new norms, part 1: toilets

Moving to another country means that you have to adjust your view of what "normal" actually is. Well, you don't have to, but if you continue to expect that everything is going to be like what you grew up with and were used to in your home country, you're going to be both frustrated and disappointed.

One of the adjustments we're having to make here is in the toilet category, and the adjustment is an unfortunate one. In China, toilets that you sit on are not the norm in public places. This includes office buildings. In my office building, there are no toilets (we negotiated to have the company put one in--that's right, we had to negotiate--but it's been over a month and still the toilet isn't ready). The bathroom across the hall from where I sit has multiple squatters, and actually has toilet paper in it--but only one giant roll outside of the squatters. Therefore, you have to try to predict what you're going to need before you go in the stall.

This is an untenable situation for most of my team. We are not used to squatters, and even when you get used to them (if that's even possible), you still feel dirty when you're done--even if the whole affair goes down flawlessly. This is a big "if", too. Fortunately, there is a solution: the nearby Sofitel Hotel. "I've got an offsite meeting" has become the new euphemism for heading over to the Sofitel for some Western comfort. I've been fortunate enough to schedule all my "meetings" for non-work hours (i.e., the comfort of my own home), but if ever I should have an emergency, I'm glad there's a relatively close solution. The Sofitel is going to LOVE us.

The little lady hasn't been as fortunate. Maybe she'll write about her own experiences sometime.