Turning to Page 7

My book of life has added a new page and it's called Page 7.


I was never really into spa soirees.  Body massage to me means Mercy...my alalay who knows how to do pressure massage so well.  Well, that is, if we mean simple masahe, not the Thai/Swedish type. Hers is the turu-turo type, turo ko, massage nya.  And she's available any time of  the day, or night, except of course when she has just finished ironing clothes.


But that afternoon when I went out with girl friends for our monthly treat...I was introduced to Page 7.  Not a book, dear, it's a spa.  Where people go for  relaxation of a different kind.  This business is just picking up in this part of the country.  So going there is like novelty (though I'd been to one such place in Cebu some years back).  Page 7 is nestled in one of the buildings at SunCity Complex, here in GenSan.


Anyway, we ladies had different options for treatment...some went for body scrub, some went for dry massage.  I opted for dry massage, it's without oil, of course,  because I didn't want to go smelling like aromatic oil when we go shopping in the mall later.


The interior of Page 7 is impressive.  The floor is laid out with squares of cream marbles and white pebbles.  It is dim, not dark enough not to see where you're going.  Piped in music adds a touch of  tai chi feel to the ambience. Plus the smell of lemon grass oil simmering from somewhere.  (It's exotic, and very relaxing, and very "meditative").


The whole area is divided into several cubicles with heavy cloth partitions, and inside each is a mattress covered with crisp white linen. A blanket, some towels neatly arranged, and a pair of soft shorts.


The masseuses are petite ladies (there were male options which we dared not to try despite offers) who obviously got some training in the routine of it all...they know how much time to spend on each section of the body such that in one hour they have covered the whole of it, front and back, top to toe, except of course the tummy area.


The pressure was good, tensed mucles were relaxed and mental stress relieved, albeit temporarily. But hey, one hour of pampering is all one needs to be reinvigorated.  You know, just lying there being soothed is like being a baby again.     The dark and quiet room is like a solace from life.  I could lie there all my life.


One hour seemed scant.  But when the masseuse gave me the final tap-tap in the back, that was the signal that one hour is up. Great feeling! 


I put back on my "laag" clothes and power-heeled shoes and went out to the reception area (where the other girl friends emerged one after the other, all smiles!).  I left my lady a good tip, and vowed to go back there someday soon for another afternoon delight.  Yes, Virginia, this is one page that's great to be going back to over and over again.