Hugging Karma

I consider myself a pretty big hugger. When I say goodbye I generally like to hug people who I feel close with. Sometimes I do the half handshake - half hug thing with guys but usually I go for a full-on hug if I sense the other person is down with it. Once or twice since living in Vietnam I've gone in for a hug with friends of mine who proceeded to stiffen up like a totem pole. It's definitely a cultural thing.

Well, Hannah's love of hugging definitely trumps mine...which resulted in a pretty funny story.

After we were dropped off from our jungle trek I said a quick goodbye to the Germans and our tour guides and sprinted into the guest house to go #1. It was a long drive and I had to pee really really badly. When I came out of the bathroom, Hannah was just getting back from saying her goodbyes. She looked at me and said, "You just missed the most awkward thing ever." Apparently Hannah said to everyone something like, "I just want to warn you but I'm going to hug you goodbye because I like to hug." Hannah then proceeded to hug the Germans and the Thai tour guides -- NOBODY reciprocated.

Hannah couldn't stop laughing about how everyone must have thought she was the weirdest person in the world and how she couldn't stop hugging everyone even as everyone stiffened up around her. In everyone's defense, at this point Hannah hadn't really showered, minus bathing in a waterfall, for a few days.

Anyway, Hannah and I joked about this awkward situation for the next day or so...until karma struck Hannah back.

While bike riding in Sukhothai, Hannah and I rode up to some old building with a bunch of elephant heads on it's side. As we rode up we passed a Thai man who was sitting under a tree. Hannah and I walked around the building and started to take pictures. After a minute the Thai man approached us and asked if we wanted him to take a picture of us. We said yes, thanked him and he took this picture:

After he took this picture he asked if I could take a picture of him and Hannah. The man excitedly walked up to Hannah and gave her a hug...AND THEN HE TRIED TO KISS HER!!! Hannah turned her head fast enough so that he only got her cheek.

Being the good big brother I am I stood there frozen and giggling. Hannah politely pushed him off and said to me, "Let's get out of here!" We rode off as fast as we could. I don't think I stopped laughing for about ten minutes.

Here's their intimate moment seconds before the kiss: