Maybe!
So if there’s one thing I love, it’s a healthy therapeutic but relaxing massage. I believe that massage is a necessity for keeping healthy, especially the back.
I’ve had back problems in the past and in order to keep my back in tip top shape, especially after a 17 hour flight, I like to “indulge” and get a massage. I wish Insurance companies would see them as preventive medicine. I’m pretty sure my massage therapist has saved me days if not weeks of pain.
Of course this wouldn’t be a typical WOMENT blog if I didn’t have a funny story or two to tell.
I always lock my stress somewhere in my upper back underneath my collar bone, you know the spot. I can’t reach it myself, I’ve tried. I tried using a door frame to massage it myself, but it really doesn’t work and well, you can just picture that scene. I’ve been contemplating the Theragun, I tried one in the entrance to a sporting goods store in the East Village (NYC), the whole Big Apple just faded away, excuse me while I take 5 WOMENTS.
My massage therapist is the best, but when I’m travelling, it’s the luck of the draw. Each country is totally different, types of massage, bone structure of peoples hands (this varies from country to country and makes a difference).
On one particular trip to Hong Kong, my co worker and I after a long day of meetings and dinner, decided to walk around the city for a bit. I love Hong Kong, it’s probably my most favorite city in Asia (that I’ve visited so far). You will never forget the view of the harbor, breathtaking. Anyway, we were walking around and probably noticed in previous trips, but for some reason this night we were feeling adventurous, “Foot Massage”, places everywhere and inexpensive. Hong Kong is a bustling city, so there were people on the street holding sandwich boards with spa menus. I would never do this alone but there were two of us, so we decided foot massage was going to be it
HAPPY FEET! Yes, that was the name of the fine establishment we chose. What could go wrong at a Happy Feet. We were brought upstairs into this building and into the Happy Feet location. Comfy chairs were lined up, the lighting was dim, but relaxing. Now, I have ticklish feet, so I’m not 100% on board with this, but I’m always willing to try something once. Not bad for $10-15. Feet Up!
The woman massaging my feet had hands of steel. She wrapped her fingers around and dug into my feet so hard I almost jumped, scratch that I did jump out of my seat. It was the most painful 30 minutes, 1 hour, I don’t even remember, that I’ve had in my life. She dug into every pressure point on the bottom of my feet, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to walk. Just so you know, I tried to tell her to do it lighter, she laughed and did it harder. Quite frankly I chalk it up to Lost in Translation or it’s a combination game of “who can make the tourist squeal”
Note to self – I won’t be doing this again.
One year later, guess where I was, yup trying a foot massage at another establishment. Not sure if I was a glutton for punishment or just crazy, but at least this time we had a recommendation. The foot massage this time was more tolerable, so the next night our friend suggested we get massages. Again, for a 1/4 of what the price is at home, sure why not.
When we got to the spa the woman tells us she has 2 rooms only. But, one of the rooms they could put a curtain divider. Well since we were 2 females and 1 male we knew how this was going to be split. So Cindy and I headed for the one room with the curtain spearator and our friend headed for his own private room.
Everything was fine, we really had the same privacy as if we each had our own rooms UNTIL…..the massages began. These were the same woman who were at the original foot massage spa. They had hands of steel and once again they could not understand what I was trying to tell them. Of course I didn’t want to disturb Cindy’s massage but after gritting my teeth for what seemed like hours I just couldn’t handle the pain anymore. I finally started over and over again trying to explain to press lighter. I finally had to put my hands on my back blocking the massage therapists steely grip.
You know when you are so stressed you just start laughing uncontrollably…that happened. Both Cindy and I with the curtain separating us began laughing. I had no idea but she was having the same problem. Sheer pain. This was not a relaxing WOMENT. I told Cindy I couldn’t do it anymore and asked the woman to stop.
I have vowed never again. In the city I love, I won’t be having any more spas. I will wait until I get back to Albany, NY and the best massage therapist I know!
