France after South Korea (2015-2017)

The playground is deafening and complete. It’s the hour of walks, ponders, retirement. My mom and I join the bustle, chatting – yapping.

“Elles ont à la peau jaune et elles portent aussi la couleur jaune!”

The voice pierces through the air and reaches our backs. We turn, briskly. The culprits are two boys. Their heights are misled by the backpacks that sit awkwardly on their heads like overgrown shells. A moment of mutual recognition rests between us. The boys did not expect such level of comprehension. One of their backpacks dropped to the ground at an impossibly comedic timing.