Often we find that traveling with kids in tow makes it easier to meet local people. For some reason they make us more approachable. Brianna was like an American rock star in the Mekong Delta with her collection of Silly Bandz (check in with the nearest 'tween girl if you are out of the pop culture loop on this one). While we drank honey tea, curious Vietnamese women (and then men) gathered around to watch Brianna pull the Silly Bandz off her wrist and reshape them on the table. They were mesmerized, and it was a great language learning opportunity. We learned the Vietnamese words for various animals (and promptly forgot them) as we sorted through Brianna’s collection. Brianna gave away a good part of her collection to the women and, then, to the initially reluctant men. They were tickled to have this “hot” American souvenir. Brianna (after lamenting the loss of her tie-dyed sneaker and dolphin bands) agreed that it was a pretty cool experience. Who knew you could build bridges with rubber bands?
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