One of the things I discovered on my very first visit to America way back in 1987 was their openness in expressing their quote unquote love for each other. I was shocked to see a young man and woman engaged in a passionate French kiss against a post near a shopping mall’s entrance. Their closed eyes and locked lips were enough signal to the mall goers ” don’t mind us”.
I looked at them in disbelief. Questions were running thru my naive or ignoramus mind. Bakit nadun sila? Why don’t they stay behind the post, not in front of the post? Why they don’t go inside the movie house where it’s dark and they can have privacy?”
While waiting for the BART train, I’ve seen some hugging, kissing, rubbing their noses. That time I was really wondering, pwede pala yun sa America. Sa Binangonan pag nakipag lampungan ka sa kalye, you would be the tsismis of the town until the next generation. You will be in the town’s history journal.
When Edmund and I were still in college, our professor apparently saw us sitting at the waiting shed in front of the Commerce Building. He told everyone in class that he saw us kissing and hugging in broad daylight and in the midst of hundreds of students. Eh siguro ganun talaga, we’re in love and oblivious of our surroundings. At saka few months pa lang kami mag-boyfriend, syempre mahilig pang mag kiss. Ngayon, after being together for 130 years, tulog na lang tayo. Nuon, we would look for a comfortable cemented bench in front of the football field, duon uupo tapos holding hands, lean on his shoulders and pa simple-simple at padampi dampi ng kiss.
Ngayon, ang daming sofa sa bahay namin, and they remained un-utilized. Mamaya nga pag uwi ni husband, I will suggest a re-enactment of our college PDA. Baka ang akala nya pdf.
The Europeans are equally open. In Paris, it’s common to see men and women kissing at the bus stop, by the River Seine, along Champs Elysee, every where. We saw pa nga a very old couple in a torrid kissing scene near Eiffel Tower. They were carried away by Tour Eiffel’s twinkling lights that provided for a very romantic backdrop. On the boat at the dinner cruise in Budapest, in Vienna. It’s very common to see couples of the opposite sex, necking in public.
Lately, (this year) I’m seeing more and more same sex couples publicly displaying their affection and sexuality. I think this has something to do with our understanding and acceptance of their gender and sexual preference. They now express their passion freely in public just like the opposite sexes.
When I was in Edinburgh lining up for a ticket to enter the castle, a couple (male and female) in front me utilized their time productively. While in line, they were engaged in slurping and slurping each other’s faces, necks, lips. I could hear their yucky slurps. I saw their tongue scrimmages. Nilalabas-labas pa yung dila parang nag-eespadahan.
I witnessed something like that again two weeks ago while queuing for ice cream at the Ferry Building in San Francisco.
After eating seafood, I wanted something sweet to wash down the fishy taste left in my mouth. There were a lot of people waiting for ice cream.
Edmund didn’t want ice cream and said he would look for coffee.
The number of people at the Gott’s soft ice cream was not that long so I just stood here in line.
Two tall, blond, gorgeous ladies were in front of me . I thought they were just friends, before I knew it, they started embracing passionately, then locked lips. They must really be in-love.
Two beautiful ladies in passionate embrace
The cashier pointed to them where the napkins are.. “the napkins are here”. One of them responded by saying “How did you know we would be messy?”
I got my ice cream. After I paid, I looked at the two ladies and saw them kissing again, this time with the ice cream in their mouths. Hmm, she was not joking when she told the cashier they would be messy.
I looked for dear husband and found him at Starbucks. “Tart, gusto mong ice cream?” Ayaw.
For the record, I am not conservative. However, I am getting much older and I am beginning to think like a lola. Pwede kaya to tone-down a bit the lovin’ and kissin’. Holding hands, akbay, konting hug and beso-beso and smack na lang muna while in public. When you reach your own apartments, hayun, duon na lang, ilabas ang umaatikabong halikan na walang hingahan at maka durog butong bakbakan at iskremahan.
