers and other handy gadgets available at fingertips for consultation. Too much knowledge is even worse than limited knowledge as we imagine ourselves victims caught in the middle of a pool and are going to drown.

"A little learning is a dangerous thing," says the poet Alexander Pope in his Essay on Criticism. But knowledge is also dangerous when we have knowledge far beyond our need and station in life, say another critic. "This can make for great unhappiness. In our day and age we tend to evaluate things in terms of the pleasure we receive from it. And idle curiosity can be followed to just as destructive effect as an unregulated appetite for food."

Yes, we equate our feelings with comfort, ease, pleasure and even idleness, these we mistake as the ingredients of The Good Life.  Hypochondriacs are very sensitive people with Narcissistic syndrome. Truly, many things we relate our thoughts and feelings as ailments and diseases are false alarms to the extent that we annoy doctors who would rather treat real patients. We waste their time and energy, as such deprive many patients of treatment.  

Hypochondriacs don't harm just themselves, they clog the whole healthcare system, says Time ( How to Heal a Hypochondriac by MD Lemonick).  Although they account for only about 6 percent of the patients who visit doctors every year, they tend to burden their physicians with frequent visits  that take up inordinate amounts of time. According to one estimate  hypochondria racks up some 20 billion dollars a year in wasted medical resources in the US alone. And the problem is escalating with the proliferation of medical information and the Internet worldwide on one hand, and the increasing tension and stress in daily living, often leading to depression. Depression is the advance state of anxiety that inevitably needs medical treatment. At this point we no longer treat hypochondria as an ordinary problem - it is grave medical condition with deep social implication. ~

Nature loves a playful companion.

Nature loves a playful companion.  

Dr Abe V Rotor

 A "natural" research station for Ruby, a graduate student
 in marine biology and phycology at the University 
of Santo Tomas.  Mabini Batangas c. 1990 

Field research is tedious, but find time to relax;

     it involves a lot on concentration, 

but remember the brain works best when at ease,

     and that knowledge needs incubation;

research is a game, and a hobby too, be happy;

     Nature loves a playful companion. ~

The Sport of Fishing: the biggest fish to catch is "Peace of Mind"

"Through years of fishing I have counted the blessings of this sport by good health and peace of mind - my biggest catch ever." AVR

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog 

Saturday 4:00 am
A hurried coffee anticipates your thoughts in the anchored boat. The shore wakes up very early with returning night fishermen. You receive “Lucky fishing” more casually than “Bon Voyage.”

5:00 am
You anchor at 10 to 30 fathoms, your companion calculates by sixth sense. Your other companion: absolute silence. By now the fish stirs to dawn and appetite. Cast your line.

5:30 am
The fish bites. The line jerks and grows taut. Tug to drive the hook in and pull but give a little line if he goes for a wild run. Ready the scoop net, and land him in. Probably your heart jumped with a seven-pound bite, a five-pound pull, but you get only a two-pound grouper or sea trout.

6:00 am
Your second or third catch, your partner’s fourth or twelfth. And he is not unusually excited. The sea is creaseless now except for ripples of small fishes chased by larger species. Occasionally a game fish stirs or a tortoise, which feeds of drifting weeds, pops its head out and lets a heavy sigh. Flying fishes playfully glide and splash in kaleidoscope colors. You squint at the early sun.

8:00 am
You try trawling. Your partner checks bearing for distance and location and idles the engine. Your line dangles far and you hold it firm as your boat makes the rounds. You feel a tug, give an arm’s length or two of line to allow the fish to take a big bite. When the fight begins, your companion instinctively pulls the boat to a stop and you continue pulling. Play with wit. It’s dorado, carelessly strong and fast. Tire him first for easier landing.

10:00 am
The sun beats on your Mexican-rim hat and old long sleeve. You reach for cold drinks and sandwich. You see boats, perhaps a dozen, each to its own. Fishing is a highly individual sport.

11;00 am
You return and dock in. Tie your catch through the gill. Feel the weight of the bunch at your heart’s content. Somewhere around the corner men talk about the big fish that got away.

11:30
It is time to cook your catch. Broiled fish and sinigang are best for a family picnic on a weekend.

It is unthinkable that a fisherman dares to be alone at sea, aware that his life is being dependent on a defenseless frail craft. Yet freedom and love for adventure dominate all dangers, as if by going to sea he satisfies an ancient craving.

Here he seeks contemplation to break a prosaic life style. Or escape heavy social demands. The fishing line, like a communication wire, carries messages outside of convention and even rational matters. It connects two worlds – the deep and modern man. The game is primitive but it is played with fair rules.

Ernest Hemingway’s character in The Old Man and the Sea dramatizes the ritual. To wit.

“He felt neither strain nor weight, and he held the line tightly. Then it came again. This time it was a tentative pull, neither solid nor heavy, and he knew exactly what it was. One hundred fathoms – down a marlin was eating the sardine that covered the point and the shank of the hook. He was happy, feeling the gentle pulling, and then, he felt something, hard and unbelievably heavy. It was the weight of the fish and he let the line slip down, down, down, unrolling off the first of the two reserve coils. As it went down, slipping lightly through the old man’s fingers, he still could feel the great weight, though the pressure of his thumb and finger were already almost imperceptible…”

Much is said of great men who were fishermen in leisure, or in deep thoughts. Darwin and Newton changed the history of the world with their discoveries. The greatest Teacher who ever lived was a fisherman. Ideas are the greatest catch.

Through the years of fishing, or casting, and occasional big time fishing, I have counted the blessing of the sport not by my average or biggest catch, but by good health, better insight of personal values, and brighter outlook in life.

I believe that our faculties are sharpened by meditative moments through which we subconsciously sooner or later, find ourselves with more resolve to the assigned task of daily living. Incubation of ideas is like building a structure. It takes place during contemplative moments. Why many decisions are put off until after well-spent weekend?

Fishing reminds us of humility. I was boasting of my first catch. Later, I realized it cannot even qualify for an amateur’s record. Didn’t I laugh at a fisherman who hauled a chunk of coral he believed to be a big fish? The day after that, I came home empty handed and nearly lost my life at sea and he was so sorry to hear about the incident.

Millions over the world enjoy this lifetime sport. “Once a fisherman, a fisherman forever,” so goes the saying.

When the rivers and brooks run with fresh upstream water, the ponds full, and where freshwater meets the sea, or after a tempest, or during new moon, go find your fish.

Although luck plays a good part, yet experience and knowledge are no substitute. Nobody though, becomes perfect at fishing there is always something new to learn, and often it is the sixth sense that works better.

Harmony with Nature, the key to peace of mind and happiness, is probably the ultimate in fishing. Isaac Walton, father of this sport, lives with his song:

In these flowery mead would be,
These crystal streams would solace me;
To whose harmonious bubbling noise,
I with my angle would rejoice.” ~

The author's long time fishing companion, the late Melecio Martinez, proudly shows a rich catch to a curious boy - who, too, may find someday fishing a meditative sport.