Disclaimer: I have never actually seen a Latvian woman pee. This post is based on the evidence I witness each and every time I step into a public toilet here. However, having put my ‘Horatio Caine’ thinking cap on, this is the only rational explanation I can come up with.
No more pissing about…
By following these few simple steps, you too can create your very own “Latvian Ladies’ Lav” experience in the comfort of your own home or workplace:
1. Totter into the toilet cubicle and lock the door – sometimes.
2. Hitch up your skirt – depending on how short it is, this might not be necessary.
3. Drop your drawers – if you’re wearing any.
4. Climb up onto the toilet seat and reach upwards. Grab on to any available ceiling fixture (light, extractor fan, loose wiring, etc.) and lift your legs.
5. If the light or fan is embedded into the ceiling, or there is no faulty wiring where you are, simply plant one stiletto on either side of the toilet bowl.
6. Start to move your hips in a nice circular motion, as if you were hula dancing.
7. Let rip while keeping your hips moving. The trick here is to try not to get any pee into the toilet bowl, but make sure that it all lands on the seat.
Advanced move: text a few friends, take a selfie or update your Facebook status while in motion.
8. Dismount and wipe – gently place used toilet paper on top of the bin next to the toilet.
9. Flush – well, it would be rude not to, right?
10. Do not attempt to wipe down the seat after use. Instead, float a couple of sheets or balls of toilet paper on top of your wee.
11. Unlock the door and walk to the sink. Hand-washing is optional but if you choose to, please do not dry your hands. You want to leave the door handle nice and wet for the next visitor.
12. Make sure your hair looks good and exit the bathroom.
Optional extras:
- If you’re at your workplace, feel free to empty the dregs of your coffee, weird herbal tea, or cup-a-soup into the toilet. It adds an extra splash of colour.
- If you need to dispose of any sanitary items, leave them face up on top of everything else in the bin, in as eye-catching a fashion as possible.
Except when they’re sooooo wrong.
So there you have it! The authentic “Latvian Ladies’ Lav” experience. Have fun recreating it wherever you are – I’m off to do just that…
Expat Eye on Latvia 
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Undoubtedly the funniest thing I’ve read all week! In the Middle East, each stall actually contains a hose to clean yourself off with, which invariably results in a really wet stall. A friend of mine found one of these hoses covered with feces at her workplace. Five minutes her coworkers witnessed a usually calm person have a major meltdown. Needless to stay, she received a bathroom hose for her birthday one week later. 🙂
Oh my god, the poor girl! I’d have had a major meltdown too! I can’t imagine hosing myself down each time! UGH!
Fear not we have toilet paper too. One thing I’ve learned about living in a Muslim country is that people are surprisngly vocal about whether you should use paper or water. I cannot think of a more personal subject!
I’m still trying to figure out how you can hose yourself without getting water all over your clothes 😉 You’ve got me thinking today!
I think it would help to draw a diagram and measure the angle the hose needs to held at… and perhaps people who are poor at physics would just have to take their clothes off
I think I’d have to take my clothes off 🙂
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Mmmm, yeah Latvians don’t really have the patent on that one, as the comments show! Love to know who started it. Although whether that would help set things right at this point I don’t know.
I just want to know how to stop it 😉
Best of luck with that one.
Twice today I’ve been to the toilet and found the seat wet. Unless a Latvian snuck in while nobody was looking it has to have been one of my colleagues…
Hmm, I’m going for the Latvian sneaking in theory 😉
Ugh. I had a spanish roommate once (girl) who seemed allergic to flushing – she would NEVER flush, no matter what she left behind. Delightful. I think weird toilet habits exist everywhere, I just dont see how these people dont understand it themselves!
I know – I’d be mortified to walk out and leave a toilet in that state! I’d be paranoid everyone would be looking at me thinking – that’s the dirty bitch 😉
With that in mind, did you happen to notice how clean the toilets are here in Germany? Even at festivals, I’m amazed! I’ve only had a couple of bad experiences but nothing crazy. This sounded just repulsive! Especially the sanitary napkins part! Eeeww
I did notice. That’s what made me write the post actually! I guess I’d almost become used to it here and started to think that it was normal – then I went to Germany… 🙂
I love the Germans 🙂
Me too…..especially two in particular. 🙂
Ha ha, of course!
