One afternoon in July 2020 during the empty-nest period, I drove to the Charles River Esplanade in Boston to watch the sunset, as the Internet said it was a good place to watch the sunset in Boston.

Today was Monday, a working day, there were many people in the Esplanade in the city. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most people had stayed at home for the enitire year in 2020, I guessed that most of the people in the park were Bostonians: walking dogs, walking children, doing yoga, cycling, running, skateboarding, walking, and sitting on the ground. Watching the quiet, peaceful and full of life park from a distance, I felt no trace of the COVID-19 blues. By seeing mask-wearing people everywhere however, I thought this was a place full of good citizens who obeyed the COVID-19 guidances of the CDC.

This interesting landscape reminded me of a friend’s recent comment: “The food I stored at the beginning of the ‘stay-at-home order’ in March this year was never used. I guess most of them will be scrapped.” The same was true for the food I hoarded in March 2020 which I basically had not touched yet. The unused food made me feel that the overall situation of the COVID-19 pandemic was much better than we had expected.

While passing Boston to the Charles River Esplanade, I saw that most of the hurrying people on the streets were wearing hospital uniforms of various colors. I sincerely thanked the medical personnel for stabilizing the pandemic situation and enabling ordinary people to enjoy orinary life to some extent.

Today, when I was playing Pokemon GO in the riverside park, I took over a Pokemon gym, called the Esplanade Playspace. After I put my Pikachu in the gym, I took a screenshot as a souvenir and once again enjoyed the new form of “I have been here” in the mobile era.

At dusk, drving on the smooth highway road back home, I felt that the summer night wind on the highway in Boston did not have the same temperature fluctuations as in California because the summer night wind here is softer. Maybe the summer wind on the East Coast is wetter than on the West Coast.

Little Episodes

1. On July 20, 2020, overlooking the Charles River Esplanade:

2. Pokemon Go palyer’s new style of “I have been here”：

这是501友情随时间延续的故事之一，36年后，在美国东部大波士顿：

2021年8月8日，周日一起听音乐玩游戏，没有小朋友，只有两个昔日的大学同学，一段温馨潇洒愉快的时光。

二姐，在狮子山上同室四年的大学闺蜜，约我周日去她家附近的Beach Tree Park听露天音乐会，去玩Pokemon Go。

周日下午出门前，我就短信给在加州的女儿：“今天平姨约我出去玩Pokemon Go，如果我们看到传奇大魔鬼，你能帮我们一起打吗？”

女儿马上回答：“当然能，你到时先短信我。”

到了二姐家，我就告诉她：“今天有后备军帮我们打大魔鬼。”

二姐笑着说她在加州的儿子今天也可以和我们一起打大魔鬼。

二姐夫留在家里除草，我俩带上折叠椅、充电器、有Pokemon Go 游戏的手机，开车去公园听露天音乐会。

今天的音乐会在公园里的一个白色小凉亭举行，歌手是一位体魄健壮声音浑厚的中年南美洲男歌手，他唱的是流行英文歌曲，听起来很耳熟。零星的听众自带折叠椅分散地坐在凉亭前面的草坪上树荫下。我们也把舒适的折叠椅安放在树荫下，坐下来听歌。

树荫下的蚊子太多，我们又忘了带驱蚊剂，经不起蚊子的亲热，我们听了一会儿歌曲就去走路玩Pokemon Go。今天湖边的Pokemon体育馆里没有传奇大魔鬼，我们只能捉野外魔鬼。

我们沿着湖一边走路一边捉魔怪一边聊天，看着湖面上好多的白帆船，二姐说：“麻州有好多湖，离家也很近，我计划买一个小皮艇去湖里玩水。从前在德州，我们要开几个小时才能到湖边玩水。”

二姐爱运动，打篮球、打乒乓、游泳、滑雪……都喜欢。听着二姐的计划，我很兴奋，梦想着和二姐一起“荡起双桨，小船儿推开波浪”。遥远的诗意，在儿时的歌声中；咫尺的远方，在故乡彼岸的水面上。

