Massage

So in my pursuit to remain mellow and relaxed rather than turn to negative habits I have found a nice way to relax, the massage.  A proper massage can vary depending on the provider, but I will be writing about the differences and similarities between three types I have received so far in Asia, the Thai massage, the proper Chinese massage and the Balinese massage.  Each massage has its own merits for what makes it a good massage, however my favorite massage is a Thai massage - given by a Chinese masseuse.

Reclining Buddha

Wat Po

So Thai massage was my first foray into professional massage therapy.  I visited Wat Po, which is a temple dedicated to massage and the massage of Buddha.  Christopher and I both visited massage therapists for one hour who provided a very respectable service.  My masseuse was a bit heavy handed, but was very professional.  I stared jealously at Christopher's masseuse.  She seemed to have the perfect touch, but alas, another day.  Wat Po is also a training center, so I imagine my masseuse was not only well trained but also a trainer who was keeping all the hidden secrets of Thai massage and passing them through to me with gentle massage.  Maybe not, but it was at least a relaxing massage.

Later while visiting one of the beach cities, Cha am, I received a better Thai massage.  I think the masseuse used a better technique and it was a generally more relaxing massage.  The massage was from foot to head and back.  Oil was included.  The pressure applied was nearly perfect, which is why I prefer the Thai massage.  I think overall I prefer woman masseuse to men, because the touch.  It is somehow easier for most women to add pressure than for most men to release pressure from their touch.

Cha Am, Thailand

Chinese massage is usually accompanied by one word, pain.  Chinese massage is full contact, of course you can ask your masseuse to go easy, but they will probably ignore you, or just go easy enough.  My friend commented once, you should cry during a good massage, because the tears are toxins released from your body.  I am like, which part of relaxing does that include?

So, you can get a good Chinese massage, but you have to be prepared for some pain.  In addition, you might also get some accupressure or cupping included.  Accupressure is where pressure might be placed and released on particular trouble spots.  This, I highly recommend, because it increases blood flow.  Cupping, I would recommend only for the brave.  It involves hot cups being placed in position on the body and released over time.  They build pressure as they remain.  They can leave marking on the body for weeks after... after a few days, when the pain is gone, you can feel the effects of a good Chinese massage.  This is not the Chinese massage we are familiar with in America, sort of like American Chinese food, different concept.

The final massage I received about a week ago was the Balinese massage.  My friends comment - that is a sexy massage.  I don't know if I laughed harder at that comment or the surprise when they handed us disposable underwear to wear during the massage.  The masseuses and I had big laughs.  Still, after it was finished I had to promise never to have a Balinese massage again, not because there was any hanky panky, but because it was too relaxing.  I don't know if my masseuse was that relaxing for me, I mean I was coming down with a cold, so maybe I wasn't in to the massage enough.  But from where my friend was sitting, I was too relaxed.  The technique is a combo between Chinese and Thai techniques, easy and then heavy pressure.  Also they pay plenty of attention to the feet and as well as the full body.  In the end they got my money because of the advertising of the poster.  The lady looks so ready for a massage...

Looking forward to another Thai massage soon, but seeing how I am headed back to China looks like I might have to put my body through the abuses of a Chinese massage next time I need to relieve some stress.  Much better than reaching for a drink or a pack of cigarettes.  At least with a good masseuse.  Enjoying Bali.

Bali Sunset

Tech Tuk Tuk

So earlier in the day I sold my Samsung Note.  Why?  Because there is a new one on the way and the price on this one will drop as soon as it is released, because the battery life was never what I wanted it to be, because it was sometimes just too big, because a new iphone is near too and that is interesting even if I know that Apple has slowly become that 1984 ad where it mocked its' future self, then plus I wanted a bigger tablet to read books on and to hook up a bluetooth keyboard to and do things like blog entries like this one completely mobile.  So for all those reasons I sold the Samsung Galaxy Note - but we will always have Paris together - those crisp beautiful 8 megapixel pictures of the Place de la Concorde, but it is all Galaxy Tab 7.7 at this point.  But this is the story of how I got my new Tab 7.7 and the mysteries of the Tuk Tuk.

