How prostitution works in Shanghai

"Ok, let's play a game"

"Ummm... like Beirut or Flip Cup?" Clearly I was confused. The fellow I was with had been in Shanghai for 4 months, and was here on an expat assignment. He was clearly amused by whatever trick he was about to show me.

"No, no...Look over at the bar. What do you see?"

I looked past the loud Australians, just past some confused Americans on holiday and to the left of the Shanghainese fashionista couples to look at the bar. A row of well heeled, classy women sat at the bar, scanning the room.

"Several bored women"

"they aren't bored. They are waiting."

"For?"

"Some are part of the house, they work here and come sit next to you so you can buy them drinks and what not, thus running up your tab. Others, do not work work for the place. They work for themselves. They offer you a massage back at your hotel and then, after a little haggling, its good to go"

My host was enjoying himself too much. I pointed out that I could not tell which was which and besides i was fine drinking a low ball. This was a really nice bar, very upscale. I was surprised this went down here. Oh well...when in Rome

"you're a putz"