MARCH 22, 2007
Randy and I decided to get a famous Chinese massage. They are BIG into massage here (I even received a lovely head and neck massage when I got a shampoo and haircut that lasted about 15 minutes), and there are several spas in every street block, although one must be careful. There are massage parlors, and there are "massage parlors," if you know what I mean. We laugh about the places we pass on the street called, SHAMPOO & LEISURE. There will be a handful of girls in very short skirts and dresses sitting in the front window waiting for you to come in and make your choice. We wonder what kind of shampoo you receive in there (well, OK ... we don't wonder THAT much)!
Anyway, I digress. Our relocation service recommended a place called Dragonfly. Dragonfly is a chain of businesses that seem to cater to expats offering several types of massage (body and foot, aromatherapy, Chinese and Japanese), manicures, pedicures, waxing, and various types of legitimate service like that. The Dragonfly ads in magazines and newspapers are quite distinctive. They will have in big bold letters right across the top of the ad "NO SEX, NO FOOD, JUST MASSAGE." Gets the message across pretty well, I'd say. We'd heard that they offer "couples" massages there and that appealed to us, so I made an appointment.
The Dragonfly nearest us is located on Hong Mei Lu which is our favorite restaurant neighborhood, so Randy came home from work early and we took off on foot to locate Dragonfly. In Shanghai, there are many smaller alleys off the main streets on which many business will be located all utilizing the same address but different villa numbers. Dragonfly shared a cobblestone alley with four restaurants (Indian, Thai, Mexican, and Spanish). Since we were early for our massage, we decided to try the Spanish place for a pre-massage drink. It helped that the owner was out front and personally invited us in. Seems that Micasa is a brand new restaurant and the owner (a Brit) charmed us bit with his invitation. We had a beer and perused the menu which looked quite intriguing. We made mental notes to try Micasa soon.
Dragonfly has a really pleasant atmosphere, candles lit, soft music playing, smells great, and the staff does a good job of making you feel welcome. It helped that there was a German couple just arriving to get massages, so we felt we'd made the right choice. After making our choice of a traditional one-hour Chinese massage, we were escorted into a changing area where we were handed Chinese pajamas (there is probably an appropriate name for this, but I'm not aware of it), and straw flip flops. We changed into our pajamas and followed a woman up the candle-lit steps to the massage area. Along the way, I could see into a room where there was a row of large Lazy-Boy chairs where I assume the foot massages and pedicures are given.
The massages are administered right over the pajamas (which is nice for really modest folks). Randy and I were in the same room, but with a shear curtain between us. The masseuses seem to be well-trained and were certainly effective. Their trained hands found all the tense and tight spots, and worked their magic to relax and relieve sore muscles. Randy and I both found the massages very soothing.
Once the massage was finished, we were escorted back to the changing area. When we came out, we were greeted with a tray of steaming cups of hot tea. I have to say, they certainly know how to relax the customer. I slept better that night than I had in ages ... wonderful!!
We did try Micasa later that week, and were not disappointed. Micasa is a Spanish establishment, not to be confused with Mexican ... Spanish is not really spicy, and is more Mediterranian in nature. The owner remembered us and was very welcoming. Micasa not only has a great menu, but has a beautifully appointed dining area. The walls are peach and terra cotta, the tables are covered with linen, and the plush, upholstered chairs in sienna are comfy and inviting. There are large windows with huge stands of bamboo just outside creating quite an exotic atmosphere. Another great feature of this restaurant is the fact that they offer pitchers of any mixed drink on the menu for a discount. Randy and I enjoyed crab cakes, mushroom soup, and a delightful Paella for dinner, and immediately declared that we'd be returning soon!
Randy's boss, Carrie, was in town for about 10 days, and we celebrated St. Patrick's Day while she was here. Shanghai hosted the first annual St. Patrick's Day Parade this year, so we decided we'd go have a look-see. The parade took place in what is known as the Xintiandi, a large block of pedestrianized area with a host of lovely restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. The square was filled with folks getting ready for the parade. There were balloons, men on stilts, face painting, Irish music blaring, and of course, LOTS of green apparel. I looked for someone with bagpipes but they never materialized. There was a marching band that led the parade through a large arch of green and white balloons. There parade took no more than 10 minutes to pass us by, and I dare say that there were more people IN the parade than were spectators, but it was fun. Obviously something to build on in the future. I heard that there are currently approximately 300 Irish expats in Shanghai.
After the parade, we took a walking tour of the area surrounding the Xintiandi into some of the more local shopping areas. These areas are quite fun to stroll even though one must steel themselves against all the hawking of the wares ("Hello ... watch? Hello ... DVD?"). I'm convinced that the only English that some of these folks know is "Hello." But part of the fun is the fact that one can negotiate for anything. The vendor will offer you a price by pecking out the number of RMB being asked into a calculator. Then they will hand you the calculator for a counter offer, and the bargaining begins. Typically, one can expect to pay half to two-thirds the asking price for a product.
