My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to check out the infamous Geylang area in Singapore.
I heard stories of how the area was notorious for prostitution and other illegal activities. As soon as I arrived, I was bombarded by middle-aged men (papa-san) offering me “one shot” sex for $50 at Lorong 18. I was stunned and immediately felt uncomfortable.
I had no idea that these kinds of activities were so openly advertised. To my surprise, I also noticed a few younger guys offering the same services for double the price. They called it “dating”, but it was basically the same thing.
I decided to take a closer look around the area and noticed that there were a lot of signs advertising “special services”. I didn’t know what these services were and wasn’t sure if I wanted to find out. I was also surprised to see so many women, ranging from young teens to middle-aged women, hanging around the area.
I later found out that the “special services” were actually prostitution. There were even signs that said “1 shot $50, date $100 and you might get nothing”.
I started talking to some of the people around the area and discovered that prostitution is actually quite a normal thing in Geylang. I was surprised to learn that the women were not coerced into this kind of activity and that they actually enjoyed it.
I also learned that the “1 shot $50, date $10-$200 and you might get nothing” was a way of saying that it’s cheaper to go Geylang than to date a girl.
Although, there is some truth in the statement. I don’t think it is healthy.