One of my regular readers recently told me that an Asian masseuse he knows wanted to tell her story; since these women now bear the brunt of anti-sex worker police violence in the US, I was happy to provide her the opportunity. CiCi reads English well but is much more comfortable writing in Chinese, so I used Google translate to prepare the rough draft, then edited it and let her check it for accuracy prior to publication.
My name is CiCi Liu. I came to the United States from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China in 2010. After first arriving in Flushing, New York, and resting for a week, I found a job as a live-in nanny through a newspaper advertisement. I worked there for a year, but it was both stressful and boring, and I lacked freedom due to living with my employer 24/7. I wanted to change jobs and relax a bit, so I went back to the newspaper ads and found a job at a restaurant. But after working there for six months, I found it was not suitable for me; I was very tired and overworked, so I quit and rested for a few months before entering the massage industry through a friend’s introduction.
Initially, I had a lot of freedom, going into parks with my partner and using simple massage chairs we made ourselves to massage tourists, starting from the grass. Then every day from morning until midnight, I would go to the entrance of some bar and wait for customers to come out, trying to persuade them to buy massages from me; the results were pretty good, and I maintained this routine for several years. Unfortunately, this kind of massage work could only be done in the summer, so in the winter I did temporary jobs and odd jobs, but that wasn’t a real solution; I needed to find a stable job.
So it was back to the newspaper again, where I found a job posting for a massage place in a shopping mall, which I found quite suitable. I’m relatively quiet and prefer to give slow, gentle massages; the place had both chair back massages and mattress massages. Over a five-year period, I learned a lot of English and mastered massage techniques; I became much stronger, worked as a massage manager and massage instructor, and gained several years of experience. So I wanted to start my own business, but that presented many difficulties; then a friend asked me to help her with house massages, which I thought was a great opportunity.
In-room massage turned out to be the best for me; it’s quiet, slow, and I feel free. More importantly, it allows me to utilize my strengths. My massage skills are top-notch. I can control the entire process and know every acupoint on the body, so my clients feel very satisfied; many clients will extend the time again and again, and I can also meet their additional requests. No matter what kind of client they are, I will treat them all the same, like my own family, with care, patience, and sincerity, and they reward me accordingly. Every guest appreciates the cleanliness and hygiene of my environment; I use numerous small, warm towels to wipe the surfaces clean, and the sheets are changed daily. Guests can shower freely. When I’m working, I rarely answer the phone or send any messages; all my time is devoted to the customer receiving a massage. As a result, 80% of my guests return, and my diligent efforts have earned me the support and affection of many guests, for which I am deeply grateful. If you are in the Portland, Oregon area and would enjoy visiting me, you can email me at CiCithegoat@proton.me.
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If there is one succinct statement which sums up my political philosophy, it’s “Every adult individual owns themselves and absolutely nobody has the right to overrule that.” –
