Yesterday I decided to spend my birthday money and treat myself to a massage and a facial to ease my anxiety and tension about the holidays. Looking on the internet, I found several spas in my area. I was disappointed that the spa I usually patronize was closed on Monday. I found one not too far away and called. The woman told me that they would be open Wednesday when her remodel was finished. I declined, wanting a more immediate remedy for my tight shoulders. The phone rang while I was still cruising the internet. It was the woman from the remodeling spa. She could provide the services that evening after the construction workers had gone home. I hesitated. No thanks, that's too much trouble. Oh no trouble she assured me. She didn't want to miss out on a customer. At this point I must mention that I could tell she was Vietnamese which becomes important later on. How did I know? I have worked with Vietnamese parents and children for 17 years and I can pick out their accents.
I finally agreed. The price was right and what the hell, I'd open my mind and give it a try. I got there a little before 6 pm. I opened the door and was surprised to see a bona fide construction zone. Steel beams, piles of tile, trenches cut in the marble floor. This remodel is not going to be finished in one more day I thought. A woman named Becky (Vietnamese, of course, just like I thought) greeted me and steered me back to the first room past the lobby construction. Not a great room but adequate. A massage table, some weird machines, a chair and some ceiling open to the roof.
Becky told me she would do a Thai massage first and then the facial. We had to go through this more than once since her accent was so heavy. That's saying something because I'm pretty good at understanding Vietnamese English. It started like a regular massage, dim lights, soothing music, and a really fantastic foot massage. It progressed nicely to a hot stone massage which I'd never had before for my upper back. Also very nice. She did keep talking to me and I couldn't understand a word. Unfortunately, she was asking me questions so there were a few puzzles.
It got a little dicey at the end of the massage. It was the most intimate massage I've ever had and I took the baths at Baden Baden in Germany where everyone walked around naked. So, she's massaging my legs and I swear she got up on the table and pressed on my coccyx and tried to spread my hips (?). All the time I was telling myself, just relax, keep an open mind. Very unusual experience.
I turned over for the roughest facial ever! If you've ever had a facial you know that at some point the aesthetician usually pats your face quickly with both hands. I swear my teeth were knocking together! No joke. I was actually paying to be smacked upside the face! And when she took the mask off I think she used wet sand paper - ouch! I'm not a huge fan of facials in the first place but this was really something. My shoulders tensed right up. By this time too my legs were asleep from the knees down. The cushion under my knees was too small and cut off my circulation. That was a new experience.
On the plus side I must admit that the leg and hip massage she did while waiting for the mask to do its thing was great and loosened up my joints. But it didn't really make up for the smacking and the sandpaper.
Becky was very nice and I know she was doing her best but between the language barrier, the smack down and the coccyx thing I don't think I'll go back. It's interesting that here in Orange County, Vietnamese immigrants have chosen to go into personal service jobs. My own observation has been that "gentle" is not a common cultural characteristic. I've had some pretty rough manicures and pedicures which is why I have avoided Asian spas in the past. Right about now I'm thinking that might be a pretty good policy.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
And the winner is...
Grammys, Emmys, Tonys, and more!
Actors, singers, directors galore!
Red carpets, and gowns
Diamonds abound!
Applause from their peers
Awards up their rears!
Hollywood honors their own every year.
Not enough are the millions
They're paid to pretend.
Not enough the applause
or the fame they can't spend.
They've got to have statues, awards, and some bling
No matter the mansions or easy living.
Awards and statues and bling oh no!
Applause and red carpets, a big no show.
No millions, no mansions for most of us here.
Cure a kid, build a bridge, not even a cheer.
But in Hollywood dear, fame and fortune are found
And awards just for acting (pretending) abound.
Check real estate listings and you will see
A part in a sitcom lands you in Beverlee.
Movie star wages are millions each flick
Even directors are millionaires - click.
With all that they have do they really crave more?
More applause, more awards, just more, more and more?
Actors, singers, directors galore!
Red carpets, and gowns
Diamonds abound!
Applause from their peers
Awards up their rears!
Hollywood honors their own every year.
Not enough are the millions
They're paid to pretend.
Not enough the applause
or the fame they can't spend.
They've got to have statues, awards, and some bling
No matter the mansions or easy living.
Awards and statues and bling oh no!
Applause and red carpets, a big no show.
No millions, no mansions for most of us here.
Cure a kid, build a bridge, not even a cheer.
