Monday 25 June 2007

a more frivolous day after some serious reading

This is a more frightening sign than if they were opening the fueling bays for their intercontinental missiles.

Q was up until the wee hours making the fresh meat-homemade-organic-special-vitamins-and –ground bone-sent from America-cat-food last night. I have no fear for the dietary health of my future grand children, and THIS is the healthiest cat in all of Africa!

We are off this day to take advantage of the decadent luxuries, are you listening Dulwichmum, offered in Souissi. Suzanne, who knows everything I will write of her soon, said the best hair and body place in Rabat is Jacques de Institut Dessange Apparently there is one treatment offered that takes all day, called 1001 Arabian Nights. Ooooooh. They start with the hamman where they scrape you down to all new skin cells that glow like a baby’s butt, then they oil you down with musk so you smell like the king’s harem (the old king, the new king is much more modern) and glisten.

While this is going on two other women sneak in: this is from our experience in Fez where we learned there is no good way to say, “Please don’t wax my ass!” in any language. A bit distressing that. I intend to sit firmly on anything I don’t want ripped off today, use your own visualizations. It is considered “hygienic”, a word that gets used to the point of pushing up against the popularity of the oft-uttered “Inshallah”. Hygienic in this part of the world apparently translates to: not a strand of hair anywhere on your body save your head! I’m all for hygienic, but I draw the line in certain areas. Q felt herself lucky to walk out of the salon in Fez with her eyebrows in tact. The common consensus among the women in the salon (the five working on her exclusively) was that she wanted to keep her eyebrows “au natural” because she is “modern”. Yes, that’s it.

Normally during the waxing experience there is another woman at your head washing your hair in some luscious smelling lather and massaging your head. Then you get a total rinse off, wrapped in a huge towel and they put the conditioner on your hair and take you off for the manicure/pedicure portion of our program.

Here is where I always have a contradiction of desires. I am a Scot; it is in my nature to want a “deal”. I lost the bones in both my large toes to frostbite on Everest in 1968, which means I have only eight toenails. I mean really what will they do to the two attractive, but none the less “nubs with a scar” that pass for my large toes. I will say, showing cultural differences, I did have a manicurist in Beverly Hills say to me once, “You know I could paste a false nail on those for you. It would look just like the real thing.” Yes you have to love Hollywood the land of make believe, and all those movie stars really look like that up close, uh huh.

Back to the dilemma, having only the eight nails I feel I should get 20% off the pedicure. I mean really? But I have yet to find a taker for that bit of Scottish logic. And I do so love having a good pedicure, so there lies the rub.

During the pedicure the hairdresser comes over and takes care of the cutting, drying, and styling. And let me tell you, frizzy curly headed women of the world, head for Morocco because when they blow your hair out straight they say, “That will last for one week,” in a voice any U.S. Marine Drill Sgt. would be proud to call his own. And it does!

This is our first time to try a salon here in Rabat, as we were so happy with the one in Fez it was worth the train trip back. Q is still going back to have them highlight her hair again before leaving for NYU because they did such a splendid job. I am trying to think of the name to give them a plug! Because we know where it is, I don’t remember the name. I will find it and list it later.

After our complete totting up this morning-afternoon and I think Q is having a massage. We are having lunch in the Mega Mall in Souissi. I don’t know, have no idea; I shall tell you upon our return.

After lunch if we have any energy left we are going out to visit a riding stable to possibly set something up or the gym called “Moving” over near the salon. It should be a busy day. I will let you know.. ta ta.

19 comments:

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

Have a lovely pamper day. I'm jealous.

jenny said...

Oh My!!! For THIS, I will get into a trunk and sneak across the border to get a massage and rub and wash. I'm due for some pampering-- LONG overdue! Have a wonderful day with Q.

Pamela T. said...

Can I come along? Would love to indulge. Okay, since the plane ride alone would get me there tomorrow, I guess I'll have to live vicariously through you. Enjoy!

KarenO said...

Oh my goodness, this sounds like heaven! I do share your Scottish logic about your pedicures - my sister lost her big toe's nails from chemo years ago, and her salon gave her discount while they were growing back. You should use your U.S. Marine Drill Sgt. voice and demand one too. ;)

Hope you had a wonderfully pampered day!

Kim said...

I like to have my toes done, but don't like the part of the pedicure where the calves are massaged. I don't know why but it creeps me out. Hope your day was decadent and wonderful.

Omega Mum said...

The only way of getting a good deal would have been to keep the toes and bring them with you. Now that frostbite fact is crying out for another airing and a separate post. One per toe? And I have to give top marks to the sheer chutzpah of mentioning it in passing!! How incredibly grown up you are.

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

By the way, I love your photo. Very glam.

The Good Woman said...

Couldn't get to the NY Times link - needs a login I think.

The spa sounds terrific. I went for a day of pampering at a spa outside Cape Town - the treatment was called African Rain. Heaven! Lots of massage and water therapies - not much waxing.

Hope you enjoy and come back with eyebrows in tact!

lady macleod said...

WUASTC

It was! It was! I wish you were here. Thank you for coming by.


jenny

While I am all for you sneaking across the border... you are going to need something with wings. he he thank you and WE DID. thank you for coming by.


pamela jeanne

yes! you may come, anytime - next time we shall plan ahead eh? WE DID have a brilliant day. thank you for coming by.


kareno

Normally what works better for me is my "lady of the manor" voice... I must say it is somewhat difficult, though not impossible to pull off in a language I don't speak.. it's in the eyes and the set of the shoulders.. We did have a brilliant day! thank you for coming by.

lady macleod said...

kaycle

you and Q! She doesn't like pedicures, but then I don't like massages..so we are all different. It was totally decadent! thank you for coming by.


omega mum

curtsy (for the chutzpah comment, and your spelling!) all right I shall put that story on the list shall i? I am working on the "grown up"... 67%?
thank you for coming by.


WUASTC

Oh thank you. It is my favorite photograph of myself these past few years. It was taken by my dear friend George Ann's husband Sir Alton whom I adore. I knighted him myself as it takes longer for the Queen to get to the Americans.

lady macleod said...

good woman

yes i think their links do require sign in, sorry. "African Rain" what a great label, title...
we had a brilliant time. thank you for coming by.

Drunk Mummy said...

Do they scrape your tongue as well? I could do with a bit of that.

lady macleod said...

drunk mummy

I have NO doubt as an old cell is a bad cell. thank you for coming by.

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

Get thee to horse, Lady M...

I agree you shoudl barter over the pedicure. Isn't Morocco a bartering hotspot?

lady macleod said...

I have every intension of doing so, must look presentable after all.

Not apparently on the posh side of town, bugger.

thank you for coming by.

jmb said...

Well I think that sounds like a day I might enjoy. However I can defend my ass with the best of them. Now just suck up the extra for the non-existent toenails, think of it as being a gratuity.
Enjoy yourselves, including the "after", whatever that may eventually be.

debio said...

I am relaxed just reading this - although I must say the dedication to depilation is somewhat unnerving. Need a massage to ponder and recover....

lady macleod said...

jmb

It was a great day indeed. I have no doubt of your ability to defend! We did have such fun. thank you for coming by.


debio

You would understand the excess of excess we found in a small area. I begin to think it typical of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. thank you for coming by.

Brillig said...

Alright, Lady M. How could you just throw in, "I lost the bones in both my large toes to frostbite on Everest in 1968"? Ummmm, that sounds like an amazing story that needs to be told!!!!