People’s Park Complex has been around for nearly 30 years but remain a very popular shopping mall in Chinatown, Singapore. It is surrounded by other old-time popular shopping malls such as People’s Park Centre, Chinatown Point and Lucky Chinatown. These shopping malls are very popular with local bargain-hunting heartlanders of Singapore, camera-toting tourists and recently, new immigrants from mainland China.

The shops in these shopping malls are an interesting mix to cater for their varied clients. They range from traditional Chinese medicine shops, money exchange bureaus, clothing shops, shoe shops, bookshops, goldsmiths, jade shops, travel agents, electronic gadget shops, eateries and to our subject of study - foot massage shops.

You can find other large concentration of foot massage shops in other countries such as Bukit Bintang of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia or Patphong of Bangkok, Thailand but these are usually large massage shops and are found amongst various different types of shops.

At People’s Park Complex, the foot massage shops are small, and are literally next to one another, floor after floor. You can and will be accosted by massage shop proprietors literally every step of the way - calling for you to patronise their shops.

Most of these foot massage shops are small, between 2 to 4 massage chairs, with the biggest only with perhaps 8 to 10 chairs. Many shops are simply renovated, with few curtains or partitions for privacy and some even have massage chairs that seem to show much wear and tear.

These massage shops has sprung up over the last one decade, ever since foot massage became popular 10 years ago in Singapore. Many close down quickly only to be replaced by yet another similar shop. Many of these shops are staffed by middle age or old folks and their customers remain mostly middle-age and old folks and the occasional curious tourist. Most of them are relatively cheap; at about S$20-S$25 for 45mins to an hour, and they can hardly charge more due to the cut-throat competition and the basic amenities of their shops.

Will I patronise one of these shops? I doubt so; call me bias if you want but I don’t trust these shops. I started enjoying foot reflexology when I was working in China where they have raised foot massage to an art; what with foot bath, soft music, luxurious chairs and young and energetic foot masseurs who had trained for years in Chinese medical schools and understand body meridians thoroughly.

Many of the shops here look like they have been hurriedly put together, with old age masseurs who look like they just picked up the skills yesterday and reek terribly of Chinese ointment smell (tie da you). I also certainly do not fancy having my foot massaged while sitting close to a passage way where people are passing by every other minute!

If you are a curious tourist who may not have time to seek around for the best foot massage experience, you can certainly try one of these shops for that one time experience. However, if you are seeking a therapeutic experience in a soothing environment, then there are certainly better choices elsewhere.

Even without these major health scare, we still have to struggle with daily health and food inadequacies - there are pesticide in our vegetable, micro-organism in our water, altered DNA in our poultry and polluted environment of our fishes - as farmers and businesses seek to maximise their profit dollars from our daily food supply!

That’s why modern scientific health experts chant the same mantra:

1. Eat lightly, eat widely
2. Exercise regularly
3. Get plenty of fresh air

In addition to scientific health experts, those of us who believes in alternative health will want to add:

1. Detoxify regularly
2. Meditate
3. Avoid or eat less meat

I personally believe in detoxification and practise it as much as I can. If you too believe in detoxification but do not know where to begin, whom to trust or how to go about, let me recommend this excellent body detox website by Dr Janet Starr Hull.

Dr Hull website is full of articles and research materials on scientific detoxification. Just reading from her website will put you in a good stead on how and why you should go about detoxing your body. Her website is chockablock of diet guides, detox books, vitamin and supplement information.

You can even order a personal hair analysis toxin test and a personal detoxification kit via her website. This is what she says of the detoxification kit:

The Detox Kit teaches you how to remove toxins using your body’s water, urine, fecal waste, skin and blood. The Detox Program is natural, and can be used for your lifetime as a “maintenance program” or if future health concerns develop. The Detoxification Program is safe for all ages and health conditions because it is a natural process using the simple nutrition techniques and information in Dr. Hull’s 10-Step Detoxification Program.

