WUE·亚特兰大｜“慢半拍的总统”与疫情下的选狗比赛

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Robin Yang 在亚特兰大和WUE一起发声

“让我们互相支撑，走出这场疫情的阴霾”

Robin Yang, in the middle of the photo taken in the NGMW（Next Generation Men and Women, a non-profit organization）fund raiser event at Atlanta. Robin is born in New Jersey, now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, a professional in marketing and service industries. As the marketing associate of NGMW , he is  very active in social events as well as enthusiastic in non-profit activities within local communities. Close to CDC and observing how East-southerners conduct daily life under Coronavirus pandemic unfold.

Robin Yang，位于照片正中。出生于新泽西州，现生活在亚特兰大，从事市场营销和服务行业。作为公益组织NGMW的推广负责人，他热衷于参与、组织各种公益活动。他的住所靠近美国疾控中心，所以他更直接地目睹了美国东南部的人们在这场“大流行病”下的生活。

今天分享的是，Robin自3月初开始对亚特兰大的疫情记录。为了方便中文阅读，我们把地球公场翻译的中文版放在前面，Robin的原版英文日记位于中文版后面。

亚特兰大CDC对面的墨西哥卷寿司餐厅，如今已经关闭了堂食。

摄影 Robin Yang

很多人不知道，在亚特兰大CDC(the Center for Disease Control，疾控中心)街对面，有一家相当不错的墨西哥卷寿司餐厅。从我住的公寓向右转一次，再向左转三个路口，就到了那家餐厅。每周有那么两三次，我会去那儿点上一份天妇罗卷饼，端着盘子坐下，盯着眼前的建筑——全美最重要的疾控预防中心——发呆， 嘎吱嘎吱地吃着。那时候，我认为自己和CDC的关系，只是我在埃默里大学（Emory University）的很多校友学长学姐在里面工作。是的，埃默里大学的医学院在全美都有名。

现在是3月18号。两周前，美国的Covid-19疫情有点爆发。虽然亚特兰大所在的乔治亚州的确诊案例还不算太多(截至当地时间3月18日，乔治亚州共有197例确诊病例；截至当地时间4月3日，乔治亚州的确诊病例已经达到5444例)，但是纽约州和加州的疫情逐渐严峻，人们对病毒的焦虑在全美都蔓延开来。

才短短一周时间，这几天，亚特兰大街边杂货店里的存货开始被售空。街上的车流突然激增，然后又很快消失。我常去的CDC对面那家墨西哥卷寿司餐厅，也关闭了堂食， 它们的炸虾卷饼现在只支持配送了。

位于亚特兰大的CDC（疾控中心）总部

图源 路透社

这一周以来，偶尔出门采购食物，路过CDC（美国疾控中心）附近时，你能频繁地听到头顶上空直升机的声音。眼前也会看见穿着制服和实验服的人进进出出。我盯着那些医疗人员、望着那座建筑在想：一切问题都会在那面墙内被好好地解决，是吗？那些实验室和研究人员会给美国的疫情控制带来最及时准确的信息，是吗？

我从新泽西搬来亚特兰大已经四年多了，在这读书也工作。在这座有着CNN总部和CDC的城市，我确实听到过来自世界各地的新闻和建议（它们有真有假）。就连CNN的新闻主持人们，有时也会和CDC发布的数据结果对着干，他们会明确表达对任何一个机构的质疑。我爱这座城市，我认为自己算半个亚特兰大人，我坚持自己去观察。

CNN News 主持人，依次为Christiane Amanpour, Chris Cuomo, Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon

图源 CNN

回头看看3月6日的场景：

图源 11alive

2020年3月6日，特朗普到亚特兰大探访CDC并做了演讲，这是那天的城市交通远景图。红色箭头处应该就是特朗普的车。

这两周以来，亚特兰大最大的“新闻”，要算特朗普来CDC探访并做了场演讲了。那是3月6号，那一天，特朗普的车队几乎阻断了亚特兰大一整天的交通。在最近爆发的COVID-19被定性为“民主党的骗局”以后，这里的许多人都觉得，特朗普“突如其然的正经”完全是一场笑话。我们的总统先生，竟然自夸他“天生懂科学”。

