Amusing story about trip to Shanghai (several years ago).

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WhiteOnInRice

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A few years back, when I was in China visiting my wife's family in Shanghai, we stayed at this decent hotel - not "downtown" but a little closer to the are where my wife's parent's condo is located.

We checked-in at the front desk, got two card-keys, and walked-over toward the elevators. You had to card-key to even use the elevator, and there was a security person before the elevators to keep people without keys from even trying to go past without somebody who did.

So, at that time, I thought maybe it was a security thing, since it's a bit upscale of hotel (by Chinese standards), but maybe 3.5-4-stars, definitely not 5-stars. All those are "downtown" where the business district is located and various ex-patriots tend to reside and/or hang-out.

We went up to the room, got settled-in and basically went to sleep (after the long 14-hour flight from Los Angeles). In the morning, my sister-in-law came-over and my wife and her went out shopping.

Not long after they left, I got a phone-call on the hotel's telephone extension in the room. It was a Chinese woman, asking in broken-Engrish if I wanted a "good massage". The call came from another room in another floor in the hotel - not an outside line!

I politely declined, and she told me that whenever I did, to call that number (extension/room-number on the Hotel PBX).

So, I was amused as hell laughing, and then thinking ... if I had been a single American guy travelling to Shanghai, i'd be like "Damn, that's convenient!". I had actually done some AMP "hobbying" before connecting with my wife. I eventually married an Asian as the only long-term treatment for Yellow Fever, and really had no need for the AMP thing any more.

What I later figured-out, was that there was both legit message available in the hotel, and there were "extras" available for, eh ... "discerning" customers let's call them. Somebody, probably that security guard at the elevators, or maybe even somebody at the front desk, would tip them off when a Westerner would check-in.

Although I checked-in with my (Chinese) wife, since she left early the next morning without me, I think that made them think maybe she was a local ****** or something like that. She's really pretty, and was especially hot back then, and looked many years younger than me. So, maybe that's part of why.

What was really amusing, is that we were there for a little under two weeks in that hotel, and they called EVERY DAY to check if I needed a massage. Even the one time the wife picked-up the phone and told them "No.", they kept calling. Presumably they really thought she was not my "wife" and some ******!

Anyway, just thought it was an amusing story to share.
 
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