They smile at us and wave; Rin shows the bartender her giant bag of condoms and pulls me toward the entrance of the aquarium. We stumble inside and Rin starts handing out condoms and promoting my English class. I smile shyly at the ladies and feel oddly under-dressed in my jeans and fleece. Some of the women are watching a Korean soap opera on a tv in the corner, one is painting her nails, several are barefoot. We slip back out and the customers seem unconcerned by the appearance of two be-jeaned NGO workers.
They turn back to the aquarium to watch the ladies in the sparkly little nothings. What would these women be like? What would they look like? If I met them on the street, would I be able to guess that they were sex workers?
Before coming here, I imagined year-old girls sold to pimps by their families, smuggled across borders in the back of a truck and then trapped in brothels, humping year-old men. The reality is significantly less shocking. They all wanted to be there. So I can be a tailor and make no money? I can help my parents and I can build a house. I met model-esque year-olds in tiny dresses and false eyelashes. I met year-olds in track suits and no make-up, playing bingo on the patio outside a bar.
There are sex workers with children. Most sex workers are employed by a karaoke bar, where they work as employees, with shifts and work schedules.
They wash glasses, serve drinks, chat with bar patrons, dance, sing songs, give massages and give tours of the city. What are your thoughts about sex work? Degrading to women? Serving a need within society? Should be legalized?
