Meet big brother Blue and his sisters Meadow and Little Willow, a family of three blind cats that got adopted by the family Catherine Magno.

    Their story starts just before the Christmas of 2014 when the kittens (小猫) were found in an abandoned house in Dubai. By then they had already lost their sight due to a cat flu that was left untreated by their previous (先前的) owner. After that they came to an animal home. At some point, brother Blue almost got adopted by the previous owner's neighbor, but the poor confused cat couldn't bear living without his sisters and cried all night while searching for them. Soon they were all united in the animal home until the important night of 19 February 2015, when Catherine took under her wing.

    “I had zero experience having adopted my first ever rescue kitten just a couple of months ago,” Catherine said. “But their story touched my heart so much that I couldn't bear the thought of them being put in a cage for a very long time or even worse.”

    Catherine was worried about the special needs of her new pet friends: “My worry was that it's going to not only be challenging but also require a lot of adjustments on my part,” but apparently it wasn't that much different. “The only adjustment early on was keeping everything where it was but they are soon adaptive(适应的).” And as she wonderfully put it: “Blind pets see through their hearts.”

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    America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while — then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) sometimes deeply into both families.

    Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily.

    Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don't show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time. This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably.

    For the Americans, it is often considered friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!

    A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.

    I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was "not athletic".

    The idea that I was "not athletic" stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!

    The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.

    Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!

    At mile 3, I passed a sign: "GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!"

    By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.

    By mile 21, I was starving!

    As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.

    I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.

    Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a "marathon winner".

    Sharon, aged 22

    The most important thing to keep in mind when you're going into high school is to be yourself. Besides, some high school teachers will not care about things like how much homework you have already had in one night. It's best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need to.

    Frank, aged 21

    I think almost every kid feels both nervous and excited before their first day of high school. You will probably love it. I know I did. You should join some sports or activities that will make your high school experience more enjoyable. Good luck!

    Eddie, aged 20

    When I started high school, I was really nervous too, especially since I had been homeschooled all through middle school and didn't really know anyone. I suppose the best advice would be to just relax. The first couple of days can be a little bit hard, but things will become easier before you know it.

    David, aged 19

    I'm not going to lie. The first day is kind of frightening. But you'll get used to it. Don't be afraid of anyone; some students may pick on (故意刁难) you more if you let them know you're afraid. Just take it easy. Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly. After the first week, it's really not bad at all. Don't worry.

Yunnan offers exciting experiences of unique customs. If you are already planning to visit Yunnan, see our festival tours.

The Torch (火把) Festival

Date: July /August (24th to 26th of the sixth lunar month)

Location: Lijiang

It is a traditional festival among the Yi, Naxi, and Bai minority (少数民族) groups. According to the ancient rule of the Naxi people, the Torch Festival should last three days, and every family should light a big torch in front of their doors for the three days.

Recommended Tour: 3-Day Ancient Lijiang Tour

The Water Splashing (泼酒) Festival

Date: April 13th to 15th

Location: Xishuangbanna

It is the most important festival observed by the Dai people of Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan. It involves splashing water, lantern floating and other joyful activities.

Recommended tour: 6-Day Xishuangbanna Tour

The Horse Race Festival

Date: May/June (5th of the fifth lunar month)

Location: Shangri-La

Falling on the same date as the Dragon Boat Festival, it is the biggest gathering of Tibetans in Yunnan and usually lasts about 3 days. During the celebrations, traditional performances and competitions like horse racing and wrestling(摔跤) will be held.

Recommended tour: 8-Day Yunnan Tour of the Nu River and Tengchong

The Third Month Fair of the Bai Group

Date: April /May (15th to 21th of the third lunar month)

Location: Dali

It is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Bai people in Dali in western Yunnan. During the March Fair, the streets of Dali Ancient Town are packed with people selling amazing minority items.

Recommended tour: 6-Day Yunnan Minorities Tour