We gathered 12 people to come with us. Of the 12, I think only two had been to the spa before. As I describe everything that was there, remember carefully that this was about $5.
First: we had to take off all our clothes and store them in a locker.
Second: shower. While in the shower, and this came as a little surprising for me, but it is apparently common for people in the shower to help each other out. For instance, I saw two Korean guys washing each other's backs. The awkward feeling of all us westerners seeing each other naked was quickly resolved when we observed the way all the Koreans were behaving.
Third: After the shower, we were clean enough to enjoy one of three giant tubs: one had the temperature at around 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit (by my best estimate compared with my hot tub experience), the next had the water around 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit and the last one at maybe 50 degrees Fahrenheit. One of the guys that had been there before explained the coldest one was mostly there for the summer months when a nice cold bath just hits the spot. Seeing that it is in the dead of winter, the coldest one was empty except for us foreigners that wanted the experience of jumping in right after the hottest tub.
Fourth: There were two saunas: humid and dry. The humid sauna had the temperature at around 80 degrees Celsius with a constant stream of steam in the middle. It wasn't exactly steam because it didn't burn, but it was warm. I just converted the 80 degrees to Fahrenheit and it said 176 degrees, so I have to be remembering that wrong. I was like 99% sure it said 80 degrees and I doubt they would measure in Fahrenheit...Nonetheless, we were all sweating less than a minute inside. I didn't see the dry sauna's temperature.
Fifth: We showered again and changed into these bright orange prison-like clothes that were extremely comfortable. We were getting dressed to head to the common area. The common area was like a giant lounge equipped with a couple TV's, computers (but you had to pay), video games, wooden pillows (to sleep on), sleeping mats, food and a small gym. In the common area, there were several igloos that all had different temperatures inside. The first one that I went into was the hottest and dry...relaxing for a couple minutes and then a little too much. The second room, not an igloo, was the "cold room" that had no heating at all. The guy that had been there before enlightened us that they usually have a giant block of ice in the cold room, but they probably removed it in the winter. And if this block of ice could fill the container in the middle, then it must have been a good 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide. I went to the sauna feeling awake and fairly relaxed...and then I laid down in this comfortable igloo that was probably 80 degrees Fahrenheit...where I fell asleep for 10 or 15 minutes. I woke up because I was starving and didn't want to stay out too late -- I had the first day of classes the next day. I spent about three hours there and really enjoyed it. Will travel back and at about $5, I couldn't imagine a cheaper and better way to spend a Sunday night. Apparently it is possible to stay the night at this place as well, although that costs around $9. Someone said they stayed there for three days because it was cheaper than a motel. They had beds that I didn't get to see.
After getting home, I prepared for my first day of classes at Ewha. With the combination of the whole experience coupled with dinner and such, I was under my blanket around 12:45AM needing to wake up at 7:30AM to get breakfast before my 8:30AM class. I thought I set my alarm for 7:30AM...but that didn't exactly go as planned. I woke up to Rebecca calling me at like 8:20AM since I missed our morning meeting. I frantically got dressed, omitting boxers and socks, simply to make sure that I could make it to class...I also didn't know where the class was at. Thankfully, I ran into some other students heading there too and the building was 3 minutes away. I made it on time but a little out of it.
My class schedule is currently set at 9 semester credits of Korean language and 3 credits of religions in Korea (12 semester credits total). That means that all 5 days of the week, my soul belongs to Korean language from 8:30AM to 11:10AM. Ewha has this system of classes where you find a class based on periods with each period being about an hour and 15 minutes, followed by a 15 minute break, and then the start of the next period. It is needlessly complex and difficult because classes are listed like "period 2~2," meaning it is period 2. Why not just say "9:30-10:45?" Anyway, so the language courses function a little differently. Normally period 1 goes from 8:00-9:15, period 2 is 9:30-10:45, period 3 is 11:00 - 12:15 and so forth until the last period concludes at 6:15PM. The language course, as said before, starts at 8:30 and goes until 11:10...meaning that I can't sign up for any classes for periods 1-3. It also happens to be that there were a couple classes I wanted that were at period 3, but that 10 minute layover prevents me from taking them...