It started with Singh or Digi Singh, as his email pseudonymed him and an ill advised late night trip to meet down in front of the Starbucks on Khao San Road.  He had already talked me down to an incredible bargain price on the device.  But out with the old and in with the new.  Anyway, he asked to meet at midnight, I agreed, selecting the place carefully.  I am suspicious, device hidden, no money on my person.  I mean this is everything you shouldn't do, midnight craigslist deal in Bangkok???  But the difference is the police station is next door and Khao San Road has its night face on.

Youngsters too young to drink in America have already bought their fake ID for back home, stashed them away to be claimed or not in the airport by TSA and are now on their third or fourth round.  You know, the last one you might remember clearly.  They are thinking something like, wow, wouldn't it be cool if there was something like this in America...  Then this big baldheaded Black guy comes along and blows even that memory and now all I remember is the sweat on his head.  Damn it is still so hot, oh my god... and so the night on Khao San goes.  But I am not on Khao San for that, or the inviting looks, or the questioning looks.  I have rushed past all that to catch up with Digi Singh and his sweaty baht notes, crumpled.  It's like I am selling the Note into some torrid uncouth digital slavery of some kind.  Nah, actually he came with his wife, who looked really nice, probably her I was emailing.  He was buying it for her, but I could tell from the look in his eyes he wanted it more for himself after seeing it.  I could see him weaving a story for her of why he needed it more, as I was explaining how to use it and what not to do and so on. More on that later...  So no funny business and our deal is done.  He and his wife are already there when I arrive with money in hand.

Next day we head out on tuk tuk.  Riding in a tuk tuk is an adventure in itself.  It begins before you get in.  Most of the drivers solicit your business, particularly when it is clear you have other business to attend to, elsewhere, where they can't go.  Then when you need one, they are nowhere to be found, not to mention that if they are they will try to extort every baht from you possible.  They will start out at some insane price, double what a cab would cost, and slowly bring it down.  I mean a dollar or so isn't a big deal, but there are principles.  Who wants to ride on the back of a hot hell trap for twice the amount you would pay to ride in a semi-normal airconditioned cab?  Then of course there is the expression of implicit 'knowing' etched into the face of some of the drivers, like they know some things I might not be ready to know. All that said, they are a cheap and easy, although, crazy, horrifying, fast way to travel.

I am on the way to Bangkok's Chinatown, Yaowarat, to shop for the tablet.  I will get on to describing Chinatown proper some other time.  It really deserves its' own post, just because, but that is for later.  We are interested in one particular part of Chinatown, the electronics market area.  There is about a two or three block area where there is nothing but buildings dedicated to cellular phones and communication technology.  There are rows and rows of stores selling cellphone parts and cellphone accessories and cellular phones and tablets.  So I figured I would make my way either there or this other mall a little further away called MBK to make a purchase.

A tuc tuc driver approaches me as I am walking to look for a cab.  Candice frowns.  "Tuc-tuk?"  He asks the question innocent enough, as I shrug to Candice I ask, "how much to Chinatown?"  He insists that we don't want to go to Chinatown, after I insist, he counters, nothing open in Chinatown.  I'm thinking, "What?"  Then, he asks why we want to go.  I tell him about the tablet I want to buy.  He slowly shakes his head, as if giving permission.  Then, "200 baht."  200 baht, I tell him is too much.  He asks how much I want to pay.  I tell him for that much I could get a cab there twice and then some.  Then he has an idea.  I see Candice shudder.  He tells us we go with him to two shops and then all we will have to pay him is 20 baht, maybe less.  I already know the deal and agree.

The first place we head to is a tailor.  I am kind of geeked to be going to one, because I have avoided them for a while.  The tailors on Khao San road all have a bad name, because their quality is said to be poor.  I don't know if it is true but it stands to reason, so I have been avoiding them, even though they are friendly and really try to connect with me, in particular.  I think that is just the Nepalese mafia doing there thing, but they seem to be nice, but I don't need a cheap cheap suit.  I need a nicely tailor made inexpensive suit, after the weather changes from being so damn hot.  So our driver takes us to a tailor, away from our normal touts.

So we walk into the tailor shop.  The deal is, if the tuk tuk drives a customer to these places, he gets free gas, they give him a gas card or something.  Most of the time they waylay people, but they have all asked me for permission and given a free or next to free ride if I agreed.  If I have nothing else to do I will, but so far I have been to a couple of tour companies, a couple of tailors and a jeweler.  I found out, if you ask the driver, he will take you to the type of shop you want to go to, if he knows one that he can get a gas card for driving you to.  I mean, I haven't bought anything at one, but I started talking to the tailor at this shop trying to build a relationship.  I figured at some point I might buy a suit and maybe I could try a shirt out and see if he could make a quality shirt.

