Smile - and the world smiles with you

Let's look at the world we live in. It seems everyone has a smile for the camera when they are approached with respect and a friendly face, as these pictures taken around the world show.

Rather than emphasising differences right now, it is important to remember how much alike we all are, worldwide.

We met this little lady in Nagasaki, Japan, a city with a sombre past, but she is the face of the future for her city and country.

History is everywhere, and this gentleman was answering questions about a historical house in Hoi An, Vietnam. The city values its heritage and makes walking and cycling the old city's streets a priority.

The tradition of the geisha (or geiko) is unique to Japan. These young unmarried women undertake years of training in music and singing, hospitality and conversation, and are highly respected. This lady was one of several meeting our ship in Shimezu, and you can see Mount Fuji in the background.

Okinawa, Japan, has the world's highest percentage of people aged over a hundred years old. This man had been a deep-sea diver. When asked to pose for us, he said, 'I am happy', and this is what many believe is the foundation for the locals' longevitiy.

Kota Kinabalu is in Sabah, Eastern Malaysia, and this dancer is wearing the heavily beaded outfits used for ceremonial occasions. The city, close to the equator, was largely devastated by bombing in WWII, yet now is a modern and welcoming (but hot) place to visit.

On a hot tropical day we met Susan, originally from Papua New Guinea, selling a very interesting product at Rusty's Markets in Cairns, Queensland. Can you guess what it was?

High in the mountainous region of northern Vietnam, the local people still welcome strangers with a smile, hospitality, and tasty food cooked simply. 

In the far west of China, temperatures plunge and soar, depending on the season, yet this gentle man paused in his work to say hello.

With age comes wisdom, and it is evident in the face of this monk as he welcomes visitors to his temple in Wutaishan, central China. 

This mum and youngster in Hoi An, Vietnam typify the friendliness of the country. 

Who wouldn't want to be welcomed to a hotel by this happy-faced Singaporean?

Even huge cities like Beijing have many people willing to share a smile.

This cheeky lass in the Mekong region of Vietnam, had a novel way of carrying her stock-in-trade.

Hi from Hanoi! Vietnamese children on a school excursion

Vietnamese women are very beautiful and the national hat, the non, really frames their faces.

Beauty at all ages can be seen, above, in these women of Sapa in the mountainous far north of Vietnam.

Children are the same the world over, and these ones in western China just want to mug for the camera.

Far away in the middle of the Pacific, in Moorea, French Polynesia, this lady shared her stunning food and welcomed us warmly.

Peek-a-boo in Lijiang, south-western China.

Almost at the Tibetan border with China, in Dechen, this mother and baby said hello.

High at a temple near Lijiang, south-western China, this friendly monk was sharing walnuts and pears and honey with his visitors.

Out for a trip to the Forbidden City, Beijing, China, she is beginning her love affair with cameras.

Wouldn't this man be great company? His face says it all, and we found him in Rajasthan, India.

Also in Rajasthan, at the Blue Fort in Jodphur, India, this man treated visitors with a happy little melody.

A Rajasthani young lady.

A smiler from a passing bus in Delhi.

A young boy begins his life as a monk on the Tibetan plateau...

...and nearby at an onion market, these ladies ....

...share a smile.

Kashgar in far north India, can get very cold, but here's a warm welcome.

The harsh conditions in Tibet can age people's faces prematurely. We bought turquoise and a knife from the two girls, tried to have a conversation with the man in the red head-dress, and sought directions in a blizzard from Mr Sunglasses.

Cuties in Old Batavia, Jakarta.

Dancers in far Easten Russia in Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka peninsula.

Sitting on a tiny stool, streetside in Hoi An, Vietnam, selling souvenirs can be tiring, but not when people stop to talk.

Marrakesh, Morocco, is exotic and rich in history and art. This designer of clothes and jewellery epitomises the city.

In France, deep in the Basque region, this gourmet butcher and providore had a friendly word for all his customers, including us.

What's not to love about youngsters at a rock concert in Turku, Finland?

Jakarta, Indonesia, is a large and busy city and the traffic can cause lengthy 'jams', but if you're stuck in one, this guy has the right attitude.

North-eastern England, in Alnwick, Northumberland, a happy town crier makes any festival go wih a swing.

Happiness is an ice cream. It might be raining  at the Goose Fair in Ovingham, Northumberland, but this littlie couldn't care less.

If ever Tallinn, Estonia, needed an ambassador, this charming young woman would be ideal.

Outside the walled and intact medieval city of Ping Yao, in eastern China, this man re-enacts what it would have been like to be a book-keeper there centuries ago, with only the hint of a smile.

But now, it's time to say farewell to our happy friends around the world, with this Delhi passenger sharing a final cheeky grin.

May the coming weeks bring smiles to your face...

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HERE'S A QUESTION:

(Which of these PICTURES did you like best?)

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Photographs: ©Gordon Hammond