Observation #18: I'm no introvert, no wallflower and I'm certainly no shrinking violet. I have absolutely no problem introducing myself to new people or embarrassing myself for the sake of a good time. And until I arrived in Hong Kong, I had never met anyone whose "extracurricular" activities shocked, disgusted or horrified me. So what is it that's so grotesque and perverted that even my completely desensitized psyche can't handle? It's the blatant, in-your-face, shameless legal prostitution that runs rampant in Hong Kong.
When I first set foot in Wan Chai, specifically at the corner of Lockhart and Luard, things seemed out of the ordinary to say the least. In broad day light, I saw girls walking down the street wearing extremely risque tops and micro-mini skirts finished with a pair of ludicrously high and titillating stilettos. "What is this place?" I thought. If it weren't for my insane addiction to Ebeneezer's extra spicy chicken tikka kebabs, I probably would have run away from there and never looked back. So I sat at my Ebeneezer's half way house and I watched the old men pair up with the Thai and Filipina ladies of the night (and day) like it was no big deal AT ALL. I couldn't believe how unabashedly the men approached the women, out in the open, in public, all eyes watching.
The practice of men meeting up with these women like they were going out on a real date was unlike anything I had ever seen so it didn't take long for my disdain to become sort of a morbid curiosity. I couldn't understand how it was even possible so I started asking around to find out more information. I quickly found out that prostitution in Hong Kong is something that everybody knows about but no one wants to talk about. Women are much more open to discussing the situation than men. I figure it's because the men don't want anyone thinking that they partake in Hong Kong's dark arts even though I have witnessed some of those men who pretend to know nothing about it fraternizing with those "who must not be named." I've seen men I know hanging out in dance clubs and strip clubs like Amazonia and Neptune where everyone knows that 99% of the ladies there are working girls. Hey, it's their business. I didn't see anything. What happens in Wan Chai stays in Wan Chai.
Eventually, I became an enlightened one. I discovered that prostitution is indeed completely legal as long as certain guidelines are followed. Pimps are not allowed. As a matter of fact, no one can make a living off the backs of prostitutes except the prostitute herself. Girls are not allowed to be part of a community brothel or whorehouse but they can become a sole-proprietorship and start what's known as a "one-woman brothel." There are apartment buildings in Wan Chai and a few in Sheung Wan that house these sole brothels, which contain little more than a bed, lube and condoms, making it easy for johns to find their dream girl for the hour. I've heard stories of suitors walking from brothel to brothel in search of a suitable candidate. If that hooker isn't what he's looking for, he merely walks away and continues the hunt. I can imagine that kind of rejection makes a disgraceful profession even more humiliating.
The business women actually prefer advertising on a website called Sex 141. Girls are rated on their skills, techniques, looks, prices and special services and they are openly discussed in a public forum so the men can narrow down their choices helping them choose that oh so special someone. The most popular service among the gentlemen callers is called the GFE (girlfriend experience) and it's this benefit that intrigues me the most. The men take the women out for dinner and dancing either before or after their carnal rendezvous which is followed up with massages, conversation and cuddling. For the women, it's strictly business but these men become addicted to the ease of the relationship and either forget how to or lose the desire to meet and court a respectable girl. I really feel sorry for all parties involved.
The girls feel like they have no other way to earn a good living and the men feel like they aren't good enough to get a girl in bed without paying for it. But it caters to the need for instant gratification that prevails in Hong Kong. Even Vegas can't compete with the utter bottom feeding that goes on in Wan Chai. I think the nickname "Sin City" was given to the wrong city. Whoever gave Las Vegas that nickname had obviously never been to Hong Kong.
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