KEYS TO SWINGING

There are various types of swinging and depending on where you are, there may a specific definition of it. When I was in Spain several years back, friends of ours brought us to a professional swingers club - professional because even when you are inside, you hardly have any clue that it is one.

I've been to dance clubs in Singapore where there was more flesh to see. But it was classy to say the least. The most notable distinction was that it only admitted couples. In fact there was one about 50km out of Madrid that only allowed married couples in. The first time you register, you actually have to show them your marriage certificate!

Everything was tastefully done - no nude bodies running about or moans synonymous with a late-Victorian whorehouse. Besides, everyone was well-behaved, unlike some of the Swingers' Clubs in the US, UK, Germany and the Czech Republic. But for discussion's sake, let's talk about couples and not single men or women (the swinging extras), shall we?

Wife-swapping, the origins from which the swinging culture had taken off from, is still around. In France and Spain (it was part of our European holiday then), they actually widely practice the 'car-keys in the bowl' method of pairing off individuals. But according to a French girlfriend who came to Singapore last year, it had toned down in Europe due to a series of assaults and murders that had been linked to some sickos hiring hookers as partners, and infiltrating the clubs to seek out their victims.The last I heard, two men and a woman accomplice were arrested in connection to that.

Well, that would scare me for sure. But seriously, there are risks. If it is a group that you know well, that's safer but when strangers are paired off, take heed. Fortunately, there is also the option to back out. But for me, the clubs that don't take paired couples out of the premises are my preference - meaning you just head off separately into rooms under the same roof.

My significant other was lucky enough to get the 'premio especial' deal where two women were paired off with one man. Likewise, the permutations allowed for two men to be paired with one lucky woman. Needless to say it was a Spanish vacation he still talks about fondly these days! I was not as lucky though. But the man I was with was a decent chap, pretty good-looking and quite a decent lay but greedy me, I wanted what dear old hubby was getting!

So there you have it, a very brief outline of one swinging style. Check out the other two in my next post.

Missus Singapore out!