Massage Therapy

Somehow I can't relax during massages. I know the theory - that I am supposed to relax my muscles, etc etc. But somehow the law that "every action has an equal and opposite reaction" just comes into play the second the masseuse touches me.

Today I went with my friend to a spa down in Chinatown for a credit card- related promotion - price was ridiculously low so you can expect the little sales pitch at the end of the session. My inability to relax aside, I did think that it showed that we were not up to par where it came to service excellence. My therapist is probably Malaysian as she spoke mainly Teochew and some Mandarin. And she is perfectly pleasant and polite, but somehow she didn't really do the little things which enhance the visitor's experience. For example, I had to take off my shoes and put on a pair of slippers and go up the stairs with her. I was selecting my slippers and she was already at the top of the stairs. Then by the time I reached the top, she was nowhere to be seen- preparing the room. I thought she should accompany me up. And then there was no towelling robe for the customer to use whilst making the little walk between the shower stalls and the room, only a slightly inadequate towel. The room itself was rather small - I can accept that space is at a premium but the poor therapist was squeezing between the bed and the wall in order to get to my other side. But at $20 for a 1 hour massage, I can't really complain. On the other hand there must have been about 4-5 receptionists. No wonder our service productivity is crap.

After the massage we walked over to the "Pink Building" to check out prices for Macau (after all we did not go to Vegas or even Atlantic City whilst in the US). There I experienced a rather abrupt reception at the travel agency I went to. I went in, asked if there were any free & easy packages for Macau. The girl at the counter a) didn't look at me; b) said "no" and c) started talking on the phone. Ah well. I predict our score for service excellence will slip further, in this tight labour market.

We passed Lim Chee Guan on our way to and from Pink building and I am pleased to say I resisted the temptation to make a purchase, which would inevitably end up being consumed mainly by myself. I don't understand though why people would queue for hours in the run-up to Chinese New Year just for some boxes of bak kua when it is so easy to get it during the rest of the year without waiting at all! Must admit though that I didn't resist the temptation of the mango pomelo dessert in Temple Street. Cold, sweet with a slightly sourish edge and the bursts of citrus flavour every time you bite into the pulpy pomelo. Highly recommend it.

(p.s. I forgot to say - whilst I was noting service deficiencies, my friend was apparently having a fairly positive experience. She got a Thai masseuse, who wiped between her toes after she got back from her shower. Definitely no toe-wiping for me.)