I hadn't planned on going yesterday but somehow it just fell into place and before I knew it, I was sheepishly walking around a bath house...(insert whisper voice here)...naked...and what an experience it was! I was the only foreigner there at the time and it seemed to be just as exciting for others as it was for me. I am grateful that the staff took such great care of me. The language is still a barrier and had they not come to my rescue, I may still be wandering around the spa aimlessly...naked...just trying to figure things out.
First stop was the shower, which felt more like a stage because all eyes were on me...or so I thought lol. Everyone knew I was a newbie because I was wide-eyed and trying to cover all the goods with a tiny face cloth and my hands. I awkwardly dropped the cloth on my way to the shower...and on the floor it stayed!
Next stop, SCRUBBING. Four tables were lined up next to each other, and four old ladies were running the show...in their bra and panties. My lady welcomed me with a huge grin and two loud thunderous slaps on the table. Gulp. As I laid down on the table, the women on the other three tables decided viewing my scrub down would be more entertaining than enjoying their own...and they were right!
The scrub down began...and I jiggled and giggled like a little school girl and couldn't stop. Laughter IS contagious, even awkward laughter because before I knew it, everyone was laughing while this woman scrubbed the dead skin off every inch of my body. As I was being scrubbed, the scrubber lady was asking me questions...in Chinese of course, and I did my best to answer in what little Chinese I know...
Lady: Where are you from?
Me: Canada (giggle, jiggle, giggle).
Lady: How old are you? In your 20's?
Me: No (jiggle).
Lady: are you 30?
Me: Yes (giggle, giggle, hee, hee).
Lady: Do you have a husband?
Me: No (jiggle, jiggle, giggle).
I flipped from tummy to back, from side to side, scrubber lady maneuvering body parts to ensure she had scrubbed everything to perfection. I was jiggling so much that motion sickness set in. Every now and again she would show me all the dead skin she had scrubbed and I would nod with approval...peeking at the women on the other tables to ensure they had just as much dead skin as I had...
Finally, I made my way to the steam room and just relaxed with a nice warm glass of water...feeling as smooth as a baby's bottom :D I had survived it! I did it!
I was greeted out of the steam room with a gigantic towel and fresh fruit. Phew! I could finally exhale. As I sat down, finally covered up, I couldn't help but feel proud of myself. Sitting silently while a lovely lady blow dried my hair I thought, "It wasn't so bad...Everyone was just as naked as I was...I had stared just as much as everyone else had...It was no big deal..."
Besides, the cute little jammies they give you to wear after make it all worth while...
I felt sparkly!! :D
Thanks for reading :)
