What are some things you like and dislike?

I like escalators, lukewarm water, hot food, baby plants, mushrooms, lying down on a park bench, kosher pickles, turtles, steaming coffee mugs, stairs, cherry popsicles, deep-fried tofu, gooey pancakes (in the middle), dim sum, arrachara tacos, jalapenos and serranos, playground slides, starry nights, spiders, snakes, bikes, sporks, tire swings, winter air, paper, bright colors, fun socks, wasabi, rocks, white-out correction tape, alligators, origami, cursive*, calligraphy, asparagus, houseplants, water, superglue, duct tape, wind chimes, tobogganing. And laughing.

I dislike cold hands, cold feet, sulfur, cucumbers, dirty water, barren walls, car exhaust, being late, daylight savings time, banana popsicles, non-spicy Indian food, humidity, retching cat sounds, merry go rounds, mosquitoes, sporks, plastic ware.

*If you write me a letter in cursive, I will write you back.

Can I see a picture of your turtle?

Here she is! A red-eared slider, about 20 years old. Her name is Jia-you, which is Chinese for “keep going”, but the name is hard to say and remember, so her second name is Juanita. That’s what most people call her.

Do you really bike on the streets of Chicago?

Sure do! It’s a big responsibility to bike on busy streets, so I always bike carefully. This one guy I know gets hit by a car every summer, but I’ve been biking for ten years and haven’t had an accident. A lot of it is about being careful.