there is clean and then there is really clean...

In an effort to be a well rounded person I try to expose myself (easy...) to many different cultures. In LA, this is easy. I am often availing myself of the Mexican culture. Hello taquito. I love you. Last weekend, the Korean culture and I got reaquainted. Korean??? Yes. Those Korean gals are clean. I mean really clean. I can attest to this as I have seen the private parts of at least 50 Korean women in one day. Bizarre. Yes. On purpose? Yes. I went to one of the Korean spa's (we use that term losely) in K town (not K-tel). Have you noticed how all other cultures are big on the communal bathing? We ugly Americans are too shy. Well, I am not shy. So lets have a go. At these Korean spas, you can steam, dip, sauna and scrub. Sounds like Burke Williams you say? Not so much...The steam is in a jade filled room (prized in the east). The sauna is in a room that has the ceiling covered with carbon logs (for oxygen promotion). And your dip is in Mugwort tea (good for your lady stuff). My pal and I each signed up for scrubs. We went in, disrobed and entered the bathing room. All shapes and sizes of bodies. It is actually a bit of a boost for the ego. Of course, you are comparing yourself to 50 year old Korean grandmas not Lindsay Lohan. You are whisked away by a little lady in black bra and undies. They (the scrubbers) are the only ones who get to wear clothes. You lay down on what looks like a narrow vinyl cot and she throws a bucket (really) of hot water on you and starts in. She scrubs for a half an hour. There is a lot of flipping back and forth. Limb lifting and gyrating. More buckets of water. Every now and then there she makes a tsk tsk sound, as though you are REALLY dirty. I give her an apologetic look. Like soap hasnt seen my skin in months. I am fearful that she is going in for the slightly OB/Gyn cleaning but she veers away each time. There was multiple dousing again and suddenly you are pushed off the cot and told "Go showwa". As if I needed it.