My Story : A Prostitute Named Sarah

2012. The first time when I was in Chiang Mai, I got kicked out (with Pablo, from Spain) from A Little Bird Hostel after 2 nights there because we smoked weed and made lots of noise pollution by strumming the guitar and singing during broad day light, at noon to be specific, and just 5 meters away from the grumpy receptionist at the reception area. LOL! Well, let’s not go there. That’s not what I want to babbling about here right now. I wanna talk about my experience with a then-prostitute named Leng during my second visit to Chiang Mai. Kindly put away all the dirty mind away from your brain because this life-story has got nothing to do with sex. Cheers!

I met Leng when me and another backpackers from my hostel visited Zoey Bar. It was crazy. There were so many prostitutes roaming around hunting for their preys which normally a white dudes a.k.a walking-ATM-machines. I just sat by the bar and people-watching. It was fun though. Some of them were lucky enough to get young, good looking guy. Some just have to satisfied with fat, bald, dirty-old-man. Some of the clients were sober but most are drunkards. Heh!!!

While busy people-watching, suddenly a young lady approached and say “Hi” to me. She is kinda pretty and sexy. And the conversations begun:-

Her: I no mood tonight. I don’t want to do business tonight. I hate it. Drink with me? I buy you drink, ok?

Me: Well, OK. Jagerbomb then.

(And then she ordered 4 fucking jagerbomb in Thai language from the bartender. 2 for her, 2 for me. Awesome)

Her: Are you from Hawaii?

Me: (Laughed out loud). No! No! From nowhere and my name is Anita. How about you?

Her: Leng. My name is Leng. But my business name is Sarah.

Me: Business name?

Her: Yeah. Dirty business. Selling my body. I’m a prostitute. Still want to talk to me?

Me: I am not in a position to judge anyone. We can talk, if you still want to talk.

Her: Thank you. I am just tired. Day time have to work, night time have to open my legs.

She looked really depressed. We talked a bit but the whole environment just wasn’t that right for a so-called serious conversation. The music was getting louder and the crowd getting bigger and insane. I asked her if she has to work tomorrow during day time ?  She said no. I gave her my number and ask her to meet me 2pm at McDonalds. She was so happy (I don’t know why?!), she hugged me and thanked me. Oh wow!

So I met her the next day, as promised. She wasn’t as sexy as last night. With loose straight-cut jeans, long-sleeves t-shirt, a pair of trainers and light make-up, I almost unable to recognize her until she smiles. We were having our McD lunch together and having a quite heavy conversation at the same time.

According to Leng, she have a good job, a decent job during day time. She work as a admin personal in a good office but her salary is not enough to feed her elderly mom and sick dad and she also have 5 younger brothers and sisters to feed. All of them still in school. She doesn’t want any of them to quit study to just because they pity her. She doesn’t want any of them to be like her. She believe in good education will helps to change the life of her family. She turned into prostitution 1 and a half year ago when one of her sibling been accepted into local university but the scholarship received was not enough.

Why prostitution? According to Leng, she could get another job as a cashier or bartender or waitress during night time but it gonna take lots of time (as she have to work in a office during day time, and she loves her decent career) and the pay was shit to cover 8 of them. She has tried and all she got is exhausted-ness. Meanwhile, being a prostitute, an educated English-speaking prostitute like her, she only have to spend 2-3 hours per night with her customers and receives quite a handsome amount of money (if accumulate those money) that not only able to feed the whole family with good meals but a bit of luxury such as TV, washing machine, bed, etc and most important, on-going treatment and medication for her parents.

Then I asked her, for how long she wanna be like that? She said “until no one wants me anymore” and I saw tears from her eyes. I asked her, if there is one thing she likes that she could swap with prostitution? “Tailoring! But I don’t know how to.” I asked her again, will she really going to stop prostituting if she know how to tailor? “Why not? It is a decent job, decent business. One day, I want to have a boyfriend, have a family. I don’t want my dark past to haunt me. I also want to be dependent and not cling on my husband all the time. Sharing responsibilities is good for making a good family”. I nod. Understood.

