2 songs and a photo montage are up now of our performance of Handel's Messiah, check it out!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Contradiction Song
This is rough... haha. But I'm posting it anyway cus I can't see repeating this performance. It took a very specific mood to create this... not sure what mood that is. Anyway, on with the video.
Oh and I also realized, the mic I bought and thought I was using is fine, but the computer can't seem to use it if I'm recording a video. So the poor sound quality is gunna stay until I figure it out. Cus I did some non-video recordings and not to say it sounded great but it didn't have the buzzing and clicking that's for sure!
Oh and I also realized, the mic I bought and thought I was using is fine, but the computer can't seem to use it if I'm recording a video. So the poor sound quality is gunna stay until I figure it out. Cus I did some non-video recordings and not to say it sounded great but it didn't have the buzzing and clicking that's for sure!
Jimjilbang! 찜질방!
So tonight I went with Lexi and her friend from back home Emily to our first time at a Jimjilbang. Which, in short, is a Korean bathhouse/ spa of sorts. We went to one that was huge! I've heard many a story about these places (many of which much funnier than my experience!) but here's what I got.
First, it took forever to find the place. We are walking through the snow, getting pointed in all kinds of directions and finally go in a big circle before we find the building. Then we go in the elevator, no 7th floor, where its supposed to be. We go to the 6th floor and walk up the stairs... hmmm this isn't right. Storage closets and its all dark. Finally a kind Korean girl shows us to an elevator on the other side of the building.
So we get in, pay out 8,000 won (about 8 bucks) and go to lockers where we change into our flattering pink pajamas (photos soon to come thanks to Lex) and so we wander. Not sure where to go, what to do. All the signs are in Korean save the ones that say "Women's this" and "Men's that" sort of thing... plus at this point I've put my glasses in the locker. After a blind confused trip around the labyrinth we finally decide to go lock our pjs up and venture out in the nude to where all the spas and saunas are.
So in we go. I will describe this scene to you. We hop in a large shallow hot tub that is right next to 2 others in the center of this big room. I'll do a 360 view for you. First on the left I see rows of shower stations. Low sinks with shower heads attached and "stools" which were little more than upside down buckets with a butt shape on top to sit on. Women of all ages are shampooing and scrubbing. On the right, similar scene only over there, there is a woman that looks like she is covered in blood Carry style. I eventually realize its some sort of body scrub as she begins scrubbing it on another woman. Next comes the saunas... nothing too crazy there. And next to that are the cold water tanks. This is where most of the little girls are swimming around and playing. Not shy at all about hugging and running and hanging around nude. Last on my eyes venture around the room I see massage tables with a price list hanging starting at about 15 bucks. A woman is naked, getting a massage from a naked ajuma (older woman). Uh huh... why exactly does the massager have to be naked as well? I've heard many stories about this... apparently that's just how it goes in the Jimjilbang.
So that of course is all the woman's area. We hang around there dipping in the tanks, spas, and saunas. There were about 10 or so total all with different temperatures displayed on digital clock type things. One group of little girls began following us around. Trying to hide it at first and eventually saying hi, giggling, and talking about us in Korean staring right at us. "Amma (mom)," one calls in Korean to her mother, "We said hi to the foreigners!"
After we get too hot and pruney and dehydrated to go one, we wander around the coed pajamaed areas. There is a huge floor to sleep on and watch movies on matts. Though there are also several sleeping areas that are more secluded, and also people pretty much sleeping where ever they pleased, including upstairs near the gym (which was closed for the night). There were snack bars, restaurants, DVD rental to use on one of the many TVs.
We each bought an ice cream and took advantage of the 2,000 won massage chairs. They went for a while and actually did a pretty decent job!
There were 5 little rooms to go in, a few of which had a theme. One was shaped and decorated like an igloo and was really cold inside with 2 fake snowmen. One room was slightly less cold with a TV inside. The next was shaped like a pyramid and had these rocks you could lay in which we later figured out were or included a lot of salt (thanks to the gash in my finger suddenly throbbing in pain). The last 2 were unbearably hot. I felt like Goldilocks trying out all the rooms. Too hot. Too cold. The Eygptian one with the salt rocks was definitely just right. And I felt like a little kid when I used to play in my dad's rock paths in the back yard.
