Story: Glamping at the Public Pools
Korea, it's hot outside. I mean today it was a toast 27 C degrees (80 F). I was our at one of the public pools by mangwon and I was melting and cooking in the sun. Seriously, I was dying. All I wanted to do was crawl into a freezer and shut the door.
First of all, Korean pools are madhouses. I mean it's like Lord of the Flies out there. Sure it is a public pool but you have to fight for space and respect among the elements. The smart Koreans get there early and they bring their own tents. I mean lots of tents. There are umbrellas there to shade those that aren't into "glamping" however, those with tents will take the umbrellas and use them to shade their shaded tents. You'll see families with a little compound of a large tent with three tents over the tent to keep them from getting burned. Korea, seriously, give the umbrellas that didn't bring tents. Share a little. Don't worry, North Korea is contained. The IMF is passed. Also, those working at the rental shops, rent out umbrellas. Some people don't feel like buying camping tents to go SWIMMING!
And another thing, why must you where a swim cap? Sure it keeps the water clean a bit more but are you telling us that you aren't cleaning the pool regularly? I guess pee, sweat and sun screen (and I mean copious amounts) are ok but not hair? Oh, and if I didn't bring a swim cap, you should charge me 10,000 won for one. It's cool, I will where a baseball cap or how about a hairnet? What? If you bitch about the hairnet, I will be upset.
Oh, and Korea, I don't like your swim policies. Your pools aren't deep ( the deepest is 1.25 meters or 4 feet). Keeping kids under 150 cm that can swim out of the deep end is not going to stop drowning. A person over 150 cm that can't swim can just as easily drown. Give a test to see if the person can swim or not. I mean if I can swim, but I am short, I should be regulated to the ankle deep pools.
Oh, and Korea, your food choices at the pools are fascinating and baffling. Sure there are cold stuff and fried stuff like fried chicken ( awesome) 2 foot long hotdogs on a stick (really awesome), ice cream, cold drinks and....cup noodles? Seriously Korea, how can you eat it? It's like blistering hot out and yet why is everyone lined up to pour boiling water into noodle cups? Wow... I was intrigued but I can't do it. Chilled Buckwheat noodles would be awesome but not hot noodles. Surprisingly though I can do the samgyetang ( chicken ginseng soup) in summer it feels dang good), but I think I would like to do bibimbap instead.
Korea, thank you for your public pools. It was fun today.
Dan