A Massaaaaaaaaahhhhge

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I still remember one rainy day in 2008 when Carrie asked me if I wanted to go get my feet washed. I'd been in China for less than a month and all I could think was, "My feet aren't that dirty." It turns out that "foot wash" really means foot massage. Massage is a normal thing in China and considered to be important in keeping healthy.

When I first came to China I had never had a massage. In the US they cost so much that they're considered a luxury.

Carrie and I had gone to a traditional foot washing place just down the street from our school. A typical foot wash starts with a foot soak (hence the "wash") while the customer sits on an ottoman and gets his or her neck, shoulders, head, arms, and back gently rubbed. Then the customer pivets around into a overstuffed lounge chair, puts their feet up on the same ottoman, and receives the foot and leg massage. The whole process takes about an hour and usually the establishment provides tea and fruit.

Over the years I've gone to several massage places and always get the foot wash. It's the cheapest and usually does the trick. I have noticed, however, that like everything in China, you get what you pay for. If a place costs more, there's usually a reason. Sometimes the room is nicer or they play soft music. Sometimes the towels are fluffier. Most often, the training of the masseuse differs; the more you pay, the better the technique. I've had cheap massages that made me feel like the masseuses (mine and my friend's) were in a competition to see who was the strongest. I've had masseuses that rubbed my feet so hard I'm sure I left nail marks in the arms of the chair. Sometimes my feet would hurt the next day. But for each of those times was a time when things were good, so it always seemed worth the gamble.



I'd been wanting to get a foot massage for a while now. I haven't had one since I was in Thailand in 2011 and lately my feet have been tired. My friend, Colin, also likes getting massages (he and I used to get foot rubs when we were in Thailand last year), so we decided to go into Huadu and treat ourselves. I never knew where the foot wash places were and, until now, no one could tell me. Colin actually knew of a few that gave decent masages and, thanks to another friend that I never cared for, he knew which places gave "extra favors" so we were able to avoid those.

We walked into one place he'd been to several times and liked. The cost was 110 RMb for two hours, or about one kaui a minute. (110 RMB = about 17 USD) It was a bit more than I was used to spending (partially because I've only ever gotten hour-long massages) but Colin assured me it would be worth it. Remembering past experiences, I decided he was probably right. Besides, how could I go wrong with a two-hour massage?

We got to our private room and noticed that not only were there the overstuff lounge chairs, but there were also proper massage tables. A young man and a young woman walked in and proceeded to move the ottomans out of the way so they could bring in warm water. Most foot washers are in their 20's; I've been told that most only finished middle school, but I've never verified it. While my feet soaked, my masseuse (the man) gave me two very lovely arm, hand, and finger massages. Colin's masseuse, on the other hand, was a tiny woman and she reclined his chair and then climbed into the back of it and went to work on his shoulders and arms that way.

Then they washed and massaged our feet and legs up to the knee. Bliss followed and Colin and I actually stopped chatting.

By this time it was 55 minutes in and they excused themselves for five minutes. (After all that, they do deserve a break for a drink or to rest their hands.)

When they returned, Colin and I were directed to the massage tables. I laid on my back and my masseuse proceeded to thoroughly knead every muscle in my legs to the point that I'm sure they were goo. While he was doing this, Colin's massseuse had climbed on the table and was walking on his back! I had only ever seen that on TV, so to see it 2 meters away from me was quite a shock! Colin asked if she was holding onto bars on the walls or anything, and I replied that no, she was simply balancing and keeping her hand on the wall. My masseuse asked me if I wanted the same and I said no thanks.

After my legs were thoroughly kneaded, my masseuse gave me a head and face massage. Both of those just strip the tension away. Then I head a yell. I looked over at Colin (I had to open my eyes, I was so relaxed). His masseuse was now twisting him into positions I didn't think the human body was meant to bend. I told my masseuse that I didn't want that either; I had no desire to discover my hidden talents as an acrobat. For what it's worth, Colin said both the acrobatics and the walking on his back felt great.

I flipped over and my masseuse worked on my shoulders and arms and a bit on my back, but without the craziness and contortions. When they announced they were done, another 55 minutes later, we were both so blissfully happy we could barely get up off the tables.

We paid the man and enjoyed the rest of the fruit and tea. And we decided that these were some of the best massages either of us had ever gotten. We've decided we're coming back next month to do it again.

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Comments

[ElyseandPete]

Foot Wash
I have been going with a girlfriend every Friday night when we are in Hangzhou and def worth it after a long week of work.