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SpectrumMar07.qxd 4/26/2007 4:46 PM Page 6 S (continued from page 5) wonderful clients, but I also hit more of the misperceptions of what massage is. … So when I had the opportunity to go into the health club and only massage women, it was just perfect.” THE SPECTRUM When asked what is the most common thing bringing clients her way, May replied, “Surprisingly to me … most … said these massages are for stress, for relaxation. Even the ones that came in for injuries. That’s why my motto here is ‘strong hands, gentle often a challenging proposition. You have to run the business, manage people and market the business. May got into this business out of a love of massage; at one point, recently, she tried stepping back from the massage aspect to concentrate on the business end, but she found it left her unhappy and frustrated. “I went through a lot of grieving,” she explained. “Clients had mixed feelings about losing me. … Overall, with what I’d have to do to run ‘that kind’ of massage business … it’s not in me.” May prefers to keep her hands, literally, on the job. “My family were Eastern European migrants. … We grew up on the East Coast, and one of my earliest memories was my grandfather always having one of us across his knee to massage our backs. As much as possible, I made sure it was me. And then setting up little massage trains for the kids on the block, just massaging each other.” Growing up, she had a lifelong love of massage and touch that carries over to this day, something she enjoys sharing. “Here, we’re so afraid of touch. We’re afraid of lawsuits; we’re afraid of offending people,” she went on to say. “I hope to encourage people to be more comfortable in their bodies, more comfortable with touch.” That’s just the touch of trust — or trust of touch — that May promotes through her daily work. She makes a point of working with her clients’ comfort levels, communicating and providing a serious, meaningful massage. 6 And let’s put a name to the 800-pound gorilla in the room: A common perception regarding massage ties it in with the sex industry. “There is still that legitimate association,” May admits. “There are still places around that offer that, that advertise as massage because they can’t advertise as sex. Some don’t offer any massage at all, some offer massage and sexual services. For me, I can pretty much always tell from the ad, but consumers can’t always tell.” There’s one place in San Mateo, for example, advertising pretty, young masseuses and a private VIP room. Sounds a little fishy. Do these kinds of places represent a stigma to be overcome? “For me, personally, because I have a good reputation here in the community for so many years … by the time I came here, I was able to draw on my clients. … A lot of people came because I was here, or [they were] referred. But it is always a stigma,” she admits. May added that the neighborhood, being semiindustrial, sometimes carried a stigma as well. Despite any stigmas, May has overcome these obstacles and Redwood Massage & Sauna has gone on to be voted the best massage in Redwood City, booming into a thriving business. May is very politically active in the profession and in Redwood City, giving back and getting involved. Like so many of the business owners I’ve interviewed in Redwood City, she believes in being good to the city that has been so good to her. It’s part of what makes Redwood City a great community in which to live and work, and May is a classic example. The quality and care she projects onto her business carries through in the way she speaks about it and in how she handles her clients. WWW.SPECTRUMMAGAZINE.NET MAY BALANCING THE BUSINESS END touch.’ Most people want a massage to be firm, so that they feel it, but they also want it to be relaxing. “Most people come in as part of their health maintenance,” she added. The average customer comes in once a week, she said, although there are many that come once per month as well. “I still have clients that I’ve been massaging every week since I started [at Redwood City Athletic Club],” she said. “That’s 24 years.” That kind of long association forms bonds and friendships. “You end up massaging family, also,” she added. “Going to weddings. … In a way, like the old-time doctors, you become a part of the family.” The age range of May’s clients averages between 40 and 70, but there are a number of clients older, some of whom have been coming since the original owners opened in 1964. When May bought the business in 1999, she had a lot of renovating to do, which shows in the colorful decorations, paneling and modern massage tables. The original owners were more “old school,” whereas May has brought the business up to date. Being a business owner is “The goal of massage is to get people more comfortable in their bodies, more aware of their health,” she said. Teaching that self-awareness of how and where we carry our stress can help prevent serious health problems down the line. “Also, to get people comfortable with touch and care and giving.” If you’re looking for a day spa to be pampered and fawned over, with all the fancy trappings involved, Redwood Massage & Sauna probably isn’t for you. But if you want a genuine, serious therapeutic massage — either for stress or injury — from a professional and caring massage therapist, don’t overlook Beverly May’s spa. Located at 797 Arguello Street, just blocks from downtown, it is clean, comfortable and unpretentious. You might arrive stressed or cranky, but you won’t leave that way. REDWOOD MASSAGE & SAUNA IS READY TO SERVE YOU!
