The world’s oldest profession has hit China with a vengeance and the new social norms are way afar from what Mao Zedong, for whom women formed half the world, had pushed for.
No surprise then, Mao is a figure on mass-produced cigarette lighters because, as a saleswoman frankly put it, "He sells". A few hundred metres from Tiananmen Square, China’s best known address with Mao staring in the background, solicitation of the new class of tourists and business visitors is no anathema.
A famous state-run plush five star hotel, which witnessed history being made, is now party to the novel social script, for instance. A good number of young girls and boys around it are busy in the new calling for hours after sundown. Some still call it "massage" but most animatedly whisper the new mantra - "hot sex, look look" - to any alien who passes by.
They are ready to go any place, any far. The rates, quoted in Yuan, can be misleading because China is a market of very smart bargains. Do not, therefore, be shocked if business cards bearing pretty smiling faces and bold-print phone numbers are shoved under your door as you check in. You do not have to be lucky to meet your date in the lobby or the lift; just a little adventurous, and a new China opens its doors for you.
Fashion and makeup - westernized and expensive too - are mindboggling as the new generation of confident girls loves to sport knee-length boots, stockings and smart suits. The vocation is hardly a spinoff of poverty; it looks like a considered option in a money-driven urban milieu. If keeping off HIV is the worldwide slogan, a wide awake China plays it safe quite religiously.
"There are different degrees starting from classical Chinese oil massage. Of course, there are no limits but not everyone does everything. All services are available but you should not be knocking at the wrong doors. We’re very particular about what is on offer to avoid confusion," said a masseur.
Shanghai, which loves to compete with the best global shopping destinations, is a much different story and very sophisticated too when it comes to "comfort stay".
Explicit "eye candy" invites are liberally splashed in newspapers and the weekends are crazier. The new bold world thrives on mobile phones because numbers matter the most to connect.
Downtown Shanghai, especially its myriad shopping districts, is very different because in other parts, it is hard to spot mannequin-like women, sitting across glass exteriors with a lot of flesh on display. It’s a market that peaks just around midnight.
Del.Icio.Us Tags: Sex sells and everyone’s buying, in China
Technorati Tags: Sex sells and everyone’s buying, in China
