Seoul life

For my family and I, the accidental fallout from Corona was that we ended up moving to Seoul for the summer. This was not something we planned for; even less, an expense that we budgeted for.

We left NYC at the height of the pandemic and traveled as lightly as we could. What’s happened in practice is that I’m having the opportunity to realize a long-time dream: to study Korean in Seoul.

My lifestyle here breaks down as follows: weekdays, I am a full-time college student. Classes started online, but a month ago we moved to learning on campus. I get home around mid-afternoon, and I’m back to being a father to my twins. After they go to sleep, the night shift gets going. I teach photography online or - as was the case this past week - work on commissions from clients back home.

On weekends I spend time with my family and squeeze in a review of the material I studied during the week. Today, my in-laws stopped by to take us out to a flea market. Normally, I’m all about that. However, when HRM asked if I would rather stay and get some rest… I just had to agree. They left the house shortly after three and came back around seven.

I thought I would lie down for a bit and then study; I slept through the entire thing.

A college student (yet) again

This has been a most surprising year: sometimes in terrifying and somber ways. But I find myself in the wholly unexpected position of being enrolled as a student in a Korean College. For the past two months, I’ve been studying online. But starting tomorrow classes move on campus.

HRM and I visited today. And I have to confess: I’m really looking forward to it. I love being a student (yet) again and the campus is beautiful!

Harlequin

One time, when HRM was still pregnant, we got into a cab whose driver turned out to be the father of twin boys. His advice to me: always get the exact same stuff for your boys, or prepare for war. In all fairness, we do buy identical fairly often, but we also think there’s some merit to the notion of individuation.

Still, the guy was right: twins can be fiercely protective of their stuff.

The life of twin parents is a study in controlled chaos. We might shower at 5AM or just before midnight, depending on how the day goes. Today, I stepped out of the shower just before dinner time. The twins were reading a book with Mami and I was surprised to see them wearing new bibs with a bright harlequin pattern. HRM said they’d just been delivered. When she tried them on the boys they loved them so much they got to crying every time she started to take them off. Looking at them, I mentioned how good they looked in their new bibs. They beamed back at me. Then looking at HRM I asked if there was a bib for Papi as well. In a playful, sad tone, she whispered “no, not for Papi”. Without missing a beat, Luca reached back behind his neck and pulled hard on the velcro straps to unfasten his bib. With the brightest smile on his face he handed it over to me: “Papi”.

There are days when the kids surely do test my patience and endurance.

That’s when I choose to remember moments like this.

*
* Olin and Luca are twenty months old today.

Camus in Seoul

I read L’Etranger in Spanish as a teenager growing up in Guatemala. A few years later, I reread it in English. It was also the first book I ever read in French. And when I completed my studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and moved to Tel Aviv, I translated its opening pages into Hebrew to apply for a part-time job at a translation agency.

Today, I met my long lost friend at a café in Seoul. It was deeply moving to understand the first few sentences in Korean.

19 months

They’re nineteen months old today. I never dreamt that I would become the father of twin boys at age fifty. But here we are and I could not ask for a lovelier family.

We celebrated with an outing to a small farm that has a mini petting zoo and a modest collection of exotic animals.

Just because

Well I learnt about hometowns and seafood - just because - plus a whole bunch of vocabulary and a long laundry list of grammatical rules and their exceptions and so much more and now I’m up one level from Foundation to Beginner 2!

That was one marathon of a week and why they call it “immersion”.

Feature in NPR’s Radio Ambulante

Almost two years ago, I began documenting the life of Olmedo Renteria - better known as Olmedini El Mago. Our project continues, despite being interrupted and put on hold by the pandemic. Many people have enquired as to how he is doing. We talk on the phone every week! Olmedini is quite simply a force of nature. He is holding strong despite the frustration and pain of having to shelter at home for the past several months and being unable to do what he loves best: earn a living performing his magic on the moving stage of the New York subway.

Many beautiful things have happened as a result of our collaboration. One of my favorites is this in-depth feature on NPR’s Radio Ambulante, which is lovingly put together and truly adds to the magician’s legacy. The original conversation is in Spanish but it is also available translated into English.

Artist Talk en Honduras

Next stop Honduras, este jueves en La Galería conversando con Vicente Colindres mi proyecto más reciente “Olmedini El Mago”.

Entrada gratuita, via FB live. Bienvenidxs!

Parking completo

“Ewin” and “Cuca” (what they call each other) park their vehicles at the mall.

Of masks and blossoms

The mother of my children is also my wife is also a gifted artist. It can’t be easy to be the bearer of so many gifts, especially in a time of masks and blossoms. Happy Mother’s Day, HRM!

Amen

The glow of late afternoon lit the toilet like a chapel; as I zipped up my fly I almost whispered “Amen”.

Conversatorio online Escuela efe

Live por Facebook! Cordialmente invitad@s!

14 candles

We took so much for granted. No more. The simplest things in life are endlessly beautiful.

주차장 “HRM”

주차장 “HRM”

Tonight is our last night of self-quarantine. Over the last fourteen days the city has become a speck seen from our window. Tomorrow its immensity will rise to meet us again.

Brave new world!

Trash

During our self-quarantine we dry all fruit peels and then freeze them. We hang on to all our trash, which will be collected on day 14 by the city and disposed of separately to that of the general population.

Two more days till freedom!

Letting go

It’s so good to see her finally let go and feel at ease.

This morning she reminded me of the woman she was when I fell in love so desperately twelve years ago. This morning she reminded me of the woman she has become and who has brought all good things into my life.

Noah’s Ark

10PM and the day is drawing to a close. Mami begins setting up another elaborate surprise for when the twins wake up the following morning.

I’m sure not even Noah’s Ark contained so many wild beasts.

Equation

Emotionally exhausted by all we’ve been through, but four negatives plus twelve more days equals freedom.

And it’s the sweetest equation I’ve ever heard.

JFK —> ICN

JFK

After much soul searching we decided to take our chances and leave New York to travel to Seoul. HRM and I felt our family was just too vulnerable in the city.

The journey here was arduous and now we begin a fourteen day self-quarantine. We have to self-diagnose daily on a government app and there are stiff fines if we don’t comply. We will be tested in three days time. But it’s all part of keeping everybody safe.

Although we will have to wait two weeks to embrace our Korean family, they made sure we have a full fridge, fresh flowers, soju and home cooked meals waiting for us. We are so happy and relieved to be here!

i3 Lectures move to Zoom

One of my favorite gigs is curating and organizing the i3 Lecture Series for the Masters in Digital Photography program at the School of Visual Arts. I’ve been doing this for ten years now and our archive of talks is well over one hundred.

Yesterday was our first online Zoom platform i3 Lecture.

We started promptly at 7PM and that was just in time for the daily neighborhood salute to essential workers: pots and pans clanging out the window, neighbors clapping and cheering their appreciation to the heroes who are battling COVID-19.

Here's a screen capture of Tommy Kha during our Q+A - looking not unlike one of his famous cut-outs of himself ;)

Tommy, thank you for a stellar lecture and for being such a good sport adapting to this new and untried format.