I love felines of all kinds and my favorite of the large cats would have to be tigers. They have an air about them that is awe-inspiring and their strength yet grace is captivating. Their stripes are so fun and vibrant; it’s a unique pattern that no other big cats have. I got a chance to visit the Tiger Temple when I was in Thailand and it was such a special experience. When I approached the area where the adult cats were lounging, everything hushed and I carefully navigated through them with my guide. They didn’t seem to mind much that people were milling out and either let me touch them gently or didn’t even feel my hand stroking them. My favorite part was petting the baby tiger though – it was already quite big, with giant paws and far more strength than me. Yet, they still had an awkward, adorable quality about them. I absolutely loved being able to get so close to these creatures – what a great vacation stop!
Posts Tagged ‘animals’
365great Day 267: tigers
365great Day 262: hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are a fascinating type of bird. They’re so different that they’re almost like over-sized insects rather than a tiny bird. They’re delicate and cute, very much like butterflies. They even drink from flowers and flit around like butterflies. Their tiny little bodies are adorable and they rather feel like toys. Even though they tend to move around quickly, when they perch on something, there’s a certain peace about them. They’ll even stare at me sometimes, completely unphased. Because of their ability to hover, it’s easy to watch them for ages without ever moving your head. And well, I’m great at staring at things like that. I could sit and watch a (humming)bird feeder all day long. Hummingbirds are so cool! I wish I could have them as pets – wouldn’t that be great?
Catdoration
Can I take a moment to gush about my cat?
I love cozying up to her.
Every night when she’s ready for bed around 9 or 10, she’ll come find me and hop on up. I’m usually sitting in bed on the computer, so she’ll snuggle next to my legs. She won’t just lay down and sleep though. Oh no, she’s got to do her purring massaging routine. Whether it’s a clump of blanket or Rupert her boyfriend or a pillow, she has to find something to knead. Then she’ll purr and stick her nose in whatever she massages as her paws press one at a time, claws coming out to grab at it. If I’m already close to sleeping myself, she’ll sometimes come knead me (often my bare arm or leg – ouch!), especially if she crawls under the covers between my legs. As long as it’s something squishy, it’s fair game (and my inner thighs and armpits seem to qualify every time). After a good 10-15 minutes of this, she’ll finally decide she’s done her work for the night and plops her butt down to rest.
If she ever wants to be fed (generally around sundown), she’ll come meow and meow at me with her little crackly voice until I get up. I try to placate her by meowing back and talking to her, but she’ll have none of that! She keeps trying to lead me out of the room and when she sees me finally start to move, she bounds down the hallway to show me where to go. At the end of the hall, she’ll look back and if I’m not close behind, she’ll come get me and run off again. Then she’ll practically float down the stairs, skipping three steps at a time. As I get out a can to feed her and Molly, she’ll impatiently pace back and forth on the kitchen counter until I start serving. At that point, she knows not to try to eat on the counter and she jumps down to sniff Molly and wait for the plates to be put on the ground.
After eating a hearty meal, she’ll generally find me sitting eating my own dinner. At that point, she’s full and content, so she jumps up to my lap and spins around until she finds the perfect spot to settle in. I usually put one arm down for her to lean against, since my legs aren’t wide enough for her to spread out without falling. When I finish my meal, I can’t bear to move her in her slumber, so I sit… for hours until my butt falls asleep or I need to go to the restroom, I wait there with her and enjoy her company. For whatever reason, when I try to carry her up to bed to continue sleeping, she always gets up. I’ve learned that her dinner nap is sacred and if I don’t appreciate it, she’ll leave me to spend her time elsewhere. The only way to get her to stay in bed is after a play period following the dinner nap!
I happen to be an excellent scratcher, with nails that are just long enough to give a nice deep scratch. Missy loves it when I scratch her neck, back, ears, and face. The look of pure joy on her face is freakin’ amazing. I tried to capture it at Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s usually an even more pleased look. She closes her eyes, tilts back her head, and puts her weight into it to get the best results. She’ll purr gently and push her head against my hand if I stop before she’s ready.
We have a special bond that nobody else has with me or with her. I could spend an entire day just lounging around with her, letting the hours melt away. In fact, I’ve done that before. I really wish I could bring her back east with me, but I don’t feel settled enough for that yet. Plus, snow might freak her out… she can get scared of her own shadow sometimes. For now I’m milking every moment with her and I look forward to a time when I can raise her in my new home.
