I had enough foresight to mentally prepare myself for something very strange when I got to Indonesia. Maybe it was a hole in the ground. Perhaps I had to wipe my ass with leaves... I was basically racist. One thing I neglected to think about was how much we actually do in bathrooms.
So both Singapore and Indonesia have normal toilets. Some places have a squatting type of toilet, which is a ceramic bowl that is placed at ground level. And some places, you pour water into the toilet bowl to flush it instead of pushing a handle. This wasn't a huge culture shock. The strange thing for me was that the toilet is put in the same area as the shower so that the toilet rim is always wet. Furthermore, most places don't have toilet paper. Instead, they usually have a hose with a water spray nozzle for you to use, and one place had a bidet (which I once accidentally pushed instead of the flusher, almost nailing me, and also causing those waiting in line to think I was peeing on the floor with impressive velocity and distance). The problem with this is that your butt is wet from the toilet being wet and also from the spray. And you know what, you just suck it up and put your pants back on and walk around like crazy to help it dry out. In all seriousness, these countries would be a nightmare for anyone that shudders from the thought of using a public bathroom. So that happened.
Another thing is that not all places have the traditional shower head. Instead, they have a spigot with a huge bucket underneath and a small scoop inside the bucket. Some of these same said places also do not provide a spray nozzle for the toilet. So... what they're wanting you to do is use the water in the bucket to shower with by using the scoop to pour water from the bucket over yourself. And for the toilet, you also use the same method to clean up after doing your business. I would recommend bringing your own soap for both tasks because I just can't see how just using a bucket to pour water over your privates is going to get you clean. This is fine with me as long as there is a spigot to provide running water. But some places didn't even have a spigot and I felt super uncomfortable pouring water on myself that has been sitting there for God knows how long. At this one Buddhist temple, there was no spigot and the water in the bucket was greenish. GREENISH. I just think this whole experience highlights how important toilet paper is, for real. What saved me from the yeast infection or parasites that may have inhabited the green water of doom was tissues. Bring tissues.
But praise God, He was merciful to me. Half way through the trip my friend attended her brothers wedding, which was held in a nice hotel. I got 4 days of the American toilet and shower setup. Oh my goodness... those 4 days. It was heaven for my hair, skin, and bowels. Heaven.
Other topics to be covered
Food and Culture
Relationships
Communication
Weddings
Government
Conclusion
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