Pumpkin Carving 101

Nicolas's two-year immigratiaversary may be just around the corner, but there are plenty of American traditions left for him to explore. This past weekend was no exception. Despite temperatures in the Bay Area in the 90s Fahrenheit (> 32C), the very non-Gallic Halloween is nearly upon us. Though I mainly outgrew my affinity for the holiday when I aged out of trick-or-treating, we're lucky enough to have a friend who feels otherwise. He was enthusiastic enough to pack a trunk full of pumpkins ready for carving, so on Saturday our socially-distanced outdoor gathering got to work. I'd forgotten how familiar it was to smell a freshly sliced pumpkin or feel its sticky, stringy, seedy guts oozing between my fingers. My familiarity made Nicolas's novelty all the more striking. It's easy to forget you didn't grow up in the same world as the person with whom you share your world. Then, next thing you know, you're discovering a "quintessential childhood experience" on a random Saturday afternoon well past your childhood years.

Nicolas's first jack-o-lantern

Nicolas's final project for Pumpkin Carving 101 earned him a solid A. In the midst of a year that hasn't been the greatest for a foreigner to America, I'm glad he got to discover one positive American tradition.