If you perceive that Asians are conservative about sex, think again. These foregoing conversations among professional academicians, researchers and scientists suggest that they are as liberated – if not at par – with their more open-minded western counterparts.

I was part of a large contingent of Southeast Asian professionals who attended the Fourth Asian Fisheries Forum held in Beijing, China, from 16-20 October 1995. After the conference proper, we (a sub-group of about 20) hired a coaster and a tourist guide to do a little touristic visit of some popular destinations within the city proper. Among others, we visited the Forbidden City (Figure 1). Located in central Beijing, The Forbidden City is a palace complex that traditionally served as the home of Chinese emperors that also doubled as the national government’s political center for almost 500 years.

We also visited the adjoining Tiananmen Square (Figure 2), which is named after the Tiananmen – meaning ‘Gate of Heavenly Peace’. The square contains these significant historical landmarks: Monument to the People’s Heroes, Great Hall of the People, National Museum of China, and Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. In the square, Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949.

.Anyway, while leisurely riding on our coaster, after such touristic trip, we still talked (damn academics!) about the conference topics. Out of the blue, the conversation suddenly touched on the subject of sex. One suddenly stood up and asked everyone (male and female) on board to participate in an informal survey. The question posed was: “What is your favorite sexual position?”

It was a sort of ‘forced-response’ method. Each was required to give a response. Almost every imaginable sexual stances were mentioned: from the traditional missionary position and dog style to the more complex scissor coupling and wheel borrow styles. The recitation was like a litany of Kama Sutra, the now classic Indian Sanskrit text on eroticism and human sexuality.

We were even amazed that a lady professor, who came from a rather conservative religious background, admitted that her preference is doing it in the bath tub. (Warning: a prim and proper lady in public could be utterly wild and experimental in terms of sex!) When it was the turn of our Vietnamese colleague to respond, he was motioning something about a man and woman in a reverse position. He had a hard time demonstrating and explaining his sexual preference in English. In exasperation, he blurted out 96!

After the laughter died out, a fellow Filipino posed this sex-related question: “What do you say to your partner after making love?” Again, we heard diverse responses: from the usual ‘I love you’, to simply asking their partner whether or not they enjoyed their love-making. One Indonesian interjected that he candidly said ‘Thank you.’ Some said that they never asked at all, while a few replied that they simply cuddled their partners to express further intimacy.

When it was the turn of the Thai researcher to respond – the only bachelor in the group – he never uttered even a single word. We thought he was just embarrassed with the ladies staring at him. Instead, he whispered something to a Malaysian professor, who abruptly laughed uncontrollably.

There were whistlings and we all demanded that he should share the fun. The Malaysian professor first sought the permission of the Thai, who nodded sheepishly. He slowly stood up on the coaster and spoke very slowly that what the Thai gentleman said after making love to his partner was “How much?”

The laughter afterwards inside the vehicle was simply boisterous!

Copyright © 2019 by Michael D Pido