The Green Spa

Regardless of what many people think military bases in a war zone are civilized places, and at the one I am on there is a spa. It is run by a bunch of women from Kyrgyzstan. Needless to say they do not speak a great deal of English.

For my birthday I decided that I wanted to spoil myself a bit and get a pedicure, since I was there I decided to get some waxing done as well. My eyebrows needed some shaping and according to my sister Emily I need to do my lip and neck as well (damn Arnold genes!). So I figured that since I was there I might as well get it taken care of.

The Pedicure was done in what was previously some kind of bathing facility/corner of the spa, in place of a massage chair there was a padded office chair straped up on a pedestal, and a plastic foot bath placed in front of it, there was also a padded wooden stand that my feet were placed on when she worked on them. The lady did a nice job getting callouses off and shaping my nails, she painted them and did a nice design.

Next, I was scheduled to do my waxing, the lady seemed to be in a rush as she kept coming over to the gal doing my pedicure asking her if she was done yet etc. (this was all done in a different language so I assume that is what she was saying, but, I am not 100% certain) So as soon as my pedicure was done I was wisked behind the waxing curtin. I was instructed to lay down on the table and then the woman asked me what I wanted done she said eyebrow and lip, I said yes, but do my neck and anywhere you saw long hairs. Her response was "Oh my God!" and she ran out of the room. I was thinking to myself, really? It didn't seem like that strange of a request to me, but maybe she had someone else waiting and she thought it would take too long. She returned a minute or two later and proceeded with my waxing. She waxed nearly my entire face! From cheek bones all the way down my neck! Now I guarantee you I did not have hair in all of those places, so I assumed that there was some serious miscommunicationthat had occurred as my entire face is now completely fuzz free. She then moved on to my eyebrows and (sorry Emily) gave me the most intense eyebrow shaping experience of my life. I don't think I have ever had anyone pay so much attention to the shaping of my brows, but they did turn out good.

Now I am sure you all are wondering the cost of such extravagance in Afghanistan, well, let me tell you, the Pedicure was $18 and the Face Waxing was $12...all in all I thought it was a pretty good deal especially since the whole time I was getting waxed I was thinking about how much fun it was going to be to blog about. Tomorrow I am going for my $20 - hour long massage....I am excited!