the first time I went to Swan idea I was not planning on going this one idea I
not planning on going this one idea I
not planning on going this one idea I wasn’t a photographer yet it was a
wasn’t a photographer yet it was a
wasn’t a photographer yet it was a backpacker but this is the story that
backpacker but this is the story that
backpacker but this is the story that made me a photographer I met a german
made me a photographer I met a german
made me a photographer I met a german linguist who told me about a place where
linguist who told me about a place where
linguist who told me about a place where people spoke a language that had never
people spoke a language that had never
people spoke a language that had never been written that was surrounded by you
been written that was surrounded by you
been written that was surrounded by you know 17 18 thousand foot peaks so this
know 17 18 thousand foot peaks so this
know 17 18 thousand foot peaks so this german linguist drew a map on a napkin
german linguist drew a map on a napkin
german linguist drew a map on a napkin for me and i transferred it into my
for me and i transferred it into my
for me and i transferred it into my journal and I left the next day and on a
journal and I left the next day and on a
journal and I left the next day and on a bus right into the mountains a woman
bus right into the mountains a woman
bus right into the mountains a woman turned around me after about two hours
turned around me after about two hours
turned around me after about two hours and said where are you going and I said
and said where are you going and I said
and said where are you going and I said well I’m gonna camp when the bus stops
well I’m gonna camp when the bus stops
well I’m gonna camp when the bus stops at the end of the road and she just
at the end of the road and she just
at the end of the road and she just looked at me she said no hoko please
looked at me she said no hoko please
looked at me she said no hoko please don’t do that and she took me with her
don’t do that and she took me with her
don’t do that and she took me with her and she took me to a wedding and that
and she took me to a wedding and that
and she took me to a wedding and that wedding was of the eldest daughter of
wedding was of the eldest daughter of
wedding was of the eldest daughter of the family that ended up adopting me in
the family that ended up adopting me in
the family that ended up adopting me in this region and they got me drunk and
this region and they got me drunk and
this region and they got me drunk and made me dance and I woke up the next
made me dance and I woke up the next
made me dance and I woke up the next morning in their home and they probably
morning in their home and they probably
morning in their home and they probably felt some pity on me I thought we should
felt some pity on me I thought we should
felt some pity on me I thought we should shelter this kid he doesn’t know what
shelter this kid he doesn’t know what
shelter this kid he doesn’t know what he’s doing that started a three-year
he’s doing that started a three-year
he’s doing that started a three-year relationship that’s now I guess a 16
relationship that’s now I guess a 16
relationship that’s now I guess a 16 year relationship now the National
year relationship now the National
year relationship now the National Geographic sent me back
yeah my journals really are pretty
yeah my journals really are pretty pedestrian at times I was a very young
pedestrian at times I was a very young
pedestrian at times I was a very young they’re very embarrassing to read
they’re very embarrassing to read
they’re very embarrassing to read sometimes but there are some things I
sometimes but there are some things I
sometimes but there are some things I still really love in the journals
still really love in the journals
still really love in the journals I wrote down recipes and I wrote down
I wrote down recipes and I wrote down
I wrote down recipes and I wrote down vocabulary so I would have like daily
vocabulary so I would have like daily
vocabulary so I would have like daily language lessons for myself and of
language lessons for myself and of
language lessons for myself and of course the songs I wrote down all the
course the songs I wrote down all the
course the songs I wrote down all the songs but I saw the potential for a
songs but I saw the potential for a
songs but I saw the potential for a story that was a little bit more like
story that was a little bit more like
story that was a little bit more like poetry that was revealed more about the
poetry that was revealed more about the
poetry that was revealed more about the soul of the people and the space
soul of the people and the space
soul of the people and the space and it was that third year that I
and it was that third year that I
and it was that third year that I returned specifically to try to make a
returned specifically to try to make a
returned specifically to try to make a story with pictures and that became my
story with pictures and that became my
story with pictures and that became my first other story that was some of my
first other story that was some of my
first other story that was some of my first rolls of film but it’s the first
first rolls of film but it’s the first
first rolls of film but it’s the first story that made me fall in love like
story that made me fall in love like
story that made me fall in love like with a people with a place that really
with a people with a place that really
with a people with a place that really is what it is like this story made me
is what it is like this story made me
is what it is like this story made me fall in love with a whole community it
fall in love with a whole community it
fall in love with a whole community it was imagery of that family that family
was imagery of that family that family
was imagery of that family that family is central to all of those early trips
is central to all of those early trips
is central to all of those early trips and the photographs they were beautiful
and the photographs they were beautiful
and the photographs they were beautiful people that were musical and the home
people that were musical and the home
people that were musical and the home was filled with song all the time I
was filled with song all the time I
was filled with song all the time I would wake up to singing I would go to
would wake up to singing I would go to
would wake up to singing I would go to bed to the family singing together and
bed to the family singing together and
bed to the family singing together and from the very first trip they taught me
