Tweet essay: freezing point | the boundary plane.

“Almost at the freezing point.” ©2009 Bev Norton. License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Icicles in the author’s hometown of Valemount, B.C.

On January 4, 2014 following a prolonged ice storm in Toronto, Ontario, I micro-blogged a characteristic “tweet essay,” or essay made of tweets. Topic: How does the “mixed” experience compare to the mysterious moment when water becomes ice, and vice versa? What does it mean to inhabit the boundary plane between one cultural identity and another?

That time when all the liquids turned into solids.

Just beautiful! Lighthouse on Lake Michigan encased in ice after heavy wind/wave action. pic.twitter.com/YE66yRPMll
— Rick Katzfey (@WeatherRick) January 4, 2014

Our bold, brave photog just snapped a photo of this frozen fountain at Emory Village. #wsbtv pic.twitter.com/RaoqxHuxm5
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) January 4, 2014

Mississippi River frozen solid, February 1905 pic.twitter.com/egiVMQNGW7
— History In Pictures (@HistoryInPics) January 4, 2014

“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.” ― Henry David Thoreau #frozen #chilly pic.twitter.com/WlxaaJh8Q5
— Kimberly Alexander (@SilkDamask) January 4, 2014

Frozen Wave, Antarctica pic.twitter.com/QQde4DnTj0
— Best Earth Pics (@BestEarthPix) January 4, 2014

Good morning from Philadelphia. Tarp stil on, ice still frozen. pic.twitter.com/9rpWaS0mXb
— Kimberly Jones (@KimJonesSports) January 4, 2014

Skating in the #oldport of #Montreal! We love our city! pic.twitter.com/2SnRKRF837
— Le St-Martin Hôtel (@HotelStMartin) January 4, 2014

"@PinkChocoCandy: Charming Lofoten, Norway. pic.twitter.com/RLVcmOukc7"
— juan manzanares pedr (@juan93095026) January 4, 2014

Sometimes, being of mixed ethnic background is like being at the freezing point of water.

♬ “The hot and the cold are just so intense, put ’em together, it just makes sense” http://t.co/hwv3A1XXFK
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Yesterday I mentioned I would chat a bit about the “mixed” experience. I have kind of already started, in my own way. Will continue on.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Snowflake pic.twitter.com/pAH0xC1J2c
— Microscopic Images (@MicroscopePics) September 3, 2013

Beauty in the details -- Macro photography of snowflakes from viewer Marianna Armata from Pierrefonds, Quebec: pic.twitter.com/DTSsGKrNCl
— Scott Meiklejohn (@ScottyTWN) January 4, 2014

18 perfect snowflakes http://t.co/R3jKEH46R5 Ok, all snowflakes are perfect pic.twitter.com/qdvurIAajn
— PlanetGreen.com (@PlanetGreen) December 6, 2013

Wow --> This is a frozen bubble. More incredible Angela Kelly photos: http://t.co/qgc4cmbbpk #snow pic.twitter.com/QCHvAJ0cuN
— Erin Ruberry (@erinruberry) January 2, 2014

Surreal right? Frozen bubble. :)) cool!~ pic.twitter.com/jWa3agH8fc
— jio sandoval (@bubblejiow) December 28, 2013

Such a commonplace thing, but exactly what happens to water as it changes into ice is still mysterious to scientists.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

We know that a puddle of water and an ice cube are the same thing. Our senses tell us they are different. Same, yet different.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Physics Stack Exchange, fluid dynamics: “How to freeze the Niagara Falls?” http://t.co/W9jTuuXYuF pic.twitter.com/uMtfa3ZY08
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Identifying as “mixed,” can be like inhabiting the ungraspable boundary plane between water & ice, where climate may determine what you are.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Though we might not know it conciously, our DNA tells us that what may look like a barrier might actually be an abrupt transition point.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Sciencists tell us that it not as straightforward as water OR ice. Interesting phenomena occur right at that point.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Freezing water droplets form sharp ice peaks @physorg_com: http://t.co/0ZT4GjX9T0
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

“The sharp tip of the ice drop attracts water vapor in the air, much like a sharp metal lightning rod attracts electrical charges.”
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

A “mixed” experience includes the ability to be like ice, or like water. It also comes with its own experience, which happens nowhere else.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Frozen-Inspired Snowflakes Are Dazzling http://t.co/uuTeS0K04s pic.twitter.com/yyfESl10q4
— Nerd Approved (@NerdApproved) December 30, 2013

As a “mixed” person, there is no shortage of role models! Inspiration can be drawn from whoever we identify with, and from others “mixed.”
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

On the other hand, we are often excluded because it is hard to “place” us. Especially in the past, “between” is often not considered.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

A mixed-background person experiences intercultural concepts from a unique vantage point. What does it mean to embody the “intersection?”
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Yesterday I said that people of mixed background were the least likely of all people to respect cultural boundaries. :-]
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Today I am suggesting that because people of mixed identity inhabit boundaries, they are less likely to feel that boundaries are obstacles.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Is that a flaw or a strength? Who knows. That confusing tension does cause some to draw additional exclusionary bounds around the “mixed.”
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Sort of like: noooooo toooo hard concept. Brain hurt. No want to think about it BYE \( #`⌂´)/┌┛
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

But we’re used to it :-)
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

The mysterious potential of being the lever that lies “between.”

I’m almost done talking about this. A last thought on the concept of “mixed” identity. Going back to that place where water turns to ice.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Have you ever stuck a beer in the freezer to chill it and have it explode :P because the liquid expanded as it froze and broke the glass?
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

BRIKSDALSBREEN GLACIER | NORWAY pic.twitter.com/wqWVoh9q2b
— Stunning Worlds (@StunningWorlds) January 3, 2014

Cherry County NE nasty storm. Stay tuned for STWarn. @IBHSHailStudy #hail #storm pic.twitter.com/sBUHcF08lr
— State Farm (@StateFarm) May 18, 2013

Big Hail storm in Minnesota tonight - RT @DustyHatz: Weather. Is. Awesome. #Minneapolis @kare11 pic.twitter.com/zdrllGry5t
— Ari Sarsalari (@AriWeather) August 7, 2013

“Frost heaves: Ice raises the ground” @postgraphics http://t.co/PCMNZ3IqBV pic.twitter.com/kGS3tB0x1g
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Carved out one pineapple, and blended it with the water from one small young coconut & frozen raspberries. pic.twitter.com/I0N1PJCCwE
— Healthy (@Healthfooods) January 3, 2014

Awesome pic! Via @mzazeela FROSTY! It's so cold in #NYC right now the fountain in Bryant Park is frozen pic.twitter.com/q3AWGCmsZW
— Cynthia Schames (@CynthiaSchames) January 4, 2014

Crack in the driveway from over night ice quake north of #Toronto #Icequake pic.twitter.com/q2nSeNajtg
— Mike Southern (@mksouthern) January 3, 2014

Sledding in Fenway Park? Tremendous: http://t.co/b1vpXCGj0O pic.twitter.com/2yEMnMngfB
— MLB (@MLB) January 3, 2014

No one is getting up or down these stairs anytime soon! oceanfront home in Scituate. #wbz #wbznews pic.twitter.com/d1F5PzHzS1
— kim tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) January 4, 2014

Ahhh.. getting kinda random with these pics. OK. Will quit with the snow pics now.
— Desk of L. Riding (@leanneriding) January 4, 2014

Well, okay. Just one more tweet.

Photos: Historic freeze could break Midwest temp records - http://t.co/kmhjyjlmGL pic.twitter.com/RiSQO2I8Rw
— KOMO News (@komonews) January 4, 2014