Taiwan, Part IV

A lot of people told me to get a massage in Taiwan. So A and I went to Sheraton Taipei one day. For NT$1800, you get a massage (probably an hour long - I lost track of time) that hurts quite a bit while it lasted, but feels so good afterwards. (Of course, you can tell the masseuse to go easy on you, but then what’s the point?) You also get to use the bath, the sauna, the steam room, and relax in the lounge for as long as you like. You can even order some food and eat in the lounge. This might not be the cheapest in Taipei. However, compared to the States, it was such a steal.

Chinese believe that there is a pressure point that correlates to every part of your body. So by massaging the feet, you can understand your health. If a particular pressure point hurts too much, the corresponding body part/organ is either stressed, or has some problems that you should pay more attention to. I’ve seen foot massage salons popping up all over the place in the Seattle area. Of course, there are many of them in Taipei as well. We went to the Six Star Foot Massage Center. I heard that this is one of the more expensive places. A session, which includes 3 minutes neck massage and 40 minutes feet and leg massage, costs NT$810, or 10 sessions for NT$6000. Even if it’s pricey for the Taipei standard, it’s totally worth it. The place is very clean. You can either read magazines, watch TV (each chair has a mini TV on the left arm), or take a nap during your massage. =) You can ask the therapist about the pressure points. Just like body massages, it’s best if you give him some feedback and let him know when to apply more pressure, and when not to. When you leave the place, you will be so relaxed that a nap is all you want.

Maybe this goes hand in hand with the fact that most people are really polite in Taipei, the service industries are great! I didn’t meet anyone with an attitude, or said anything inappropriate. So if you are in Taipei, you should definitely take the time and get pampered. =)