So, after seeing a few of my photos, many of you have had the same reaction/questions as I did the first time I saw the "shower over the sink." Yeah, took me awhile to figure it out, let alone adjust to it, but let me take you back to my first encounter...
As I mentioned, the flight here took us nearly 22 hours between the layovers and 2 different flights from NYC to Korea. Followed by the 3 hour bus ride to our destination, mixed in with the same outfit for over a day, and 90 degree heat, the ONLY thing I wanted when I arrived was a nice cool shower.
Well, when we finally got checked in, registered, and waited the 30 minutes for the elevator to be empty (since everyone was moving in at the same time) we arrive to our dorm room on the 14th floor of Jeonju University. Alexandra and I walked in, and I chuck my bags on the ground and head to the bathroom to literally jump in the shower.
Two seconds later from the bathroom....."ummm Alex, something's wrong in here, there's no shower curtain or umm I'm not sure there is even a shower either...I..."
Alex calmly replies from the other room. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, it's all one, like they don't have seperate things, the shower, the sink, the toilet is all together. It was like this in China too when I was there so I'm used to it..."
As I mentioned, the flight here took us nearly 22 hours between the layovers and 2 different flights from NYC to Korea. Followed by the 3 hour bus ride to our destination, mixed in with the same outfit for over a day, and 90 degree heat, the ONLY thing I wanted when I arrived was a nice cool shower.
Well, when we finally got checked in, registered, and waited the 30 minutes for the elevator to be empty (since everyone was moving in at the same time) we arrive to our dorm room on the 14th floor of Jeonju University. Alexandra and I walked in, and I chuck my bags on the ground and head to the bathroom to literally jump in the shower.
Two seconds later from the bathroom....."ummm Alex, something's wrong in here, there's no shower curtain or umm I'm not sure there is even a shower either...I..."
Alex calmly replies from the other room. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, it's all one, like they don't have seperate things, the shower, the sink, the toilet is all together. It was like this in China too when I was there so I'm used to it..."
Oh reaaaaaallly? So, let me get this straight, after 22 hours traveling together, talking about every detail of our trip and what's to come and 6 months preperation, you forget to tell me the shower/sink and toilet are all ONE?!?!?!
I walk out of the bathroom.... "I'm just not even sure how this even is supposed to work?" I say, actually extremely confused, and way too tired to be dealing with the sink over shower situation.
"What do you mean you don't understand how it's supposed to work?" Alex says like its the most common everyday thing to have a shower over your sink.
"I don't know, I just don't even know where to stand or since it's near the toilet should I wear shower shoes? This is so weird, I feel dirty," I said."Omg, you're fine. This isn't a big deal. Just shower!" Alex says.
For the record this is normally how these kinds of convos go between us. She is more like a sister than a friend so there is no holding back...
'Okay well, give me your flip flops then so I can shower," I said.
"No way, use your own." Alex said.
"But, everything is still packed and yours are right there and mine are brand new and are actual sandals not flip flips so just give me them." I say, slowly losing patience just so I can take this damn shower!
This went on for a few minutes and ended in me wearing my gold sandals in the shower. Followed by Alex seeing me walk to the bathroom in my Aldo gold buckled sandals and saying "Fine, just wear mine." But, at that point I didn't even care anymore. "No, these are fine." I said.
Well that first "shower over the sink" experience was, well awkward to say the least. I wasn't sure where to stand, which way to look, or where to even put my towel so it didn't get wet!
Needless to say, I have grown very used to the "shower over the sink" deal that Koreans have going on. It really isn't that bad. Maybe I am going Korean crazy, but I might even say it's better. Hear me out first...
The shower is over the sink but it is on a chord so it can be taken off as well, it can be turned, moved up or down, and reaches the entire bathroom so your bathroom is always sparkling clean! The floors are tile and there is a big drain under the sink where all the water goes. There is a towel bar and a door hook where nothing gets wet and then two cabinets in my bathroom to put anything else.
If anyone saw mine and Lauren's old bathroom in NYC, they would think this is the cleanest thing they have ever seen in their lives. ;) Haha, love ya Laur.
Oh also, there is a button on the wall you press about two minutes before you get in the shower to turn on the hot water.
In the end, I got my much needed and deserved first shower in Korea that night, along with a cultural shocking learning experience of how I would be showering for the next year.
I can guarantee one of the first things I do when I return to "the states" is take a nice long hot bubble bath or a shower...with a curtain that seperates it from the sink and toilet! :)
"What do you mean you don't understand how it's supposed to work?" Alex says like its the most common everyday thing to have a shower over your sink.
"I don't know, I just don't even know where to stand or since it's near the toilet should I wear shower shoes? This is so weird, I feel dirty," I said."Omg, you're fine. This isn't a big deal. Just shower!" Alex says.
For the record this is normally how these kinds of convos go between us. She is more like a sister than a friend so there is no holding back...
'Okay well, give me your flip flops then so I can shower," I said.
"No way, use your own." Alex said.
"But, everything is still packed and yours are right there and mine are brand new and are actual sandals not flip flips so just give me them." I say, slowly losing patience just so I can take this damn shower!
This went on for a few minutes and ended in me wearing my gold sandals in the shower. Followed by Alex seeing me walk to the bathroom in my Aldo gold buckled sandals and saying "Fine, just wear mine." But, at that point I didn't even care anymore. "No, these are fine." I said.
Well that first "shower over the sink" experience was, well awkward to say the least. I wasn't sure where to stand, which way to look, or where to even put my towel so it didn't get wet!
Needless to say, I have grown very used to the "shower over the sink" deal that Koreans have going on. It really isn't that bad. Maybe I am going Korean crazy, but I might even say it's better. Hear me out first...
The shower is over the sink but it is on a chord so it can be taken off as well, it can be turned, moved up or down, and reaches the entire bathroom so your bathroom is always sparkling clean! The floors are tile and there is a big drain under the sink where all the water goes. There is a towel bar and a door hook where nothing gets wet and then two cabinets in my bathroom to put anything else.
If anyone saw mine and Lauren's old bathroom in NYC, they would think this is the cleanest thing they have ever seen in their lives. ;) Haha, love ya Laur.
Oh also, there is a button on the wall you press about two minutes before you get in the shower to turn on the hot water.
In the end, I got my much needed and deserved first shower in Korea that night, along with a cultural shocking learning experience of how I would be showering for the next year.
I can guarantee one of the first things I do when I return to "the states" is take a nice long hot bubble bath or a shower...with a curtain that seperates it from the sink and toilet! :)
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