Free Day: The Hamam Experience

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Finally, our first free day! Nothing scheduled on the agenda, we can do what we want, roam as we please. The program advisers created a fun scavenger hunt that we could do around the city, but most people just made their own plans.

I decided to sleep until noon, take lunch at the hotel, and then join the group of about 20 students who were leaving for the hamam. Turks go to the hamam once a week or once a month to bathe and socialize with friends. Men and women sections are separated. After a long week, I knew I could use a massage and a good cleaning, but little did I know what was in store for me.

Three girls and I carpooled a taxi to the hamam, which cost all of us 5TL. I’m learning that carpooling is an efficient and cheap way to get around. When we arrived, we met up with the other 8 or so girls. Everyone paid for the package they wanted—majority of us selected the scrub, coffee bean cleansing, a soupy massage cleansing, and a pedicure, costing 72 TL (~$25, pretty cheap by U.S. standards). We were directed to changing rooms, where we took off our clothes and emerged in towels. Then we entered the “bathing section”—the hamam where the magic happens. At first, I was really uncomfortable at the sight of topless women having a good time, chatting about, and casually cleaning themselves and others. I didn’t know what to do, so I followed the lead of Bianca, a returning grantee. When she took off her towel, my jaw dropped. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do the same. But then, after a few moments of thinking, I thought to myself: when in Turkey, do as Turks do.

There was a hexagon-shaped pedestal in the center of the hamam. Along the walls, there were mini stone bathtubs holding lukewarm water. I copied what other women were doing, and began to wash myself with soap and warm water. There was a sense of discomfort and excitement on all of our faces; and I must admit, this was quite an intimate way of getting to know my fellow peers. Then, the cleaning ladies dressed in black bathing suits came and grabbed us one by one. They asked us to lie down on our stomachs, each of taking one side of the hexagonal centerpiece. Once the magic started, people were no longer staring at one another.

People are washed on the hexagonal center of the hamam.

First, the lady scrubbed me with a special glove, which peeled off my dead skin cells. I could see black dirt-like pieces falling to the ground. It was utterly gross. I then took a warm shower to wash it all away. Second, she used crushed coffee beans to exfoliate my skin. It felt like I was covered in mud, both on the back and the front. As she scrubbed me all over my body, she also massaged me and took out some knots from my shoulder muscles which had become tense from the travels and the long Orientation sessions. Again, I washed away the coffee with a quick warm shower. My third cleansing was with a soft soap that felt like silk and smelled like roses. Once again, the lady massaged me and I felt at ease. I showered off the bubbles, and sat in the steaming room for a few minutes to soften my skin. I grabbed my towel, and left the hamam for the upstairs spa where I got a pedicure. I was feeling Turkish so I asked that my toes be painted in red. My toes smiled to thank me.

By the end of the experience, I felt clean, happy, relaxed, and also empowered. I embraced my femininity, celebrated my womanhood with other women, and appreciated my female body. I saw women of all ages, shapes, and sizes, and it was beautiful. I expected to form many friendships during my Fulbright experience, but I had underestimated the depth of those bonds. The intimate experience at the hamam will be one that will be remembered forever.

The beautiful Luna Park.

The group broke up and everyone pursued different activities. I spent the rest of the day walking around with Alex and Karlene. We practiced our limited Turkish when purchasing a simits, buying ice cream, and traveling on the bus. We strolled through the beautiful Luna Park, which is split into a scenic picnic spot and an amusement park (which only cost 25 kuruş to enter). We watched families having a good time at the rides or relaxing under trees. Friends were taking pictures and young couples held hands. Ankara appears to be more liberal than the eastern part of Turkey. Thanks to Karlene’s intermediate Turkish, we were able to find the correct bus back to the hotel, where we exchanged stories with our peers about today’s exciting events as we ate dinner. 

Karlene, Alex, and myself at the Luna Park (amusement park).

Orientation Day 6: Teaching Techniques & Emotional Well-Being

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Another really tiring day today. I woke up to the sound of the beautiful azan, call to prayer, for the morning prayer. It was so peaceful, my soul felt at ease. I prepared for long day ahead.

The day started with more English Language Training sessions. We learned how to incorporate technology, such as websites, softwares, and phone apps, in our classrooms. Technology helps us get information, connect to people around the world, and access media and current events. This cross-global communication is imperative for emphasize in the classroom.

