its funny how my thinking has shifted ever since i moved out here.  in america, the question was, “should i eat one cheeseburger or two?”  now i’m asking myself, “should i join one healthclub or two?”

i currently belong to one.  this one i like because its right across the street from where i live, its got a great “mogyok tang” where they have a hot tub, a warm tub and an icy cold tub.  great to dip into one after another.  anyway, they’ve got a sauna and steamroom, a lounge where you can watch tv, sleep and relax on recliners.  i’ve got my own barber there and they supply you with your own work out clothes.  that way you never have to bring anything.  the gym is small, but since there are not a lot of people there, its really not a problem.  also, i’ve got a driving range so i can hit golf balls anytime i want.  a total mans club.  on the downside, its all old people. 

on the other hand, you have california fitness.  the fitness centers of all fitness centers.  state of the art equipment for just about every single muscle in your body.  treadmills with tvs in front of each one.  classes ranging from spinning and yoga, all the way to kickboxing.  its located in the heart of apgujeong-dong (a plus), but still kinda far from where i live.  Clothes, you have to bring your own.  a lock for the locker….on your own there again.  But here’s the reason why you’d wanna go.  “Yuh-gi nuhn, moohlee jeh-il joh-wah”

i’m talking about how obscenly FINE the women are at this joint.  and not even about how fine they are, but the proportion of gorgeous women there are given a 4 story complex.  i’ve been to a lot of places and nowhere else will you find a spectacle like this.  even at nightclubs, forget it.  im over them.  with all the dim lights, you’ll never see beauty like this in the raw.  i thought healthclubs in LA were pretty damn good.  forget it.  even there, within all the beautiful blondes, you’ll find your share of overweight bean-eaters, your middle aged housewives, not to mention your token narcistic roided-up meat-head. plus, korean women are the best damn looking women in the world.  don’t get me wrong, i don’t have anything against these people (well maybe the meat-heads, but still!).  i still give all my love out to all the average looking korean girls with stellar personalities.  all i am saying is that this is just the 8th Wonder of the World.  a van gogh.  Something that must be seen. 

now you may ask, “hey robace, why not just join this club?” its not as easy as it may seem.  no.  you see, i live with my aunt and uncle.  its an old house.  the bathing facilities are not really up to 21st century american standards.  not only that, but my aunt and uncle are 67 and 78, respectively, and they use it as well.  its got this mysterious musty smell and this slimy grime on the ground from something probably back in the war days. i much prefer to use the other bathroom where there is simply a toilet for me to take a piss in and a sink to brush my teeth.  the healthclub across the street is far more up to par and serves as my place to bath.  its clean, its convenient and more so….its become a necessity.  50 bucks a month.  but to me, worth every Won.  with this additional california fitness center, that’ll take my monthly expenditures up to $110. 

its amazing.  when i was living in LA, i was pretty damn stingy paying 24 hour fitness, a measly $30 a month.  can’t put a price on your health.  or is it beauty?  well then, i’ll take the van gogh.  you see how funny my thinking has shifted ever since i’ve moved out here?