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Here's me on the way to the airport :)
Since I know you might be wondering what the cat looked like, here is a picture. I took this when I first arrived to the house because I thought this cat would be nice :/
Dear Gracie,
What a long flight. I slept 12 of the 14 hours and it was NICE. I ate a good meal of chicken and potatoes. I know you have all been curious about where my first stop was going to be....
It's CHINA!
I chose to go to China first because I had never been but heard great things. My thought was if I am taking such a long flight around the world, I might as well try to see all the places that are well known. Since my goal of this trip is to see the relationship that dogs and cats have (while having fun) I figure I need to go to very dense, popular areas.
I have been here for a few days now and wow what a culture shock. I am staying with a lovely couple who had their house up for "bed and breakfast". I figured it would be best for me to have some company while I explore all these new cities. The couple I chose has a cat that "gets along with everyone". I also made sure that whoever I decided to stay with MUST speak English at least as a second language. I did not want to have any unnecessary barriers that would hold me back from this wonderful adventure. So far, the cat has been staying outside which has been nice. BUT... I am currently not happy with the cat because he put me in wrong standing with the couple that I am slowly working through.
Two days ago, the couple was acting very weird around the house saying things like
"Where could the pen be?" "This is not good" "Without the pen we will never have a job again."
I immediately knew something was wrong and went to tell the cat.
"Oh no, their magic pen is gone?"
"Yes, I overheard them saying that they won't have a job without it!"
The cat explained that with this pen, it grants you the best job for as long as you have the it (hopefully forever). The pen has been around for ages but it has been seen as only a myth to people who have not actually seen or heard someone that had it.
After a long discussion about how to find the pen, the cat agreed to search all the markets and stores with me. We started at the markets that the cat knew the couple went to regularly. After searching for 5 hours, we finally came to the last of the markets before we have to start checking the house for the pen. The market has a sign out front, no cats allowed. I decided we would take no chances of getting in trouble, so I went to search alone. I came across the magic pen. It was on the tallest shelf that I couldn't reach. The pen was difficult to miss because of its bright red, shiny design. I was scared to ask for help since I do not speak the same language and I couldn't find anyone that spoke English. I ran out of the market and told the cat.
"I need you to be sneaky. Go into the store, turn right and go all the way down. The magic pen is on the very top shelf."
Without hesitation, the cat entered the store. I stood at the front to make sure no one could see him.
The cat grabbed the pen and made it out safely. As we started home, the cat wanted to race to the house but I had no sense of direction. The cat laughed and took off anyways.
I tried to follow the cat's prints on the road but I realized I was lost. The closer I got to home the more my sense of where I was came back. I finally made it back. From the outside of the house, I could see the couple holding and petting the cat, looking ecstatic. I figured the cat told them that I had helped find the pen. NO. NO, he didn't. I burst through the dog door and the couple snapped at me.
"Where have you been? First, we lose our pen, then you run away?"
"No! What? I went looking for your pen with the cat. We were gone all day till I found the pen in the supermarket."
"That's not what the cat told us. He told us you were mad about something and stormed off on your own."
Long story short, I did my best to explain exactly what our day consisted of. They kind of understood me but I know they are still upset and I am unsure why. I am not happy with the cat AT ALL.
So far, the experience with the cat here has not been anything I thought it was. I guess the saying sticks over here that the cat and dog are not friends.
Well, I can't wait till you get to read this post and hope you enjoy it. Once I head to the next location I will fill you in on all the sights and places I visited while I was in China. I am excited for the adventures to come.
Woof,
Stella
Author's note: For this first story, I decided to use the story from China: Why Dogs and Cats Are Enemies. This story is about a couple their dog and cat, and one lucky ring. This ring had special powers that they were unaware of. They realized that without the ring they were poor. The dog and cat were not able to have food because they could not afford it anymore. The dog had a plan of how to get the ring back together. The cat needed the dog to cross the river. When the dog needed the cat to help to get around the house, the cat left with the ring and returned it home before the dog got there. The couple was so happy and thankful. The cat was praised for being the one to return the ring and the dog was scolded. This caused the dog to not like the cat and ever since they have been enemies.
My story is similar to this one in that it follows the idea of retrieving something very important. I wanted to recreate the story with a viewpoint from a dog rather than the third person.
Header image: Chinese temple
My story is similar to this one in that it follows the idea of retrieving something very important. I wanted to recreate the story with a viewpoint from a dog rather than the third person.
Header image: Chinese temple
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