When you're this far from "home" you tend to fall into certain routines to help pass the time. Recently, I've added a weekly hour-long massage courtesy of a Russian and Dari speaking masseuse.
Last Thursday, my first visit, I told the young lady I liked hard massages. I just figured she'd have to work pretty, well, hard on me given her size. Anyway, about 40 minutes in I realized she took her work seriously. She must have put each of her 120 lbs into her elbows as she dug into my back.
I tried to suck it up, but eventually had to call off the beast --- begging for a little mercy. Today, day two, I requested a "medium" massage.
"Hi, do you have time for me now?" I asked, showing up a half hour early.
"You want now?" she replied.
"Yes, I pay now too," as I slid my money to her. "Oh, and this time I'd like a medium massage." I used my hands to demonstrate medium, between hard and soft.
"Medium," she replied with a slight grin.
"Yes," and for a second I wondered if she new she put the hurt to me last time.
Anyway, with the weather somewhere in the high 90s or low 100s, it was a nice 60-minute vacation of sorts. As with any other relationship, business or otherwise, it takes time to feel each other out. She, I think, now knows how to handle me -- but will learn even more in the future.
"Do you speak Russian," I asked her on the way out.
"Me Russian? Yes," she said.
Hmmm, she looked Chinese but spoke Dari and Russian. The world is an interesting place.
