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The Iguazu Falls (Cataratas do Iguaçu) is one of the world's three major waterfalls, and it was an absolute must-see on my Brazil trip. Since my days off during this overseas assignment are highly unpredictable, flying wasn't an option. But truth be told, given my tight budget, taking the long distance bus to the small town of Foz do Iguaçu was the best choice for me.

The town of Iguazu is truly just a small town; only the area near the waterfall park has been developed for tourism, while the rest is rather dull. During peak tourist season, you’ll rarely find a decent hotel room for under 1,000 RMB a night—anything cheaper, and you might as well be sharing a blanket with an Airbnb host. Honestly, though, I don't think an overnight stay is even necessary; a single day is more than enough to fully experience the Iguazu sights. But if you do plan to stay the night, make sure to treat yourself to a nice hotel.

My visit to Iguazu wasn't at the absolute best time, so I didn't get to see the waterfalls at their peak volume, but it was still incredibly breathtaking. Walking along the wooden footbridges, the mist in the air completely drenched my hair and clothes. Looking down through the crystal-clear water, you could see river weeds swaying and stones polished to a brilliant shine.

Here is a photo of me with the Iguazu Falls. The weather was perfect, and I was so excited!

If you have plenty of time before your flight, you could try the sunset ticket. After 5:30 PM, you'll have the privilege of enjoying Iguazu Falls after the crowds have dispersed, and there are unlimited beer and snacks in the rooftop garden. It’s an excellent platform to overlook Iguazu Falls from the side, where you can see exactly how the entire waterfall forms and cascades down. However, I don't actually recommend this ticket because it gets dark very quickly, and you won't really be able to see anything by then.

The Devil's Throat is absolutely breathtaking, and if you're lucky enough, you'll get to see a rainbow. Just make sure to stay safe while taking it all in!

Minyi Fast Food: Chinese-Style Lunch Set

Driving to Taiyanggou to enjoy a weekend afternoon, it was just about lunchtime. Li Shuangshuang’s hand-pulled noodles had a long wait of over an hour, and my stomach was growling with hunger. I suddenly remembered a restaurant that has been around for years near the Sanbao Road entrance of Guangrong Street Slope. I’ve passed by many times but never gone in to try it.

Five minutes later, I arrived at Minyi Fast Food. The boss, looking at me with a slightly surprised face, seemed to wonder why a stranger had walked in. I, being too hungry to notice, found a small table by the window and sat down. The boss reluctantly poked his head into the kitchen and asked if a lunch could still be made. I awkwardly nodded, worried I’d missed the window and wouldn’t get anything to eat.

After some quick understanding, I realized that this place operates on a reservation + set meal model. Luckily, I was in luck — shortly after, a full set meal was placed in front of me. As the boss said, “Let’s see what fate has prepared for you!” I opened the box and was impressed — not bad at all!

The 38-yuan lunch set surprisingly included fruit, dim sum, cold dishes, soup, and 10 different dishes. The steamed egg was topped with a layer of sea urchin, and two large fried shrimp were placed on top. Just the ingredients alone were worth more than 38 yuan. Carbs, high-quality protein, and fiber — all well-balanced. As I ate, I found myself thinking: If one day I retire and rent a house in Taiyanggou, every lunch should be taken care of by Minyi Fast Food.

My grandma usually makes dumplings with Spanish mackerel filling to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which are considered the highest standard of dumplings. 🥰👵🥟❤️

Happy New Year!

青岛北村早市：每条鲅鱼都死得其所

俗话说了解一座城市就要从它的早市逛起。住在高雄路附近离北村早市很近，八点左右到达早市，人山人海。从海鲜区路过，被每个摊位认真摆放海鲜的程度令我震撼。鲅鱼们整整齐齐的被排列成一排，闪闪发光，不禁让我觉得青岛的每条鲅鱼都死得其所。随机问了一个摊主一条鲅鱼多少钱能拿下，摊主说大鲅鱼估计要三百多，小鲅鱼倒是便宜，差不多二、三十。想起昨天在西街老菜馆吃的128元的酱椒蒸甜晒鲅鱼，觉得自己被商家含泪挣了至少100块钱。新鲜的生蚝整整齐齐被码垛在一起，看得我赏心悦目。逛完海鲜区一条街，我的感受是大家都很热爱这份工作，干一行就把这一行做好，对生活的态度比我去过的任何早市都热烈正向。

突然馋生蚝了，于是随便选了个摊位买了四斤生蚝，共花费40元，一大袋子非常沉，价格和大连相比差不多。拎着生蚝满意地走出早市，望见早市门口摆着一个公平秤，虽然不知道这个公平秤是相对公平还是绝对公平，但把生蚝放上去确实是实实在在的四斤，应该没有被宰。

Kneading the dough is a crucial step, as the quality of the flour and the degree of fermentation directly affect the texture of the twisted dough sticks. I usually add some white sugar to the flour to increase the sweetness, and then two fresh eggs to give the dough more chewiness. After mixing the flour, yeast, white sugar and eggs in a container until well combined, I seal the container and place it in a relatively warm place to promote rapid fermentation.

