Karaoke and me

This is *Sarah's Story

The hard liquor streams through them both, her arms are like jelly. He holds her down, her back against the cold leather sofa, his warm breath on her flushed cheeks, she feigns a light giggle and returns his kisses. His hands creep beneath her little, black dress as he presses his drunken body weight on her. A faint laughter enters the room; it’s her boss, drink in hand, the night is going well, his customers are happy. But Sarah isn’t; so embarrassed by having an audience; she escapes the grips of the well-dressed Chinese man and seeks refuge in the dimly lit lavatory. Unknowingly, his footsteps have traced hers and soon there he is, in front of her, unzipped and exposing his most private parts to her.

Sarah was fed-up; fed-up of being broke and of not being able to hold a steady job while trying to stay in school. She was tired of turning to friends for help or government funding, so she decided to be a karaoke girl at “Chicago.” She confesses it was pride that lead to her decision and the money sounded good too. In the summer, girls can make up to $600 /week working part-time. But no karaoke customers means $5/hr pay. About 25 girls work at this lounge; most of them are just over 19 years of age and from Japan without work permits or are international students.

Their job?

“It was like a house party where teenage boys try to see what they can get away with. Your job was to make them have a good time, entice them to drink so the establishment makes more money, and you make more money,” said Sarah.

However, sometimes, the customers, who were not teenage boys at all but middle-aged sometimes married men, would feel entitled to grope and fondle the karaoke girls. The girls, who are expected to drink as much as possible with the men, are sometimes too drunk to resist their progressions or too afraid to loose the men as their customers. If you piss them off they might not choose you from the line-up next time.

“Despite it being very shady, it felt sort of safe, not completely safe but I felt that he wasn’t lying about prostitution because he said that he actually had kicked people out for expecting that,” Sarah said about the job interview she had had with owner.

In a brief interview the owner he denies even having karaoke girls working at his lounge.

“My opinion about women working in places like that is that it is really up to the women. Just as long as they are not forced, then they can do what they seem fit at the moment. I've learned from my experiences, that people in the end will do what they think they should do,” said a fellow church goer and long time friend at Sarah’s church.

In Canada places like this are illegal and one would wonder why a young lady who is a Canadian born would choose to work in a place that she could be arrested for working in and fined up to two years in prison. Her friends, the few she’s chosen to tell, were all surprised of her job at “Chicago.”

“She did have choices. I think she could have went about it differently,” said a close friend of Sarah.

“I do now know of what she did in her past but I don’t view her differently since she has told me about this,” said Sarah’s current boyfriend.

At “Chicago” although Sarah never engaged in prostitution herself inside or outside of the lounge she says, “I am not sure if this (the bar) was just a passive excuse for selling sex outside of the bar…because if they (the karaoke girls) were being honest they might get fired for taking business away from the bar” said Sarah.

In Toronto, rub and tug massage parlours are popular in the local news, originating from similar places in China and Korea but whether “Chicago” is a place like this has yet to be confirmed.

The night that Sarah was approached by a drunken customer in the ladies washroom with his pants dropped, was when she felt it was time to leave “Chicago.”

Thankfully she was not raped; embarrassed that he had taken it too far with “Sarah” they both ignored what had happened that night and went back to the karaoke room.
That was almost a year ago and today Sarah lives on a meagre government funding whilst continuing to pursue her degree in psychology.

*All real names in this story have been changed .

Fashion Trends Spring/Summer 2010- for the ladies

www.fashionmagazine.com

It’s time to put away the bulky winter knits and slip into something soft and feminine; this season designers have stacked the racks with everything to make the modern women feel strong but soft to the touch; dresses, shorts, soft fabrics, tribal/floral prints, pastels and punches of colour that puts everything else in soft focus.

Some trends have survived for another year-the military trend-others have been revived- the jean look- and as for shoes, an eclectic mix that sounds like a culinary disaster – metallics and wedges.

Those fortunate enough to get the fashionista’s preview last season at LG Fashion Week Spring/Summer are sure to be well prepared for this season, whether it be for the 70’s retro look, 20’s inspired details or minimalist glam.

