When Ecláir the sparrow is forcefully shoved into a life in a cage, it is like a storm has come and swept away everything he has ever known. After years of living free in the wild, Ecláir is now entrapped inside an constricting and inescapable prison. But when his captor, a woman coined as “the handkerchief woman,” starts bribing Ecláir with muffins and bombarding him with stories from her daily life, he starts to grudgingly make a hesitant friendship with her. Such begins The Pipe Tree, the moving debut novel by Lily Jensen. It portrays the protagonist coming to terms with an uncertain future and friendship, with the easy choice between freedom and life behind bars suddenly becoming almost impossible as the relationship between the two becomes more and more complex. In short chapters set at Ecláir’s present-day Portland, Maine, he narrates the story of how the friendship between him and the handkerchief woman came to be, and what further steps he should take to gain trust- and potentially a route to freedom. Some of the novel, however, addresses the question of freedom itself, and testing whether their friendship is strong enough to hold themselves together. As a wild, pastry-loving sparrow, Ecláir easily falls to the temptation of a sweet treat, especially ecláirs and blueberry muffins. When he arrives at the apartment, he easily feels out of place, trapped in a mysterious world. Looking for potential ways to escape, he starts closely observing the woman’s routine, and the house around him. When, on the first few days after capture, he immediately notices the lack of extravagance in the apartment, especially when it comes to the dinners, in which the woman eats cereal. But Ecláir is particularly moved by the way the woman seemed to be missing something, just like he himself, something expressed in the way she talks and sings. Ecláir sees the sadness in her actions. Over the course of the next year or so, Ecláir and the woman find themselves intertwined in a friendship and history with connections far deeper than what meets the eye. Both sacrifice what is quite dear to them for the other in this heartbreaking friendship that was not meant to be. Ecláir sings for the woman every day, staying obedient otherwise, while the woman spends her tight supply of money for pastries and food for Ecláir. But escape is imminent as time ticks before a new cage is built, one with no physical bars anymore- but instead mental ones. As Lily King, the author of Euphoria and The English Teacher stated perfectly: “The Pipe Tree is a powerful act of imagination. Through the eyes of a bird, Lily Jessen explores the truths and contradictions of human nature in a tale full of humor, delight, and deep understanding.” While the Pipe Tree lies from the viewpoint of a carefree sparrow, Lily Jensen has tapped into a universal connection facing the importance of freedom and friendship with consequences and if well-meant acts of love can actually hurt the other, as well as yourself. The Pipe Tree by Lily Jessen. Children’s Art Foundation – Stone Soup Inc., 2024. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Marketplace by Jeremy Lim, 11
The chatter of people is an ambience in the background as we near the Pike Place Market on Pike Street. A jazz band is playing in the distance, near a Starbucks, and as I near the entrance of the market, I can’t help but smile. A magician stands there, a sign proclaiming that for a quarter, he could tell you what day of the week you were born on, and for a dollar, he would do any magic trick you requested with only a bucket and a place to stand. I walk along, curiously reading his sign stating that all proceeds would go back to his hometown school in Vietnam. As I move about the market, I spot beautiful wood carvings, polished to a spectacular gleam, and traditional calligraphy, paintings, hand drawn and painted in front of your very eyes. There are hair accessories, a lot of them, and little bracelets and a ton of fake jewelry. There are assorted wood selections, each of them from a different state, proudly arrayed, each with a tiny label of the wood’s home state. But there are only a few stores I am interested in. I walk past bouquets of flowers, arranged and preserved for the wintertime, a sea of them on one side of the market, stretching all the way to Virginia Street. On the other side, there are assorted food stalls, each with their own specialty, one selling Rainier cherries and Lapin cherries and Bing cherries and so much more. Another offers fresh roasted nuts, arranged in a buffet-style orderly line. But as I walk on, past the vegetable sellers, past the sea of flowers, past the nuts, past the wood carvings, the paintings, the jewelry and accessories, I get to the place I was looking for. The classic Pike Place Fish store stands there, a crowd clustered around it. I walk up to the counter. A bellow emanates from the lively stall: “We got a SALMON!!” A response comes “OOHHH OOHHH SALMON!!!” I spot the order suddenly flying through the air, dipping toward the ground, and… At the last moment, a fishmonger with an apron, clad in muck boots, not slipping despite the wet floor, catches it. Applause showers from the audience as cameras click and video recordings start. The wet fish smell starts to get to me as I walk up to the counter and state my order. The guy at the front starts smiling. “Ahh,” he says. “You want the oysters, eh?” I give a nod. “They’re free. Go take em!” I raise my eyebrows. “Raw, fresh, oysters?” “Sure, they’re raw. We even give hot sauce! But you gotta eat them here!” He laughs. “Nah, I’ll pass.” I reply. “You sure?” He asks again, hands already moving to hose down and wrap my order. “Sure as can be.” I repeat. As I walk back to my car with oysters in my bag, I decide to visit the gum wall, a tradition that I do every visit. As I walk toward it, the grays and blues and blacks start merging into a vibrant pattern as I make my way to the piece of collective art. It is vibrant, neon colors, boring into my eyes, yet it is also set in darkness, black gum of a suspicious flavor and white, drained, depleted gum scattered all over. It is the essence of creativity, human ingenuity, and culture in one place, but every 6 months is hosed down, cleansed of all this. It is a collage of the people, one that is universal, one that anyone can add an important part to, no matter the age or size. From the wood bits from every state to the hand-made paintings to the flying fish and music playing and the magical tricks, the market has a special place in my heart. So, taking out a small stick of gum out of my pocket, I chew for a bit, and add my own piece to the collage of culture.
