what kind of bastos do you prefer?

Before I post my entries on Hanoi, I want to share with you a funny item (to Filipinos, that is) that I saw being sold on the streets. 

Bastos is a Filipino word used to describe something crass, vulgar or rude. Somebody said a bad sex joke at work, he's 'bastos'. You see a person walking around deliberately naked on the street, that's 'bastos'. But it's not a word taken seriously and is mostly said with a giggle as in: "Ang bastos naman, hihihi!", as a reaction after hearing a hilariously funny sex joke. 

So imagine my surprise to see cigarettes in Hanoi using this word as its name.  Add to that the 'International' and 'De Luxe' labels that go with it. It's a great souvenir for Filipino smokers because it would be a source of so many jokes ("Masarap ba ang bastos?") and endless conversations.  

Would you choose Bastos De Luxe?  Or Bastos International?

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