其实，那天的一切都和往常一样，人们只是在抱怨交通的拥堵，挑剔地盯着总统的决策，祈祷美国的疫情尽快控制。

亚特兰大街景

图源 Instagram @matthayesphoto

但是，周一（3月16日），亚特兰大的大多数餐厅还是都关门了，像纽约和新泽西一样。本来忙碌的人们变成了"笼子里的鹦鹉"。和世界各个地方的人们一样，大家都开始囤货。每个人都开始确认自己是否有充分的医疗保险。那时候，如果你没有医疗保险，做一个Covid-19检测，可能要花掉几千美金。在疫情面前，人们的焦虑和恐惧是一样的，似乎人和人之间不再有分别。

在这之后，我最大的发现就是，疫情确实在变得越来越糟糕。但与此同时，人和人之间变得更加友善。以亚特兰大为例，我也不想去夸张地把每个人描述成天使，但确实，你能看到社区里每个人的团结和相互理解。让你有种感觉：这一刻，我们在一起。

首先，随着疫情蔓延，亚特兰大不仅餐厅关闭，学校也关闭了。这引起了不小的恐慌。我的一些朋友、老同学，还住在学校的公寓里，而他们的家在美国东岸和西岸。这时，他们要么不得不买机票回家，要么得找到一个新的住处，渡过未来的几个月。一些在当地有房子的朋友，会主动问大家，如果需要可以免费到他们家住。

餐饮业受到的打击也很大。我曾经工作过的意大利餐厅的老板，现在一面担心着生意，一面在为居家隔离的员工们提供失业救济。他告诉我，他每天还要发很多邮件，提醒员工们CDC最新的健康规则，免费向他们提供食物和清洁用品（这些在当地超市已经都难以买到）。而这位老板远在意大利的故乡，也深受疫情灾难的打击，这更让他焦虑。

在这种艰难的时期，还是会看到温暖，很多公益组织开始发挥力量。亚特兰大粮食银行是一个只有150人经营的市级粮食银行，每年为大约80万亚特兰大人提供粮食救助。这也是我最喜欢的“大型”非营利组织之一。这次疫情暴发后，学校的关闭，对很多家庭尤其低收入人群是个巨大的挑战（因为往常学校是给孩子们每天供应餐食的），亚特兰大粮食银行立刻向当地家庭供应免费又健康的餐食。它们十分注重卫生程序，甚至在特朗普强调“要重视新冠肺炎“之前，早就已经这么做了。

在乔治亚州的学校，有1/5的家庭面临着粮食短缺的问题。亚特兰大粮食银行似乎已经对这些家庭的需求做出了承诺和基本的保证。

亚特兰大粮食银行在发放食物

摄影 Robin Yang

还有很多也为疫情下的生活做出贡献的机构和组织。至少在亚特兰大，我了解到，一个叫 “亚特兰大生存计划”的公益组织，专门为老年人提供食物和外卖。老年人是这次疫情中最容易被打击的人群，他们应该得到更好的保护。

另外，全美的大学几乎都暂时关闭，很多毕业生不得不提前毕业，尤其是医学院的学生（他们要提前上一线防疫，真了不起）。更多本来要申请大学和申请奖学金的学生，他们的求学之路也被严重影响。好在学校和教授们都一如既往地关切着学生们的未来。

我了解到，我曾就读的埃默里大学（在美国有着“南方哈佛”之称，每年这时候也算申请旺季），教授和学者们在用远程会议和参加申请的学生们进行视频对话，加快准备申请学校和奖学金的进度。很多教授们需要安排好一个月的教学计划，并且和学生们安排一个小时左右的视频会议，帮助学生做好学习计划和学术规划。

