Korean culture is all about “well-being,” pronounced “wellbing” as one word and prolific (in English) on signs and labels throughout Seoul. And why shouldn’t it be? Everyone should want to feel healthy inside and out.
Men are often told certain dishes or drinks will enhance
their “vitality” (wink wink), and ginseng tea is a staple in the diet of
elderly Koreans.
Sometimes the intent misses the mark, like in these
“well-being smoothies” that are somewhere on the health scale below 7-11 Slurpies.
But some wellbing efforts Korea gets absolutely right, like
jimjilbang, or the traditional Korean bathhouse / sauna house.
My brother-in-law Albert is in town and feeling under the
weather, so we spent one chilly winter’s morning at a local jimjilbang, the
Dragon Hill Spa, a place Joe and I have used as a way to knock out colds in the
past. Better yet, it is cheap. Dragon Hill is about $10 for as long as you want to stay, up to 24 hours.
Each jimjilbang is different, but the basic layout includes
a same-gender locker and bathing area (complete with showers, hot tubs with
various massage jets, medicinal pools and perhaps a steam room or sauna) and a
co-ed area with saunas made of materials like salt, charcoal or red clay, said
to help with ailments from asthma to joint pain.
Chatty old people are the main guests, but young people go
also, and—surprisingly enough, considering the unattractive shorts-and-t-shirt
pajamas everyone must wear—jimjilbang is apparently a popular place for a date.
And (lest you start to think this is a perfectly relaxing
experience), it is completely acceptable to allow a toddler to run around the
common area while we take turns in the saunas. In fact, Luca gets a lot of
attention from loungers who think it’s so adorable he threw his Pororo ball in
their direction, or grabbed the straw from their wellbing smoothie.
This time, Joe and Albert were kind enough to allow me
plenty of time in the ladies’ bath.
Oh—before I continue, I should clarify that the same-gender
bath areas do not allow clothing. My first introduction to jimjilbang was Spa
World in Annandale, Virginia, not far from DC. The ladies in the group decided
we could wear our swimsuits. What could they say, really? They couldn’t
possibly make us strip.
…Well, um. Yes, they could. But, seriously, you faint of
heart: Just keep your eyes at eye-level, don’t be too awkward, and you’ll get
over it after 5 minutes of relaxing in the jade bath, or whatever. They give
you a 2-foot-by-1-foot towel to awkwardly position where you will, to give at
least a small shred of modesty to those who care.
Those old ladies I mentioned? They do not care.
Anyway, I spent my precious alone time soaking and relaxing
and reflecting. Great for the body; great for the soul. My favorite was the outdoor medicinal hot tub with a wooden spout waterfall. It was awesome until my ears froze (and don't worry, it is blocked from public eye). Only slightly unnerving
was the reclining jet tub—you lie back and look up, only to see yourself, your whole self, reflected back on the ceiling mirror. It is just
so dang comfortable, though…
But even with a homerun like Dragon Hill Spa, there are a
few things (ahem, the ceiling mirror) that are just slightly off, like the
somewhat gaudy Las-Vegas-style decorations and especially the bright,
casino-loud video-game arcade area guests must pass through to reach the
saunas. There’s also something called Indian Barbeque Village on the top floor
(advertised with a life-sized statue of a Native American in traditional garb,
complete with feather), but we haven’t made it up there.
I hear they sell beer and fried chicken. Obviously, foods
that evoke the true meaning of well-being.
No comments:
Post a Comment