Antz pantz
(Free socks: Suzhou, China)
Since I have been berated for neglecting this site on a Saturday yet again, here’s a cheeky extra post for all those who feel cheated. Since the massage parlour is so close to our home and the prices are reasonable, we go quite often, at least once a week but generally more. I have never been for a massage alone, partially because Ying chooses to go frequently enough that I am content to join him. If I did feel the need (for instance now that he is away) my Chinese skills don’t really allow for an effective booking.*
These socks are provided at the end of a foot massage so that the client can return home in a fresh pair. I find so much about this practice hilarious, especially that my masseur insists on putting them on my feet for me. I feel three years old again. Even more interesting are the socks themselves; the lady featured on the label isn’t even wearing socks, and if she were, she would look even more out of place wearing them with that dress. Antz Pantz is certainly a bizarre name for a sock company – possibly a name more suitable for a novelty underwear company? However, the socks seems to be marketed like underwear with the name and pouting model. Finally, Ying and I assume that ‘boleproof’ might mean ‘holeproof’. Otherwise we are clueless. Ying doesn’t like the thin manly socks he is generally offered so his masseuse suggested we have two pairs of Antz pantz instead. I’m a firm believer that a lady can never have too many socks, so it suits me fine.
By the way, I have discovered why a person of the same gender rarely massages us – it is bad balance, or yin yang. Women are trained to massage men, even though it is technically more effort with deeper muscles. We discovered all this by talking to the staff at the massage parlour. They are a veritable mine of information. The girl massaging Ying’s feet said that she didn’t like massaging women, it simply felt too strange.
*Never fear, Ying kindly made a couple of bookings for me so I can go while he’s away. Speaking to my favourite masseur, No.25, might be more of an issue. We communicate well when Ying is present, and we have an understanding if he speaks slowly, I can reply in Chinese. My intention is to attempt some simple conversation – I can’t do much worse than my previous gaffe, “I banana in a school”.