I asked her if there is any private tailor or dress-making school in Chiang Mai and she nod. We left McD and took a tuktuk to Ratchamanka Street to Uangdoi Design (a tailoring school). After listening to the explanation on the course of studies, duration of studies and  the fees, I did not think too much or too far. I asked her to sign-up and agree to pay for the whole course. Well, that time I was pretty loaded and have no financial problems at all, so for few hundreds bucks, it wasn’t even a big deal at all. She cried a lot when she signed up for the 12-months part-time (8 months for full time) course.

Me: Promise me, save up money to buy a modern sewing machine and once you graduate, stop selling yourself. You are good girl. I have faith in you.

Leng: I promise! I promise! I will never let you down.

Me: Not me. I want you not to let yourself down. Have a fresh start in one year. You have to update me with your progress. You don’t have to pay me back. I don’t want that. When I visit you again someday, you have to make me a nice dress. Deal?

Leng: Deal! (She hugged me and cried, non-stop).

The reason why I write this story is because recently Leng sent me an email and her graduation picture (sorry, I couldn’t share it here as I want to protect her identity and I don’t want people to know her as a prostitute anymore) and told me that she going to start her tailoring business (at night) soon but will keep her day job. So she will have 2 incomes and more time spend at home to look after her folks and siblings.  Congratulations Leng. I am proud of you.

**Although I am broke now, I am happy that I’d help when I was still capable of doing so and I did.

We kept in touch until 2014 and I guess it was my fault that I was a little bit too busy traveling around that “pushed” her away. I never heard from her since July 2014. I went back to Chiang Mai in March 2015 and tried to find her but she no where to be found 😦 I did asked around and nothing. But Leng, wherever you are, whatever you do, I wish all the good life.

My Story : Street Brawl With A Pedo In Siem Reap

It was back in August 2012 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Almost 3am and people slowly dispersed from the famous backpackers’ heaven – Pub Street. I am one of them, alone and drunk. So I walked out from Angkor What?! bar and down the street, like 10 meters away from the bar, I saw an old man (not so old but old enough) hugging a little girl that selling roses along the Pub Street, forcefully. The girl was like trying to get away from his grip. I came nearby them and told that man “dude, she is just a little girl, let her go.” And he told me to fuck off so I just fucked off. After walked about 20-30 meters away, I overheard the girl screaming on top of her lung, I turned around and I saw the man’s hand already under her knee-length skirt. Surprisingly no one cares about that. No one stop the man. No one come to help the girl. Not a single traveler that roamed that street, not even a local. That pissed me off. I walked back, walked really fast and landed my fist on that man nose.

And everything began from there. Really ugly. His nose was bleeding really bad, broken. He punched me hard on my face, straight to my mouth and crooked my front tooth. My mouth bleeding really bad as well. I totally have no idea where else I hit him but one thing for sure, I broke his nose and his dislocated his jaw. Oh well… And the street brawling kept on going and no one care but it didn’t took that long before two police men came and grabbed me and him and threw us in a separate police mini-truck and straight to the cell. Shit.

In the police station, we were placed in different lock-up next to each other. Not sharing with any other inmates tho. And we still kept on screaming to each other until the police officer on duty told us to shut up and told us that we have to wait until the representative from respective embassy come and “rescue” us. 5:30am and I was pretty weak, sleepy and in pain.

6:20am and the police officer on duty came near to my cell and released me. I was like “why?!” and outside of the police station, I saw that girl and one old man (her uncle) talk to another police officer. The girl saw me, smiled and the first word that came out from her mouth was “thank you miss for saving me”.

I asked the police officer on how about that paedophile? He said, it not gonna be easy for him. “You might easily bribes the police in Cambodia for drugs, traffic or small offences but when comes to sex offence especially related to kids, no, he’ll be there a little bit longer”.

The rest of it … history…

Note: Sadly in Cambodia, child prostitution happens because it is one of the poorest country in the world. It is much disturbing when you realize the pimp of those unfortunate child prostitute are their ownn flesh and blood (father or mother or even both). I used to work with an NGO that dealing with (saving) children that involve in child prostitution so I begging you… any of you (especially male, of course) that going to Cambodia, please have mercy to these kids. They are just tiny little girls that know nothing, they don’t even know their body yet. If you feel “sorry” for them, just buy whatever they offers you (roses, bracelets, chewing gums, etc) but if they ask you a creepy questions like “do you wanna sleep with me?”, look around carefully, they might under their pimp surveillance. Alert authority if must.

