In my previous spa blogs; “It’s All in the Signs”, “Film Stars Welcome” and “The Interview” , I have written about my work and personal experience in Thailand and the “goings-on” in my little village on Yanuii 2.
Across from Nate’s open-aired restaurant, stands a German Restaurant. Same design; no walls, palm leaves roof, weird bathroom, shady refrigeration. It is twice the size of Nate 2 and serves German-Thai food. I only went there on Sundays when Nate 2 was closed or when I didn’t feel like walking 2 miles to the other restaurants. I have to say that I didn’t really like it there, the idea of German food in the heat of Thailand did not appeal to me, and his bottled Heineken beer was twice the price of Nate’s. The neighborhood of Yanuii has a strong German community, and this was their hang-out. And with hanging out… came their dogs.
As I was building my community on the island, the dog population and packs became a part of it, and the lessons of how to maneuver around them.
SPA BLOG: Thailand- More signs along the way- “Film Stars Welcome”
In the last spa blog about my work and living experience in Thailand, I introduced you to my favorite local restaurant, “Nate 2.” It was really a hut in the jungle and a quick walk from my apartment at Ya-Nui Resort. Along the way was a newly opened massage center, “Chao Healing Massage.” It is a one level, stand alone cinder block square building with a brightly painted blue roof, and air-conditioned. Plants and a heard of dogs sit on the cool front concrete porch. The sign on her building advertised, “Chao Healing Massage; Giving Care foot & hand massage, Thai style Wat Po, Thai Relaxing Massage, 08 6529 9576.” I was thrilled to see my little community now had a massage center, but was more interested in her business. Her brochure intrigued me, as it has 5 action pictures of her, (like the ones you get in a photo booth in a mall), a scene of the beach, and a map and catch phrases: “From 250 baht, Out of this World”, “Film Stars Welcome”, “ Experience the most magnificent massage from the best. Fabulous calm music. Classy Interior. If its not the best massage you’ve ever had, we want to know about it.” I had to go in!
After being chased by the 3 dogs on the porch, (this happened every time) I was welcomed at the front door by Chao. I took off my shoes and entered. The room was welcoming, with 3 Thai massage tables, each with netting around them with traditional silk pillows and table covers- each bright and delicate. Buddha’s statue everywhere, water fountains, music and ceiling fans.
She and her brother lived in the back of the building. I only know this as I needed to use the bathroom, and the only one they had was in their living quarters. They had a small area with cooking facility, bathroom, mats for beds and a sliding glass door that lead to their garden. Tidy and in order.
The brother did not do the massages but organized tea, customers and quickly called other massage therapists when needed. One time I walked in and Chao was out, so he called and then said to me, “She is at the market and will be here in 10 minutes.” In about 2 minutes Chao showed up on her motorbike, as she was not going to miss out on any business.
Chao is actually a most gifted and spiritual therapist. She combines about 2-3 massage techniques, Thai massage, Chinese healing and I sure something she made up along the way- it all worked. After going to her about 6 times a week, I just knew that she was and is not the person who wrote, “film stars welcome” or “classy interior”- she is quiet and monastic. We became friends, and one day she asked me to look at a job offer she received from Dubai, as well as review her books, pricing and marketing. Now, I am not a huge fan of Dubai, not the land or the people, but more on how (in general) large companies treat foreign employees. I read the proposal and advised against it as it was not a very good deal her. I think that she struggled with her little healing center, but would have suffered in Dubai.
Oh what I would give for the Chao Healing center to be a block away, run from the heard of dogs, talk business, drink jasmine tea and listen to “fabulous calm music” with Chao!
In my previous spa blog entry, I mentioned that I lived and worked in Phuket, Thailand for Six Senses Destination Spas. When we moved our pre-opening offices from Bangkok to Phuket, we worked from their 5 star sister resort and spa, the Evasom. But we (8 of us) lived on a part of the island called “Yanui.” Yanui is a jungle, hilly and humid, and was hit hard by the Tsunami. The walk from my bungalow to the ocean was only 5 minutes; past tea houses, shacks mixed between holiday homes, a bar with lots of working ladies, and electrical line that hung close to the ground and make a constant buzzing sound. Just yards away from where I lived, is where the waters from the Tsunami stopped, vegetation still stripped away and only a vacant outline remains. From the marks on the tall trees, you can see where the waves and water hit and stripped limbs and bark. You have to look way up to see this line.
