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Invisible Trade
Welcome to the very real, largely hidden, and often surreal world of high-class sex for sale in Singapore, where the sexual desires of this tiny island run the gamut from simple missionary zeal to the cracking of the whip. Never before have outsiders been offered such a fascinating look into the weird and wonderful, delightful and sometimes depraved world of five-star, high-class prostitutes that operate in Singapore's flourishing sex trade. Featuring real stories of American models moonlighting as high-class escorts in Asia, and American businessmen in search of exotic Eastern promise! #1 non-fiction bestseller at Borders Singapore and Kinokuniya Singapore (Southeast Asia's largest bookstore.)
- GenresNonfiction
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 23, 2011
I frequented many Asian cities during the early to mid 2000’s because of the regional position I had in the previous company where I worked with. I knew that sex trade was there in each of those cities. For example, in 2001 on my way out from Mumbai International Airport, a man approached me with a greeting: “Girls? You want girls, sir?” In Bangkok around that time too, one evening when I just stepped out from my hotel to have a dinner in a nearby fast food outlet, I was approached by a man asking if I want a girl to go to my room and give me a massage. In Kuala Lumpur in 2005, while doing shopping in a populous rundown mall, a man was inviting me to a man’s toilet for what reason I did not dare to ask.
But I did not have the same or even similar experience in Singapore despite the fact that my number of trips to that island-state was far more than the other Asian cities. Around 30, I guess. For me, Singapore is a strict city that I cannot even bring chewing gum for my own consumption. I heard stories that prostitution exists but they are too expensive compared to what are readily available in other Asian cities.
So, I read this book, Invisible Trade (2003) by Gerrie Lim with much interest. My initial desire to find out where in Singapore are those sex negotiations happening? Lim answers: Orchard Towers (I got booked there for 2 times!), Wheelock Place (I know that mall!), Geylang and Bukit Timah. (I don’t know those places ). Next time that I have the chance to visit, I will definitely drop by these places. Not to have a taste, don’t be silly but just out of curiosity. Same motivation that make me drop by Patpong every time I visit Bangkok ha ha.
Aside from knowing those places, what else did I learn from this book? Is there anything else to appreciate from what Lim wrote? The answer is “none.” I’ve heard all those. The city just does it very discreetly. Prostitution is illegal in all Asian cities where I’ve been primarily because of religion: Hinduism (Mumbai), Buddism (Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei), Moslem (Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur) or government: Communism (Beijing, Shanghai and Guanzhou). The openness or discreetness varies though. Lim explains that Singapore “tolerates” the trade in those places mentioned in the previous paragraph because it is better to “contain” them than have several unknown places.
The Philippines, despite being only country in Asia with people predominantly Catholics, is not an exception. We have prostitutes. Every night on my way home from work, I pass by Quezon Avenue. Approaching the corner of Examiner Road, I can always see a couple of men standing by the road eyeing for slow vehicles. In a dark corner of the sidewalk are young girls. No exception. As soon as it is dark enough, they are there waiting for lonely men who are looking for few hours or even minutes of fun.
But I am sure that if I write a book ala-Gerrie Lim, people will not buy. Everybody knows or expects that we have prostitutes. Even British Emma Donoghue, author of the book Room, knows about this.
But I did not have the same or even similar experience in Singapore despite the fact that my number of trips to that island-state was far more than the other Asian cities. Around 30, I guess. For me, Singapore is a strict city that I cannot even bring chewing gum for my own consumption. I heard stories that prostitution exists but they are too expensive compared to what are readily available in other Asian cities.
So, I read this book, Invisible Trade (2003) by Gerrie Lim with much interest. My initial desire to find out where in Singapore are those sex negotiations happening? Lim answers: Orchard Towers (I got booked there for 2 times!), Wheelock Place (I know that mall!), Geylang and Bukit Timah. (I don’t know those places ). Next time that I have the chance to visit, I will definitely drop by these places. Not to have a taste, don’t be silly but just out of curiosity. Same motivation that make me drop by Patpong every time I visit Bangkok ha ha.
