games apathy

Major rain today. We finally slept in a bit this morning so I don't feel like I am a walking zombie. Yesterday my friends managed to score tickets to a basketball game and a volleyball game. They are living it. I only managed a quick tour of the Forbidden City with them and some hanging out watching TV at Canada Olympic House. I went for foot massage and had the most surreal experience.

I provided the name and address of an upscale place that was recommended. Instead the driver dropped me off at what looked like a rip off hotel of Caesar's Palace. I go inside and it is all marble and columns and there is a really large menu in Chinese and English. A bunch of random options as I am standing in front of the reception area (dinner, steam, ear picking, cupping etc.) I say all I want is a foot massage and point to that. They lead me to a change room and tell me to give them all my clothes and stuff and take a shower. Mass confusion as all I want is a foot massage. I change into the clothes the offer and they put a bracelet on me that opens the locker I have put all my stuff in and it has a number on it. The one person who speaks English then leads me up to the 2nd floor and the resting room. It is bunch of people dressed in the same white outfit I am wearing and they are all laying in the dark watching tv with headphones on. I ask for something a little quieter as it is right next to the dining area where again, people are sitting and eating in the white outfits. There kids lazing about as well.

They take me up another floor and I go into this movie style room with a hundred lazy boys and I screen up on a stage that is projecting an Olympic soccer game. I sit in a chair and a couple of minutes late this women comes by and gives me a kick ass 50 minute foot massage that ends with here using small hammers to pound my feet and legs.

No time to get into it all but it was totally surreal. I guess it was some spa hotel for Chinese people. They were pumped because they had a foreigner the day before and 2 last week. I guess the cab driver decided that this was where need to go.

Now hanging out in COH and waiting out some torrential rain.