my desi pedi(cure)?

The spa experience is a time every woman looks forward to. The timing for these excursions are meticulously planned so you can be pampered at the right moment in life, either after a big ordeal in your life or just a girls outing where you can chat and enjoy being a girl or a day where you just want to leave feeling good about yourself.

Today was my spa excursion for the first time here in India. I felt like treating myself to a nice pedicure after almost 2 months living in India and enduring the major changes we've had to make during our time here...especially the damage to my feet.

So off I went to the Shahnaz Husain spa in Bangalore. Shahnaz Husain is one of the leading Ayurvedic, luxury brands here in India. Based in Delhi, she's put out an amazing assortment of various ayurvedic oils, masks, shampoos, make up, you name it out to the Indian public. I thought, what the heck let's do this and pamper little old me.

While driving there, I was dreaming of a nice relaxing hour in a beautiful spa. Instead, I walked into the spa and was greeted at the desk by a man about my height who looked quite malnutritioned. He took me into a room and grabbed whatever chair he could get and placed a makeshift ottoman in front. A woman brought in water in a tub which didn't look very sanitary. He then explained that I have this regular pedicure option or I could opt for a massage chair with the foot massage attached. This option looked a little more enticing for the germ0phobe in me.

I then realized that HE was about to begin doing the pedicure on me. I thought, "nuh uh" no way. I told him to find me a female pedicurist, after all only a girl knows how our feet ought to be. (sorry to all the male pedicurists out there)

I'll spare all of you the nasty details of my nasty pedicure. My feet needed a lot of work and the woman did it wonderfully and meticulously. It wasn't the oh so luxurious experience you usually get but the end result was exactly what I wanted: clean...which I never get back home b/c pedicurists are too afraid to get dirty.

I haven't experienced other spas in India yet, but so far I get this feeling that luxury in India doesn't equate to sensory experiences....yet. It means getting the job done and right and what you pay for. I guess...this remains to be explored.