CHINA 2012

China went exceptionally well. The media was well represented by Psychologies magazine, Cosmopolitan and China’s largest readership magazine Trends. I was told that the journalists usually stay for 30 minutes, and it would be a compliment if they stayed for an hour. However they stayed for the full 2 days, Psychologies magazine invited an extra reporter along to the second day, which was the practical workshop. The reporter later remarked that she was moved to tears with what she witnessed during the session with a dog that had been shut in a cage  for 22hrs a day for the first 3 years of its life. Cosmopolitan were moved by the partially paralyzed dog that had more movement after the session. My anxious cat, responded as to the book and was asleep in no time, the arthritic immediately showed more activity – so all were very impressed.

                                                         Practical Workshop Bejing

A couple of days later I received a phone call from my host, asking me to prepare 3 outfits for interviews and photo shoots with the magazines (you would have never recognized me with the pink lipstick!). Cosmopolitan were focusing on ‘my life story and the creation of the work’. Psychologies were as the name suggests,  looking at the powerful therapeutic effects on behavior.

My host is a presenter for a national TV program in China, she originally thought of having me on her show, however due to the unpredictable nature of working with animals her producer decided against it.  After the classes she tweeted the main 3 things that she had learnt. 1) - Respect for Animals  2)  - The importance of herbal medicine  3) - That animals are not ours to use and control in the way that people can do to them.

My host was amazed to find 400 tweets responding to this in half an hour, she then answered a question, asking her ‘How do you know if an animal wants or doesn’t want a remedy,' – to which she replied ‘You give it the freedom to choose by letting it walk or turn away from its application’. This evoked 700 immediate positive responses.

I personally found the students in China great to teach, one of whom was a vet, they were open to learning, and showed an immense interest in the subject. My host couldn’t have treated me better showing a great deal of generosity and kindness. She also arranged for me to walk on the Great Wall of China and a visit to the Forbidden City. What an amazing trip and a great opportunity to share this work.

Cat stories and the one of the bear to follow.