KOREAN SAUNA

i just had the best night of my chinese life! me, mariah, nancy, and ji hye went to a korean sauna. i have never felt so good, (or so exposed.) These sauna's however are not for the faint of heart, the weak of stomach, and MOST DEFINATELY not for the shy!
so as soon as we got to the sauna, we removed our shoes, got a key and went up a carpeted staircase to the locker room. (that carpet by the way is the only carpet i have seen since i've been here so it only made the stay all the more luxurious) as soon as you get to the locker room, you leave your inhabitions at the door and strip down. haha. i feel really close with my new friends now. they know more about me than some friends i've had all my life! when you're 'prepared' you step into the shower roomand bath room. there is a wall lines with open showers, and opposite that wall is three large square pools. one is really hot, one is mediocre, and one is verrry cold. when you're showered and clean you go into the first hot pool, then proceed your way to the cold one. when you're finished with that you dry off, and go back to the locker room. there you're given funny little outfits to wear. then wen you have your funny little outfits on you go out into a little restaurant and sit on the floor indian style. then you have some dinner! i was soooo hungry by this time. we went straight to the sauna after school. when you're done eating you go into a large room, and the floor is covered in straw mats and there are people lying around on them. there area few small tables that you sit indian style at again, and some people were playing some chinese board games, and others were watching the huge screened tv's. all were wearing this weird robe-out fit things we were given. this was the only co-ed room... for obvious reasons. it was the only room people weren't naked! then at the back of the room there are caves. yup.. those are the saunas. when you get inside, you sit on the straw mats, and use sandbags as pillows if you want to lay down. it felt sooo good to sit in there and just sweat. it reminded me a little of the crazy heat in guatemala! when it gets too hot to stand you go and sit on the sloor at one of the little tables. when we sat down , one of the waiters brought a plate with four eggs - shells and all- to our table and a plate of salt. i guess they burn the eggs in the shells on the same stones they use for the sauna. when you open the egg it's either dark brown or black. it looked gross but it was good! smoked egg.. yummy. then they bring you this AMAZING ice cream thing. it's literally ice and cream. crushed ice with beans, and rice cake on top of sweet cream. it was sooooo good. and then you get some bubble tea. felt so nice after that hot sweaty sauna. then we played a chinese board game. it was similar to x's and o's, but you use coloured stones. (i'll show you when i get back!) then after that we went back to the locker room, gave back our robes and went back into the shower room. after dipping in the three pools again you go and lay down on a massage table. but instead of a massage a woman with a pumice mitt on comes and scrubs alllll of the dead skin off allllllll of your body. i really think i lost a pound there! haha. that took about half an hour. they oil you all up then just go to town on you. we all got to lay in the same room together so that was fun. less awkward. then after that you go and shower for a final time, and then you're done. and you even get to keep the pumice mitt!! wa hoo! at least that way you know they use a new one on you every time! i have never felt this good ever i don't think. i feel so smooth and so relaxed. i've never been to a spa before, but this really felt like it! i will most definately be going again!