But in Hollywood dear, fame and fortune are found
And awards just for acting (pretending) abound.
Check real estate listings and you will see
A part in a sitcom lands you in Beverlee.
Movie star wages are millions each flick
Even directors are millionaires - click.
With all that they have do they really crave more?
More applause, more awards, just more, more and more?
Free Speech, Mine and Theirs
I went to the post office the other day to drop off my Christmas cards. The post office is a good place for people to set up tables for petitions and whatnot. That day several tables were set up and manned by a bunch of retirees having a good ole time talking to passersby and distributing literature about the evils of the current Washington administration. There was one poster in particular that I have seen before and find odious and offensive and it was posted on the side of the table that day.
The poster shows President Obama with a Hitlerian mustache. In what universe can one possible compare Barack Obama with Hitler? Hitler exterminated over 6 million people and destroyed vast parts of Europe. He tortured, enslaved, and starved millions more. Obama is a lawyer from Illinois who, although he is president, must have approval from Congress to do anything. He is not a dictator or tyrant. Are the people who produce and display such offensive posters so ignorant that they don't know anything about Hitler or World War II? No. They're bigots who can't think of a more vile comparison and use it as a scare tactic to perpetuate their own fear and hatred. I could say they are uninformed or afraid of change but that would be cutting them too much slack, giving them too much credit. Bigots, racists one and all.
As I left the post office one old man approached me waving a piece of paper saying, "You'll want to read this!" I didn't even turn my head or hesitate. I walked to my car fuming. If I had stopped I wouldn't have been able to keep a cool head or use decent language. Next time though, I think I will stop and say a few words. Bigot and racist will be first on my list. Ignorant POS may be next.
Silence allows such hatred and bigotry to spread. No one approaches these people, nice older white guys and gals, except those with like minds. Most people just walk by and ignore the folks manning the tables. I can see why. If you disagree and speak up, you are outnumbered. You are facing off against a group. That's why gangs are successful, there is safety in numbers. However, it is high time those of us who disagree with the hatred and lies they spew, stand up to them in public places to make it clear that they are NOT the voice of the people. I am "the people" too and they do not speak for me!
The poster shows President Obama with a Hitlerian mustache. In what universe can one possible compare Barack Obama with Hitler? Hitler exterminated over 6 million people and destroyed vast parts of Europe. He tortured, enslaved, and starved millions more. Obama is a lawyer from Illinois who, although he is president, must have approval from Congress to do anything. He is not a dictator or tyrant. Are the people who produce and display such offensive posters so ignorant that they don't know anything about Hitler or World War II? No. They're bigots who can't think of a more vile comparison and use it as a scare tactic to perpetuate their own fear and hatred. I could say they are uninformed or afraid of change but that would be cutting them too much slack, giving them too much credit. Bigots, racists one and all.
As I left the post office one old man approached me waving a piece of paper saying, "You'll want to read this!" I didn't even turn my head or hesitate. I walked to my car fuming. If I had stopped I wouldn't have been able to keep a cool head or use decent language. Next time though, I think I will stop and say a few words. Bigot and racist will be first on my list. Ignorant POS may be next.
Silence allows such hatred and bigotry to spread. No one approaches these people, nice older white guys and gals, except those with like minds. Most people just walk by and ignore the folks manning the tables. I can see why. If you disagree and speak up, you are outnumbered. You are facing off against a group. That's why gangs are successful, there is safety in numbers. However, it is high time those of us who disagree with the hatred and lies they spew, stand up to them in public places to make it clear that they are NOT the voice of the people. I am "the people" too and they do not speak for me!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
What Did You Say?
This is just me being picky but in what language is /ou/ pronounced /u/ like cute or huge? In English /ou/ has two basic pronunciations in words like 'group' or 'ounce'. For some unknown reason in the word 'coupon' the /ou/ is pronounced like the /u/ in cue or cute. What is that about and where did it come from?
The other word is 'kindergarten'. I work in an elementary school where even the administration cannot pronounce that simple word. I can't count how many educated people I know say "kindygarten". These are people in education who should know better. Not only that, when they speak to parents whose first language isn't English they mispronounce the word and pass on the error. I wonder if they really think 'kindygarten' is correct or are they too lazy to pronounce it correctly?