Aside from knowing those places, what else did I learn from this book? Is there anything else to appreciate from what Lim wrote? The answer is “none.” I’ve heard all those. The city just does it very discreetly. Prostitution is illegal in all Asian cities where I’ve been primarily because of religion: Hinduism (Mumbai), Buddism (Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei), Moslem (Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur) or government: Communism (Beijing, Shanghai and Guanzhou). The openness or discreetness varies though. Lim explains that Singapore “tolerates” the trade in those places mentioned in the previous paragraph because it is better to “contain” them than have several unknown places.
The Philippines, despite being only country in Asia with people predominantly Catholics, is not an exception. We have prostitutes. Every night on my way home from work, I pass by Quezon Avenue. Approaching the corner of Examiner Road, I can always see a couple of men standing by the road eyeing for slow vehicles. In a dark corner of the sidewalk are young girls. No exception. As soon as it is dark enough, they are there waiting for lonely men who are looking for few hours or even minutes of fun.
But I am sure that if I write a book ala-Gerrie Lim, people will not buy. Everybody knows or expects that we have prostitutes. Even British Emma Donoghue, author of the book Room, knows about this.
September 9, 2007
An array of sex stories taking place in Singapore, though revealing some of the business deals of the oldest trade, it is a very plain and monotonous read. You might enjoy it as it presents the other side of Singapore.
December 6, 2015
An interesting read but Lim is terribly repetitive. It almost seemed like he copied and pasted certain paragraphs just to prove his point. Even at merely 204 pages, this book felt about 50 pages too long. Other than that, this book is well researched and well written.
August 10, 2023
I saw this book in the sales bin (Aeon) and thought the topic was rather interesting. I grabbed it without giving it much thought. I also didn't give two shits to the cashier gave me the side eye after he scanned the book. HAHA
Right, back to the book. You know what, I didn't know a lot of things about the sex industry in Singapore before reading this book and now I'm very intrigued :) I mean, I know all these dirty secrets people have behind closed doors with hired "companions" but I was rather perturbed after reading about it in detail.
Ok, the book started off with a staggering opening "scene" and then continue on to explain some facts about sex industry in Singapore. This is concept maintain throughout the book. I enjoyed reading about the kinky and down right weird experiences some escorts had had with their clients and then the book explains some the factual part of it. All good.
The first chapter the Mongolian Strangler was wow LOL!!! I mean, I cannot believe man would pay so much money to have asphyxiation climax that probably didn't even last like 15mins and they didn't even have sex, just that and be done with it. Cash **Kaching*. Like what the hell......so much much spend for that LOL.
The second chapter had me rolling with laughter and gagging while reading. Walking the Dog was epic reading experience, my god the things Emily had to do for her client. I actually captured some snippets of her experience and shared it with my friends and family. Oh boy, their reaction was hilarious. I admit this was the best chapter in the book because I was VERY intrigued about the types of client she had to entertain and her personal reaction to it. HAHHA I wish the book had more of this concept though LOL.
I did not like the White Diamonds chapter, because I honestly felt like Marie was living in her own delusional world and she obviously sugar coats her job. I hate to admit it, but Marie is right about her Caucasian features (blue eyes and blonde hair), which makes her popular and in demand compared to other races. She knows that in her own country, she is just like every other girl who looks like her, but when she comes to Asia, her market game triples. Something we all know but continue to be in denial, Caucasian features are very sought after in Asia. I just didn't like how Marie looks down on lowly/street prostitutes because they disgust her and she considers them to have no class. Did she forget that most of them ended up like that out of desperation ? Some of them have to sell their bodies to put food on the table for their families, unlike Marie who chose this career because she enjoys the company of rich men and the money they spend. Down the line you are still selling it for money. **rolls eyes**
I also liked that the author included other types of escorts, gays, KTV, massage parlor and POVs from pimps and madams. I find their take on the sex industry very fascinating. I admit it's interesting how SG acknowledges LGBTQ but they are not allowed to part take in sexual nature (officially). Meaning you can be a gay council man, but you should not be caught/seen in gay bars.
