Livewire Acrobat

Photos by Anna Christina R Rotor

"Look! No balancing pole."
A squirrel dashes on high voltage wire. Bangkok, Thailand.

Funambulism is the art of walking along a thin wire or rope,usually at a great height. Funambulist is an acrobat who performs on a tightrope or tightwire. It requires great skill, agility and coordination.


Living with Nature 3, AVR

Requiem to a Tree

Abe V Rotor

Felled balite tree (Ficus benjamina), Lagro QC

Requiem to a Tree

Here you lie, fallen cold and dead;
Your requiem's the sound of feet and stone,
As mindless passersby just tread
On, gazing at the empty horizon.

"Oh heart, the bleeding drops of red!"
I had said this once - oh, how sad!
When my son died, and when you were felled;
And I'll say it again after the flood.~

Living with Nature 3, AVR (All Rights Reserved)

All about Insects - Self Administered Test

Danaus butterfly

Rhinoceros beetle, male

Abe V Rotor

1. The study of insects is Entomology. Kasama dito ang mga relatives niya.

2. Lahat na insekto ay may 6 na paa – sa lahat na life stages nila.

3. Magkamaganak ang insekto sa sugpo at alimango, ganon din an gagamba.

4. If you find harmful insects around, the best thing to do is spray agad parang masugpo.

5. You can prepare a simple solution to keep off insects in your garden: crushed garlic, little soap and kerosene and a baldi of water – just water on the plants.

6. IPM means Integrated Pest Management – universally the standard in pest control.

7. The first to adopt in IPM ay ang wastong pagbubukid, sanitation, cleanliness.

8. Ang ikalawang bahagi ng IPM is the protection and encouragement of natural enemies of harmful insects.

9. Ang mga sumusunod ay tinatawag social insects: termites, ants and bees.

10. Colonies of aphids, scale insects, mites are pseudo-social in nature.

11. Lahat na grasshopper, if starved and threatened will form the congregans and migratoria stages.

12. Social insects are strictly matriarchal that is, the queen is the head of the colony.

13. Preying mantis mating is characterized by the killing and feeding of the male by the female to insure fertilization – and the continuation of the species.

14. Among the exotic insects for gourmet is the field cricket, Gryllotalpha africana or camaro.

15. Ticks, flea, bedbugs, centipedes all belong to the fame family – Hexapoda.

16. The Chinese are fond of taking care of field rickets as pet – insects instead of dogs.

17. There are insects that live for 17 years, other 20 years – or even more.

18. The shortest living insect is the Mayfly – lacewing, called Ephemerid (Family Ephemerida).

19. Aphids and scale insects form colonies so that they are classified social insects.

20. As a general rule, chemical control is the last resort in pest control.

21. A number of TV and print advertisements on spraying insects are predisposing users to danger from the pesticides.

22. Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, criticize pesticide manufacturers for the annihilation of birds that feed on insects and sprayed crops.

23. In swarming, different colonies on the same species are timed simultaneously to encourage cross breeding.

24. The queen termite mates only once in her lifetime, so with the honeybee queen.

25. The firefly carries a lamp – bioluminescence that is almost all light, and very little heat. It is the most efficient light emitted by living organisms.


Recommended for students in biology and entomology - high school, college and postgraduate levels.

Answers: 1t, 2t, 3t, 4f, 5t, 6t, 7t, 8t, 9t, 10t, 11f, 12t, 13t, 14t, 15f, 16t, 17t, 18t, 19f, 20t, 21t, 22t, 23t, 24f, 25t



Living with Nature, 3 AVR (Lesson on Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid, DZRB 738 AM) 4,11,15,19F (Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 9:00 in the evening)

Test on Socio-Cultural Issues

Are You Allergic? A Quiz (Yes or No)

Smoke belching - cause of asthma and allergy.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Simply add up the number of points that apply to each question to which you answer YES.

1. Do you have hay fever symptoms such as sneezing, watery nasal drainage, and nasal itchiness? (4 pts)

2. Do you have chronic nasal congestion, postnasal drip, or both? (3 pts)

3. Do you have sinus problems – frequent “colds” or headaches? (2 pts)

4. Do your eyes itch, water, get red, or swell? (4 pts)

5. Do you have asthma (wheezing), a tight chest, or a chronic cough? (1 pt)

6. Do you have skin problems such as eczema, hives, or itching? (2 pts)

7. Do you have indigestion, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation? (1 pt)

8. Do you have chronic fatigue or tiredness? (4 pts)

9. Are your symptoms seasonal only – or worse seasonally? (4 pts)

10. Do your symptoms change when you go indoors or outdoors? (3 pts)

11. Are your symptoms worse in parks or grassy areas? (4 pts)

12. Are your symptoms worse in the bedroom, after going to bed, or in the morning when you get up? (2pts)

13.Are your symptoms worse when you come into contact with dust when vacuuming or cleaning around thick carpeting, heavy drapes, and so on? (4 pts)

14. Are your symptoms worse around animals? (2 pts)

15. Do you have any blood relatives with allergies: one or both parents, brothers or sisters, or children? (6 pts)

SCORES (Are you allergic?)
If you scored less than 7, it’s unlikely you have allergies.
If you scored between 8 and 12, it’s possible you have allergies.
If you scored between 13 to 30, it’s probable you have allergies.
If you scored more than 31, it’s very unlikely you have allergies.

Living with Nature 3, AVR

Allergy - Fact or Myth?

Allergy to green mussel or tahong is common
specially during Rede Tide. Allergy may be
mistaken for symptoms of Red Tide poisoning.

Don't smell the flowers, you may be allergic to pollen.
More so if the flowers have been sprayed with insecticide,
a common practice in flower farms.

Pollen grains, 50x magnification. Note germinating
pollen grains, a process pollen tube extends to reach
the ovule and effect fertilization. The pollen tube is
the culprit to pollen allergy.

Dr Abe V Rotor

This is a simple test. Read each item and analyze. Is it fact or myth?

1.Children who grow up on the farm are at much lower risk to allergy than children in the city.

2.Infants on the farm have fewer allergies than those who grow up in sterile environments.

3.Children who grow up with a cat in the house are less likely to develop allergies or asthma.

4.Very few pet owners are allergic to the animals they love.

5.Children who have been breastfed are less likely to have allergies.

6.Milk, soy, wheat, egg, peanut, fish and meat comprise the most common food allergies.

7.Most reactions to food are not allergic in nature, but rather intolerance, that is, there is no allergic antibody involved.

8.Babies exposed late to cereal grains have higher risk to cereal allergy, especially wheat.

9.Regular use of “foreign” materials (e.g. nail polish remover, contact lens, metals) can eventually cause sensitivity and reaction to these materials.

10.Allergy can induce strong and unwelcome mental and emotional reactions, such as altered perception or inappropriate changes of mood.
Children raised on the farm have much lower risk of allergy.

ANSWERS: All the ten items are based on facts.

Living with Nature 3, AVR

Thai Temple Art and Architecture

Photos by Abe V Rotor

Restored ancient temples showcase a rich history and culture of
the land of the free - Thailand, now a major tourists' destination.

Showing respect before entering the Viharn, the most sacred

part of the temple where the Buddha is adored and venerated.

Icons of Buddha depict different periods and regions
of Buddhism, as well as the nature of petitions of worshipers.

Ancient temples such as this, dot the whole region of the so-called Golden
Triangle where Buddhism is the dominant religion for centuries.

Chedi or stupa is in the form of a bell-shaped tower. It contains a relic chamber.
At the background are modified Prang, Thai version of Khmer temple towers.

A typical Wat Thai (loosely translated as monastery or temple) has an enclosing wall that divides it from the secular world. A Thai temple, with few exceptions, consists of two parts: The Phuttha-wat and the Sangha-wat.

The architecture of a Wat has seen many changes in Thailand in the course of history. Although there are many differences in lay-out and style, they all adhere to the same principals.

The Phutthawat

The Phutthawat is the area which is dedicated to Buddha. It generally contains several buildings:

• Chedi - also known as a stupa is mostly seen in the form of a bell-shaped tower, often accessible and covered with gold leaf, containing a relic chamber.

• Prang - the Thai version of Kmer temple towers, mostly seen in temples from the Sukhothai and the Ayutthaya period.

• Ubosoth or Bot – the Ordination Hall and most sacred area of a Wat. Eight Sema stones (Bai Sema) mark the consecrated area.

• Viharn in Thai temples this designates a shrine hall that contains the principal Buddha images; it is the assembly hall where monks and believers congregate.

• Hor Trai - the Temple Library or Scriptures Depository houses the sacred Tipitaka scriptures. Sometimes they are built in the form of a Mondop, a cubical-shaped building where the pyramidal roof is carried by columns.

• Sala - an open pavilion providing shade and a place to rest.

• Sala Kan Prian - a large, open hall where lay people can hear sermons or receive religious education. It literally means "Hall, in which monks study for their Prian exam" and is used for saying afternoon prayers.

• Hor Rakang - the bell tower is used for waking the monks and to announce the morning and evening ceremonies.

• Phra Rabieng - a peristyle is sometimes built around the sacred inner area as a cloister.

• Additional buildings can also be found inside the Phuttawat area, depending on local needs, such as a crematorium or a school.

The Sanghawat

These temples are distinctly Thai in art and design,
in spite of strong influence within the region.

The Sanghawat contains the living quarters of the monks. It also lies within the wall surrounding the whole temple compound. The sanghawat area can have the following buildings:

• Kuti - originally a small structure, built on stilts, designed to house a monk. Modern kutis take on the shape of an apartment building with small rooms for the monks.

• The sanghawat can also contain the 'Hor Rakang' (bell tower) and even the 'Sala Kan Prian' (sermon hall).

• It houses most of the functional buildings such as a kitchen building where food can be prepared by lay people, and sanitary buildings.

Influence of Hindu is shown in this icon

Influence of Indian religion.

Chinese influence is evident in this icon
guarding a Thai temple.

Popular Temple Icons

During the 10th century, Thai Theravada Buddhism and Hindu cultures merged, and Hindu elements were introduced into Thai iconography. Popular figures include the four-armed figure of Vishnu; the garuda Vishnus; the garuda (half man, half bird); the eight-armed Shiva; elephant-headed Ganesh; the nanañga which appears as a snake, dragon or cobra; and the ghost-banishing giant Yaksa.

This giant icon stands tall beside a Thai temple

References: Wikipedia, Thailand Tourism brochures.