As someone who grew up in a tropical country, I've never desired for warmth and heat in my surrounding - if anything else, I would trade anything for a cold breeze in a snap of a finger.
The boyfriend and I had a chance on experiencing this warmth and heat. Although I have to add sweat - A LOT OF SWEAT - when we both tried the Korean sauna, AKA jjimjilbang, here in Jersey. I know, I know, IT'S SUMMER,
why the heck are you trying this in this season?! Well, that's because we found a good deal from Groupon. Haha!
Let me give you a talk-through experience with Korea's famous jjimjilbang!
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EXPERIENCE
As soon as I left the lobby and enter the gender-segregated areas, I started to feel the vibe of a different culture - for a second there, I WAS CAVEMAN SPONGEBOB, I have no clue what was going on and what I was supposed to do!
My cheeks were burning and I wasn't thinking straight. I was seriously flushing.
Cubbies are your best friend in Korean's jjimjilbang. As soon as you leave the lobby you have to leave your shoes in cubbies (or put them in a plastic bag and leave them in your locker), I was stopped by a lady for wearing my shoes in the locker area, eek!
I then looked for my locker, changed clothes, left my stuff, forgot to close my locker, and got lost in a way that I was stopped again because I was heading to the men's area. YAY! *roll-eyes*
As soon as I figured things out - which obviously took a long time as I have no idea how many times I forgot to close my locker and got lost - I put myself together and started acting like a commoner. I wrapped my towel on my head to separate my hair from my face, the boyfriend and I met up somewhere in the building, and we braced ourselves because HELL IS COMING.
There are at least three domes each floor that fits an average of 6 people. Each sauna rooms offer different remedies to ease various conditions that ranges from muscle ache, fatigue, joint pains, to increased blood circulation and detoxification effects, and pore cleansing for your skin. You can only imagine how happy my lower back are as well as skin pores!
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| Jeremy sweating it off, LOL. |
We started on very gentle heat and moving our way to a room that gives off a 200-degree Celsius heat. In that 200-degree C (392-degree F) burning room, we sat on a neatly folded blanket and pretty much reflected on life - 1) why did we ever thought going into a sweat room sauna is fun??, 2) why didn't anyone tell us we can bring another blanket to cover ourselves up?! Right after sweating tremendously for that so-so 10-minute stay, we went to an Ice sauna.
In between saunas, we played chess (he lost, hehe), had drinks, ate baked eggs - which tastes sooo good, played solitaire in the PC room, stayed in one of the relaxing room, and went to the shower area to finish the stay off.
One of the unique things to be experienced in jjimjilbang is the shower area. Now, you must be thinking, what's so great about the shower area? Well, to be honest, nothing much; it's just that you have to be completely naked onced you passed the cubbies (again).
Cubbies by the main shower room are used for your clothes. You must leave your uniform/pajamas in one of the baskets in the shower area, leave your clean clothes in your designated cubby, bring your toiletries (if you brought one yourselves), and enter the main shower area completely out in the open.
Haha, get that? Out in the open because you're actually naked? Okay, I'll stop.
Depending on the jjimjilbang you went to, regular stand-up shower rooms are limited. What they mostly have are hand showers attached to rows of low walls - so low that you have to use a stool to avoid prolonged squatting - mind you these are not even shower stalls.
Out in the open! Haha.
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| One of the many crystal decorations in the lounge area |
WHAT TO BRING
As I stay in the jjimjilbang, I realized things that I must bring or wear in the future to make things easy and more comfortable. Here are some of them:
1.
Easy to take-off and wear-back clothes. I was wearing a medium length dress, no zippers, or anything on it. Changing my outdoor clothes to the pajamas/uniform was way easier this way than, by example, wearing jeans and complicated tops. This may help you as well if you feel uncomfortable naked with other people as it will make dressing up way faster.
2.
New changing clothes. If you don't want to reuse the clothes you were wearing before you changed into your uniforms, you're free to bring extra ones for yourself.
3.
Socks. Shoes are not allowed inside the facilities, so if you feel uncomfortable showing your bare feet or walking around with only your feet, you're free to wear socks to your heart's content. In the jjimjilbang the boyfriend and I went to, though, they were selling socks for $2.
4.
Hair tie if your hair is long. I have a shoulder length hair, but boy do I want to put them in a bun once I started sweating!
5.
Toiletries. Again, depending on the jjimjilbang you go to, toiletries may be provided. The one I went to provide towels, a big bottle of shampoo and conditioner by the hand-showers, soap, q-tips, lotion, and hair products, dryers, and comb. But no toothbrush nor toothpaste*. Some people use the ones in the shower area (I did! I used the shampoo, it was great), some bring their own products (I did! Although I forgot the toothbrush after reminding the boyfriend for so many times -_-'')
*Update. There's actually toothbrush and toothpaste! But you have to ask one of the ajumma and they will give them to you. Plus, the boyfriend said he had them too in his area!
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WHAT TO EXPECT
I know that it can be really frustrating and scary to be in a place you have no idea about - I mean the culture shock! This isn't even a different country yet, but I almost lose myself, haha! Here are thoughts that came to mind after my stay at the jjimjilbang; some reminder to keep in mind once I go back:
1. Goddamnit, READ. I know how overrated this sounds, but reading signs will help you so much. When I first went inside the segregated areas, I got flustered and forgot how to human. It's like I forgot how to function normally. I know, too exaggerated, but it's really different. It's like you teleported to South Korea. Until, of course, you read the signs, and all is well and back to normal.
2. You may get lost. Jjimjilbang floors that contains at least three domes? Yes, there's a chance that you will get lost. My advice is to research the jjimjilbang you will go to and if possible look for a map of the facilities. I did, but then I forgot to send one to the boyfriend, guess who got frustrated? LMAO.
3. It will be HOT and SWEATY. Jeremy and I made the rookie mistake of underestimating the heat each sauna room offers. The result? We were both dehydrated and light headed after a few minutes in the domes. Pro tip: don't forget to gulp water before and after each sauna room. Expect water dispensers around each floor.
4. THEY. DON'T. CARE. Getting naked outside of your own bedroom challenges your self-esteem. Will you be uncomfortable? Yes. Will you see your flaws and insecurities? Yes. Will you be naked around other naked women/men? Yes. Will they care? NO. People go to the jjimjilbang to relax and have fun. I asked a random woman how it works in the shower area before I went in, one thing she reminded me of is not to be shy. It seems a little overrated to be told not to be shy, but too rare to be told to be more confident. So from me to you, be more confident.
Have you ever been to a jjimjilbang before? If yes, what's your best moment in it? If no, do you think you would you ever go? Anyhow, if you're reading this then you have most likely read everything I wrote up there and that seriously made me sooo happy! :') Have a great day!
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