Pedicures are an essential part of a well-groomed person's agenda. And needless to say I have been serviced over the last many years in various salons, and I can say with conviction that I got my best one from Sutini, a Balinese woman in Kuala Lumpur as I was vacationing there.
For the pedicure illiterate, it becomes important to highlight the various steps in obtaining one. First comes the color picking, where an array of nail colors are presented to you and one needs to make the ultimate decision of "the color of the month". You usually do this as you are killing time in the reception area of the salon. While choosing colors, variety is of essence, as you can't be a "pinkish" for a while, or choose the more conservative whites or beige's all the time. If you go all hot colors one month, it's probably a good idea to go silver gray next just to break it up a bit..But of course the "pre-vacation" pedicures demand special attention, and I must confess that I have exceeded limits what with rhinestones and design patterns in atypical colors.
Once you get the "call" the hot water foot tub is ready for you bubbling with soapy water. Soaking your feet can tingle your senses and the journey begins. This is the time you typically connect with your pedicurist. The chit-chat, and queries on nationalities and other personal information are exchanged to create that rapport and "I'm going to spend the next 45 minutes with you" feeling of comfort. The color of choice is discussed, and commented upon viz-a-viz the skin tone. Once the conversation ends, it's almost time for the feet to come out of the water in phases while she works her magic.
The next important decision in a pedicure is the shape of the nail. Personally I've been baffled by it as I've not seen a big difference between the "round" or "square"? I just generally go "round please" and grab the latest Vogue(or Femina if in India) magazine next to me. It is the moment of realization that "my" contribution to the pedicure is over at this time, until the bill comes anyway.
The salons of greater Manhattan and suburban NJ have a thing or two in common after all. They are typically run by immigrants who are usually conflicted about whether to relate to clients who are also immigrants from other countries. So it ends up being an attitude of general indifference sprinkled with some nice snippets of conversation about things in common. But other than that it's mostly the switching of the feet as the pedicure goes on, in a sharp accented "Swittcch".. and a tap on the feet that needs to come out of water, and you simply co-operate. Of course, the average salon in India challenges the germaphobe in you significantly and teaches you tolerance in a twisted way. It can be quite an adventurous experience as you are wondering throughout if the equipment was sterilized and the foot tub washed.
Once the nail-shaping is over with, the cuticles and skin smoothing routines take place as you are drooling over the latest fashion from magazines that you usually don't subscribe by yourself. I can vouch that the most favorite part for any pedicure enthusiast in the whole experience is the massage. It's usually an affair that includes the feet and the lower legs in quite an elaborate fashion.
The coloring and the topcoat then sums it all up. Oh yeah, so let me tell you about the best pedicure.
I have to give it to Sutini for her approach and attitude to her work. In the Tamil language spoken in Southern India, there is a proverb that roughly translates to "In our work we see God" and she exemplified that. She greeted me warmly and sat on the floor in front of the pedicure seat. And then she attacked my feet with all the passion and vigor of an artist in front of an empty canvas. She handled my feet like it's made of feather, so delicately. A little too delicately that the impatient side of me almost wanted to say "Err.. you know that I have to walk on those feet again anyways, right?"
After the usual routines described above which she did with so much care and attention, I felt completely captured. I also realized at that moment that I was not reading anything in my usual style, but rather had bent over keenly watching the pedicure and enjoying it at the same time. I was totally in the present moment, succumbing to the pampering that she was offering me unconditionally. I must mention at this juncture that she is a trained masseuse particularly in Balinese massage and Reflexology, the most desirable skills one can ask for in a pedicurist. So I leave it to your imagination how my legs must have felt that day.
When it came to coloring my nails, I'm not sure even Hussein spent so much time with his brush strokes. She took forever and it almost tested my patience again. But at the end of it, my feet were glowing, my nails perfectly painted, and my legs were in "pedicure nirvana". What more can one ask for? Do you reckon?
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