我们走着路还被蚊子追咬，我的后脖子被咬了10多个大红包后，我们只好提前回家。到家后，二姐准备了苹果和广柑一起到后院的草坪坐下来聊天，闻着刚除过的草香，看着高高漂浮的云朵，二姐聊了好多她小时候的故事，1976年为躲地震，她独自带着弟弟坐火车经重庆转车回江西老家，那是她和弟弟第N次回老家了。二姐感叹道：“离开家之后才感到在爸爸妈妈身边真好！”

我回应道：“1976年，我还没有独自离开过家。文革时我妈虽然不在家，但是叶姨一直在我们家里照顾哥哥和我。上大学才是我第一次独自离开家。”

我们话题自然转到我们四年同室的大学室友。很骄傲我们501是当年最团结的寝室，没有之一：我们一起睡赖觉不出早操，经常深夜卧谈一起难眠，去教室抢占全寝室的座位，周末集体吃火锅搞野餐出游新都……。二姐说：“我是我们寝室第一个买牛仔裤的，买回来，寝室里的人都争着试穿，好热闹。”

晚饭是二姐夫为我们煮的二姐事先包的抄手。吃完抄手回家时，二姐剪了十三太保花（又叫菖兰、唐菖蒲、或剑兰）和绣球花让我带回家。

小插曲

1. 二姐的花插在我的花瓶里，留住愉快的时光。

2. 川师狮子山上，501四年大学室友的故事
501去咔嚓彩（1984）
考试挨刀否（1984年）
大姐的毕业留言（2018年）
替大姐解谜（2020年）
二姐和我逛店（2018年）
三姐的小鱼（2018）
和二姐宓姐重逢（2021）

01-24-2021, Sunday, Sunny and Super Cold

On Tuesday, Pokemon Go game released two popular and rare legendary Pokemon to raid battles: Groudon and Kyogre, and they will be staying for a week.

Yesterday was Saturday so we went to Boston to play Pokemon Go and catch Groudon and Kyogre for a few hours. Though I didn’t caught any shiny or hundred (perfect) legendaries, I was very happy, because while catching Pokemon, we heard some very good news.

Sunday morning, we went out to catch more legendary Pokemon to celebrate the good news we got yesterday.

I was overjoyed to catch a shundo (shiny and hundred) Kyogre on the first raid of Sunday morning.

In Pokemon Go game, the chance to catch a shundo legendary is roughly one in four thousands, therefore I felt like I won the lottery. I was super happy for a whole day.

The journey to catch legendary Pokemon:

Legendary Pokemon are usually hatched from eggs on top of Pokemon Gyms, instead of wandering in the wild. Each gym hatches one legendary at a time. After hatching, the legendary Pokemon will stay in the gym for 40 minutes in most cases, then it disappears.

If you can raid with a legendary in the gym in the 40 minutes time frame, you may have a chance to catch the legendary. However…

First, Pokemon Go players need to be nearby a gym to see what legendary Pokemon is currently in the gym. Pokemon gyms are usually scattered, so players sometimes have to travel many miles to find a gym that has their favorite legendary.

Second, legendary Pokemon are too strong to be beaten by a single player. Usually, a team of five to six players is required to fight together to win against a legendary. During COVID-19 quarantines, forming a team of five to six players is always remotely coordinated via discord.

So even though you traveled a long time to find a Gym with your favorite legendary, if you can’t remotely find enough players to join with you to do the raid within 40 minutes, you have no chance to catch your favorite legendary Pokemon.

After you and several other players win the raid together, you finally get a chance to catch the legendary Pokemon. Legendary Pokemon are not easy to catch, they have about a 2% catch rate. So even after all your hard work spent beating Groudon or Kyogre, you still might not catch it.

I like to play Pokemon Go now

Pokemon Go is a augmented reality mobile game which was released in 2016.

In 2016, as a chaperone, I often drove my children places to play Pokemon Go, such as Fort Mason in San Francisco.

In 2017, I expressed my opinion about the drawbacks of AR making Pokemon Go so popular .

