Posts tagged toilet

I nearly had myself fooled.

At the close of our faux-American day— a VIP suite at the See You Hotel (only $100!) and porterhouses and Guinness drafts at a Chicago-style bar and grill, Dan Ryan’s—two inverted toilet seats reminded me I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

Splattered with urine, they greeted me as I entered the Dan Ryan’s ladies room; I was amused but not surprised, and laughed out-loud.

There’s no faking your way out of Taiwan, even for a day.

Squatting is the peeing and pooping method of choice in Taiwan. Encountering a western toilet, those who grew up here prefer to prop up the cover and seat, face the tank and simulate the squat.

I understand. It’s the same way I would rather sit, if given the opportunity. But when I’m stuck with a hole-in-the-ground, there’s no alternative unless I’m willing to sit on the floor, pressing my butt to the edges of the in-ground toilet.

Invention idea: portable folding chair to prop over a squatter that conveniently folds into a bag small enough to keep in your purse.

Or, the hybrid, so far only available in some handicap stalls:


Photo by Beth Shea Palmer in Tainan, Taiwan