Nekkid Coworkers???

Took my first Maq'ii last night. A Maq'ii (pronounced, more or less, "Mah-KEE") is a Yup'ik steam bath. Basically, you go into what can only be described as a tiny, two-room wooden building on stilts. You enter into the front room, (doors are tiny and you have to duck to get in/out) where you take off all of your clothes and put them on a bench. Then you go into the other room, and sit on the floor. In front of you is a big woodstove, sunken into the floor somewhat. There are hot stones on top of it.

Then, basically, you sit and sweat. It's like a sauna on steroids. Seriously, these people like their heat. I'm a big sauna fan, but this is something totally different. You pour water on the stones and you sit and SWEAT. Maq'ii are always gender-separated, so it's a great opportunity for girl time. My housemate and co-worker and I were invited by one of the local women who also works at the school (and I teacher her daughter in my high school speech class) to Maq'ii with her and her sister. I have to admit, it's not everywhere that you can sit around nekkid with your coworkers and students' parents. The conversation was great and it really helped clear up the lingering sinus effects of my massive illness earlier in the week. There's something to be said for "girl time."

After being in and out of the steam room (and into the front room to "cool off") a few times, I got somewhat accustomed to the heat. Our host even went so far as to ask me "Are you sure you've never done this before?" She said I was pretty good for a gusuk (white person, actually any non-native). Go me. After sweating out for a while, you take a big enamel bowl of water and a washcloth and wash yourself. They swear that it gets you cleaner than a regular shower because you sweat the ickies out of your skin. I have to say I agree.

We walked back to our house after two hours of maq'ii. The moon glowed red, presumably because of the fires ravaging various parts of the state. I could breathe out of my nose for the first time all week and my skin felt soft and clear. The cool air felt great after the extreme heat of the maq'ii. I went home and slept really, really well.