In Hanoi I have noticed on a number of occasions that men, grown men, have no issue showing affection to each other. They will happily walk down the street with ones hand wrapped around the others shoulder. Sometimes one will sit on another ones lap or rest their head on a friends legs while they are sitting down enjoying a coffee. One time riding home from work I saw a grown teenager peddling his bike along the road. Sitting the opposite way cuddled up nice and close was another fully grown teenager with his head rested on his friends shoulder. There they were doing what seemed an extremely difficult task with great ease. They must have done this before.
So I don't know what you call it; guy love, man cuddles or a bro embrace; regardless I have seen it many times in Hanoi and it is nothing more than friends hanging out. There is little to no gay culture in Hanoi, at least that I have seen, so the guy love that you see has nothing to do with their sexuality. In fact, I don't see any affection from couples in Hanoi. In public that just doesn't happen. I think I have only seen one couple kiss in a year in Hanoi and that was when I accidentally walked in on them. Sorry!
So when I arrived in Sydney today I went down to Coogee Beach to have lunch with my brothers and my two year old nephew. The little one was a bit sick so we were taking turns looking after him, holding him, giving him cuddles and grabbing tissues to rub wipe his runny nose. We were in a pub where groups of friends were hanging out chatting and having a few beers. With all our energies concentrated on looking after Dexter we attracted a few looks from the groups sitting at the tables. I wonder what they were thinking...... two brothers hanging out, guy love (Hanoi Style) or guy love (Australian style)..
no wonder you like it so much you gaylord
ReplyDelete"One time riding home from work I saw a grown teenager peddling his bike along the road. Sitting the opposite way cuddled up nice and close was another fully grown teenager with his head rested on his friends shoulder".
ReplyDeleteNot sure how that's possible, but it definitely sounds very GAY.
The sitting on each other's lap thing is gay no matter where you are. Ditto the resting head on a male friend's leg.
Judging from the Vietnamese press, I'ld venture that Saigon's gay culture is a bit more upfront than Hanoi's, vis a vis the numerous tranny beauty contests and gay night clubs.
I have not been to Saigon yet (will visit for the first time in a few weeks) but from talking to other travellers/expats the two cities are very different. There isn't much of night scene in Hanoi; let alone tranny contests and gay night clubs.
ReplyDeleteAs for the two on the bike; I don't know how they actually managed it, but it was a funny sight.