I honestly can’t believe that my first blog entry into my “global spa travel blog” is going to be about the Cleveland Park Day Spa (www.clevelandparkdayspa.com) located in north west Washington DC.
Let me explain…
Yesterday was the 1st day of spring and the 3rd day of the year that it was not raining, snowing or 30 degrees -and the only time that I could dream of walking 4 blocks in my flip-flops to get a pedicure. All of the women in DC got pedicures yesterday, and I was no exception.
The Cleveland Park Day Spa is the typical strip mall nail shop. You walk in, the lady behind the counter asks you what you want, you say; “pedicure” or “manicure” and then she says, “pick your color” and off you go. Easy. The counter has bright pink price lists and a statue of Buddha, as well as an altar on the ground. The red altar has 2 red hanging Christmas tree lights dangling from the corners, offerings of fruit, incense, a white ceramic elephant and another statue of Buddha.
I go back to the pedicure area where they have 6 new Petra-massage pedicure throwns- which is such a great improvement. As the previous chairs massaged my spine into numbness as metal wires poked through the thin leather and vibrated the “chi” right out of me. In the new tubs, there are blue and green lights. I am not sure which color means what, but I was just hoping that one of the colors sanitizes!
OK- so feet are happily soaking and my lady starts my treatment. I call her “lady” as I don’t know her name, she doesn’t know mine, her pink uniform only sports their logo. We are fine unit her cell phone rings, and she answers it.
I am not bothered really because I am quickly distracted by watching my “lady” pick the phone out of her pocket with her thumb and index finger- pinking finger is high in the air as if she were drinking tea with The Queen. She is talking quickly and snappy, nasal- and now both pinky fingers are having tea and cucumber sandwiches with The Royal Family. She has ballerina hands and continues her conversation. I am now bored and look at the other customers and discover… there is a new unfashionable breed in DC- the newly graduated ladies of upper class families and universities, who know it all… but not really.
The one young lady, whom I will call her the “mentor” is trying to communicate with her “lady” that the scrub is too rough and her massage is too strong. The “mentor” demonstrates and slows down her words and motions with her hands, slower circles and less scrubbing. Now that great thing about people from other countries is that there is always someone who speaks English and acts as the “translator”- so our “translator” , who sat just 2 stools away,is translating.
My pedicure continues with a toothy smile and a, “sorry” - I am now scrubbed, filed, clipped and then with a reach of her hands my “lady” pulls out what looks like a plastic ketchup bottle from the local bar-b-q and as if she is squirting mustard on a hot dog, squeezes lotion onto my shin, from the knee to toe. I felt like I was at a vending stand on the corner in New York City, waiting for her to ask me if I wanted onions with that dog. She gave me a wonderful massage, with pinky fingers lifted, painted my toes and gave me another toothy grin of thanks.
Oh it was a great afternoon, and even though I was only 4 blocks from home, I think that I did have a “global spa” experience.