作为校友，我也收到了学校奖学金委员会的邮件，鼓励我们当中留在亚特兰大的校友参加志愿服务，用我们的时间或者专业知识来帮助我们的社区。我当然愿意能尽一份力！

每天看疫情新闻，难免焦虑。好在也有一些方式，能帮助我们从疫情的阴影中暂时抽离出来，让我们感受到快乐。

“最可爱的自我隔离狗狗”摄影大赛

图源 Atlanta Humane Society 官网

最近，“亚特兰大人道协会”（这是一个救助动物的公益组织，在疫情期间救助了许多流浪动物）就举办了一个线上的“最可爱的自我隔离狗狗”摄影大赛，获奖者能得到现在最稀缺的洗手液、厕纸等防护用品，一等奖还有netflix的会员年卡!这些奖品，对这个特殊时期太有用了。

“最可爱的自我隔离狗狗”摄影大赛的奖品

图源 Atlanta Humane Society 官网

我看了投稿的作品，不得不说，里面的每一只狗狗都很可爱。

以下是目前我最喜欢的参赛狗狗（排名不分先后）：

Daisy正在努力工作

图源 Atlanta Humane Society 官网

Pablo的皮肤看起来很光滑

图源 Atlanta Humane Society 官网

“我要被我的主人烦死啦”

图源 Atlanta Humane Society 官网

在这段昏暗的日子里，那些帮助他人、慷慨大方的人，就像这些狗狗一样可爱。我想，这些善意并不是突然出现的。意大利阳台上的音乐会给我们带来的思考，中国远程教育带给我们的经验，墨尔本在线游览动物园给我们带来的快乐……这一切都在鼓舞着我们。社交媒体时代已经来临，尽管我们很难去避免坏消息，但是我们总能看到有善意紧随其后。疫情是世界的一次休息，而我们也应该借此机会，相互支持，相互关系，相互鼓舞。

对了，记得给你最喜欢的狗狗投票哦！

2020年3月18日

于 亚特兰大

以下为Robin Yang 的“亚特兰大疫情记录”的英文原文

A lot of people don’t know that across the street from the CDC, there is a pretty nice sushi-burrito restaurant. Two or three times a week — a right and three lefts from my apartment — I would order a crispy tempura shrimp burrito, sit down with my tray, and stare out at the looming building in front of me. CRUNCH.

At that time, I thought the only connection between me and CDC is my alumni who work at the CDC. Yeah, Emory School of Medicine is is famous throughout the United States.

It's March 18 now.  About two weeks ago, COVID-19 started to outbreak in America. Although Georgia haven’t been severely influenced by the pandemic(197 people had been tested positive at that time, and the account is 5,444 up to April 2), New York and California have been the pandemic epicenter, which brings anxiety and panic to every people throughout the United States.

Fast forward a week —  grocery stores have started to clear out, traffic boomed then cleared, and now the shrimp burritos are delivery only.

This week, I occasionally go out for food. Being close to the CDC, you hear the metronome helicopters and see the busting groups of suits and lab coats; but everything was being handled inside those walls… right? The laboratories and researchers will bring the most timely and accurate information to us… right?

I have moved to Atlanta from New Jersey for more than four years. I have been studying and working here. Atlanta is the city with the Headquarters of CNN and CDC, so I’ve definitely heard the news and advice from around the world (featuring differing levels of truth). Sometimes, even the hosts of CNN New would question the data reported by CDC. They will express doubts about any institution.  I love Atlanta, and I recognize myself as a half-Atlanta, so I am held to my observations.

Looking back on March 6th:

photo from 11alive

In the past two weeks, Atlanta's “biggest news" is Trump's visit to the CDC on March 6. He gave a speech here. Trump’s motorcade halted Atlanta traffic for seemingly the entire day. After pinning the recent COVID-19 outbreak as a Democratic “hoax,” many people here found his all-of-a-sudden seriousness to be fairly comical. Our president boasted, "Maybe I have a natural ability.

