Today, I went to the jjimjilbang with my coworker and her girlfriend for a scrub.
The jjimjilbang ("jim-jill-bong") is a Korean sauna, spa, public bath. I've been to a few and they're all a bit different. Generally they feature men's/women's separated hot tubs and shower areas which are a naked area. The tubs are different temperatures and sometimes have herbs or flowers added for skin treatment. Then, after soaking and scrubbing yourself (or before if you prefer), you dress in a uniform of loose-fitting shorts and t-shirt to head over to the mixed-gender area. Here you can find hot (dry) rooms of differing temperature, usually an ice room, a cafe, a PC room, sports massage, kids play room, sometimes an exercise room, a general TV area, gender-segregated sleeping areas, etc.
Where they can differ is inside the rooms. Sometimes they're big and spacious or small and cozy. Also, the hot rooms often have different features, like sweet-grass mats, yellow soil (detoxifying) panels, charcoal (air-purifying), or aromatherapy. The overall design is important to noise management. Some are not effective (actually quite noisy), while others have a nice floorplan to maximize relaxation.
Near my new house, there's a sauna (which is only the wet hot tub/shower part) that I've never been to but there's a jimjjilbang 2 subway stops away. I have been there before, but never for the scrub. My co-worker Emma told me about it a while ago but I had no idea how to go about getting one. When we walked in she found tone of the ladies who gives them and introduced me. I gave her 15,000 won (~$15) and Emma told me to soak in the tubs until the lady came for me. After 20 minutes I was led back to a walled off area of the hot tubs where I was rinsed, scrubbed, and washed by this woman. There is not a single dry spot left on my body. I swear if she had scrubbed me any more I'd be bleeding! It included an icy cucumber mask (rocked my world!), mini back massage, and sesame (I think) oil body treatment at the end.
Yeah, I'll be going back for that one.
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