[Rick Lee]

Oh, the hotels give the hookers the room numbers of single western men staying there. It's a whole system with commissions and kickbacks. Of course, the hotels prefer you use their whores. I love reading the rules on the welcome card about how prostitution and "whoring" are strictly forbidden in the hotel.....unless you use their own. Sort of like bringing outside food into a movie theater. Shanghai will certainly be more expensive than the rest of the country. Another way to go is with the karaoke bar. Part of your room rental includes a girl for each man to help light his cigarettes, pour tea and work the karaoke machine. You can take them home with you for not too much. They're young and usually from the countryside, so not a word of English, but also not as snooty as the city folk.