JER: “Not Quite Narwhal” by Jessie Sima

JER: “Not Quite Narwhal” by Jessie Sima is all about self-awareness and discovery.  The protagonist - Kelp - struggles to figure out why he isn’t a very strong swimmer, and why he doesn’t seem to be like the other narwhals.  Eventually, Kelp journeys up onto the land after seeing a mysterious “land narwhal” on a cliff above the water.  Kelp realizes that he might actually be a “land narwhal”, or as he comes to find out, a “unicorn”.  

I relate to this story in a small way.  I am the son of a Danish immigrant father and an American mother - who seems to have more Danish pride than my father.    I grew up with a lot of cognitive dissonance arising from “survival of the fittest” naked Capitalism and “American exceptionalism”.  I wasn’t able to fully understand that American culture may have been causing me some discomfort until I was able to live in Hong Kong for two years.  For once, I felt like I was surrounded by quiet, conscientious people who were more interested in fitting in, and working for the benefit of the whole, rather than obsessively trying to climb over others to “stand out”.  I greeted people on the street with the familiar greetings: “hello Uncle”, “hello Aunt”, “hello Grandma”, etc.  No one was supposed to be better than anyone else.  I finally felt comfortable.  I realized I was a unicorn that was raised around narwhals.  

All that being said, after awhile I was able to see the problems, and finally feel tremendously grateful to have grown up and to now live in the United States.  I don’t have to worry about exploding watermelons (yes, Chinese grown watermelons were starting to spontaneously explode from chemicals injected into them), I don’t have to worry about counterfeit eggs (yes, this was a legitimate concern), I don’t have to worry about my token, ineffectual elected leaders being forced out by Beijing Politicians (yes, this also happened), I don’t have to worry about haggling over every purchase (most places in Hong Kong had set, firm prices, but you had to be ready to haggle over prices at Walmart or any other store in Mainland China).  I am grateful I was able to find myself in Hong Kong, but I am also deeply grateful to be an American, and live in the United States.  I can have both, like Kelp.