Koreans Spas and Ahjummas
So I have been in South Korea just over 3 months. They say that this is when the homesickness is supposed to hit but I don't think I've felt it yet. Don't get me wrong, I do miss my family and friends back in Canada but I haven't broke down and cried yet. But it is Christmas season and my birthday is in a couple days so that may trigger something, we'll see.
I have experienced a lot of new and exciting things since moving to South Korea and to talk about all of them would take a long time. But most recently I have really been enjoying the Korean tradition of going to the jjimjilbang (also known as Korean spa or bath house).
Let me explain what a jjimjilbang is. The tradition of bathing together in these public bath houses has been around forever and Koreans have made it into a mini holiday that one can access across the road. I have only been to one jjimjilbang twice in Korea and have loved the experience.
The Korean spa I have been to is in another city. I am not brave enough to go to one in my own town and risk running into someone I know. Mostly because you do have to get naked.
Now, I know that sounds daunting and it is at first, but it is quite freeing to be naked around strangers and have no one really care that you are sans clothes because they are too. Don't worry the bath house is divided by the sexes, just in case you wondering.
Now once you have stowed away your clothing in a locker and grabbed your towel there are a series of pools to choose from with varying temperatures. From very warm all the way to freezing. I prefer to soak in the very hot pool and then hop in the freezing one and repeat the process. Very invigorating! Koreans also seem to like this as well.
There are also different saunas and steam rooms with varying temperatures in which you can lounge in until you feel thoroughly cooked or steamed. After you have had your fill of cooking and steaming yourself, it's time to shower.
At this particular spa, they have a large communal shower area where you can wash yourself. This is where the famous Korean back scrub comes in. If you don't know what that is, look up Conan O'Brian goes to a Korean Spa.
There's a special rough cloth that they use to scrub the skin, it almost literally peels the skin right off and it can be painful but your skin feels like a baby's after.
I must look like a lost foreigner every time I go to scrub myself because almost as soon as I go to scrub myself and ahjumma (older Korean woman) will grab the cloth from me and scrub my back. Yep, there goes the skin but boy do you feel soft after. And no, it doesn't really bother me that a strange woman will scrub my back. I've learned it's the Korean way to look after others and I look like a lost foreigner in need of help, so they come to my rescue. I just let it happen because you quickly learn here there is no use in fighting an ahjumma.
As I have described a jjimjilbang, it may sound like a nightmare to some but to me it is extremely relaxing. There's something relaxing and therapeutic about joining another culture in their leisure activities and participating fully in them. I feel like the more I do these things, the more I begin to feel like I am really living here and not just a tourist.
Next week I will be going on my first MT (also known as staff weekend trip). I will update you on that.
I have experienced a lot of new and exciting things since moving to South Korea and to talk about all of them would take a long time. But most recently I have really been enjoying the Korean tradition of going to the jjimjilbang (also known as Korean spa or bath house).
Let me explain what a jjimjilbang is. The tradition of bathing together in these public bath houses has been around forever and Koreans have made it into a mini holiday that one can access across the road. I have only been to one jjimjilbang twice in Korea and have loved the experience.
The Korean spa I have been to is in another city. I am not brave enough to go to one in my own town and risk running into someone I know. Mostly because you do have to get naked.
Now, I know that sounds daunting and it is at first, but it is quite freeing to be naked around strangers and have no one really care that you are sans clothes because they are too. Don't worry the bath house is divided by the sexes, just in case you wondering.
Now once you have stowed away your clothing in a locker and grabbed your towel there are a series of pools to choose from with varying temperatures. From very warm all the way to freezing. I prefer to soak in the very hot pool and then hop in the freezing one and repeat the process. Very invigorating! Koreans also seem to like this as well.
There are also different saunas and steam rooms with varying temperatures in which you can lounge in until you feel thoroughly cooked or steamed. After you have had your fill of cooking and steaming yourself, it's time to shower.
At this particular spa, they have a large communal shower area where you can wash yourself. This is where the famous Korean back scrub comes in. If you don't know what that is, look up Conan O'Brian goes to a Korean Spa.
There's a special rough cloth that they use to scrub the skin, it almost literally peels the skin right off and it can be painful but your skin feels like a baby's after.
I must look like a lost foreigner every time I go to scrub myself because almost as soon as I go to scrub myself and ahjumma (older Korean woman) will grab the cloth from me and scrub my back. Yep, there goes the skin but boy do you feel soft after. And no, it doesn't really bother me that a strange woman will scrub my back. I've learned it's the Korean way to look after others and I look like a lost foreigner in need of help, so they come to my rescue. I just let it happen because you quickly learn here there is no use in fighting an ahjumma.
As I have described a jjimjilbang, it may sound like a nightmare to some but to me it is extremely relaxing. There's something relaxing and therapeutic about joining another culture in their leisure activities and participating fully in them. I feel like the more I do these things, the more I begin to feel like I am really living here and not just a tourist.
Next week I will be going on my first MT (also known as staff weekend trip). I will update you on that.
Comments
Post a Comment