A Visit to the Massage Parlour (2)

I had just started working at the Blue Eden Sauna in Edinburgh. There were four or five of us sitting in the lounge, which was also the reception, waiting for punters, when this old man, nearer eighty than seventy walked in, carrying a bag. We we heard him ask Magda at…

Mon Père ce héros _ A poem by Victor Hugo

I love translating French poems into English and vice versa. We learnt this poem in primary school, and the last line has stayed with me all my life.

“Donne-lui quand même à boire dit mon père.”

Birbal at the Court of Emperor Akbar

Birbal was a historical figure at the the court of Emperor Akbar. He was reputed for his wit and wisdom, and over the centuries he has been dubbed Chief Minister, Judge, Entertainer, but he probably was only a courtier in whose company the emperor delighted…

Magda

(This is erotic fiction, part of an unpublished collection of stories set in an Edinburgh massage parlour)

When I became a fully paid member of the world’s oldest profession, I was not proud of myself, feeling guilty, full of self-loathing, biting my nails, waking up in a sweat every night…

Making Friends

Return From the Rainbow Bridge

Chloe is our little white Yorkie, an 11 pounder. We’ve never had a small breed dog before. Our previous…

My Phone Got Confiscated

And here I am, writing about how not having a phone seems to have benefited me tremendously.

More Tales From The Massage Parlour

(The Single-minded working girl)

I have been working in the sauna for a few years now, and Magda often asks me to help her interviewing new applicants. With no extra benefits though.

Reality, Escape, Addiction

What Does It All Mean, Really?

A Night at the Taj Mahal Hotel

There are easier ways of getting to Jaipur from Edinburgh — probably. For a woman travelling by herself, that is. But I decided to fly to Mumbai, spend a couple of days there first. I think the programs on TV about the Taj Mahal Hotel had something to do with it. I wanted to…