Posted in travelogue
When you work my line, you have to give up quite a few things. One of which, is a set of clean polished nails 24/7. At the end of every exhibition set-up, I'd be left with a set of chaffed, dry, dull-looking, chipped nails. I don't know how I managed to earn them. The weather perhaps. I'm always going to cold places. Can't wear my (now missing) leather gloves; I'd look ridiculous to my colleagues.
I extended my stay in Shanghai for a couple of days. First thing I looked for: a nail parlour. I didn't think that finding a nail parlour would be somehow difficult. After all, Chinese have become affluent, the ladies have become more fashion-forward and Shanghai is one of the most cosmopolitan city in China. A colleague told me an average manicure costs only RMB 20 (like... SGD 5?). Fascinating!
But after walking from Louyang Road to Lu Jia Zui Road, from Nanjing East Road to XinTianDi, I see no nail palour. (For those who are familiar wiith Shanghai, it's damn long a walk I took.) Even the working people at Central HuaiHai Road have no idea where the nearest nail parlour is. Pretty disappointing. I continued my walk to around the area next to XinTianDi, exploring the back alleys and houses people live in - the Shikumen, until I saw some familiar words...
OPI! I hurried forward and took a closer look. OPI!!! The parlour is quietly tucked away in one of those Shikumen houses. Being a sucker for discounts, I haggled a bit with the lady boss. Since it's my first visit, she happily charged me only RMB 100 for a full mani and pedicure. Like what? SGD 20 for everything? Dirt cheap lah!
It was a really quiet weekday afternoon. I was the only customer. Hence all the attention is on me. Keeping my bag close to me, I had a good eye-shut moment while my feet was given a really good massage. After weeks of madness, that's what my feet really needed.
The parlour is plain-looking. No scented candles, sea-waves-lapping-on-the-beach music, fancy tea drinks or warm towels. Just a sincere lady boss who spent time and effort looking through her collection of OPI and endured my 'Umm this colour, or this colour? That colour also nice hor...' I usually try to be fast in deciding the colours I want but manicurists in Singapore aren't exactly patient. The lady boss started her own business since year 2000. Perhaps a little difference in culture, she was puzzled when I asked for short square-shaped nails with little round edges. She asked why not long sharp nails. I nearly gasped and collapsed with asphyxia. So I told form where I come from, long sharp nails are reserved for aging mothers, market aunties and beer-pouring ladies.
There are no name cards so i can't share with you where exactly this place is. It's just one of those Shikumen houses in the area next to XinTianDi. Let me know if you do know of nice nail parlours in Shanghai, because I still cannot believe I found none from Pudong to Puxi!
I extended my stay in Shanghai for a couple of days. First thing I looked for: a nail parlour. I didn't think that finding a nail parlour would be somehow difficult. After all, Chinese have become affluent, the ladies have become more fashion-forward and Shanghai is one of the most cosmopolitan city in China. A colleague told me an average manicure costs only RMB 20 (like... SGD 5?). Fascinating!
But after walking from Louyang Road to Lu Jia Zui Road, from Nanjing East Road to XinTianDi, I see no nail palour. (For those who are familiar wiith Shanghai, it's damn long a walk I took.) Even the working people at Central HuaiHai Road have no idea where the nearest nail parlour is. Pretty disappointing. I continued my walk to around the area next to XinTianDi, exploring the back alleys and houses people live in - the Shikumen, until I saw some familiar words...
OPI! I hurried forward and took a closer look. OPI!!! The parlour is quietly tucked away in one of those Shikumen houses. Being a sucker for discounts, I haggled a bit with the lady boss. Since it's my first visit, she happily charged me only RMB 100 for a full mani and pedicure. Like what? SGD 20 for everything? Dirt cheap lah!
It was a really quiet weekday afternoon. I was the only customer. Hence all the attention is on me. Keeping my bag close to me, I had a good eye-shut moment while my feet was given a really good massage. After weeks of madness, that's what my feet really needed.The parlour is plain-looking. No scented candles, sea-waves-lapping-on-the-beach music, fancy tea drinks or warm towels. Just a sincere lady boss who spent time and effort looking through her collection of OPI and endured my 'Umm this colour, or this colour? That colour also nice hor...' I usually try to be fast in deciding the colours I want but manicurists in Singapore aren't exactly patient. The lady boss started her own business since year 2000. Perhaps a little difference in culture, she was puzzled when I asked for short square-shaped nails with little round edges. She asked why not long sharp nails. I nearly gasped and collapsed with asphyxia. So I told form where I come from, long sharp nails are reserved for aging mothers, market aunties and beer-pouring ladies.
There are no name cards so i can't share with you where exactly this place is. It's just one of those Shikumen houses in the area next to XinTianDi. Let me know if you do know of nice nail parlours in Shanghai, because I still cannot believe I found none from Pudong to Puxi!
I go to Nail Palace in Singapore. a lot of the manicurists are PRC girls, and they are very patient and their skills are good too. Not as cheap as Shanghai, but of course, cheaper than many other fancy schmany nail spa places with scented tea light candles and aromatherapy thingies and wooden furniture with silk draping over them. Haha. I signed up for a package, so it's cheaper. What i love is that they are at very convenient locations. Tanjong Pagar MRT is my fave. Weekday afternoons are quiet, and so are Sundays. :)
i love long nails! haha. but i don't know what's ur definition of long. hurhur.