However he got angry when I told him I wanted a business card so I could think about it and maybe visit again.  I wasn't expecting that, I mean to me, you have to build a relationship with a tailor.  That is kind of a close bond.  The Nepalese mafia was happy to give me a card and are friendly to boot.  But no, this tailor, he just wanted to measure me, take a deposit and like that be done.  So we left as he was pouting.  The tuk tuk driver saw some of this and asked as we got back in, "are you okay?"  I felt debased.

We next head to a travel agent.  A young woman is selling us a trip to the south of Thailand.  Apparently there is this island that has a full moon party going on this weekend.  Whatever goes on there at this party requires a full day recuperation added to your itinerary.  Her manager and her just know that is the trip that we need... we decline.  They assure us we have to go because there is a full moon this weekend, and not another one for a whole month.  "I am like, really? How could you predict that?"  I try to let her down gently because I mean, I would have thought about some trip, but not that one and then the other trip was vastly overpriced.  But I did find out there is a monastery where buddhist monks care for tigers.  I thought that was the coolest thing.  Maybe in the future we will go there.  I assume the tigers are not a threat or they are distanced from unsuspecting meat, I mean tourists.  I will have to research that one a bit.  As for the moonlight party, that will have to wait about 13 or so odd years, I will be 53, Jacob, my youngest will be 18...

So we are back in the tuk tuk racing through traffic, cutting off cars, other tuk tuks, motorcycles, pedestrians.  I think, maybe I should carry something to give the confused cut off pedestrians we pass by, you know, on future tuk tuk trips, flowers, donuts, fruit.  We arrive, the driver stops about two blocks from our destination and motions the direction that we want to go toward to hit Charoen Krung, one of the main roads in Chinatown.  I hand him 20 baht, or 66 cent, for an adventurous ride of about 3 miles.

Chinatown at dusk

Candice comments about walking the last few blocks and I point her attention to the traffic that surrounds us.  It is never a good idea to sit ten minutes in traffic for a two minute walk.  She agrees and we walk down the way to cellular heaven, or something more like a cellular flea market.  Time is running out, at 5 PM the cellular merchants start closing up and the restaurants and street food come out.  We aren't there for that today though, but as a side note they sell barbecue shrimp that it is inexpensive and delicious, at least that is what they say.

We are here looking for a tablet though and there is so much to see.  There is a motorcycle driving on the sidewalk towards us as we try to cross the street.  We move to avoid him.  We cross and are here.  There are no name, generic tablets directly in front of the building we are approaching that cost about a hundred bucks, but I want something with a name attached, a Samsung or Acer or Sony.  We go more towards the back of the first building, there are smiley faced antenna plugs and colorful cases and giggling school girls and neon colors all around.  They giggle or look at the tall Americans confused as we move past.  We pass by ipad screens sold as replacements and other parts labeled and stretched out.  We go upstairs and there is more of the same for four flights.  After that I figure we should try another building.  Smiling schoolgirls giggling, more neon, more cloned tablets, still not what I want.  Then we find it... and she wont budge on the price.

MBK Center and deals galore...

I finally agree on the price, but she only has it in white.  NO DEAL.  As we walk back towards Khao San Road, towards Dinso Road, where we actually live, Candice gives me a hard stare that indicates we will be taking a cab home.  She is cool though, and we make plans to head to MBK the next day, where we will continue our hunt for the tablet deal of the century.













So long for now...

     

Kids at MBK

Bangkok

Bangkok, my first thought was that this reminded me of my old favorite city in the world - before the hurricane came and ruined it even more, New Orleans.  That thought came as we were on the way in from the airport, and it has been that way ever since.  I love Bangkok, awesome, fast moving, mellow people, good food, great shopping, and people coming in just to be here, every single day... and I haven't even been to the other side of town yet.