This is officially the most disturbing thing you have written yet. Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t go out much in Moscow …
Ha ha, it all adds to the experience! In a horrible kind of way 🙂
When I was fourteen, I attended a summer science camp held at a state university in the southeastern US. We occupied one floor of a dormitory which had been otherwise shut down for the summer session. Our habit was to wake up at about eight o’clock, when the sun had been up for a couple of hours by then, and leisurely get ready for our nine o’clock first class.
One morning I was awakened not by the sun, not by my alarm clock set to public radio at a gentle volume, but by a pounding at the door, the sort of full-fisted slam which one expects to be followed by a SWAT team shouting through a bullhorn. My roommate yelped as he shot up from his pillow. I leaped out of bed to open the door, assuming that the building was on fire and we needed to evacuate immediately.
I was greeted by a six-foot man wearing pajama bottoms and a bear pelt. His face was split into a wild grin. “You’ve got to see this thing,” he said enigmatically, then whisked off down the hallway and into the communal bathroom. Watching him rumble away, I realized that he did not wear a pelt at all, but rather that he was simply hirsute to an uncomfortable degree.
My roommate and I quickly gathered ourselves and followed our college freshman counselor into the bathroom. He cheerfully presented us with an open stall and the contents of its bowl. “I dunno who left this thing,” he proclaimed, “but it’s gotta be at least a foot long. This guy could shit a beer can without breaking a sweat.” His densely-coated chest was puffed with vicarious pride at the accomplishment of the anonymous culprit. My roommate observed that it was a single length, unbroken. He hunched down to put his eyes level with the plane of the seat and reported that the object (what would become known amongst my fellows as “The Beast Within”) actually terminated above the rim.
“Why us?” I asked wearily.
The counselor shrugged, an affair of meat and fur which looked something like a magma bubble expanding beneath a national forest. “Your room was next to mine.”
“But that meant you had to walk back down the hall to get to our door. I’d think you’d just knock at the nearest door, the one across the hall.” But he didn’t hear me, his attention returned fully to the Beast.
I have never slept easily in a dormitory situation since.
I’m crying laughing here! Surely this is a blog post in itself?! 🙂
I think you struck blogging gold with this topic. Hope you pick up some new followers, Linda. Although, you could almost so a documentary on the subject by now. Every woman has a story! I wonder how they found it. Ever look at the search terms that made them find you?
That’s a scary place to go 🙂 I’m number 1 on Google if you search for Latvian grandpa cock, Latvian women are crazy, and Latvian men are weird 🙂 Try it 🙂
With this one, I think people just shared it on Twitter and Facebook though!
That’s cool. But you’re right!! It’s a very scarey place to go! I’m seriously thinking of putting my blog on my website. But that would mean coming out. Considering some of the search terms , don’t know if it’s a great idea
Ha ha, yeah, there are some real oddballs out there! Still, I’ve never hidden my identity, and most of the time I don’t feel like my life is in danger 🙂
No I don’t feel like I’m in danger at all!! I’ve been concerned that I’ll have trouble getting booked because I have talked about my vagina!! Lol
You might get more business 🙂 My workload has gone through the roof since I started this thing! I have students waiting who only want to work with me, companies that found me through it… it’s been quite amazing considering what I write really!
Wow Linda!! I think you just made my day!! One of my friends told me the other night, that if I expose myself, at least I’ll have control.
Exactly. I’m pretty sure it will end up having far more positive consequences than negative ones – if mine is anything to go by.
However, if a crazed Latvian shoots me, I take this back 🙂
Lol. I know alot of Latvians. I don’t think you have a thing to worry about! I think you’re great! My name is Julie, btw. 🙂
Nice to ‘meet’ you Julie! 🙂
Thanks! Now I just handed to figure out how to change my name on the blog without losing everything. 😦
I suggest a big emotional coming out – lots of brave and poignant moments. People love that kind of shit 🙂
That’s a cool idea! Like, talk about the fear factor and why it took so long?
