ahphui
28-12-2006, 12:08 AM
One single woman hires social escorts because she
feels...
By Maureen Koh - December 25, 2006
The New Paper
This Christmas will be the first in nine years that
teacher Christine has to spend alone.
The thought fills her with gloom - especially when she
stares at the invitations to parties and get-togethers.
Christine (who agreed to the interview on condition that
we do not name her) is newly single, following her
divorce in July.
The 29-year-old told The New Paper on Sunday: 'It feels
miserable to be alone during this festive period.'
At the time of the interview, Christine had engaged the
services of a male escort three times, with another date
already booked for New Year's Eve.
She is not the only one here who is seeking alternative
companionship to fill the void in her life during this
festive season.
Social escort agency owners here are seeing a spike in
business during this period.
Those we spoke to reported a 25 per cent increase in
requests for escorts in December - with seven out of 10
coming from women. (See report below.)
It took some time before we could persuade Christine to
share her experience.
The representatives from escort agencies were also
reluctant to comment, much less contact their clients on
our behalf.
And even when they had agreed to talk, there were
requests such as 'please do not use my real name' and
'no photo please'.
A solution to her misery
Christine was flipping through an old issue of a women's
lifestyle magazine at a hair salon last month when she
came across an article about male social escorts.
'That was when the idea hit me. I thought, why not hire
someone? It seemed like the perfect solution to my
misery,' she said.
'I don't think I'm doing anything morally wrong but I'm
not about to announce it to anyone that I've to pay for
a date.'
Christine, who had registered her marriage in early 2001
after dating for four years, has always spent Christmas
with her then-husband, an engineer.
'I have to stop myself from thinking of past Christmases
and of the parties we would throw at home,' the slim and
attractive Singaporean teacher.
It does not help that her parents and sister are in Hong
Kong, as her father has been posted there for a
three-year stint. She is unable to join them due to work
commitments.
But Christine also admitted: 'Even if I could, I really
don't think I'd want to fly (to Hong Kong). The more
they try to make me feel better, the worse it is for
me.'
She paid $600 for each session with the escort, for four
hours of companionship. There was no sex involved, she
claimed.
On the first date, she met her escort at a coffee chain
outlet, 30 minutes before a party.
'I needed to fill him in on basic details and also to
establish whatever quick 'rapport' I could, to avoid any
embarrassment,' said Christine.
She admitted that Vince was better-looking than she
expected.
'He's got that chiselled face, with a dimple. What
impressed me further was the way he spoke in fluent
English. He has a fantastic sense of humour and he
certainly sounded intelligent!'
She added: 'Vince delivered such good service that even
my friends were impressed. A colleague actually told me
that we seemed quite compatible and advised me to go for
him! If only she knew the truth!'
In a separate interview, Vince told The New Paper on
Sunday: 'I make it a point to read widely, from
entertainment magazines to serious stuff, like Forbes
and Fortune.
Paying off school fees
'That's because the people who can afford our services
are likely the ones who move about in high-society
circles. You'd want to make the right impression,' said
the 25-year-old, who carries off a mature disposition.
The undergraduate, who is doing his final year, had
started working part-time as a social escort when he was
only 18.
The money, according to him, helps him pay his school
fees.
This month alone, Vince has had a total of 15
engagements, with another nine booked over the next 10
days.
His bookings have jumped too because he is one of the
more popular escorts from MS Promotions, which takes a
25 per cent cut as commission.
But is there a danger of the clients falling in love
with their escorts under the intoxicating influence of
the season and the vulnerability of loneliness?
Both Christine and Vince brushed this possibility aside.
Christine said: 'I know I will recover from my divorce,
given time. It's just that I can't avoid the holidays
and I really don't want to feel more miserable than I am
now,' she said.
'Somehow, Christmas puts the pressure on those who are
single, especially if you're successful, career-wise.
You just don't want to lose face. And women tend to be
more vulnerable to loneliness.'
All seven other social escorts interviewed - five male
and two female - sang the same tune.
Said Greg, 31, who has been in the industry for eight
years: 'It's a fact that women can't stand being lonely.
It's not about sex, but more the emotional void that
needs to be filled.'
Freelance escort Lily, 27, agreed: 'Our earnings for
this period are usually less than the guys. We're quite
used to the routine by now.'
Male clients, it seems, hire escorts not necessarily
because they are feeling lonely.
Lily, whose clients are mainly expatriates, has had
Singapore clients engaging her services for more
practical reasons.
'Just last week, I attended a company dinner with a
client (who is a company director). He confessed that he
is married with two children, and claimed he did not ask
his wife along because she could not speak English
well!'
Women feel lonelier during the festive period
Christmas is an exceptionally tough period for single,
lonely women, says a psychologist.
Dr Richard Lim, who has provided relationship
counselling for more than a decade, said: 'Women are
more susceptible to emotions and tend to be more
affected by such festivities.
feels...