I had no idea that I was living in a Tsunami warning area until a sign across the street from my bungalow showed and told me. “EVACUTATION SITE.” The picture on the sign is that of a massive wave blue wave with 3 white full stick figures holding hands on top of the wave. The other sign closer to the beach gave a little more instruction, “TSUNAMI HAZARD ZONE: IN CASE OF EARTHQUAKE, GO TO HIGH GROUND OR INLAND” , the picture is of a huge black wave that looks like a hooked claw crashing over a hiker climbing up a hill. Needless to say, this did not sit well with me at all. No no no.
In the weeks to come, there was in fact a Tsunami warning. The waters around the bay receded and the fishermen were gone, boats sat and were tipped over on their side and the little couple that lived in a tin shack up the street had left and put a lock on their cardboard door.
Every night after work, I walked up the road and eat at “Nate 2 Thai Food.” Nate is a single Mom, works out, lives in the back of the restaurant, showers in the bathroom, and cooks the best and freshest Thai food I have eaten… for $1.50. There are no walls of the restaurant, one cooler where you can pick out either a Heineken, or pour a class of wine from a community bottle. She has coolers filled with chicken, tofu, fish and buys fresh picked veggies from the local farmer. The farmer rides his bike with an attached flat-bed filled with baskets of greens, a dog runs behind his cart. Nate 2 is also a hang-out for the international students/fighters who attend weeks and months of Thai Kick Boxing classes.
I was eating there when we had the Tsunami warning. She did not seem too bothered. I however was. To calm me down, she told me to: “sleep in your clothes, and have a small back pack with your passport and important papers, and then when you hear the alarm- run to the restaurant and we will run up the mountain together. “ Then she giggled and did a dance of us running. I went to the cooler and got another Heineken.
So I did what she said, and woke up the next day to my alarm clock, got redressed and went to work. In the few months that I was in Phuket, this mountain dance happened 3 more times.
From August – October 2007 I worked as the Wellness Director on the pre-opening of the Six Senses Destination Spas. It is/was a new brand for Six Senses and its first property was built on Naka Island, just off the coast of Phuket in Thailand. This is a very high end brand and from an operational point of view, a complicated one to deliver.
Firstly, being on an island during the rainy season made transportation a naval nightmare. Food and staff had to be shuttled by boat to and from the island, then driven about 20 minutes to their quarters. Not only did staff have to be shuttled to get to work, but imagine the guest who just flew 12 hours and is now on a rocky boat. There were days during the building process, that the waters were too rough to get to the island and a few other times during “mini” tsunamis where there was not much water at all.
Second complication, there are 4 different spa themes, (which is very cool, but again the delivery makes for sleepless nights) taking treatments, traditions and practitioners from Thailand, China, India and Indonesia.
I was based in Bangkok for over 2 weeks, and part of my job was to assist in massive 3 day long job fairs. As well as teamed up with the naturalist in creating the spa menu and product line, work with Ching, an former Buddhist Monk, now Marketing Director, and as I walked “home” from work every day, I had a Thai massage for about $8.00!
Interviewing the most kind hearted people on the earth, was a great honor for me- steeped in tradition of how I honorably greet the associate and how they greeted me- all starting with hands in a prayer position and a slow bow. When I interviewed employees at the Evasom property, they all took off their shoes prior to entering my office, and so did I.
The job fair interviewing process was a long comprehensive ordeal , as the potential employees had to first take a grammar,(funny, I just typed “grammer” … thank goodness my spell check caught this, otherwise I would have failed the damned test!) math, and logic test. Once or if they passed, then they had a face to face interview. The applicants had to speak English, or at least something that resembled it, as our clients were from all over the world, and that was the one common language used. I met with; PinPat, Somchai, Wuttipul, and Amnuay. The application for employment, for international standards, was highly “politically incorrect”- for example, asking questions of , “what does your father do for a living?” “what is your religion?”. One massage therapist was very concerned that since he was Muslim and I, American, that I would not hire him due to his religion.
One of the questions that I found fascinating was, “what is your five year plan” and here are some of the most honest unrehearsed answers I have ever heard: (and wrote down after interviews- these are direct quotes)
“business oldner and many many monay. I think so.”
“get the good job, married and have warm family”
“to be the new learn”
“I want to learn new things that make me stronger than now”
“to get higher position, and fluent in it, and I think I am assured by my head to do anything in my position”
“I want to open up a tiny restaurant”
“Aim in life is be permanent income, have good family and higher promoted”
“to be the new learn”
I have to say that if someone asked me” what is my five year plan, I would have to say, go back to Thailand and make happy happy life!
