Oh my aching back...

Normally I wouldn’t post 2 blogs so close to each other, but I have to write about this before I forget.  Yesterday was a pretty good day.  I started by going to yoga and then one of the girls invited me over for lunch.  She said she would drive me to her apartment on her E-bike (Electric bike, and please note, you do not need a license to drive one).  This will be the first time I have ever been on one.  After class we walked to where all the E-bikes were parked.  There are all different sizes and I was hoping hers was a little bigger, since, I’m a little bigger.  Nope, she has the Charlie Brown of E-bikes.  It was small and looked like it was going to fall apart.  As we began to ride she was a little wobbly, like it was the first time she had ever ridden it.  Obviously it was the first time she ever rode it with someone of my size on the back.  I asked her if she was ok, and offered to pay for a taxi, but nope, she wanted to drive me the 20 minutes to her place in China traffic.  Luckily, we made it in one piece, but I have to admit I was scared the whole time.

After lunch, which was very good, I took a taxi home.  I decided today would be a good day to get a massage.  I hadn’t got one in China yet and felt like after yoga and the stressful ride, it would be the best thing to relax me.  I was still a little gross from yoga, so I took a shower first.  When I arrived at the Spa, they were very excited to have a foreigner there, almost a little too excited.  The girl brought me to the back and told me to take a shower.  I tried to explain that I just took one, and showed her my hair was still wet, but she wasn’t having it, so I just took another shower.  After that they brought me to another room where a girl began blow drying my hair.  I thought it was so weird.  As she is drying my hair a few of the other girls come in to basically just watch.  Then the questions began.  What do you do, where are you from, are you married, how old are you.  Do they not realize a massage is supposed to be a relaxing experience??

Next they all take me to the massaging room.  Yes, it took all 3 of them,  and one of them was always holding my hand.  Now I’m ready for my massage.  I lie on the table and await my relaxing rubdown.  Just then someone else comes in, and says “I’m just coming to the spa too, they wanted me to make sure you are alright?”  They actually asked a customer to come talk to me while I’m naked and face down on the table.  “Yes, I’m fine, thank you.”.  Oh god.  The first part of the massage was really good.  It actually hurt because it was so deep, but it was exactly what I needed.

After about 30 minutes, they gave me a little break.  The masseuse when to get some tools of torture, while another girl decided she wanted to come in and have a little chat.  (Yes, I’m still face down and naked).  She must have thought I didn’t understand English either because she spoke really loudly, the way some people do when they think you can’t understand them.                “DO YOU LIKE THE WEATHER??” “YOUR NAILS ARE BEAUTIFUL” “YOU ARE A TEACHER??”.  I actually kept laughing and hoped she couldn’t tell, but it was all I could really do.  It was so awkward and funny at the same time.

Finally, the other girl came back.  And when I say “tools of torture”, I’m not kidding.  I can take a good amount of pain, but this was ridiculous.  She was scraping my back with something for like 5 minutes and it killed.  If I spoke the language I would have probably asked her to stop, but I figured it would be over soon.

So, the massage is over.  I go downstairs to pay and the girl in charge told me to come back another time for a facial.  It’s only $15, so I said I would.  She also asked me for my number and then told me we were friends.

I went home after and discovered something.

This is me after being scraped by my massage!

 

 

I think I'm going to pass on that facial!!!