Fridae

As you wait your turn for the cashier at a local bookstore, your bored and wandering eyes start to casually scan the scene around you.

The cute and tomboyish cashier behind the counter. The pierced and athletic-looking woman browsing at the Psychology section of the bookstore.

And it's not just the tomboy or Miss Psychology - you suddenly find that there are other 'distractions' in every corner that keep your heart beating at double its healthy speed.

But you'd had your eye on Miss Psychology for a while now, and you begin to wonder if you should try your luck and approach her. All sorts of questions start to pop up in your head - what if she's not interested? What if she turns out to be straight? What if�? What if�?

So many uncertainties, yet for some women, the answers to these questions are as easy as ABC - but only if you've managed to develop skin as thick as cow's leather.

"I would just approach her and try to make small talk first, because it's easier for a woman to make small talk with another woman." says J, a 20-something nursing student from Perth. "There's that level of trust, unlike the heterosexual scene where a woman would be suspicious of a man who tried to chat her up."

But for lesbians in general, it isn't always as easy as J makes it out to be. While lesbians may not be as enthusiastic about cruising as gay men tend to be, the tendency to check out hot babes and the best pair of legs still exists. However, in many parts of the world, like Asia for example, cruising amongst lesbians tends to be subtler. In more Westernised countries, women openly cruise one another not just at the usual queer bars and clubs, but sometimes also at parties and in the workplace. But why is this so?

Perhaps culture has something to do with it.

In an Asian culture, the idea of women being pursued is still very much predominant, but in a Western cultural context it has become fairly common for women to become the 'pursuers' rather than the opposite.

So then it could be because of this ingrained social expectation that not many lesbians cruise as much as gay men. The fact that homosexuality is still very much a taboo issue in Asia might also be another factor for lesbians' indifference towards cruising.

Or maybe it's just the lack of cruising grounds for lesbians, especially in countries like Singapore?

A few years ago, a gay friend of mine was telling me about a particularly public place in Singapore which is a well-known cruising ground for gay men. I began to wonder how and why lesbians don't have more of such places in Singapore.

But Kris, a student in Melbourne, thinks otherwise: "I don't think there is a lack of cruising grounds because everywhere can be a cruising ground. It's just whether or not you are comfortable with the idea of cruising other women in public."

So then where would be the best place to net one of those gorgeous and athletic women?

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The most likely places for cruising are usually places where there is a silent understanding of trust and a high amount of possibilities, for example at girls'-only functions held at popular clubs and pubs.

This is the case in Singapore, where at clubs like Zouk, there is the monthly girls'-only nights for most lesbians to look forward to.

"People are more sure of sexual preferences at such events," says Kris of these girls-only events.

But it isn't just at such girls-only events that lesbians and bisexuals cruise for the 'right stuff'. The growing popularity of Internet personals and Inter Relay Chat (IRC) has opened up more avenues for lesbians to cruise. In such cases, unlike cruising in real life, there is the added certainty of anonymity.

So there is none of those pick-up line jitters, or the fear of doing something stupid like tripping on your own feet as you make your way towards someone you fancy.

But because of that cover of anonymity, the risks of cruising online is also very much higher than in real life.

"There are all kinds of people out there in the world," says J, "and anonymity online doesn't really help in protecting you from the dangerous ones."

The most common and safest method of cruising then, would be in the form of introductions made through mutual friends. It seems that most lesbians prefer this method because at least they would know a little bit more about the person they fancy through the mutual friend.

Some say this is because at least they would have an easier time finding out if the person they fancy is straight or queer, and if so, whether she'd be interested in anything more serious with them, or, as J quips, "Something more casual, like a roll in the hay."

But it seems that the propensity to actively cruise for an attractive woman or two for just a "one-nighter' doesn't sit well with many lesbians. This is perhaps because, as women, most lesbians are not inclined to settle for just sex alone. Even with the possibility of a one-night stand happening, there are emotional issues to consider. "What if I feel bad about it tomorrow?" or "What if I hurt her by not wanting more after this?" are two of many questions that some women I've spoken to have thought about in the face of a possible one-night stand.

"I, for one, don't really find the idea of sex in a back alley or a quickie in the sauna very appealing," says Sharon.

While the idea of a quickie or a one-night stand would seem appealing or even exciting to some lesbians, I am sure there are many more out there who would agree with Sharon's idea of quickies and one -night stands.

Then again, if you were like Kris, every place would be considered a potential cruising ground. And if so, remember to keep a look out the next time you venture outdoors. The possibilities are endless!