And that's the truth. Any foreign male approaching his senior years,
white, gray or little hair, and sporting a pair of frames (not shades)
are targets. No, this isn't a shooting range or a battle field, it's
more fulfilling than that. It's all about attention. VIP attention.
Thailand was notorious for this. It was a common occurrence to spot
an American, Englishman, or Australian gentleman in the company of a
Thai lady, half his age, wearing minimal clothing. After reading my
last blog entry regarding Ping Pong shows, you could just imagine how
much of Thailand's GDP is courtesy of this after-hours behavior. I'm
not saying that all of the couples I observed were guilty of this, but
knowing the country's reputation, I wouldn't put it past them.
I was very familiar with the Thai's
perception of men, but was in for a treat once I headed east for
Cambodia. I arrived at the border and hopped off the bus to find women
with umbrellas flocking towards a middle-aged gentleman in front of us.
He wasn't even wearing a suit. A modest yellow polo was tucked into his
faded jeans. His fashionable attire wouldn't be worth mentioning if it
wasn't for his highly-attractive white socks with sandals. There must
have been five ladies fighting for his attention. They automatically
assume that these men have money and if they're lucky, they can be
introduced to their fantasy of luxury. Often, they are thinking more of
how their families will benefit from the foreign aide. It's rather
depressing to watch, but these women have a hope. Someday, their prince charming will arrive.
You can find hundreds of versions of "No Money, No Honey" T shirts everywhere in Cambodia. Pink shirts, white type. Yellow shirts, black type. Has this made it to the states yet?
