Healthmassage or something else?

02-05-2008, Beijing China

Written and translated from Dutch to English by Ester van Dam

After another day of training actively, we were told that we could arrive a bit later the next morning at 11am instead of 10am. Natasja and Maarten decided to go and sleep early but, Koen and I had plenty of energy left so we decided to go out for a walk and to buy a water cooker somewhere so we would be able to make some tea in the room. And maybe more important some coffee now and then, well I mean Nescafe that is almost like
After a search and some haggling we found a fine looking white with yellow plastic 100% made in China water cooker. The shop owner told us it was a very good brand and pointed enthusiastically at the logo and name in Chinese characters. We got it for 5euro’s, probably way to expensive but for us still quite cheap. The shop owner left us alone in his shop to get a big plastic bag to wrap up our newly acquired treasure, apparently the crime rate is low here as there was a very large knife just on the counter. A little later we found some tranquil mind tea and thought it would come in handy.
Then we walked passed a place that looked like a civilized massage salon. From the outside it looked kind of tidy and normal. Also the sign outside carrying pictures of the massage rooms didn’t raise any red flags. A healthmassage for only 38yuan! What do we have to lose we thought? So we went inside and asked if it was possible to get a healthmassage…We were assured that that would be no problem at all and we were told to take our shoes off. They found some Barbie pink slippers for me and some normal blue ones for Koen. We went of the stairs through a hallway, there we were told to hand in the bracelet with the number of our shoes attached to it. Then Koen was led to one door and I had to go to another, it made little sense as it both led to the same space. Hm interesting it seemed to be some relax space, because there were some sort of stretchers’ everywhere with men laying on them just dressed in a towel. .Then we noticed a rather large stage with an enormously heart shaped mirror and some decorative pictures of half naked (western) women were hanging on the wall. Hmmm it was getting more interesting by the minute.
We were led to a room containing two beds and atmospheric pink light. Mind you it was one of those energy saving lights that last forever, I didn’t even knew they came in pink! Slightly anxious we were waiting would was going to happen next. It is a small world. Koen was totally stunned to see that one of the masseuses was the same lady as who had been working at the Dragon Spring Hotel. Being a sturdy, slightly plump Chinese lady with a somehow low voice was something he had not forgotten yet. Thank God I could keep all my cloths on but Koen was stripped until he was in his underwear. I did look the other way and couldn’t help to giggle a bit. We had made absolutely sure that our bag and money was placed in such a way that we would notice immediately if someone would try to take it. I must say it was not as bad as we thought it would be. I am sure it wasn’t the promised 45 minutes and never ever have I been spanked on the butt by another woman (or man for that matter) or pulled by my hair but really we were much more relaxed when we left the massage but I am not sure if that was because of the laughing afterwards or because of the technical skills of the massage ladies..
Never mind there is a first time for (almost) everything. We paid the promised 38yuan and set of to buy some more nice tea and a teapot with some cups. In a all for 10 yuan (but all should not be taken literally as it merely was the start off price) shop we found the really good tasting tea we also have in the school in the Netherlands. Then it was time to go home again. It was for sure an unforgettable evening and without doubt will not be the last. However I do think that this will remain our first and only visit to a well how to say it politely place of many other things beside's massage. We ended the evening with some good tea and had to giggle for a very very long time.