Lina in China

In the evening after eating interesting Sichuan food (made me cry) we decided (they decided and I accepted whatever the plan is) to take a walk and then go to disco. In the Centre of Mianyang there is a large place with a small temple or large shrine (not sure some said it was a temple, some said it was not).

On the place a western standard rhythms were played and the Chinese, mostly senior citizens, some younger and some children danced a mixture of western standard and Chinese Folk-dances.

There were several women, each owning a Hocker offering massage for 6 Yuan (60 eurocents!!). The massage takes about half an hour. Now you can guess what they are earning.

I was invited by my laughing Chinese friends for such a massage. As all Chinese massages it was quite tough – almost brutal. Chinese massage takes you to the border. The massage goes on until you think you can take it no more and usually the masseur is skilful enough to stop in just that moment. If not better stop them.

Wellness in China is not comparable to wellness in Germany. Chinese wellness is massage and massage is brutal.

She started by massaging my head and face. She was very gentle with my eyes but the rest was tough! She banged my head in massaging until I wondered weather this will improve my ability to think or the opposite.

She massaged my back, my arms, my hands and fingers. She was pulling and twisting each finger until they cracked. The Chinese woman pulled and twisted my arms, massaged my shoulders until I had to shout. Chinese Wellness… She banged on my back until I almost tipped over. She massaged my legs, my feet.

All the while a Chinese Group of spectators (mostly farmers visiting Mianyang Centre) gathered watching me watching them. Of course they are used to seeing Chinese Massage. But they are not used to seeing it performed on a western girl. Yes they had never seen a western woman (or man) before I was told.

The Chinese Wellness feeling of my massage was a little spoiled by the fact that I began to feel like a zoo animal as more and more people gathered to watch me. My Chinese friends all the while almost laughed tears and took pictures. Luckily the Chinese Sichuan Farmers owned neither cameras nor cell phones with camera and so they took no pictures…

In the end I was happy when the public wellness massage was over…

Wellness in China: Foot Massage

One of the best things about being in china is the foot massage I believe. It is – compared to western standards – not to expensive.

When entering the building the first thing you do is taking your shoes of. This is about the same as in any Chinese home. The Chinese are very strict about taking ones shoes off, be it at home or in Wellness areas.

Then we went upstairs in a room containing three very comfortable chairs and a TV. The Chinese idea of high class comfort and wellness is just not the same like mine.

My Chinese teacher Lideng told me, he ordered a beautiful young man for me and a not so beautiful young woman for himself (as he is freshly married). Well seems like he did not order in Chinese what he told me in German ;-).

Chinese Foot Bath with traditional Herbs

Then they brought us a large wooden water bucket, made watertight by plastic. In the water were Chinese herbs. I was told that depending on the choice of herbs used the price for the massage can range from 80 RMB (8€) to 160 RMB. The herbs are Chinese medicine, my Chinese teacher told me.

After a while the herbal foot bath was taken away and the wellness in form of massage could begin. The foot massage began at… if you expected me to say “foot” I must disappoint you. The Chinese foot massage started with our shoulders. Then my masseur slowly worked himself down to my hands. The Chinese foot massage on my hand was far from gentle. My teacher told me if it hurts more then a little I should say stop… Every single finger of my hand was pulled.

Chinese Massage finally reaches my feet: I am ticklish

Then the Chinese foot massage went where it was supposed to go: too my feet. Again the massage was not gentle at all. He even knocked on my feet, far from gentle but with an interesting effect on my body.

First my right foot was thoroughly massaged. The Chinese foot masseur again and again rubbed my foot until it got hot and hotter. Whenever I thought I could take it no more he stopped and did something else.

Then he wrapped my right foot in a towel to keep it war I guess. Then the left foot was massaged. The massaging of the left foot took much longer so I started to wonder: Why had the Chinese massaged my right foot for such a short time in compare? Turned out what I had taken as full massage of my right foot was just a warm up ;). After he was done with my left foot he also massaged my left lower leg up to the knee. Good news that I had waxed my legs in before leaving Germany for China.

Wellness, TV and Mobilephone don’t contradict in China

Then he returned to my right foot and lower leg. Every single toe was pulled. On the toes I am very ticklish so that we had a lot of fun.

My Chinese teacher Lideng and the two Chinese foot masseurs where discussing all the time little of it was translated to me. While we were having our foot massage my teacher was using his mobile phone several times. There seems to be no place in china, were the mobile phone is not used – even in the restaurant or while getting a massage.

If Ive got a Hammer…

When I thought that the massage was really over the two Chinese foot masseurs returned with two little rubber hammers. The female masseur started on Lideng so I started to wonder if this is going to hurt. But when he started on me it felt funny but did not hurt at all.

After they where done with the rubber massage

Then the massage was really over and we got a new pair of socks as gift of the house.