20. Chinese Massage.

Brilliant City

I live in a complex referred to as the Brilliant City. London has towns within the city, but it seems here in Shanghai the buildings are so big, that a town would not sound right, so you have cities within the mega city. I went on an exploration of my local surroundings today, mainly as I am still dumbfounded that a city so brilliant does not have a bar or some kind of drinking establishment.

To be honest I wasn't really in need of a drink, I'd had plenty of those last night! It was more for the future. Alas despite going to a different part of the complex,  I found nothing. I did find a good restaurant though.

One indicator of a more expensive restaurant I find is if the menu has pictures, so us Westerners can point away like children. I like looking at the pictures but it makes the decision a whole lot harder, because you wonder 'Does that look like chicken?'.

After this meal where I had these kind of  hash browns which had meat in. I went to explore a bit more, and found myself walking into a Spa.

The receptionist spoke a bit of English, which helps on a hangover, and pointed to the prices which to my pleasant surprise were very reasonable. They ranged from about £6 to £10. The place was really nice inside so I  jumped at this opportunity.

There were advertised most of the options you'd find back home, apart from a belly massage and an ear cleaning service.  I went for the one which advertised the shortest time, as I didn't have much of it, it had the proud title 'Chinese Full Body Massage'.

Don't back down

It was odd I suppose that a foot massage lasted 90 minutes and a full body Chinese one only took 40 minutes. 

But my god I felt every one of those 40 minutes. 

Shown to my room. Kind of a room similar to a hotel.  The masseur was waiting for me in the room.

He was a guy. The first thing you really notice. Tinge of disappointment.

I've had a mixed massage history in the past. My first was in Chang Mai in Thailand, a woman who worked wonders. I've never heard my back click like it did. My second in Indonesia, a truly relaxing experience. My last one was in Budapest, where I was told to strip naked by a big man. I felt like a spring chicken and had to stop the massage half way through. 

So I was I suppose relieved to not have to strip off again. In fact, but for my hoodie, I kept all my clothes on including my socks.

Now for the massage enthusiasts, you may say this isn't a true experience if you are fully clothed. But I tell you this I could have felt this guys hands even if I was wearing a Sumo wrestling suit. 

Excuse the sexual innuendos. But I didn't know if he was using equipment or not but the force at which he exerted himself it was like he had a metal roller or something. 

His technique it seemed was to press the weak spots of the body and just carry on pressing. He had a roll motion which he used a lot. A deep knuckle exertion he used on the spine. A pincer like grip he had on my sides. This was whilst he was also shaking my body. Some of my loudest clicks came from when he pulled my arm and fingers, pushed my neck to one side and then bending my leg right back so the top of my foot clicked big time. 

There were few moments where I felt truly relaxed and wasn't gritting my teeth. It wasn't the experience I had imagined when first walking into the building which had such a tranquil atmosphere. 

What I got from it, was that the massage which is the national massage I suppose portrays a characteristic of the Chinese people. 

They'll push themselves for the greater good (as I do feel a lot more flexible now).

 It was also a case of Not Backing Down. The Chinese are fiercely protective of their FACE and I felt just like I did last night when asked to do a down off against a Chinese stranger that I wasn't going to back down. I might be in the single most physical pain I've been in this year but I am not going to say Stop or anything.

With those prices though, I think I'll definitely be going back.