 |
| A typical Chinese Squat toilet. You don't want to lose your balance in there! |
I'm talking of course about toilets found in the orient which are more often than not of the squat pot variety. Now I know a lot of you out there are rolling your eyes,
"It's not that bad", ect, ect. I'll have you know it is that bloody bad! You have to negotiate balance, a freezing arse, not wanting to touch anything, and making sure you don't poo on your own trousers. Avoiding squat toilets became a way of life for me whilst living in China, and for 10 months I was successful.
 |
| Avoid high fibre food if you need to avoid passing stool. |
I was tactical, mapping my western toilet options around Zhengzhou. Restricting my intake of fibre to constipate myself while travelling cross country and even buying a portable sit down toilet seat.
A few times my super anti squat skills almost failed, and I had to improvise....
 |
| A Broken Chair padded with a bed sheet. My Invention to cope with the squat toilets of Lanzhou. |
But after 10 months, the squat pot caught up with me, and you know what. It's not that bad.
Posts
12 comments:
How do those with disabilities manage? Do they have 'disabled toilets' in China?
Anonymous is John Boarder!
older people use a sort of frame they can move over the hole to balance, sounds great fun, not for our delicate western bottoms. Julee
they also often have big strong handle bars to hold themselves up on
Just think if you were are girl and need to use these all the time. I was suggested your profile from a Twitter email and don't want this to sound like a commercial, but we have produced a Hollywood-quality DVD for women that covers the subject. BTW, I love the stories!
there are female urination devices for women to use, they can now Pee like a man standing up! brand names like shee wee come up in searches, try Ebay, It certainly changed my way of peeing!
Luckily I only had to deal with this once when I was in Thailand! Temples on floating markets aren't exactly well equipped, shall we say.
I think I would have planned my travels around the toilets as well. The ones in Russia were bad enough, I haven't had to experience the squat ones yet.
To each his own, I think. I mean, maybe, in the same way that you’re not comfortable using squat toilets, they might also have difficulties using the seat variety. I do agree with you though, these toilets really do require a bit of balance to use. Good for you in learning how to use them eventually though.
Katrina Spencer
It's true, a lot of older people in China in the more remote parts find sit down toilets almost impossible and disgusting. Although most toilets in new homes are of the sit down variety, public sit down toilets are thought of as filthy. I once visited a sit down public toilet in zhengzhou. rather than sit down on it, people stood on the bowl and squatted there. As a result, the rim was covered in, well, you know so sitting or hovering over would become, impossible. If that how they're used, you can see why their not popular.
they're*
JUST DO IT! We believe in you! Squat - squat -squat!
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment! I love hearing from people who take the time to read my ramblings! I wont even make you do one of those annoying "type the letters you see" things! Promise!!!