Maybe both words come from previous eras and areas where 'wash' was pronounced 'warsh' for example and Los Angeles had a variety of mispronunciations. I can't even begin to spell the variations. I'd need that nasty pronunciation guide at the beginning of the dictionary and then you, the reader, wouldn't be able to decipher the spelling either.
Let's not forget the word "nuclear" which even public speakers often pronounce as "nucular". Elected officials are the worst offenders. They stand up in front of a microphone and mispronounce it until it starts to sound right. It's not but they seem so sure of themselves. You'd think one of their many aides would correct them. But no, it's a ubiquitous error most people probably don't even hear any more. Imagine trying to look up 'nucular' in a dictionary.
I can't tell you how many times in a school year children study how to use a dictionary. It's unreal. And it's really, really boring. How many times have you referred to the pronunciation guide in the dictionary? None? I thought so. Before I started having to teach it I never so much as looked at it. If I did, it looked like some foreign language which in a sense it is. With its upside down e's and triangle hats and double dots it's confusing and not very helpful. It's a code, and breaking it takes some serious study. Even then it's not overly helpful.
Mostly people just reproduce what they hear others say, right or wrong. And sometimes it's just plain wrong.
The other word is 'kindergarten'. I work in an elementary school where even the administration cannot pronounce that simple word. I can't count how many educated people I know say "kindygarten". These are people in education who should know better. Not only that, when they speak to parents whose first language isn't English they mispronounce the word and pass on the error. I wonder if they really think 'kindygarten' is correct or are they too lazy to pronounce it correctly?
Maybe both words come from previous eras and areas where 'wash' was pronounced 'warsh' for example and Los Angeles had a variety of mispronunciations. I can't even begin to spell the variations. I'd need that nasty pronunciation guide at the beginning of the dictionary and then you, the reader, wouldn't be able to decipher the spelling either.
Let's not forget the word "nuclear" which even public speakers often pronounce as "nucular". Elected officials are the worst offenders. They stand up in front of a microphone and mispronounce it until it starts to sound right. It's not but they seem so sure of themselves. You'd think one of their many aides would correct them. But no, it's a ubiquitous error most people probably don't even hear any more. Imagine trying to look up 'nucular' in a dictionary.
I can't tell you how many times in a school year children study how to use a dictionary. It's unreal. And it's really, really boring. How many times have you referred to the pronunciation guide in the dictionary? None? I thought so. Before I started having to teach it I never so much as looked at it. If I did, it looked like some foreign language which in a sense it is. With its upside down e's and triangle hats and double dots it's confusing and not very helpful. It's a code, and breaking it takes some serious study. Even then it's not overly helpful.
Mostly people just reproduce what they hear others say, right or wrong. And sometimes it's just plain wrong.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
How Much Does It Cost?
I ask again, how much do things cost? Trying to the find the cost of anything these days requires some diligent research. Is there a one day sale? Do I get a percentage off if I use a credit card? How much is it if I have a "store" card? Do I need to produce the coupon I was emailed? If I sign up for yet another credit card how much will the store take off? It's insane!
Recently I shopped a "pre-sale" in a small luxury store. The sale didn't start for two days but I could get the sale price that day if I were willing to wait for my items to be shipped FREE. What kind of math is that? Let's get this straight - the store was willing to give me the sale price that day if I could wait for an employee to pack it in a box and pay to ship it to my house. AND since I bought more than $50 worth of items I received a another $35 item free. From that last bit I conclude that the $35 item wasn't worth more than a dollar. Is that any way to run a business? They could have just given me the sale price and I would have taken it home saving the cost of the employee required to box it and the cost of shipping. Completely nuts!
Then there's the scam of those store cards. I went into CVS, a store I rarely shop in, to buy something, I don't remember what but probably some cold medicine I needed right then. The price was listed in large red numbers under the item and when I got to the register I had to pay almost double for the item because I didn't have a store card. What kind of sh** is that? I guess there was some XXXfine print that explained this but even with my glasses on I couldn't read it. I don't want a store card. I've got too many cards in my wallet already. I felt totally ripped off. No, I was totally ripped off.
Grocery stores do the same thing with their "cards". At the end of your purchase the checker informs you how much you "saved" by using your card. How about if the goods were accurately priced in the first place. I avoid supermarkets most of the time for that very reason. During the last weeks long strike by supermarket employees, I, as a union member, refused to cross the picket line. I discovered a small family market with superior produce and a fabulous meat counter and have shopped there ever since. Another plus, they play Hawaiian music in the background. Their produce is fresher and cheaper than the supers. Their meat is more expensive but it is flavorful, tender, and I can get the exact amount I want. AND they have no "card"! The price is the price is the price. What a relief! We also shop at Trader Joe's, another store with no member cards and honest prices.