Got it in one 🙂 You were worried about how people would react, but finally decided to be brave and take that step, not knowing how it would impact your life and career (few tears here) 😉
You’re a doll!!! Thanks.
A very calculating doll 😉
Hey! Sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! Right? 🙂 and truth be told, it is a little scary. I gave up a shitload on dough to pursue the singing and writing. Musicians think I’m nuts! At my show
nanodating, since of my friends felt it was tmi. Too bad!
If I had a euro/dollar for every time somebody told me I was nuts (and it actually worked out), I’d be a very, VERY rich woman! Keep doing what you’re doing if it makes you happy!
You’re Absolutely right!!! Fuck it! If anyone is so lame as to think I’m going to be discussing my sexual trysts between tunes, they’re nuts! Unless of course, that what I’m contacted to do. ..:)
Ha ha, yeah, that could become your new thing! Sing a song, tell a story, sing a song… 😉 If they start suggesting ping pong shows, it might be a step too far though… 😉
Hahaha. I had recordings from my show on soundcloud and took them down. I got laughs… and then I sang a song!
There you go! You’re onto a winner!
How appropos that we are going to 40° today! Warmest day in months. 🙂
Very jealous 🙂 Currently +4 celsius here 🙂
Ooooohhh. We’ve had record snow and cold this year. How do you manage when you get the midnight sun thing happening? Ariana said it made her crazy!
I’m usually still out 🙂
When in Rome. …:)
Or Riga, or basically any other place 🙂
I’m going to link you’re blog in my coming out post. Hope I can figure that one out!
Add media – add from URL 🙂 That one I do know!
Really? That sounds easy enough.
It is! 🙂 Just put my url in the top box and whatever you want it to read in the text in the bottom one.
Ok! I’ll keep you posted. (ya. I know that was really bad. .. haver had my tea yet…)
I’m having a cup right now 🙂 And some chocolate 🙂 Let me know when it’s up! Best of luck with it!
Thanks!
I wish that WordPress was a little more user friendly
You know, I have my ranking list for the most discusting toilet experiences during travels. The ones in East (sorry, north?), where, as far as I know, the standing on the toilet ring is the norm in the most countries, only come in like on the tenth place. The hula moves where a bit more of information than I needed though, thanks! 😀
As I am sure you want to read about the number 1 and I want to repay the image you created in my mind, here you go:
– open a gate and find a long ditch in the middle of the concrete floor. Most of the “stuff” is still there to be seen and a bit on the sides where you walk, too. You are supposed to join the queue behing all the ones who squat just ahead of you. Watching somebody squeeze the previous meal out less than half a meter away from you and knowing that somebody is just as close behind made at least me run to the bush… Bon Appetit! 😉
I very much liked the East/North bit – the rest I could have lived without!! 🙂
Stuck on a non-stop bus somwhere in Russia I once took off my hat (woolen toque for you Canadians) pee’d into it and threw it out the window. I aint sayin nuthin else!
The ‘somewhere in Russia’ changes the rules I think 🙂
Ha ha! This brings back memories of the ladies’ lavs in Istanbul, otherwise known as Jam Rag Museums.
Oh god! The horror!
I never could have guessed that a topic like this weeps illicit so many responses. Although, it is something we all have to deal with. Guess you’ve opened Pandora’s box! I’m chiming in. First of all, Thank you for solving the mystery of how they manage to spray the entire seat. It reminds me of watching a cooking show the other day when the chef pointed out that you should always salt from above for equal distribution. I never would have guessed in a million years that women are standing above the toilet. It’s been my observation that this practice prevails most , at least in my neck of the woods, in women of a certain race, and/or very wealthy white women. When I was a kid traveling, Mom used to tell me to always line the toilet seat with paper before sitting down. Ridiculous! What really blows my mind is when I use the bathroom at the Chicago botanic gardens, (I visit a lot) is adjacent to one of the top 10 wealthiest cities in the country! Come on ladies! WTF! They are so paranoid to sit down on a mess , that they themselves are also guilty of creating! It’s disgusting! When I walk in see a mess of pee all over the seat, if there is no other stall free, I take a wad of TP the size of a softball, clean it up, flush it and sit down! And I haven’t died of plague yet…
Got close to 2000 hits yesterday – seemingly pee is an untapped blogging topic! And I do exactly the same thing you do 🙂
That’s outstanding!!! Btw, I’m trying to create a blogroll, linking your blog as one that I read. But it’s not showing up. Do you have any ideas?