Knead the well-fermented dough until it forms a ball about the size of two fists in diameter.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circular disc about 1cm thick. The disc should be as round as possible and evenly thick.

Use a knife to cut the circular disc into several strips, each about 2cm wide, all in the same direction. I try to make the cuts in one go so that each strip is as close to 2cm wide as possible.

DALIAN WENBO ART GALLERY: Zhang Jiarui Gourd Painting and Exlibris Works Exhibition

To the left on the ground floor of the museum lies a splendid and elegant exhibition hall. Inside, an extensive collection of domestic and international prints extends from the floor to the ceiling, virtually covering every wall. However, these prints are meticulously framed, neatly arranged in their designated spaces, forming an even more spectacular composition.

Fortunately, upon my arrival at the museum, the curator was providing explanations to visitors about the process of printmaking. Unfortunately, I couldn't comprehend a word. So, I decided to relax and simply appreciate these lovely artworks!

On the right side of the museum's ground floor is the preface section written by the creator of this exhibition, Mr. Zhang Jiarui. It narrates Mr. Zhang's personal story of how he became enamored with calabash painting and his desire to convey life's attitude through this unique plant: 人各有脸面，由各种或明或暗的原因，便呈现出善脸与恶脸、好脸与坏脸、真脸与假脸、忠脸与奸脸、大脸与小脸、笑脸与苦脸，千变万化，难解难察，人世沧桑，世态炎凉，都能在面孔上呈现，特作瓢画，或可鉴人？

The process of making a Mezzotint print

The staircase leading from the ground floor to the second floor is exceptionally elegant. Wooden stairs and handrails, worn red carpet, and paintings adorning the walls give it a distinctly vintage feel.

"Upon reaching the second floor, I was immediately captivated by this luxurious sofa, as it was simply dazzling. The mural above the sofa renders the entire scene harmoniously elegant, transporting anyone who sits on it back to a bygone era.

If a person in their twenties hasn't fully embraced the entirety of autumn, does that not sound absurd? During my adolescence, all my time was devoted to exams. Not only did I miss out on autumn, but I haven't even fully experienced all four seasons. After completing nearly all of my studies and securing a stable job, I've made the decision to compensate for lost time and immerse myself in the autumn of 2023.

Waking up on a clear and crisp morning, I resolved to traverse the forest on a bicycle, captivated by the dappled play of light known as the d'Arsonval effect within the woodland.

The foliage of Rhus typhina has begun to be red.

Autumn symbolizes abundance. The neighbor's vegetable garden is laden with a bountiful harvest, bringing joy to me.

On a beautiful afternoon, as I passed through the park, I stumbled upon this grove of ginkgo trees. The ginkgo nuts were nearing maturity, and the golden leaves gracefully fell to the ground, creating a carpet of shimmering gold. Joyfully, I immersed myself in the midst of the ginkgo trees. In that moment, the world stood still, and autumn belonged to me alone.

One day, weary of the daily grind, I decided to take a break from work and strolled through the park. It's a park just ten kilometers away from my home, a place I lived near for over a year in my childhood. However, on that day, I had the first opportunity to earnestly observe and immerse myself in its ambiance.The grassy expanse, fallen leaves, towering trees, and the chorus of birds create a comforting ambiance. A continuous flow of energy is transmitting from the ground to my body beneath my feet—this is the force of nature, my spiritual elixir.

Yet, my heart was deeply captivated by a majestic Platanus orientali. It stood quietly in the middle of the park, its grandeur accentuated by the surrounding unknown small trees. People lingered at its base, occasionally opening their arms in an attempt to measure its diameter. For some reason, I found solace in simply gazing at it from a distance of 50 meters.

Ten Days of a Platanus orientali.

There's a tree here that I can't quite put a name to. Honestly, before fully immersing myself in interactions with robots, I majored in botany. Looking back, it's such a lovely discipline! Imagine a life where you get to spend every day with plants, how wonderful would that be？

A tourist kindly took a photo of me with this Platanus orientali. Together, we marveled at the greatness of this plane tree and then discussed the impending temperature drop, realizing that the current scenic beauty might be reaching its final days. Finally, I reciprocated by taking a photo of the Platanus orientali. After expressing mutual gratitude, we bid farewell.

