Two things I don’t read on Facebook. 1. Long winded posts and 2. Posts that ask you for something.  Entertain me quickly, so that I can get back to ignoring the people sitting across the table, on their phones, who are ignoring me.  Today, I’m “That Guy”.

Please follow me on Twitter @Travelinggump or “share” any of my posts on Facebook.  Twitter is easiest for me to track and follow and Facebook really gets the word out.  I write my blog on WordPress and my Web address is travelinggump.com.  I would like to grow, so do what you can (ugh, ok…Please).

I love to write about Travel as it’s clearly where my passion lies.   But, I also love to write about people who do hilarious or stupid things and then we all have a chuckle.  I’ve never had a problem laughing at myself  but, given the choice, I’d rather get a giggle at someone else’s expense over mine.  Well today, it’s my turn “in the barrel”

Smiling is overrated.  People who smile all the time are either weak, vulnerable or up to something.  Or, I’ll grudgingly concede, just too nice.  I smile when necessary.  Eleven years as a Police Officer, I didn’t have to smile.  Smiling gets people’s attention.  I’m the guy in the back  of the room, the faceless Man that no one remembers, a man  of Mystery.  (feeling my inner Austin Powers).

Yesterday, Lilly got on me about not smiling for pictures.  I am! No, you do it like this…Really!?  I tried…unused facial muscles strained and pulled until I made “the face”.  The “Yes Dear, of course dinner was delicious face”.

One hour later, we are at the Ben Thanh Market getting fleeced by a lady selling us dresses.  We go back and forth.  I’m a happy guy doing verbal judo with a 4’09 vendor and gaining traction.  She stops mid-sentence, touches my arm and says “you should smile more, you don’t smile”.  Game Over, I paid her full price and crawled away to lick my wounds.  Apparently, I have smiling issues…