Patpong and the sex trade

We were in Bangkok for the first 3 days or so before going to Cambodia on Thursday. And really, we did go Patpong. On the first day.

However,
1) we weren't there for the sex
2) we weren't there for the paedophilia
3) we DEFINITELY weren't there for the gay sex.

Anyway, we had a tough time finding Patpong, mainly because we took public transport, and Patpong isn't something you can find easily on a tourist map. 4 guys, together in Patpong makes a huge draw for all the touts and hookers in the area, and really we were being accosted all the way.

But first, some funny incidents. We were searching around the area, and accidently stumbled along the street where the ladyboys and the gays were. My god. I never had that many GUYS checking me out before. We were just walking down, and the number of heads that turned was like *oh shit*. I really thought we were going to be dragged into some dark alley and initiated into the world of the gays.

and really touts, DON'T EVER TOUCH ME!

it was shocking to say the least, to see old westerners engaging in idle chit chat with Thai boys. and holding hands. sharing spoons, sitting with a hand on the inner thigh. It was disturbing, even more so when touts approached us to offer us ladyboys. I mean if you see 4 GUYS travelling together, they must either be gay ALREADY, or have lost their way. Especially when the 4 guys are not holding hands or acting gay AT ALL.

I digress. Anyway, i must add that it may seem that i am condemming the western world for visiting patpong. I am actually. But it must be realised that in asia, homos are more underground and less upfront about their feelings as compared to caucasians. It is actually easier to see caucasians holding hands, kissing because they are more open sexually. so let's stop this pointing fingers thing. there ARE ASIAN GAYS. period. and asians, japanese, thais, filipinos, singaporeans all engage
in sex tourism. It's just that ang mohs are more open about it. (read sex slaves, a book about the sex trade in asia for details)

anyway i digress.

i must say that the Patpong trip really left deep impressions in all of us. At first, me and jesse were reluctant, and i was especially reluctant after all the touting to visit the various sleazy joints that offered pussy shows and prostitution. I don't say this because i want to portray myself as a morally upright person, but really, i type this as a record for my own thoughts.

1) Prostitution is wrong
2) Pussy shows are wrong

anyway, there was a lot of debate and dilly dallying between us on whether we should support the sex industry in Patpong. In the end, for the sake of friendship and togetherness, i went into one of the bars with my friends. Lucky me, i was on the outer left side of the 4 of us while jesse was on the right side. So obviously, me and jesse were the two who got the most "attention" (though unwanted) of the night.

Zl was unwilling to drink the beer (fuck man, we paid 300 baht (around $12) for the show and a free drink). well he was worried it was drugged. and we had to stick together, despite how unwilling i was to encourage such an immoral industry.

and fuck you all who say i'm doing this to show my good side. I had visited thailand before for community service, to Phayao, where girls are being saved from the sad sad life of being FORCED into the sex trade. i absolutely do not want this fate to befall any girl.

frankly, i feel sorry for the girls. there was this girl in a bikini to my left, and all she said and did the whole time we were there was to rub her breasts against my shoulder and say "sir, buy drink for me sir" and "sir some tips please sir". I think that's all the english she ever knew. and when i tried asking her when she entered the trade, she didn't understand. i really don't know if we did help the girls that little bit when we went into the "show". I sure hope we did, but whatever money we spent at the bar was probably going into the hands of the pimps and the controllers.

these girls have no future, and frankly, when the novelty of pussy shows wears off, these girls are just another statistic in the burgeoning sex industry of asia. i do regret going into the show, to pay 500 baht (with tips, dumb story, ask me another time) to support the industry. i was just fucking digusted, and fucking angry and sad with the humanity.

really, it was the worst of humanity on show. where girls were reduced to less than their humanity, to being the object of ogling men and curious tourists. (incidently, the bar was empty except for the 4 of us guys, another chinese man, and 2 foreigners who left soon after the show girl shot ballons with needles from her pussy). it's just sad. and these girls are broken into the sex trade, they accept their fate, they accept their status as the lowest of the low, for the pimps have already broken their self-esteem and sense of self-worth. you can injure a person physically, but the emotional and psychological scars will often last a lifetime, and potentially never heal ever again.

I'm sorry to all those who ever believed i was never the sort to engage in sex tourism. in fact, i'm sorry for myself, to having actually supported the industry in whatever little way i have. i comfort myself a little in telling me it was with friends, if i had gone alone, i would never had visited patpong at all. what's the use of having such high morals in a time of troubling society such as today? i really don't know. perhaps i'm in a mess i never knew.

but really, this backpacking trip has taught me much bout the world and much about myself. i am thankful for the way my parents and my friends have shaped who i am, that i am much more moral than what some of my friends have become. you can scoff at me, laugh at me. i don't care. this short 1 week has taught me about human tragedy, about human suffering, about religion, from christianity, to catholicism, to hinduism, to islam, to buddhism and even judaism. It has taught me about cruelty, from Pol Pot's regime to Thai's cheebyeness in allowing the Japanese through. It has taught me about the human spirit, in that even in the face of unspeakable terror can humans find the will to survive and to be morally upright. (read As the Broken Glass floats by Chanrithy Him, a survivor of Pol Pot's regime).

I hope as i go further in my journey, i would learn more about myself. I must admit i have been frustrated at my travelling companions, but i must learn to compromise, even if i don't really like to. I must learn to stand for my rights, for my own beliefs and my own principles, and not get dragged into another incident such as patpong. and for all my christian friends, be glad to know i did pray to Jesus for forgiveness and hope for the survivors of cambodia. Religion to me is still very very mixed. In fact, even the Ramayana and Buddism makes sense to me now.

I am a very mixed up person.

On to vietnam. Hopefully, i can learn more about the vietnam war. after all, my goals for this trip were just to learn more about the vietnam war and to experience backpacking. Cambodia is an enchanting country. perhaps if given the choice by IES, i would like to work there someday.

And lastly, im sorry to all those i've let down with the trip to patpong. And really, i feel like i have let myself down. Sorry Areyu and Jew, for not remembering about your plights. Hopefully, some of the girls will escape their tortured existance. I can only pray.

lip
ranting