articles
China Elevator Stories
“Your Breasts Are Almost Non-Existent”
I chat with a massage therapist in Shenzhen.
02/01/2014
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
I visit a massage place in Shenzhen. The whole-body massage I receive includes the back, arms, legs, stomach, and breasts. When Ling is about to start the breast massage, she says, “Your breasts are almost non-existent.”
Huh. She’s so blunt that I wonder if I’ve heard her correctly. Still, I don’t feel offended—I’ve grown accustomed to this kind of bluntness in China. If you’re curious about what a Chinese breast massage is like, be prepared: it can hurt quite a bit.
Ling then tells me, “Your breasts are very healthy.”
I ask, “Do you know that just by looking at them?”
She responds, “I do. Your nipples are pink. If they’re dark, it means your breasts aren’t healthy. If they’re pink, it means they’re very healthy.”
“I see.”
She begins the massage and asks, “How many hours a day do you wear a bra? Less than eight?”
“Usually longer than eight hours.”
“It’s best to wear a bra for less than eight hours a day. Breasts and nipples need to breathe, just like your nose.”
The massage hurts a lot. I tell her.
She replies, “There’s some stagnation. That’s why it hurts.”
I ask, “Where does the stagnation come from? Just from wearing a bra?”
“Yes, exactly.”
After a while, I inquire, “Are you able to feel if someone has a breast tumor?”
“I am. But don’t worry, you’re fine.”
Have you ever had a similar conversation?