World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments

This chapter begins with facts about Mimosa pudica, a flower also known as the “touch-me-not.” It has a double-leafed pattern and “spherical lavender-pink flowers” (25). The touch-me-not has a unique defense mechanism: Its leaves collapse and fold shut when touched. The plant is “considered a weed” in India and the Philippines but is sold as a houseplant in the United States (26). It spreads quickly and can be hard to eradicate from gardens. Nezhukumatathil concludes the chapter with a list of places she has presumably received unwanted advances: “Touch me not on the dance floor, don’t you see my wedding ring? Touch me not in the subway […]” (27).

Nezhukumatathil recalls seeing saguaro cacti on hikes with her father and sister in Arizona and shares memories of strip malls and suburban sprawl outside Phoenix in the 1980s. She notes that her father must have been tired after long hours working at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix and appreciates his selflessness in taking his daughters hiking. There were very few other Asian American families on their hikes.

While living in Phoenix, Nezhukumatathil and her sister play with friends in their suburban neighborhood. At age 12, Nezhukumatathil is the oldest of her friends, and she pays attention to “which homes displayed the little triangle-shaped sign in their windows, proclaiming that house was ‘safe’ if anyone ever followed us” (30).