038. “So how is the class set up? How do you learn?”
The group silently considers the question, and finally, after what I consider an unnecessarily long pause, a man with long shaggy hair answers.
“We sit around and wait for him* to show us something. We absorb his teachings by being there,” he solemnly answers.
This is absolutely ridiculous!
I ask a few more questions, including the price of absorbing such teachings, but common sense and a healthy dose of skepticism immediately extinguish any desire to learn Thai massage at this school.
It seems most places that offer Thai massage courses are robbing travelers blind. Pissed, I flag down a tuk-tuk.
“How much to this place,” I ask, pointing to an intersection on my crumpled map.
“50 baht.”
“Ok. Let’s go.”
I arrive and walk into the massage place that, in my opinion, has provided the best Thai massage in Chiang Mai.
“Sawatdi Ka,” a woman says, “you have come back!”
I smile.
“Yep. I like this place. Can I talk to your boss real quick?”
She smiles and nods, then shuffles off to find her boss.
The boss, a woman in her thirties, says hello and we begin talking.
“So I’ve done my research, have had a lot of Thai massages, and I’ve decided I want to learn the basics of Thai massage here.”
She takes a moment to think, and then says, “But we aren’t government approved to teach massage. Only give massage.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem for me… how much and when can we start?”
And so I begin to learn Thai massage.
* A world renown master masseuse, supposedly
As long as they’re not approved to teach, then I think you’re getting the best of it all! Enjoy! And if you want to practice when you get home, I’m available.
Can I get on that list?
No happy endings, please.
I imagine you’d have a long line of chicks raising their hands so you can practice your new-found skills.