I haven't been able to write this week for a variety of reasons .. but I found an extra few minutes to get my daily dose of blogs, and I found Muscat Confidential's recent post rather interesting. Kudos to the Times of Oman for highlighting this issue again.
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A few years ago (I think it was 2007), the Dhofar Municipality shut down many of these so-called shady 'Health Clubs' in Salalah after discovering most of the masseurs were pretty Moroccan women who come from poor families and who are desperate for more money. Sometimes you can't blame them. Blame the men. I met the wife of a senior official at Dhofar Municipality and she told me about it in detail but wasn't able to answer all my questions.
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I was with some friends yesterday and one of them mentioned transvestites working at these parlours. Eek!
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Has anyone been to one of these massage parlours in Muscat or Salalah? (And no, I don't mean hotel massage parlours with harmless little Thai women/healers). What did you think? What have you heard?
Hot topic at the moment it would seem. A friend of mine relayed a story where a wife (can't remeber if it was his)went to book the husband a massage, not realising the type of establishment it was. The receptionist questioned the state of her marriage at which point she cottoned on! I myself have been unaware of their existence up 'til now.
ReplyDeleteabout 3 years ago I went for a Aruvedic massage on 23rd July (opposite Bank Muscat) and was shocked that I would be attended to by 2 women. I am not certain if there was the happy end option
ReplyDeleteIn muscat there are a lot of massage places that are very disgusting but I did not heard anything about transvestites
ReplyDelete"Harmless little Thai women/healers"?
ReplyDeleteYou dont go out too musch, do you?
What's eek about transvestites? Also you're about to be the hottest fashionista this side of the PM. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/white-sunglasses-return-as-part-of-retro-trend-1922151.html Third para in case you miss the reference :)
ReplyDeleteoh, I am sure those kinds of massage parlors are over here in UAE as well... though I wouldn't know where they are...
ReplyDeleteit doesn't surprise me they are arounds... but what surprises me is that they allow these places to open in residential areas...
I haven't been to one of these massage parlours, but if your up for some detective work...let me know partna'
ReplyDeleteI have never been to one, I think it is creepy to have someone that I do not know (and most that I do :P) rub me down. Its a bubble thing for me. My friend did tell me that when looking for a place to get one in asia look for the unattractive older lady (like a grandma) at the door and not the ones with young lady at the door.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't go to massage parlors, they go to Thailand. Or so someone I know says "I go to Thailand with 2000 OMR and live like a king".
ReplyDeleteThere are other things that are far worse than prostitution going on here I understand but maybe this is not the place to post what I've heard......
But my question remains: How can women stand that their husbands do this and why in the world don't they just unite and remind their husbands that men and women are equal and that in most countries in the world it's not normal that a man has more rights than a woman...
Being a lady myself, I wouldn't know much about the male health clubs in Salalah, but I have been to one female health club - recommended to me by an Omani female colleague - and I have to say that it is fairly professional in all respects, well except perhaps for the treatment of the exclusively female expat staff by their female Omani management. There is a strict 'no men allowed' policy, which is enforced, it is fairly clean, and offers a wide variety of services - from waxing, manicure/pedicure, massages, various types of healing baths, and even hair services.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick note to Karim - yes, in the hotels in Salalah (don't know about Muscat), the Thai or Chinese women giving treatments ARE HARMLESS entirely. I have not only been to these treatments often, but actually got to know a few of these very hard working ladies personally (hard working - yes, you try giving therapeutic massages from 9am to 9pm every day without a day off to Swedish tourists and local expats). They really are qualified professionals who have helped me with certain problems - and many of my colleagues have only praise for them too.
In terms of demand for these shady massage parlours masquerading as health clubs for men - I have no trouble at all believing in their existence. I got to witness first hand Omani males of all ages coming in to use various facilities at one of the hotels in Salalah - you guess which one, I'm not telling :) - and casually 'stopping in' for a chat with one of the Asian ladies (while I'm there waiting!) asking questions like: "Hey, maybe you help me? I am getting married, can you teach me kissing?"
