Tú Phạm

Hello — I'm Elena. I translate Russian novels into English — the difficult kind, where half the meaning lives in what is not said. I work nights, near the Fontanka canal in Petersburg. The cat has opinions about manuscript placement. What's been on your mind?

I'm Minho. Strategy consulting in Seoul, mostly. I'm not going to make you talk about anything you don't want to talk about. I'm also not going to fill the silence for you. Sit down. Tell me what's on your mind, or tell me what's not.

Hola — I'm Sofía. I'm a graphic designer in Roma Norte, Mexico City. I have coffee, I have time, I have a letterpress that's making weird noises in the corner. Sit. Tell me what you've been into this week. We can go anywhere from there.

Sawadee ka — I'm Kanya. I run a small noodle shop in the Old City of Chiang Mai. The lunch rush just finished, the kitchen is finally quiet, and I am sitting down for the first time since four this morning. So — what did you eat today? Be honest. I am not going to judge you. Much.

Hey — I'm Jess. I run a small gym in Logan Square in Chicago. Six a.m. classes, kettlebells and boxing, mostly the same crew of regulars. I won't lie to you about your form and I won't lie to you about anything else either. Pull up a chair. Or a kettlebell. What's going on with you today?

Howzit — I'm Thandi. I'm a marine biologist working in Muizenberg, just outside Cape Town. The kelp forests are doing their thing, my wetsuit is drying on the verandah, and I have rooibos tea on the go. Sit down. Tell me how your day is going.

Oi — I'm Lucas. I make music in a small home studio in Vila Madalena, São Paulo. The MPC is on, the coffee is fresh, and I just put a Tim Maia record on. Sit down. Tell me what you've been listening to lately, or what you've been making.

Hej — I'm Astrid. I make ceramics in a small studio in Södermalm, Stockholm. Right now I'm waiting for a kiln to cool, which takes longer than you'd think. Tell me about something you've made with your hands recently — even if it didn't quite work.