SpectrumMar07.qxd 4/26/2007 4:46 PM Page 7 REDWOOD CITY’S MONTHLY MAGAZINE CULTURAL EVENTS S THE MAIN GALLERY 1018 Main St., Redwood City (650) 701-1018 www.themaingallery.org There will be a moment of peace as well as the harmony of fanciful animals at The Main Gallery as painter Liz Noerdlinger and mixed media artist Elizabeth Noerdlinger: Weed In A Pot, 24" x 26", oil on canvas, 2006 Marianne Schlumberger: Landscape I, 16" x 11", monoprint, 2006 Marianne Schlumberger present their new works in a show running from March 21 to April 22. Schlumberger’s animal prints are an expression of childhood memories that are vividly depicted with bright colors and strong lines. Bird imagery, associated with freedom from the chains of our personal and collective existence, reappears to express the feeling of freedom through art. Noerdlinger’s newest landscape oil paintings describe the moments of stillness and beauty that are often invisible or overlooked in the frenzy of busy lives. SAN MATEO COUNTY HISTORY MUSEUM 777 Hamilton St., Redwood City (650) 299-0104, (650) 359-1462 www.sanmateocountyhistory.com Games Galore at History Museum The San Mateo County History Museum will present “Games Galore” March 31, 1–4 p.m., as part of its Family Past Times series. The Ohlone Indians played a staves game with sticks from elderberry trees. Children will decorate sticks to use for playing this game. During California’s Mexican period, special eggs called cascarones were filled with confetti and cracked over friends’ heads at a fandango, or party, at ranches. Children will make a cascarone to take home. In the Victorian Era, kids played a game with hoops called Graces. Participating children will wrap a hoop in colorful ribbons and learn how to play Graces. Sipa is a Filipino game similar to hacky sack. Children will make a sipa toy to use in this game by wrapping a coin in colorful fabrics or paper and cutting the edges into fringe. Special Exhibit Precious Cargo (through May 1) — The exhibit features cradle baskets in their cultural context through direct collaboration with contemporary California Indian weavers. Learn about traditional beliefs concerning childbirth and the use of cradle baskets among Pomo and Western Mono peoples. The exhibit includes additional material from 28 other tribal regions throughout California. $2–$4, children ages 5 and under free. Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Holocaust Program The San Mateo County History Museum, the Bay Area Holocaust Oral History Project and the Holocaust Center of Northern California present a lecture by author Helen Farkas of Burlingame on April 12 at 2 p.m. during Holocaust Remembrance Month. Farkas will speak of her experiences as a Holocaust survivor. After being forced to move into a Jewish ghetto, Farkas and her family were imprisoned at the infamous concentration camp at Auschwitz. Copies of her book, Remember the Holocaust: A Memoir of Survival, will be available for purchase. Stories from the Past April 13, 2–3 p.m. — The San Mateo County History Museum presents a reading for children of Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin. This Chinese immigrant story celebrates gardening and the earth. After the reading, only nine days before Earth Day, children will be invited to explore the museum’s “Nature’s Bounty” and “Living the California Dream” exhibit galleries, where they will create a paper, World War II era victory garden to take home. These programs are free with the price of admission to the museum ($4 for adults and $2 for seniors and students). LITTLE FOX 2209 Broadway, Redwood City Ticket purchase and info (650) 369-4119 Tickets also available online at foxdream.com and at the Fox Theatre Box Office Booker T. Jones plus Ron Thompson Sunday, April 1, 7 p.m. $18 adv./$20 door This legendary performer, producer and songwriter is perhaps best known for the million-selling instrumental “Green Onions,” recorded by Booker T. and the MGs. Long ago inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jones was named as a 2007 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award recipient for his work with the seminal instrumental group. His career highlights also include recording with everyone from Otis Redding, Ray Charles and Wilson Pickett to Bob Dylan and Boz Scaggs. An Evening With LUCE Friday, April 6, 8 p.m. $14 adv./$16 door Whenever LUCE plays the Little Fox, the best bet is to buy your tickets early because they’re usually sold out by showtime. The venue gives LUCE and their fans a home field advantage, so to say, for the Bay Area band has broken nationally during this decade. LUCE favorites like “Good Day,” “Buy a Dog,” “Worth the Wait” and “Acid Rain” keep the party groovin’ long into the night. The band is currently creating its third album for release this year. (continued on page 37) 7 WWW.SPECTRUMMAGAZINE.NET
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