South African-born film producer and photographer Tobie Openshaw's fascinating "Betelnut Beauties" project explores the curious (and curiously sexy) world of Taiwan's betelnut girls (Bin Lang Xi Hsi), paid models who fall somewhere between race queens and pink box workers in the list of reasons why life in parts of Asia is so much more interesting than it is in the West: "They sit in brightly-decorated glass booths wearing skimpy outfits, and sell cigarettes, drinks and betelnut to passing drivers. It's a controversial trade but not actually illegal. The question of whether the girls are exploited is open to debate—certainly their own perception is mostly that they are doing a job like any other, and the less they choose to wear, the more they sell."

· "Betelnut Beauties" (Flickr, via ponyxpress.wordpress.com)
· See also: Betel nut beauty (Wikipedia)

Previously: "Pink Box: Inside Japan's Sex Clubs", Japanese Fetish Club Tour, Asian Sirens, Race Queens