This blog post is not for the sensitive.
We all know what the typical Western toilet bowl looks like and how to use it. We know that we can sit comfortably and relaxed on our own toilet at home, and that outside we should always 'hover' over the seat or at least put down a protective layer of toilet paper before sitting on a public toilet.
Then, we have the Eastern toilet; a little bit closer to nature.
The rules apply a little bit differently with the Eastern Toilet. For starters, your sitting position is completely different; have a look:
A lot of Westerners, myself included, have difficulty with this position because we never naturally sit this way.
Secondly, the surroundings of the Eastern toilet are usually wet because there is always a running water tap nearby. Why is a water tap necessary, you ask? GREAT QUESTION. No toilet paper allowed in the Eastern Toilet. That's right folks, while using the Eastern toilet you clean yourself with your God-given utensils: your own hand and some water.
Now, I know what you might be thinking...it seems strange, maybe even gross to use your hand and water 'down there.' But think about it from a different side; say you used water your whole life and found out that some people only use toilet paper. That's like saying my hands got covered in mud, but no worries, i wiped them off with a napkin and now they're perfectly clean. No water necessary.
Another interesting fact I bet you didn't know is that there are actually health benefits to this squatting position of the Eastern toilet. A friend of mine shared this link with me and though I'm not sure how scientific or credible it is, its still interesting. click here if you dare. (Warning: this website contains even more sensitive information).
In our home now we only have an Eastern toilet so I've gotten used to it mostly, and I do believe that things flow out more easily in the squatting position than they do in the sitting position of a Western toilet. I haven't adopted the water-only policy and still consider toilet paper highly valuable and necessary, and don't think I'll let go of that one for a loooong time.
Here's a photo that I got from the internet but I have actually seen pictures like this near public toilets in India.
We all know what the typical Western toilet bowl looks like and how to use it. We know that we can sit comfortably and relaxed on our own toilet at home, and that outside we should always 'hover' over the seat or at least put down a protective layer of toilet paper before sitting on a public toilet.
Western Toilet
Then, we have the Eastern toilet; a little bit closer to nature.
Eastern Toilet
The rules apply a little bit differently with the Eastern Toilet. For starters, your sitting position is completely different; have a look:
Secondly, the surroundings of the Eastern toilet are usually wet because there is always a running water tap nearby. Why is a water tap necessary, you ask? GREAT QUESTION. No toilet paper allowed in the Eastern Toilet. That's right folks, while using the Eastern toilet you clean yourself with your God-given utensils: your own hand and some water.
Now, I know what you might be thinking...it seems strange, maybe even gross to use your hand and water 'down there.' But think about it from a different side; say you used water your whole life and found out that some people only use toilet paper. That's like saying my hands got covered in mud, but no worries, i wiped them off with a napkin and now they're perfectly clean. No water necessary.
Another interesting fact I bet you didn't know is that there are actually health benefits to this squatting position of the Eastern toilet. A friend of mine shared this link with me and though I'm not sure how scientific or credible it is, its still interesting. click here if you dare. (Warning: this website contains even more sensitive information).
In our home now we only have an Eastern toilet so I've gotten used to it mostly, and I do believe that things flow out more easily in the squatting position than they do in the sitting position of a Western toilet. I haven't adopted the water-only policy and still consider toilet paper highly valuable and necessary, and don't think I'll let go of that one for a loooong time.
Here's a photo that I got from the internet but I have actually seen pictures like this near public toilets in India.
If you've never seen a Western toilet, you might be confused :)
And another neat little invention I've discovered is a toilet converter, maybe we'll get one of these for when we go back home to the U.S. ;)
Thanks for reading, hope I didn't gross you out.
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