These are some of my favorite photos of children in different parts of the world. These kids may not have a lot of materials but they hold very innocent, pure spirit.

In South America, I often found kids are rather too shy in front of the camera. I thank the kids in La Playa, Peru who asked me to take a picture of them – they first asked whether I have caramel but I didn’t have. I was glad that I could at least take a picture of them and show it to them.

In South East Asia, kids are pretty relaxed in front of the camera. Two girls I met in Sapa, Vietnam were practicing a song and dance next to cows. They were having so much fun and made every tourist passing by smile. The working kids like the girl in Angkor Wat appreciate when tourists buy something from them before taking pictures. She was selling a few things and I brought a magnet from her. Her name was Mai.

To a photographer, kids are always fascinating as they portray authenticity that we tend to lose as we grow.