I can't let this go until I complain about big stores whose "one day" sales have gone on every day since Thanksgiving. Why not just have a holiday sale until Christmas and let it go? Save some advertising dollars. If I'm out shopping and have forgotten my coupon that's license to rip me off. Let's not forget using the store credit card. Use it and you get money off, apply for it and you win the savings jackpot. What the hell? Are all stores going bankrupt from marking goods down OR is the sale price a more accurate reflection of the item's true cost?
I am becoming increasingly convinced that all goods everywhere are marked up so retailers can mark them down enticing shoppers in to "save money". If you buy an item, guess what, you're not saving money you're spending it. I could ask,"How stupid does the retail industry think we are?" But I already know answer. Consumers are gullible and incapable of critical thinking.
Lest you think I've opted out of the crazy retail games, I can tell you I'm no exception. I applied for a Sears card to save money on a new refrigerator and an REI VISA to get a $100 gift card. So here I am with two cards I'll never use just to "save" some money.
Used to be only car prices were hiked up and subject to negotiation. Everyone knew it and acted accordingly. Not any more. Now everywhere you go you have to wonder, how much should this really cost and am I carrying the right cards and coupons for this store? What a scam.
Recently I shopped a "pre-sale" in a small luxury store. The sale didn't start for two days but I could get the sale price that day if I were willing to wait for my items to be shipped FREE. What kind of math is that? Let's get this straight - the store was willing to give me the sale price that day if I could wait for an employee to pack it in a box and pay to ship it to my house. AND since I bought more than $50 worth of items I received a another $35 item free. From that last bit I conclude that the $35 item wasn't worth more than a dollar. Is that any way to run a business? They could have just given me the sale price and I would have taken it home saving the cost of the employee required to box it and the cost of shipping. Completely nuts!
Then there's the scam of those store cards. I went into CVS, a store I rarely shop in, to buy something, I don't remember what but probably some cold medicine I needed right then. The price was listed in large red numbers under the item and when I got to the register I had to pay almost double for the item because I didn't have a store card. What kind of sh** is that? I guess there was some XXXfine print that explained this but even with my glasses on I couldn't read it. I don't want a store card. I've got too many cards in my wallet already. I felt totally ripped off. No, I was totally ripped off.
Grocery stores do the same thing with their "cards". At the end of your purchase the checker informs you how much you "saved" by using your card. How about if the goods were accurately priced in the first place. I avoid supermarkets most of the time for that very reason. During the last weeks long strike by supermarket employees, I, as a union member, refused to cross the picket line. I discovered a small family market with superior produce and a fabulous meat counter and have shopped there ever since. Another plus, they play Hawaiian music in the background. Their produce is fresher and cheaper than the supers. Their meat is more expensive but it is flavorful, tender, and I can get the exact amount I want. AND they have no "card"! The price is the price is the price. What a relief! We also shop at Trader Joe's, another store with no member cards and honest prices.
I can't let this go until I complain about big stores whose "one day" sales have gone on every day since Thanksgiving. Why not just have a holiday sale until Christmas and let it go? Save some advertising dollars. If I'm out shopping and have forgotten my coupon that's license to rip me off. Let's not forget using the store credit card. Use it and you get money off, apply for it and you win the savings jackpot. What the hell? Are all stores going bankrupt from marking goods down OR is the sale price a more accurate reflection of the item's true cost?
I am becoming increasingly convinced that all goods everywhere are marked up so retailers can mark them down enticing shoppers in to "save money". If you buy an item, guess what, you're not saving money you're spending it. I could ask,"How stupid does the retail industry think we are?" But I already know answer. Consumers are gullible and incapable of critical thinking.
Lest you think I've opted out of the crazy retail games, I can tell you I'm no exception. I applied for a Sears card to save money on a new refrigerator and an REI VISA to get a $100 gift card. So here I am with two cards I'll never use just to "save" some money.
Used to be only car prices were hiked up and subject to negotiation. Everyone knew it and acted accordingly. Not any more. Now everywhere you go you have to wonder, how much should this really cost and am I carrying the right cards and coupons for this store? What a scam.
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