The language barrier is something of a soft spot. I'm not embarrassed that I don't speak Hangul yet, I can say hello, please and thank you. It is not an easy language, but, I haven't tried too hard to learn much else. Many Koreans in service industries, especially around the military bases speak English. English is taught in schools here, it's one of the most popular world languages. If they don't speak English or feel comfortable with it, one of us will pull out the trusty google translate and we will get the job done. I was just a little nervous to find someone local because, well, I'm not Korean. I don't have Korean hair and I don't have the Korean standard of beauty, which is high! I finally just sucked it up and went for it. I found a place, prices were good, and I was going to get my much needed pedi/mani! I haven't had either since moving here in August. My MIL and I went in Omaha before we moved to South Korea. It was time that I pampered myself!
I got settled in the massage chair (massage chair, bonus! I only found a massage chair for a pedicure in Europe one time and that was at a military base), chose the up-sale of gel for fingers and toes and waited for hot water. It came, about melted the skin off my feet. She did see my face and heard my squeal and put in some cold. Once the water was comfortable, I picked my gel color and was prepared to be pampered.
No, that didn't happen. The manicurist came over and put a food tray with a bowl of water in my lap so I could soak my nails. Now, I am about 5' nothing and can not touch the bottom of the pedicure bowl with flat feet. So, I had to move up to the balls of my feet and balance this tray with slightly less than scalding water on it. That lasted about 30 seconds and when she reached for my arm, and the pedicurist reached for my left foot, the tray almost tumbled off my lap. Thankfully, she had put a thick towel under the bowl, or else I would have been wet at the beginning of my spa treatment.
OK, so now we're settled, no soaking of the nails. She set up shop on my left side and just started clipping nails, which are short, and cutting off cuticles, which were in terrible need and had my reach across my body with my right hand to do the same. It wasn't comfortable. She did ask if I wanted square or round nails, I told her whatever looked best with my small nails and that seemed to be the right answer. She did not like my color choice and had to ask me twice if I was sure.
Meanwhile, my feet are being cheese grated, literally with a handheld cheese grater. She went on and on about how bad my feet were and don't I have a husband and how do I get such dry feet. I don't know about you, but I don't really care about my feet so much when it is 30* outside. I just don't and I don't think my husband does either. Also, I really don't need to see how much dead skin has been grated off my feet. Is that just me? I know they are dry and in need, that's why I'm here, but I don't need the proof.
Somewhere in here the ladies began talking about my hairy arms. Now, I've been a hairy person from birth. I used to be embarrassed by it, now I just accept it. Koreans are not hairy people. They have virtually no hair on their arms or faces that I've noticed. They always have perfect makeup, hair and skin. I know they are talking about my arms because the manicurist keeps making eye contact with the pedicurist and the looking at my arms. Finally, the pedicurist asks me if I want my arms waxed. It went like this, "You arms so hairy, you want me wax?" "No, that's OK, thank you." "In summer, you not have hairy arms, you must wax. I wax now, $20 for both arms." "No, that's OK, not today, its only January, I'll pass." Side conversation ensued with the manicurist looking at me incredulously.
Back to the fingers, she has now set up the gel dryer on my lap and plugged it in. I questioned her if this was a good idea, since I almost lost the bowl of water off my lap and this thing was plugged in. I didn't want to be electrocuted as it tumbled off my lap into the pedicure bowl. She agreed to get another towel and let me build a wall around the dryer so it might just catch fire and instead of electrocute me. I thought it a fair idea, I don't think she did.
The pedicurist is now pumicing the heck out of my feet and if that wasn't enough, she gets out the Dremel tool and starts sandblasting my heels. There is skin dust everywhere. (insert gagging sound) I asked if she needed a mask, she said it was fine. I was not fine. This was the most insane thing that I had ever had done in a pedicure chair. I did ask if she could take it a little easy, if she took too much of my heel off, my shoes would be too big. She told me I was fine, "You fine, feet will be just fine."
