An American Girlfriend In London, Pt 12: Gone Fishin'

Back in December I was checking my email and got a notification from groupon.com... you know what groupon is, right? Go there NOW and check it out! Sign up... seriously... go... NOW... it's okay, I'll wait.........

Ok.. awesome eh? Right, so this past December I noticed a deal in London for something I had kinda secretly always wanted to try.... sticking my feet in a tub filled with gara ruffa fish, aka "doctor fish."

These lil' fishies don't have teeth, but if you put your hands or feet in with them they'll totally nibble/suck on the dry skin on your feet. The deal I found via groupon was basically so cheap that three people could do it for 20 minutes for the regular cost of one person... and I convinced the BF he needed to be person #2... #3 was up for grabs, but we convinced a friend (known as "The Northern Monkey" on the BF's blog... so I guess that's what I should call him here...) to come with us.

I still can't believe they agreed. I was unsure as to what their motivation was, 'cause I know it wasn't that they were thinkin' a pedicure was called for. I think the curiosity got the best of them... but who can blame them? Maybe they thought they were being brave?

Just last week we finally made it to the shopping center, found the place w/out a problem, and presented the girl with our printed vouchers... and the shoes came off. TNM was the first to submerge his feet. Let me tell you... the squeal he let out was absolutely hysterical!

Next up was the BF (in his work clothes no less... lookin' fancy eh?)

and my initial reaction...

I must admit.. it was a sensation like nothing I had ever felt... though, if forced to compare it to something I decided it felt like that weird tickle-y feeling after your foot has fallen asleep and is just waking up and the pins and needles now just tickles.

I was skeptical that it'd actually work... but those wee fishies totally got all the dead skin off my feet! For real, I knew we were going that evening so I didn't bother to use any lotion on my ankles or feet... and it paid off. I have a scar from childhood that runs across the ball of my left foot that is always just plain ugly... these fishies did a better job than a pumice stone! Mind you, I had a license to do mani/pedis once (I let it expire once the fun of doing it had gone) and I've used so many products over the years to try to eliminate dead skin etc., but these fish are pretty much the best thing EVER.
Apparently they are being outlawed in many states in America, and some other countries as well, but..uh... GO UK!! I'm sure the issue of hygiene is the thing that comes up... but I was willing to risk it just to say I did it. I know that I questioned the idea of people with nasty foot fungi and how it'd probably kill the fish.. but even stinky feet ... 'cause (sorry BF!) the BF has one pair of shoes that put my gag reflex in full swing... how do they deal with that?

The girl runnin' the show sprayed our feet with something, claiming it was water, which is odd.. that's like washing your hair before you take a shower, you know? I think it was like sugar water or somethin'... and I must have had an extra dose, 'cause those fishies loved the hell outta my feet. Maybe I just taste good?

Screw it, y'all need to try this!!