Hair Cut, Dancing Hairdressers and Track and Trace in Turkey

Tuesday evening 9^th June 2020 there was a sudden announcement from the Turkish government that those under curfew would be given, not just one extra day, on which to go out (to be able to get to the bank etc.) but we were allowed out every day from 10:00 to 20:00 hrs. Excitement. My first thought was hairdresser and the very first message I sent was to my hairdresser to arrange an appointment to have my hair cut.

Although we might end up with another al round lockdown, if complacency sets in,there appears to be some mask wearing confusion as it transpires that the city provinces i.e. Istanbul and Ankara, to name but two have been given different instructions to us in Muğla where Dalyan is located. We have to wear masks at all times when out of the house, apart from when in a restaurant and sat at the table eating and drinking. In Istanbul and Ankara it appears the instructions are to wear masks in crowded places only. Istanbul and Ankara are now beginning to holiday in Dalyan !! And also there appear to be many people who have misread/misinterpreted the instructions to only sit together, be together with those with whom you live in the same household. This applies to all strata of society in Turkey.

Anyway moving on.  I last had my hair cut the day before us oldies but goodies were confined

to the property. On that same Saturday my hairdresser was almost in tears as he had just learned that from the following Monday all hairdressers and barbers were to be shut down for at least 10 days (this subsequently turned into a couple of months). For him this must have been a living nightmare. He has staff, he has rent to pay on his shop, he is married, his wife only has seasonal work and although (I haven’t checked) I suspect the bar/restaurant she works in may not have opened, yet, as many tourist driven places have not yet done. I think there it’s important to note, many of the restaurants etc. here rely on foreign tourists. No matter how many domestic tourists appear they will just not necessarily eat there.

I arrived at my allotted time to Emrah (the best hairdresser in town). There was Emrah and the apprentice and in the back of the shop the other hairdresser plus a client who was having a cigarette, they were apart.  All staff were wearing masks. I was encouraged to sanitise my hands on the way in.

I was led straight to the basin to wash my hair, the master hairdresser does not sit you down and have a chat about ‘so how are we doing it today’? That question comes later.  Under normal circumstances someone else would wash my hair and then I would be seated in front of the mirror. However Emrah washed my hair himself, after laying a disposable town around my shoulders. I was then asked to move in front of the mirror. I hadn’t noticed when I came in that what used to be a small seating area for waiting customers or friend was now an extra hairdresser’s chair and mirror. Done in order to provide a required safe distance. Emrah bought out a paper cape packaged in plastic (a new one for each client) and draped it round me. The apprentice stood much further away than usual and when the other client came back in she was equidistant between all of us, but much further away than usual.

I really enjoyed this haircut, more than usual truth be told, the two guys had music on a laptop and were in a good mood. Now at this point I must mention all, yes all Turkish men can dance. In fact they enjoy dancing and will all put up a good show, at any celebration or simply because they are in a good mood.

Dancing at a friend's Turkish wedding in Dalyan 2017

I’m not expert but they can and will dance. Both the hairdressers danced. In fact measure of their skill was shown in a) my haircut and b) the fact that the other client’s hair dye stayed on her hair and nowhere else.  (I’m lucky I no longer dye my hair having discovered I have inherited my father’s version of grey. Lockdown was in that sense not a problem for me, I have one friend here who decided yesterday to have her cut really short to embrace here grey, Wise women embrace their grey. Trust me.) The dance show was very entertaining and I have to say I must be getting older as I admired the other hairdresser’s bum, as he wiggled about and it was shown in the mirror (now as I write this I wonder how they would look in kilts!!??­

My haircut is wonderful. Anyone who can cut my fine, straight hair into a shape that in the before pictures had lasted three months without either of us knowing that this going to happen is a true master of his craft.

After I had paid, Emrah presented me with a book, in which he asked me to write my full name (first name and surname), telephone number and complete address. I.e. the address must show street name, house number and our name, district in which you live and town.  This is to comply with track and trace records. Turkey’s record on keeping people out of hospital is excellent. If anyone who had been there develops symptoms, all those who have also been there will be contacted. Isolated for 14 days at home and if symptoms developed as far as possible treated at home.