While on the subject of all things Turkey, Muscati & wife posted a picture of this toilet they found in a newly remodeled building in Muscat.
For those that are not from this part of the world, this is what we commonly refer to as a "Turkish toilet" and it can still be found in a number of public bathrooms across the Middle East. And yes, it can be still found in Turkey. I came across one in Istanbul nearly two years ago.
I’m one of those who is totally grossed by this "hole" and wish they would stop making this monstrosity. Read the comments as well, they are eye-opening and very detailed 😉 I hope this didn’t
gross you out 😉 I just thought that this "hole" was worth highlighting. Enjoy!
Via: [Chan’ad]
oh come on jareer, you are such a party pooper, no pun intended 😉
Admin,
Can you please move this post to the archives !
Thank you.
oh yeah, the reason its better to stick it all under your chin against your chest is because the lower parts of your robe / gown/ dress, etc. is closer to the floor. floors are usually dirty, thus you would not want to put that in your mouth near your teeth and lips.but im just a neat freak and a germaphobe.
you guys, you use the chin. speaking from a woman’s perspective, when wearing a long gown, dress etc. you gather it all up and put it under your chinand hold your chin tight ahainst your chest, and walla. why do i feel i am in an episode of seinfeld?
In case of bad teeth, one can use his/ her own lips instead. Using dentures is not a bad idea, however.
Iyas is right on at least one point – use of the teeth in such an endeavour is most common. No, this is not a joke.
Question is, what about people with weak or failing teeth?
Does it all go to waste?
Mr. Tynes,
Having 30+ comments on such a post is an example on how much Middle Easterns in general, and Arabs in particular, know about $hit. Surrounded by $hitty situations, if not living in one, forces an individual to develop a keen interest in such topics and gives rise to many self-proclaimed experts on matters of crap.
Not having worn the male “robe” and not recalling being a cross dresser at any point in my life, I can only speculate on the situation with the attire in Turkish toilets. My guess is that an individual lifts his/her robe above the waist, uses his/her elbows to keep the sides and back of the robe up, holds the front part with his/her teeth, then assumes position.
But then that’s just a wild guess…
At last count there were 32 comments here, making it one of the most humorous locations among blogs, I’m sure.
The French adaptation of a Turkish-type toilet is hilarious as are so many of the comments.
No one has indicated my concern, however. Long robes are common in the Middle East, male or female wearers. How does this attire manage in the Turkish/Arab toilet? Do they remove the long garments entirely, making use of the facilities lengthier than one might expect?
In defense of the author….You need to see the other blog link to realize that this ‘toilet’ was in a model well maintained building. As for the whatever toilet as I mentioned it’s a total balancing maneuver that allows you to make full use of the facility.
Oh the fun of puns – they a keep a rollin in…
MSNBC.com
Flush with pride, China hosts toilet summit
Improved hygiene part of Beijing’s commitment to 2008 Games
By Toby Louie
NBC News
Updated: 2:35 p.m. ET Nov. 17, 2004
BEIJING – While Beijing’s success in winning the rights to host 2008 Olympics has gained considerable media attention, it also has added impetus to a slew of other developments in the Chinese capital, including the hosting this week of the fourth annual World Toilet Summit.
The three-day conference is expected to add to the growing toilet-awareness in Beijing.
In addition to the development of stadiums, subway stations, and roads, toilet reconstruction is also being added to the growing Olympic tab.
In fact, the Chinese government has already spent over $24 million since the toilet reconstruction project in Beijing started three years ago, in anticipation of a bid for the games.
This week’s summit will host delegates from around the world who will discuss and implement plans to clean up the toilets in the Chinese capital. Academics, environmentalists, sanitation authorities, and toilet designers are among the attendees.
Fixing up fixtures
The challenge of improving the Beijing bathroom break is formidable, according to experts and visitors.
As a first step, the restrooms across from Tiananmen Square, an inevitable tourist hotspot in 2008, are now staffed by two attendants who clean throughout the day.
And although the facility still has the noticeable stench consistent in most of the city’s public restrooms, cleanliness and hygiene are becoming larger concerns.
The Olympics will give China a chance to show the rest of the world that it has caught up with the times and having clean toilets is part of the country’s appearance.
“Toilets represent the level of development of a country, a region,” the deputy director of Beijing’s Municipal Bureau of Tourism, Yu Debin, told a local newspaper.
Zhang Wei Guang, who moved to Beijing from Lian Yun Gong in Jiangsu province, agrees that China’s image to the outside world is connected to a foreigner’s bathroom experience.
“Some people might think it is a little thing, but it gives a visitor an impression of the city,” Zhang said. “When I got in from the train station I found the smell from the toilets to be unbearable.”
The Beijing Tourism Administration reports that one-third of all tourist complaints are about bathroom conditions.
A foreign exchange?
According to Steve Bielinski and Jerilin Buzzetta, two American students studying at Peking University in Northwest Beijing, frequenting the city’s toilets has added to a unique study-abroad experience.
Bielinski noted that users have to buy a roll of toilet paper off of a vendor in the basement of a Beijing department store for approximately $1.27. “For a supposedly Communist country, when it comes to toilet paper, it is every man for himself,” Bielinski said.
Buzzetta has had similar adventures in the Beijing bathrooms and is happy that the city is taking steps to improve its facilities before the Olympic Games.
“I think it’s a good idea because if a student such as myself who has lived in Beijing for three months has yet to conquer the hole in the ground, then I highly doubt that an athlete or fan, who would only be in Beijing for two weeks could get used to Chinese-style toilets,” she said.
Zhongxie Jintao, a Beijing-based investment company has recently pledged to work toward modernizing China’s toilets.
The company will invest approximately $193 million to develop 2,000 new public restrooms and hopes other private investors will also add to the reconstruction project.
In an effort to clean up existing toilets, the Beijing Tourism Administration has even implemented a bathroom rating system that ranges from a four-star restroom down to a one-star facility.
Three and four-star toilets will be equipped with changing tables, various sized urinals in the men’s bathrooms, and may even have hand lotions and hot towels. One-star and two-star restrooms will not have these extras, but all facilities will accommodate the handicap.
Toby Louie is a researcher currently working at NBC News Beijing.