I Love Asian Massage !! I went to the foot spa in Albuquerque whenever I had the chance.

[alittlelark]

When I lived in Silicon Valley I went every 5-10 days. I live kinda in the middle of a beautiful nowhere now.

Covid has changed things -no massages of any type in 1+ years

That said...... Of my 200+ massages I will say I LOVED all but 3-4.

Massage Scenario - Brought past the curtain to a table - remove shoes, socks and outerwear, roll your pants up past the knee. Lie back in a cushy chair. A large basin of water is brought to soak my feet in....Feels INCREDIBLE...seriously. While my feet are soaking the provider does a facial massage - ALWAYS different with different people. Some better than others. They then massage your arms and neck. Sometimes it is stellar sometimes it's just OK - I always appreciate it, even if it is (in my opinion) substandard.

Most - but not all - of the workers in these establishments are recent LEGAL immigrants, or in a family with recent immigration history. Few were under 45.

The Massage progresses - Your feet are taken out of the water and wrapped in towels. The water is dumped. The provider returns and applies oils to your feet and calves one foot at a time.

Here is where each person shows their individuality most. Do they know accupressure points? Some just randomly rub the feet and seem put out. I have had 3-4 of them over 8+ years. Most, almost ALL are giving an intuitive massage - the BEST kind. If I fall asleep during the massage they get an automatic $20+ tip on top of the $20 I always leave under the headrest

The Massage is over, I have to roll my pants back down and go back to the 'real world'.

I SOOOO wish I could go back to my massage place at San Mateo and the freeway - but I am 56 and am in the ;donut hole' for health care and vaccinations.

These women - and a few men - provide AMAZING services for low $$$ I always make sure to put extra tips in inconspicuous places. Covdi has turned our worlds upside down - I just wish ALL of those that provide services well !!


I know many of them are being USED - I do understand that. It soooooo sucks that 'they' found a way to abuse women in their 50's +

I Wish I Had a Magic Wand

[demtenjeep]

1. I haven't had a Mani-Pedi in over a year

but can't wait to get one soon

[alittlelark]

2. I just had to do emergency surgery on my R Tonail -

so, yeah, I 'get it'

[regnaD kciN]

3. That's an important point...

Up here, "Asian Massage Parlor" has become a virtual synonym for "brothel" (mainly thanks to a bunch of highly-publicized raids on a few establishments), but that doesn't mean questionable behavior occurs at all such places. Thanks for pointing out that, at some of them, a "massage" means...just a massage.

[alittlelark]

6. Sad - cuz likely most employees are 40 or so w/kids

[Marcuse]

14. I feel naive. Like when I found out Miss Kitty on "Gunsmoke" sold more than whiskey.

[nolabear]

4. I miss my mani-pedi place. They were great.

So many lovely self care things have been lost.

I do wonder how the legit places have survived this past year.

[Mr.Bill]

5. I have had one massage in my life.

My wife went to a mandatory business conference for work, and it was a bring your spouse weekend. It was at a high end spa in Sonoma in California wine country. It was all expenses paid, other wise we wouldn't have gone. Rooms there were $450 a night. The weekend included a spa treatment, so I got a massage that would have cost $180. I admit it was very nice and I felt very good for a few hours afterward. All things considered, I would have much rather done $180 worth of drinking, spread out over a few days, of course.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

7. I've never tried foot massages or pedicures, but...

Last edited Sat Mar 20, 2021, 04:29 PM - Edit history (4)

... maybe someday.

I'm never taking my feet for granted anymore! I FINALLY lost a painful corn on my foot after diligently working on it every day for over a month -- e.g., 30-minute soaks in hot Epsom salt / soap baths, followed by grating and rubbing with a pumice stone. Then applying a skin softener with urea in it.

I got it from initially wearing steel-toed boots on a job in which I was walking 8 to 10 miles per shift, collecting samples from all over a large factory for QC checks. A later switch to deeply-cushioned walking shoes made it a little less painful, but it never went away.

Then I left that job and assumed it would go away eventually, on its own, but nope! It was obviously going to be self-perpetuating forever, from just the periodic pressure of walking on it, without me taking action!

Edit: I must have explained to particular production workers (who usually sat down most of the shift) hundreds of times each why I looked irritable sometimes. "My foot hurts! Bad! Stop worrying, the QC checks were all good."
Then I'd "drop the act" and limp around my home, after trying to avoid limping on the job. Limping on the job would've put me behind on the checks anyway. Had to always speed-walk just to keep up.

[Harker]

8. I hope you get your wand.

I'm sure you would do many good things with it.

[alittlelark]

9. Thank You !!!

Wish it as u sleep tonite,

[hunter]

10. I'm an autistic spectrum freak. I hate it when strangers touch me.

In my six decades plus on this earth I can count on my fingers and toes the number of times I've paid for it.

One of those was a colonoscopy.

[Piasladic]

15. not on the spectrum, but I am with you!

I am way too shy to have an unknown person - male or female - handle me.

I bet it would feel nice, but there is no way I am getting near a stranger unless it's absolutely needed - doctors, ophthalmologists, dentists, etc. I need to put up with those.

Hairdressers, cab drivers, or masseuses... nope.

[IronLionZion]

11. I know several women who go for Asian massage regularly and swear by it

I highly doubt they are getting any sexual services from it.

After this pandemic, I might have to check it out. I very rarely go for massage of any kind. The people who do seem to love it.

[Rustyeye77]

12. These woman are used as slaves basically.

Supply and demand.

[Hekate]

13. Sigh. There was an excellent school of massage 10 miles away from where I used to live...

Every single time I went it was bliss, with only two surprises: one was a gal who seemed to be practically reading off a chart, as there was no “flow” so I figured she was just inexperienced; the other was so damn good I was ready to follow her anywhere and pay whatever, but she said she was in fact a pro who worked with athletes and was just renewing her state license after living elsewhere for awhile.

It’s now been about 4 years, and reading this thread makes me realize how much I miss the self-care.