Photo by Ted Trimmer: Ala Wai Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii.
My Vietnamese neighbors own a nail salon at a nearby mall, and they have 8 or 9 employees. I went there for a pedicure yesterday, and as usual, the Vietnamese husband did my nails. He was good and thorough, making sure he removed every cuticle he could find.
However, when I went to the cash register to pay for the pedicure, I was in for a rude awakening. He added $6 to the bill, because he said he had done a callous sanding of both feet. Well, I had not authorized it. I guess next time I’ll make it clear I want just a basic pedicure and no extras.
This man is an immigrant, now an American citizen. He told me he never votes during an election year, because he is too busy. His shop hours are 9 – 7:30 every day, and after he cleans up and does the salon’s laundry, he gets only 3 hours of sleep per night. Wow! I thought my husband was a hard worker, but this salon owner takes the cake! His last vacation was five years ago, when he spent a month in Vietnam. Since then, it’s been work work work!
He must be doing well, though, because he purchased the two story house next to mine for $650,000 more than ten years ago. And he’s rich enough to light strings of firecrackers on New Year’s Eve.
I might add that their marital spats have stopped. No more screaming and yelling. No need to call the police!
P.S. I think I’ll try to do my own pedicure next month and see how it goes. Save money! Also, I don’t like it when he makes my toes bleed during cuticle removal. Easy way to get an infection.
January 19, 2012 at 1:45 am |
Hum, wonder why the spats stopped? That fellow is a serious hard worker.
At least you now have smooth feet.
January 19, 2012 at 4:24 am |
Their efforts pay off after all the hard work…
I have never did a pedicure before..
January 19, 2012 at 4:40 am |
The woman who cuts my hair is also Vietnamese. She works seven days a week and worries about the shop when she’s home. I think it must be part of their work ethic. I only had one pedicure, once. It was nice but I felt a bit weird having someone paint my toenails.
January 19, 2012 at 5:14 am |
That is a hard worker. My face would have fallen on your feet if I got 3-hours of sleep just one night.
January 19, 2012 at 7:01 am |
Uh, hmm, since you’re a regular gal to get pedicures, yep, I’m a little concerned the guy causes bleeding. Have someone else in the shop do them. Maybe he’s getting back at you for calling the police in the past….DrumMajor
January 19, 2012 at 7:08 am |
You might be right. Anyway, no one else in my family gets pedicures, so why should I? I don’t think it is necessary to have cuticles removed.
January 19, 2012 at 7:26 am |
I stopped getting pedicures when I started seeing a podiatrist. Both expensive but my health insurance covers the latter and I am not likely to bleed to death or get an infection. Dianne
January 19, 2012 at 7:45 am |
It’s illegal to snip at toe cuticles here. Yes, infections are rampant, and yes, they have new infections but no cure. Get one of the girls to do it and tell her not to snip on your basic pedicure.
January 19, 2012 at 7:50 am |
The girl who used to do my toenails also cut my cuticles, so I guess the whole shop does it. I didn’t know it was illegal in other places. But, infections being rampant? Whoa! All the more reason to do my own pedicure.
January 19, 2012 at 8:19 am |
The last time I had a pedicure was before my daughter’s wedding, and the girl who did them was Korean. She did a wonderful job. But I do my own nails. Just a functional job, not for beauty. It;’s good exercise, by the way.
January 19, 2012 at 12:05 pm |
Interesting neighbour Gigi. I was just reading how easy it is to get Hepatitis C from mani pedi’s unless the equipment is sterilized every use.
January 19, 2012 at 3:34 pm |
I haven’t had a manicure/pedicure in a very long time. A friend persuaded me to get my nails and my toes done and we went together. That was two years ago. To tell you the truth I don’t enjoy them, don’t like my feet being touched and even my hand it gives me a weird feeling. Of course, hubby is allowed and that’s no problem at all. but strangers? No way! . Not into having massages either. Don’t really know why I feel this way but I can’t remember feeling any different. I guess I have issues
January 19, 2012 at 5:50 pm |
I get my pedicure done at salon but not very frequently and I request them not to touch my cuticles just a good scrub is enough.
January 19, 2012 at 6:54 pm |
inspiring immigrants!
Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
>
January 19, 2012 at 6:55 pm |
I always thought one end of the pedicure tool was intended to push back the cuticle. I never heard of removing it. Wouldn’t that be cutting into flesh?
January 20, 2012 at 4:29 am |
the cuticles are located on the left and right sides of the nail. they are cut and removed.
January 21, 2012 at 12:28 pm |
No wonder he’s raking in the $$. I give him credit for the hard work but charging for services not requested is not exactly above board. I go back and worth on the voting thing. I think everyone should vote, but, maybe he is “too busy” to to pay attention to politics. And, the way things have been going in that arena, I think he is making valuable use of his time being a hard working citzen.
January 22, 2012 at 4:51 am |
I wonder if he really works all the hours he claims to work or if he told you that so that you would not consider grumbling about the extra $6 charge.