When all you can do is laugh...

Today is my last full day in Bangalore, so Brent and I went next door to the salon to get massages.  They’re mediocre but exceedingly inexpensive, so we decided it would be fun before I leave.  I’ve only had a few massages in my time, but this was without a doubt the most hilarious.  Here’s what ensued…

The girl, speaking only a word or two of English, shows me to a dark room with only a table that looks something like what you’d see in a chiropractor’s office (or a prison, I’m not sure which).  She starts to shut the door and leave, but I quickly catch her before she leaves and ask her what I was supposed to do.  I was pretty sure what the drill was, but I definitely didn’t want to embarrass myself.  With more gestures than words, I understand that I am to take my top off and lay on the table with the towel covering me.  Ok, easy enough.

She comes back in the room and gets ready to start the massage.  After pouring what had to be a liter of hot oil on me, she commences.  At this time, she proceeds to climb up on the table with me, straddle me, and perch herself on my behind.  Now this wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a family massage.  We do this all the time when it’s Brent, my sister, my mom, etc.  But I’ve never had a “professional” masseuse sit on me before.  Ok, not a problem.  I guess she gets better leverage.

Then a little further into the massage, she starts to get the sniffles.  I felt so bad for her, because I’ve been in that situation before (well maybe not that exact situation, but one very similar where my nose is running and there’s nothing I can do about it).  Lest there be any drippage on me, she decided to use the towel that was covering me to wipe her nose!  She must have done it 10 times during the massage.  Inside my head I was giggling uncontrollably and cringing all at the same time. 

I had just started to relax again when it happened.  Now maybe there just happened to be a leak in the ceiling that had held off until then.  But I suspect otherwise.  Her poor little nose dripped right on my bare back!!!!  GROSS!!!!!  I was hoping she’d notice and politely wipe it off, and we’d go on.  Unfortunately this wasn’t the case.  She just kept right on massaging it into my back, along with the 4 liters of hot oil that she’d put on me by this point.    

I couldn’t wait to get out and tell Brent and it.  It was such a funny experience.  There are times in life when truly all you can do is laugh and go on.  This was most assuredly one of those times!  I gave her a tip, and we parted ways, but this is one massage I won’t soon forget!

I’m heading back to the States late tomorrow night, and I sure will miss this place.  There’s just nothing quite like it.