I was talking to this prostitute today about life. Her English name is Amy and she embarrassingly told me she was 18 years old, although she did look younger, she told me it was her destiny and that she had accepted this cruel punishment. What struck me was that she said it in an upbeat and arrogant tone as opposed to a sad and depressed tone you would have expected from someone in that situation. She said she makes 1000RMB ($683.00 a month) and she works from 10am to 10pm, six days a week, she lives in the back of the store with five other girls in bunk beds.
I met Amy one day when I was walking to the vegetable market. I was with my 7 year old, we were hungry and knew of this little 2.50RMB ($0.36) pork sandwich stall around the corner, but we had taken a detour around a side street and nearly got lost. As I was looking around trying to catch my bearings, out pops this tiny girl from a storefront, a big smile on her face, power walking directly at us, her arms reaching wildly out for a hug.
I looked up and saw a big colorful neon sign advertising 10RMB ($1.46) haircuts. As I caught a glance through the window I see several girls in revealing attire sitting on a flimsy couch, one staring into space and the other two engaged in a conversation. I at once realize that this isn't a hair salon but a typical Chinese brothel. They are quite common all over China and there are millions of girls like Amy willing to work at these places.
When you live in China long enough, you do get a feeling of what a legitimate haircut place is and what a front operation for hookers is, so I wasn't surprised by seeing this. I whisked my 7 year old boy from her clutches and got us back on track to the pork place, but Amy had apparently decided to follow us because she appeared at the same food stall right after we arrived, she then starts voluntarily opening up about her life as I instinctively cover my sons ears with two pork sandwiches. ...This was part 1, come back for part 2 and view the photos