365great Day 258: elephants
I got a chance to ride an elephant when I was traveling through Thailand and it was one of the coolest things ever. I’m in such awe of these creatures. Even though they’re so large, they’re very precise and delicate with the way they approach many things. Their gait is a funky jolt that makes riding them a bit of a rollercoaster, which is fun. It was amazing to be up so high in the trees as we passed by – I could see so much more! I enjoyed running my feet on their rough skin, which provided a sort of massage for my achy soles. They didn’t seem to mind that we were climbing atop them and touching them and basically being these annoying little distractions. There’s an air of wisdom and zen about them and it was great to be able to get up close to interact with them.
365great Day 243: baby animals
The young of almost any creatures are super adorable. They’re softer and wobblier and awkward and cute bundles of fun. Who doesn’t like kittens, puppies, ducklings, and the like? The way they waddle and squeak and don’t quite know how to do things is hilarious and endearing at the same time. If only they could just stay like that! My mom has always wanted a baby tiger for a pet, but of course you can’t keep them for long before they outgrow you. Meanwhile, I prefer smaller animals that can fit in your hands when they’re young, like these ducklings. Back in China in my childhood, my cousin and I would get baby chicks and ducklings from street vendors, then try to raise them at home. They were the sweetest little things! Unfortunately we were not very good at keeping them alive since we didn’t have a heat lamp and had no clue what we were doing. So I guess it’s best to leave it to their moms to raise them til they’re not cute anymore. Still, I love it when I can play with baby animals. They feel so great!
UK Vacation Day 6 Recap
Day 6 of our UK trip was a wonderful day of revisiting memories and sharing them with Panda. We wandered all through York and checked out a bunch of stores, buying some items but mostly browsing. I got a chance to feed some ducks and geese by a river, which I loved. We even had time to enjoy afternoon tea at Betty’s before returning to the hotel to rest and wait for the train to Edinburgh. A few hours later, we were stepping off onto Scottish soil and making our way to the hotel (getting a bit lost along the way). Once we finally found it, we happily settled in and enjoyed the welcome gifts and nice warm quarters.
[Need more recaps? Here are Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5 recaps.]
Good morning, York!
I had a lot of fun choosing what to get from the Yorkshire Soap Co.
Yippee, now I’ve got awesome bath products from lovely Yorkshire.
Cat scarves?! I was really tempted, but next time…
Did you know Guy Fawkes was born in York?
Panda got a shot of me getting a shot of York Minster.
Our wanderings eventually took us outside the city walls.
Fancy a ghoulish tour? Then meet these guys for the Ghost Walk!
Hehe, check out this windblown street performer.
Evil Eye lounge! All I remember is weird beds upstairs and Asian fusion downstairs (with a bar too, of course).
Panda had to try some fish and chips. Tasty!
Caught me wandering.
The Sainsbury that I once walked all the way back from with my groceries!
I wish we could get on that bridge.
I had to stop and feed the birds. It’s a compulsion.
Can you see how gleeful I was? I love animals.
A ton of them joined in when they noticed food and I had fun walking along the bank sharing the wealth.
Even this pigeon wanted in on the action. Check out the cool black duck too!
At one point, I leaned over the bridge to feed them.
After running out of food, I happily walked off into the wind.
If they can make their marketing suite this big, I wonder what the places they’re selling are like!
Back in the center of town, we discovered some old cars on display.
Random browsing brought me to these adorable contact lense cases!
It was cold out, so Betty’s was especially inviting to us.
I loved warming up to a pot of tea and some snacks. Afternoon tea rocks!
Back by the hotel, I hardly recognized this as the old Toff’s where I went clubbing once. (I much preferred the Gallery.)
Does this look like a proper hotel entrance? Cuz it totally was.
After a few hours on the train, we arrived in Edinburgh and got to see the castle from afar!
All settled in at the hotel, with these nice treats waiting for us.
Missy and Molly
In honor of National Cat Day yesterday, I thought I’d share some videos of my kitties. Missy is my sweet baby who sleeps with me at night, massages her boyfriend Rupert the giant bear, and has a crackly little meow. Molly is our old grumpy one who loves my mom, has no patience for me, and might possibly be bipolar.
