Paradoxical Surprises

Some say Bangkok is a shock to your system. Others describe as a gateway to paradise where everything is permissible and everything goes. To the later, I have to agree. With it’s colossal economic chasm between the very wealthy and the very poor, Bangkok certainly is a paradoxical surprise.

Despite living in New York City for a number of years, never have I witnessed such blatant sexual propositions, lewd business transactions and nausea over salivating men, who haven chosen just mere teenagers for a night of "pleasure", than I did sitting in a ubiquitous Bangkok hotel lobby for a mere hour and a half.

At least four groups of men, both young and old, Asian and non-Asian, escorted their clearly younger and far more attractive, woman outside: feigning intimacy before living out what-ever perverted fantasy they couldn’t do within the confines of their own marriages with these young girls.

Out of the all throngs of mates (I mean, what’s sex between friends, right?) most surprisingly to me was the young, attractive American, who, after simple chit-chat handed his prized “non-person” (No need for names, right? Let’s not get too personal.) for the night 100 Baht (equivalent to about three U.S. dollars) in an effort to coax into a car already packed car of his fellow lads.

As sickening as it is to imagine this young women being shared among adults, who, clearly know better, and, oh-by-the-way, are clearly married, it is even harder to witness in person knowing that hundreds of thousands of girls are forced, raped and beaten into submission to live out the sexual desires of a man who thinks of them as no more than a common commodity- a drink during a night out on the town with the boys.

Granted, many of the so-called “call-girls” one witnesses, conducting business as usual in even the grimiest of Bangkok hotels, are there by their own volition, not with standing the events which led them into prostitution in the first place. Still, those girls help keep this already multi-billion dollar industry thriving among Asia's extraordinary economic boom.

Tomorrow we head to Cambodia where the dirty underbelly of this industry continues to flourish on girls as young as pre-schoolers.

We are overwhelmed with the enormity of this issue- still we press on- remaining confident in this, that He who has begun a good work within us will complete it.

In hope and prayer,

Jess