the bog blog

apparently vaccinations or transistors are the greatest inventions of the 20th century.

i would like to add a humble submission to that list: the flush toilet.

 

i have no problem with squatter toilets. i have friends (and you know who you are) who are against north american toilets, stating that they don't promote natural functions. these same people claim that squatters are excellent in getting "it all out of you". these same people tend to be in good shape and have great thigh muscles.

the train station in hung hom was our first of many squatter toilets. it wasn't the cleanest we encountered that weekend, and it wasn't the dirtiest.

it's too general a statement to say the further north we got the worse the toilets were, because our squatter in the hotel with an S was extremely tidy. and every time you washed your hands, a cigarette butt (i am assuming the same one) would float to the top of the squatter because the sink water washed into the squatter.

on day two of the hike, we visited the public washroom. this toilet probably wins for worst kept toilet. it had doors on the stalls, but no squatter, just a drain. and the drains were pretty much filled with number twos. ladies would walk into the toilets, walk out, check other stalls, see the same sight, and eventually just shut a door and go. janne and i were smart, we just went into the first door we saw.

as i waited (outside) for janne, i watched a lady walk into a stall, and walk out again. she checked out a couple more stalls, and was disgusted with what she found waiting for her in each stall. this demander of sanitation was so disgusted with the uncleanliness, to express her disgust, she began spitting (not vomitting) on the floor as she described to her friends how dirty the bathrooms were. so what ? you add to the dirt? i didn't get it.

in town, before boarding the bus, we used the toilet. there was a lady guarding it (of course) and janne and i greeted her. janne took her picture, which caused the lady to comment loudly. we assumed she was saying good morning and we wished her a happy day in return.

the bathrooms here were clean (it was early morning!) but there were no stalls. there were only partitions. so when someone walked by you, they could see you in all your glory. again, this was a drain type system, not a squatter.

in changsha, before heading off to the airport, we used the public toilets. it was later in the day, and these drain toilets were a little more populated with people and poopulated. again, no doors, and the only vacant area was the one closest to the door, so everyone had a great view of my canadian caboose.

so there is the bog blog.

ironically, when we were in the philippines last week (got home tuesday night), we spent a lot of time digging to make room for the septic tanks. i think i have washrooms on my mind. toilet tess...it does have a ring to it.

 

 

Comments

[gweipo]

did you do the Vicks under the nose trick? It's the smell that gets me more than anything.

[Maureen Lyons aka Mo aka grandmother aka Mum]

You are just too cute and whose daughter are you anyway?

xox

[GDadLyons]

I saw a Panda Bear use one of those squat jobbies. He claimed to be related to Winnie the Poo.

Love to all....Dad

[edebock]

This brought back memories of some of the toilets we used while travelling the length of Vietnam on the overnight buses. What an adventure that was! By contrast, some of Japan's toilets are beyond amazing... heated seats, built in bidets, even music to hide the sounds one might make while in the stall!

[joeinvegas]

First saw one of those in rural France. Not in the US of course