A friend once joked that a typical Vietnamese postcard should show the back of a man relieving himself against a wall or on the side of the road somewhere as that is probably one of the most common sights in the country. I have become accustomed to the sight, although it still doesn't sit well with me, because in a city where I don't feel comfortable wearing shorts, it seems crazy that men feel free to blatantly expose themselves to urinate in plain view of hundreds of passersby, not to mention the fact that it is unsanitary and not at all conducive to a pleasant walk through the city.
Just the other day, I walked by an old man who had one entire leg of his pants hiked up to his groin and was urinating out the leg of his pants. I can't imagine that there isn't an easier way. I have heard that the government is working on a public education campaign to promote the use of public toilets, but given a recent story in Thanh Nien News reporting that public toilets in Viet Nam are among the "dirtiest in Asia," I don't see that happening any time soon. For now, I will continue averting my eyes and quickening my step and hoping that one day men in Viet Nam will learn to keep their business behind closed doors.
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