by Loti | Mar 29, 2013 | Animals, Thailand
Thailand. So I have been wondering more about the mirror test used with elephants and the 3 other species (which of course, you remember) to determine if they recognize themselves. How exactly is this done? Well a very large mirror, 8 x 8, is used which the elephant smells, touches and feels until he/she gets used to it. Then a large circle or X is painted on their forehead. If the elephant touches the painted spot on their body, using the mirror to see it, then they recognize themselves. This is part of the research being done with the elephant I am riding in the photo. And that is not all. I just read about an elephant that figured out how to use a box, to stand on, to get some fruit tied above his head, out of his reach. Wow! So an elephant can use a tool. And so can octopus, sea otters and rodents. Yes, even rats. So much to learn. More to follow!...
by Loti | Mar 28, 2013 | Food, Insects, Thailand
Thailand. Poor silkworms. In order to leave their cocoon, they must bore a hole thru the exterior of their little nests which damages the silk threads making up the cocoon. So they get boiled before they can escape. Which leaves a lot of dead silkworms. So what to do with all of them? Well of course, you eat them (at least in Asia). Here, they are seen in a food market in Northern Thailand.They are a rich source of protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins. I must confess, we didn’t try them, but they apparently are bitter and pop in your mouth. Maybe next time. One order of bird drop soup and a side of silkworms. What is fascinating, at least to me, is silkworms are extinct in the wild. Because of selective breeding and a diet of mulberry leaves exclusively, they exist only in captivity to use in silk factories. This makes them one of only two domesticated insects in the world. And they may be one of the most environmentally friendly and healthiest food sources. With minimal carbon impact, they supply silk threads for our clothes and food for our nourishment. Truly an astonishing little worm. I wonder if I can order some from Amazon? ...
by Loti | Mar 27, 2013 | Landscapes, Thailand
Singapore. Looking at one of 3 scale models of the city/country of Singapore, I was awed by the amount of green space. While Singapore is the second most densely populated country in the world, almost 50% of its land is dedicated to parks and other green space. We visited the Urban Redevelopment Authority to see the city from a different perspective, a 1: 5,000 scale model which was very cool. The models are used for urban planning and development which is particularly important in a country with only 272 square miles. And Singapore has won many awards for their urban planning. So many, in fact, they now sell their urban development expertise to other countries such as Dubai, Brazil, Qatar and Oman (not sure where all these countries are located but they sound pretty exotic). So not only is Singapore one of the cleanest cities/countries in the world (and while you don’t get caned for littering, the fine was just increased to $410 US dollars for improperly disposing of your trash), it is also one of the best planned. And safest. And greenest. My, my. Do I see a move in the future? ...
by Loti | Mar 25, 2013 | Art, Thailand
Thailand. With over 40,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand, Wat Po is one of the largest temples in Bangkok. Home to the reclining Buddha we have seen, it also has numerous curious statues guarding the inner courtyards. Here we see a Farang (meaning foreigner in Thai) guard who is dressed in Western style wearing a top hat. Very strange. What is even stranger to me, these statues were used as ballast on trade ships returning from China. So what exactly is ballast? While it is used by ships to lower their center of gravity, by providing weight, it is also used by Formula One racing cars, hot air balloons, offshore drilling platforms, snow plows and floating wind turbines. Wow. I never really thought about ballast. Race cars use ballast to help the car meet minimum weight requirements, ships use it to improve stability and maneuverability and of course the Wizard of Oz(my all time favorite movie)used it to launch his hot air balloon that poor Dorothy missed as she ran after Toto. Good thing she had her red shoes to get her home!...
by Loti | Mar 22, 2013 | Animals, Food, Thailand
Thailand. Frogs for sale in a Northern Thailand market. I guess if I had grown up eating frogs instead of chicken, I wouldn’t be so put off by the thought of eating them. But wait, that may be a really good thing. How so? Frogs are amphibians (another cool word) living on both land and in the water, unlike reptiles that only live on land. And frogs are one of the most rapidly disappearing animal on Earth due to over harvesting and disease. Some reports indicate we could see up to one third of all amphibians go extinct in our lifetime, which would be the largest mass extinction since the dinosaur and have serious environmental impacts. Just think of all the Mosquitos they eat! Some are taking action. France has banned the collection and sale of all native frogs due to a declining population. Unfortunately, at the same time, they increased their imports making them one of the largest frog importers along with Belgium and the US. Most frogs are imported from Indonesia including Thailand, severely putting the frog populations at risk in the export countries. In the US, the famous San Francisco restaurant, Gary Danko, removed frog legs from their menu in 2010 (I have eaten there once and it was fabulous) and Wegman’s, the grocery chain, removed them from all their stores due to the environmental impact. So next time you are offered a frog leg, think twice. It is the small choices we make every day that make a difference. ...
