A story about someone who has just given up smoking

From the China Daily 5/10/05

"Ai Ai started smoking in 1989" a zookeeper at Quinling safari park told reporters in Shaanxi Province, "Just after her first husband Jian Jain died. She began picking up cigarette butts that had been discarded by visitors, we started re-lighting them for her ,and before long she had developed a 5 a day habit. If we didnt co-operate she used to complain, and because chimpanzees can be very noisy when they are angry, we started buying her a regular supply to keep her quiet.

"Her habit got much worse after 1997 when her second husband Da Hu passed away and was taken to another zoo. To dispell her loneliness she started to rely much more heavily on cigarettes, and she was soon up to 20 a day. But earlier this summer she developed a nasty cough and we became concerned about her health, so the management decided it was time for her to quit.

"At first it wasn't easy. She squealed for cigarettes, but we diverted her attention with walks, music sessions, food and a gym walkout, and after about 4 weeks she stopped begging for tobacco. She now has fried dishes and dumplings at every meal, alongside her regular diet of milk, bananas and rice. And I've also lent her my Walkman, so she can put earphones on and enjoy some pop music. Id say she still feels lonely at times, but we are searching across the nation for a new spouse and maybe she'll be third time lucky."

 

oops that line should have said...

Her habit got much worse after 1997 when her second husband Da Hu passed away, and one of her offspring was taken to another zoo"