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[NQV] SF visit: 8/30/96 (1)
Friday 8/30/96
I flew out of Boston at 4:25 PM (EDT) on Continental flight 157,
making a brief stopover in Cleveland, which then arrived in SF at
9:20 PM (PST). Meeting at the airport were Phuc (who had flown
in from Miami the previous day), Brian and a Chinese-Viet friend
of his named Kevin (who was kind enough to drive us around town
that night). Though I hadn't met with Brian during my last visit
to the Bay Area 2 years ago (because he had been out of town), I
had long heard of his name (for over 4 years through some indirect
connection) and had subsequently gotten to know him through more
direct contacts on vn-gblf and the phone so there was none of the
awkwardness of first acquaintance when I finally met him in person.
His far-reaching reputation as a maverick activist to the contrary,
I felt remarkably at ease in his company and found him to be quite
affable and delightful in a gregarious "Southerner" kind of way.
His bubbly and animated manners (mixed with with barely a hint of
mischievous wit) underscored by an ever so comical grin, as well as
his smallish compact built and short-cropped hair, somehow gave me
the funny impression of an overgrown kid (even though I well knew
that he holds quite an edge over me in terms of age, and, needless
to say, life experience)! On the way back Brian babbled on and on
to me about the meaning of the rather bizarre/enigmatic title of
"Bo` Le^n Ca^n" magazine (the underground precursor to Face to Face
magazine) -- though delighted (and amused) by all this rare inside
information from the founder of the publication, I soon found his
quixotic musings (and far-fetched etymological play) going over my
head, and leaving me more confused than ever! :-) Nonetheless it
was quite fascinating and informative to catch a few glimpses into
Vietnamese gay history from the vantage point of a seasoned veteran
who had long taken pride in "stirring up troubles" ("qua^.y") with
his often maverick tactics and efforts at organizing for a gay Viet
community. Well, only time can tell if Brian will one day be thought
of as the Harry Hay of gay Vietnamese history. :-)
Compared to the ever so extrovert Brian, the gently bespectacled and
wavy-haired Kevin, on the other hand, seemed rather bashful in his
soft-spoken and self-embarassed manners. He and Phuc remained rather
timidly quiet all evening. On the way back, we made a detour to pick
up Brian's pick-up truck which had been on loan to transport materials
in preparation for Golden Summer Night. Having dropped off my luggage
at Brian's place (in the heart of SF's notorious Tenderloin district,
which has a surprisingly high concentration of Vietnamese residents,
shops and eateries), Brian, Phuc and I went to catch some late night
noodle from across the street. Small talks aside, when Brian steered
the conversation toward the tourist/gay scene in Florida Phuc seemed
to perk up a bit and join in the conversation. Afterwards we rejoined
Kevin, who had taken leave to visit Kiet and Trong, gay Viet neighbors
who lived around the corner from Brian. The 4 or 5 people there were
about to start a card game, but passed it up to entertain us with a
half-hour or so of conversation. Wrapped up in a blanket and seeming
out of sort, Kiet was recuperating from an operation the day before
to treat a nasal infection. Amidst the small talks, I happened to
notice something rather sweet (and inspirational!) when Trong leaned
over on the bed and stroke Kiet's hair and face in a caring gesture
of attention and affection: more than all the bluster about sex/lust/
thrill or what not, that subtle gesture seemed to speak so eloquently
to me about the elusive meaning of gay love. Ah well, perhaps I just
have a soft spot for such touchy-feely kinds of expression. :-)
(to be continued)
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