2020-01 An Unusual Beginning of a Year

Wang, Guansong
2020-03-04 3 min read Monthly Selected Photos

About Butters

Chinese New Year Trip

During the year of SARS, I lived in school separated from the world, so I was not that nervious at all. But now I put on face mask on the first notice. The pandemic just starts to spread, and not all of the people in public wear masks.

I bought a round trip flight with barely any discount. I tried to travel via trains transfering in Beijing. Even though I was able to score a ticket from Shenzhen to Beijing, I couldn’t get the one from Beijing to Shenyang.

All staff in the airport Starbucks wear face masks.
The cabin attendants with face masks are doing safety demonstration.
Passing by a winding river.
Before leaving for the holiday, I gether all plants in bathroom. It's said the raised humidity can help them survive.
I get the last two pacakages of face masks from the pharmacy on the day before my trip.

Butters’ Craps

During the prolonged holidays, I sorted through some old stuff of mine. I found two game strategy books reminding me that I used to be an idiotic teenager. “A Message to Garcia” is a book gifted by my elementary school teacher in the 2000s. It’s still in its original plastic wrapping. I gave it a read and realized I was lucky skipping the book when I was young and naive. And now it greatly boosted my confidence to write a book.

CS Game Strategy: Basics of the map. I used to be that idiotic to take games so serious.
Strategy study of starcraft. I miss the time that eight people from two dorm rooms played together.
CS Game Stragety。To be honest this book is much better than most of the best sellers in writing and logic.
The original PG-13 logo of Starbucks. I wish best luck to the friend who gifted me this mug.
"A Message to Garcia", a book gifted to me by my elementary school teacher in the 2000s. It's still in its original plastic wrapping so I give it a read in this prolonged holiday. I feel lucky not openning it up when I was still young and naive, as this book stinks even amoung those chicken soup craps from the one percents. It's just a simple editorial on an event during the American-Spanish war to talk about initiative, and several other essays talking about how great this editorial was.

Selfies

This is my first ever selfie stick, and the first time I used it in public.

Taking a selfie on top of the Tanglang mountain.
Leaving for home, I take a reflective selfie on the subway.

My Cats: Eva and White

I got home for the Chinese New Year. Nice to be together with families and my cats.

Eva

Eva still remembered me, because she didn’t show any intention of hiding as she met strangers. And she came to me for protection from harrassment of the White.

Eva loves to lick hands.
Eva takes a nap between me and sofa.
White stares at Eva, looking for an opportunity.

Eva has been completely used to the life here. She even comes to the table asking for food every time we have a meal. She is easy to maintain, so she has more privilege than the White.

Eva's classic sitting up pose.
Eva's classic lady-like resting pose.
From this point of view, Eva has some long ears just like a Maine cat.
I thought Eva get underneath the cushion by mistalke, but later I see her doing that by purpose.
Eva is waiting for the meal to start quietly under the table.
Eva enjoys the sunshine on the floor.
Keep Eva around to read with me.

White

The White is another story. He likes to chase Eva running around. Even when Eva hides from him, he still runs like a crazy cat by himself.

White is guarding the tea table, like a tea pet.
White looks like a square.
White with expanded tail and standing ears is ready to run.
White plays with a spider toy.

Eva and White

Normally Eva dislike to interact with White, sometimes Eva will have a quick sniff of White and then quickly walk away. But I notice Eva starts to fight back at White’s harrassment, rather than just escaping. It’s a rare scene to see them resting next to each other.

A rare moment of harmony of Cat
A rare moment of harmony of Cat

Photo with Eva

Taking photos with Eva.
Some sick man mimics a handicapped cat.
Using Eva as a cat pillow, but I cannot put my fulll weight on her.
Eva is a little annoyed and wants to escape.

People

Even though it’s almost Chinese New Year, girls on the streets still wear skirts. Still a lot of people hang out in Shenye Uptown mall.

So many cameras are focusing on a single light pole.
A mother and a daughter walk a cat. The cat doesn't look so happy about it.
There are still lots of people at the Nike wall.
The blossoming flamevine on the passway from Shenye Uphill to Lianhua mountain.
Youth spirit in front of Starbucks.

Animals

A human-friendly kitten appears in the community, attracting a lot of children to the cuteness. Some kids ask their parents if they can keep it.

A human-friendly kitten appears in the community, surrounded by a lot of kids, some of which ask their parents to keep it.
After the kids are all away, I lead it to a quiet corner to feed it.
The curl-tail orange tabby lives in the grocery store and always wanders around. Its tail must have been injured and keeps curled like that.
Meet a wary cat in OCT Loft.
The small animal and fish booth in the flower market.

Plants

It’s a local custom to buy orange trees for Chinese New Year in Guandong. Almost all companies have one or two. Half of the booths in the New Year goods market are selling orange trees.

The papayas in the office parks grow larger and with more fruits.
At Tanglang mountain, tree gum from an unknown kind of tree.
The giant orange tree placed in then entrance of the office. It's not allowed for tasting.
The flower market in the square of Gallaxy World mall.
Orange tree inventory in the lorist shop of Wuhe Village.

Food

Word play of Burger King.
An \OK\ breakfast.
The cart of the drid food department in Yonghui supermarket seems to be telling an interesting story.
Uncle makes a mouse shaped holiday pastry. Happy rats year.
The pandemic gets worse, so we go to the suparmarket to restock some food. The shelves of instant noodles are nearly empty except some embarrassing flavors.
De's dark beer flavored ice cream.
photo 2020
Wang, Guansong
Wang, Guansong
Data Worker

My research interests include distributed robotics, mobile computing and programmable matter.