The marriage of two 19-year-old girls last year shocked my country. At that time, many wedding photos of the couple spread quickly on the internet. In some forums, people expressed widely varying opinions of the event.
By My Hang
In general, young people seemed to be sympathetic to the two girls. They said that all people have a right to the pursuit of happiness and every person has their own life to live. “True love” was a phrase that was repeated by most teenagers as a justification of the couple’s action.
Negative opinions mostly came from older people. They feared the explosion of a “sinful, free lifestyle”. A Vietnamese psychologist said that the example could have a bad influence on people confused about their own sexuality. Many parents said that they felt very sad because the couple were too young and at that age people are not mature enough to know what is right or wrong.
When the event happened, I saw in my paper an article in which the writer talked about her own “one night stand” . Many people in my office liked that article. We knew the author. She is a host on a Vietnam Television channel for young people. We’ve heard a lot about one night stands, but she might be the first person brave enough to publicize her own experience.
In a country like Viet Nam, where most couples have to kiss each other in private and a quick kiss in the street is not socially acceptable, these events have made a lot of noise. They’ve made people curious and have got people thinking about a trend in Hanoi that’s “not too secret”.
There is really a “not too secret” wave in the sexual lives of young people in Hanoi these days.
