The surprises didn't stop there! Little did I know, but Bradley had told our co-workers about my birthday last week, and so between classes, they called me into the teacher's lounge. The lights were out, and there was a cake with candles on the table! They sang happy birthday to me, and then we all enjoyed delicious chocolate cake, eaten with chopsticks of course! (This is so fun! Maybe I will eat my cake this way every year :) Bradley definitely surprised me this year, which is always difficult for him. He usually gets so excited he ends up telling me "I have a surprise for you!" and makes me try to guess what it is. :) Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures, but, yesterday was a great day. Thanks Bradley!!!
After school, we crossed one of the items off of our "Korea To-Do List" that I have been wanting to do for sometime but have been nervous . . . we went to a Korean bathhouse! In Korea, many people go to public bathhouses and soak in various hot tubs, relax in saunas, and get massaged. The thing is, you are naked when you go. Men and women are separated; we would be all alone, naked, with very little Korean language skills . . . talk about feeling exposed!! However, I was MOST worried about running into my students. The bathhouses are family friendly and it is totally normal to go with your mom, sister, children, anyone (which is awesome), however, I think you all understand why I wouldn't want to run into any kids I knew. So, we went directly after school, when most kids would be in hagwons (after school programs) and many adults would still be at work.
We went to a very large bathhouse called Starbox. It has 3 different floors. There is one floor each (one for men and one for women) with pools/saunas and locker rooms, then there is a floor called the "jimjilbang" which is a large heated room. There, you are provided with clothing and in the jimjilbang, men, women, and families can come and rest after soaking in the pools.
When we first walked in, we paid 5 dollars, and were given locker keys, towels, and clothing for the jimjilbang. Bradley headed to the men's section, and I went to find my locker. When I did, I saw that it was very small, (like, I could barely fit my purse, much less my winter jacket and clothing) so I gestured for help from the attendant. She smiled at me, pointed at my shoes, and when I took them off, she put them in the locker and closed it. Then, she led my further back to another locker with the same number and key, where I put all my belongings. I smiled sheepishly, and said "Mi-an-hayo" (sorry!). She just smiled and probably had a good laugh!
I walked past a small concession stand on the way back into the pool area. You could get snacks, toiletries, towels, and different iced coffee drinks (Shopping in the nude, no biggie). After you pass through the locker rooms into the pool area, there are shower stations everywhere, and you can buy these rough towels to scrub all the dead skin off your body, or you can pay an attendant to do it for you. There are jetted pools, cold water pools, several different saunas and heated pools at varying temperatures, and even green tea flavored pools. You can enjoy your lovely iced tea while relaxing in a hot pool, or perhaps a plate of fruit.
Bradley and I said we would meet up in an hour and a half, in case we didn't like it. Well, I was definitely late meeting Bradley! I loved the bathhouse. It was so relaxing and everyone was so comfortable. I am happy to say I didn't run into any students, and I think that I will definitely be returning in the future. I didn't even make it into the jimjilbang part, I just stayed in the saunas and bathing areas. The amazing part is, this place is open 24/7 and it is unlimited time for your admission price. I felt totally relaxed and pampered afterwards, and it was a great end to a perfect day!
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