My first full day with my host family (a Wednesday—the day I was deathly ill), I tried to inquire about taking a shower. A shower? What was I thinking? “shower jok,” (Shower—no) my little sister replied, “Banya Vaskricenya” (Banya Sunday). That was when I, as many others, found out about “Banya Day.” Banya Day is almost like a holiday among Trainees: “Go to Tokmok to check email? Fly to England to be knighted by the Queen? No thanks—I’m don’t want to miss my banya!”
Banya is the Kyrgyz version of bathing, and I must admit—even though it only happens once a week—it is a really awesome way to bathe! It’s kind of a cross between a sauna and a bucket bathe. Most families have an entire room set apart from the house reserved for banyas. In it, there’s a wood stove that gets cranked up every Sunday and the whole room gets hot and humid. The stove heats the room, but also serves as a kind of water heater. Out of it, a faucet produces “isik” (hot) water. There is also a huge jug of cold water you mix with the hot water to make your banya water, and that’s what you use to clean yourself! One by one, each family member takes his or her turn in the banya, usually lasting an hour or more. It’s started to cool down a bit, so it feels great on a cold day; I can only imagine how wonderful it will be in the winter with those below zero temps!
Surprisingly, it doesn’t really bother me not to bathe all week. Those of you who know me well know I think showers are highly overrated anyway :-). Perhaps my attitude will change in the summer when I’m actually sweating, but I don’t really feel dirty, and it saves so much time not having to shower in the mornings or at night! The only thing that really bothers me is having gross, greasy hair, and this last week I figured out how to convey that I want to wash my hair: “Menin chacham jewm?” (My hair I wash?). So once a week (in addition to the banya), they give me a bucket of hot water and I can wash my hair, which makes me feel clean, and I’m good to go. All in all, it’s not a bad system. Would anyone mind if I only shower once a week when I come back to the States? After two years of this banya thing, I might not want to readjust :-).
1 comment:
Hey Lisa, It's Jordan.
My, that sounds rather nice, though I can imagine the nasty hair not being too fun for a week. However, I am sure that if you can get used to it, I could too- of all people. :-)
Now, is this like a big family sauna, with everyone in at once, waiting to wash, but sauna-ing at the same time? I don't think I can quite picture it. I keep seeing this simple, teal tiled room like a greek bath, but with grout and a window looking out ot the cold snow, and inside there is a cast-iron stove-thingy creating steaminess and some form of barrel or tub to bathe "in" and the faint sounds of balalaikas being played in the familiar Kyrgistani folk ballads from inside the home on an old radio whilst together, the family enjoys this special once a week treat of Kyrgi family tradition?
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