By Maureen Koh - December 25, 2006
The New Paper
This Christmas will be the first in nine years that
teacher Christine has to spend alone.
The thought fills her with gloom - especially when she
stares at the invitations to parties and get-togethers.
Christine (who agreed to the interview on condition that
we do not name her) is newly single, following her
divorce in July.
The 29-year-old told The New Paper on Sunday: 'It feels
miserable to be alone during this festive period.'
At the time of the interview, Christine had engaged the
services of a male escort three times, with another date
already booked for New Year's Eve.
She is not the only one here who is seeking alternative
companionship to fill the void in her life during this
festive season.
Social escort agency owners here are seeing a spike in
business during this period.
Those we spoke to reported a 25 per cent increase in
requests for escorts in December - with seven out of 10
coming from women. (See report below.)
It took some time before we could persuade Christine to
share her experience.
The representatives from escort agencies were also
reluctant to comment, much less contact their clients on
our behalf.
And even when they had agreed to talk, there were
requests such as 'please do not use my real name' and
'no photo please'.
A solution to her misery
Christine was flipping through an old issue of a women's
lifestyle magazine at a hair salon last month when she
came across an article about male social escorts.
'That was when the idea hit me. I thought, why not hire
someone? It seemed like the perfect solution to my
misery,' she said.
'I don't think I'm doing anything morally wrong but I'm
not about to announce it to anyone that I've to pay for
a date.'
Christine, who had registered her marriage in early 2001
after dating for four years, has always spent Christmas
with her then-husband, an engineer.
'I have to stop myself from thinking of past Christmases
and of the parties we would throw at home,' the slim and
attractive Singaporean teacher.
It does not help that her parents and sister are in Hong
Kong, as her father has been posted there for a
three-year stint. She is unable to join them due to work
commitments.
But Christine also admitted: 'Even if I could, I really
don't think I'd want to fly (to Hong Kong). The more
they try to make me feel better, the worse it is for
me.'
She paid $600 for each session with the escort, for four
hours of companionship. There was no sex involved, she
claimed.
On the first date, she met her escort at a coffee chain
outlet, 30 minutes before a party.
'I needed to fill him in on basic details and also to
establish whatever quick 'rapport' I could, to avoid any
embarrassment,' said Christine.
She admitted that Vince was better-looking than she
expected.
'He's got that chiselled face, with a dimple. What
impressed me further was the way he spoke in fluent
English. He has a fantastic sense of humour and he
certainly sounded intelligent!'
She added: 'Vince delivered such good service that even
my friends were impressed. A colleague actually told me
that we seemed quite compatible and advised me to go for
him! If only she knew the truth!'
In a separate interview, Vince told The New Paper on
Sunday: 'I make it a point to read widely, from
entertainment magazines to serious stuff, like Forbes
and Fortune.
Paying off school fees
'That's because the people who can afford our services
are likely the ones who move about in high-society
circles. You'd want to make the right impression,' said
the 25-year-old, who carries off a mature disposition.
The undergraduate, who is doing his final year, had
started working part-time as a social escort when he was
only 18.
The money, according to him, helps him pay his school
fees.
This month alone, Vince has had a total of 15
engagements, with another nine booked over the next 10
days.
His bookings have jumped too because he is one of the
more popular escorts from MS Promotions, which takes a
25 per cent cut as commission.
But is there a danger of the clients falling in love
with their escorts under the intoxicating influence of
the season and the vulnerability of loneliness?
Both Christine and Vince brushed this possibility aside.
Christine said: 'I know I will recover from my divorce,
given time. It's just that I can't avoid the holidays
and I really don't want to feel more miserable than I am
now,' she said.
'Somehow, Christmas puts the pressure on those who are
single, especially if you're successful, career-wise.
You just don't want to lose face. And women tend to be
more vulnerable to loneliness.'
All seven other social escorts interviewed - five male
and two female - sang the same tune.
Said Greg, 31, who has been in the industry for eight
years: 'It's a fact that women can't stand being lonely.
It's not about sex, but more the emotional void that
needs to be filled.'
Freelance escort Lily, 27, agreed: 'Our earnings for
this period are usually less than the guys. We're quite
used to the routine by now.'
Male clients, it seems, hire escorts not necessarily
because they are feeling lonely.
Lily, whose clients are mainly expatriates, has had
Singapore clients engaging her services for more
practical reasons.
'Just last week, I attended a company dinner with a
client (who is a company director). He confessed that he
is married with two children, and claimed he did not ask
his wife along because she could not speak English
well!'
Women feel lonelier during the festive period
Christmas is an exceptionally tough period for single,
lonely women, says a psychologist.
Dr Richard Lim, who has provided relationship
counselling for more than a decade, said: 'Women are
more susceptible to emotions and tend to be more
affected by such festivities.