China Scene: North

Cat calls its own name whenever it gets scared

A Beijing resident's pet cat is able to call its own name whenever it is frightened.

The owner, surnamed Sun, named the two-year-old cat A Gui. To his amusement, the cat started crying its own name in a voice not unlike a human child's one day two years ago when it was placed into a basin to have a bath. Since then, the cat cries like that whenever it is frightened, Sun said.

An expert surnamed Gu from a pet hospital in Beijing said the cat was very intelligent and had a good memory, which enabled it to cry as a conditioned reflex to feelings of fear.

(Beijing Daily Messenger)

Rope-skipping guard wows students with show

A security guard from Beijing is able to cross his legs while skipping rope, a stunt that is difficult for most people.

Shang Baoqun, 33, recently demonstrated his unique rope-skipping skills at a university campus, much to the delight of the gathered students.

He is able to skip as many as 55 times per minute.

"I will practice hard to challenge the world record for skipping, which is 66 jumps per minute," he told onlookers.

(Beijing Times)

Housekeepers give a hand to empty-nesters

A lot of nest-warming housekeepers have emerged in Heilongjiang Province recently to provide services to empty-nest elderly people.

Elderly people can call the housekeepers whenever they need help with shopping or other errands.

The housekeepers offer a service that is similar to that of nurses, but more flexible and free of charge.

Thousands of elderly people who live alone in the province have availed themselves of the service.

Li Xiaona, 22, is one of the province's nest-warming housekeepers. She serves all the empty-nest elderly people in the 15 apartment buildings in her community. Like Li, most of the housekeepers are hired by local old-age care centers, which are run on a charitable basis.

(China News Service)

Divorcee struggles to suppress huge appetite

A slim middle-aged woman from Beijing can consume up to 25 kilograms of food and water each day.

Qiu Xiang, 44, developed her hardy appetite after getting a divorce in 1991. She has since tired of having to eat so much, but is so accustomed to the large meals that she cannot stop eating them.

Her disorder could be the result of a kind of depression, probably caused by the collapse of her marriage, a doctor said. He added that she could suffer from hyperthyroidism.

(www.chinanews.com.cn)

(China Daily 03/23/2007 page6)