When you open the door to a jjimjilbang, warm air hits your face. You feel the hot floor under your feet, and everyone is wearing the same shorts and T-shirt, with a towel wrapped around their head. Seeing this for the first time, my foreign friend asked, "Why does everyone look like a sheep?" and then laughed. ## Washing Up Separately, Relaxing Together At the entrance of a jjimjilbang, men and women go in separately. In the baths filled with splashing hot water, people undress and wash, so they are separated by gender. After washing, you put on the clothes you were given and go to a space shared by men and women. There, families and friends sit together in one place and relax. When everyone wears the same clothes, you can relax comfortably without worrying about who is who. That's why everyone wears the same clothes. ## The sheep-head towel is a towel that blocks heat When you walk into a hot charcoal kiln room, the air is bone dry and there's a faint smell of burning wood. At this point, your hair and ears get hot before the rest of your body. So you soak a towel in water, fold it lengthwise, and gather both ends above your head to make a shape like horns. The towel blocks the heat and also absorbs sweat. The two-horn shape is a way to keep the towel from slipping down. ## For your first visit, don't miss this Drink a sip of water before you enter the hot room. Don't stay in for too long; take breaks outside now and then. If you feel dizzy, leave right away. After you've sweated, a cold glass of sikhye and a roasted egg go really well together.