Ask someone from the west how they’d feel about getting naked and bathing among other naked people, their response will probably be like mine: no. fucking. way. In South Korea, however, this is very much normal; your horror at the thought is just impossible. I got told that I absolutely must do it, because it is an integral part of the culture and of course, having never got naked in public in my life, I refused without a second thought.
Then it occurred to me: I’m going to let some petty fear stop me from experiencing Korea as a local, as it should be experienced, whilst also giving away an opportunity to have a bath (something sorely missed after living the dorm life for a month). This is ridiculous. So I resolved to go and tried to get my friends to join me. Same response. A bottle of soju down they decide they’re willing so we fuck our inhibitions and decide to cross boundaries and take our friendship up a notch by strutting around in our birthday suits.
It’s the day of the thing and I make myself feel a billion times worse by watching a Youtube video of Conan and Steven Yuen at a Jimjilbang in California. About ninety percent of it is Conan screaming and feeling awkward. Great! Next thing I know we’re at the lockers and its time. Anxiety levels raging we strip off at the same time and keeping our eyes above shoulder level we somehow make it to the baths without injuring ourselves or puking at disgust at the sight of each other’s bodies. My initial fears were in vain, nothing terrible happened and in fact it really wasn’t a big deal at all but actually kind of liberating. Suddenly I felt bad for scolding my Korean friends for their life choices and actually started to envy them that they get to experience what was arguably one of the most relaxing experiences of my life on a weekly basis.
Feeling confused following our new special bond
To make me seem even more ridiculous, the nakedness lasted for a grand total of twenty minutes. Before we knew it we were in pyjamas, lying in a bed of charcoal balls sweating out a months’ worth of soju and regrets. I hadn’t felt more relaxed and pampered in months, and all for a fiver!
I have now formed a standpoint that westerners need to get better at being naked and looking at other naked people. In this context it is not a big deal: it’s not sexual and no one even cares that you’re naked. Stepping out of your comfort zone is guaranteed to make you into a better person at the end of it. For that reason, accumulating the courage to go to a jimjilbang is arguably a lesson in life.
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