Dr. Hull is not just a nutritionist. She’s also a geologist and international geographer, a licensed Environmental Hazardous Waste Specialist and Toxicologist, a former fire fighter and college professor. She had a change in career after she “cured” herself from an “incurable” thyroid disease, Grave’s Disease in 1991. She was told she would die if she didn’t agree to drastic and expensive medical procedures; yet, her doctors didn’t know what caused her “fatal” thyroid disorder, or why she was suddenly deathly ill, or how to cure her disease. They only knew how to suppress her symptoms - destroy her thyroid with radiation - and keep her alive using medications for the rest of her lifetime.

She applied her environmental skills to help find the “cause” of her disease instead of having her thyroid destroyed. She discovered the cause of her illness - aspartame. She removed aspartame from her life and was healed within thirty days. She has been perfectly healthy ever since. No surgery, no medications, and NO aspartame!

The personal detoxification kit includes a DVD, a audio CD, a guidebook, pH test strips, diet and eating charts, suggested detox schedules and even a toxin guide. If you are serious about personal detoxification for better health, you should seriously consider this kit.

You can check out the detoxification kit at Dr Janet Starr Hull website.

Even if you have not reach a serious consideration about personal detox, you should still visit her website for generic health and toxin information. With today’s food and health crises coming one after another, you never know when you need a handy detox and diet guide in quick time!

Asian spas and massages are fast gaining popularity in New York, USA. With newer and better spas opening up every other day, the popularity of Asian massages is increasing at a fast pace. Today people realize the benefits of a good body massage and go for it not only to relieve stress and promote relaxation but also to gain other physiological benefits.

Therapeutic massages are one of the fastest growing fields in healthcare with more and more people looking at prevention and alternative solutions rather than medications and operative procedures. Let us now take a look at the various physical and mental benefits of spas and massages.

Physical And Mental Benefits Of Massages
Given below is not a comprehensive list of the various benefits of a good body massage. You actually need to take one to know how good it makes you feel!

• A massage helps relieve stress and gain relaxation.
• It loosens up all muscle tension and stiffness.
• Discomfort during pregnancy can be reduced with the help of a good massage.
• Strained muscles, pain and swelling as well as scar tissue heal faster with a good massage.
• Joint flexibility and range of motion also increases.
• Fosters complete peace of mind.
• Helps keep the mind alert and relaxed.
• Improves one’s ability to observe stress indications and respond accordingly.
• Lastly, a good body massage satisfies the need for a caring touch that emotes a feeling of well being in an individual.

Kinds Of Asian Massage Therapies
Asian body massages are known to work with the body’s energetic system to promote,
maintain and restore health. Read on to know the kinds of Asian massage therapies
available in New York today.

Ayurveda: A holistic form of Indian medicine that is made from complete natural products. The treatment is designed to bring the mind, body and spirit of a person into balance. Ayurveda massage techniques are famous all over the world and is one of the most popular massage treatment offered by New York spas.

Thai massage: Straight from Thailand, this is one of the newer massage techniques
that are being offered by New York spas. Though the tradition of the Thai massages dates back to almost 2,500 years, it has been introduced in US spas only recently. It uses passive stretching along with pressure to relieve muscle and joint tension and balance the body’s energy systems. The main purpose of a Thai massage is to heal a person physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Shiatsu: Shiatsu is a kind of body work that has originated in Japan. The purpose of
Shiatsu is to restore a healthy flow of energy in an individual’s body. A gentle pressure is applied along specific points known as meridians. Several other techniques like rocking, stretching and joint rotations are also a part of Shiatsu bodywork.

Acupressure: There are a huge number of benefits associated with the acupressure
procedure. Accupressure used to be offered exclusively in New York Chinatown but is now increasingly offered by some of the more upmarket New York spas as New Yorkers start to understand and appreciate the benefits of alternative treatments.

Amma Therapy: This Asian therapy is a specialized somatic, skilled touch therapy.
The procedure combines deep tissue manipulation along with application of pressure,
friction and touch to specific points in the body to provide relief to all muscles
and joints.

The author of this article writes about New York City entertainment such as <A
href=”http://www.reedstickets.net/concert-tickets.html“><B>Getting Great Concert Tickets</B></A> for a show in the city.

