FOOT MITON

My son and I arrived in Hanoi during November of 2007. Our first night we walked across a park and were transfixed by some young adults playing badmiton. The staggering part was that the bird was considerably larger than what we are used to and they were not using racquets. Instead they were kicking the bird over the net. But even that wasn't the really cool part. They would allow the bird to go over their heads and then somehow kick it back over the net from behind themselves. Needless to say I had to try it and I was as good as Steven Hawkings. Now we fast forward a month and we're now in Cambodia. One of my most favorite things to do is rent a motorcycle and go off to the middle of nowhere. One morning I did just that and found a very small village that I'm sure I was the first gringo to ever enter. Some young kids were playing badmiton so I joined them. By this time I had learned that using my feet would always be useless so instead I used my hands. In a very short period of time we became the entertainment for the entire village. No one spoke English and I spoke no Cambodian yet we all had a blast. Here I was in the middle of nowhere without any concerns for my safety. It was a joy to be able to share the moment with them. After the game I walked through the village taking pictures. One of the perks of using digital equipment is that I can take a shot and immediately show it. I have found people all over the world so eager to be a part of such moments. Here are two shots taken after the game of some younger children that were spectators. Look at what kids look like who are deprived of video games and cell phones.