I had no idea there were places specifically known for the sex trade and I wish I had known about it when I was in SG, I could have seen the whole thing from a different perspective. Also, that explains why the foreign tourists were looking at us weird when (my friends and I) we were walking by the bars looking for a decent place to eat supper late at night. HAHAHAH
Ah!!! The whole thing about Brunei, my god the amount of money the girls make!! Also, they still pay you even if they ended up not wanting you because you didn't meet their requirements. Dayum, no wonder, all those stories about girls making enough money to buy houses and luxury cars from a single trip there.
You'd think there are almost no Indians in Singapore from reading this book. I was so bloody curious if there was any Indian Singaporean escort's POV, sadly there was none. There were few mentions from Malay girls and their experience but none from Indian girls. It seems like Indian girls are not very popular with men, apparently. I wonder why ? Are we not considered exotic to foreign/western men or women ? :(
Also, I had no idea about the movie Saint Jack 1979 which stars SG actress Monika Subramaniam
I FOUND THE FULL MOVIE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxbfz...
This book was good but I do feel like there were some facts being repeated throughout the book though. I enjoyed reading about the kinky/weirdo clients and I wish there were more about it because I had fun reading that part.
Right, back to the book. You know what, I didn't know a lot of things about the sex industry in Singapore before reading this book and now I'm very intrigued :) I mean, I know all these dirty secrets people have behind closed doors with hired "companions" but I was rather perturbed after reading about it in detail.
Ok, the book started off with a staggering opening "scene" and then continue on to explain some facts about sex industry in Singapore. This is concept maintain throughout the book. I enjoyed reading about the kinky and down right weird experiences some escorts had had with their clients and then the book explains some the factual part of it. All good.
The first chapter the Mongolian Strangler was wow LOL!!! I mean, I cannot believe man would pay so much money to have asphyxiation climax that probably didn't even last like 15mins and they didn't even have sex, just that and be done with it. Cash **Kaching*. Like what the hell......so much much spend for that LOL.
The second chapter had me rolling with laughter and gagging while reading. Walking the Dog was epic reading experience, my god the things Emily had to do for her client. I actually captured some snippets of her experience and shared it with my friends and family. Oh boy, their reaction was hilarious. I admit this was the best chapter in the book because I was VERY intrigued about the types of client she had to entertain and her personal reaction to it. HAHHA I wish the book had more of this concept though LOL.
I did not like the White Diamonds chapter, because I honestly felt like Marie was living in her own delusional world and she obviously sugar coats her job. I hate to admit it, but Marie is right about her Caucasian features (blue eyes and blonde hair), which makes her popular and in demand compared to other races. She knows that in her own country, she is just like every other girl who looks like her, but when she comes to Asia, her market game triples. Something we all know but continue to be in denial, Caucasian features are very sought after in Asia. I just didn't like how Marie looks down on lowly/street prostitutes because they disgust her and she considers them to have no class. Did she forget that most of them ended up like that out of desperation ? Some of them have to sell their bodies to put food on the table for their families, unlike Marie who chose this career because she enjoys the company of rich men and the money they spend. Down the line you are still selling it for money. **rolls eyes**
I also liked that the author included other types of escorts, gays, KTV, massage parlor and POVs from pimps and madams. I find their take on the sex industry very fascinating. I admit it's interesting how SG acknowledges LGBTQ but they are not allowed to part take in sexual nature (officially). Meaning you can be a gay council man, but you should not be caught/seen in gay bars.
I had no idea there were places specifically known for the sex trade and I wish I had known about it when I was in SG, I could have seen the whole thing from a different perspective. Also, that explains why the foreign tourists were looking at us weird when (my friends and I) we were walking by the bars looking for a decent place to eat supper late at night. HAHAHAH
Ah!!! The whole thing about Brunei, my god the amount of money the girls make!! Also, they still pay you even if they ended up not wanting you because you didn't meet their requirements. Dayum, no wonder, all those stories about girls making enough money to buy houses and luxury cars from a single trip there.
