Hostess at 14, mamasan at 19
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MENTION "mamasan" and one would expect women in their late 40s or 50s.
Mamasans are likely to be those who have retired from their days as hostesses to take on a more supervisory role.
But Miss Kanda Loh Kailing, who testified at a six-day coroner's inquiry in March over the hit-and-run accidents involving former Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu, surprised many when her picture appeared in the newspapers, including this one.
Just 25 years old, she was working as a mamasan at the Legend Palace KTV lounge, where Dr Ionescu, 49,was a regular.
Pretty, chic and fashionable, Miss Loh may well represent a new breed of mamasans, many of them below 30.
Another, Miss Ruhua, 28, is not surprised that mamasans are getting younger.
Draw customers
The Singaporean became one when she was only 19 - unusual even by today's standards.
She told The New Paper on Sunday that it's the smaller clubs which use the younger mamasans to draw the customers.
This is because they go better with the younger mainland China girls who come to work as hostesses.
"These girls usually have no qualms about going all the way(that is, to have sex).
"The more established nightclubs still prefer to keep mamasans who are older," added Miss Ruhua, who works only two or three times a week at one of the top clubs on Havelock Road.
In the past, a mamasan's earnings could range from $3,000 to $30,000 a month, including a fixed salary, commission and tips.
Now, they depend mainly on bottle commission and tips, said Miss Ruhua, who was only 14 when she became a nightclub hostess - at one of the top clubs, noless.
A year later, she was pregnant, and at 16 she had a child with her then-boyfriend, who was three years older.
Miss Ruhua had to return to work just over a month after giving birth.
She said: "I was so broke that on the first day, I had to use the hongbao that was given for my baby's full-month celebrations."
Some younger mamasans today also don't "own" the girls, unlike in the past,when a mamasan would be assigned a certain number of girls to manage fully, she said.
Hostesses now can also have a choice of whom they want to work for. As a result, managing them can sometimes be trying for these young mamasans.
Ms Nina, 47, a mamasan at another top club, said: "Many of the girls these days come from mainland China. They are confident enough on their own, so they work as freelance hostesses."
She cited as example the case of Chinese national Li Hongyan, 24, whose naked body was found in the pool of a Sentosa Cove bungalow in March.
Miss Li was believed to have been moonlighting as a part-time karaoke hostess in a number of lounges on Havelock Road.
Shanghai-born mamasan Miss Wei-wei, 24, came here 11/2 years ago. She started working in a nightclub in Shanghai as hostess when she was 17, before moving to Macau two years later.
She said: "But the competition there was too tough, with some nightclubs even offering celebrity- lookalike hostesses to attract the customers."
When her contract with the Macau nightclub ended in 2008, Miss Wei-wei set her sights on Singapore.
One week into her job as a hostess, she hooked up with a prominent local businessman for three months.
She did not want to give more details about the relationship but admitted that it was to become her "lucky break".
Said Miss Wei-wei: "When he moved on to another girl, he recommended his business associates and friends to me."
Raised profile
It raised her "profile" at the nightclub - something which the management spotted at once.
She said: "I think they knew that I could afford not to work so hard... or that I could move on to another nightclub."
Mis Wei-wei claimed she was thus "promoted" to mamasan and asked to manage a group of 10 girls.
But settling into the role when she was just 23 turned out to be tougher than she had expected.
She said: "Two of the more popular girls didn't take to it well - they were older and had more experience. I had to find a balance between being strict and easy-going."
She also had to put up with snide remarks, especially when regular customers preferred her personal attention instead of the hostesses'.
The challenge was in "how not to make the girls feel like I'm their competitor".
"That's taboo and they can just walk out on you any time," she said.
But the younger mamasans - most of whom are foreigners - may still have it easier, said Miss Candy, 26,who is also from Shanghai.
She works as a mamasan at a smaller club on Middle Road, and manages eight girls - all from various parts of China.
Miss Candy said: "Well, the 'tong xiang' (same village) feeling helps in some ways.
"The girls tend to stick together and look out for one another. It's like camaraderie."
While things are more "official and businesslike" with the older mamasans, the young ones tend to be more emotional.
