Korea Revealed

Sauna of Seoul

Immersing in a new culture, like submerging into a cold bath, can send shock waves through your system. But, inevitably, the plunge must be taken, and you must get in over your head. Spending an evening at a Korean Sauna with four friends was the perfect way to get my feet wet.Arriving at the Oasis Spa felt a bit like walking into a heath club. The lobby was furnished with potted aloe plants, those trendy tower lights with the tiny bubbles, and a friendly Polo shirt-clad staff. After checking our shoes at the desk, receiving our locker keys, squeaky rubber shower sandals, towels and sauna uniforms (note: Nobody looks good in beige potato sack tunics, so don’t expect too much) we went upstairs to the women’s bathhouse.I was eager for my first dip into some real Korean well-being and repose. But at the same time feeling a little anxious about my first encounter with some Koreans, well, being exposed.The idea of getting beneath the surface, down to the real meat of the culture, was something I’d been looking into from day one. I just didn’t expect it to be so self-revealing. I’d never seen that side of the Korean contour before. The Korea I’ve been getting to know is modest, conservative, fully clothed. However, looking around the lounge was like a hotel lobby, except with a drastically different dress code. Instead of the Holiday Inn, it was a whole lotta’ skin. There was a snack counter, a big screen TV, people reading newspapers, chatting and leafing through magazines...all nude. But the relaxed mood of leisure and ease was not difficult to slip into, so that made it easy to slip out of our clothes and join the club.The bathing room itself was similar to an indoor pool. Steamy air hung over several pools, each offering different temperatures and mineral waters. Some bubbled and changed colors. Others shot jets of water to massage the back. All around, women chatted at the edge of the baths, knees tucked up under their chins, or elbows propping their bodies half way out of the water. Mothers sat on stools and scrubbed their children’s backs. Babies splashed in green plastic washing basins. Old women laughed with soft gummy smiles as they kneaded the cushiony shoulders of their friends. Everywhere I looked people were scrubbing and soaking, rubbing away the tensions of the outside world, caring for the heart, body and souls of their closest and dearest. Kids made a game of seeing how close they could get to us before bursting into squeals which sent them running back to their mothers. After sufficiently soaking we put on our unfortunate potato sack tunics and went down to the sauna floor.The sauna floor had everything. The atmosphere was very “pic-nic in the park”. Couples reading side by side, families sharing snacks and smoothies from the juice bar. There was even a restaurant, PC room, massage chairs, game room, sleeping area, and DVD room. Oh yeah, and saunas too, 6 different rooms at varying delightfully hellish temperatures. Each had a different theme, Egyptian, Red Sand, Jewels, Limestone, there was even a salt room where you could actually taste salt in the hot air…or maybe it was evaporated sweat…but I don’t want to think about that. Anyway I guess you can say, when in comes to the Korean cultural immersion, I’m no longer wet behind the ears.