So I was at Las Vegas (McCarran) Airport (LAS) heading to Terminal D.
This Asian guy, whom I later find out is from Thailand, asks me to take a picture of him in front of a mural that depicts several international cities as thought out by school children.
He seems a bit chatty and wanted to strike up a conversation. His english was a bit broken so I had a hard time understanding him at first.
He first asks where I'm from, what I do, where I'm traveling to, etc. As it turns out, he used to work for the Embassy but recently quit to travel around the US for 6 months. He spent 3 weeks in San Francisco and stayed in the Castro.
Badaboom, he just subtly let me know he's "family" (the term used by gay men to subtly refer to another gay man).
He let me know he's going to be in NYC for a week. I let him know I'll be there for a couple of days in the near future. I gave him my email address in case he wanted to hang out.
Funny enough, he asked why I like San Francisco so much. He let me know he liked the natural beauty but not the cold weather (he preferred NYC and Chicago). I let him know San Francisco Summers are like Winter and that Fall is like Summer. He was a bit confused, but got it eventually.
So why do I in fact like San Francisco? It's small but feels large. It's easily navigable. Clearly has the best mass transit on the West Coast (although, that's not saying much if LA is your major competitor). You can run into friends really easily. You can be yourself and no one will really judge you (kind of the opposite of NYC --- but NYC helps you grow balls). A city doesn't get more liberal than this. Like Food? So do San Franciscans. Care where your food is from? So do San Franciscans. Like innovation? It's the soul of the Bay Area. I generally love what the Bay Area stands for. It pushes the envelope on initiatives that help this country move forward. No matter how large or small the initiative, the Bay Area paves the way. (Think Gay Marriage, Banning Plastic Bags, Cell Phone Radiation Laws, etc.)
I finally found out the Thai man's name was Pock. A funny moment is when he asked me whether I was famous in San Francisco. I said, "Of Course! Everyone knows me." :P I later told him I was just being silly.
Anywho, when traveling, gay men clearly like to stick together. I'm not entirely sure why sexuality is the common binder when it comes to gay men. With my straighties, it's usually a common hobby or a common city that helps bind people together. Whatever floats your boat...
A mural depicting Berlin at Las Vegas Airport in Terminal D; An example of one mural that Pock wanted me to take a photo of him in front of
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