Culture Shock

[This post was originally published on 4/7/16 and updated on 2/10/19]

After a long flight into Narita Airport, I was groggy and had to pee... bad. I rushed into the nearest bathroom at the airport and was delighted to see that I beat the lines - one stall open! SCORE!!!

I ran into the stall and shut the door in one swift motion and then... froze. I looked down and this​ was all I could see: 

While in Thailand, we always had a western toilet wherever we happened to be. Sometimes there was no toilet paper. Sometimes there was a sprayer. But we always had a western toilet. So after hurriedly shutting myself into this vacant bathroom stall I was surprised! 

"Okay..... how do I ....??"

​It fully amuses me that I had to coach myself through using this toilet.. I literally had to play out the procedure in my mind before squatting down and going for it. How do older people manage?! If you have knee problems etc..? 

Of course, in the moment I squatted I saw a shadow out of the corner of my eye. A small cockroach!!!! I felt so vulnerable. The first time I saw a disconcerting bug in a bathroom floor on our whole trip and how could I protect myself?! Don't worry, I came out unscathed. I live to tell the tale. ;-p

I thought to myself "Welcome to Japan??" I was expecting bidets, but not this.

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Compare Hotels in Tokyo:

Hotels in Japan - Booking.com

Hotels in Japan - Agoda

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When I left the stall I came to a sudden realization. Every other stall was a western style toilet. The outside of each stall had a simple diagram of the toilet style within. I just busted in so urgently I hadn't noticed. 

I laughed. When I stopped, I laughed again. 

Classic. I'm so glad I ran into this bathroom. It was the only one like it that I ended up using on the whole trip. (And I know.. it's not like it was actually a squatting hole in dirt outside, still it was just a new experience for me) 

I will always remember this toilet. And it will always make me laugh when I think of it. 

Now, on to Fukuoka! 

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Trip Don't Fall - A Clumsy Girl's
​Travel & Lifestyle Blog

Growing up I thought I would never leave my home town, but in my 20's I caught the travel bug and if I'm not traveling you can bet I am dreaming about my next adventure. If I am 'home', I probably have my AirPods in and I'm listening to a podcast or youtube (travel, declutter, zero waste videos mainly) while trying to streamline my home and wardrobe, and working to create a greener, simpler, more intentional life one baby step at a time. Feel free to poke around here at www.tripdontfall.xyz and follow us on instagram @tripdontfall.xyz to join me on my journey! 

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