I have no idea – do I have one?! Maybe there’s a widget?
When I had my biz, there are yoga classes in the evening in my building. They were the worst. This is so nerdy… but I typed abs posted a sign near the toilet ” If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be neat and wipe the seat!” It actually worked for awhile till someone took it down.
…took it down and peed on it. 😉
I’ll still stick to my disinfectant. And there is one more thing to consider – You never know, how the cleaning ladies use the cloth, they are wiping the toilet with. Some insider information tells me, that they might use it for the inside and then wipe the outside with it. And beware – they might do that in hotels too. Call me paranoid, but I’ll better not take my chances.
Argh! It’s all too much to think about! My head is going to explode! Right, I’m just never going to pee again! 😉
You carry disinfectant with you at all times?
It sure sounds that way 🙂
Yes, I do – it’s not a big bottle, only 100 ml or so. And it’s handy, if you are somewhere, where you can not wash your hands, but feel an extreme urge to do it:) For example at the gas station after tanking – diesel sometimes gets on your hands and stinks:)
That’s an interesting idea.
Oh I remember I great sign in the male toilet in Belgium where I worked for a while “come one step closer – it is not as long as you think”.
And surely, this is not a unique Latvian problem. Stepping into a toilet for men can be quite an experience.
1) why do they stand so far away? Impossible to hit anything on that distance except the wall and floor.
2) alcohol seems to have an effect on the balance, so again, wall and floor.
3) shake it to get the last drop out – fine, but don’t rotate it – please!
But here is my biggest dilemma. Most men do not wash after doing whatever they had to do. That in itself is rather disturbing, particularly given all the handshaking going on in Latvia… Think about it. But most toilet door opens inwards, so you have to touch the door handle to get out! So after washing my hands – how do I get out? The trick is obviously using your elbow but then your clothes is contaminated… There is no winner in this case.
To all men reading this blog: one step closer and wash! It will be so much delightful for all of us to not have to stand in a pool of … something … and be able to get out of the door without looking like a lunatic.
Always great to get a male opinion! I love that the Belgians have a sense of humour about the important stuff 🙂
You should try India! In big fancy malls meant for rich modern Indians, they have diagrams on how to position yourself on a toilet. The main one is “Do not stand on toilet seat”. In other words, do not use it as a hole in the ground. French toilets ain’t that appetizing either!
Oh, I remember walking past a row of urinals to the one cubicle at the end in France – (sometimes) shielding my eyes 😉
Linda, that pic of you as an officer is great! 🙂
Thanks! It was for a Hallowe’en party in Dublin 🙂 I even had ginger chest hair and the CSI theme tune on my phone for whenever I walked into a room 🙂
Oh, this is just great. I found your brilliant blog just recently and after reading right through it I’m in awe! I’m a Helsinki based Finnish lady and I visit Riga regularly (and have been very much in uni-directional love with a Latvian guy) and all I can say is that you should come to Finland. Latvia ain’t got nothing on us, really 🙂 This weird toilet behaviour is, as well as Russian ladies’, their own speciality, though. What’s wrong with those sisters? They are so tall and proud and beautiful, but then this. Dunno. Nevertheless, I still adore the lovely city of Riga and in some very odd way, its unique inhabitants. Keep up the good spirit, girl!
Thank you very much! I’m glad you enjoy the blog! And really? You’re in love with a Latvian guy? Finnish guys really must be odd 🙂
Yeah, I don’t get how they can look so perfect on the outside and then do THAT do a toilet!
Thanks for reading!
Linda.
I was, but nowadays I know better and try not to waste my time like that 😀 But oh yes, they ARE odd, as said, you should visit Finland. I’m an excellent tour guide what comes to the local Irish pub scene. Welcome! Or laipni lūdzam 🙂
Ha ha, I’d love to! Seeing guys odder than the Latvians would be well worth the trip! 🙂
I ofetn wonder if women pee in Serbia. Often it is very clean, the toilet seat is up or non existing and rarely is there any toilet paper. I kind of thing they just steal the TP and take it home for private use. ? but I haven’t seen then pee either. all speculation on my part.
