In Mexico when you are talking to a friend (in person) you might start, “¿Mano que hiciste hoy?” The question to the friend on what he was doing that day begins with the word mano which is Spanish for hand. I have no idea why in Mexico the use of this word to address a friend is used. But it had me going in the last few days.

It seems that every day I go into my office and I print at least one inkjet. I have hundreds of them. Until we moved from Kerrisdale (where I had a darkroom) to Kitsilano about 9 years ago I was proud of my skills in printing archivally. Now I have matted prints from those days in all kinds of drawers. There are like I wrote above hundreds of them.

Now in this century I have seen the interest in holding a photographs in one’s hands diminish which to me is scary. To me the holding of a photograph is still magic.

The etymology of manuscript in Spanish is clearer that in English as manuscrito is literally hand written.

It was when I took my two granddaughters to my old boarding school in Austin, Texas, some years ago that we ran into a priest. I asked him to bless them. Rebecca ran into my friend and mentor, Brother Edwin’s computer but Lauren was blessed and the priest laid his hands on her forehead. I don’t have to believe in any religion to accept that the laying of hands is an important action.   

In our once-a-month lunch meetings at the Sylvia few other photographers besides me bring physical photographs to our show and tell. Options seem to be phones or laptops.

I have few occasions now to actually handwrite something. For the last 30 years my handwriting has so deteriorated that I cannot read much of it. When it is something important I print.

There is one live entity, my female cat Niña that wants to be petted all the time. I miss being able to put my hand on Rosemary when we were in bed or to walk with her hand in hand. 

In my native Buenos Aires and in Mexico when you go to a party or meeting you greet other men (and women) with an abrazo. If that male friend is a good friend you kiss on both sides of the cheek in Buenoa Aires.

I will never forget giving my print of my portrait to Mstislav Rostropovich backstage after his concert. He gave me an abrazo and that very Russian three kisses on either side of my c