Two years later, in 2019, I started to play Pokemon Go in Massachusetts and I quickly became a fan of this game.

I have a habit to walk outdoors daily. In sunny California, outdoor walking one to two miles is always a joyful task, which brings pleasure. However, during Massachusetts’ long cold winter, while walking outside for one to two miles, I often feel a chill in my bones, a very unpleasant feeling. In Massachusetts’ long cold time (late Autumn, Winter, and early Spring), walking outdoors is no longer a joyful task to me, though I still go out daily.

My son had tried to convince me to play Pokemon Go for a few years, as he often said to me: “Mommy, I saw many seniors playing Pokemon Go, why don’t you try it?”

Finally, in 2019, he download Pokemon Go to my phone and convinced me to play it.

In 2019, walking outdoor in cold East Coast became a joyful task again, because while outdoor walking and catching Pokemon, I indulge in a kind of self excitement, which really generates heat to warm up my body in my one to two miles outdoor journey. Therefore I start to enjoy playing Pokemon Go. Sometimes I walked more than 50 kilometers (more than 30 miles) in a week, in order to get walking rewards from the game, which made walking become an exercise filled with satisfaction for me.

A good teacher makes a good student. With my son’s guidance, I achieved the highest level in Pokemon Go, which is 40 at that time, within an year.

Little Episodes

This morning, I caught a shundo Kyogre.

On Sunday, on the Pokemon Go players discord, someone commented “Found out a friend in Arlington caught a shundo groudon.” and “Eventually I’ll get more because I’ll never stop playing. Even if I die I’ll come back as a zombie continue playing.”

In a few days, I caught 38 Kyogre and 50 Groudon.

I started to play Pokemon Go on September 27, 2019. Within a year, I reached level 40 on May 22nd, 2020. Level 40 was the highest level at that time.

December 2016, I walked in sunny Almaden Valley.

(12-30-2016, The light changed dramatically within an hour, from afternoon to sunset in Almaden Valley. I went out and saw clear skies, empty trails and yellow flowers filling the field. Back home, I saw a dark sky, an old tree and a beautiful sunset. )

November 2017, I walked in the beautiful Filoli:

(11-19-2017, California’s Autumn leaves, flowers, and fruits, along with reluctantly saying goodbye to spring scenery, presented a unique sight: a colorful forest and blooming hydrangea, white clouds in the blue sky and bright red pomegranates. A gorgeous maple leaf on green leaves and charming dragon chrysanthemums.

2021-01-24, 周日，巨冷的晴天

这个周Pokémon Go游戏释放了两个很受欢迎而且平时见不到的传奇Pokémon：Groudon 和 Kyogre。

昨天周六我们去波士顿玩Pokémon Go游戏捉Groudon 和 Kyogre，忙了大半天，我却没有捉到一个shiny（闪亮），也没有捉到一个hundred （完美）的Groudon 或 Kyogre，但我还是很开心，因为我们在路上听到一个好消息。

今天周日早上，我们又出去捉Groudon 和 Kyogre，只为庆祝昨天听到的那个好消息。

没想到，周日早上的第一场交战之后，我就捉到了一个shundo（shiny和hundred的缩称）Kyogre。

Pokémon Go游戏里捉到shundo大概率是4000分之一，所以我如中彩一般的开心了一天。

捉传奇Pokémon的旅程

传奇Pokémon大多是在Pokémon Gym（训练馆）里孵化出来的，而不是在野外找到的。一个训练馆一次只孵化一个传奇Pokémon，孵化出来的传奇Pokémon会在那个训练馆里只呆40分钟，然后就消失了。

如果你能在这40分钟里和训练馆里的传奇Pokémon交手打仗并战胜它，你就有可能捉到它。但是……

首先，Pokémon Go游戏只有在离Pokémon训练馆不远的地方才会显示出训练馆里是什么样的传奇Pokémon。 Pokemon 训练馆比较分散，所以玩Pokémon Go的人有时要走不少的路才能找到一个训练馆里有自己中意的传奇Pokemon。