And so it goes. My first time naked in front of people. It wasn't so bad. I want to go back again, especially since its so cold outside! Maybe go early enough to take advantage of the gym next time!
Japan blog soon to come. And one day my Chusok blog from back in October. I swear I'm not letting that one go. It'll get done eventually!
First, it took forever to find the place. We are walking through the snow, getting pointed in all kinds of directions and finally go in a big circle before we find the building. Then we go in the elevator, no 7th floor, where its supposed to be. We go to the 6th floor and walk up the stairs... hmmm this isn't right. Storage closets and its all dark. Finally a kind Korean girl shows us to an elevator on the other side of the building.
So we get in, pay out 8,000 won (about 8 bucks) and go to lockers where we change into our flattering pink pajamas (photos soon to come thanks to Lex) and so we wander. Not sure where to go, what to do. All the signs are in Korean save the ones that say "Women's this" and "Men's that" sort of thing... plus at this point I've put my glasses in the locker. After a blind confused trip around the labyrinth we finally decide to go lock our pjs up and venture out in the nude to where all the spas and saunas are.
So in we go. I will describe this scene to you. We hop in a large shallow hot tub that is right next to 2 others in the center of this big room. I'll do a 360 view for you. First on the left I see rows of shower stations. Low sinks with shower heads attached and "stools" which were little more than upside down buckets with a butt shape on top to sit on. Women of all ages are shampooing and scrubbing. On the right, similar scene only over there, there is a woman that looks like she is covered in blood Carry style. I eventually realize its some sort of body scrub as she begins scrubbing it on another woman. Next comes the saunas... nothing too crazy there. And next to that are the cold water tanks. This is where most of the little girls are swimming around and playing. Not shy at all about hugging and running and hanging around nude. Last on my eyes venture around the room I see massage tables with a price list hanging starting at about 15 bucks. A woman is naked, getting a massage from a naked ajuma (older woman). Uh huh... why exactly does the massager have to be naked as well? I've heard many stories about this... apparently that's just how it goes in the Jimjilbang.
So that of course is all the woman's area. We hang around there dipping in the tanks, spas, and saunas. There were about 10 or so total all with different temperatures displayed on digital clock type things. One group of little girls began following us around. Trying to hide it at first and eventually saying hi, giggling, and talking about us in Korean staring right at us. "Amma (mom)," one calls in Korean to her mother, "We said hi to the foreigners!"
After we get too hot and pruney and dehydrated to go one, we wander around the coed pajamaed areas. There is a huge floor to sleep on and watch movies on matts. Though there are also several sleeping areas that are more secluded, and also people pretty much sleeping where ever they pleased, including upstairs near the gym (which was closed for the night). There were snack bars, restaurants, DVD rental to use on one of the many TVs.
We each bought an ice cream and took advantage of the 2,000 won massage chairs. They went for a while and actually did a pretty decent job!
There were 5 little rooms to go in, a few of which had a theme. One was shaped and decorated like an igloo and was really cold inside with 2 fake snowmen. One room was slightly less cold with a TV inside. The next was shaped like a pyramid and had these rocks you could lay in which we later figured out were or included a lot of salt (thanks to the gash in my finger suddenly throbbing in pain). The last 2 were unbearably hot. I felt like Goldilocks trying out all the rooms. Too hot. Too cold. The Eygptian one with the salt rocks was definitely just right. And I felt like a little kid when I used to play in my dad's rock paths in the back yard.
And so it goes. My first time naked in front of people. It wasn't so bad. I want to go back again, especially since its so cold outside! Maybe go early enough to take advantage of the gym next time!
Japan blog soon to come. And one day my Chusok blog from back in October. I swear I'm not letting that one go. It'll get done eventually!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)