We wandered into an area known as Old Shanghai which is an area of traditional Shanghai buildings and temples converted into shops and restaurants (mostly tourist stuff), but we are realizing that some of the more touristy areas should be avoided on the weekends. It was SO crowded that we could hardly move. We'd planned for a late lunch there, but instead grabbed a taxi back to Xintiandi where we knew we could sit down for a relaxing lunch.
We're told by the Chinese that everyone shops on the weekend, and I believe that is true, at least in Shanghai. Shanghai as a city seems to be a teenager with a brand new credit card, metaphorically speaking. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to buy new, flashy things in order to prove that they now seem to be earning some expendable income. Of course, after many years of poverty, many of these folks are very excited about being able to have clothes, cars, and the trappings of "wealth," as well they should be. This is one of the reasons that they seem to be so interested in Americans and what they are purchasing. I have had locals push their faces right into my hands to get a look at what I am purchasing in a store. Westerners in general, and especially Americans, are perceived as extremely wealthy and, as such, are often expected to pay a premium on goods and services. We try not to dicker too much about this premium as quite often, the price is usually still a bargain. For example, yesterday I purchased cabbages, onions, carrots, apples, strawberries, and bananas all for around $5 total from the open air market across the street from our apartment complex. I don't dicker with these folks. They are coming with their wares from somewhere out in the countryside on a daily basis (no weekends off) to try to earn a few RMB for their home grown produce. It's a great deal even at the asking price, and I feel good about attempting to contribute to the burgeoning economy here.
Having said that, we Americans seems to be getting a bad rap from other expats about the practice of tipping. Apparently, before so many American expats arrived on the scene, tipping was a rare occurrence in Shanghai, and indeed, China in general. We do notice that, for the most part, tipping is not expected. And maybe it's a cultural thing, but I guess we feel compelled to tip for exceptional service, so we do. Randy and I often check an expat website that has some good information available, and we've noticed lately that the chat has been that the Americans are ruining Shanghai for the rest of the expats. Americans are a little late on the economic scene here in Shanghai, and the other expats (mostly European) have enjoyed many years of the no tipping situation. Now they are complaining a bit about our practice of tipping and how it may be becoming expected of them too. Not sure what to make of that. I doubt that we will change our habit because we do feel that most of these service employees are earning a pittance and are very grateful for whatever extra they can acquire. There's also that adage "you get what you pay for" to be considered as well.
Anyway, I digress. Our relocation service recommended a place called Dragonfly. Dragonfly is a chain of businesses that seem to cater to expats offering several types of massage (body and foot, aromatherapy, Chinese and Japanese), manicures, pedicures, waxing, and various types of legitimate service like that. The Dragonfly ads in magazines and newspapers are quite distinctive. They will have in big bold letters right across the top of the ad "NO SEX, NO FOOD, JUST MASSAGE." Gets the message across pretty well, I'd say. We'd heard that they offer "couples" massages there and that appealed to us, so I made an appointment.
The Dragonfly nearest us is located on Hong Mei Lu which is our favorite restaurant neighborhood, so Randy came home from work early and we took off on foot to locate Dragonfly. In Shanghai, there are many smaller alleys off the main streets on which many business will be located all utilizing the same address but different villa numbers. Dragonfly shared a cobblestone alley with four restaurants (Indian, Thai, Mexican, and Spanish). Since we were early for our massage, we decided to try the Spanish place for a pre-massage drink. It helped that the owner was out front and personally invited us in. Seems that Micasa is a brand new restaurant and the owner (a Brit) charmed us bit with his invitation. We had a beer and perused the menu which looked quite intriguing. We made mental notes to try Micasa soon.
Dragonfly has a really pleasant atmosphere, candles lit, soft music playing, smells great, and the staff does a good job of making you feel welcome. It helped that there was a German couple just arriving to get massages, so we felt we'd made the right choice. After making our choice of a traditional one-hour Chinese massage, we were escorted into a changing area where we were handed Chinese pajamas (there is probably an appropriate name for this, but I'm not aware of it), and straw flip flops. We changed into our pajamas and followed a woman up the candle-lit steps to the massage area. Along the way, I could see into a room where there was a row of large Lazy-Boy chairs where I assume the foot massages and pedicures are given.
The massages are administered right over the pajamas (which is nice for really modest folks). Randy and I were in the same room, but with a shear curtain between us. The masseuses seem to be well-trained and were certainly effective. Their trained hands found all the tense and tight spots, and worked their magic to relax and relieve sore muscles. Randy and I both found the massages very soothing.
