Tuesday, 13 April 2010

Pubic Baths be fun.

The public baths slash Jimjilbangs are interesting places with people running around naked and generally doing strange things in front of everyone. In general us western types don’t like walking around naked with everyone staring at our hanging bits and we also don’t really like having other people’s hanging bits displayed to us either. In a Jimjilbang you don’t have much choice though, so you get used to ignoring the people around you. Sometimes, however, it is not all that easy to ignore what is happening.

I was in the unenviable situation where I had to sleep in Central Spa to take the first bus out (just to arrive at my house at 8:00, shave, brush my teeth again, get dressed and leave the house to be at school by 8:30). It was at this particular visit I saw a few things that I feel I need to share.

First, the Blackburn vs. Man Utd game was on, so there were men sitting around staring at their darling Korean football player, Bak Ji-Sung. Did you know that Korean broadcasting considers, for the purposes of highlight packages, Bak Ji-Sung running on to the field a significant event? This event is so significant that his, make sure you get this, running on to the field, needs to be shown before attempts on goal, or fouls, or whatever. Just in case you didn’t read it the first time, he ran on to the field. That’s it. Nothing else.

Also, did you know that, like children, Korean men think that every time BJS touched the ball there is an opportunity for a goal, and that when he doesn’t score from am non-chance, then there is reason to complain? (To be fair, it was a small minority, but it is more fun to say that everyone was like that.)

The second thing that was just off was when a guy was standing in plain sight, blow drying his gonads for two minutes, and if this was not bad enough, when he finished doing that, he proceeded to blow dry his arse for about 60 seconds.

The third thing was very off was waking up in my bunk at about 2am because the guy next to me is getting in to his bunk is the noisiest way ever, just to assaulted with the sight of his forest of a small bush that hides his jingly jangle. Apparently he did not receive clothes when he checked in. This same guy was making strange sounds throughout the night which naturally makes me turn my head, just to see him sleeping on his side with his little brush in my direction.

I suppose I should mention that the bunk beds in a jimjilbang are all connected with about 20 or so in one row and only a little wooden “fence” separating the people.

As I was cleaning up to go home I had my forth weird experience. There was a guy in the very hot pool, squatting with a very wide stance so that his leathery pouch and arse hole was just touching the water. Why didn’t he just start polishing the wiener right there?

2 comments:

Creech of the East said...

Hi,

Recently I have been researching schools in Icheon. After doing a search for blogs from Icheon, I discovered yours. You could really help me out, if you have an advice on schools and ways to find jobs in Korea. I've read bad things about EDUK, but I've also read good things about it too. So I'm just a little in the dark.

Thanks,
Stephen

Unknown said...

EPIC is doing interviews at the moment. They have recently taken over the Seoul recruitment because SMOE was being idiots. I'm not sure of you can contact them directly, but give ESL Planet Requiting (http://www.esl-planet.com/). I have heard good things about them.

As for school, there is not much in terms of choice. In the beginning you pretty much gave to take what you get, learn how things work and then try to move on to something more your scene. As for where, well, you can be out in a tiny town all the way up to Seoul. I personally would rather be in a tiny town than in Seoul, but that is just me.

Stay away from hagwons/academies.

As for the job. Well, for the most part no one knows what you are supposed to be doing and in the beginning you will like a fish on dry land. If you have don't ESL teaching before then you will likely stop being a fish quite quickly. Korea is pretty disorganised in general and the schools are no exception, everything regarding the non-Korean speaker doubly so. Once you learn how to work around that or ignore it, life get better. I'm busy working on my 4th contract now, so it cant be all that bad, can it?