Random Shuffle: The Cure, Bruce Hornsby, Amy Winehouse, Jenny Lewis - Page 4

Certainly I had heard before about the sex trade in Asia. A few nights before we were in Bangkok and everywhere were fliers describing the abuse of children and how to look for signs and how to report them. But there, on the streets of Siem Reap, in front of God and everyone I was in no way prepared to be asked that question.

"No" was the word I finally uttered.

"We have very pretty girls." He responded in kind.

"No, thanks." I said again.

He then bargained down to offers of pleasure to be given by hand.

I began to wonder about the strategy of moving from the sexual favors of the mouth to the hand. Are there really people out there who pass up oral sex but say yes to the hand? Come to think of it why hadn't he asked me about intercourse before offering the BJ? What was next? Perhaps a dry hump? Maybe some tickling with feathers? What were the bargaining chips of the Cambodian pimp?

I said no again and tried to quicken my pace. He kept following so I chose a different strategy, I turned around and headed back. Finally, he moved on. I found my market, bought my snacks and headed back to our hotel.

Before I could make it, I kid you not, two other people approached me for similar oral pleasures. Good grief, man, what do I look like? A middle-aged, balding, pot-bellied single man on the streets of Cambodia, is what. I'm surprised I wasn't asked by a dozen more folks for sexual pleasures.

As Yakoff Smirnoff used to say, "What a country."

Article Author: Mat Brewster

Mat Brewster is a periodic ex-pat wondering if he'll ever find a home. You can find him musing on pop culture, and obsessing over concert bootlegs at The Midnight Cafe.

Visit Mat Brewster's author page — Mat Brewster's Blog