I have always tried to live my life by following the motto "never say never and try anything once then twice if you enjoyed it".
Well there is something that I tried last night that was such a total and complete disappointment that I will not be trying again in many a year.
In my thirty years I had not yet been inside a Go Go Bar, and as this was a country where you can see right inside the adult shops in the high street, unlike the UK where the windows have to be dark and non-asuming, I felt that if any club would be worth visiting then here would be the place to do it.
"What a mistaka ta maka"
( note for any readers, I will be deliberatly more vague and non specific as I do not want to have my blog black listed any more than it already is, but it is never the less all true and as I say, I will not be repeating the experience any time in the near future ).
The String Bar which was located near my hostel had a single red neon sign in the shape of a lady leaning against a wall. The website hinted at many no longer forbidden desires and enticed you with prices that were lower than others of the same ilk and a wide variety of stage dancers at regular intervals.
The reality was a tiny bar, no bigger than the hostels reception desk, and a few adjoining lounges, seperated by thin curtains that had to be paid for before they were pulled closed.
None of the prices that were on the website had any meaning as their menu style price guide was totally of a different calibre and would still be high if you removed a zero from the price ( i.e. hundreds of krona instead of thousands !!! ).
Only four women were parading inside the club that night and of them, two were some what older than I would have suspected, two were larger than I would normally enjoy looking at, and the only one with ample up top was only so through inplants.
Most of the performers had the vague look of boredom and were noticible catty towards each other, and when one came up to you if you were not fast with the talk and the krona they were just as fast to leave as to arrive.
Following the rule other motto of "in for a penny, in for a pound" I allowed myself to be talked into going to a private lounge with one of the artists after purchasing a bottle of wine more expensive than most champaignes I have ever tried.
After some get-to-know-you general chit chat, that was all to keep saying 'cheers' and downing some of the wine, it was a half hour before it was here turn to take the pole and do her performance. The wine had gone to both our heads slightly, as she was just the tiniest bit off balance to start with when she was spinning, or perhaps that was just my vision!?!
The routine lasted a couple of songs and succeeded in removing most of her attire, but I would not say that it was particularly overly provocative and I have had more reaction from just a look or a hug from other women in other not too dissimilar situations.
The work out must would no doubt sobered her up a bit, as when she came back she was a little more business like and even managed to get me to rejoin her back in the private lounge. In complete honesty, she held out a hand towards me as as soon as I took it she literally dragged me out of the chair and headed off towards the back room, thus she was making her move very clear.
In the cool clear light of day I know for 100% certain that I was very drunk, even after just having a few glasses of the wine, as when she told me the price for a private dance I did not choke and spray half her with my drink in sheer disbelief. It is of my firm opinion that they must have been lacing my two cokes with something or else that the wines were more than 80% rocket fuel, as despite my normal cautious self I accepted even this.
And this is where the disappointment became total. The last time that I was this much let down was when I found out that Santa Claus did not exist, but was instead my parents.
For more than a cost of a first class ticket from Beijing to Seoul, she danced, twirled, jived and reduced her clothes while all the time both enticing me and pushing me away or saying that I was not to do this or that. These non-allowances would have been better if she had handcuffed me, as an police officer was her now disrobed appearance, but instead I was just getting annoyed.
The final insult and which was like being showered with a cold bucket of water, was when I semi-drunkenly said that 'she was good'. Her mood shifted completely and got all defensive, saying that it was as if I was comparing her with a woman of the night, and that she did not do this with all her clients.
Even in my state I could not reconcile this outright and blatant lie ( mixed with her offish attitude ) as she would of course perform almost the exact same routine for anyone regardless of age, looks or personality as long as they was willing to stump up the cash in advance.
With this blow to my mood, I allowed her to finish, said a quick fairwell and then headed off back to my hostel, already cursing myself for having not left earlier and thinking the only salvation was that it would make a half decent blog entry if only I could phrase it correctly so that it was not instantly banned.
