Oh, I forgot to mention about the time I went to for a pedicure about three blocks from my house. All the pedicurists in my neighborhood are korean. They really do know their stuff. They sterilize the instruments. They are immaculate with everything that they do.

This was a few years ago and I think it was only the second time I went for a pedicure. Now I know to tell them that I am diabetic and they go "oh good, it's good you told us, we won't take off too much of the rough stuff on the bottom of your feet". So, thinking I was in the best of hands (and thinking that I am ONLY GOING TO GET A PEDICURE, I just sat back in the chair and relaxed. The first thing was that as they soak my feet, they press a button and the back of my chair turns into this massage thing that has rollers going up and down my spine. I have scoliosis so I started yelling Stop this thing immediately. They thought I was nuts, but they indeed stopped it. Too painful for my back.

They proceeded to give me a very nice manicure and took care of an ingrown toenail. Very nice job. I did not bring my own instruments (didn't know at the time that I could do this).

Then (and thank god for this), they press a button and the water empties out of the thing your feet are soaking in.

So after they do all the cutting and filing and cuticling and whatever else they do during the pedicure, WHAT COMES NEXT IS MIND BOGGLING. They take this lotion and do your calves, then she starts doing each toe, bending them back and forrwards and massaging each toe. Since I had never had this done to me in my entire life and there is this strange person doing this to my toes, who am I to argue and tell her "stop massaging my toes". If she wants to massage my toes,let her massage my toes".

Then she takes her hands and starts thumping up and down my calves. Didn't stop her there either. She's thumping away and smiling at me (she didnt' speak english that great).

But that's when it got kinky. She starts pulling my leg towards her. I guess it was supposed to be part of the massage. All I know is I landed in the tub that my feet had just soaked in. I fell out of the chair and landed in the tub and everybody started yelling (well, I don't speak korean, so I have no idea what they were screaming) but it took three of them to get me out of the tub.

Of course I just laughed it off and they were apologetic. But the funny part comes next. I get my dignity back and stand up and ask if they do haircuts. Because this place (It's called Empress, on 18th avenue in Brooklyn), also does haircuts. So I ask if they do shags. 15 men come out of the back of the place all saying Shag, shag, yes we do shags.

So I sit in the chair, and he proceeds to cut my hair (into a shag I presume), then he takes a curling iron and proceeds to use it on the top of my hair. My hair starts to smoke. I politely tell him "sir my hair is on fire" and because they don't speak english I just jump up and say "fire, fire". It seems I got a beginner that day.

I walked out of that place and didn't pay for a pedicure or a haircut.
Never went back either.

Found a new place one block from my house. They have never pulled me into the tub yet.

Jeez, what we do for beauty!!!!

Melody