by Yvonne Lee
After school, I head to a secluded place in an alley in downtown Taipei. The place is meticulously adorned with greenery while warm light penetrates the leafy plants. A refreshing fragrance pours out immediately upon opening the shiny glass door. As I walk into the main building, soft music floats in the aromatic air, accompanied by my footsteps knocking on the wooden path. Here I can ease my pressures, regain energy for tomorrow, and have a wonderful meal all within the space of three hours. This is the kind of place very popular nowadays in Taiwan: a spa. Spas, from Latin salus par aqua (cured by water), have been popular for centuries. Yet it was not until the last ten years that spas became well known in Taiwan. Certainly, stress is the cause of this trend. The economic boom and then the ensuing downturn have brought people nothing but stress. When people are not able to deal with pressure they go to spas for help. To date, spas have surpassed their original hydrotherapy and have expanded into a brand new attitude toward life. So how can washing and massaging turn into a popular phenomenon? The answer can’t be found without firsthand experience. I made my debut in a hair spa with no idea what these pretty therapists were going to do to me. After changing into a bathrobe and slippers, the whole package started with a personal consultation using some high-tech machines and computer devices that I have never seen before. With a cup of sweet-smelling herbal tea in hand, I was told in detail my hair and scalp condition and given personalized therapy. While I was still astonished and a bit scared by what I just saw on the monitor, I found myself placed in a comfortable wicker chair in an exotic massage room. The coolness of a relaxing gel calmed me down. Then my therapist chatted with me in a soft voice while massaging my scalp. After that, I had the most lavish hair wash in my whole life - two different kinds of shampoo for my hair and my scalp; followed by a chamomile essential oil massage and an orange essential oil one for my face. Seated in a dimly lit room with a hypnotic atmosphere and soft music, feeling the tender vibration from the massage chair beneath, I fell asleep in the middle of it! This, however, was only half of the whole process. The treatment went on for another two hours. While I thought hair drying was the end of it, I was led into another massage room. There I had an upper body and foot massage with lavender essential oil plus a rest interval where I was served delicious low-fat cake and herbal tea. Why massage? They told me it was necessary for good circulation and I had to wait until my hair was fully conditioned anyway. Finally, the treatment wrapped up with another test to prove my head and hair were fine-tuned, and I got advice on how to maintain good conditioning at home. I felt refreshed and energetic. Now you must be wondering how much all this might cost. Spas can be affordable for college students. Although membership is required in every spa, some are quite easy to join. In one case, the annual membership fee is around NT 4000. So save ten dollars a day and you’re able to become a member. That means you can go whenever you want and use every facility there from the sauna to good food. Some people go there just for the sake of health; some for relaxation. Not only women go to spas, but men, babies, even pets can join in the experience! The gloomy economic situation seems to be affecting everyone and everything, but spas appear to be the only industry that’s free from depression. The four leading spa corporations are all enjoying booming business and are quickly expanding all over Taiwan. When I chatted with some therapists in one spa, they told me a girl from the NTU Chinese Department had gone there the day before! I would say that spas are places with a spell. Few people can resist it once they experience how magical it is. Just indulge in the pleasant milieu for a couple of hours; in the meantime you get your five senses fully toned and refreshed. So why not spa? (Special thanks to Danger Figure Enterprise Day Spa, Tun-hua Branch: No. 8, Lane 53, Alley 63, Sec. 2, Tun-hua S. Rd; and to Merry Spa: B1, No. 86, Sec. 1, Tun-hua S. Rd) #Volume 7 Issue 1 a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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