On my first trip to Kenya Africa I didn't know what to expect. I didn't bring my keyboard, and I didn't think to bring a guitar. So the whole time I was there I was at the mercy of the instruments provided by them - which wasn't much of anything.

So at this one meeting, I was asked to play and sing a couple of songs for the crowd. I walked up to the front to find a little tiny Casio keyboard plugged into this HUGE amplification system (which was turned all the way up).

On top of that, they didn't have a boom mic stand, so they used a straight stand set directly in front, between me and the keyboard.

So I started to play and noticed that several of the key had been broken and repaired with a singly strip of masking tape on the top. As I played the broken keys would stick straight up pointing toward the ceiling.

Everyone just stared.... no one joined in the song. I must have looked like a complete idiot.

The Lesson: Always, always bring an instrument with you when you go.