This visit ends, but not the blog
It’s hard for me to believe, but the five months of my Fulbright grant have gone by, and I’m about to leave Colombia, and most important, El Chocó, for a while. As always, I leave feeling I’ve learned a lot, managed to get some useful photography done, and deepened my relationships with a growing circle of friends and colleagues here. But there’s no getting away from it; as I make the rounds saying goodbye to people, I’m filled with sadness and a longing to stay. Right now I’m hoping to return in July 2008, if some plans work out…
In the meantime, I’ve found this blog to be a useful way to focus some of my thoughts about details of daily life here as well as about some bigger issues. Because the last period, nearly two months, has been filled with travel, it has been hard for me to keep the blog up. But I still have a lot to write, both for you and for me. And as some people have been kind enough to write me in very complimentary terms about the blog, I think I’ll maintain it.
Please watch for more entries in the coming weeks and probably months. And I’m thinking of starting other blogs, probably about photography. And thanks for your support.
Esta visita termina, pero el blog no.
Me cuesta trabajo creerlo, pero los cinco meses de mi beca Fulbright han pasado, y estoy por salir de Colombia, y lo más importante, del Chocó, por un rato. Como siempre, salgo creyendo que he aprendido mucho, logrado producir algo de fotografía útil, y profundizado mis relaciones con un círculo de amig@s y colegas acá que sigue creciendo. Pero no se puede evitar; al ir de persona a persona despidiéndome, me siento lleno de tristeza y unas ganas de quedarme aquí. En este momento espero volver en julio del 2008, si unos planes resultan…
Mientras tanto, he encontrado en este blog una manera útil de enfocar unos de mis pensamientos sobre detalles de la vida cotidiana acá, además de unas cuestiones más grandes. Ya que el último período, casi dos meses, ha sido lleno de viajes y salidas, me ha resultado difícil mantener el blog actualizado. Pero todavía hay mucho que tengo que escribir, tanto para Uds. como para mi. Y como unas personas han sido tan amable a hacerme llegar notas positivas sobre el blog, espero mantenerlo.
Por favor, miren por más entradas en las semanas—y a lo mejor los meses—venideros. Y pienso empezar otro blog, probablemente sobre la fotografía. Y, gracias por el apoyo.
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4 comments:
Hola:
navegando por la red he visto tu blog, me he parado para descansar y lo he explorado, me gusta mucho. Ahora continuo mi viaje. Cuando quieras ven a ver mi blog.
Ciao.
Will you be giving a talk anytime soon in Cleveland recounting your experience photographing and living in El Choco? As I wrote sometime back in your blog, I greatly enjoyed seeing the pictures that were exhibited at CSU and would love to see more of your shows.
You will need more than a couple of trips and a few months in a country to "really" get to know it.
I must say, speaking the language gives you an advantage. But in a Country like Colombia, it can take a life time to get to know it. Forget about understanding it! Colombia is full of contradictions. The bottom line is: like women, just love it .... dont try to understand it!
it would be nice if the people you used on your photos got some benefit from it like you will when your book is published?
"it would be nice if the people you used on your photos got some benefit from it like you will when your book is published?"
I normally don't respond to posts, even those that are really hostile--though I have been removing the posts that are just spam. But this one requires a reply.
Some people get the idea that I make money from this activity--how I wish I could. As far as publishing a book, I would love to do that, but so far can't find any publisher willing to take it on.
And of course, this writer assumes that the communities I photograph get no benefits from my activity...I hope that's not true; I certainly have donated large numbers of photographs to communities, represented them at meetings, and so on. They tell me they're happy with my work.
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