Jimjil Bangin'

South Korea enjoys a reputation (international) for boasting some of the world's greatest saunas or spas.....but they are drastically unlike the traditional European or North American idea of what a spa actually is....here, the imposition of communal sweating has become an art form

the price is the first curiosity.....a mere 6000-10000 won to stay.....hidden in the word 'stay' is the idea 'sleep'.....at the jimjae bang, sleep is not only optional, it is expected.....if, perhaps, after a major stint of mindless self-indulgence at a local hub, and the subway is closed, why not lay on the floor with your friends and sweat? as accomodations go, this is mind-bogglingly inexpensive.....and so hidden in the words 'pay some won' are the words 'smile and laugh'

at the Jimjil bang, you may find your Korean friends drunkenly dosing on top of one another on the floor, occasionally waking to play with their hair.....you may also find families sitting or sleeping together on mats.....there may also be a man in the hot room (80-100 degrees C) who is asleep.....take note that laughing at his snoring or waking him to ensure he does not die is wrong.....Koreans don't take near death experiences as seriously as us Western folk, who have been raised to believe that excessive heat, lack of breathable air coupled with departures from consciousness are indicative of possible trouble

Jimjil bangs can be confusing.....there can be multiple floors and mirror-image hallways.....they can also sport identical male and female change rooms.....a good way to avoid embarassment is to read the signs clearly indicated on the doors to each.....a bad thing to do is mindlessly walk down the stairs, open the door, walk into the middle of the room filled with naked people, realize with a jolt that there is no sausage present, curse in a foreign language too loudly, then run up the stairs, of which everyone else can clearly see where you have just come from