While Deepavali is popularly known as the “festival of lights”, the most significant esoteric meaning is “the awareness of the inner light”.

Central to Hindu philosophy, is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light, in particular the knowing of which outshines all darkness (removes all obstacles and dispels all ignorance), awakening the individual to one’s true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, imminent and transcendent reality. With the realization of the Atman, comes universal compassion, love, and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (Inner Joy or Peace).

Deepavali celebrated with festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing sweets and worship. While the story behind Deepavali varies from region to region, the essence is the same - to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying reality of all things.

We wish all our Hindu friends a Happy Deepavali Day!

(Part Text credit: http://en.wikipedia.org; Pix credit: http://www.malaysiasite.nl)

Milk derived products such as biscuits, candies, ice-creams, chocolates, cakes and even coffee sachets were affected too!

Due to the gloablised nature of business nowadays, countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia were affected as well!

What is the world coming to with regards to food? Increased use of pesticides. Chemicals in fertilizers. DNA alteration to induce growth. Contaminated water and air. Will our food ever be safe?

A healthy life-style means regular exercise, stress-free living and the right food. However, even the healthiest tomato or lettuce could be contaminated without anyone’s knowledge nowadays.

Isn’t the best solution then to grow our own food nowadays? However, many of us are city dwellers and many of us lead busy professional and working lives. Where and how do we have the time and space to grow our own healthy food?

The solution may be easier than you think. Hydroponics - the science of growing plants without using soil - require little space, care and skills. Yet, you can grow your own green and healthy vegetables and herbs in your apartment crop after crop. Interested in more information about this modern modern of growing your own food? Hop over to my newest hobby and interest blog on DIY Hydroponics!

Doha is the capital of Qatar, one of the fastest growing country in the oil-rich Middle-East. Indeed, as we have often seen in the news, Qatar has sprung up like a new sparkling oasis in the Middle-East desert and Doha is literally sprouting with new construction, skyscrapers, shopping malls and highways everywhere.

I stayed at Four Seasons hotel in the West Bay - the new downtown district of Doha. Four Seasons is one of the newer and upmarket hotel in Doha and it even has it’s own private beach and yacht marina facing the Arabian Gulf.

The rooms in Four Seasons are top-quality and service is impeccable. What impressed me the most was the spa and fitness centre within the hotel - it is even housed in a building on it’s own and is certainly one of the most top class spa and fitness centre I have ever come across.

As a hotel guest, I was entitled to use the centre. Unfortunately, due to my tight schedule, I was only able to get a short tour of the spa centre; and did not even had a chance to use the facilities, much less have a massage.

The Spa, massage and fitness centre is linked to the hotel via a walkway. On the way there, I was already impressed, as it had a 2-level temperature controlled outdoor swimming pool and 2 tennis courts.

I pushed pass the grand door of the 2-storey building and it was a sight indeed! This must easily be the biggest spa and fitness centre I have ever seen with the latest and most fanciful spa and fitness facilities. (Note: The entire place is 34,000sqft)

There is a cafe, a relaxation lounge, a fitness gym, two squash courts and a exercise studio. What impresses most is the spa; with a large hydrotherapy pool, cold and hot plunge pool, reflexology zone and even two exercise lap pools (where water current pushes pass you to simulate that you are swimming laps in a proper pool)

The spa also boast hot sauna, steam room and even a ice-room! Yes, the room looks exactly like a typical ice storage room. There are also a couple of Swiss showers; where water jets shoot at you from 360 directions!

I wished I had the time to try the facilities not to mention a massage. The Four Season Spa certainly live up to it’s name as a up-market spa for the rich and famous in Qatar. You will need to spend at least half a day if not a whole day to soak into the grandeur and luxury that this spa can offer.

The hotel’s guest relationship officer who accompanied me on my spa tour proudly tells me that there is a long waiting list to become a member of the spa and fitness club. In fact, money cannot even gain you entry into the spa if you are not a hotel guest as club membership entry has been closed for quite a while due to overwhelming demand!