Fingers are on their second set of polish, me reaching across my body every two minutes so she can polish and stick them in the dryer. Not comfortable.
My toes are now having the cuticles trimmed so carefully and the yucky big nails are being done so gently. Honestly, they were. As crazy as the de-callusing was, she was extremely gentle with my cuticles.
Finger lady is now done and my fingers looked OK. I did ask her to clean up a few nails because the polish was quite noticeable on my cuticles, but she did it. She did oil my arms and rubbed them, nothing I would call a massage. Oily arms, but not I wasn't electrocuted on my pampering day. Now, I could relax in my chair with my right arm NOT squashing my boobs every two minutes. I could enjoy the massage chair.
Toes are being polished. She has put the dryer in her lap because I didn't feel comfortable resting the dryer on the foot pad above the water bowl. Again with the electrocution fears. When she is done, she tells me that my feet are so dry, and legs too, that I need a special scrub, only $15 extra. I went for it.The scrub wasn't something like the spas at home, not a sugar scrub, or anything gritty. This had an alcohol base to it because it felt cold going on. She rubbed and rubbed that stuff on and came away with all sorts of ick. She was happy to show me how dry my skin was and didn't I feel better now. After that, she oiled my legs and rubbed the oil in. She didn't get my on all the upsales, but that scrub was amazing and my feet haven't been this soft since 1975 when I started walking, I'm pretty sure.
After that, I needed my haircut. The pedicurist yelled across the shop to the one and only male employee to come and cut my hair. "He has short hair, he do a good job for you." He and I talked/gestured briefly about what I wanted done, I showed him several pictures of the cut I wanted on several different models. When he felt satisfied about it, he started cutting. The cut went really well, it looks good, I must say, then he started with the razor. I've had razor cuts, now big deal, he did not go crazy with the razor. He shaped up my neckline really well, then paused. Paused long enough that I peeked up at him in the mirror and saw him staring at the side of my head. Tentatively, I see him move that razor to the front of my ears and he shaved my cheek. I know! The gall. I have to say again, I know that I am a hairy person. At that rate I'm going, I'll be able to bypass playing Mrs. Claus in my old age and go straight for Santa, himself. I might need a pillow, but the beard might grow in nice by itself. I was a little mortified, not gonna lie. I must have stiffened because it was his turn to peek in the mirror. I didn't flip out, so he flicked that razor down my right cheek three more times and moved on to the left. I couldn't flip out because it's nothing I haven't contemplated doing myself. He didn't take it to the skin, I'm not worried about it coming in black. It is what it is, my cheeks probably haven't been this smooth since pre-puberty.
I paid my bill, it was less than I would have paid in the States for a cut and color. I'm no hiatus from coloring, so the price for my day of "pampering" was fine. Here's what I went away thinking, pondering, wondering. How in the world has South Korea gotten to be such a superficial country? Now, I have only been here a few months, and I am not saying that the US is not, but it feels like it is taken up a notch here. Many reasons why, one of them being that you can't throw a rock and not hit a beauty shop of some sort in almost any area of Seoul that I've traveled AND they almost always have several customers. My husband would remind me that there are 10.9 million people in this city and they have to shop somewhere. Yes, but I can not even explain to someone who has not visited Seoul how many beauty shops there are here. Secondly, it is a rare occurrence that Americans are so bold as to tell you that you need to wax your arms, ask how your husband can stand your dry feet and shave your face without asking. It is bold. Different. Not terrible, I judge because it's different and I was a little taken aback. I wasn't offended really, just a little shocked. Did my hairy arms, face and dry feet offend these people? No, well, probably not, I mean no. They just were surprised that, in their eyes, I wasn't at my best. They wanted me to be at my best, they helped me out. They didn't suggest plastic surgery or liposuction, that will probably be my third time in the salon. Lastly, how did the possibility of electrocuting a customer not cross either of those women's minds?? Really, I was nervous.
No comments:
Post a Comment