pecks & fans, 6

extra service

they used to be called sauna baths or massage parlors. and a lot would go to them for the ‘sensations’.

now they are called spas. and a lot go to them for the extra service.

lets talk about that.

the downside is that it is prostitution. and you doubt the cleanliness of many establishments. since they dont require that providers take regular HIV/AIDS testing, then its always AYOR (at your own risk).

it is difficult to get good reviews about just the massage.

on the plus side, it is relatively cheaper than if you bought trade off the streets (the hotel room plus the fee would be at least 3 or 4 times higher).

it feels safer because it has a legit cover. there is also less embarrassment than when you enter a ‘casa’ or brothel.

and there are a lot of web reviews about the masseurs looks, ‘assets’ and ‘performances’.

no wonder they have proliferated.

if you want to test (taste? jejejeje) for yourself, first thing you have to do is undress completely. everything off.

many spas provide boxer shorts and stuff but you really dont want that added risk.

this is the first clue to the masseur that you are open to the possibility of extra service.

when his fingers ‘accidentally’ bump into certain things, or when he ‘accidentally’ presses his crotch on different parts of you during the massage, and you dont complain or move away, then you are on your way.

prices of the services vary, and more than half of these extra services are nothing but clumsy handjobs.

of course there are hustlers. they are the ones who automatically assume you came in only for the extra service. one of my own worst experiences happened when the masseur had his finger on the crack of my ass as he leaned over to whisper “sir, soft or hard?”. we havent even started the session yet!

these hustlers also dont take no for an answer. they know that many would find it hard to resist if you choose them by name, and they are already in the process of jerking you off as you haggle the price.

a few have been known to kiss the ‘no’ off your lips. talk about hard sell huh?

so, if you really wanna go that way, know what you want, and set your budget.

good luck and happy ‘biyaheng langit’ trip!

pecks & fans, 5

“gikapoy ka ba?”

so asks the latest spa to open in uptown cebu, pisil.

we didnt know anyone who could give a review on it so, oz and trey and i decided to give it a try. (hayyy, the sacrifices we make for the gay community, jejejejejej)

first off, the location is a bit off since its inside a small arcade where its the only thing open after 8 or 9pm.

the usual muzak and dim lights that would be ordinary at other places became better appreciated here because their entire frontage was plastered with garish tarpaulin posters of their menu of services and prices and a foot reflexology map (identifying which body parts were connected to what part of the foot; then, suddenly, at the bottom, there’s a link to ‘diarrhea’. go figure).

all the cubicles were upstairs. they have possibly the narrowest beds in the industry because i cant seem to find a place to rest my arms when im lying on it.

then again, it maybe because the leatherette-covered beds were new, and so were puffed up extra to accommodate sagging with wear and tear.

their staff dont have uniforms, and they are usually in our outside the lobby if they are not servicing, so that you can choose if you want to.

my massage was okay. not good, not bad. [and when i say massage, i mean, massage! jejejejejje]

i liked that fact that my masseur didnt talk me up coz i was not in the mood for talking then. the cubicle space was really so small that he had to deftly maneuver so he wont press any other part of him on me, except his hands.

he didnt intentionally feel me up or something like that. and he didnt offer extra service. maybe he felt that i wasnt in the mood.

trey seemed to had a good time. he was chattily drinking up our portions of tea when i got down. and oz seemed to have a good time too, especially since he got the hunkiest of the batch that was there. jejejejeje.

so there goes our pisil experience.

and yes, im coming back.

correction, i already came back. LOL!