Miss Ruhua said: "Everything revolves around feelings - it's about whether we like or don't like something, someone. You must be able to click."
And younger mamasans can relate better to the hostesses, said Miss Wei-wei, who thinks nothing of paying $6,000 - for liquor, sashes and tips - for a night of revelry at a male-host club for herself and her girls.
She added: "It helps them to de-stress and in turn, they are happier at work. So, it's a win-win situation."
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WHILE the ages of the mamasans in nightclubs here may seem to be getting lower, the "harsh reality" is: Some of them have outlived their shelf-life back home.
Mamasan Miss Wei-wei should know - she had started working in a nightclub in Shanghai when she was only 17.
She went from her hometown to Macau and that experience turned out to be a bonus for her. And that is common with many of the young mamasans here, she claimed.
Miss Wei-wei told The New Paper on Sunday: "The life span of a KTV club hostess in China and Hong Kong can be relatively short."
Mainland Chinese girls start working in cabarets in the cities from as young as 16.
They usually head up to Hong Kong and Macau when they hit 18.
Stiff competition among the increasing number of girls opting for such a lifestyle makes it even worse.
Miss Wei-wei, 24, said: "Another three years and the younger, new girls are ready to usurp your position."
The setting in these clubs can be quite different - with strict and sometimes overbearing mamasans calling the shots.
She claimed: "You don't say no to anything the mummy tells you to do - and that can include having sex with the customers."
Girls - usually in groups of 25 to 30 - are lined up for customers to take their pick.
Miss Wei-wei said: "We manage fewer girls and our regular clients will know which girls they want. "They are not put through that process of waiting to be picked."
And for those working at the top clubs, "you have to fight with the international faces as well", said mamasan Miss Candy, 26, who worked at Club Bboss in Hong Kong.
Nestled right in the thriving business district of Tsimshatsui East, the club has more than 60 VIP suites.
A manager at Club Bboss, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The New Paper on Sunday: "Our clients are mainly the tycoons and celebrities, those who are 'yao tao yao mien' (prominent and famous in Cantonese).
"The mummy or mamasan must know how to control and teach her girls well. Anyone who misbehaves gets booted out quickly."
Miss Wei-wei said: "Because of the higher demands and expectations that the girls have been put through, they become more appreciated when they come here."
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IT DOESN'T really matter if a mamasan is old or young.
What matters is how she handles her girls, and what kind of quality service these girls can provide.
The New Paper on Sunday approached 12 businessmen to find out if age mattered when it came to mamasans.
Most said it didn't.
It's the quality of attention and entertainment that counts.
Mr Richard Kong, 56, chief executive officer of a digital printing firm, has to host business associates about thrice a month.
He said: "I'm more concerned over whether the girls (hostesses) are able to keep my associates happy or not."
He usually spends about $4,000 each time during his visits to Tiananmen KTV & Lounge on Havelock Road.
Keeping his associates "happy" does not mean any hanky-panky - just singing, playing dice games and making small talk, he said.
And small talk can be quite sophisticated.
"Most of the hostesses now have better street knowledge, they are well-read and know how to provide intelligent communication," he added.
Many speak English "well enough" and others can speak various Chinese dialects.
Mr Kong said: "Good mamasans take excellent care of you - they teach their girls well too. And if you are a regular, they also know how much you are willing to spend and won't push you into opening more bottles."
This even though the mamasans' main source of income these days comes from liquor commission.
Sometimes, older and more experienced mamasans are also more adept at turning down unsolicited, indecent proposals from clients.
Businessman Gerry Tan, 45, who owns two boutiques - one in Singapore and another in Shanghai - said he was relieved that the mamasan had handled a recent incident with finesse.
He visits the Grand Century Nite Club once a week, spending $3,000 each time.
Said Mr Tan: "One of my clients had started to get touchy-feely with one of the women and the mamasan stepped in to stop him - but she did it so subtly that he even tipped her $300 when we left."
Mr Tan added: "It'd have been dire if the situation was not handled well, particularly since the man was a new client of mine."
But younger mamasans too, have their appeal for customers, like events director William Ho.
He goes to Deluxe Lido Palace and Dreamz Kabuki once a week and can easily spend more than $4,000 on each visit.
While the 38-year-old declined to elaborate, he said: "Younger mamasans are able to get their girls 'to go the extra mile'."
When asked if that included sexual services, Mr Ho said: "Whatever it is, nothing happens in the clubs."
Entertainment services and companionship aside, the club patrons also expect discretion and appreciate mamasans who "know how to keep mum" about clients' identities.
Mr Ho added: "Once, I brought a Taiwanese singer and his band members to a nightclub and by the next day, the Chinese media got wind of it.
"We investigated later and found out that a mamasan had told one of her media friends."
He complained to the club owner and the mamasan was fired immediately.
Broker Kenneth Low, 45, said: "Some of my clients are well-known, public faces. I need to be assured that the mamasans can ensure that her girls are not loose-lips."
He added: "People still tend to associate nightclubs with sleaze - not entirely inaccurate - but ultimately, for many of the patrons, it's a place to unwind.
"So, it's definitely taboo if a visit to the nightclub turns into a fire-fighting event."
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Well, at least that's one job where the employer adapts its employees to the ever changing market.
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"The more established nightclubs still prefer to keep mamasans who are older," added Miss Ruhua, who works only two or three times a week at one of the top clubs on Havelock Road.
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So sexy ru hua ahmagad....
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wah lau... the picture of you is a freaking turn off....fatum... hahaha.... Roonny.. the young mamasan hp got ? hehe
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Originally posted by Fatum:
"The more established nightclubs still prefer to keep mamasans who are older," added Miss Ruhua, who works only two or three times a week at one of the top clubs on Havelock Road.
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Chinese 7th month haven't cum... worst then seeing ghost.... -
Originally posted by Just_do_it_lah:
wah lau... the picture of you is a freaking turn off....fatum... hahaha.... Roonny.. the young mamasan hp got ? hehe
why dun u go to her nightclib and ask for her
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
why dun u go to her nightclib and ask for her
Actually i wanted to (cheong to Selegie).... but after seeing fatum's pic... all desires evaporated.... haiz.... -
Originally posted by Just_do_it_lah:
Actually i wanted to (cheong to Selegie).... but after seeing fatum's pic... all desires evaporated.... haiz....Legend Palace KTV lounge is at selegie meh?
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no idea bro.. me a innocent guy **pukes**.. can't stand myself... hehe
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Originally posted by Just_do_it_lah:
no idea bro.. me a innocent guy **pukes**.. can't stand myself... hehe
haha mai sian lar. I bet u went to tiang an men ktv before right
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Tiananmien = Super Expensive lei.. me -- the s11 koptiam type.... hahaha.
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Only businessmen can spend those $$$ to entertain. average Locals - don't waste $ there.. got a HK friend, booked this Made-In-China ger out... $1k a night..excluding the bills+taps inside the club.. (from your playground - Tienanmein).. siao.. max 2 tries... S-expensives....
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wow high flyer
a very career driven woman
i rikes
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Why so many sleazy news in News Discussion Lounge nowadays?
Looks like I have to post more political news.
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Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
Why so many sleazy news in News Discussion Lounge nowadays?
Looks like I have to post more political news.
Go Shake hands with the other Forumer - "F**K LKY & P*P", you two sure got lots of debate to do.... most locals are bo chap to politics lah... i don't give the damn who wins the next elections.... -
Originally posted by Just_do_it_lah:
Tiananmien = Super Expensive lei.. me -- the s11 koptiam type.... hahaha.
so u go to budget ktv like pudong lol?
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Originally posted by Just_do_it_lah:
Go Shake hands with the other Forumer - "F**K LKY & P*P", you two sure got lots of debate to do.... most locals are bo chap to politics lah... i don't give the damn who wins the next elections....Pro PAP say lah.
Don't be shy.
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Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
Pro PAP say lah.
Don't be shy.
not anymore
I am so fed up with the flooding of foreigners. ever heard of pauline hanson rant in 1997?
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...
This "news" have been around for many years now...More news concerning the public would be appreciated.
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????how does a kid give birth
to another kid???????
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Why is this in speakers corner?
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im envy of this girl lolx