其次，传奇Pokémon的战斗力超强，需要五六个有实力的玩家组队一起进入训练馆才能战胜它。在COVID－19疫情之下， 五六个有实力的玩家组队一起进入训练馆几乎全是通过Discard上远程交流来实现的。

所以即使你走好远发现一个训练馆里有你中意的传奇Pokémon，如果你不能及时联系到足够的志同道合的实力玩家迅速组队在40分钟之内一起进入训练馆打仗，你还是没有机会得到中意的传奇Pokémon。

当你和几个有实力的玩家一起打败了中意的传奇Pokémon之后，你才有机会去捉它。中意的传奇Pokémon很难捉，即使你千辛万苦地打败了Groudon或Kyogre，你未必能捉到它。

我喜欢上Pokémon Go游戏

Pokémon Go，是2016年推出的增强现实（AR）手机移动App游戏。2016年我当司机陪孩子们玩Pokémon Go。 2017年我感叹AR让Pokémon Go流行的弊端，那时我没有感受它的魅力。两年之后的2019年，我在麻州开始玩Pokémon Go并喜欢上它了。

我多年来一直有每天出门散步的习惯。在四季温暖的阳光加州，每天单纯散步一两个英里总是伴随着平缓的温暖，很惬意；可是在四季分明的麻州，冷天单纯散步一两英里总是伴随着透骨的寒气，很严酷。在深秋、冬季、和初春的麻州，虽然我还是坚持着出门散步的习惯，可是室外散步不再是一件开心的事了。

在儿子反复地动员下，我终于在2019年9月开始玩上Pokémon Go游戏。那年美东冷天室外散步再次成为让我开心的事，因为我一边散步一边捉怪的路上多了一种自我陶醉的惊喜，因为这种惊喜居然会自发热能让一两个英里的散步热血沸腾而不再是透骨寒气。为此，我喜欢上了Pokemon Go这个游戏，有时我一周能走30多英里（50多公里），散步变成了一个很有成绩感的运动。

名师出高徒，在儿子的指点帮助下，我在不到一年的时间就达到了Pokémon Go玩家那时的最高段： 40。

小插曲

今天早上我捉到的shundo：

圈内人士谈论Arlington的朋友捉到一个shundo Groudon时的感叹。“最终我会捉到更多（shundo），因为我会不停地捉，即使我死去我还会作为僵尸回来继续捉”：

这几天我一共捉到38个Kyogre和50个Groudon。

(Kyogre是海的化身。传奇中它与Groudon交战多次，彼此都想获得大自然的威力。它能呼风唤雨导致海平面上升。)

(Groudon是大地的化身。传奇中它与Kyogre交战多次，彼此都想获得大自然的威力。）

我从2019年9月27日开始玩Pokémon Go，不到一年，2020年5月22日我就达到了那时的最高段：40.

07-31-2016,

One Sunday afternoon, I drove my children to San Francisco’s Fort Mason to play Pokemon Go.

When we arrived at Fort Mason, the typical San Francisco strong ocean winds had already started. The temperature near the oceanside dropped as well. Still there were many Pokemon Go players walking around the cold and windy Fort Mason to catch their favorite Pokemons.

While enjoying the beautiful scenery of the famous San Francisco, pure tourists were amazed by the modern phenomenon of Pokemon Go players crowding Fort Mason.

Modern phenomenon – Amazing

The trails of Fort Mason were filled with people holding cell phones and focusing all their attention on their cell phone screens while walking and touching their cell phones frequently. Sometimes, a tourist made fun of those players by suddenly jumping close to a player and shouting: “You are a Pokemon.” The players weren’t disturbed by the surprises, they just continued focusing on their cell phones, catching Pokemon!

The players on the hill of Fort Mason were mostly with friends. Also many players’s cell phones were connected to a charger at all times, which showed that catching Pokemon needs a lot of power.

From the hills to the oceanside, the mass of players were well prepared for the cold weather, dressing up with winter jackets and pants. They walked, played, and rested comfortably in the cold weather near the dark oceanside of San Francisco.

