standing on a streetcorner in hanoi, talking with another backpacker from my hostel that i'm touring around the city with, i back up and feel a slight brush against my hip.
when i turn around, i see nothing behind me that i could have brushed against, and a few feet away a 12-year-old kid (whom i'd noticed hanging purposelessly around us for the last few minutes) striding purposefully into a nearby internet cafe.
it took a minute for me to realize that i'd almost been pickpocketed, and by then the kid was nowhere to be seen. i suppose finding a pocket full of tissues for my allergies instead of a nice fat wallet full of cash was enough to send him packing... either that, or he needed a little more practice.
