Last night Instapundit linked to this:

An American Expat in South East Asia - All Your Toilets Are Belong To Us

Incidentally, my mother once followed a tour bus of Chinese into a public toilet in Banff a couple years ago, and said it was just disgusting and she ran right out of it. Toilet paper and water everywhere, and then all the other stuff. Because they use squat toilets and figured our toilets must be squat too. I was telling someone this (I thought it was Peter but he denies it) who absolutely refused to believe me, that anyone would look at a toilet and think “I guess I stand there”, and had to be either a misunderstanding or pernicious slander. Well:

But it can be just as difficult for Asians and Muslims to use a Wester-style toilets. Years ago after a dinner party at my house, I was horrified when I went into the bathroom. Toilet paper was strewn everywhere, the toilet was was on the verge of overflowing, the floor was all wet and there were footprints on the toilet seat. It was a nightmare I will never forget.

So at any rate, he links to this:

Himal South Asian - The South Asian Squat

Which includes this photograph:

squat.jpg

Looking dubiously at it, I asked Peter, “Can you do that?” Frowning, he says, “I don’t know.” I get off my chair and try it. I fall over. Peter lowers himself into it, “What this?” “What how are you–” I fall over again. “What are you doing?” “I can’t do it!” I fall over again. I grab his firmly planted ankle and drag myself upright. I let go. I fall over again. “You need your center of gravity here,” he gesticulates. I go up on the ball of my feet. “I can do it up here.” “Why are you leaning forward so much?” “Because otherwise I fall over!” I flatten my feet. I fall over again.

Then I told him I was just more evolved than him and he was closer to being a monkey.

But I’m curious, how many of you can do it?

Date: Apr 30th, 2007 · Comments RSS · Tags: Science and Nature