Well this post is pure speculation! You should suggest a new tagline to the Serbian tourism board – Serbia. The bermuda triangle of pee… 🙂
Definitely not a Latvia only problem, but sure sounds like it is bad there. It never ceases to amaze (and disappoint) me to see how inconsiderate people can be. A Latvian woman I know tweeted a photo of a sign from a Riga hospital restroom with a cute rhyming poem that is the LV equivalent of the English “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be neat and wipe the seat.” What drives me nuts in the U.S. nowadays is that so very many public restrooms have seat protectors. If everyone just used those and actually sat on the toilet seat, this would never be an issue.
Of course, then there is always the situation at Chicago O’Hare’s airport. Seems promising, but apparently isn’t all that great.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/01/hygienic-toilet-seats-at-ohare-airport-maybe-not-so-hygienic/
Aw, you’ve ruined the hygienic toilet seat for me! I love those things!
I don’t think I’ve seen them anywhere else other than at that one airport!
We have another problem here at my workplace. Apparently some women from other countries prefer to squat ON the toilet seat – i.e. they actually climb up on it, and then squat. Often times that leaves black marks from their shoes on the seat. (And makes you wonder about what other acrobatic tricks they do!)
WHAT?! Why would anyone do that?! That sounds like the most uncomfortable way to pee EVER!
Trying to remember where I used them – must have been in Dublin I guess!
The things I learn on Linda’s blog!!!!
Well, my main aim is to be educational y’know… 🙂
Hilarious, Linda! Of course, you have plenty to write about and your posts, even if directed specifically at Latvians, do an excellent job of inspiring others to write about similar experiences in other places. Many years ago, when I visited my husband (at that time, merely a friend with benefits) in Ecuador, I had the “pleasure” of experiencing a variety of public “facilities,” a few of which were simply large holes dug in the ground (imagine me squatting and hanging for dear life on a few blades of grass). It was indeed enough to make one constipation except that, try as I did, I couldn’t avoid getting amoebas in my GI tract so I often had the opposite problem. But Ecuador is/was a developing country and most of my visit was in the countryside, so much of this was to be expected. However …
I’ve been grossed out by ladies’ public toilets in the US, and even at my place of work: THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH! Still boggles my mind that some women who work at Health often leave telltale signs of their business behind as well as not wash their hands. Of course, in terms of washing our hands, my workplace makes that as unpleasant as possible by giving us only cold water and wimpy paper towels that we often run out of. And women toss the wet towels everywhere but in the bin. Don’t get me started on the kitchens …
The image of you hanging onto a few blades of grass is priceless! There’s definitely a post in that! 🙂
You’d think the Department of Health would have higher standards! I’m always a bit ‘ugh’ when I see people here washing their cups, plates, cutlery etc. in the bathroom sinks. The people around them are washing their hands, brushing their hair – doesn’t seem terribly hygienic! 🙂
Ha ha … I’ll have to think about a post. I do have photos from back then (when I was soooo much younger and thinner), but, alas, none of me using the country’s poor equivalent of a loo.
We have kitchens but they gross me out, especially the decrepit microwaves. Now when I brown bag, it’s always cold food and I take my dirty dishes home with me. Of course, at my house, my cats walk the kitchen counters 😉 Oh, well.
Ha ha! Well at least your cats are probably cleaner than most of your colleagues!! 🙂
Yes, they are and I say that knowing that two of them never cover up their poop 😉
Doesn’t say much for your colleagues I must admit 🙂
Linda, I thought this only happened in Florida … And we’ve been blaming it on doddering grannies! So glad to know we’re not alone – but at least now I know the technique. 🙂 ~Terri
And you get a workout into the bargain! Get your stilettos out 🙂
I thought women behaved in the loo, I thought it was the men that sprayed everywhere????
