Slips, slippers and saunas

The heat treatment

I find that I get too topical with my blogs and rarely share a basic thought that I have not been able to develop into a full blog.

However, if I do have a number of basic thoughts, I could put them together in a blog and hope that the information flows with some entertainment value.

It was a day in early 1995, I got to work and my boss thought I looked tired if not stressed, he immediately suggested I find a sauna and sweat it all out. That was quite a new concept to me that I first called the sauna and even asked if they welcomed non-Caucasians.

Strange question, you might say, but there have been times when I have walked into places quite boldly and the place falls silent as I try to pick off eye balls all over me.

Under little cover

In a sauna, you are might have a towel as covering, in Budapest, you get the equivalent of a fig-leaf, some luxury outfits might offer robes but if you are more comfortable in other kinds of apparel, you can imagine the self-conscious state of mind you will have – it is not easy for a seemingly assertive person to be somewhere unfamiliar and strange.

It was a wonderful experience, exhilarating too. Many patrons go bare-foot around the sauna, but I learnt years ago to wear slippers after I suffered from warts that took ages to disappear.

I was amused when I saw the same kind of slippers I bought for 12 Euros on the shelf for almost 60 Euros and all because someone had branded the slippers with the DG chain-link of Dolce and Gabbana.

Money and sense

Even where I have had more money than sense, I have tried to call on the sense as much as possible when spending money and my slippers are very good, thank you very, very much – Dolce and Gabbana; my foot and hurting pocket – but you can imagine the accursed victims who would make a beeline for the label even if the product offers no additional function or quality.

Slippers, they are, not like they are made of some luxury chemical in sweat shops where the workers sweat the sweetness of honey, but you have to celebrate the brand and they must be thankful that there are fewer of me than customers who would shell out a fortune and more for tat dressed as superior and classy.

I am not wearing the Emperor’s new clothes, hope you aren’t too. Well, the blog ended up being long anyhow – the words are inspired at the time of writing most of the time.