This is how Missy chills:
cat swishing tail from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
This is how Molly chills:
cat on stairs from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
This is how Missy meows (adorable!! it’s like her first time every time):
cute little kitty meow from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
This is how Molly meows (sounds so cute, but oh she’s a fierce one):
cat purr-meowing from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Here’s Missy massaging Rupert’s leg:
cat massaging upside down from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Here’s Molly rubbing the chair she loves:
cat rubbing chair from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
And finally, with Molly not letting Missy eat near her, I decided to intervene:
my new cat feeding strategy from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
It’s always interesting in the house with these two around! I miss playing with them daily.
UK Vacation Day 4 Recap
On our fourth day in the UK, we wrapped up our time in Cardiff by checking out the castle and taking an AquaBus down to the bay. I decided to give the seagulls by the bus stop my buttercream frosting on a whim, not thinking they’d completely devour it. We got a chance to shop around Mermaid Quay down at the bay and grabbed some yummy lunch before walking back to the hotel. I found the coolest set of hooks to put by the door at our new condo while there. Along the way back, we stopped to get me a cool purse and some Welsh stuff (I chose a set of coasters). Then it was off to the train station to make our way to York!
[Need to catch up? Read Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 recaps.]
We started off our day with breakfast in the executive lounge.
We got a suite this time, with a large living room.
The bedroom had a post in the middle, which made it feel like a smaller cozier space. The bathroom came with separate bathtub and shower!
The glass elevators offered a view of a lobby area and many floors.
Off we went towards Cardiff Castle across the street!
I took a moment to eat the celebration cupcake.
Tons of Welsh flags flying in Cardiff.
We kept going to Butte Park, where the nearest Aqua Bus stop was located.
As we sat waiting for the bus, I put out the buttercream I hadn’t eaten. Little did I know the seagull would gobble it up.
These seagulls were pretty bold.
Here comes our Aqua Bus!
On the way down to Cardiff Bay, we caught this swan sticking its butt up as it dove for food.
So many swans out here!
Arriving at Cardiff Bay, ready to explore.
Aww, look at the duck with its giant swollen cheeks!
Time to do some shopping. The gbk is where we ended up getting lunch.
I often found myself stopping to access wifi to save on data.
I’m so glad I found this moustache hook thing. My first purchase for the new condo!
At gourmet burger kitchen, I got the Captain Cook (fish burger with rocket salad), which was a completely new and DELICIOUS taste for me. Panda got a cheeseburger and we shared shoestring fries. The ketchup container is so cute!
As we left, we passed this giant building – the Wales Millennium Centre.
We came across some berries that I was tempted to pick, but who knows if they were ok to eat…
What cute rows of houses!
At the train station, we browsed food and I wanted to try these but still had plenty of food.
What’s up with all these Italian-inspired wifi names at the train station?
Waiting for our train to take us from Cardiff up to York!
Woo hoo, I became the Queen of Cardiff on Yelp while I was out there!
At one stop, I noticed how easily this guy was watering the flowers. Cool tool!
We got to York after dark so that’s all the pictures for the day!
Mischevious Missy
I miss having cats around the house and I’m looking forward to when I can again. For now, I’ll have to just enjoy videos of my quirky Missy, who is always getting into and on things.
cat finds treat in box from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
cat chewing watermelon seed from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
cat sniffing old paper files from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
playing with cat and grass from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
cat whiskers sensing movement from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
365great Day 160: home
Learn more about 365great here.
Home is what you make of it and to me the strongest association I’ve had for it as of late is my parents’ place in SoCal. This is the longest we’ve ever been in a single place, albeit on and off for many years. And now that I’m a new Virginian, I feel like LA is my old home – the one I can keep coming back to, where my family, friends, and alma mater are. Since the new place out east doesn’t quite feel like home yet, the best home in my mind is currently this house I’m back visiting for the week. Nearly all my stuff is here and much of my personal and social connections are too. It was nice to come home after a long day of traveling and hang out with my mom and cousin, be temporarily reunited with my cats (Missy shown here), and return to this house. When I see Missy sprawling like that I know I’m home, chillin’ and enjoying all that it has to offer. That’s a great feeling.