Go and check out the men’s loo, maybe they are nice and clean.. 😉
At least men lift up the seat, they just pee all over the rim instead 🙂 The seat is usually spotless though! 🙂
I alternated from ‘ha ha ha ha’ (because of the way you wrote it) to ‘yuk, yuk, yuk’ (because of the content) with this post. If ever I am in Latvia I will be crossing my legs a lot I think, so that I don’t have to visit any public toilets!
Yeah, wait until you get back to your hotel! It’s safer that way 🙂
Yuk. And yuk again. Public loos in Rome aren’t usually that bad but I really hate when the floor of the loo is wet. You’re not sure if it’s wee or water, so you have to attempt to find a couple of dry patches to place your feet in (shoes, not bare feet – that really would be gross 😉 )
Oh god yes, I’ve had that experience – horrible when you’re wearing flip flops or something! 🙂
You haven’t seen the local London toilets then, where indigenous locals (as in South London white women with EastEnders type accents, working in offices) relieve themselves- not washing their hands aside, they’re sure to leave you a floater or a skid mark to enjoy.
Ah, nothing like someone else’s floater to get your day off to a great start… 🙂
Since i have a little daughter, I had to face the truth – I can not take part in this “hoverers vs sitters” discussion anymore and just have to be a “sitter” or at least have to learn to deal with the situation as one. And because even the thought of sitting on the toilet seat, even if it is wiped clean with a sheet of toilet paper, makes me gag, I allways carry a tiny bottle of disinfectant in my handbag. And allways wipe the seat, even if it looks clean.
I’m going to follow you around and only use the toilet after you 🙂 Is that weird?? 😉
🙂 The funniest experience however was in a toilet in Statoil gas station outside of Riga – me and my daughter again – with this small loo for children. I was delighted and took my disinfectant out of my bag only to discover, that the tiny loo was covered with dust:) So be sure to use these, althoug inconvenient, the only unpleasant thing, you would get there, would be some dust on your butt:) Because obviously nobody is using it anyway:)
Dust I can handle 🙂 I do like your disinfectant idea though!!
Let’s face it, you have to be more objective here, the public restrooms are never very pleasant place to go to regardless of country, they are almost never clean.
What one could complain about regarding Latvia is the lack of public toilets.
I’m not really referring to public toilets as in around the city or in parks etc. I mean more the ones I have to go to regularly – offices, cafes, shopping centres, bars, etc.
My point was that it’s silly to complain about something that is a problem everywhere, it clearly shows that you have nothing else to write about.
My point is that it’s NOT this bad anywhere else I’ve been – and I’ve travelled a lot. I’ve never been so consistently disgusted as I have been here – in fact, I just had to wipe someone else’s pee off a seat again. Lovely start to my afternoon. And before you give the stock answer of ‘if you don’t like it, leave’, I am 🙂
And don’t worry, I have plenty to write about 😉
You should go to Switzerland. Public bathrooms are as clean as your own…. with very little exceptions as at some point at home😉
Oh, Switzerland sounds nice… 😉
It’s not Latvian thing at all… and “clean” girls are to be blamed, according to this 🙂 http://notalwaysworking.com/coming-clean-about-it/34034
Ha ha! That is hilarious! 🙂
LOL, I love that! Although it doesn’t explain why people are incapable of cleaning their pee back off the seat afterwards!
It really doesn’t 🙂
There must be a lot of Latvians hanging around the toilets at Frankfurt airport then. There’s always at least one cubicle there with pee on the seat… and the floor.
Direct flights from Riga 🙂
As harsh as it sounds, unfortunately what you describe is a sad reality. Yesterday went to Science museum here – school holidays here – and lots of kids with families, but “girls wc” was impeccable and it’s not like I was there early in the day and no cleaning lady was near by. So, I really wander what went wrong with our ladies, because at school as far as I remember toilets were clean even during soviet times, but then again I went to 11.vsk. (now – Lycée Français)
I was hoping maybe the science museum had some sort of explanation 🙂
😀 i only found out how Tasmanian devil looked like (rare photos, even a black and white film and taxidermy and how humans killed every single one of them. But back to the topic that you started – I always guess – those girls – do they have the same way of doing things at home? Or it is just reserved to public place – may be down deep it is their protest to society being mean to them or smth like that 😉 or it start with one being untidy and then the rest follow thinking that there is no need for me to be the one cleaning before and after, but this really explains nothing, I know.. must be related to how low self esteem of the population is in general – one could argue that self-respect starts in toilets 😉
Ha ha, I guess one could! It’s an interesting theory! German self-respect must be very high – I didn’t see one drop anywhere 🙂
Peeing as a form of protest… 🙂
…o0O0o….. You live, you learn. I see 2-spread essay in next Cosmo
As long as it’s not a photo spread, we’ll be OK 🙂
Kind of gross…
It seems people like gross 😉 Got 2 ‘your stats are booming’ messages from WP on this one!
