Sunday, August 09, 2009

Toire Adventures

{Kim, is that the right word? I'm going to be discreet as readers have previously told me my toilet/potty adventure stories make them squeamish...but this must be captured for family memory.}

There really isn't a lot to this story. Stacia rushed into a stall at Narita airport and discovered this....

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She let out a shriek and ran out of the stall...to discover a whole row of stalls with gleaming squatty potties.I must say these Squatty Potties are much more advanced than the hole in the ground that I remember from the Philippines in the 1970's/80's. ::snort::

Across the aisle I discovered this... Western Style Toilets....techie ones...

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Cool? This is very self-explanatory. The music button makes a flushing sound to cover any other sounds you may make that would embarrass yourself or annoy your neighbors. The spray buttons....at that point I couldn't tell you the difference between them...the pressure and volume buttons are easy to dicpher....as is the stop. I didn't play with all the buttons. I DID record the music sound for you, but these computer connections are VERY slow for uploading videos. ::snort::
Stacia refused to use the "Western Toilets" too. In fact she refused until late into the night at the hotel in Tokyo. They had a toilet without bells and whistles in our room. ::snort::

Mike told me the chapel toilets had a pink button with spray and he assumed that was for perfume. Armed with this vast knowledge, we went on the second Right Start Tour. I've since been told toilets are explained on the first tour.

Stacia was thrown off by this in the ladies room. I rushed out to make sure I was in the right room. ::snort:: Evidently you can google female urinals or such and find lots of info on these. You all crack me up. LOL I don't have enough computer time to google...limits in the room...so I'm learning by doing....

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I realized that I have much in common with Zander. If you wonder how something works - try it, take it apart, explore it. I determined to try this...but this one had no English on it. I pushed the fountain and the lady on top of the fountain...and I remembered NOT to stand up....Kim warned me last Sunday it would spray the stall if I did.

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I suppose I should have looked closely and realized that there were no English directions before I used this. I was sure I could figure it out. It sprayed and sprayed...I assumed it would spray and stop. The girls were waiting outside and I was pushing the music button on the left...the other button on the bottom right....I didn't want to push the pink button with the perfume as I was still dealing with various sprays and didn't think I could handle perfume on top of it all......the girls were laughing and I was saying such wonderful things as, "HOW do I make this stop?" and "Kim says I can't get up or it will spray the stall." Stacia was alarmed and Arielle was laughing. In walked our tour guide and said, "Push the red button". I guess red is pink and I should have remembered that from Tokyo. The perfume thing is not fact but a red herring in this situation. ::snort::

Back to Japanese Toilets.....our brochure from the Airman Family Readiness Multicultural handout quotes,

"Japanese style toilets can be found on most public washrooms. This may be a
little bit difficult for some foreigners. The Japanese toilet is essentially more
hygienic since the user does not get in direct contact with it."

Well....Saturday at the park, we had no option but to try the Japanese Style toilets. I should have tried the nice clean ones with handicap rails in Tokyo. ::snort:: I will only say that they ARE more hygienic if the foreigner can hold the position and doesn't lose her balance. ::snort:: ::gasp:: ::chortle::

I'm still not 100% sure which side is the front and back on these toilets. Neither way (yes we tried both) seemed 100% effective. I guess I need to google...it's beyond my Japanese to ask. They got it right on the money that this may be a bit difficult for foreigners. ::snort:: I won't name names or go further into our adventure....but I did use it as a teachable moment...it is wrong to resent the boys who only have to get use to varying heights on a urinal.

Enough said...probably more than some of you wanted said...but this will be a hilarious memory for years to come in our family.

"In this scenario Mom attempts to teach the girls there is nothing to fear but......"

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

11 comments:

Debbie said...

Oh, De'Etta, this post had me roaring...what funny, funny memories.

The squatty potties were one of the first thing Bess wanted to tell me about when they got back from the PI.

I am having so much with your adventures in Japan.

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Yes, it we are finding much to laugh at ourselves about! ::snort::

Kim said...

You brave woman!!! I can "read" the buttons, but don't have the guts to press them. Some even have blow driers, I hear! And, I THINK some DO have deoderizers - for the air, not the...person!

For squatty potties - face the raised end, and hope for the best. You will notice that others before you have "missed" on occasion too! LOL!

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Yeah - I DID notice that others had missed. Ewww..... OK....we'll keep trying....You crack me up, Kim. So Mike was right....I'll keep pushing buttons and see what other fun things I can discover. ::snort::

berrypatch said...

One blog you might enjoy, De'Etta is Jimmie's Collage. She lives in China & did a big post on squatty potties. She even has a Squiddo Lens on it. I was curious. I clicked. LOL

http://jimmiescollage.com/2008/08/our-new-apartment5/

Anonymous said...

Sis:

Hard to win on squatty potties. Wearing a dress..hummmm... wearing pants..hummmmm... what to do. At my age there had better be something I can hold onto or I'll simply fall back and hit the floor. HA! HA!

The s.potties in the seaside Barrio's use to gross me out because it all went down under the house and sat there until the tide came in..... double yuck. I didn't eat certain fish you can be sure.

l/p --- Mom T.

all in the family said...

Hilarious, or ew, or I don't know, lol. When does your stuff come in? Any luck on accomodations?

Romany said...

Glad you are getting a handle on the loos.{g}

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Beth - we won't get our things until we get a home. We won't get a home until we hear about a waiver or find a home bigger than on base accomadations off base.

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Yep - getting it all figured out, Dorothy.

Cynthia said...

That's HILARIOUS!