I have been to many spas in Asia; upmarket and otherwise. However, up to date, I have certainly not seen any in Asia that can match the Four Seasons Spa in Doha, Qatar for size, opulence and facilities! Even then, I hear that the Four Seasons Spa dwarf in comparison to some other spas in Qatar or elsewhere in the Gulf nations and Middle-East - gosh!

Pix credits: Four Seasons corporate website

THE Spa Association Singapore has said that banning fish-spa treatments is the way to go.

Responding to a query from The Straits Times on such a ban in Texas and Washington state, the association said it did not encourage its members here to provide the service for safety and hygiene reasons.

The association, an umbrella body representing 75 spa or related business outlets, said that as far as it knew, none of its members offered fish-spa services.

An industry insider reckons that at least 20 shops here do so, the more well-known names being Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa and Qian Hu Fish Farm.

Business operators said they were unaware of licensing requirements binding the business of using fish to nibble away dead skin.

They said, however, that they use filtration systems and ultraviolet light to kill bacteria in the water; they also said they check that their customers are clear of wounds.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore confirmed that it did not have regulations on fish being used this way, and that its priority was to ensure that they were unharmed.

At least two complaints have emerged this year against fish spas - the Consumers Association of Singapore received one, and The New Paper ran a report on two sisters who caught fungal infections from a fish spa.

Some operators said they believed the complaints came about because of black sheep in the industry who are in the business due to low entry requirements.

(I had earlier commented that Fish spas, which is increasing in popularity, may not be as healthy as it seems. To read more about fish spas and my observations, please click fish spa article here. )

DALLAS: Letting live fish give people pedicures could transmit infections, say the authorities in Washington and Texas, and the spa treatment is now banned in the two American states.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation announced on Wednesday that fish pedicures - in which customers pay to have tiny fish nibble dead skin off their feet - are no longer permitted in the state, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The regulatory authorities in Washington state imposed a similar ban last week, said Seattle Times.

Ms Christine Anthony, spokesman for the Washington Department of Licensing, said it was impossible to sanitise live fish.

‘You can clean the tank, you can clean the water, but there’s no guarantee that the fish aren’t carrying something from the previous customer,’ she was quoted as saying by Seattle Times.

Officials also said the foot baths and holding tanks, because they are home to live fish, cannot always be properly cleaned and disinfected.

However, they said there had been no cases of anyone falling sick from a fish pedicure.

‘We are erring on the side of safety,’ said Ms Susan Stanford of the Texas licensing department.

This particular pedicure is a new entrant in American spas. It first gained attention after a Virginia-based spa told the media this summer about the benefits of using the fish instead of razors to slough away scales and calluses, the news reports said. Heavy media coverage followed.

The owner of Peridot Nail Salon, the only salon in Washington known to be offering the treatment, told Seattle Times she was ’shocked and surprised and disappointed’ by the ban.

Ms Tweety Bui said the salon started offering the pedicures only last month, charging US$30 (S$44) for 15 minutes. The phone had been ‘ringing off the hook’ with calls for appointments, she said, with about 20 sessions booked for last weekend alone.

‘I’m booked two months out,’ Ms Bui told Seattle Times. Her staff have been calling clients to cancel the appointments. ‘I am so overwhelmed with all this that it’s not even funny.’

At the Zen Luxury Nail & Beauty Bar in North Texas, co-owner Kate Caldwell told Dallas Morning News she shut down her fish tanks after being informed of the ban by the state authorities. The shop had bought 500 guppy-like fish for US$2,500.

‘I am pretty disappointed,’ Ms Caldwell said.

She claimed that her salon had a rigorous safety protocol to avoid putting customers at risk. After each pedicure, she said, the foot basins are emptied and cleaned with a disinfectant. During that cleaning, she said, the fish are transferred to a ‘hospital tank’, where they are treated with an anti-microbial agent and isolated for at least a day.

Both spa owners said they would probably keep the fish as pets for now.

‘We have fish food,’ said Ms Bui.

WHAT was supposed to be an hour of relaxation ended in tears, a bitter dispute and a police report.