Hey, the WanderingPoet did not tell you your stats are booming.
Maybe they are, I dunno.
Ha ha, just up – forgot your initials were the same!
LoL.
Thank you for giving me cause to chuckle. The question is “do they do this at home”? Now, shall I go and poke out my man’s eye?
Why not 😉 I think, I hope, that everyone sits on their home toilet – I could be wrong though!! And you have to clean your own one so it pays to be careful 🙂
Well, if one compares that to some of the old Chinese public toilets, that’s pretty good…
Got a photo?! 😉
I found this to be a better explanation:
And I wrote the following 2 comments ages ago at Bronwyn’s blog:
“I would share an interesting story, an old China expat once told me that the greatest dilemma he ever faced in his life was how to use the old Chinese public toilets. This was the early 90s, and modern construction has not spread to most of the Chinese public space. Therefore, old Chinese public toilets are either Roman style (a line of holes where you can sit and gossip about the latest with your neighbour in the next hole), or 2 (or 3 or 4) rows of ditches. The most difficult decision of his life, much more difficult than choosing a job, asking his wife to marry him, etc, was to decide where he should face when he squats over the ditch. Should he go face first or arse first? If he goes arse first, than everyone coming in using the next ditch will be staring at his arse. If he goes face first, then he will do the same to others’ arses. I leave it to your imagination on what he chose to do. ”
“Romantic, huh? 😛
If you are interested in what it looks like, you can google Ancient Roman public toilets for pictures. And yes, China still used those kind of toilets (developed thousands of years ago) even in late 80s and early 90s, it does, however (along with the ditch style), makes it easier to clean and easier for “night soil” collectors to do their jobs. (as in collecting it for something else *cough*)
As for the ditch style, there were no stalls/or walls separating the sections of the ditch to create individual stalls. The walls were considered a luxury that only wealthy cities or major public locations can afford.
As for the western public toilets, the most memorable one was the automatic one I saw in Paris, where you have to pay (3 Euros) to get in and if you aren’t done in 15-20 mins, the door opens automatically.
LOL, definitely not a dinner table conversation, but it’s one thing we can’t live without, and yet it’s one thing most new expats don’t consider. Let’s hope everyone can find their toilet paper in time in their lives. ”
Cheers…!
So glad I didn’t live in China! I would have died of constipation before going to a ditch toilet!! The Paris one though – 15-20 minutes should be enough, no!?
Because you needed ANOTHER reason to move, right?
Seemingly so 😉
unfortunately in Lithuania situation is pretty much the same, only I have some theory where this nasty habits come from. 1stly, way too much people live with no flush toilets, and the ones with them probably still have some rudimentary instincts on how to act in a ‘heart shaped hole on a door’ ones for all the climbing and not being too worried about anything splashing, so whenever they come to a public place’s toilet, they go all ‘wild and natural’ mode on. Like, why not? It’s not me who’s cleaning the mess after all or something. 2ndly, relatively not so long ago, like during Soviet times and in early 1990s, probability of finding any toilet paper in a public toilet was as usual a thing as meeting a living dinosaur in your backyard. And if there is no toilet paper, how do you…? hum, well, I better don’t go this road, but I think way too many remember those horrible days, and instinctively go for climbing on and swinging hips to actually sitting down, since they’re still not used to toilet paper available or something. And since way too often public/cafe, etc., etc. WCs aren’t cleaned often enough after one or two of such ‘WC terrorists’ visit, even those who’d prefer to use toilet as it’s supposed to be used, in the end just doesn’t. Eye for the eye, Bible says, so if there’s some pee on the seat, and I’m disgusted by it, I’ll take a revenge on everyone adding some of my own fluids 😀
How’s that for a conspiracy/chaos theory?
