When I set off on this journey, we were talked to by Professor La Plante about having individual projects and writing about something that interested us. This was mainly for the students that were going for credit, but it was opened up for us old folks too. I was thinking about the nail and massage culture that exists for Vietnamese women and why/how this became a thing. My nail lady here in SLC is Vietnamese and I have talked to her at length about my trip (she was so, so excited about me going) and about her coming to America (how she nearly died many times) and how she and most of her family and friends work in nail business. She had talked to me about how things work in her mother country, or is it Uncle country? And what she thinks make people go into the work there and how that is a hope for America and what that turns into if they make it. So I thought if I got my nails done and massages in VN I could talk to the women and find out their stories, what brought them into this work instead of something else and most importantly to what I am curious about, are they literate?
My first night in Hanoi, we went across the street from our Hotel and went to a SPA and got massage. I selected a Hot Oil Thai Massage with my friend Laura and a couple of our friends got foot massaged downstairs. We went upstairs and were laid down on low wooden pallets with rattan mats on top. The room was hot and muggy but as soon as she began the massage it didn’t matter. It was so, so amazing. The modesty rules don’t apply and I only had a tiny hand towel on and she would move and adjust me at any time that she saw fit. She stood on my back, kneeled on my butt, wrenched my leg up, she was on all types of fire to get my muscles loosened after my 20 hour flight!! She was not very talkative, nor did she want me to be. After we were done, I talked to her briefly with use of the owner who spoke English. She did not speak English and did not go to ENglish classes when she was younger. She could read Vietnamese, but never read books for fun. THey both laughed at me like I was a crazy person. She said she liked working at the SPA and that they would call when they needed her to come in so she could just stay at her parents store helping until that time.
My first night in Hanoi, we went across the street from our Hotel and went to a SPA and got massage. I selected a Hot Oil Thai Massage with my friend Laura and a couple of our friends got foot massaged downstairs. We went upstairs and were laid down on low wooden pallets with rattan mats on top. The room was hot and muggy but as soon as she began the massage it didn’t matter. It was so, so amazing. The modesty rules don’t apply and I only had a tiny hand towel on and she would move and adjust me at any time that she saw fit. She stood on my back, kneeled on my butt, wrenched my leg up, she was on all types of fire to get my muscles loosened after my 20 hour flight!! She was not very talkative, nor did she want me to be. After we were done, I talked to her briefly with use of the owner who spoke English. She did not speak English and did not go to ENglish classes when she was younger. She could read Vietnamese, but never read books for fun. THey both laughed at me like I was a crazy person. She said she liked working at the SPA and that they would call when they needed her to come in so she could just stay at her parents store helping until that time.
Then we went to Vo Nhai and there was not a massage or nail spa there. There were places that said they were, but when we walked in and asked, they said no.
Next we went to Nam Dinh and in our Hotel we had a Massage VIP and we were very excited. My massage buddy Laura and I went up to the 14th floor and found out that the VIP meant, sauna, wooden bath, spa and massage. It seemed a little overboard, but we were in for the experience. Again, my lady spoke no English and we had a little bit of a time negotiating getting me unclothed and into the small shower sauna that was there. Yes she undressed me and then stuck me in a burning hot sauna. Let's remember that it is 90degrees outside with 90% humidity, a sauna was not what I thought I needed or wanted. I had no idea how long I was or wasn’t supposed to stay there? At some point, I began to feel dizzy so I opened the door and said I couldn’t anymore. She laughed and came and walked me like an old lady to the wooden bath. It was awkward again, as I am naked and she is walking me into the bath. She moved me how to sit, and then, she like cupped both my breasts and giggled. I don’t think it was mean or melcilious, it seemed like she had never seen big boobs. Well, then she scrubbed and scoured me and motioned for me to stand up. She walked me over to the spa tub where I laid out flat and she turned on the jets. She left me in there to soak with some bubbles, then she came over and scrubbed my entire body with a luffa. She also grabbed my belly and squeezed it, like you would with a toddler. It was a little unsettling. She then had me stand and she used the shower head to rinse all of me off. She got a little hand towel and toweled me off, even my hair. She got a comb and combed my hair as I am standing there naked. She then handed me my underwear and had me put them on and sit on the massage table. The massage was similar to the Thai massage, but without the heat or the oil. I was squeaky clean and the room was cool after getting out of the sauna. The only real thing that was different was that she did this weird choppy thing that sounded like she was beating me with wood boards. It didn’t feel like it, but sounded like it. I didn’t have a translator so I wasn’t able to talk to her and the front desk person didn’t speak English either. I got a translator to go up with me later and she helped me ask some questions, but we couldn’t find my lady. We talked to a few others and most of them did not speak English and they didn’t go to school past 12 and they were happy to work in a clean nice place that had uniforms. They also very rarely saw women, this was a very visiting men thing that the did. No one would answer if it went sexual or not. My translator did say that not very many women in VN get massages, but do go get their hair washed and nails done. Again, no one read for pleasure, except for instagram and/or Facebook.
