a perfect way to start 2009

Chinese people don't really celebrate New Year's Eve since they have their own new year celebration that's based on the lunar calendar (so the date changes every year), but since Americans live in China there's still a lot of stuff to do on NYE and a huge public fireworks display.

I always have such a great time on NYE. I can't remember a single NYE where I wasn't doing exactly what I wanted to be doing, and last night was no different. I've had good luck when it's come to starting off the new year.

In order to ring in 2009 right and truly set the tone for the year, I knew I had to get a massage first thing in the morning. Massages here are amazing. They're only 10USD for a whole hour and the spa I go to is so nice inside. There are "spas" that offer 5USD massages, but they're really grimy and everyone gets massaged in the same room. My spa, Bamboo7, is wonderful. There's fountains, calming music, and a light scent of lavender in the air. I love that about spas. So refreshing.

The masseuses don't wear name tags, instead they were number tags, which is such a Mao thing to do. Usually I just take whoever is immediately available, but they were short staffed and only had guys ready when I stopped by, which I'm not a fan of. I've never received a male massage, and it's not a "first" I feel like experiencing in China. I don't really know why, but it creeps me out.

So I made a reservation for a little later in the day, and remembered that #70 had done a really good job the last time I was in, so I requested her. When I came back to Bamboo7 later, there had been some kind of mix up and I ended up not getting #70, but #31.

It didn't really matter to me since I've always received great massages there and it actually ended up working in my favor because #31 was AMAZING. Like, life changing. It was the best massage I have ever had. I can't even describe it. It was that wonderful. I left utterly speechless. An hour is a long time, but #31 was so relaxing and calming that it felt like I had been there the whole day.

Then, as if the day couldn't get any better, I came back to my room and made myself a burrito from the burrito supplies (cans of refried beans and a package of tortillas) that my aunt and uncle (and cousins) sent to me and some cheddar cheese I bought at the supermarket. A burrito. In China.

2009 is going to be a fabulous year, I can tell.