Convincing! You kind of had me at ‘WC terrorists’ 🙂
At Jelgava train station, I had to pay for toilet roll – and got 4 sheets in return 🙂
Being Latvian myself, this is NOT a Latvian trait! There are disgusting people in every country………
True! This is the first place I could have swum laps around the toilet seat though – if I was so inclined 🙂
That’s truly disgusting…… Sorry you had to deal with that!
Ha ha, don’t worry about it – I’m used to it now! It just struck me again after I got back from Germany so I thought it deserved a post 🙂
sprinkler vajajays!
Oh god, that nearly made me pee myself 🙂
See hairless comment/explanation above. Sprinkler vajayjay indeed.
You two are going to make me sprinkle if you keep this up 🙂
Go bald and you’ll do nothing but.
Ruh roh… 😉
I was right!!! Well, my friend was… 😉
I learn something new every day… 🙂
Jhanis is your blog live yet? If so, I’m not seeing anything in my reader.
Should be within the day. After 10 days of failed migration, I finally did it! Just working on a few stuff to make it look like my wp.com blog.
Sorry Linda for hijacking your post! 🙂
No problem! Any time 🙂
They’re marking their territory!
I was thinking of maybe putting a picture of a rich foreigner into every bowl in Riga – maybe they’d aim for that? 😉
I have one in mind… 😀
I think I can guess who that is 😉
ooohhh this is soooo true 😀 I’m Latvian and I don’t understand either how is it possible to pee all over the toilet… and not just pee 😀 as disgusting as it sounds.. 🙂
Yeah, I’ve seen worse too – but even with my Horatio Caine hat on, I still can’t figure that out!! 🙂
You know what, I might have a theory. Do Latvian woman shave…it…all…off? I’ve never done this myself, but a friend of mine mentioned that when she goes for total pube elimination, she starts spraying pee everywhere.
Hmm, I have no idea! Ladies? Or gents??? (Total pube elimination – LOL) 🙂
Yes, we need verification!! Where is Anna when you need her?! I don’t know why I think she would know, but I’ve a feeling she does…
Me too 😉
This is true. I had laser hair removal done five years ago. Smooth as a baby’s bottom – BUT – yes, wild spray now.
I have the manners to wipe down if any (rarely) gets on the seat, when I’m in hover position on s public toilet.
Ah Nancy, I knew I could rely on you!!
I’m not down with the 70s bush. And stubble sucks. 🙂
Sold on the no-stubble bit. Not so much on the in-built sprinkler system! 🙂
So worth it for a smooth as silk lady bidness.
Damn it, if I could snort-pee, that would have done it 🙂
You’re welcome.
Boarding my flight in a moment so no more witty banter for a while. 😉
That’s OK. You’ve already surpassed yourself! Have a nice flight! 🙂
Oh oh oh. You may better have had put a cork in it on this issue….
I’ll get my spare room ready for you, just in case.
Hurrah! Holiday in Spain! This was my evil plan all along! 🙂
Asylum more like 😉
Do I get a sunbathing pass? 😉
It’s still coats weather. But not for much longer.
I could wear my bikini over my anorak – like in the Sicilian Housewife’s post 🙂
I read that, lol! It’s carnival weekend, so that might work.
I can make it work 😉
Sounds very much like what takes place in most men’s toilets in central London. Though I thought the whole toilet paper in/on the bin was reserved for South America only..? I’ve seen things Linda. Things you wouldn’t believe…
Sean, honey, I can believe anything of you!! I dread to think what the gents are like here 😉 Although, actually, some are unisex and at least the men lift the seat up!
I’ve seen those signs in Greece too – I see them very rarely here, I think people just like doing it 😉
Yeah, I remember not being allowed to flush toilet roll in Rhodes. Apparantly the pipes are really narrow, so if you flush toilet roll it blocks them.
Yeah, they had them all over the Greek Islands – not pleasant 🙂