Friday morning we went to a nail salon called Tiffany's to get manicures and pedicures. I had been thinking about this whole manicure/pedicure thing for a while, debating whether I wanted to get a manicure or a pedicure or both. I had practice on Sunday and regionals this coming weekend, and anything I do to my nails were going to get ruined anyway. But it was my friend's wedding and I didn't want to look out of place in the pictures so I decided to just get a manicure - my fingernails would look nice for the photos and it would only cost $15 anyway.
The other four girls got both manicures and pedicures but I wanted to be in on the girly talk so I awkwardly hovered around them while they were getting their pedicures and then when that got too awkward, I awkwardly sat in the lone chair in the waiting room reading gossip magazines. Then one of the managers of the store, a middle-aged Korean lady, came up to me and tried to convince me to get a pedicure too:
Korean lady: You!... pedi too?
(She reaches for my hand.)
Me: Uhhh
KL: Yes! Pedi too! Pedi too!
(She starts pulling me to my feet.)
Me: Uhhh no, I don't really want to
(I look over to the other girls for help, they're busy chatting and reading "People")
KL: Yes! Everyone beautiful! You pedi too! Pick color!
She ushered me over to the pedicure room where everyone was sitting on giant massage chairs with tubs of water at the feet. She roughly pushes my jeans up to my knees and rubs green gunk (soap?) all over my calves. Then she got out some more soap - a different color soap - and started washing my feet. After she toweled them off, she pulled out a nail file and starts filing away my nails... Now, everyone has some noise or feeling or sound that they can't stand. Amy can't stand the sound of styrofoam peanuts being rubbed together. Bryan can't stand the sound of ripping cardboard. I can't stand the feeling of my nails being filed. It drives me NUTS. I closed my eyes and cringed in my seat and counted backwards from 10 multiple times until she finished filing both nails. Afterwards I was super tense and starting to sweat in my seat. Ugh, I hate getting my nails filed.
Anyway, next she pulls out a buffing tool to scrap off dead skin off my feet. She picks up my left foot and starts scrubbing the sides and heel of my foot. Then she sees my giant callous on the side of my big toe...
KL: Oh... Wow...
It was more of a how-do-you-live-with-yourself wow rather than a you're-an-athlete! wow and she looks up at me and gives me this horrified look while poking gingerly at my callous.
Me: Um, yeah... I play sports... ...
KL: starts scrubbing vigorously on the side of my foot like there's no tomorrow.
Me: Nonononono! Leave it! Leave it! I need that...
KL: gives me another horrified look and puts my foot down.
I felt really awkward for the rest of the pedicure as she massaged my feet and calves, cleaned my toes, cut cuticles, and stuffed toilet paper between my toenails so they wouldn't touch each other. (So this is what it feels like to wear toesocks or Meri's vibram fivefingers.) Afterwards I couldn't help but wonder what her reaction would've been if Meri or Doris would've gotten pedicures at this place. Hehe =P
Next she painted my toenails bright red to match our bridesmaids dresses. From then on every time I looked at my toenails I would jump a little before remembering that my toenails were painted red on purpose and that some animal didn't die at my feet and bleed all over my toenails.
Btw, Amy's feet are on the far right. Her toes are so strange... her big toes are so much longer than normal big toes.Anyway, next, the lady slides a pair of pink flip flops on my feet and leads me over to the manicure side of the room of the store. I sit down and put my wrists on this little pillow thing not unlike what some people use to keep their hands positioned in front of a keyboard. She starts washing my hands, cleaning my fingernails, and cutting away more skin. I was pretty shocked to see how much skin she can cut away from my fingernails. When I tell her I want a French manicure...
KL: Nails too short...
Me: I know, I keep them short.
KL: French mani need long nails
Me: I know, but you can still do them, right?
KL: Too short...
Me: Can you just make the white part smaller?
KL: Hm...
She does them anyway and they end up looking pretty good :)
When we're about to leave, the store people realize that most of us are wearing closed-toed shoes. So they seran-wrap all of our feet and help us into our socks and shoes and then we're on our way.
Overall a slightly-terrifying, slightly-amusing experience that I hope I don't have to endure anytime in the near future.
