I started taking home small buds, leaves, and blossoms, that were unused or discarded, to see which would die first, which one would live the longest in water or out of water, which would live in cold conditions or in hot conditions. One time I almost set the house on fire because I put them all in the oven on the highest setting and left them there for three hours. All of the burnt flakes started to spark. Ya, my mom was so happy with that stunt. One time I planted a leaf in the yard and it actually grew. I was so ecstatic.
I don't know why, but I remember asking Cyrus and Phaliba (the Lebanese couple who owned the shop) about it. Cyrus told me all about seeds and growth. I think this might have been one of the turning points in my life where I thought "Hey, maybe I can actually learn something from people."  More >>