This is the first time I've ever appreciated autumn in my hometown. Living in such a lovely city but not experiencing its distinct seasons has been a curse for me. But I'm determined to break free from it.

Looking up is always full of surprises! Branches and leaves weave above, a natural gift and offering. Pine and ginkgo trees entwine and create a masterpiece against the sky canvas!

I really like the brand Patagonia.

Recently, it has been snowing continuously. Snowfall marks the end of autumn, and the arrival of a cold winter. To have experienced such a beautiful autumn and created unforgettable memories at the age of twenty-something, even if I were to pass away next year, I would have no regrets. Autumn, the season of my birth, the season that grants me life and strength. As winter passes, spring is not far away. Where will I be next autumn? Will I still be alive? How will my mindset change? Will I have grown into a better person? I look forward to a better autumn and a better version of myself.

I adopted the company stray cat and they became my second and third cats.

I joined my current company on the 17th of July 2023. I would go to the grassy area behind the office building every day on lunch break and talk to a calico cat, she was usually punctual but occasionally she would disappear for a few days, I didn't get suspicious, after all that's what cats do, they are free. Later I brought her some tinned from home and we gradually got to know each other better, she didn't resent me touching her paws. I think maybe everyone would have complimented her, "What a good cat!"

In dem Moment, als Illumination einsetzte, schaute ich Yuto in der Mitte der Bühne an und weinte, so viel ist in den letzten fünf Jahren passiert, und es war toll, dich zu sehen. Es war so schön, dich zu sehen. Es ist ein Segen für mich, meine Lieblingsbands zu sehen und ihnen einmal zuzuhören. Ich sang bei Night time mit, ohne einen Takt zu verpassen, rockte fröhlich und versuchte, jede Sekunde dieses Abends zu genießen, während ich mich mit Leuten traf, die ich nicht kannte.

On June 23rd, I swayed my body to The fin.'s "Floating in the air" at Beijing Kiangjin Wine. I was born in a small county and came to Beijing alone for the first time to listen to the band I've loved for eight years on tour; the gorgeous, blinding lights in the Livehouse, the slightly ambiguous and playful bubbles, the music that shook my heart, and when the intro to "Floating in the Air" started, I didn't know that this song would run through my life for the rest of my life.

I'm a junior in college, and I'm actually in my fifth year of college because I changed my major and took a year off each for suicide. Six years at a crap college that made me miserable and filled my heart with hate had worn out all my heart. I no longer had the courage and energy to be as confident as I was when I was given the chance to start over, and I even paid a terrible price for it when I was so happy to have made a deal with fate for myself.

Since I left the National Theatre with my suitcase in tow and ran dustily to the subway line 2, my identity changed instantly from that of a traveler to that of a grey-headed homecoming person. In the two weeks since I returned to school, I had several interviews almost every day, had to wait for countless phone calls, had to gather courage many times, had to wander in despair, had to cry secretly without being noticed, and had to make decisions in a few moments that would affect my direction in the next few years. I was even offered an internship at one of the top academic institutions in China due to certain social connections that are hard to explain, but instead of nailing it, I ended up being severely humiliated by this society.

One Grain One World: Peking University Particle Art Exhibition

Preface to "One Grain One World: Peking University Particle Art Exhibition" Touring Exhibition at Today Art Museum, Beijing--Particle Art Manifesto

Grain is the language through which we create art. It is the medium of art and wood that everyone can use, and can be found everywhere in life, if you pay attention.

It is also an art product that can be made by everyone's hands, a unique memento of each maker, who has turned their limited time of life into infinite time of art.

We, a group of people who love art, are students, teachers and researchers. We are travelers who simply indulge in "aesthetic walks", and thinkers of art boundaries and art ontology.

《生命的螺旋》 Author：Han Haima, Xu Tianxiao, Li Shuning Materials: sterilized test tubes used in biological experiments, acrylic paint Size: 160cm x 220cm Particle ratio: 1: 300 Best viewing distance: 12m (using cell phone is better) Best viewing distance: 9.5m in front of the work (5m with a cell phone)

《源》 Author: ZhangJing Size: 1.2m x 1.2m Materials: Stretch mesh tube Particle diameter: 1.2cm Best viewing distance: 3m Particle ratio: 1 : 250

《王楠自画像》 Author: WangNan's friends Size: 1.2m x 1.2m Materials: Pin Best viewing distance: 4.5m to 6.5m Particle ratio: 1 : 500