Thank you.

My Story : I’m Raped

Phuket, Thailand. October 2012. I am not ashame of sharing this. A lesson to learn for every other female travelers out there.

I dont know if the word “rape” is the right word because part of tragedy happened because of my mistake, I believe so.

He is an Australian guy. I met this guy at the bar. He is very good looking, boyish, young, tall, lean guy… just like what I like. He claimed his name as “Chris”. Oh no, his friend said his name is “Chris”. So yeah, his name is Chris. Whatever.

Me, my girl friend Cori, Chris and his friend, Danny got along really well. We socialized, drink till drunk. But not really wasted or hammered or fucked up. When the club about to close, me, Cori and Danny went off to 7-Eleven and then Burger King to get some heavy, very late supper. Then we had our supper at Patong Beach. Just 3 of us. Chris wasn’t there.

Then 3 of us went back to Danny’s room. Couldn’t remember the hotel name. It is something like Baan Suay at Patong Beach area. Just next to Burger King. Well, obviously not a regular cheapskate backpackers they were. Flashpackers. Heh! Well, its 3.30am… I dont feel like riding a bike 8km back to my hostel at Karon Beach area so… why not?!

So, cut story short, Cori and Danny had some sexy time. So I tried to have my own sweet time sleeping. The room was super cold! And the bed was really nice. I just wanna sleep! I was really fuckin’ tired and sleepy and drunk. And the suddenly, Chris got back into the room. Drunk.

At first, it was all good. We had small crazy talk until he invited me to have ‘it’ in the shower. That was when all went wrong. 😦

He wanna have anal and I refused, not because I never had it before but it was just not my thing, and I dont want do it. Then, he became aggressive. He bang my head to the wall in the shower, to the washing basin, turned me around, chocked me until I almost suffocated, and shoved his thing into my backside. Tried to fight him back, I just cant. He was pretty strong plus my position limit my movement. He even forced me to perform deep-throating until I puked, twice.

I did shouted for help from Cori and Danny but they were too busy having their own time and probably couldn’t really hear me or differentiate between pleasure scream or in-pain scream. But I never blame them. Not at all. Never their fault.

After he ‘done’, I wait no more, I was too ‘scared’. So I just dressed up, wet and got myself and Cori off from his place. I told Danny briefly on what happened. I even punched Christ before I left and Danny slapped him but Danny ‘loosen’ his grip after drunk Chris threaten to hurt me even worst. Danny knew Chris the best and what he capable of, I guess? So, I left.

So yeah. I’m raped. If I can use that word, correctly. UNFORGIVEN!

Chris: White guy, from Melbourne Australia, young, around 22-24 years old, with dragon and tiger tattoos each on his knees, with crying Statue of Liberty tattoo on his right shoulder. Do you know him? Shove his ass with anything, please!

Note: I am of many cases that the “victim” (if I could call myself that) didn’t make any police report because I was still shaken. He already flew out from Phuket to Melbourne the very same day (as told by Danny when we met earlier at the bar). And it was too late when I made a report in Malaysia because it was outside case area and nothing the Australian Embassy could do except advice me to contact AFP. My fault.

Traveling Crush

So I met this guy in Bangkok, Thailand. We took the same bus (mini van) off to Siem Reap, Cambodia. He is pretty much a good looking dude but I didn’t talk to him as he travel together with his very pretty girlfriend. I sat right behind them and had to bear 6 hours (or so) eye-sore as they kept “making out” in that mini van. I only talked to both of them and other passengers when we stopped near the border for toilet-break and filling up visa for Cambodia.

Oh, he is oh-so handsome, cute, gorgeous… you name it. But he is taken. Well, even if he is single, what is the chances of me to get him? Zero. So, I’d only dream! LOL!

Journey continued. I lose him, his gf, Selina the Spanish girl who sat next to me in the bus, and other two passengers at the border of Thailand-Cambodia as they went to separate gate. 😦 From the border, after my passport stamped, I jumped in to the bus taking me to the bus station whereby I had to change to another bus in order to reach to Siem Reap. Alone.

