60SR for a manicure AND a pedicure!

Not including a tip to each of the two women who worked their magic on me. One - very, very young Asian girl did my manicure. I wanted to ask her how old she was - she looked like she could be eleven or twelve for goodness sake. "Are you EVEN old enough to work?!!" I did not want to insult her. I didn't ask. I am going to just hope that she is of legal age to have left wherever she came from [probably the Phillipines] to come here to The Sandbox to work. Even better, I'd be more at ease if I knew she was here with her Mother or somone who is looking out for her. My Dear Son still had after-school care at that age - eleven and twelve... The woman that did my pedicure - older, has been here for ten years. In and out of the shop in 50 minutes. Feet look fabulous - and all I had done to my nails was a fresh coat of polish. All for $16.00, $20.00 including tips. Where else are you going to get a pedicure and a manicure/polish change for $16.00!!! [The going rate for the manicure is 25SR, or $6.70; and for a pedicure is 35SR, or $9.38.]

We are very, very lucky spoiled on our compound. I've written before that it is really like its own little self-contained town. We have TWO Commissary's now that are both open 24 hours a day - seven days a week, a mini-mart [like a 7-11], a movie theater, a bowling alley, horse farm, several cafes and restaurants, post office, florist, three laundry / dry-cleaning shops, huge medical clinic and a small dental clinic, hospital, a fabulous library, a barber shop for men and a "beauty shop" for women. The name of the beauty shop? "The Beauty Shop," of course.

I used to go three times a week to get my hair washed and a blow-dry. One woman there did my hi-lights for me for several years [I've since stopped getting them done - don't really need to with the sun - and do not have to worry about the chlorine in the pool turning my hair funny colors, now]. I also used to go regularly for my pedicures. I got frustrated with the waiting time and quit going a couple of years ago. I will have to start back - going on a regular basis - and booked another appointment while I was there for two weeks. I can do my own nails and a pedicure - but it takes me three hours - whereas, like I said, I can be in and out in 50 minutes... Can't beat that.

Because "The Beauty Shop" is for women only, the local women come in dressed head-to-toe in black and immediately remove the bags that cover them. I felt totally out of place, sitting there in my bike shorts and tank top, while the majority of the women there were dressed to the nines - complete make-up, the works - just to go and get their nails done - or their hair done. It is amazing to watch, this dark, very, very thick and NOT straight hair, get washed and then blown-out straight. Takes forever and just watching the imported workers do this made my arms hurt. Then I wonder why - what is the point - you are just going to cover everything back up with black, again. To each her own, I guess... Well, that's not really true - that it is going to be covered up - it will be uncovered in the privacy of their own homes - and no man, but for their husband or father will ever be allowed to see them that way. Something about how an individual's beauty is to be shared with only one's husband - never, ever any other unrelated male. And, while there are some very, very beautiful girls / women over here, there are just as many that do not have to ever worry about sharing their beauty with anyone if their veils were to fall off!