A (not so) Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bathroom

For months I've weighed the idea of posting a blog about the bathrooms in China, mostly because I wasn't sure how to accurately describe my observations without being totally distasteful. In a quick Internet search, I see I'm not the first female to feel this way. I think the article below properly (and not too disgustingly) describes my experience.

Why to the Chinese squat to pee (holes in the ground vs toilet seats)?

With the quick modernization of cities in China, we now see flush toilets almost everywhere. New buildings, large stores and restaurants are installing them. But there is still a problem: How to use them.

Chinese people believe toilet seats transmit diseases, even the young educated urban people will refuse to sit and use a flush toilet like Westerners do.

Chinese ladies have developed two techniques to cope with the issue: One is to squat over the seat, their feet well rested on the seat itself. This practice explains the shoe marks on the seat, in case you are wondering, and the leftovers at the back of the seat…

The other technique is to stand up, putting the legs on each side of the toilet. This has the unfortunate result of spreading body fluids as well as solids all over the seat and often, on the floor.

The introduction of flush toilets in China without proper education and information on how to use the device, it’s safety, and the absence of knowledge about hygiene standards one should follow in its presence has created a most unfortunate situation.

Toilets are dirtier now than ever. Dirtier than the traditional squat toilet. They can, indeed, because they are so badly used in China, transmit diseases and are, I am sure, an important source of transmission of germs of all kind.

I have seen sophisticated and educated women in Beijing (at J&J too!) climb and put their shoes, with unstable balance, directly on the toilet seat and leave it, afterwards, covered with what you can guess, without a single thought for the next user.

I worry because of taboos that no one will intervene or initiate an awareness campaign to help improve this situation, which is reaching quite disturbing proportions.

In China, we should also note that, contrary to flush toilets, spitting everywhere is not seen as a health hazard.

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Further suggested reading:
Toilet Thoughts http://sheinchina.blogspot.com/2008/07/toilet-thoughts.html
Toilet Paper: The Yardstick of Civilization http://www.epinions.com/content_1875681412
Step by Step: How to use a Chinese Toilet http://www.ehow.com/how_2075957_use-chinese-toilet.html