I was so fucking happy when I met him again (and his gf, and Selina…too) at the bus station. And he actually saved me from being ripped off by a scammer, a so-called tourist guide.  So four of us took the same bus to Siem Reap. Another 5 hours! Again, silent. I only talked to Selina once in a while as she sat next to me. After reached Siem Reap, he and his gf when off to different way in different tuk-tuk. Me and Selina shared a same tuk-tuk heading to Garden Village Guesthouse. Since then, I thought that I will never see him again.

The sun already down the time we reached the guesthouse. So nothing much to do, just chillex in a guesthouse. The next day, I went to visit floating village which is pretty much a let-down. Expensive and not worth a single penny. At night, I went out with a CSer Sandra and Vincent for a dinner and then to the Angkor What?! bar. We met another CSer Sajit and other random people. Guess what? I met him again!!! Oh, of course with the gf.😛 But it was just a brief hi-and-bye. Then we all moved to opposite bar – Temple Bar.

In Temple Bar, I met a guy who shared the same dorm room with me – Jamie from London. Oh yeah… Jamie is quiet a good looking chap as well but he is a little bit too pretty. Hahaha!!! While having a good time with them, dancing and drinking… Suddenly, BAM! I saw him again! And this time, ALONE. No gf tagged around. He came straight to me with a smile and told me “I just broke up with my gf! Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla….” I didn’t know how to react. Should I be happy or should I just take advantage? LOL! Oh, then he told me that his name is Louit, Louie, Louite or whatever but people called him Louis. He is from London. I got 2 Londoners with me!

So yeah… we danced, we had shot after shot until only left 3 of us. I lose Sandra, Vincet, Sajit and others. 3 of us pretty much smashed, hammered, shit faced, wasted… whatever you wanna call it. But we still wanna have fun and we went to this HipHop Club. We KISSED in that dodgy club! Almost 5 am, we took a tuk-tuk to my place. Both Jamie and Louis couldn’t think straight and not remember where they stay. I couldn’t bring back them or one of them to my room as I stayed in a dorm room. So I get a tuk-tuk driver to sent both of them to their own place… and that was it. The end of the fun night and I never seen him again after that and I moved to Sihanoukville, Cambodia 2 days after that.

I actually kindda fall into him since I saw him in Bangkok. I don’t know why but I really am. And that night in Siem Reap with him (and Jamie, of course) was a good one and will stay as part of good memory in my life. It is actually kind of heartache that making me nuts because after more than 2/3 weeks, I still thinking of him and I really hope that I will meet him again someday, somewhere, somehow… Alone, for sure.

This is what gonna happen when you never bother to get one’s contact number or facebook or email when you know that you gonna go apart. And this is what happened to me. Sad. And since I don’t really know his name or any other bit information about him, google does not helping me at all 😦

Real Story : Steve, Are You OK?

Steve. A dude form the UK, 30 years old. He is good looking, clean, kindda metrosexual guy with boyish face that I met when I was on my working-holiday in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. But he has shitty personality, at least in my eyes. He barely talk to me when I was there and he was one of our guests. We only did when he was drunk, when he did not realize that how fat and ugly I am, anymore. But no sex because just like many other English guys (sorry for the stereotype), he go for prostitutes. I am not generalizing all English dudes here but based from my experience while I’m traveling, most of them are. So don’t be mad at me.

When I left Sihanoukville because my visa for Cambodia expiring, I never really thought that I gonna meet him again. I did not wish to meet him either. But it was not the case. A month or so after that, when I got back from Laos to Bangkok, we bumped into each other in a guesthouse where I stayed. He stayed there too. Different floor. I was so shocked when I met him again. He was totally different compare to when I first met him in Sihanoukville. In Bangkok, he was like… errr… shabby. In mess. No longer that good looking, clean, metrosexual boyish face. Then he invited me to go for a tea with him downstairs.

We chatted, although I felt a lil’ bit uncomfortable to be around him because he never been nice to me back then. But because I was so curios on what happened to him that turned him into a mess, I stay. I asked. Long paused. And when he lifted his face, I saw tears in his eyes. OMG.

