Two names: In Tamaulipas, Mexico, a pet cat has two owners who did not know about each other until recently. Mary Lore Barra calls the cat “Pixi,” and she was accustomed to her pet being away for a few days at a time, presumably on the prowl. Then one day Pixi came home with a new collar. Barra put a note under the collar identifying the cat as Pixi and herself as Pixi’s owner. Soon Pixi came home with a note from another family, who call the cat “Huarache.” Luckily, the two owners think it’s a funny situation, and they continue to share Pixi/Huarache.

ATM captive: A contractor in Corpus Christi, Texas (U.S.), was just trying to do his job. He was fixing a lock in the automatic teller machine (ATM) room when he locked himself in. The man had left his cell phone in his vehicle, so he couldn’t call for assistance. Instead, he wrote notes asking for help and fed them through the receipt slot of the ATM. People using the machine thought the notes were a joke. But finally, one person took it seriously and called police, who broke down the door and got him out.

Print update: For July 20th we started a relaunch of Coffee News in the Nanaimo area, distributing to a few select locations. For the July 27th edition (North & South Nanaimo) we doubled distribution and, almost, doubled our print numbers. Our readership over the first week was excellent with most locations having zero papers left in the stands (some empty for many days) so starting August 3rd we will return to full distribution in Nanaimo with expansion to Parksville/Qualicum followed by the Cowichan Valley in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned :) 

Race to rent: When a vacant suite in an apartment building in Berlin, Germany, went on the market, the response was an indication of the housing shortage in that city: almost 1,800 hopeful renters lined up at the building to view the flat. People were interested because of the reasonable price of the two room accommodation. Rolf Harms, the property manager, had to use a megaphone to dole out instructions, and then 20 to 30 people were allowed in at the same time. In that country, similar apartment shortages are common in other large cities, such as Hamburg, Munich, and Frankfurt.

Urban park: Xixi National Wetland Park is in Hangzhou, in China’s Zhejiang Province. The unique park combines farming, culture, and urban life and is an area of tranquillity, with waterways to explore, as well as trails and board walks. Visitors can book a tour via the land route or the water route. Interesting sites in the park include plum trees and reed flowers, as well as the port of the Dragon Boat Festival. As the paths are unmarked and complex, visitors are advised to be careful not to get lost.

Rustic ramblings: Travellers to South America who want to go somewhere off the beaten track could try visiting Cabo Polonio, Uruguay. Located on the Atlantic coast and only a few hours from luxurious beach resorts, this isolated village attracts those who don’t care about the comforts of a modern home. There is no electricity or running water in the rustic cottages, and only a few people with generators have Wi-Fi. But the people who live there like it that way. Villagers use well or rainwater, and they cook by candlelight. The land is a designated national park and is a beloved destination of backpackers.

New friend: A man on a hike to raise money for men’s health found a new friend along the way. Max Adams was on a long trek in an area near High Prairie, Alberta, Canada. When on a side road, he could hear a loud meowing, which turned out to be a half-grown kitten sitting in the snowy branches of a tree. Adams took the desperate little feline with him because he couldn’t imagine leaving it such a long distance away from any homes. He tried to find the owner, to no avail. After the kitten was tended by a vet, Adams took it home ashis own pet.

Stolen goods: A woman in St. Paul, Minnesota (U.S.), was miffed when she discovered that a package she ordered had been stolen from her porch. Hilary Smith received a text saying that the package, which contained a phone charger, had been delivered, so she expected to find it upon arriving home from work. In its place was a handwritten note thanking her for leaving the package on her porch so it could be stolen. The thief signed the note, “The new owner of your package.” Police in the area are warning residents to have parcels delivered when someone is home to receive them.

Beautiful harvest: Some farmers in Bangladesh work in an environment of great beauty - at least during the time of harvest. These farmers collect water lily blossoms in the Canal of Water Lilies in the country’s Barisal district. They paddle their long wooden boats through a sea of green leaves and deep pink water lily flowers, collecting the blossoms as they go. Collection is done carefully and by hand. These blossoms are a popular item at local markets, where the farmers go to sell their floral gems.

High design: A city high in the mountains of Bolivia is getting a facelift. El Alto, close to the administrative city of La Paz, is enjoying attention because of the building designs of architect Freddy Mamani. He calls his style New Andean architecture. His modern buildings, called cholets, are usually several stories high with shops at street level, party and gallery space in the next levels, and living space on the top floor. The designs combine vibrant colours and geometric shapes reminiscent of indigenous textile patterns. For Mamani, the architecture of his buildings is a way of promoting his culture’s pre-Columbian roots.

Tree tuggers: A group of friends who like to run took part in the Cape Town, South Africa, marathon, but they were doing more than just running. The group ran the race with tree saplings tied to their backs. Their purpose was to raise awareness about the country’s problem with invasive species, which are taking over indigenous plants. One of the runners, Siyabulela Sokomani, ran with a wild olive sapling, and he sports tattoos of his favourite trees. He and his fellow runners support the nationwide effort to plant trees and rid the country of the damaging species.

Pet rooster: Some people might love dogs, while others enjoy the company of cats, parrots, or hamsters. But for Martin Herrera of San Jose, Costa Rica, roosters are his pets of choice. He has been domesticating and training the birds for many years. His favourite is a rooster named Paquito. Herrera can be found walking the streets of the city with Paquito on a leash, taking him to markets and cafés. In San Jose, people are allowed to bring pets onto city buses, so Herrera takes his favourite bird on bus rides, too. The bird lover trained Paquito to sit on his shoulder, to the delight of onlookers.

Raining unicorns: Folks working at a television station in Calgary, Alberta (Canada), got a bit of a shock one Halloween morning when their weatherman arrived on the set. Jordan Witzel, a meteorologist, pranced in front of the camera dressed as a white unicorn, including pink hair, a horn, hooves, and a multi-coloured tail. A banner appeared on the screen identifying him as “Ferdinand: Mystical Meteorologist.” With the anchors laughing and exclaiming in disbelief, “Ferdinand” proved he could work the clicker with his hooves to present the weather report.