Interactive learning helps the brain remember better, so the instructor gave us some useful suggestions. For example, some websites we can take advantage of are:

• Americanenglish.state.gov – official U.S. State Department website with English and American culture teaching material.
• Eslgamesplus.com – English interactive games
• Englishclub.com/esl-games – English interactive games
• Classtools.net – has tools such as “random name picker” so you call on students

Apparently Turkish youth loving being up-to-date with technology, so it’s fair to assume that almost all of them have smart phones, in which case we can encourage them to use their phones to learn English.

Other ideas that were shared during the workshop are listed below:

• For podcasts or assigning audio homework, we can use apps such as Vocaroo, Soundcloud, and WhatsApp
• -Other cool English-learning apps are GrammarUp, SoundsRight, Intro to Letter Sentence Builder, Hello-Hello English, Speech Tutor, and Daily Pro HD.
• Joining LinkedIn groups for ESL (great exchange of ideas)
• TED-Ex talks with Turkish titles
• Jeopardy review online
• Blogging – publishing student essays  - this was my idea that I shared with my peers. I did this when I taught in Pakistan. Check out my student essays here: alimtiaz2010.blogspot.com and aiajournalism2011.blogspot.com.
• Breaking News English – news at various levels of English comprehension
• Voice of America – English learning/teaching materials
• Games – completion in the classroom gets students very motivated
• Assessment sites – Kahoot.com and Socrative.com

The day continued with another session titled “Focus on Speaking and Listening.” Like Pakistan and most other countries, Turkish educational system is based on “rote” learning, which means that students spend a lot of time memorizing but not enough on speaking and listening. Speaking is defined as the “process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbol in variety of contexts” while listening is defined as the “complex process, active role in discriminating sounds, understanding vocabulary grammatical structures, and interpreting stress in various socio-economic and cultural contexts.” Keeping this in mind, our primary focus should be to get students to gain more confidence in speaking their English, which inherently requires that they practice their listening skills.

Switching gears to a more solemn topic, after lunch we had a session titled “Maintaining Mental Health and Emotional Well-being.” Mental and emotional health are party of the harsh reality of traveling and living abroad, and as such, it was important to discuss the types of symptoms Fulbrighters feel. I learned about the phases of cultural shock which include honeymoon, anxiety, adjustment, and acceptance. Keri and Tess, who are program advisors and two-time renewing grantees, facilitated the discussion. In their presentation, they said it was normal to feel lonely, depressed, homesick, anxious, and helpless; that all these emotions that are legitimate and justified, however it’s important to take care of ourselves so that we maintain good health and well-being. We were encouraged to tour Turkey, yes, but also take time to relax, catch up on sleep, and take part in hobbies. Instead of becoming a homebody, we should explore our city and make friends.

It was also interesting to learn that one can experience depression by helping someone else go through a tough time. “Various trauma,” for example, is the experience due to supporting someone going through an emotional time, and “secondary traumatic stress” (also known as “compassion fatigue”) is the experience through proximity to emotional unhealthiness.

I also learned there are two types of coping techniques: active (resolving) or avoidant (running away from the issue). Teri and Jess encouraged us to ask ourselves if what we are experiencing is daily annoyance or a serious issue. They said to keep everything in perspective because not everything is in our control. Could it be ignored or does it need intervention? Is the discomfort leading to personal growth or is it destabilizing? Teri and Jess warned us that different attributes such as skin color, eye color, hair color, hair texture, and weight do breed attention in Turkey, but that majority of it is coming from curiosity. “We other that we do not know.” As such, micoaggressions, non-conscious bias in intercultural and intracultural situations, are common.

Although I cannot prepare for any emotional distress I may encounter, it was helpful to be aware of various types of emotions, and keep in mind that mental and emotional health are real. Listening to this session reminded of what Baba always tells us: “Heath is wealth.”

“The Qualities of a Good Teacher” was next, which reinforced best practices for good teaching. A classroom with a friendly atmosphere and clear rules and routines, for example, creates a comfortable environment. A good teacher challenges her students, networks and is resourceful, and gives specific feedback. Seating charts can be helpful for learning names. For troublesome students, we should make sure students understand that it’s their misbehavior we dislike, not them. Speak slowly at first so they can hear your pronunciation of words and understand your sentences.

Finally, the day ended with a lecture by a judge who told us about things to be aware of as a foreigner. His English was limited but we understood the main concepts. It was essentially a briefing on the Turkish legal system. It felt like a recap of the security briefing we had received on the second day.

As you can see, it’s been a LONG day. Tally-ho for now, I need a nap.