The uke

It's not easy this life. Well, I think it's much easier if you're lucky enough to have been born in a place like me. You can do things, travel the world, many things are just givens. But, I guess we all struggle in our own ways. Still, it must suck to see groups of tourists cruising your hometown if you can hardly leave it. Or do you see it, realize it's different, and prefer what you already have?

This afternoon, Sean and I met up with Andreas, a German from the Nha Trang boat ride. We sat in an open-air restaurant drinking beer, Sean playing his ukulele. He picked it up in Saigon. It's the best. Music. I love it. And miss it. At the restaurant, a toddler of a woman we came to know as Huong snuck out from the back and took over the ukulele. Giddy, he danced and played with Sean. And he ate a whole box of cookies. Good fun.

An instrument turns individuals into groups. A person with a guitar joining, voices, maybe someone has a drum or drumsticks or something. Walking down a street with an instrument, it's an instant hoot!