5. Toilet paper is a treasure.
Really, I wish I could turn that into some spiritual application. I can't. It's just the plain truth. When we got to India, even the hotels were skimpy on it. In each room you had a giant roll with just like enough for one good potty trip on it. And in the first hotel it was pink! And scratchy! We brought some of our own along, thank heavens. I rationed it out, two rolls for Daniel and two rolls for me. I thought that was rather generous since, let's face it, he doesn't need as much as I do for several reasons. Let me tell you it was ON when I caught him blowing his nose on my roll early in the week! I let him have it.
Then we went to the medical camp where we met the squatty potty. Yes, ladies, that is a hole and you do the squatting and the flushing. No toilet paper allowed so you have to carry around a little bag for your used paper products. Near the beginning of the camp, some of us didn't know that little tip and we clogged up the squatty. Then it had to be fixed with the "Nepali plunger" which is really just a stick. Yuck. You also have to be careful that you only do your long business (number 2) in only toilets that allow long business. If it says "short toilet only" that means no poop allowed.
Before I left home, I thought my bathroom was a mess. When I got back, I wanted to kiss the floor. As Ethan, the 15 year old on our team, said, "The US is awesome."
2 comments:
It is so hard to imagine not having a "regular" bathroom and that not everyone would have toilet paper! I mean, I know that there are very poor countries and we are very lucky even though sometimes we don't see it that way.
I guess it's those little things I take for granted!
Keep writing , I am loving reading it.
That's kind of ironic. For the past year, all I could get in Kuwait was toilet paper. They use giant rolls of toilet paper in place of paper towels. In fact the men that are hired as labor (non-Kuwaitis) litterally use 7-9 feet of toilet paper that is a foot wide to dry their hands. They also start drinking from the faucet before/while they are washing their hands. Glad you made it back safely. I've got 4 more days :) - James
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