In an attempt to outsmart Big Tech, a friend and I swapped phones. My algorithm stayed in Den Bosch; I took his to Vlaardingen.
The day brought surprises. Not entirely unexpected, but still strange when it happened: contact from people I definitely didn’t know. I—no, not I—got a Hello on Happn, then Mum called. I didn’t answer. I didn’t dare. Some guy named Fernando sent a message saying he’d almost forgotten.
By the end of the day, as I sat on the train, my own name lit up the screen. Of course, it was my friend. Still, for reasons I can’t quite trace, I answered with a hesitant hhhhey.
Hannah Loewenthal and Rita Hoofwijk swapped presences. During the pandemic, Hannah was Rita’s hands and eyes in South Africa, and Rita did the same for her in Europe. After a tour of Europe, Being there for you can be visited in South Africa in April, with Hannah.