《相由心生》 Author: Chen Yanlei Size: 9m x 4m Materials: Oil stick Best viewing distance: 2m Particle ratio: 1 : 242.42

《逝去的科技》 Author: Tianchen Tang Size: 1440mm x 2200mm Materials: Electronic chips and desktop motherboards Best viewing distance: 5m to 7m Particle ratio: 1 : 60 to 1 : 120

《青锈山水》 Author: Jiashan Cao Size: 90cm x 450cm Materials: Copper rust, iron rust, copper flake, iron flake Best viewing distance: 5m Enter the forest, embrace the forest, green is the eternal pursuit of mankind, green mountains and water is the ideal home for people. The greenery in the city is becoming scarce as the tall buildings are getting taller and taller, and the big cities are always filled with the oppressive feeling of suffocating people. People need greenery to heal their tired bodies.

《脐带》 Author: Siwen Liu Size: 100cm x 80cm Materials: X-rays, acrylic plates, light guide plates Best viewing distance: 3m Particle ratio: 1 : 300 The umbilical cord is the lifeline that connects the baby to the mother, the most basic connection between mother and child at the beginning of life, and is destined to be severed and separated. From the time I broke away from my mother's body, I also gradually broke away from her wings and grew into an independent person. However, every part of my body was given by my mother, and blood and kinship are inseparable no matter what. I disassemble the x-ray of my mother and myself to become the initial appearance of my own conception in my mother's womb, hoping to preserve the connection between my body and my mother's through art, to preserve the strongest and most sincere love between mother and daughter with this spiritual art umbilical cord, and to commemorate the harm my mother endured during pregnancy and childbirth.

《孤城》 Author: Yuan Han Size: 120cm x 180cm Materials: Granular transparent capsules, micro-sculpted model figures Best viewing distance: 1.8m Particle ratio: 1 120 With a transparent capsule filled with a variety of dolls, the implication is that each role in society is an individual, all have their own small world, are an independent city, and seem to be like a cocoon chrysalis wrapped around themselves. Combined together and as a whole, the individual cannot be separated from the whole, and the whole cannot be separated from the individual, and together they create a pellet work based on the thinking person. This work reflects the widespread problem between people caused by modern technology - the disconnection of communication and connection, hoping to arouse the awareness of communication between people.

Among the many interesting and outstanding exhibits, I was most impressed by the audio-visual exhibit "Imagination of Six Lines".

Author: Wang Nan Size: 2.4m12m1.9m Material: mechanical metal, luminous device, fog Background music: Destination - Ocean L.

Es war meine erste Reise nach Jinzhou mit meinen Mitbewohnern. Wir drei brauchten weniger als zwei Stunden von der Entscheidung bis zum Kofferpacken. Ich war aufgeregt, zum ersten Mal mit dem grünen Zug zu fahren, und war erstaunt, dass man im Zug rauchen durfte, dass die Leute ihre Schuhe auszogen und ihre Füße auf die Sitze legten, dass die Leute direkt auf die Sitze traten, um ihr Gepäck aus den Regalen zu holen, dass die Zugbegleiter den Boden mit einem alten Wischlappen wischten und dass es so üblich war, dass die Fahrgäste untereinander die Plätze tauschten.

Ich habe in Jinzhou, Linghai, gefrühstückt. Wie man so schön sagt, ist der Morgenmarkt das Lebenselixier einer Stadt, und um eine Stadt zu verstehen, muss man zuerst ihren Morgenmarkt besuchen. Während mein Zimmergenosse noch schlief, hatte ich bereits meine Zimmerkarte gezogen und machte mich auf den Weg zum nächstgelegenen Morgenmarkt! Meeresfrüchte, Gemüse, Geflügel. Die Tortillas gingen weg wie warme Semmeln, die frisch gekochten waren innerhalb von Minuten vergriffen, und viele Großeltern kauften sie gleich dutzendweise. Ich habe zwei für ¥1,50 gekauft, und sie waren köstlich! Sie sind leicht süß, fluffig und ein bisschen braun, und sie sind grobkörnig! Ich habe vor, ein paar hundert davon an die Schule zu verkaufen, bevor ich abreise. Ich habe drei Tassen Congee gekauft, um sie meiner Mitbewohnerin zu bringen, und das hat nur 5 Dollar gekostet. Der Mitbewohner sagte, es habe ziemlich gut geschmeckt.

Neu für mich war, dass das Meer hier ganz anders ist als das Meer in meiner Heimat. Vielleicht wegen des Wetters ist das Meer hier sehr düster und melancholisch, und es gibt nur noch sehr wenig Sand zu entdecken.