Sa Pa Routine

Each morning at six she puts on her self-selected uniform.

Black pants, sandals, a red jacket to match her personality, a golden scarf for dignity and a conical hat to remind herself of who she is and where her family comes from.

She walks down the steps from her third floor flat and strolls the streets and alleys of Sa Pa in northern Vietnam to see what has changed since yesterday. The changes are subtle but they are always there. A shopkeeper is behind on her chores. A plant is growing so large its pot is tipping over. The moss on the walls is a bit thicker this morning and a darker green because of last night’s rain.

A young couple zips by on a motor scooter, but she moves slowly through the streets because she has learned - over the years - that time and life always move at the same pace. Going fast gets you no where sooner. Some day they will learn, she observes to herself.