Culture Shock!
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86812)
United States
January 23, 2018 10:58am CST
Last month my boss went to Hong Kong for an education symposium. Since he was so close he took a couple of days in China for "tourism," going to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.
He's always kind to bring back an iPhone full of pictures. They were gorgeous, of course, and led me to do some documentary watching on the Forbidden City on You Tube.
But the big CULTURE SHOCK photo was the toilet.
You don't have "thrones" in public in China (or other Asian countries). You have squatting toilets.
Yes, my boss took photos; and yes, his translator/guide laughed at him for taking the photo.
It's completely foreign -- pardon the pun -- to western individuals to see a hole in the ground (albeit a porcelain hole...don't think they're all southern Deliverance types) instead of a "seat."
And to think we even call the material that some of our toilets are made from china...and they don't even have public toilets!
Here's a very humorous video with a husband (Japanese) and wife (American) explaining the culture shock (not to mention doing a great job of mocking American tourist stereotypes):
Our jewelry collection! https://motif.me/rachelandjun How to use Japanese squat toilets because apparently no one knows how to use them since there is ALWAYS...
9 people like this
10 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
23 Jan 18
I knew about such toilets in Japan. I assume there are normal toilets in hotel rooms.
4 people like this
@FourWalls (86812)
• United States
23 Jan 18
That's what my boss said: the hotels and homes have "normal" toilets.
4 people like this
@kobesbuddy (78833)
• East Tawas, Michigan
23 Jan 18
It's all new to me, I'm glad that this discussion gave some valuable insight!
2 people like this
@amadeo (111937)
• United States
23 Jan 18
@kobesbuddy we were warned about this.
2 people like this
ok, so they look cleaner than those in Mexico I think I'd still simply use depends.
OR, better yet, avoid foreign countries all together ..... oh, also avoid the rural areas of some places in TX, I've never like outhouses either.
@rebelann (117259)
• El Paso, Texas
23 Jan 18
I think in TX it's not always a hole, sometimes that outhouse sits on a slope and ya have to pray there ain't no heavy rains while your answering natures call @FourWalls
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86812)
• United States
23 Jan 18
When they say “Hole-in-the-Ground, Texas” they aren’t kidding! 
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98072)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 Jan 18
Yep, that is not a good thing. I was not here in Latvia during Soviet times but long after before things changed you could still find toilets like this in public restrooms and sometimes they even look just like dugout holes.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86812)
• United States
23 Jan 18
Wow. At least the toilets look modern in the videos and photos in China and Japan.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (98072)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Jan 18
@FourWalls well, of course, they are all gone now but it was really bad until things changed. I believe there are still photos like this at the Occupation Museum in Riga, Latvia. Usually, outhouses in public places in rural areas just had a hole which you stood over and better be careful not to fall in. I still had the pleasure of seeing these so whenever I went hiking in the wilderness I chose to go into the bushes.
@FourWalls (86812)
• United States
24 Jan 18
That’s one thing I am curious about: what about people with disabilities? Obviously a woman in a wheelchair or someone with a prosthetic leg can’t utilize those. I assume they have “regular” toilets for those individuals.....at least, I hope they do....
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Jan 18
@FourWalls Mostly there seems to be a mix of regular and squat toilets. I don't know what the indigenous disabled do if they can't utilise what's available in their villages, etc. When we were in a Karen viillage in the backblocks of Thailand in about 1998, only the priest's house had a squat toilet. Everyone else just went bush when they needed to go.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
23 Jan 18
My Army brat niece came back from over seas and told me about the "hole" she was 5 years old and was in awe.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86812)
• United States
23 Jan 18
The innocence of children...doesn’t take much, does it?
Truthfully, I understand that. It’s not what she was used to.
Truthfully, I understand that. It’s not what she was used to.
@celticeagle (189927)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Jan 18
Ugh! I really need good seating arrangements.
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (78833)
• East Tawas, Michigan
23 Jan 18
Some American tourists are jerks, I've been informed.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (79323)
• Germany
24 Jan 18
You reminded me of the first time my pen pal now my husband visited me for the first time in 1980 in the Philippines. He took photo of our old toilet outside the house. It was indeed a squatting toilet. It was so very interesting to him. Nowadays, we have toilets like what we have here in Germany.
. Nowadays, we have toilets like what we have here in Germany.1 person likes this
