Massage Parlors

Massages are one of many advantages of living in Shanghai. I'd never had one before I moved here - absolutely no interest. Now they are a part of the routine. You learn to take advantage of the good things readily available. They won't be readily available forever.

There are numerous parlors across the city where one can find an excellent masseuse. You can expect to pay roughly US $7 for a 70 minute foot massage or US $12 to $15 for a 90 minute full body oil massage. They are best after dinner when feeling fat and tired.

Some parlors have more atmosphere than others and some are cleaner than others. And some are not massage parlors at all. Beware the house of ill repute. Most are easily spotted by a red, purple or black light bulb in the entrance. There will be several young ladies in evening dresses or unusually revealing clothing parked on a couch which is visible through the glass entrance doors. Their pimp will be hustling gentlemen on the sidewalk.

Then there are the neighborhood surprises.

A friend and I were walking back from lunch and the topic of a good massage came up. Both of us wondered what was available within a reasonable walking distance of my apartment. As he glanced up he noticed a foot imprint on a sign - the traditional designation of a massage parlor - one block north of my place. The exterior looked promising so he ran up and grabbed a brochure. In addition to a foot massage and a Taiwan massage (??), the Healthy Club offers the following 8 massages ranging from US $15 to $32:

1. Limber up the muscles and alleviate the pain. Efficacy: Lysis the tired muscles, limber up the muscles and alleviate the pain, promote the circulatory, and get rid of the trash in the body.

2. Maintain the kidney. Efficacy: Keep the kidney health, remove the typhoid and the rheumatosis, improve the blood weekand regulate the adrenaline.

3. Reduce the fat and remove the toxin. Efficacy: Promote the metabolism, remove the trash, toxin and unnecessary water in the body, reduce the fat.

4. Prostatitis anti-inflammatory. Efficacy: The essential oil easily absorbed by skin and get into prostate through capsule directly, then kill all pathogens quickly. Invigorate the circulation, reduce petechiae, swelling, restain fiber. Remove symptom.

5. Maintain the stomach. Efficacy: Promote the stomach peristalsis and the , limber up alimentary canal, and help to remove regurgitation and flatulent dyspepsia.

6. Nurse the intestinal tract. Efficacy: Promote the bowel peristalsis, clean the intestinal tract, and remove the constipation quickly.

7. Vigor-joy. Efficacy: Regulate the adrenaline secreting, and regulate sexual desire. Promote to secrete L-dopa, make joyful to sour and body. Give the nutrition to all cells, then get nourishing and strong.

8. Regulation hormone. Efficacy: Promote the adrenaline secreting, increase secreting testosterone. Overcome "operation anxiety", correct tracks reflex", balance the hormone, improve the sub-healthy state of psychology and physiology, make cells nourishing and strong and improve liminal value.

Tough call really. I hope they have gift certificates. They all sound great, but I'm particularly interested in the prostatitus anti-inflamatory. Terrific stocking stuffers for Christmas and going way presents.