As a stripper, Cheryl (not her real name) has received her share of unusual requests, some of which border on the obscene.
But there was one request that she did not expect: Take it off, said a client, for my son.
The call came from a Singaporean mum who wanted her to perform one of her titillating shows at her son's 21st birthday party.
Says Cheryl, a part-time escort for about two years who also performs private striptease acts: "I was surprised. "I didn't know Singaporean parents were so open-minded!" The request was made a few months ago.
Cheryl, a shapely, fair-complexioned woman in her mid-20s, accepted the job and performed her act at a private club in front of a group of about 10 people.
She says: "The boy was very excited when he found out what his mother had planned for him.
"But the mother was not present at the party." Cheryl gave the young man a lap dance, and stripped down to her sexy lingerie at the small party, which took place in a private members club here.
Fellow party goers were hooting and cheering them on when she was performing for the birthday boy, she says.
"And he was excited, and very... pleased indeed," she reveals with a coy purr.
It cost his mother $1,000 for the hour that she was there.
Cheryl works for Urs Truly Escorts. The company's manager, who wanted to be known as Crystal, confirmed the booking and claims that, in the past year, more parents are booking her girls to perform at their children's coming-of-age parties.
"Now, I can receive up to two of such requests from parents every four months or so," says Crystal.
She adds: "It costs $500 an hour to engage any one of my girls for her company alone.
"But an hour-long strip show costs $1,000 and the girl will strip down to her lingerie."
International news agency AFP also reported on the surprising trend in Singapore last week.
It noted that "in a country where public nudity is outlawed - even Playboy can't be sold - strippers say demand for their services is getting stronger despite deep-seated conservatism and the danger of being caught."
Quoting Mr Bryan Tan, 31, head of 2niteok Entertainment, the report noted that he had started the company in response to growing demand. His firm's rates start from $300 for a 20-minute show by a male stripper.
Prices start from $400 for the "Full Monty" - so called after the 1997 UK hit movie which centred around a few blokes turning to stripping to make ends meet. Extra charges apply for special requests like for a stripper to dress up as a policeman or a doctor, the report said.
The New Paper on Sunday checked with 20 other escort agencies and almost all were tight-lipped about their clients. But there was another shocker: An instance of children hiring strippers for their parents.
A part-time male stripper,who wanted to be known only as Joseph, says he was recently booked by the children of a middle-aged Singaporean woman as a birthday surprise.
He recalls stripping down to his underwear at the birthday party before an appreciative crowd that cheerfully egged him on.
"The birthday girl was very shy but I think she definitely enjoyed the show," says Joseph, a veteran of male beauty contests.
There were 10 to 15 people at the party, held at a condominium in an upscale part of Singapore. He recalls that the party consisted of a mixed crowd of men and women, ranging in age from 20 to 50 years old.
During the 30-minute performance, for which he was paid $300, they were screaming and cheering, while the birthday girl sat and "received" his attention with a bright blush on her cheeks.
According to AFP, typically strippers here are white-collar workers by day.And this is the case with Joseph.
On weekdays, the tall, hunky 30-year-old comes across as just another office worker. But come Friday night, Joseph ditches his business wear to slip into something less conservative - a pair of thongs.
Joseph earns about $4,000 every month from his day job in an office. But by stripping, he can earn up to $500 per show.
"I have always been quite an exhibitionist and stripping is easy money for me.
"I will strip down to my thongs for $300 and, for $500, I will whip it offand give the ladies the Full Monty."
Joseph, a graduate from a local university, has been stripping for about four years.
Business, he says, is brisk. "I have been getting a lot more engagements in the past year - especially for hen nights. "So far, I have been booked every Friday and Saturday night by girls who are out looking for a fun time."
Mr Kurt Tay, who owns 4ever Escort, says it is common for escorts to be engaged to perform strip shows.
He says: "The arrangement is strictly between the client and the escort and anybody can make the booking.
"Whether the booking is made by a father for his son or by a daughter for her father - that is not my concern.
"Like myself, I believe most other agencies also do not keep track of such things."
For each girl, Mr Tay charges his clients between $200 and $1,000 an hour.
He also points out that his girls can appear in any degree of nudity when they perform strip shows.
"This depends on how much the client is willing to pay," says Mr Tay matter-of-factly.
Jarrod (not his real name)is fully aware of this arrangement. The engineer hired a stripper for his best friend's stag night two years ago.
The woman he engaged initially said she would keep her lingerie on at the end of her performance.
But she decided to take everything off after Jarrod and his friends gave her a fat tip.
Public nudity is an offence in Singapore. Under the penal code, "any person who appears nude in a public place" or in "a private place and is exposed to public view" can be jailed for up to three months and fined a maximum of $2,000.
But lawyer Gloria James-Civetta says that strippers can appear in the nude in a private place or private event - as long as they do not offend the public at large.