"jay"

i first experienced his massage in an uptown spa (that used to be the priciest there, hint, hint). twas the hardest soft massage i had and i liked it. of course, i came back. when i went back next (and no, coswald, this didnt happen in 3 consecutive nights! - jejejejeje), he wasnt there anymore. oh, well.

and then i visited another spa (still uptown) and found he was working there already. so i kind of became a regular client. wholesome all the time, okay?

though i gotta admit it takes a whole lotta control to remain wholesome considering how playful he is. easy on the eyes, and not a hustler.

plus, he does give good massage, sensitive to stress points and all. and he knows when to shut up because most of the time, i dont want to talk while naked and kneaded.

one time, he was in mid-massage, we were talking since the start since it was some time since my last visit, when i felt a change.

he became silent, and i felt him get hard, a first. and for you size queens, he’s just a medium, okay?

i asked him why he suddenly became quiet, but he just smiled.

when the massage was almost over, we crossed the line. it wasnt wholesome no more.

and no, he didnt quote a price, and i even looked for him after to give him his tip because i felt that he was kinda embarassed about it.

now im not saying i was the first client he did that with/to. but we were both changed by it.

a visit or two later, we had our talkiest session ever. i think some ice has been broken or something. then again, maybe it was the many bottles of beer i just had. as trey would text, watevs.

hemingways, it was the usual playful session but we were both laughing over a whole lotta stuff. this was almost closing time.

i think the other masseurs & masseuses got curious over what was happening in our cubicle that they went to the front desk.

imagine our surprise when the door suddenly opened and front desk lady was there, squinting her eyes to see what all the fuss was about.

she, of course, saw nothing out of the ordinary so she hurriedly closed the door, which got us both laughing all over again.

front desk lady was so flustered when i got out. and not a few eyebrows went up when jay kinda shouted that i should wait for him to just put on a shirt coz he was going home already.

i think people took that to mean he went home with me. i sometimes wish he did.

but really, all we did was eat and talk and laugh some more.

i think that was one of my best sessions ever.

thanks jay. of course, i came back.

The First Time Always Hurts

The night started with excitement. I hurried from work to home to change and leave my laptop. Then off to Waterfront Hotel for “REveal”, the first major fashion show of friend and former staff Ronald Villavelez.

It was a success [read separate blog entry on this].

A friend (John) whom ive met the last three times he was back from the middle east was supposed to join me in the fashion show but was a no-show. So i was on the way from the hotel to a coffee shop uptown to meet Ozzie when John texted that he was already in Doce (a gay friendly bar) alone.

Being the good host, i texted Ozzie that i’m meeting John at Doce instead and requested him to follow me there.

The taxi driver, who seemed good natured (he offered me some of the food he was eating), requested for exact fare.

That’s when i put my week-old phone down on the seat to get change from my pocket. I arrived, paid the exact fare, got out, and started to cross the street when i remembered my phone!

I was still halfway across the street but had to pause a bit to allow a car or two to pass by, all the time seeing that my cab was inching away slowly.

I thought i would be able to catch up because there were people hailing cabs in the area, but other taxis were there, so my taxi drove away!

I got on another cab, telling the driver we needed to catch up with that taxi because i left my phone in it.

But what do you know, bad luck reigned supreme that night.

We were stopped by red lights two times before we completely lost him. So i told the commiserating driver to u-turn and return me to where i hailed him.

When we got there, i was surprised to note that the taxi meter read 90.00 for a trip that should have cost no more than 40! Sensing my bad mood, the 2nd bad cabbie of the night said 50 would be okay.

I rushed to meet John to borrow his cell and called my phone many times. It rang everytime, which gave me hope.

In many stories like this, people calling their phones couldnt because the phones would have been turned off already by the thieves, with the SIMs replaced.

After another hour, Ozzie arrived unexpectedly and he also tried calling but this time, my phone was already turned off.

We had no choice but to call my service provider to report the loss so outgoing calls and messages can be barred.

This is the first time ever that i ever left anything in a ride. What irritates me most was not the fact that im embarrased about my forgetfulness, or my initial good impression of the cab driver, or the exploitative nature of the 2nd cabbie, or that i lost a new phone.

What gets me is that i was just starting to enjoy that new fone. I blogged already about the troubles i went through to have my contacts transferred from my old phone to the new one. I was just about done figuring out how things worked on the new unit, how to download and group music, how to group my contacts, how to edit photos on it, and stuff.

