LES GIRLS

And now for something completely different.....

I enjoy talking. Once in Bucharest on business (as usual) I stayed in what was once (in its heyday) a rather pleasant hotel. When I was there it had gone downhill somewhat and looking quite dreary. Thus were the joys of post-communism. I checked in and went up to my room – I was not shown where, but merely left to my own devices.

In the “lounge” area sat, what I can only describe euphemistically, as “ladies of the night”. There were twelve of them in various stages of absolute boredom, seeking the occasional “client”. With their bleached hair, over-the-top make-up and skimpy dresses their sense of “potential” was heightened when they heard an English voice. I can honestly say I was not at the back of the queue when the hormones were given out, but my view of what I see is that this is just too much!

Over the course of my stay there, the same girls are always in the lobby – still with the fixed smiles, still with the make-up applied by a plasterer, and still hoping. Being an outgoing type of individual, I begin talking with them, and discover they are not what they appear; indeed, they are all from good jobs – a nurse, a dental assistant, a secretary – and the one thing they have in common is that they are trying to earn a decent wage. I tell them openly that I am not interested in contributing to their wage packets, but will help. And that help extends to helping them with their English on the grounds that if they have language skills they can “do better” (and how you interpret that remark is up to you!) Thus, over the course of the next several weeks, I and a troupe of young ladies could be seen walking upstairs to a meeting room (much to the utter amazement of other guests) in order to give them practice in English. I often wonder if they “did better” as a result of my efforts!

Until next time (and still talking – but not buying),

Peripatetic Scribe