The Chain Massage

Well, this story was just too weird to pass up, so I needed to include it in a post somewhere. It's not a long story at all, but it makes up for it with its amusement content.

Now, I've witnessed a lot of strange behavior in China, but it was only strange to me, not to them. It's simply the way that they live their lives. It's just different than the way we experience it in the western world.

I have witnessed the Chinese playing games that I didn't understand in the open parks in China. I have also witnessed them many times practicing their tai chi in these parks as well. I posted about that one here. https://www.kirkstravelstories.com/post/tai-chi-incident-in-china

Yes, they certainly do have different ways in the far east.

Now, here, in the USA, I know that we have chain link fences, we have chain letters, we have chainsaws, and even chainsaw massacres (movies anyway)! But what I have never experienced, until my trip to this strange land, was the chain massage.

Yes, they would gather in the open park in the mornings and lineup to give a neck and back massage to the person who is directly in front of them. You can see there is a good number of people who would show up for this. I guess it's not a bad idea really, I know how much they like their massages in Asia. So why not come to the park to get a free massage?

The only problem is being the last one on the chain. But I assume that it's like a bicycle race, and that the lead person changes out all the time. Because the lead person gets the advantage in this one because she doesn't have to give the massage, but she receives one. Obviously the one in the back is the one who is short changed.

I considered joining them that morning, but I'm certain that they would've put me at the back of the chain. No way, Jose. I'm not falling for that one.