from the very first trip they taught me
from the very first trip they taught me their sons and I remembered those songs
their sons and I remembered those songs
their sons and I remembered those songs when I came back 13 years later the
when I came back 13 years later the
when I came back 13 years later the songs are about heroes and about love
songs are about heroes and about love
songs are about heroes and about love and about your friends having your back
and about your friends having your back
and about your friends having your back all the things that good country songs
all the things that good country songs
all the things that good country songs are about the reunion with my adopted
are about the reunion with my adopted
are about the reunion with my adopted family was a little embarrassing because
family was a little embarrassing because
family was a little embarrassing because a Georgian television crew followed me
a Georgian television crew followed me
a Georgian television crew followed me and I told me I had to stay back at the
and I told me I had to stay back at the
and I told me I had to stay back at the gate it was really emotional for me you
gate it was really emotional for me you
gate it was really emotional for me you know and I saw my my mother from that
know and I saw my my mother from that
know and I saw my my mother from that family new-new and I went to her and I
family new-new and I went to her and I
family new-new and I went to her and I hugged her and it just made me start
hugged her and it just made me start
hugged her and it just made me start weeping like the songs that were really
weeping like the songs that were really
weeping like the songs that were really buried in me that that just came out
buried in me that that just came out
buried in me that that just came out like I I love this woman and that came
like I I love this woman and that came
like I I love this woman and that came out when I saw her and when I held her
out when I saw her and when I held her
out when I saw her and when I held her and it was exciting to see them and it
and it was exciting to see them and it
and it was exciting to see them and it was confusing to see them and how do you
was confusing to see them and how do you
was confusing to see them and how do you restart a relationship after 13 years
restart a relationship after 13 years
restart a relationship after 13 years but the fact that they wanted to bring
but the fact that they wanted to bring
but the fact that they wanted to bring me in again that they had not forgotten
me in again that they had not forgotten
me in again that they had not forgotten me that
me that
me that they still thought of me in that way was
they still thought of me in that way was
they still thought of me in that way was very moving to me and they did they they
very moving to me and they did they they
very moving to me and they did they they took me in again I don’t Sheila Dikshit
took me in again I don’t Sheila Dikshit
took me in again I don’t Sheila Dikshit red tongue so I found these I found all
red tongue so I found these I found all
red tongue so I found these I found all the families again I sat down with them
the families again I sat down with them
the families again I sat down with them again sang with them again and talked to
again sang with them again and talked to
again sang with them again and talked to them about their lives and the old men
them about their lives and the old men
them about their lives and the old men still play chess in the backyard in the
still play chess in the backyard in the
still play chess in the backyard in the same spot and the girls the whole family
same spot and the girls the whole family
same spot and the girls the whole family still sings in the kitchen and there are
still sings in the kitchen and there are
still sings in the kitchen and there are some of those things that just never
some of those things that just never
some of those things that just never change and and I found a lot of those
change and and I found a lot of those
change and and I found a lot of those again
and there were other scenes that I found
and there were other scenes that I found that weren’t necessarily literally the
that weren’t necessarily literally the
that weren’t necessarily literally the person in the same place but I found the
person in the same place but I found the
person in the same place but I found the same scenes again I found the dancers
same scenes again I found the dancers
same scenes again I found the dancers and the traditional singers and it
and the traditional singers and it
and the traditional singers and it brought back that memory of those first
brought back that memory of those first
brought back that memory of those first images and when I see them together side
images and when I see them together side
images and when I see them together side by side like I see what has survived
by side like I see what has survived
by side like I see what has survived these stories are not just about making
these stories are not just about making
these stories are not just about making pretty frames we we tell the stories of
pretty frames we we tell the stories of
pretty frames we we tell the stories of entire peoples so if we do this story
entire peoples so if we do this story
entire peoples so if we do this story right we preserve those things you know
right we preserve those things you know
right we preserve those things you know and that’s what our job is to preserve
and that’s what our job is to preserve
and that’s what our job is to preserve that poetry so many people that have
that poetry so many people that have
that poetry so many people that have never heard of Swan Eddie o or this
never heard of Swan Eddie o or this
never heard of Swan Eddie o or this region of the Georgian Republic or where
region of the Georgian Republic or where
region of the Georgian Republic or where these people this one’s this may be the
these people this one’s this may be the
these people this one’s this may be the only thing they ever read about these
only thing they ever read about these
only thing they ever read about these people and I think that’s what I look
people and I think that’s what I look
people and I think that’s what I look for now in all of my projects is can I
for now in all of my projects is can I
for now in all of my projects is can I can I keep finding that can I keep
can I keep finding that can I keep
can I keep finding that can I keep carrying that much
”
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