The Night I Walked Into a Jjimjilbang and Had No Idea Where to Take My Clothes Off

 

I paid at the counter. The lady gave me a key, some pajama-looking clothes, and two tiny towels.

Then she pointed. I walked in. There were two doors. Men. Women. Okay, I got that part.

I went in my door. Saw lockers. Saw people. Some were dressed. Some were… not. I panicked. I just stood there holding my pajamas and my tiny towels like an idiot.

I didn’t know if I was supposed to change now. Or later. Or where. A guy walked past me completely naked like it was nothing. I made eye contact. We both regretted it. I stared at my locker for 5 minutes.

I Put the Pajamas On Too Early and Got Judged by an Old Man

I figured I’d just change into the pajamas they gave me. Seemed logical.

So I did. Full pajama set. Walked out proud.

An old man looked at me. Looked at the sign with the shower pictures. Shook his head. Walked into the steamy room. Naked.

Turns out I was supposed to be naked first. Then shower. Then pajamas. I did it backwards. I walked around the wet area in cotton pajamas like a complete tourist. My clothes got damp. I was cold. I was ashamed. I pretended to be looking for someone.

I Fell Asleep on the Floor and Woke Up to a TV Drama

I finally figured out the pajama thing. Made it to the big common room.

It was huge. People were everywhere. On the floor. On mats. Sleeping. Watching TV. Eating. All in the same pajamas.

I was tired. I saw a spot. I just laid down. The floor was hard. The pillow was a wooden block. I thought “no way I’ll sleep.”

Woke up 2 hours later. A drama was playing on the TV. Some lady was crying. My mouth was open. I had drool on the wooden block. A kid next to me was eating a brown egg and staring at me. I want to die.

The Eggs Were Brown and I Cracked It on My Head Like Everyone Else

I was hungry. Saw people eating brown eggs and drinking something from a cup.

I pointed at the eggs. The lady gave me one. It was hot.

I saw a guy smack the egg on his forehead to crack it. So I did it too. Hard. Way too hard. Egg went everywhere. Shell in my hair.

The whole table looked at me. Then they all laughed. Not mean. Just… “oh, foreigner” laugh. One lady gave me a napkin. Another gave me a new egg.

I cracked the second one on the table. Like a normal person. It tasted good. I don’t know why it was brown.

Summary

I thought a spa was just a spa. It’s not.

Here, you get pajamas. But you can’t wear them right away. There are rooms where you’re naked. Rooms where you sleep on the floor. And eggs you crack on your head.

📌 Things I Noticed

• The pajama timing is hard: I wore mine in the wrong room. Don’t be me. Just copy the naked old guys.
• The floor is a bed: I thought it would be uncomfortable. It was. Then I fell asleep anyway.
• If you’re new: Don’t crack the egg on your head. Unless you want to. It hurts. But everyone else is doing it.
• 
  

This is just what happened to me. I don’t know the real rules. I’m not a spa expert. Don’t ask me where to go. I still don’t know if I showered in the right order.

👉 Discover more Korea guides here

You may also be interested in:

👉 [Next in this series]:  The Morning I Went to a Park at 6AM and Everyone Was Already Awake

👉 [Previously in this series]:  The Night I Walked Into a Bathhouse at 11 PM and Everyone Was Asleep