Miracle Massage

While we were in Chengdu for the ultrasound, I began getting what I've heard called the "pregnancy congestion". I thought I was getting a cold, but I don't have any other symptoms- just congestion. Apparently it's quite common for your body to create more phlegm during this special time!

On top of the congestion, we had just taken a 13 hour train ride and the weather went from cold and rainy to hot and stuffy- so I developed a WHOPPING headache.

One of my favorite ways to relax here is to go to a beauty parlor and get my hair washed. It costs about $2, and they dry and style it for you, too. This day I left Scott in the hotel to recover from a tummy ache (sympathy pains) and I searched out a beauty parlor. When I arrived I told them of my headache and asked them to give me a head massage- I ended up getting a Tea Tree Oil treatment done on my hair (they kept asking me "Would you like ___?" and I was so doped on the massage I said yes to everything).

Half-way through the massage she pulled out this strange looking stick- she put it to my scalp and began making tiny circles all over my head- and then she did this strange slapping thing with my hair. She would pull it tight and then slap it and twist it and slap it again. It all sounds so strange but it was seriously like voodoo- she knew all these pressure points that would hurt when she pressed them, but I could feel it in my hands and all the way down my spine sometimes and I got worried when it began to feel like an out-of-body experience.

The hot water broke up the phlegm and the massage took away my headache- and I wanted to go back the next day.... unfortunately, I had said yes to everything they offered and what usually costs 5 kuai ended up costing 50 kuai. whoops!

What's nice about this is it's one of the few things I'm still allowed to do during pregnancy :-( Manicures, pedicures, back/ foot massages, jogging, dancing, aroma therapy, sitting on the floor, eating spicy food are all banned for pregnant women.

I tried to go get my toenails painted last week and ran into my teacher there. She said to the shop owner "This girl is pregnant, don't let her come in!" and then gave me a lecture on exposing my skin to these chemicals. I told her "I think it's ok... I'm not going to drink it." she did NOT think that was funny :-)