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In general the bathroom situation over here is...what's that word? Oh yeah! Horrifying. D: So, most people know about "squatters" (pictured) and that's gross or whatever, but not nearly as upsetting as the hand washing situation or shall I say lack thereof. I was unpleasantly surprised to find that most all bathrooms lack something many of us consider essential. And that thing is hot water. Oh, and they usually don't have soap. But more often there will be soap and only cold water. Now I'm not sure why this is. Hot water is too expensive? Korean hands are very sensitive to being clean? I mean warm? Whatever the reason, I'm just really puzzled. How the hell are you supposed to wash your hands?! Anyone who's ever washed a friggin dish knows that hot water actives the soap. And by activates I mean "makes it do" (shout out to Memphis). Is everyone in this country walking around with cold dirty hands?? Cuz GROSS!! Most foreigners learn early on that if you're going to any place for more than an hour you need to prepare yourself for a trip to the bathroom. Things you will need: tissues (many places don't have tp), hand sanitizer, a weak gag reflex, imagination, a good sense of humor, and maybe some smelling salts. just sayin'.
This stuff is toooo funny, lol. "a weak gag reflex...", lmao, who thinks of that hahahaha... Thanks for the great story!!!
ReplyDeleteyou're welcome! thanks for reading! :)
ReplyDeleteIn Korea, there are tissues called "water" tissues. Korean women carry those around because they know that public restrooms don't have hot water. That's my number one pet peeve, also. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any big bottles of hand sanitizer in Korea, but I think the Seven-Elevens carry some of them if you find any. Let me know! :) Fighting!!! (Koreans say this for Good Luck!!)
-Saem from Memphis
oh wow hysterical... you may enjoy my latest on korean bathrooms... i think you'll smell... er, see that we share certain opinions on the subject :)
ReplyDeleteBathrooms are the same in Japan. People on the streets would hand out business card sized flyers that would be in packs of tissue, which I would take for the next time I needed to use a public bathroom. But Saem is right, I got in the habit of carrying wet-naps with me wherever I went.
ReplyDeleteHowever, squatting is actually a more natural position for using the bathroom than sitting, and supposedly, is better for eliminating waste (do you like my more delicate way of saying "shitting?)
HA!
ReplyDeleteSo WOW, I'm only like five or six months late in responding to these comments! Weird. I never got any emails notifying me that there were comments, so I just assumed that there weren't any because probably noone reads this shit because it's lame and noone loves me. woah. um...it's like 3:00am here and I'm typing a meltdown.
Clearly I don't know much about how this works. I need a tutorial and a valium. Also, a laxative.
M'kay.
Saem - The 7/11's do carry hand sanitizer and for that I am eternally grateful. And yes, I agree...FIGHTING!! That is, fighting for our right to stay germ-free. HEY-OH! When you go and buy that next bottle of hand sani or some "water tissues" think of me.
Natalie - I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in my aversion to restroom cooties. And after all this time I still just don't get it. But, together we will get through this, and we will survive by bitching to each other every time we have to do a drunkin' circus-worthy balancing act over a smelly-ass squatter while holding our purses out of harms way. I salute you, and can't wait to read you thoughts on the subject.
Vanessa - Oh how I miss you, Dear! You're one of those people I think of when I'm really feeling lonely or lost and I'm comforted because you rock and you're awesome and stuff.
They do the same shit here! They pass out the dry tissues on the street. But, the wet naps you will pay for. (In my mind I said that last sentence with a Russian accent for some reason.) The bigwigs in the wet-nap business just HAVE to be in cahoots with the hotshots in the water department. I KNOW IT!!
And no, Vanessa. I don't like your delicate way to say "shitting". I prefer vulgarity whenever possible.
These have been the ramblings of a crazy person at 3:00 a.m.
Thank you and goodnight.