Over tonkotsu ramen, Dwight and I compared notes about our day–he in the greenhouse, me in the classroom. I showed him photos of a sad-looking plant in the classroom. He suspected overwatering and advised deionized water would be better than tap. He also suggested the plant needed to climb and might benefit from fertilizer after its dormant period. I’d previously used Google Lens on the plant, and it had led to similar advice.
Category: In This Together
Tonight: The Heart Sellers at the Guthrie
Walked over to the Guthrie to see The Heart Sellers, a play that plays on the title of the 1965 Hart-Celler Act. This landmark legislation opened up immigration to non-Europeans and gave priority to immigrants with STEM skills. In the bittersweet play, set on Thanksgiving 1973, two immigrant women, one Filipino and the other Korean, yearn for a sense of belonging.
Family gathering around trays of sushi
Demolished trays of sushi while catching up with family news.
Maintaining a safe space for students if the ICE man cometh*
Today I returned to school, volunteering in a classroom–a safe space where I learn to be kind and patient. I inquired about the school’s policy if ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents show up on campus. Currently, there is no formal policy in place, which will be a significant concern in the coming months. In the interim, we have this handout. *(With apologies to Eugene O’Neill.)
Neither Snow Nor Rain…*
The first real snowstorm of the winter, as I waited for the bus. It was a busy morning, with a little help from technology. Some students had chosen to take a job qualification test in Spanish, so I found myself pointing Google Translate at their screens so I could offer hints. In another class, I used Gemini to generate random numbers to select writing topics submitted by the students.
Endless Injustices
At the Weisman Museum, walked through an exhibition of Harper’s Bazaar woodcut prints from the 1860s, documenting the Civil War. Contemporary artist Kara Walker overlaid some of these prints with paper cutouts depicting the injustices faced by Black people then and now. Another gallery showcased an injustice I had not realized: the plight of Black families who had migrated to Minnesota post-Reconstruction trying to reconnect with lost family members.
Chilly Compliance
Another cold day, another day indoors. As the year winds down, I’ve finally reached that age where the IRS mandates minimum withdrawals from some of my retirement savings. Today, I plugged numbers into an online calculator, then paid myself and the taxman, and thanked my younger self for caring about the seasoned citizen I have become.
VA Visit and Coffee
Met up with a friend at the VA Medical Center LRT Station. We wandered around the expansive facility for military veterans, stopping by the eye department where his wife used to work. Next, we headed to Rick’s Coffee Bar in a residential neighborhood. Named in honor of a service member who took his own life, all profits go to veterans’ causes.
Reflecting on the Past
On my walk, Hubert Humphrey was holding court outside Minneapolis City Hall. He began his political career as mayor of Minneapolis in 1945 and later served as Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson. Always a champion of civil rights, we could certainly use more leaders like Humphrey today.
Sparks of Inspiration
We asked each learner to write down a subject on a piece of paper that included one of the vocabulary words shown in blue on the board. We then randomly drew two subjects for a writing exercise. I was impressed by the subjects the learners came up with for the exercise, including these examples on the whiteboard. One, in particular, was quite metaphysical.