CUTTING MY TEETH IN VIETNAM

​Over twenty five years ago I was in the Sa Pa region, in Lao Cai province of Vietnam where the Hmong people reside. It was right before I took the big plunge into the dark, unsure waters of being an artist full-time, leaving behind a full time teaching gig with a decent pension. I carried a little travel guitar and when finding myself in the centre of these small mountain villages, I would pull out my little guitar and begin to play and sing. Children would always come first. They weren’t shy at all. They’d gather around to listen and giggle at the funny white guy singing and playing. People would soon stick their heads out of their shops or homes to see what all the fuss was about. Looking at these photos this morning, I am struck by how long I’ve been doing this, how dark my hair was, and those sideburns. Whoa! Those sideburns.