I don't think the women, proper masseuses or not, are the problem. I agree with Nadia - blame the men. Their demands come up with a 'need' for these places, their sources create, fund, and operate them - and now, hypocrites, they are getting all moral and are planning to shut them down. Probably kicking themselves for not having the foresight to see that having these places in residential areas increases the chance of women noticing the illicit activities. Wonder what scheme will be thought up next? Any ideas?
I can add that since the TOO article there has been a big surge in google.co.om based searches for massage parlors and Oman prostitutes as search terms!
ReplyDeleteCome'on guys,
ReplyDeleteMassage without having intercourse is much better than prostitution. Let the men have some fun and the girls make some money. Just avoid pushing the whole thing underground (and letting the girls get exploited)
Anonymous March 18, 2010 10:39 PM
ReplyDelete"There are other things that are far worse than prostitution going on here I understand but maybe this is not the place to post what I've heard......"
ah but as you are Anonymous AND you have got us all interested - why dont you ask Nadia's permission
Yeah Anon, what are the things that are far worse than prostitution? Englighten my readers.
ReplyDeleteYou really really want to know? Well, here goes...
ReplyDeleteSexual abuse of maids, little boys and sodomy between male friends.
Hey, you wanted to know..........
Well, that's not new. Sexual abuse of maids has been going on for a while. Just ask the Philipino Embassy how many half-breed kids there are in the Philippines whose fathers were abusive masters in Oman.
ReplyDeleteIf the pregnant maids complain to the government that they're pregnant, they're shipped off to their countries and receive 30 Rials a month from the father.They cannot demand more.
Many men send their pregnant maids home and wire 50 rials a month to them to keep them quiet. It's sad. I'm planning to write a post on that in the near future.
Never said it was new, just said the 3 things (you're only referring to 1 of them) I mentioned are far far worse than men going for a massage with a happy finish. At least there's some kind of mutual consent.
ReplyDelete"Cannot demand more"?
ReplyDeleteI hope you mean legally, not morally.
A truly consensual relationship is one thing. Not good. But the fault of both parties.
But when there is rape or seduction under tremendous pressure and threats, it's another.
and what about the other bit of the anonymous's account of worse things than prostitution @Nadia
ReplyDeletelike Sodomy and sexual abuse of children!!!
Oh boy looks like Nadia knows people who are really high up in Dhofar, like she met the wife of some senior official in Dhofar Municipality !!
ReplyDeleteMan shes got Wasta man
wow. this is pathetic. some men r just pathetic and then again i wonder if there wives take care of them right. i geuss there's always another side to the story. then again nowadays...who knows...
ReplyDelete... Come on! I don't believe that Nadia's into Wasta or whatever you want to call it. Check out one of her previous postings on Wasta.
ReplyDeleteBut, I can understand that this topic is rather hot-to-handle so give the girl some credit for not replying immediately. This is probably one of the most difficult things to write about because it touches the lives of many people and it is probably something that many are ashamed of. Have you noticed how many people are replying "Anonymously" to this posting? Looks like many of us are too scared (myself included) to address this issue openly.
What I would actually be interested in is, how to put an end to these practices.
Transvestites are also human beings...they also command some respect..they are our fellow beings and I didnt expect that "EEKS" from you...an educated and enlightened and free thinking person....
ReplyDeleteis there any massage parlour in AL hail in muscat for men..i want a guy to massage me...no woman ,,,any name of parlour and whats the average charges here...?
ReplyDeletehave you seen this from the Sunday Times in London 31/8/08
ReplyDeleteWomen get massages with 'happy endings' too
'Massage parlours' and even barbers have long offered men sexual stimulation. Now, word is, women are after the extras
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/living/relationships/article232581.ece
Whats happening in OMAN @ Anonymous ????????
ReplyDelete