Lijiang: A storm in a buttered tea cup
Friday, June 8th, 2007Wed-Thurs, May 30-31 2007
I left Dali under a cloud of controversy. During my stay at the “Friends Guesthouse”, I had been setting two cats free. I found them chained up to their ‘cat houses’ with a chain so short they could hardly reach the plate of fly encrusted food outside. They were in a mangy, miserable state, although being a special breed: white with blue eyes. The only thing left for them to do was let out bowel-churning meows, which, if it was recorded would have a parental advisory slapped on it for its pure terror content.
Chaining up cats is WRONG, you can’t justify it in any way. So, I set them free…repeatedly. On my last day, I was glad to see that they were contently roaming around, sniffing and playing with each other. Either someone must’ve gotten the message, or the cats got wise to being caught.
Just before leaving, I started chatting to an Argentinian couple who had been travelling for the last 13 months. When I told them about the cats, their eyes widened in surprise: “Oh, so it was you!” Apparently the owner had stormed up to them and angrily questioned the guests whether they had set the cats free. “Havent you seen the message board?” they pointed to a blackboard at reception with the following message:
“Who take guesthouse cats from Angora always again free!
I am very Angry!!!
The cats go outside, may be eat the medication for mice (mouse) must be to death!
The cats live is better than death!!!
Now you are in P.R.C.”
Yeah, I really needed to be reminded that I am now in the P.R.C (People’s Republic of China). I was beginning to think that I am in the P.R.C.C. (People’s Republic of Cruelty to Cats)… [read on]
vynckemichelle