Massage! Massage! Nice Price for You!

I must have turned down a dozen massage offers yesterday. These massage parlors are everywhere here, three to a block in some places! Most of these were very aggressive sales pitches too. The average Chinese street merchant has no concept of personal space. I was grabbed three times (above the belt, thankfully) by overzealous sales-hounds. They were grabbing at me as if I was a $20 bill laying on the street.

My friend bought three Rolex knock-offs yesterday. He paid an average of 80 RMB (about ten dollars) for each, but I still think he got ripped off. I bought some nice hand-painted chopsticks for myself and avoided the ubiquitous Rolex offerings, knock-off purse vendors, and massage parlors.

Anything can be bought and sold cheap here, including people. I saw a dirty a dirty old, fat, bald man with five Chinese (?) prostitutes hanging off of his arms, cuddling him, and kissing him. This is not uncommon in Beijing, and it makes me sick to my stomach. Prostitution is supposed to be illiegal here, but they are everywhere and no one really seems to care. There is even a line of them outside our hotels some evenings.

Work is good! I can't really tell you about what I do, but it is flippin' sweet! I am with a great crew and I am learning a lot so far. I'm relly sore today, maybe a (legitimate) massage wouldn't be too bad right now. As always, I'm sure it'll be a "nice price" for me!

Signing out from the Coffee Station,
Nathan