I had a massage by a blind man.

I've had exactly one massage since I've been here, and this is in the land of massages where a two hour massage is about $10.00. Well, $10.00 and up. The place where we've been going while here, the past couple of years is aways down the street then across a very busy street so busy in fact that you have to climb a whole bunch of stairs, cross over the busy street on a pedestrian cross-over then down again to the sidewalk. Then you have to go past a whole bunch of street vendors to get to the place. It isn't fancy at all but it is very clean and the girls are very nice. They have you change into clean pajamas, they dim the lights, turn on the air conditioning and put on nice gentle thai music c.d's. What is frosting on the cake at this place is that for about the last half an hour of massage they use tiger balm and it not only smells so good it feels wonderful. They also wash your feet to begin with and offer tea at the end.

Well, I was walking along a side street yesterday and noticed a sign near our guesthouse that offered massages and for the same price as our other place. This meant that I could take a shower, throw on some clothes and head on down the street and reach the new place while I was still clean. Just getting to the other massage place is quite a workout. So last night I decided to try this new place. The building is brick and very nice.

Hmm...walked into the reception area that I had seen the day before while scoping out the place and the receptionist was there, straight ahead, and there were three massage tables to the immediate right. Hadn't seen that when I had peeked through the glass door the day before. No curtains, no privacy, and there were two men sitting there wearing clean white jackets and sunglasses. I immediately got the idea my massage would be by a blind person because years ago in Taiwan dad had gotten a massage by a blind woman. Well, here I am. Intimidated because there were no curtains for privacy. My massage would be done by a man, which I've never had before. But what to do...I had two choices: turn and run or bite the bullet and stay. How could I run out on a blind man? Couldn't. So I paid, up front, which I've never been asked to do before. The man put a clean sheet on the table and motioned for me to lay down. What?? No foot washing? No clean pajamas? Nope. Luckily I had just showered and thrown on the only pair of shorts I have here and a loose top. I was the only customer. They didn't turn down the lights at all (why on earth not, it wouldn't have made a difference to a blind man, right??), the music was on a radio station and was half talk and the worst part, the very worst part, was the receptionist who yakked constantly to one of the blind men. Now, these people didn't speak English and of course I don't speak Thai I layed there madder than a wet hen for paying the money up front and not speaking Thai and being able to tell them to shut the heck up. How, anyway, could I politely, gently and kindly tell a blind man to shut up in any language? It was actually the seeing-hearing-speaking woman who was at fault. I decided to grin and bear it. Finally, after 20-30 minutes the blind man who wasn't busy went somewhere and the woman didn't have anybody to talk to. So she was finally quiet. But the radio went on and on and on in Thai. Not much music either. It was like a talk radio show almost, but with one speaker. Don't know, don't care, what he was talking about. The massage. At first I thought he had never taken a massage course and was just being slow to drag out the two hours. But after awhile he really got into it and was actually very very good. He gave my back, shoulders and neck a fabulous workout. Finally it was over. I was up and out of there in a split second. I'd love to be able to go back and have a word with that crew. The woman is ruining the business for these wonderful blind men. Several things they need: 1. massage tables with curtains for privacy. 2. quiet, soothing atmosphere (be quiet woman). 3. dim the lights. 4. nice, soothing Thai music c.d.'s, not the radio, so there is no talking, only music. 3. wash the feet, if only with a warm cloth. 4. a warm cloth to the forehead before the head massage is a nice touch. 5. if the people down the street can use tiger balm, for the same price, these people can too. 6. they could offer a cup of tea at the end of the massage as other massage places do. Wish I spoke their language as I could help them with their business. Or maybe I should just mind my own business. But the blind man was so good, really so very good. Very professional. I can only just wish him the best from my heart.