Things were normal, people complained about traffic, criticizing president's decision, praying that the US epidemic will be brought under control as soon as possible.

But.

On Monday (3/16), most restaurants closed which have been implemented in New York and New Jersey several days ago. and that was the parrot in the cage. People bought a lot of the same items most people in the world are buying. People checked their insurance like everyone else.( At that time, if you didn't have insurance, a COVID -19 test could cost thousands of dollars.) People were people.

My largest observations after this was that things were truly getting worse, but at the same time people became kind-er. Now I am not going to pretend that everyone sewed on their angel wings, but the sense of community and understanding became apparent. We are in this together.

Firstly, the schools and restaurants shut down while in motion, and caused quite the panic. Many of my non-local peers whose home is in East and West Coast, either had to find a flight home or a new home for the next few months. As I have an off-campus apartment, I did not face this issue yet still received many offers to sleep on friends’ couches free of rent.

The catering industry has also been severely influenced. My Italian restaurant’s employer is worried about his restaurant, at the same time, he offers unemployment benefits for their at-home servers. He also told me that he sent multiple emails a day just to keep us updated on CDC health regulations, even supplied free food to store and free cleaning supplies (as they are all sold out in local markets). And his hometown, Italy, is also hit by the pandemic , which made him anxious.

In such difficult time, warmth still exists. Many non-profit organizations try to exert their strength.

The Atlanta Food Bank, city-wide food bank run by only 150 people, fed about 800,000 food insecure Atlantans annually. They are one of my favorite “big” non-profits in Atlanta. While schools closed down, they fed families immediately while focusing on sanitary procedures before our President even would. In Georgia, 1 out of 5 families in school face food insecurity, and the Food Bank of Atlanta seems to have strengthened their commitment to these families.

The Food Bank of Atlanta is one of many doing great work alongside its younger siblings: Atlanta Survival Program (food/delivery for senior citizens) and Open Hand Atlanta. In this outbreak, the elderly are the most vulnerable and should be better protected.

Almost all universities in the United States are temporarily closed. Many graduates have to graduate early, especially those medical students. While those students who would have applied for universities and scholarships have also been seriously affected. Fortunately, the school and the professors are as always concerned about the future of the students.

My school (Emory University, which is called Harvard of the South) should have been the application season these days. Using the time that is saved from remote work, professionals and academics video chat with under-served high school students to help prepare for scholarship and college application. The Scholarship Academy has also interestingly picked up speed. Professors would “adopt-a-month” and schedule hour-long meetings with their students to help plan and build their academic prospects.

Hell yeah!! The Scholarship Academy is showing us that donating your time/expertise can also help our communities.  I certainly want to do my best!

But there are also ways to help people out by simply making all of us happy. The Atlanta Humane Society (a charity organization that assists animals) is holding a “Cutest Self Quarantine Dog” contest, and I must say, everything about this is adorable.

Here are the prizes:

Prize for the Cutest Self-Quarantined Pet

photo from: Atlanta Humane Society 

Here are my favorite so far (in no particular order):

Oh. Daisy is working hard here.

photo from: Atlanta Humane Society 

Pablo’s skin looking smooth.

photo from: Atlanta Humane Society 

Bored of owner already.

photo from: Atlanta Humane Society 

As cute as these pupperonis are, it is really pleasant to see altruism and generosity in a time like this. This kindness, I realize, does not come out of nowhere. We are all inspired by the musings of Italian Balcony Concerts, the ingenuity of Chinese anime remote classes, the foresight of online-view zoos in Melbourne. The age of social media has nuzzled itself into our lives, and even though it is hard to avoid the bad news, it is nice to see that kindness follows closely behind. The world is taking an intermission, we can take this opportunity to support, care, and inspire each other.

P.S.

Vote for your favorite dog!

March 18，2020

Atlanta

——END——

撰稿/地球公民 Robin Yang

翻译/地球公民 Cici

编辑/地球公民 Cici

主编/ 地球公民 Ohia

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