Pokemon Go is really a game suited for all ages.

At Fort Mason, passionate game players who were expressive wore Pickachu and Charmander costumes which attracted a lot of curious attention from those who were unfamiliar with the game.

Fort Mason gathered so many dedicated Pokemon Go players, this phenomenon led me to a well known Chairman Mao quote: “We are all from all corners of the world, and we have come together for a common revolutionary goal.” While watching intoxicated and ingenious Pokemon Go fans, I realized that the life style of modern people has a high amount of entertainment.

Here comes Misty and Ash

Natural Sceneries – Beautiful

Standing on the hill top of Fort Mason, tourists can enjoy the unique and beautiful sight of San Francisco: the red long roof of Fort Mason Art museum, many sailboats near the oceanside behind the museum, small and unique houses densely packed inside the city, the Palace of Fine Arts in the foggy San Francisco, plus the crowd of Pokemon Go Players.

While walking alongside my children, I frequently heard the phrases: “Without Pokemon Go, I wouldn’t notice the beauty of Fort Mason.” My phrase would be: “Without photoing my little players from certain angles, I wouldn’t be able to see the beauty of the Palace of Fine Arts in the fog.”

On one side of Fort Mason’s hill, you can see Alcatraz Island, once home to some of America’s most notorious criminals, such as the Chicago gang leader Al Capone. Today’s Alcatraz Island is a famous scenic spot in San Francisco and also a habitat for various seabirds.

Concentrating Pokemon players bend their heads to learn catching skills, if they looked up they would see the famous Alcatraz Island. Have my little players wondered if there are Pokemons on Alcatraz Island?

Pokemon Go phenomenon is amazing.
Encouraged many people to come to Fort Mason.
Because of this, I like Pokemon Go.

七月空巢，下午我开车去波士顿的Charles河城中河畔公园（Charles River Esplanade）看日落，因为网上说这是在波士顿看日落的一个好地方。

今天虽然是工作日，城中河畔（Esplanade）公园里人不少。在疫情期几乎没有游客流量的夏天，我估计公园里的人多是波士顿城里人。公园里有溜狗、溜小孩、做瑜伽、做操、骑车、跑步、滑板、漫步、席地而坐的人，远看一幅岁月静好的悠闲画面让我恍若疫情没有存在过。近看比比皆是带着口罩的人们，我觉得这是一方满是遵纪守法市民的地方。

这充满生活情趣的景观让我想起一位朋友最近的感叹：“今年三月份居家令时囤积的食物都没用上，估计好多要报废。“ 我三月份囤的食物基本没动。仔细想一想，我觉得疫情大局势比我们预期的好得多。

我去河畔公园途径波士顿城里时看到城里行色匆匆的大多是穿着各种颜色制服的医务人员。真心感恩医务人员让疫情大局势稳定，让凡人的生活仍然有情趣。

今天我在河畔公园玩Pokemon Go游戏时，打下了一个Pokemon Gym，Esplanade Playspace。我把我的Pikachu放到那Gym后，截屏打卡留念，又一次享用了电子移动时代“到此一游”的新形式。

黄昏时分，在回程畅通的高速公路上飞奔，我感到这里夏季高速路上的晚风没有加州的那种温差起伏；这里夏季的晚风更柔和，也许是东部的夏风更湿润。

小插曲

1.2020-07-20，远眺近看Charles 河边的城中河畔（Esplanade）公园：

2. Pokemon Go 玩家的“到此一游”新式打卡：

我记得，Pokemon第一次红火大概是在2004到2005年。那时我贡献了好多银子给Pokemon游戏，卡片，TV，玩具……因为女儿和儿子都是Pokemon迷。2016年7月，Pokemon再次红火起来，这次的红火不同于上次。 这次借助于手机，大数据，AR这些高科技的普及和日趋完善， Pokemon Go成了老少皆宜的游戏，在短短的几周时间里风靡美国。在公园在路边，到处是举着手机捉Pokemen的人。

