(This post originally appeared 9/2013.) A review of recent photos from road trips with my son Lucca has yielded a certain theme. Let me give you a sampling: World’s Largest Toilet, Columbus, IN, August, 2013 Shit Fountain, Chicago, IL Special Birthday Outing, April 2013 Crapo Park, Burlington, IA March 2013 Aside from me clearly being…
The lady was standing in front of the cash register with a tray full of baskets of fresh cooked battered and fried somethings, as they entered the road side stop somewhere in the middle of Illinois. “What are those?” asked her teenage son. “Fried chicken gizzards,” said the ‘gas station chef’ as she placed the…
A colleague who is passionate about orchestra was saying how proud she was that her son was also interested in orchestral music. I guess this would be the equivalent from a son for a parent who was interested in world cultures? What do you want on your birhtday cake for your 12th birthday? The Pyramids…
The first paragraph I will hopefully delete before publishing: I most often get writer’s block by triviality–Interculturalism has to do with anti-racism, and there is awful cr#@ happening in the world because of intolerance, and I can’t help but belie my position of privilege by writing about making Panettone Bread Pudding in the middle of…
I have been working on a blog post on the Trayvon Martin shooting at least since the verdict last July, and probably since the actual shooting in February 2012. And, you know what? I have accepted today that it will never happen. I have been accused of being too politically correct, and of having a…
Below are two stories, one about taking action for social change (like really taking action—not just liking something on Facebook) and the other story is about how media can perpetuate negative stereotypes (and how important it is to see something firsthand before passing judgment.) Both stories are interwoven here because 1.) The stories converge, albeit…
“Mommy, do you think this is racist? “Leaving the museum yesterday, as we were getting on the bus, there was a line of buses, and one was called the Latino Express, and only Latino and African American kids were getting on it. The other students, and even my teacher thought it was racist. I…
Dear Mrs. Obama, Wow, what a cool appearance on I-Carly (debuted January 16, “iMeet the First Lady.” How exciting to use such a popular platform to spread the message about how important it is to support military families. It was a brilliant marketing idea (I understand it was yours) to reach the 5.5 million people…
Technically this could be construed as my fault, after Lucca went with me to a client’s art opening a few years ago. The central piece of the exhibit was a beautiful, supersized hand, making the “okay” sign, the ultimate symbol of peace and spirituality in the artist’s native India. Except that I had to laugh. …
I knew I was in trouble when the nice lady at the grocery store said “powdered or liquid” when I asked for marshmallows. Well, not actually in trouble, that would be the fact if there was only one way to do things…the “American Way.” But when you are involved in a multi-cultural family you know…