Why January is the Best Time to Visit Disney World
Disney World. Disneyland on steroids, 4 separate parks, an entire transportation hub and system, multiple resorts within 33,100 acres of land, and the hot and humid Florida climate add up to an impressive paradise. The rides are astoundingly themed and the thrill rides have just the right amount of thrill, so no matter your fear level, you can bear it. The scenery is beautiful and is just as grand and majestic as in the stories and movies, and every single park has their specialty must-go show: a live performance, one with fireworks, a parade, or even a light-show! Each park has its own unique feature that will keep you playing or watching until the park closes. Or maybe even after that, with the after-hour tickets! The only fault to this seemingly flawless paradise are the crowds. I can easily state that even on weekdays which are not holidays, there are swarms of people in the park. The most popular rides are jam-packed, as are the shows. I can tell you this: If you don’t go to a show early, you may not be able to get into the theater. And all of the roller coaster rides’ wait times are sure to be more than one hour if you don’t go early in the morning or late at night. But on holidays, there is no avail. Hordes of people clog the park, and you won’t stand a chance to catch multiple rides. You would be lucky to get 3 a day. But if you travel at the right time, you might stand a chance. According to an anonymous local Uber driver, January and February are just the right months to go. Since it’s after Christmas, those large swarms of people are not likely to come back so early. Also, the relentless Florida heat lets go during this time. A helpful tip for any of the lands you may visit is to download the My Disney Experience app, which helps you check ride times and lines remotely, which can prove vital in planning your day. Finally, staying at either Disney Hotel Swan or Dolphin will grant you one hour of early access, allowing you to get to the rides that you want ahead of the crowd. So, with the vacation month planned, it’s time to explore the parks. Hollywood Studios has been the most recent park to get an update, with Black Spire Outpost, or as I like to say, Star Wars Land. There are two new attractions, Smugglers Run and Rise of the Resistance. I recommend Rise of the Resistance first thing in the morning, and Smuggler’s Run later, but you should request for the role of pilot, or else the simulator ride is no fun. I also recommend Toy Story Mania, which is an extremely fun arcade shooter game. The Rock and Roll Roller Coaster is also a scary G-force roller coaster that goes upside down at some parts, and finally the Hollywood Tower of Terror, which is a drop tower. As a pedestrian in the Hollywood Studios said: “It feels like you’re one of those cartoon characters in those comedy shows, falling from [the sky] as the floor disappears!” And it certainly does! As for the shows over there, the best by far is Fantasia, which is a live show involving fire on water, Mickey Mouse, and all of the Disney classics characters and sing-alongs. Another great show is Indiana Jones. You see how they made some of the most iconic scenes in the movies. Be sure to come 15-20 minutes early though, or else you might be left with limited-view seating, or even not be let in! Finally, Slinky Dog Dash is a ride that I do not recommend for 100+ minute wait times. This ride’s line can be deceiving, with me personally spending roughly over 3 hours in the line of this ride. However, to avoid this disaster from occurring, you should try the longer wait-time rides at night, especially the popular ones such as Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania, Rise of the Resistance, and the Hollywood Tower of Terror. This can enable you to avoid the unreasonably long wait times of the midday and still enjoy some of the best attractions in the park. The second theme park I’m featuring is Animal Kingdom, which in my opinion, is highly underrated. The reason I’m saying this is really because most kids, or people, don’t really appreciate the beauty of the natural world, which this park amplifies. This park, somewhat like EPCOT, is based on the sights, sounds, smells and feels of the park. Not exactly its rides. But I’m not saying that its rides are bad either! For a truly natural ride, you should take the Kilimanjaro Safari! It has a relatively short wait time in the morning, and its tour of the African Savannah is a good chance to take photos as well as educational because of its tour guide’s commentary. Another great one is DINOSAUR, which is the highlight of Dinoland U.S.A. It is an open ended roller-coaster-type ride, so if you have any bags, you better hold them tight! Luckily, it doesn’t go that fast, it rather just shakes you left to right. However, the crown jewel of the entire park, or in my opinion, the entire Disney World! Avatar: Flight of Passage! This ride is a thrilling 4D simulator that puts you on a banshee, or a flying animal in Pandora, the imaginary world of Avatar. You ride on it as you explore the wonders of Pandora! Nothing can prepare you for this ride. The sights, smells and sounds make it a truly 4D experience. The queue is dotted with all sorts of scenery that will keep you captivated during the wait. Do this nearer to the end of the day, because even in the morning, the wait times exceed 75 minutes. But remember. This ride is a must-go. Now, with Animal Kingdom, there aren’t really any nighttime shows, but
