Just dinner, no *desserts please
My independent study on Peter Singer is finally completed and handed in to the department office barely three minutes before the deadline at 5pm. Many thanks to senior
*Sheer who "almost died" from correcting my grammar and spent 3 hours with me on the phone to not only give me an edited draft with suggestions but why I made the mistakes I did (you know, the give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish proverb?) I am gratefully indebted.
But horrified with the level of my academic writing proficiency. It is *delightful the little surprises that *get you a month till graduation.
Nonetheless, the professor has seen my paper's draft, is fond of it, and assures me a minimal B+, prolly more after the edit.
Damn*t, that is not enough!To celebrate the completion of the paper, *Gallant and I went to Geylang, Singapore's Red Light District. It sure has the makings to attract local men - women, food and durians.
I suggested we went to Geylang as I have never been there and friends have been raving about the food. Boyfriend dearest suggested we check out the *ladies of the night. I firmly put my foot down that we were only there for dinner, but no *desserts. We were joking, of course!
Mine was a sloppy, oily version.
Dinner started off at
Sha Tin Kitchen. It is a Cantonese restaurant that food blogs have been raving about. Unfortunately, it hardly met our minimal standards. We tried their famous sturgeon, a recommended three mushroom on potato basket, and our own choice of stir fried frog legs (because I have never eaten frog). The first two was a disappointment as the presentation was less than desirable (flop food on plate and serve) and extremely oily. *Gallant, a self proclaimed oily food connoisseur commented that the chef's skill was not good as "good chefs can fry food without making it taste as if it was drenched in oil". The frog legs I like. Frog tastes like a cross between chicken and fish. I felt awful though as we later walked around and I saw tank after tank of aquariums filled with live frogs. I feel guilty whenever I eat something out of the usual animal food list of chicken, fish, pork, beef and mutton. The bill was not good too as the oily sturgeon was $38 and the total bill came up to $63 for two of us.
After dinner, we wandered the streets of Singapore's night industry. The women stood around in their national groups as I recalled walking past the Indians, Malays, Singaporeans, PRCs and even Caucasians. They were a mix of sleeze, innocence and desperation. Some faces I still vividly recall such as the very (really) obese woman in a short tube top, auntie with shoulder pads, a woman with her blouse so low part of her nipples popped through, a librarian looking woman with glasses and prudish handbag and a Chinese 'English woman' with coffiered locks and sweet dress.
The night was definitely an eye opener and I have to admit that it was difficult not to walk past these streets without passing judgment and harboring prejudices I thought I would not have. I hung on tight to *Gallant who then remarked: "If you were not here, women would be coming up to me and calling me 'handsome'".
The number of women on the streets was actually more than what I have observed in Thailand. I could not give you a number, but I promise it is hardly a modest figure. *Gallant said that my expression was of disbelief and that I was outright staring at these women. I really couldn't help it. It was difficult to see so many resort to this measure, and even more so when (some) of these beautiful, youthful girls being approached by ugly, old, fat and dirty men. Even more degrading is that there were so many that men walked in groups to ask for prices, and they move from one to another until they can find the 'best bargain'. (Racial remark ahead... sorry!) I could see the disgust and desperation on one sweet Chinese prostitute who was hesitant to lower her prices for a Bangladeshi foreign labourer. It wasn't that I wanted to make a racial observation, but my civil rights classes have shown me how racial groups can be so demeaning stereotyped and I made conclusions about how this girl, should she be racist (I really think she is), feel about having to serve another *type of man.
Then there was another who had her arms locked around an old man, refusing to let him go until he has agreed to her services, and others coyly stroking the arms of the men they would soon have in their $10 an hour motel beds in a short while. But a sweet moment did not escape me, as I saw a man approach one of the ladies, and both of them had the exact, complementing features. Is it wishful thinking if after passionate lovemaking they become a couple? =P
*Gallant and I even stopped by a sex toy shop, and once again, I was stunned to see the variety of unnatural objects people insert into themselves. I don't know how two people (ladies, presumably) would pleasure themselves with a half metre long doublesided dildo, or men being pleasured by two small fake stumps passing off as breasts.
Where is the sanctity of sex? Sadly, *Gallant had to truthfully add that even he feels that the sanctity of marriage, but not sex, is the new age thing.
And in the midst of this sin trade, are religious alters, many temples, churches, clans and martial arts associations. It was a pity, that in a clash of two stark opposite cultures (sex and religion) it was the former that was more predominantly seen. The bus of passing tourist who had their nose pressed to the window, looking out for these ladies will tell you that.
The night ended quite innocently with the only purchase being Geylang's famous soya bean pudding (tau foo fah) and $30 worth of fruits (durians, mangosteens, mangos, oranges, plums, apples and pears). When we approached the store, the fruit uncle told us that we looked so sweet together, and gave us two (extra) sweet mangosteens to symbolize the two people in love. Tonight, we celebrated (not in a grand way) 11 months of being together.