AR作为尖端技术今天能支持Pokemon Go到如此完美的程度，让人佩服得五体投地。这些高科技日新月异，常常让置身IT领域的人也不知其未来走向。

但是Pokemen Go在短短的几周时间里风靡美国，这种现象从文化娱乐的角度看让人担忧，人的多元化和分散式注意力好似被这个游戏消灭了好多，这不是好兆头。Pokemon Go好似一种新形式的垄断，也许Pokemon Go后面有商人的虎视眈眈……

虚拟世界里的真实世界，真正有价值的还是真实世界。

作为一个国家，地理地质地貌地图是一个国家的版权所有。如果Pokemon Go风靡全球，谷歌地图将毫无阻挡地借全球玩Pokemon Go的人们的足迹来完善和校正已经储存的全球的地理地貌大数据，并成功地靠技术垄断全球地理地貌精确大数据。在大数据时代，数据越大越精确其价值越大。然后就是落后就会被掠夺。

担心借虚拟世界将真实世界变成没有国界的世界。

二零一六年七月三十一日，周日下午，我陪儿子和女儿去旧金山城里的Fort Mason玩Pokemon Go的游戏。我们到Fort Mason公园时旧金山特有的大海风已经刮起来了，临海的寒冷也开始了。玩Pokemon Go的人们在寒冷的大风中穿梭着寻找着扑捉着中意的Pokemon。专心的游客则享受着Pokemon Go带来的新潮人文风景和旧金山美丽著名的自然风光。

新潮的人文风景 – 奇观

在Fort Mason公园的小道上, 到处是拿着手机又走又看又捏的玩家们。有时游客会打趣地冲着埋头玩手机的游戏迷叫唤道：“你们是Pokemon。” 游戏迷们并不在意这种揄挪而继续专注着眼下手上的活儿：捉Pokemon！

Fort Mason坡上的玩家们大多有伴相随，而且好多人的手机是一直连着充电器的，足见捉Pokemon耗能。从山坡到海边的道上，成群结队的人有备而来，厚衣长裤安逸地边走边歇边玩着游戏。Pokemon Go真是老少咸宜的游戏。

万分投入的玩家自然要有创意，Pikachu和Charmander的服装招来了好多好奇人很好奇的眼光。

Fort Mason里汇聚着全心全意玩游戏的人群，这风景让我想起了小时候背诵的语录： “我们都是来自五湖四海，为了一个共同的革命目标走到一起来了。” 看着如痴如醉，独具匠心，老老少少的Pokemon Go游戏迷们，我觉得现代人的生活方式是越来越倾向于娱乐消遣。

Here comes Misty and Ash

美丽的自然风光 – 美观

在Fort Mason公园山坡的一边，游人可以欣赏到美丽独特的旧金山风貌：Fort Mason艺术馆长长的红屋顶，红屋顶后面海边停泊的船只和林立的桅杆，城市里密集的各式小型建筑群，还有笼罩在旧金山独特的雾中的旧金山艺术宫（Palace of Fine Arts)。这种美景里还有捉Pokemon的人。

我一路上多次听到行人感叹：“要不是因为Pokemon Go，还不会发现Fort Mason的迷人之处。” 我则感叹：“要不是从特别角度抓拍小玩家，我还不会发现远景里迷人的旧金山艺术宫。”

在Fort Mason公园山坡的另一边， 你可以看到海上孤零零的恶魔岛（Alcatraz Island），那里曾经是一个联邦监狱（1934-1963年），囚禁过最危险的重犯，如芝加哥黑帮头Al Capone。如今的恶魔岛是旧金山著名的风景点，要买门票上岛观光游览。恶魔岛现在也是各种海鸟的栖息岛。

专心的玩家们在路上低头切磋扑捉技巧，抬头就是旧金山著名的恶魔岛。他们想过恶魔岛上有什么怪魔可以捉吗？

Pokemon Go的热浪真是一个奇观
鼓励了好多人来到公园
这一点我也喜欢