Meet our Summer intern Penelope!
Summer is here and so is our brilliant summer intern, Penelope Pyo. Here is a short introduction in her own words:
Hello everyone, my name is Penelope (she/her/hers), and I am thrilled and honored to be ReconciliAsian’s newest summer intern! I was born and raised in San Francisco, and am currently a junior at St. Ignatius College Preparatory. As an executive board member of my high school’s Asian Students Coalition, I strive to promote education and engagement in social justice issues impacting Asian American youth. I love researching Korean culture and history, and exploring my Korean-American identity through creative writing and art. From fantasy to historical fiction, I’m an avid reader and hope to publish my own novels some day. I am also a passionate Latin student and competitive saber fencer!
As I intern with ReconciliAsian, I am excited to help provide resources for people to engage with and explore their Asian American identities. In particular, I’m looking forward to spotlighting and amplifying the voices of Asian American creators. I believe art, literature, music, and other creative mediums are powerful ways to combat injustice and prejudice. Art allows us to express the complicated emotions that come with being Asian American, explore the complex histories of Asian America, and encourages us to take pride in and celebrate our Asian culture. I’m looking forward to working with ReconciliAsian this summer!
Koreatown stories #5: Korean sauna
Jihyun D is a Seoul-born Korean-American living in California. She is a DIY, zero waste health advocate and an aspiring author working on her first audiobook. Her passion is to integrate knowledge across various scientific and mystical disciplines, including research in sleep, longevity, meditation and breathwork topics.
One of my favorite memories of Koreatown is of the Korean sauna. When I was about 14, my mom and emo initiated me into this communal cleansing ritual. Unlike American spas where one wears a bathing suit, you enter Korean spas naked. At first, I was mortified that my mom brought me to such a place. Nunchifully, my emo suggested that they ignore my reaction and go inside the main bathhouse without me.
Left on my own, I eventually followed the other women to the long row of showers where each guest must thoroughly wash before using any of the soaking tubs or hot rooms. After each use of the hot rooms or tubs, guests are further required to rinse off their sweat. The ajummas who work the periphery of the room scrubbing guests on treatment tables will vigilantly call out the guests who skip this step.
While I initially wore a towel wrapped tightly around my body, as I became more comfortable, I didn’t bother with the towel and I became like the other Korean women. My mom and emo remember this change in me with amusement, but it was more out of the sheer inconvenience of having to wrap and rewrap a wet towel after the cycle of steam room, rinse, and cold plunge than my lack of modesty.
I’ve come to enjoy alternating between the mugwort steam room, cold plunge, and mugwort tea hot tub. The longer you soak in water, the more softened the skin will be. A coarse loofah is used to slough away ttae, the dead skin cells which peel off easily. Warm water is poured over what resembles gray eraser shavings, leaving behind smooth, renewed skin.
There are many therapeutic benefits to exposure to hot and cold temperatures. Temperatures out of your comfort zone turn on longevity genes. The heat opens up veins, aids blood flow, and improves heart function. The sweat also helps to flush out toxins. The cold closes up vascular muscles; healthy brown fat is activated to break down sugar and fat, keeping the body warm and maintaining a stable core temperature. The repetition of the veins opening and closing improves vascular muscle tone and delivery of blood, nutrients, and oxygen to our cells.
When I first started going to the sauna, it was used mostly by Korean women. Now, the spa is enjoyed by a very diverse population of all races. I love that our Korean beauty ritual of sweating communally has evolved and integrated with American culture.