Okay. So I was looking for more classes to take because 9 gives me too much free time and doesn't challenge the analytical portions of my mind. One philosophy course that looked interesting was quickly soured by the first 8 weeks covering authors I had already read and in texts that I was familiar with. Those 8 weeks, in my opinion, would be a waste of my time here. The other philosophy course occurred during period 2 on Friday. So no philosophy this term...
Before I go much further, let me quickly say the qualifications that I have for my classes:
1) interesting. Therefore, no math courses or science labs. They have some law classes, but the ones that had a syllabus did everything to make the class sound as boring as possible.
2) In a classroom setting. There are several interesting classes that are offered online, but I can already tell that I would lazily complete the work at the last minute...if at all. Online courses just don't appeal to me.
3) Not on a Friday. This one may be controversial, but I have a good reason. As part of my experience here in Korea, I need to have the ability to travel. Korea is a very small country...so small in fact, that I can make it to Busan (or Pusan, it is the same place but the translations are difficult) in four hours. What that means is that when I want to travel on a weekend, I can leave Seoul at noon instead of 5 or 6 and still enjoy Friday someplace else.
Of the 80 estimated classes offered, about 70 fail qualification 1. They are probably interesting courses, but I don't want my experience here tainted with the lingering aftertaste of science lab, business management, international finances or golf. Of the 10 that remain, about 5 fail qualification 2. Of the 5 classes left, 3 are on Fridays. With 2 choices left, 1 is religions in Korea (I signed up for that) and the other is the philosophy course with 8 weeks of review.
So I only have 12 semester credits. I may consider trying one of the online ones depending on how much free time I find myself with in the next two or three days. See also, "desperation."
When I am in classes, I always do better when I feel a subtle hint of competition. In Korean class, I was put at the lowest level. Fair enough, I need to learn the basics. But we spent the first two days learning how to read -- something that I can already do. One of my friends, who understands no Korean but was placed in a higher class, is starting with grammar under the assumption that everyone can read. I envy her! I want to be there! In my class, there is this one woman from Mongolia who is learning the words faster than me. We study the sounds and then apply them to words. What I mean by this is that today we covered the "M" sound, so one of our vocabulary words was "Namu" (tree). She gets them faster than me and that little bit of competition is fueling my desire to learn. On that note though, I know I would work much much much harder if I were behind absolutely everyone. Then, in grandeur, as if I were riding triumphantly back to my capital after destroying all their pride, I would cackle with my superiority -- raising my glass to the bloodied moon in acknowledgment of their suffering! Competition brings out the best in me...
This is a hard picture to look at. I was at Yonsei University last week to visit with Josie and I noticed the most recent victim of violence in Korea. I had to ask Josie to take this picture for me. In broad day light, in front of hundreds of impressionable college students, here hangs a proud American patriot trying to make his way in Korea. Lacking the decency to cut down his body and give him a proper burial, I can only harbor intense resentment, fear and disgust for the violent actions of some Yonsei University extremists. Even in death, this proud American wore a rebellious smile -- as if letting me know that everything was going to be all right...
Addendum: A pox on spell check! It never caught that I was misspelling competition! Additionally, the picture we see here is Spongebob Squarepants hanging from a tree. Some might think it was only a balloon that got stuck there, but in fact, it wasn't.
3 comments:
Those spas sound really similar to Japanese bath houses/spa. I didn't see any guys washing each other though. But either way, it was still kind of really awkward to be sitting naked across from your girlfriend's father. To add onto that, I had a lot of trouble understanding what he said, so when he said something to me, and then got out of the tub (after being in for ~10 minutes) and headed back inside to the shower area, I thought that meant it's time to go back. As I waited 45 minutes in the entrance area for Yoko and her mom and her sister to come back though I figured that I had guessed wrong.
If you're disappointed with the pace of your classes, move ahead. Language learning is something you don't need a class for. Really the only reason I do Japanese class besides that it helps reinforce grammar is also because it gives me more free time to study Japanese on my own. Also check out http://ichi2.net/anki/index.html
Use this correctly and you won't forget new material.
1) Competition is bad for you. You get snarky and obnoxious and start losing friends.
2) I just want to clear something up: that is a picture of a balloon, correct? So how would you assume that it came from the United States?
I, too, don't understand the picture. Please explain? And also, slightly in response to your previous post, and slightly in response to your consistently misspelling "competition," throughout this blog, I must say that, upon your return, if your English is worse than it was when you left, I might have to let my wild squirrels loose.
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