wasn't kidding when i said that chinese massage was an indulgence. i went for it TWICE this week, making it the biggest expense after food. imagine that. i like alice because she has really strong hands and uses good pressure and really knows how to hit those trouble spots. today i was late for my appointment with her and she had to leave for another appointment a couple of blocks away. so i ended up getting 30 mins of massage from a DUDE. it was so strange because i had to take off my jeans and only had a towel to protect my dignity. then even stranger- he pulled the curtain across my legs so that only my knees and below were exposed to him. but he really did not know how to work it like alice. he was far too gentle and it felt like he was moisturising my feet more than giving a massage. after my half hour was up, alice had apparently come back so i relented and asked for 15 more minutes so she could work her magic. one of the things i hate most is leaving a massage feeling like i was not knead like dough.