Fiction

It seemed that way to me, also...and yes, author said in her blog that much of the customer base were hostesses, as you said. She also said that many of these hosts were from poor areas and couldn't possibly make this sort of money otherwise. Indeed, there reportedly is excess drinking at enormous cost. Seems the workers drink it up as soon as they make it and, indeed, their pay is based on how much everyone pays to drink!

I think the cosmetics amazed me as well. In Patrick's blog, she even shows ads for the glue these workers use on their eyelids, to create the fold, which they consider the height of beauty.