Next we went to Nam Dinh and in our Hotel we had a Massage VIP and we were very excited. My massage buddy Laura and I went up to the 14th floor and found out that the VIP meant, sauna, wooden bath, spa and massage. It seemed a little overboard, but we were in for the experience. Again, my lady spoke no English and we had a little bit of a time negotiating getting me unclothed and into the small shower sauna that was there. Yes she undressed me and then stuck me in a burning hot sauna. Let's remember that it is 90degrees outside with 90% humidity, a sauna was not what I thought I needed or wanted. I had no idea how long I was or wasn’t supposed to stay there? At some point, I began to feel dizzy so I opened the door and said I couldn’t anymore. She laughed and came and walked me like an old lady to the wooden bath. It was awkward again, as I am naked and she is walking me into the bath. She moved me how to sit, and then, she like cupped both my breasts and giggled. I don’t think it was mean or melcilious, it seemed like she had never seen big boobs. Well, then she scrubbed and scoured me and motioned for me to stand up. She walked me over to the spa tub where I laid out flat and she turned on the jets. She left me in there to soak with some bubbles, then she came over and scrubbed my entire body with a luffa. She also grabbed my belly and squeezed it, like you would with a toddler. It was a little unsettling. She then had me stand and she used the shower head to rinse all of me off. She got a little hand towel and toweled me off, even my hair. She got a comb and combed my hair as I am standing there naked. She then handed me my underwear and had me put them on and sit on the massage table. The massage was similar to the Thai massage, but without the heat or the oil. I was squeaky clean and the room was cool after getting out of the sauna. The only real thing that was different was that she did this weird choppy thing that sounded like she was beating me with wood boards. It didn’t feel like it, but sounded like it. I didn’t have a translator so I wasn’t able to talk to her and the front desk person didn’t speak English either. I got a translator to go up with me later and she helped me ask some questions, but we couldn’t find my lady. We talked to a few others and most of them did not speak English and they didn’t go to school past 12 and they were happy to work in a clean nice place that had uniforms. They also very rarely saw women, this was a very visiting men thing that the did. No one would answer if it went sexual or not. My translator did say that not very many women in VN get massages, but do go get their hair washed and nails done. Again, no one read for pleasure, except for instagram and/or Facebook.
Also in Vo Nhai, Cass and I went to a Massage SPA on the street that offered a lot of different options; however, those options clearly mattered none. We asked for 2 different things and got exactly the same thing. We had to wear little hankie shirts and shorts and we were in the same room we soaked our feet, then they start the foot tools on fire and scraped our feets. Then they began the wood chopping thing on our heads??? It hurt and I thought I might die. THey massaged us almost everywhere, but not. They also cracked all our spines. They do not have an issue with infringing on chiropractor’s jobs in VN. Then at the end, they rubbed our faces, and pulled up little pieces of hairs and pulled on them like guitar strings. It was crazy. It was a painful and good at the same time. My lady at first was super young and Cass’s lady kept correcting her and telling her things. FInally, she just walked out. Cass’s lady called on the phone and a much more thorough lady came in. She was great. The older lady was one of the owners of the place and she was trying to train the younger girl. She didn’t speak any English but used Google Translate on her phone. She did not understand Cass’ google translate back, she wasn’t able to read it and google translated back and we had to have it talk aloud to her. Again, we didn’t have a translator, so all my info is really just subjective conjuncture.
Mai Chau did not have any place for massages. Sadly. I guess we could have started a massage circle in the big all person bedroom we had...but we missed that boat. Next time.
Mai Chau did not have any place for massages. Sadly. I guess we could have started a massage circle in the big all person bedroom we had...but we missed that boat. Next time.
Back in Hanoi, we went to the first place again and got foot massages. At this point, my feet were blistered and like elephant cankles, but the sweet ladies were very, very kind to my aching feet.
In the end, through the half assed research that I did, nothing of note could be written, but my research was awesome and the massages were like $8 - $10 a time and having a massage every 3 days was amazing and I need that in my life. Maybe not someone bathing me and grabbing my chub, but definitely the muscle relief I needed was amazing.
In the end, through the half assed research that I did, nothing of note could be written, but my research was awesome and the massages were like $8 - $10 a time and having a massage every 3 days was amazing and I need that in my life. Maybe not someone bathing me and grabbing my chub, but definitely the muscle relief I needed was amazing.