Once the massage was finished, we were escorted back to the changing area. When we came out, we were greeted with a tray of steaming cups of hot tea. I have to say, they certainly know how to relax the customer. I slept better that night than I had in ages ... wonderful!!
We did try Micasa later that week, and were not disappointed. Micasa is a Spanish establishment, not to be confused with Mexican ... Spanish is not really spicy, and is more Mediterranian in nature. The owner remembered us and was very welcoming. Micasa not only has a great menu, but has a beautifully appointed dining area. The walls are peach and terra cotta, the tables are covered with linen, and the plush, upholstered chairs in sienna are comfy and inviting. There are large windows with huge stands of bamboo just outside creating quite an exotic atmosphere. Another great feature of this restaurant is the fact that they offer pitchers of any mixed drink on the menu for a discount. Randy and I enjoyed crab cakes, mushroom soup, and a delightful Paella for dinner, and immediately declared that we'd be returning soon!
Randy's boss, Carrie, was in town for about 10 days, and we celebrated St. Patrick's Day while she was here. Shanghai hosted the first annual St. Patrick's Day Parade this year, so we decided we'd go have a look-see. The parade took place in what is known as the Xintiandi, a large block of pedestrianized area with a host of lovely restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. The square was filled with folks getting ready for the parade. There were balloons, men on stilts, face painting, Irish music blaring, and of course, LOTS of green apparel. I looked for someone with bagpipes but they never materialized. There was a marching band that led the parade through a large arch of green and white balloons. There parade took no more than 10 minutes to pass us by, and I dare say that there were more people IN the parade than were spectators, but it was fun. Obviously something to build on in the future. I heard that there are currently approximately 300 Irish expats in Shanghai.
After the parade, we took a walking tour of the area surrounding the Xintiandi into some of the more local shopping areas. These areas are quite fun to stroll even though one must steel themselves against all the hawking of the wares ("Hello ... watch? Hello ... DVD?"). I'm convinced that the only English that some of these folks know is "Hello." But part of the fun is the fact that one can negotiate for anything. The vendor will offer you a price by pecking out the number of RMB being asked into a calculator. Then they will hand you the calculator for a counter offer, and the bargaining begins. Typically, one can expect to pay half to two-thirds the asking price for a product.
We wandered into an area known as Old Shanghai which is an area of traditional Shanghai buildings and temples converted into shops and restaurants (mostly tourist stuff), but we are realizing that some of the more touristy areas should be avoided on the weekends. It was SO crowded that we could hardly move. We'd planned for a late lunch there, but instead grabbed a taxi back to Xintiandi where we knew we could sit down for a relaxing lunch.
We're told by the Chinese that everyone shops on the weekend, and I believe that is true, at least in Shanghai. Shanghai as a city seems to be a teenager with a brand new credit card, metaphorically speaking. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to buy new, flashy things in order to prove that they now seem to be earning some expendable income. Of course, after many years of poverty, many of these folks are very excited about being able to have clothes, cars, and the trappings of "wealth," as well they should be. This is one of the reasons that they seem to be so interested in Americans and what they are purchasing. I have had locals push their faces right into my hands to get a look at what I am purchasing in a store. Westerners in general, and especially Americans, are perceived as extremely wealthy and, as such, are often expected to pay a premium on goods and services. We try not to dicker too much about this premium as quite often, the price is usually still a bargain. For example, yesterday I purchased cabbages, onions, carrots, apples, strawberries, and bananas all for around $5 total from the open air market across the street from our apartment complex. I don't dicker with these folks. They are coming with their wares from somewhere out in the countryside on a daily basis (no weekends off) to try to earn a few RMB for their home grown produce. It's a great deal even at the asking price, and I feel good about attempting to contribute to the burgeoning economy here.
Having said that, we Americans seems to be getting a bad rap from other expats about the practice of tipping. Apparently, before so many American expats arrived on the scene, tipping was a rare occurrence in Shanghai, and indeed, China in general. We do notice that, for the most part, tipping is not expected. And maybe it's a cultural thing, but I guess we feel compelled to tip for exceptional service, so we do. Randy and I often check an expat website that has some good information available, and we've noticed lately that the chat has been that the Americans are ruining Shanghai for the rest of the expats. Americans are a little late on the economic scene here in Shanghai, and the other expats (mostly European) have enjoyed many years of the no tipping situation. Now they are complaining a bit about our practice of tipping and how it may be becoming expected of them too. Not sure what to make of that. I doubt that we will change our habit because we do feel that most of these service employees are earning a pittance and are very grateful for whatever extra they can acquire. There's also that adage "you get what you pay for" to be considered as well.
posted by Roxanne Gillett at
7:20 PM
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