Today I decided I'd talk about something on the lighter side of going to a foreign country. So when deciding what to write about, I thought it should be something all inclusive. And well, to quote an infamous children's book, everybody poops.
I suppose the first question I get about toilets here is, "Do the toilets flush backwards over there?" The answer to that dumb question is no. (Remember there are no stupid questions, just stupid people.) According to science, the Coriolis effect has very little effect on draining water, so it could rotate either way depending on the force of the water. However, toilets here don't flush like we're used to in the U.S. Toilets in the Middle East come in two types. The "sit down" type and the "squat" type.
The sit down type are similar to what you'd expect in the U.S., but the bowl is shaped more like a cone with a small reservoir with water in the center. This is the standard European type of sit down toilet. Critically speaking, this is a incredibly poor design because you need to scrub the bowl after every use since there is always something hitting the side. Unless you're an expert at aiming and don't have any intestinal distress, you're gonna be cleaning. What's gross is that most people don't clean it up afterwards.
The other type of toilet is what is commonly referred to as the "Asian" toilet or "the squatter" as I call it. Imagine a flat wall mounted urinal that's been mounted into the floor with a drain hole at one end. Hence the term "squat" since you straddle it. These toilets are more common in the less Westernized areas.
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Squat-Toilet
http://rudra.hubpages.com/hub/Indian-toilets
http://www.pbase.com/jtodhunter/indian_toilet
In some areas, the facilities are little more than a hole in the ground that looks like an elephant's guts exploded, dried, and hasn't been cleaned in years. You normally find those in villages in the desert where indoor plumbing is uncommon. Often you find a large drum or bucket with disgusting foul water in it to "clean up". In Arab culture, but not so much in others is the belief that one hand is for eating with and the other hand is for "hygienic" purposes. Let's just say that traditionally, they didn't wipe using toilet paper.
http://learnsomethingnewtoday.us/2008/06/30/they-use-their-hand-to-wipe/
The signs in bathrooms are probably some of the most entertaining. There are signs to remind males of the urinal etiquette. We also have signs reminding us not to discuss classified or sensitive information in the bathrooms, because you never know what Alie McBeall type could be lurking in the stall next to you. We're admonished to always flush and then wash our hands afterwards, and in some cases, asked to make certain adjustments like putting a layer of toilet paper in the bowl as to not leave a stain on the sides.
Humorous, yes to the person who doesn't have to do a Number 2 over here. Although I will have to say that in most of my blogs, I try to find common ground between cultures, this is one that is radically different. So while it's true that everybody poops, what counts is when shit happens, how do we clean up the mess.
More to follow.
I suppose the first question I get about toilets here is, "Do the toilets flush backwards over there?" The answer to that dumb question is no. (Remember there are no stupid questions, just stupid people.) According to science, the Coriolis effect has very little effect on draining water, so it could rotate either way depending on the force of the water. However, toilets here don't flush like we're used to in the U.S. Toilets in the Middle East come in two types. The "sit down" type and the "squat" type.
The sit down type are similar to what you'd expect in the U.S., but the bowl is shaped more like a cone with a small reservoir with water in the center. This is the standard European type of sit down toilet. Critically speaking, this is a incredibly poor design because you need to scrub the bowl after every use since there is always something hitting the side. Unless you're an expert at aiming and don't have any intestinal distress, you're gonna be cleaning. What's gross is that most people don't clean it up afterwards.
The other type of toilet is what is commonly referred to as the "Asian" toilet or "the squatter" as I call it. Imagine a flat wall mounted urinal that's been mounted into the floor with a drain hole at one end. Hence the term "squat" since you straddle it. These toilets are more common in the less Westernized areas.
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Squat-Toilet
http://rudra.hubpages.com/hub/Indian-toilets
http://www.pbase.com/jtodhunter/indian_toilet
In some areas, the facilities are little more than a hole in the ground that looks like an elephant's guts exploded, dried, and hasn't been cleaned in years. You normally find those in villages in the desert where indoor plumbing is uncommon. Often you find a large drum or bucket with disgusting foul water in it to "clean up". In Arab culture, but not so much in others is the belief that one hand is for eating with and the other hand is for "hygienic" purposes. Let's just say that traditionally, they didn't wipe using toilet paper.http://learnsomethingnewtoday.us/2008/06/30/they-use-their-hand-to-wipe/
The signs in bathrooms are probably some of the most entertaining. There are signs to remind males of the urinal etiquette. We also have signs reminding us not to discuss classified or sensitive information in the bathrooms, because you never know what Alie McBeall type could be lurking in the stall next to you. We're admonished to always flush and then wash our hands afterwards, and in some cases, asked to make certain adjustments like putting a layer of toilet paper in the bowl as to not leave a stain on the sides.Humorous, yes to the person who doesn't have to do a Number 2 over here. Although I will have to say that in most of my blogs, I try to find common ground between cultures, this is one that is radically different. So while it's true that everybody poops, what counts is when shit happens, how do we clean up the mess.
More to follow.
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