Sweet potatoes

It's curious that in this tech-driven society, you still find throwbacks to a simpler way of life that you would never see in the United States. Like women wearing kimonos and traditional sandals during the day - and like the sweet-potato salesman.

Last Friday, at a playground in a wealthy expat neighborhood, I heard music that resembled the Muslim call to prayer. But it was the sweet-potato truck selling 100 grams of "organic no chemicals" roasted sweet potato for 100 yen (less than $1).



There's a wood-burning oven on the back of his mini-truck.





For 100 yen, he opened the oven door, pulled out a small potato with his bare hands, weighed it on a scale and tossed it into a paper bag.





Arno loved it and wanted another. By then, there was a crowd.