Hello, everyone.

This is Enta.

I know it’s a bit weird to be talking about toilets right at the start of the new year, but they say there’s a god in the toilet, lol.

 

Lately, I’ve been traveling to developing countries quite often in connection with technical intern trainees.

That means infrastructure development and other projects are also behind schedule, so there are many areas where things are inconvenient.

 

I think the best example of this is the bathroom.

We Japanese go to the bathroom as usual, use toilet paper as usual, and flush as usual.

If you need to use the restroom in Japan, you can find very clean restrooms at convenience stores.

If you look around a bit, you'll find plenty of public restrooms.

However, that’s not an option for developing countries.

The toilet in the photo above is in a hotel, but even here, the toilet paper doesn't flush very well lol

The water pressure is too weak, so the paper just spins around and that's it.

The rooms at this hotel cost 7,000 yen each, which is quite expensive.

However, since it's 7,000 yen per room, it's still 7,000 yen even for two people.

They said it would be 7,000 yen even for three people lol

This is a restroom at a typical restaurant.

Generally speaking, Nepal and other developing countries follow a similar pattern, and

A bucket and a water supply have been set up nearby.

 

This is basic: When you poop, wipe with your hand!!!!

It's a system where you put your hands in a bucket of water to wash them lol

The size of this bucket varies depending on where it is used.

Even among restaurants, there’s a clear distinction between clean places and unsanitary ones.

 

I've heard that in South Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, people wipe with their left hand, so,

Apparently, you're supposed to get ready so that the bucket ends up in your left hand.

This is a men's urinal.

All urinals are installed at a height of about 70 to 90 cm, and

If you're not careful, your pants might stick together, so it takes a little skill.

 

And, as you can see, it has a shower, right?

Traveling to Nepal for Technical Intern Training Program Interviews (Part 7)

This is a restaurant restroom, but it has a shower.

↑As I mentioned in the link,

Starting at 15,000 yen—properties with a toilet and shower but no hot water,

I suppose there are employees living on the premises.

The restroom here is part of a World Heritage-listed temple.

I scoop this water into a small bucket and take it into the bathroom.

Maybe because it wasn't well-maintained, but man, it was just so stinky and gross, lol.

Especially with urinals, since the urine isn't collected through a pipe when you urinate into them,

Just by peeing into the urinal, it splashes everywhere—pee randomly sprays out of all kinds of holes lol

It was actually designed so it would have been better to just pee in the gutter right below it from the start, lol.

In a way, it was like a punishment to use that restroom.

This is the restroom at a restaurant located at a high elevation with a panoramic view of the Himalayas.

It was relatively clean.

It's just the height of this urinal, lol

It's installed so high up that it makes you wonder, "Do Nepalese people have really long legs?" lol

This restroom is also located at an elevation of about 2,200 meters.

Since it's a tourist attraction, it's well-maintained, and you'll be charged a fee of about 10 to 20 yen per use.

You know how tall a urinal is, right? lol

It's pretty, as you'd expect for the price, but you can't use paper with it lol

There is a tank on the right side of the entrance, and I'm told that the water is stored there and pumped out about once a week.

This restroom is located in a park with a waterfall in Nepal, and it's just so dirty lol

The smell is absolutely terrible, and there's no water.

We were just saying, "There's no water here," when our guide pointed at the waterfall... lol

"I'm going to the bathroom to take care of that," lol

By the way, since one of them doesn't have a door, it seems like you have to choose between being seen or making eye contact!

 

For some reason, this time I was obsessed with taking pictures of the bathroom, lol.

To be honest, I didn't have the nerve to do it, and

I had brought some Japanese-made Double Soft toilet paper with me, so I used that.

Well, if I end up living in a country like this for a long time, I’ll just go along with it, but,

It's only a few days, so I don't think we need to force it, lol.

 

Since we always wash our bottoms with water here, that means our bottoms are always clean, right?

We were talking about taking a bath once every two or three days, but I wash my butt every day lol

 

It's really interesting how different cultures lead to all sorts of different specifications, isn't it?

Just like in Vietnam, the restroom facilities here are great.

 

I recommend that you all visit there if you get the chance.

It means there are a lot of countries where our common sense doesn't apply.

Let's always question conventional wisdom!

 

See you later.