Spa

Dear Diary,

Initially planned to go out today but I kinda lapsed into just reading a book which my pharmacy assistant lent me yesterday. The book titled “Christians Going to Hell” by Seung Woo Byun, was obviously weirdly titled and I thought I should give it a read. The book started off with accounts of some near-death experiences and the graphic descriptions of hell… which got me a little uncomfortable. It has been quite a while since I read such a book that makes me squirm. The last one was probably many years back when I read an English-translation of the French book “Purgatory” by Fr. FX Schouppe, S.J. Somehow, books on suffering can be quite difficult to stomach and accept. Fortunately or unfortunately, I don’t exactly believe in the doctrine of Purgatory because I do not subscribe to the authority of the apocryphal (deuterocanonical) books in terms of doctrinal formulation. From the deuterocanonical book of 2 Maccabees 12:46, the doctrine of purgatory arose.

While it may be unacceptable in the modern society to talk about hell, the bible is explicit about it and the fact that it exists… for eternal damnation… We must preach Christ to others. However, that book by Seung Woo Byun was even more disturbing because he spoke about his vision where he saw his own books kept in a library in heaven. I was like… huh???? What arrogance. The fact that he criticised accepted doctrines on the original sin (Adam’s sin), hyper-Calvinism, and stating that most Christians are going to hell because we depend too much on “sola fide” (Protestantism) or “the Church” (Catholicism) …. Hmmm, felt as if he was trying to tell us that salvation belongs primarily in our hands! I did a quick Internet search on the author’s source of teachings… and I realised that I could be reading a heretical book. The author admitted deriving lots of his concepts from a heretical Presbyterian minister Charles Finney, who preached a gospel laced with Pelagianism (the 5th century heresy which taught about good works as the only necessity for salvation). Sometimes, when we read books… we have to be discerning. Not every book is profitable to read, no matter how convincing the ideas are put across.

On a lighter note… Yesterday, I went for the first spa in my life! I was initially a little sceptical on how it would turn out to be. It was a Diner’s Card offer for a Zingiber spa at just $22+! That’s awfully cheap because the original price is $188+. I remembered how one of my students ever told me that she got conned into an expensive facial package by hard-selling pressure tactics. I wasn’t going to fall into that, was I? Haha… Nonetheless, as I made my way there… I came up with a plan. If they ever wanna “hard-sell” their spa packages, I had better find an excuse to get dressed so that I would feel less “vulnerable” and not succumb to whatever they want me to take up, haha…

I never had to use my plan though… =) The spa was at the heart of Orchard Road. A traditional Javanese setting. The masseuse was a well-groomed lady in her forties wearing the traditional Javanese costume. That was great actually… because I was practically praying that it was not some young girl and it would be awfully awkward, embarrassing or even worse… sensual… Thankfully, it wasn’t. I got a body wrap in some herbs (mixture of ginger, salt and pepper???)… felt like some seasoned oven-baked fish. The spice wrap is supposed to be good for my immune system and make me a healthy fella? Oh okkkkk…. She wrapped me up and left me “marinated” in the spice for about 10 minutes. Geeeshhh…

Then I went to have my warm bath. I never really wore a bathrobe in the past but realised that wearing one felt good! =) After that, it was the massage. Thankfully, the masseuse got me a pair of boxers to wear for the massage, and she was very professional indeed. She exposed an area of the body by uncovering the towel and after massaging… covered it up and exposed another. I didn’t felt too “exposed” at any point of time. This way of uncovering is how the doctors do in their examination of patients too. She did long gliding strokes of massage with some massage oil, some tapping movements on the soft tissues of my body…. I thought that was more like Swedish massage, isn’t it? Haha… Felt good though. Relaxing. The fact that my eyes was covered with a towel was good too because psychologically, I don’t feel too exposed also.

There was one moment when I was lying face-down into this small little hole on the bed. As I was still recovering from flu, I felt my nasal secretions on the verge of dripping out of my nostrils… had to kinda “inhale” that gross stuff in, so that the masseuse won’t get a shock when she flips me over and sees me with mucus dripping. Oh yes… was also a little afraid of that there would be “ticklish” moments because I am “very susceptible” to tickles if you get what I meant. Didn’t want to be squirming, laughing hysterically… basically, didn’t want to appear to be CMI (cannot-make-it), haha…

After about 1.5 hour later, I got dressed… drank that ginger tea… endured a mild 5-minute promotion of their spa packages… and that was it! Happily left the place, smelling like honey ginger I think. Had a good night sleep last night…. Like any other night anyway, hahaha… ;-)

Just made a $700 profit this morning from selling some of my stock investments… Yay! Gonna be 27 years old in a few hours’ time. That would be my present for myself. =) Since we cannot stop the process of “growing up”, we had better enjoy it and make the best of it!

Take care and all the best.

God Bless,

Andrew