While I was in the states a friend of mine heard me talk about using a squatty potty. With the help of a couple of other friends who had been fortunate enough to have used one before I tried to describe what one looked like. This week Brian and I had the opportunity to visit a restroom that had squattys, and fortunately for Paula I had my camera!
How to use: Stand on the foot treads and squat all the way down keeping your balance without holding on to anything or touching the nasty floor. At the same time you must hold on to the tissue that you brought with you since most restrooms don't have any. If you are carrying a purse or have a jacket often you must hold onto them as well since the possiblity of there not being a hook is pretty good. And if you are wearing pants you will want to roll them up a bit so that they don't touch the floor which is usually wet and could have running water flowing over it. To flush: Pour a small pitcher of water (located under the faucet that won't turn off all the way...hence the wet floor... which is just outside of my picture near the stall door) in the toilet, or press a button on the wall making sure to stand at the extreme side of the stall so that your shoes don't get wet with the spray coming from the two small holes at the back of the toilet. Fun times!
Come visit and you, too, can try your hand at this extreme sport! I'll even hold your purse and coat for you although it will take away from the experience!
11 comments:
Yeah! I'm so glad I got to see a picture of this. Actually, it's better than what I pictured, believe it or not! Do you have Carrie M's. email address? Is she getting the email notices of updating the blogs? Email me and I'll give it to you if not. She would LOVE to see this since she has had the privilege of using one in China! I'll fill her in! Love,Dawn
Um...is this toilet in a "stall", or just out in the open?? I would lose my balance and, well, it wouldn't be a pretty sight.
gina
iOk, it looks better then what I had actually imagined, but I am pretty sure that I would need to carry an extra set of clothes w/ me just in case we ran into one these - there is just too much for me to handle and balance all of me too! Love ya!
HA HA that was my fav. part. No not really, but it was for real something everyone should try once in their life!
Gross!
Hi Natalie! Linked here from Bossy.
Yup, I am familiar with this arrangement, only it was at a rest stop in Japan. Looked just like a rest stop in the states, UNTIL you got into the stall. Similar, but as I remember it was an open hole in the middle of the big white fixture. I had to go pretty bad, but I had *ahem* other bathroom issues happening that day and I was FURIOUS. Never did manage the Stop Squat and Drop.
Is this the only type of bathroom fixture available to you, or is it a mixture of this and western-style?
foolery - glad you stopped by! squatties tend to be the type of toilets found in rest areas here in turkey. some of the nicer ones do have western toilets though. this particular toilet was at a gas station. gas stations, small restaurants, and quite a few other places will only have squatties. we can find western toilets quite a few places, but after living in turkey for 6 years i've become quite adept at the use of the squatty...sometimes i even prefer it!
Oh! I love using squat pots! I think they are so much more hygienic than Western toilets...assuming everything ends up where it is supposed to, which is a big assumption, I know.
I didn't know they had squat pots outside of Asia. How ethnocentric of me.
~m - i do too! especially in rest stops here. they are so much better than dirty toilets. and i've heard they are better for you as well. something about being in a more natural position to go. the only thing i don't like is in the summer i wear flip flops a lot. the bathroom floors tend to be pretty wet so it is inevitable that i get water or whatever else on my feet. i have anti-bacterial wipes in the car especially for that reason. i know...gross!
One of my office mates while I was teaching in Korea used to teach in Thailand and she told me about the time when she didn't get the squat pot just right and had to walk around in a squishy sandal. (I know you will find the humor in that) :D
~m - ewww. yeah...i have never peed on my shoe, but when AG was little and i was trying to help her she managed to several times. it was nasty!
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