Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

            Life in South Korea is not for the faint of heart. I slave away for 30 hours every week shooting the breeze with kids and confronting the depressing financial realities of a life with minimal expenses and far too much disposable income. All of these hardships can really weigh on a man’s soul and test his ability to endure, but luckily this weekend I had a chance to rejuvenate my body and mind with a trip to Daejeon's Yuseong Spa. Yuseong Spa (so famous that it has a subway stop named after it!) is a well-known locale among Daejeon residents, and certainly is a spot that any visitor should try to include in their tour of the city. For those of you not familiar with the area and unable to read English signs in the subway, Yuseong Spa can be reached by leaving the Yuseong Spa subway stop through Exit 7.

The Korean jimjilbang is right up there with kimchi and they may in fact both compete for the top spot. They are well-known elements of Korean culture. Jimjilbangs are large public bath houses (mostly gender-segregated) and can be found on almost every street in Korea. Some are more fancy than others, but most have a handful of hot baths, showers, saunas, massage tables, lockers, sleeping areas and social meeting spaces. Jimjilbangs are usually open 24 hours a day and many people visit them to bathe, relax and sleep. Many rooms, including the saunas, have special minerals, woods and stones to create a soothing sanctuary and provide elements of traditional Korean medicine. The Korean jimjilbang is a familiar and calming oasis for all Koreans. Each is a mini spa that caters to your every need. They are more prevalent than Starbucks shops and you can spend a day in one for the cost of a latte and a snack. They sound perfect, right?

If there is one thing that Korea is famous for other than kimchee, I would say it is the "jjimjilbang."