So on Friday, my school had another day off. My co-teachers suggest that we go catch a movie. It's really funny because my co-teachers tell their husbands they still have school so they can go "play." This was the first time I watched a movie in Korea. It's cool because the movie is still played in English, but there's Korean subtitles.
Pretty cheap movie ticket.
The Immortals..a little too bloody for a few ladies if you ask me.
Then we went to eat..there's only like one thing on the menu.
Sweet alcohol..supposed to be a different kind of Makkeoli.
Hot beansprout soup.
Koreans making Kimchi outside.
After eating lunch, my teachers took me to a Jjimjilbang (a Korean public bath house). Many Korean ahjummas and ahjusshis like to chill here. You can watch TV, take a nap, grab some snacks, go into the saunas or use their fitness facility. You stay clothed in the jjimjilbang section and it's usually unisex. I'm not sure if all jjimjilbangs have mokyoktangs (gender segregated public-bathtub-type things LOL)..but the one we went to had a mokyoktang too. Before arriving at the jjimjilbang place, my co-teachers and I agreed we didn't want to see each other naked, so the deal was we would take a bath one at a time and then meet inside the jjimjilbang. However, because it was my first time, my co-teacher felt that I would most likely need some assistance......awkward..I know. The "baths" were not really baths..they were more like public hot tubs that you go in naked...without a swimsuit. I was like only one running around with a towel covering my body while all the other women would just walk around naked. I know back home, people go into change rooms naked all the time, but you actually go into hot tubs and Jacuzzis naked too. When I went to hot springs in Taiwan, it was similar but they gave you this towel to wrap around your body, but here ladies are NAKED naked..everywhere..in the change rooms and in the tubs. They even had an outdoor hot tub.
After sitting in a hot tub for awhile, your skin softens up quite a bit and it's the perfect time for you to take an exfoliating cloth (same idea as a luffa but more abrasive) and scrub all the "dae" (dead skin) off your body. They have showers were you sit down on stones and wash your body and they have normal showers, but there are no curtains so..everybody can see you. You get a little less self-conscious the longer you're in there but, it was still super awkward. I've never seen so many women scrubbing their bodies like so insanely my entire life. Got to admit, your skin feels super smooth after. If anybody is germaphobic like I am..you might not want to go into a mokyoktang. This was a very interesting and truly-Korean experience. I'm glad I experienced it, but I don't think its an experience I would like to have again.
Little towels you get...this is all I had to cover my body with. I would shuffle sideways along walls so that you can see as little of my body as possible. I couldn't really take more pictures of the Mokyoktang 'cause I mean..women are naked..so if you're curious...just check it out for yourself. It's awkward though..don't say I didn't warn you.
When you chill in the jjimjilbang, you get to swear these pink outfits LOL.
Inside one of the saunas. This looked like a giant stone igloo.
Because we suck, we had to go into an ice one right after the hot one. Never seen one of these before. Can you tell that the floor is freezing my feet?
Co-teacher and I in the cold one.
There's also this salt one.
Trying to copy the Korean ahjummas..my co-teachers didn't know how to make it the way you see people on TV with the two balls on the side of your head.
Mango juice to stay hydrated.
Soooo..we asked the ahjumma working there how to do it. =P CUTE RIGHT?! LOL
Say whatever you want =P.
<3
So..I don't really know what more to say about this day than..I've never felt more Korean, violated, naked, stared at, awkward and happy all in one day. I'm glad I had such an interesting day off..buuuuut like I said..I would not mind at all if it never happened again =P.
Hope you guys had a less violated weekend. To any Americans..Happy Belated Thanksgiving =P
xoxo