“I was in Siem Reap. I was pretty wasted. I took back a prostitute with me. You know me, not gonna be a surprise for you. Well, she is pretty tho. When I wake up in the morning, she wasn’t there anymore. My money in wallet gone, my mobile gone and I got this note…” he handed me a crumpled note to me that he kept in his pocket.

Thank you for a wonderful sex, and the money. FYI, I got AIDS

I was totally gobsmacked. I looked at him, he’s crying. I asked him if he wear any condom or not? Then he told me, he did not remember any and he tried to search for any used condom around inside the room, the rubish bin, everywhere… he couldn’t find any. Error 404 condom unfound. Geez… I asked him to go for medical check-up, he did. “Well, at time being, negative. But not being to sure because the doctor told me to wait for 6 months to see if any virus develops or not?”.

“Hahaha! So no sex for 6 months eh?” I tried to crack a joke. But then I realize it was a bad joke. In deed. It was not funny at all. Steve still look very sad, teary eyes, numb, stiff, sombre… whatever words I may describe him. Paid for a bill, I asked him if he want to go for a walk to Khao San Road or anywhere, nah… he just want to go back to his room; so I accompanied him.

Sat by the side of the bed, I let him hug me and cried and until he fall asleep. Then I went off quietly. The next morning when I tried to find him, he was no longer there and I’m off to Pattaya.

I hope Steve is alright. I hope he will be strong. I hope he will not do anything stupid. I hope he is HIV/AIDS/STDs negative. I hope he learn his lessons.

Share (this story) if you can.

Real Story : Real Life Romeo & Juliet

He is John-Paul Conley. She is Kate Downey.

Both of them from England. They’ve been together for a while. They are beautiful people. Very friendly, very kind, very funny, very bubbly, very playful, very cheerful, very thoughtful, very generous. All the positive traits in them, you named it, they got it.

I got to know this couple when they traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam and stayed in the same hostel with me (where I currently live and work) somewhere in September 2013. Every night we shared funny stories, laugh and play drinking-games together over free bia hoi during the beer-o’clock in the hostel. Then either we just hangout in the hostel’s bar or moved to bia hoi square and continue to socialized with other backpackers. Moments with them just filled with joy and laughter. It was a good moments to remember.

After spending on-off 3 weeks with JP and Kate, they finally off to see the other countries. They were a “serious” travelers.

Somewhere in November 2013, I was shocked by the news that JP went missing, swept away by the current in 4000 Island, south of Laos. I followed the news and every single update on his whereabouts. 3 days after that, on the 4th days he went missing, they finally found JP on one of the beach. Despite being a strong swimmer, he didn’t made it. It was a sad news for his family and friends, and of course Kate herself.

I was so devastated by the news. I’d still remember few days before that, on the 7th of November 2013, JP was chatting with me through FB, asking for my well-being, health wise and financial wise. I told him that I was fine except not really good financially. He offered to transfer some amount of money to my account but I refused to accept it. I told him that I can manage and he should use that money to buy Kate a nice dinner. He said he can do it (buy Kate a nice dinner) along the way but, he didn’t made it… 😦

I still talked to Kate after the sad news. I always wish her well. Was happy to see her “back” as a strong woman ever. Once in a while I “stalked” her facebook and sometimes JP’s too. It brought smile to my face to know that Kate organized a number of party tribute to her beloved John-Paul Conley with her/his family and friends. It was a good sight although I am here in Southeast Asia.

Months after JP said goodbye to all his family and friends on earth and continue his never-ending, adventurous journey in a paradise, Kate decided to search for JP (in March 2014) and join her love of her life in eternity. I was again shocked by the news of Kate’s departure from this world but what do I know about missing someone so much that unbearable anymore? What do I know about the pain & agony that she went through? What do I know about love that so strong? I know nothing about all that because I don’t believe in it… until Kate.

Kate Downey, I hope you found John-Paul Conley and enjoy the paradise and keep on traveling. Will see you guys someday somehow. Love both of you… You are my real Romeo & Juliet. 

Sincerely xoxoxo

Anita Gabb