Dear clients,
During my almost a year in America, I have received more than two dozen inquiries about my services, but the fact that business venue needs to be different from where you live is a big problem for me, and the fact I don’t have a driver’s license complicates the matter further. In fact, the only people outside my limited circle of friends that received my massages in Vermont were my boss in my office job and her two children on my last day in Vermont before moving back to GA. However, I did manage to keep my hands in practice by providing massages to relatives and friends. It’s hard to forget something you created and practiced continuously for 7 years. It was also impossible to apply the pricing on the website to deliver such a service in the US. A Swedish massage here starts at $60 unless you get it from a massage student who needs 120 hours of practice under supervision of an experienced licensed and certified masseuse, who would be more than happy to get a chance to practice a routine and get paid at the same time. So in order to scale it up, all services need to charged with an additional $50 to be fair, which makes my service less affordable considering ever rising inflation rate. For all the reasons above, I sincerely apologise to all American clients who have reached out to me many times to try to co-ordinate a service that many people have written about on my testimonial page. If you ever come to HCMC, please send me an email to nurumasseuse@gmail.com, you will get a reply within the day together with pricing and conditions of different packages that are too long and too personal to list on my website. You will be entitled to a discount for making your way across the world for my service.
For all clients in Vietnam and Asia, I am coming home in August and will reside in Phu My Hung, D7, in HCMC. During the last two months in GA, I have been trying to get certified in many fields as possible: personal training, first aid/ CPR/AED and different massage modalities with an intensity of 6 to 8 hours of study a day, and in near future a Yoga instructor certificate. My wish to expand my education and knowledge is for your own safety and enjoyment. Eventually, I want to be one stop shop for all your needs, be it physical or mental health. So when I come back to Vietnam, if you wish to experience how a proper professional following US protocol massage is supposed to be delivered, ask me about it.
As I recall the massage scene in Vietnam, it is quite simple; you come in and choose a package; the staff give you some clothes to change into and slippers to wear and of course keys to a locker. While you are waiting for them to get ready with hot stones (although I never ordered a hot stone massage, they make it a part of their routine anyway to kill time), they give you a bucket with warm water to soak your feet in. The only communication between a client and a masseuse is when they ask you if you want it hard or gentle. In the US spa where I used to work as a concierge or receptionist in a big ski resort, or at least in Vermont, clients have to leave their signature on a list acknowledging that massages are meant for relaxation purpose only not for any therapeutic purpose. Clients are encouraged to disclose any discomfort with the masseuse in a small individual or couple massage room. During the massage, clients are draped and blanketed to keep their body temperature the same and maintain their privacy. In contrast, in Vietnam, in some supposedly “therapeutic” massage chains like Ngoc Anh, the manager assigns the opposite sex masseuse without asking for clients’ preference; these are trained to skilfully take off and put on your top. No matter how carefully or skilful they are, clients’ breasts will be exposed at some points and some with audacity will ask female clients if they want “other parts” to be massaged as well. For male clients, usually an offer of a hand job or blow job would be made. Now the law in the US in any state does not tolerate unprofessional conducts initiated not even by clients let alone by a masseuse. I teach nuru and erotic massage, so I see naked people all the time and am used to being naked too, and people buying these services are well aware of what will happen beforehand. The thing that spoils my experience as a client or as a masseuse is when I come for a relaxation massage, I am offered “extra service” or insisted “extra service”. If a client wants a specific service, he/ she should read the Frequently Asked Question first to see how I go about giving my massages and services. I don’t modify my service at the end of the session just because a client happens to react “strongly” to my Swedish massage or Sheila’s Massage. If it’s an erotic service, it has to be agreed upon by both parties with some rule following.
There you have it, my future clients. I look forward to meeting up with you, serving you or simply being a good listener to your anguish, anxiety and secrets.