Nora, 31, claimed that a masseur molested her during an hour-long afternoon full-body massage on 9 Sep 08. The housewife and mother of two young children asked that her real name not be used to avoid any stigma.

But the manager of the Chinatown massage place, Madam Jean Chia, 42, denied any wrongdoing on the masseur’s part.

She said she called the police after Nora asked for $2,000 as compensation. A police spokesman confirmed that Madam Chia called the police and investigations are ongoing. The masseur was not arrested and is assisting with investigations.

Read the full newspaper article here.

Phuket Town is an old town and the administrative centre on Phuket island. There are distinct Muslim, Thai and Chinese enclaves and it is clear that Chinese influence in the town is obvious with a good number of Chinese temples and Chinese old-time architecture houses.

Phuket Town is off the regular tourist route and the entire town was sleepy and quiet on the Sunday that we drove in. Tourists tend to spend more time in the beach where almost everything is available as well rather then to come to town. Tourists who do come to Phuket Town tend to congregate downtown where a few modern shopping malls, large bargain-price markets, fast food restaurants and souvenir shops were gathered.

Among these few busy streets were a couple of small but modern and clean spas. These spas offered almost similar type of treatments and prices were very competitive - even lower than those available at the beach.

I guess it was because there were only a few streets in Phuket town that tourists congregate so the local spa operators have no choice but to stay competitive. I was particularly attracted to one of the promotion package that Kim Spa, one of these small spas, offered. The spa and massage promotion package consists of a body scrub (60 mins), choice of massage (60 mins) and a facial treatment (60 mins) - a total of 3 hours treatment for the unbelievable low price of 900 Baht or US$30!

I was in Spa heaven and chose to try out Kim Spa immediately! Kim Spa has a nicely decorated reception and rest area. On the first floor, it has about 10 cosy massage chairs for foot reflexology and a small corner for a foot bath. The 2nd floor is for Thai massage (beds are on floor) and 3rd floor is for facial and other body massage treatments.

My hubby opted for a foot massage and Thai massage for 2 hours. I opted for the 3 hours spa promotion package. While waiting for my masseur to prepare the treatment room, I whispered to my hubby that I couldn’t believe a body scrub treatment can last for 60 minutes. I kept telling myself … how much time can one person scrub the body? Will my skin drop off??

Shortly, we were led by our masseurs to our treatment rooms. My hubby started his foot bath on the 1st floor which is an open area foot massage area. I was led to the 3rd floor which had private treatment room and en suite shower. My masseur greeted me with the traditional Thai way “sawadee ka” with both hands together and bowed.

Although language was a barrier, we had no problem “communicating” with each other by sign and body language. The masseur indeed did a thorough body scrub and for sure she took more than 40 minutes before heading me to to the shower. My choice of Swedish massage was, in my opinion, average but the facial treatment was indeed refreshing. The masseur went through 2 to 3 rounds of scrubbing and cleansing my face. She then placed many layers of cucumbers on my face that made me feel very “cool” and relaxed. The smell of the cucumber were so refreshing. The facial ended with a cold mask and facial massage.

When my treatments were completed, the masseur led me to the reception area to relax and enjoy their complimentary floral tea. Overall, I must say this place is value for money, environment is neat and clean and most importantly, the staff were friendly and not pushy.

However, my husband who is an addict of hard massage was not impressed with their Thai massage and reflexology skills. He claim that the Thai and foot massage here were “too soft” and obviously toned down to cater to the many farangs(Thai for Caucasian foreigners) tourists in Phuket. He feels that shabby run-down massage shops run by old ladies offer the most true and authentic ancient Thai massage with the accompanying body-distorting poses, back standing and bone cracking twists. He feels that this is the ultimate form of massage! Funny guy!

Location of Kim Spa
Phuket Town, Phuket, Thailand
Size: 3 storey shop units with massage chairs on the ground floor and individual rooms on 2nd and 3rd level
Facilities: Toilet, shower and rest area
Friendliness: Polite staff and good massage therapists.
Pricing: Starts from US$20 for a facial, wrap, bath or body massage. Various spa and massage packages available and starts from US$60.