Today I had the opportunity to tour two different historic homes in Charleston, SC. I’ve never visited Charleston, and have loved what I’ve seen and tasted! Great food!
One of my favorite parts of the tour was this lovely chair. It is hiding a secret under those cushions.
It’s a necessary chair. The rich person’s version of the traditional chamber pot used in the 1800s.
I confess I’m slightly obsessed with bathrooms.
Living overseas enriched my life with many exciting and novel experiences. I love learning about new cultures, foods, and languages. Unexpectedly, one of my newfound obsessions interests involves bathrooms. In America, we generally see the traditional porcelain throne, but overseas you encounter unusual fixtures such as bidets, squatty potties, and the rustic outhouse. While shopping in Japan, I visited a restroom that had heated toilet seats. It was heaven! I returned to that store twice just to repeat the experience.
While living in Far East Russia, occasionally we traveled to Seoul, South Korea. Our first order of business in Seoul was to hit TGI Fridays for a good old American style hamburger.
After consuming our weight in burgers and fries, I decided to check out the restroom. It wasn’t that I really needed to use the facilities, I just liked to look and see what might be new and different.
Of course, there was a line. It seems women in all cultures go to the restroom in packs, but that is another story. Surprisingly, I noticed several small monitors showing music videos throughout the restroom. They helped pass the time during the wait.
Finally, I entered my stall. I noticed a small video screen on the inside of the door and realized this might be contributing to the long wait time. Everyone was lingering over their business to watch music videos.
Next, I noticed a button on the wall labeled, “Etiquette Bell.” Of course, I can’t resist a new button, so I pushed it, and immediately heard a recording of a flushing toilet. Later research revealed that many women in Japan and South Korea flush the toilet to cover up the sound of normal bodily functions. In order to prevent the waste of water due to constant toilet flushing, the “Etiquette Bell” was invented.
At the end of the music video, I prepared to exit my stall. I turned to flush the toilet, but there was no handle to push. Searching around the stall, I finally saw a small box on the side of the toilet that resembled a remote control. I saw several different colored buttons, labeled in Korean. No English translation or pictures.
After a round of eeny, meeny, miny, mo, I decided to push the red button. Red is one of my favorite colors.
Unexpectedly, a small wand emerged from under the rim at the back of the toilet. Shocked, I leaped backward banging into the door. My first thought was “There’s a camera in the toilet!” (Not an unusual assumption after living many years under the eyes of Big Brother in Russia.)
Suddenly, the wand began shooting out a forceful spray of water. It was a remote-controlled bidet!
My horrified eyes followed the spray of the water as it shot straight up and over the divider into the next stall. I could hear my next-stall neighbor exclaiming “Oh! Oh! Oh!” as she experienced unexpected precipitation from above.
Panic-stricken, I considered using my purse to block the spray but instead chose the cowardly alternative.
I RAN!
Nope, didn’t even stop to wash my hands. Thankfully my husband had already paid the bill, and we could make a quick escape before my damp neighbor emerged from her unanticipated shower.
I still can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I had chosen the green button.