You'd think there are almost no Indians in Singapore from reading this book. I was so bloody curious if there was any Indian Singaporean escort's POV, sadly there was none. There were few mentions from Malay girls and their experience but none from Indian girls. It seems like Indian girls are not very popular with men, apparently. I wonder why ? Are we not considered exotic to foreign/western men or women ? :(
Also, I had no idea about the movie Saint Jack 1979 which stars SG actress Monika Subramaniam
I FOUND THE FULL MOVIE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxbfz...
This book was good but I do feel like there were some facts being repeated throughout the book though. I enjoyed reading about the kinky/weirdo clients and I wish there were more about it because I had fun reading that part.
April 21, 2020
I’ve been to Singapore twice. The order and cleanliness in the streets were apt for its image of being a straitlaced police state. So it was fascinating to learn, from this book, that prostitution is legal there (because it is regulated) – from the low-end sex work comprised of the yellow card girls of Orchard Towers, the Geylang brothels, and the KTV bars to the high end of the business which is the thriving subculture of high-class escorts. The escorts are not just Singaporean ladies. Foreigners are flown in from different countries (mostly European) for customers who want the Caucasian experience. These girls are also flown to different parts of the world and can sometimes stay in a country for some months or years until they feel the need to work another area in the world map. The book interviews the different escort girls and even boys, as well as those who work in the lower end of the industry. Their accounts of their work and their lives are engrossing as well as the accounts that explain the industry in a nation that lawfully bans the homosexual act and is always last on the list of nations who have sex regularly. It’s not written that brilliantly. Sometimes you find yourself asking what exactly is the author trying to point out or is he just informing us of the situation? But the subject is so fascinating that you will forgive all of the above mentioned. Now I want to read a book that discusses the sex industry in the Philippines because I’m pretty sure it would be as interesting. So a-book-hunting I will go.
March 29, 2024
By now, we’ve all heard stories about sex work, and this book not only further confirms these accounts, but it also provides accounts and perspectives you would’ve never thought to be true. Specifically focusing on the sex industry in Singapore, Gerrie Lim offers great reporting in this quick read, exploring the experiences of numerous sex workers who have navigated the industry under good and bad circumstances. After reading it, I’m ready to delve into his 2008 sequel.
October 7, 2021
Tabloid titillation with plenty of padding. Whether you are shocked or not will depend on your impression of Singapore prior to reading.
August 19, 2023
Very interesting exposé of the sex trade in Singapore. It tells of the activities, profiles and patrons of premium escorts, KTV hostesses, Massage Parlour Girls, and BDSM mistresses.
May 28, 2015
After reading, realized that it is ironic for the Asian community to despise sex-workers, but Asian being a country where most of the traders preferred due to better business.. Nice book to read to understand the insights on how the trade being conducted, this also includes the feelings of the traders themselves.. However, there are few parts which are repeated, thus a little unnecessary..
October 21, 2016
A fascinating and well-researched documentation of the sex trade in Singapore. However, I feel that the chapters lack focus. There is chapter titles and three themes/ sections in the book but the content is not clearly and directly relevant to the theme/ chapter at times. The writing also lacks cohesion. In spite of this, this makes a good read if you're in it for the content.
October 28, 2014
This book is really very informative and explored the underneath side of the trade. The writer is able to bring out the investigations and observations in a well written style which made this book very easy to read.
July 3, 2007
not bad for a local writer!
June 29, 2007
Men do have weird fantasies
August 9, 2007
So so book about the other side of Singapore.
Not recommended.
Not recommended.
Read
August 7, 2011Wanna know about sex trade in Singapore.... read it..
October 24, 2012
Informative, but not as shocking as I thought it would be.
November 16, 2012
"Dirty secrets thrive in clean cities." Eye-opening and is a piece of cultural anthropology of a trade that's not often discussed in the mainstream.
February 22, 2014
After reading this book, i have realised how unaware i am as a Singaporen. it is an interesting subculture that i think a singaporean woman should be very aware of and not pretend it does not exist.
March 15, 2015
No surprise.
October 1, 2007
wanita adalah eksploitasi sex dan uang bagi beberapa laki laki
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews