Welcome back to This is India! I always have funny/weird stories about India to share with friends or family when I talk to them. This is just meant to be an honest portrayal about my life in India through short anecdotes. I also share here what I’ve been up to online outside Hippie in Heels.

What I was up to other than here:

  • Thanks to Joella from This Bejing Life for mentioning me as one of her favorite expat travel blogs as well as Cosmos & Pearls for listing us in her Virtual Wanderlust of top travel blogs
  • My post about my upcoming collaboration with goMowgli got liked and shared on FB over 300 times! I am so happy that you guys are stoked about this trip because you’re going to be hearing a lot about it in the next month.

Now your story,

Ahh my first Indian massage… such a strange, long, hour it was.

I was in gorgeous Udaipur and everyone said I could find a good Ayurvedic massage for 500 rupees. I walked only a few minutes before a women offered me one at exactly that price.

I followed her to her home, only a minute away, and we went inside a tiny room that combined kitchen bed and bathroom to one. She asked the four people inside to leave so we could do the massage.

First thing to learn: Indian massages are not modest in any way, which is a little weird considering how modest the country is, or tries to be. There’s no leaving the room while you undress, or putting a sheet over the parts not being massaged. She just stood there staring while I got ready. Awkward then, normal now.

Second, when doing massage outside a spa, you might want to bring your own oil. This lady got the oil from her kitchen and poured it on me.

I knew it was happening, but I just felt too bad to stop her. Big mistake, as it was near impossible to wash off with the cold water at my hotel!

Now for the funny part, when I flipped over and she was giving my belly a rub down, she saw my belly button ring. It really confused her, but she was delighted! She asked why it was there, how did it get there, could she touch it? Did it hurt? Then all the sudden she disaappeared.

I’m laying there, and she walks back in with three women who all want to see my belly button ring. I could have died. They shook my hand, smiled and then stayed in the room.

When things are just culturally different, I try not to make a scene, and they were women so I just kept my mouth shut. Obviously, had It been men I would have freaked out- but hey,

This is India!

 

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