LAST EDITED ON 03-Aug-10 AT 01:57 AM (PST)
First, the closure was political, as always.Korean girls over here making money, Bush as the President, N. Korea = Axis of Evil, blah blah blah.
They were making money hand over fist. Notice how the Viet hag storefront massage places were relatively untouched?
This was the kind of money being made:
$200 ("Gweilo" rate) + tips. Often, the white guy would get ushered into the room as soon as he got in by mamasan, termed by my buddy as "the white man shuffle".
Then there was the Korean to Korean rate which was $170. The Korean girls didn't like servicing their own kind for obvious reasons.
Then there was the Chinese, Viet, Thai, other Asian nationalities rate of $150.
Back then, the economy was strong, and the predominance of these girls made bank. On an average day, a gal could make $1000 or more per day, just seeing 8-10 clients for 40 minutes each or so, if she was the top tier or second tier in terms of looks or service. That's EACH girl. At some places there were over 15-20 in a bench line-up. Do the math. $30K per month, per girl. That's serious money being brought back home to Korea and some of it of course, trickled to Louis Vuitton and Prada. But think of that part as the "sales use tax". Much of it went back to the homeland.
Even some fat girls got business, again, mamasan would channel her business in the rotation just to balance things out. She would service the newbie or shy guy who came in for the first time. Or the first-time "gweilo" who was trying to build up his reputation with the establishment as nice guy "sugar warbucks". He would later of course, demand the ability to pick, at the expense of cheating on his initial amp trainer. But that was the natural evolution of things.
Fact is, these places were money-making machines in their heyday. Often in the back lobby, there would be us guys drinking tea, smoking out, and flirtin' with the ladies waiting for a "cubicle". The glamorous relaxed Playboy lifestyle, which every male yearns for. Life without a care except how you were going to get lucky with that sexy new female that was going to make you happy in paradise for a while without the female headaches that come along with it. An escape from the stresses of life and work. Or just simply horniness.
Ohhhh, some of us have fond mammaries...lol. It was just as good if not better than Rush Hour 2.