The Sleaze Biz.

Asia is actually sleazier than the Western countries, so I’ve heard. We have the dodgy massage parlors while the Western world has never heard of it (until they come to Asia.) Footnote: Increasingly, the Western world is adopting such businesses.

Asia has “working” girls standing on the streets, soliciting. Western countries go by bookings of social escorts. Otherwise there’re the legal brothels that silently sit in a dark corner of a street (I should have taken a picture and shown you the contrast!). It’s usually a lonesome building, looking cold in fact. They’re unlike the streets of Geylang or Patpong where legal brothels shout for attention with their red lanterns and flashing neon lights. Pimps wave you in, girls peep from their windows.

Let me unravel to you what I know of the shady business. They’re neither on trade secrets nor an undercover story. They’re just random nuggets of information, probably useless but entertaining to know, nonetheless. However, as life is about a learning process, I gain to learn from all these “useless” information!

And I shall share…

• My friend who was a stand-in receptionist at a brothel up in the mines of Australia, told us the procedure was the men will have to call in and make a booking with the girl of their choice and state what service or extras they would like to have. The receptionist then makes a reservation, and tells him the charge beforehand.

And so, she says..you would be surprised the actions these men requests when they call in. Some industry high-fliers actually requests to have vegetables inserted in their behind. Yes, the men are expected to detail exactly what they want done/ be done in order to get a quote for the reservation.

My learning: These men trapped up in the mines, all testosterones and no hormones need an outlet. Men need admiration from their spouses and spouses should learn to listen. A married couple should be open with each other about their sex life, and learn to share their fantasies with no judgment. I reckon the married men who visit the brothel to have “abnormal” wishes acted upon are probably embarrassed to bring this fantasy into their marriage.

•  Many years ago, I heard that the Chinese girls are the premium breed on the streets of Geylang. Looking hotter than the rest, they command a fee of $80 for their services. And that is by per shot. And so there was a story of a friend’s friend (it’s always a friend’s friend whose friend isn’t it?) who contracted one for the job for his virgin night. They took a shower together, and just from her touch, he spilled. And thus ended the job, $80 gone.

Years have passed. The prices have risen. Foreign workers haggle with women in the alleys of Little India. I saw one haggling at $40 (thus my deduction that the bargaining price probably started at $60?)

$200 to have a woman from Orchard Towers for the entire night. These, I would consider caters to the less wealthy but needy men. If you think about it, it’s not much. $200 to eat-all-you-want in 1 night. Imagine if she did fellatio ala carte x 5. She could have earned more.
To the higher-end customers, it’s $100 for fellatio at a Men’s Executive Club. You pay $60 to enter a posh spa that comes with a bath robe, jaccuzi, free coffee and sandwiches. This $60 includes a 1 hour massage (read: 45 mins caress) and 15 minutes into the caress, she asks in a sultry voice if you would like extras. Prices start at an additional $60 for a hand job.

My learning: Some of these girls really give you a massage (albeit soft strokes instead of firm deep tissue strokes) before extending the invitation to take up their special services. So, if you want a massage that is not from a man, not from an old auntie with rough hands…you can consider a Men’s Executive Club. The girls are young and pretty. Just be warned you won’t get your money’s worth (paying for 1 hour, but only getting 45 minutes). But you win some (pretty girl massaging you), you lose some (losing $15 worth of massage time). Just be pretty damn determined to resist the temptation, you’ll walk out proud.

• In the early night, cabs line up illegally outside Orchard Towers. The official taxi queue is long and slow, thus if you needed a quick getaway with your “purchase”, you can hop into one of these “illegal” cabs and be prepared to be charged ridiculously high. We were quoted $20 to get from Orchard Towers to Shangri-La (Orchard). When we eventually took the “good” cab, the fare was $5. It was quite fun going up to the illegal cabs, asked for the quote and then go “AHA! I now report you to the Police! I took down your license plate.” You then see them scurry (drive off) in fear. Lonely Planet actually warned tourists about these “taxis”.

My learning: Imagine that! I never would have thought such touts would exist in lawful Singapore!

• There’re various reasons why working girls work. Annabel Chong started off her naked modeling career to pay her school fees, then continued to prove she was a feminist, stopped for a period because of the oppressive social stigma ( i.e. didn’t want to shame her parents) but went back into the porn industry because “since judgment and impression is already there, it can’t be reversed (my analogy).”

The girls I see hooking up at Geylang usually leave their spot on their street emotionless. Usually the man walks in front of her. The girls I see hooking up at Little India actually looks happy when they get hooked up. I saw this young sari-clad girl turning around to her working friends as she walked away with the man. Face lit up, mouthing some words, as if to say “Now I have money to eat!”

• I mistakenly checked out a budget hotel along Lavender Street one night (for overseas friends). Once, twice, thrice I gave it the benefit of the doubt as I approached the hotel, walked in and scanned the premises. My doubts were verified when waiting for the receptionist to attend to me. I saw a man with a woman checking-in. The man was very wishy-washy in the entire process; the woman had to produce her passport. He didn’t want to sign the forms to check-in but instead held the woman’s hand to make some sort of a scribble. Was it because he didn’t want to leave a trace? Or he was just not even gentleman enough to check-in?

He then asked for something from the receptionist (which I didn’t hear. He must have whispered). She then pulls a NTUC bag full of condoms from beneath and passed him two. $4 for two.

My learning: I could have made a killing by selling the condoms for $3 each! Buyers are desperate, and therefore will buy at any price! $2 is too cheap. Only a $0.50 mark-up! I would make a ruthless business woman .

•  Lastly, Women Clubs are emerging in Singapore too. Tai-tais and career women are making their visits to these places. Some are just for a fun girl’s night out. Some are seriously looking to be serviced. The exterior looks like a nice place. With 2 stone lions standing watch, and an antique Eastern style wooden door, complete with knockers.

Drinks are exorbitantly priced there, ($60 for a jug of beer. $30 at Zouk?) So only the affluent can patron. Men wear sashes on stage, dancing and singing while girls giggle off-stage. The men, mainly Chinese, aren’t exactly model gorgeous, but are passable. The women patron averages in their thirties to fifties. Some are even actually not bad looking! The sashes state their bidding price, starting from $100 to $500. You tell the male version of a mama-san your offer price, and at the end of the night, you leave with your toy boy.

I shall now end abruptly, I hope you had a juicy read.