“I loved Katrina Tuttle and Coccolily, it was so feminine, edgy and not too provocative" said Cindyrella Miranda, a backstage volunteer at last season’s Fashion Week, Toronto.

The usual international forerunners have inspired these trends, Lanvin, Chanel and Chloe but “I do find the local designers show a more marketable version of what would go down a runway in Paris. This is not a bad thing sometime(s) but it makes Canadian designers look like they are not as creative with their designs; which is unfortunate because we have a lot of great talent,” said 4th year Seneca, fashion student Danielle Mcallister.

However, just because it’s there, doesn’t mean we want it to wear.

“I think that a softer play on the military wear would be a revival of cargo pants... drawstrings at the bottom made with a softer fabric ...the soft fabric would make it look compatible with the sweat pant look that is in... and could likewise be worn with a heel and a funky shirt,” said fashionista Lisa Banks.

So for those of us who would rather slip into a pair of boyfriend jeans and heels, masculine elements in feminine style are still here. Blazers and leggings, short suits and of course padded shoulders, paired with chunky jewels, are all very tomboy chic.

It may be difficult to predict the weather and thus your duds for the day, but with just a few staple pieces should keep you in the fashionable clear. Here is a list of 10 key investment pieces for this season and where to go to get them:

*Denim- LOVAS Wesley Badanjak
*Black Blazer(fierce shoulders optional)-Aritzia
*Statement necklace- Lucian Matis
*Floral- Joe Fresh
*Pastel– great finds at Urban Outfitters
*Boyfriend jeans- H&M
*Tribal wear –Dare to Wear Love, produced by Hoax Couture, finale show last season with top celebs in tribal wear. Designs by LIDA BADAY and PRICE ROMAN
*Wedged heels- Aldo
*Comfy jumpsuit – Jessica biffi
*Underwear as outerwear -NADA
*Neutral glam- Aime




Go to Fashion Television for all the shows and latest trends.

RSU Elections

No rallying for students with disabilities at Ryerson Student Union and executives elections

Donna Ryder at RSU elections
(Ryerson University/Tashika Gomes)

Tonight, Ryerson Student Union directors, presidents and committee members gave up their seats as new representatives were elected. However, the only person rallying for better services and representation for students with disabilities was Donna Ryder, who sat in a wheelchair.

“There are students with disabilities who are paying RSU fees who are not getting services that are fair. We’re being discriminated against constantly, we’re being oppressed constantly,” said Ryder who is running for course union director .

The prospective electives were asked to give a 2 minute speech indicating their platform and ways they plan to improve student life before the voting process took place. However, there was no mentioned of improving conditions for students with disabilities. Various topics were repeated by canidates, such as, bringing the various student groups together for joined events and
making media equipment and room-bookings more accessible.


Events displayed at RSU elections
(Ryerson University/Tashika Gomes)

Ryder also claims that the annual Ryerson Parade and Picnic does not provide an accessible float for students with disabilities, but instead they are told to use the disability bus. She also mentioned that for this year’s student protest Drop Fees Campaign, although there was a disability bus, it was blocked with a sign.

“Are they ashamed of us?” asked Ryder.

“I would have preferred as the course union director, if she had come to me. That’s what I was there for; for students to actually voice their opinion to me. Students who came to me about their event problems or their grants or room booking, I actually came and helped them but this is the first time I’m actually hearing about it (students with disabilities feeling as though they are not well-represented by the RSU)….,” said last year’s Course Union Director David Hoang.

He also said, given the opportunity he would have had a survey to evaluate what students were interested in pursuing and would meet other groups to discuss this issue.

"I never heard this concern from any executives… now hearing from you, I wouldn’t say that’s it’s a shock, but I’d be willing to do something, if first I’d heard about it,” said Hoang who represents more than 40 course unions.

Ryerson's course union president for social work refused to comment on the issue.


Students at RSU elections
(Ryerson University/Tashika Gomes)