Khao San Road has been our base area.  I will describe this as many peoples' base area.  If you are a backpacker type you will probably start out here.  The area is centered around so many Buddhist temples it isn't even funny.  Plus there are cheap accommodations, cheap food, cheap t-shirt, cheap fruit drinks and the list goes on.  The history of the area is that the Buddhists were in the area keeping it chill, with not that much money, but ultimate vibes.  Then the hippies came, and while they were in the business of morphing into yuppies, and whatnot, their children started coming and so on and so on.  Meanwhile, the area managed to maintain just enough of its charm, and plenty of hawkers and touters came along, selling anything from cheaply tailored suites to as certain movies would claim, snake's blood.  I haven't seen any snake's blood, but I do know where a snake park or museum is on the other side of town, and I have heard snake's blood is sold in Chinatown, but that is another blog post, because Chinatown in Bangkok really deserves its own blog post, plus I plan on walking over there tomorrow.  However, if you want a cheap, cheaply tailored suit, apparently, Khao San is the place, especially if you want the very special, soul brother discount.

Philosophical Question - Do White Americans get greeted as - OObama - with the look of a used car salesman and that magical pointing finger gesture thingy, or is that reserved for Black American visitors (the Black Americans that no one except touts believe exist).

Answer - Doesn't matter, just be thankful W. has left the building... wherein you might be getting spit at, given the finger or cursed, I mean literally cursed, not cursed at.  Anyways...

Khao San Road at night

Some of the walkable cool things to do close by the area we live in, known as Rattanakosin, are exploring temples, hopping on the boat to head down or up river, or of course grabbing a bite on Khao San Road, people watching on Khao San Road, visiting the Golden Mountain, which is free or just finding a park to chill out.  Rattanakosin is kind of the center of all the temples in town so if you just walk down the street in any direction a wat (or temple) will cross your path.  It is funny seeing the buddhist monks out and about, and if you go out in the morning they will be out seeking donations for their food for the day.

Last week we walked over to the Grand Palace and pondered going in.  Since we are on a pretty tight budget this month, I suggested we actually go in on the next trip.  I am sure it will be nicer on the inside than the outside, but at 400 baht a person that is some 2400 baht, or 80 dollars, that's a lot of Thai noodles, or at least that was my thought at the time.  So we took some pictures of the opulent outside and laughed as the intercom system reminded visitors not to believe anything touts said about the palace being closed, in a very sterile voice and to only listen to the completely disinterested guards' advice about where the entrance was.

Earlier in the week I had mentioned to Candice that there was this meditation center that offered free classes in one of the temples.  I thought it would be cool to at least peek inside.  So naturally, after thinking how cool it would be to do something for free, rather than pay 80 dollars, we run into a sign in front of Wat Mahathat, offering free mediation classes.  I figure because it is so early in the morning, we might not get our meditation on, but still, something tells me to go in.  I am a bit afraid to go all the way into the inner shrines to buddha and what not, but this lady sneaks up behind Candice and becomes our tour guide.  Immediately I start to wonder, but just the night before we had this conversation about letting someone sell their story, because sometimes touts aren't all bad, or something like that.  Or was it that all friendly people aren't touts, you get the gist.  Anyway, she has us take our shoes off and takes us in the back of temple and gets to work.


She starts off stating that she is a tourist too, "we same, same" and she is from Chang Mai, she has her game tight.  Then she blows it, because she knows every tourist sight and destination, not to mention her perfect English.  But it was a good thing she was there because she did two things for me.  The first, she took us into all the areas in the temple I wouldn't have gone, she apparently has some kind of buddhist mojo working good...  She bows to buddha and is trying to work her mojo on Candice, while sizing me up.  She mentions that she is a midwife which I think is so cool.  She also shows us the beautiful Black buddah, making note of it, as I did.  Then she did something else that was both good and bad.  She advises us how to take the boat around town and tells us where we can get discount tickets to do so, of course this is the tout.  But she arranges a tuck tuck to take us to her tourist agency and then back to our guest house for 50 baht.  I mean, I didn't want to hear the tout, but I had been avoiding tuck tucks, just because.  By her doing that, she helped me see them as a practical, although a scary as hell travel option.  I mean, everywhere isn't a cab travel location, for those, you have the tuck tuck.  Mostly I prefer the boat, an express boat trip on the river costs 15 baht per person, that is like 50 cent.  Who could beat that?  So a tout isn't always a bad thing, well at least not a bad bad, bad thing.  Of course, I didn't buy any tours, but I am just saying.  I mean, in the tuck tuck we were both laughing about her intimate knowledge of Bangkok, having only been here twice from Chang Mai, but on the other hand she told us of a really cool detination,   Anyway, after that day we started going more and more outside the Rattanakosin area and made it into Chinatown.