And then i lost it.

C’est la vie? Well yeah, and life does go on.

In the meantime, i wish the thief/thieves would die a very slow and utterly painful death, together with his/her loved ones!

Oh, and world peace to everyone!

eagerly a-wettin 3

ive been a sade fan since smooth operator debuted 25 years ago. cant believe its been that long. and yes, i have all the albums.

theres just something silky and sultry in her/their songs. most of the time, i can imagine it playing in a smoky dark bar, a piano in a corner, and aproned waiters.

i have listened to the new single and seen the new vid.

i cant wait to buy it in stores soon! i know they said worldwide debut on feb8 but it hasnt hit these shores yet.

now, on to the vid. very unique and groundbreaking for her/them.

the military motif, the many costume changes, the dancing. the madonna-ish dust-kicking, the contemporary beat......nice!

only thing is, is it just me or does she look like gloria estefan in many angles? has she had work done on her face? dang....

pecks & fans, 4

smart and nokia

ive been a smart user ever since i had my first fone (nokia ringo anyone?). for the most part, i did not have any problems with them.

december last year, i decided to inquire about my retention benefits. i went to sm for 3 or 4 times but left unattended because i couldnt stand the waiting time. considering their size, they really should add more counters for customer service!

last month, i was able to get through at last. i decided to get a new unit (nokia 5800). kathleen, the customer service rep, was very accommodating. i wanted to get the white one but it seems they dont have it. she gave me her number for when i do decide to get the new unit, so i dont have to queue again. nice.

when i did decide to contact her, she didnt return my texts or calls. hmmmmm.

i finally did get through, and she accommodated me even if she wasnt on duty. got my new phone and started toying with it.

i could move my messages and calendar entries from my old one (e6500) to the new phone via bluetooth. but my contacts were lost in the migration.

so i went back yesterday. kath was there and she tried to do it but couldnt. she immediately brought me to nokia care, and hurried back to smart to get me my referral.

i was called to counter 2. i explained the problem.

immediately after i did, the slicked-back chub said that we couldnt do anything about it. if my unit was for repair, they would "flash" it and everything would be erased.

i explained again. it was a 2 day old fone so there was nothing to erase. so could they flash it and move my contacts?

no sir, sometimes that happens. we cant do anything about it. if your unit was for repair.....

i explained yet again, this time in more detail. and again is showed him what i did so he can follow.

no sir, sometimes that happens, we cant do anything about it. if your unit was for repair.....

that was it. i raised my voice a bit and said he wasnt providing the technical support he is supposed to provide.

i guess it worked because he went inside, came back out soon after and said they will have to erase everything so we can try again. be back in an hour.

after an hour, i came back. i did the bluetooth migration once again. he went back inside. and voila! my contacts, close to 2000 entries, were successfully moved!

then i asked about one of the things he kept repeating, that i should use my computer to do file transfers. i told them i read the literature and there was no mention of apple/mac. does he know if i can download something that is for mac?

sir, its automatic. when you insert the cd, or download software, it will ask you what operating system you are using, just check vista or xp and you are done!

i said, im using apple.

he said, sir its automatic, when you insert....

i cut him off and told him to go back inside and ask.

when he came back, he said, no sir, i dont think we can do macs but there might be a new release soon.

i left. i think i said thank you faintly. but he was obviously relieved i left.

NOKIA Cares. i think they do.

but in my case, the 'they' are kept inside. and their counter people need a whole lot of re-tooling. in the case of counter 2, i have a feeling no amount of re-training will work.

he just has to go.

pecks & fans, 3

cakewalkers at d'strip

PECKS
they dont issue receipts (?). huh?
many items in their menu are 'out-of-stock'.
they only have 2 comfy chairs!
they dont accept cards.
probably due to their location, some guests (usually at the 2nd floor loft) are loud.

FANS
coffee is good.

the cakes come in big slices, yum!

wifi is fast and free.

electricity is free!

good traffic of eye candy, including a barista or two, if you go for twinks.