newatthis

Hardly minimal over the past 22 years...though I will readily admit that the scenarios I described are much less common nowadays

I was there a couple of days ago. Even with timed entry, it was uncomfortably crowded. One of the glories of the "old" Frick was how you could have a whole room almost to yourself with unhurried time to linger. I'm hopeful that things will get better once the novelty of the re-opening has passed. Still one of my favorite museums, right up there with the Norton Simon in Pasadena.

Arm over your shoulder? What about those who start massaging your shoulders? Or even better, the ones who sidle up to you at the bar, strike up conversation, and begin tweaking your nipples or groping you? (In my experience, the latter fall into 2 groups: the ones trying to con you into lap dances who deliver practically nothing once you agree; and the ones -- often the younger twinkier types -- who enjoy flirting and foreplay. The latter are almost always good value in the booths.)

I've been the client in this situation once or twice. And one time I actually went home without paying (the bliss😁!) without the escort's saying a word. When I called a few hours later to apologize profusely and make arrangements to pay, he laughed off my apologies...he said he knew I would eventually figure it out. Talk about trust!

This is pretty much what I do as well. The key is "regular poster" -- I don't share with random folks who reach out to me. I'm happy to do this because I've benefitted many times from replies to my own queries here.

There *are* high schools that offer Chinese as a language option...I've met a few college students over the years who entered with 4 or more years of hs Chinese.

Has Campus gotten more lively in the afternoons? Used to be my go-to afternoon place, but for the past several years it's been dead at that time...essentially no dancers.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book -- in fact, read it straight through in one sitting. But to my mind, it didn't measure up to The Swimming Pool Library or The Line of Beauty. In particular, the scenes in which he meets/has sex with his various lovers seem all based on the same template.

Doesn't have to be...there are spectacular total eclipses upcoming in Egypt (2027) and Australia (2028). Happy New Year!

I'm curious: what do these beach massages consist of?

I've seen them out in the neighborhoods as well.

My experience has been the same as @Vegas_Millennial's. Maybe @Danny-Darko's differs because he picks them up from the club and they are all sweaty from dancing? (Although I've certainly done lots of club hires over the years and have not found showering to be a frequent request or necessity. And on the few occasions where showering happens, I've never felt anyone was trying to shorten our interaction time. Maybe that's because the guys I hire from the clubs are the ones I've established a good rapport with. We feel comfortable with each other and showering, amount of time spent, et. al. happen without the need for much discussion.)

Why a masseur and not an escort?

That's a response I sometimes used until the night a dancer replied "I'm not looking for a date, just a private dance."

You might do well on Maui. I was a regular visitor there for about 6 years and I found essentially nothing in terms of escorts or erotic massage.