I read with interest the recent report, Can We Have Sex Too? published in the Singapore tabloid newspaper, The New Paper (TNP). The 'We' here refers to the clients of certified massage therapists. I bold certified because if they are not certified, then there must be something else that the therapist can offer to complement his/her half-bucket* service, Isn't it? Turn the classified pages of some local publications in Singapore and you can see how many people are offering massage services nowadays. Besides telling you the various types of massage they can do, the advertisements are usually accompanied with suggestive photos. If you see photos of beautiful women, they are seducing the men to cum, oophs, I mean come and enjoy the massage. If you see photos of muscular men (sometimes without the face and only close up of chest and abs), they are for the You-Know-Who.*
According to the report, certified massage therapists, both females and males are lamenting that their Singaporean clients are requesting for additional services from them. A female masseur interviewed told TNP that from her 8-years experience, foreigners are likely the genuine customers. Of course, I believe that there are exception too: foreign men are still men after all. In their countries, advertisments for sex do not have to be disguised under the pretext of 'massage' - sex means sex.
My empahty goes to those certified massage therapists who are harassed by their clients. With the defacing of the massage industry by unqualified masseurs who use their mouth more than their hands, the image of genuine therapists is tarnished. Clients seem to care more if a therapist can provide sex service rather than his/her relevant qualification. Just when you think that a therapist worries if a client will make a sexual request, a client may worry too if his therapist is willing to go the extra mile. That worried client was me. It happened two years ago when I had a complimentary massage at a grand looking massage parlor at Orchard Road, Singapore. That was my second massage of my life. After shower, I lay topless on a cushioned massage table covered with a towel below my waist. Beneath, I wore a short provided by the parlor. The massage therapist was a foreign woman. After some rubbing on my upper body, she chatted with me. I started to feel uncomfortable when her hands were massaging up and down my thigh. At one point, I felt that her strong hands were almost knocking against my balls. I confessed that I was worried if she is going to give me a happy ending. But I was not at one of those massage parlors at Gelyang or Joo Chiat*, I was at Orchard Paragon enjoying my complimentary visit from Citibank! How can a 'Pei Du Ma Ma' (A social term referring to women from Mainland China who came to Singapore to work while their children study here) sneaked into a reputable parlor in Orchard Road? When she finally said it was done, I knew that It was a false alarm.
My experience tells me that in a trade which the clients go almost full monty and the therapists' hands are exploring their body, it is hard not to think of sex especially if the therapist looks desirable, females and males alike. I think not all certified massage therapists are noble in their trade. I believe there are some who are certified but also provide extra services.
Whether massage therapists or escorts, money can entice them to step out for their profession and dance in the moonlight.
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*half-bucket- a colloquial to mean half-qualified; not completely capable
* You-Know-Who - an unspeakable alias for the Dark Lord, Voldemort in the Harry Potter's series. In my article, I used the term as an insinuation for gay men.
* Geylang/Joo Chiat - Geylang is a red light district in Singapore while Joo Chiat is progressively becoming one.
