Update from the front lines; Dec 11th.

[leaford]

Thanks once again for all your kind words, well wishes, and sympathy.

I am feeling quite a bit better today. Last night I even started to get my appetite back, and today I am thinking about going out to get some solid food. The factory owner sent over his housekeeper to bring me some chicken soup the other day, and the girls from the factory have been bringing me more chicken soup every day since. I appreciate their kindness, but I am getting a bit sick of soup. There's a McDonalds a block away, and I've always had luck in past illnesses keeping down filet-o-fish sandwiches.

I may well be able to go back to the factory tomorrow. My only remaining worry is the ........, which has slowed some, but is still a problem. The factory doesn't have western style toilets, you see. Only asian style squat toilets, like this:

Fortunately (kind of) I have two bathrooms in my apartment, and the guest bathroom has a squat toilet for me to practice on:

That would be just the icing on the cake if I wound up squirting all over my shoes, or worse, falling backwards and landing in the damn thing. 8-o So, I'd better practice now, before I have to manage it at work!

 

[Lightgeoduck]

FYI Leaf.... when squatting you face the wall

 

[zdaddyl]

Head and stomach, much better. Bowels, still not so hot.

Remember that old song/ jingle kids used to sing, "When you're going up the ladder, and you feel something splatter....DIARHEA!"
Sorry, I couldn't resist. I suffer from IBS, usually from eating ethnic foods, but the food is so good! Anyways, I was wondering if you could ask/tell them to start making an apple pie ala mode flavor while your there.
Hope you feel better Leaford!

 

[zdaddyl]

That squat toilet's "No punk b!tch" when it comes to a mean case of the squirts!

 

[leaford]

FYI Leaf.... when squatting you face the wall

Wait, what? Are you serious? In over ten years of traveling to Asia I have always managed to avoid using squat toilets, so I really do not know, but that doesn't seem right.

 

[Lightgeoduck]

Wait, what? Are you serious? In over ten years of traveling to Asia I have always managed to avoid using squat toilets, so I really do not know, but that doesn't seem right.

Hehe well I usually try to avoid em because I can't squat for 20min hehe

Well I learned the hard way when riding a train in japan.... it took me forever and my wife asked me whats wrong I said what I had to do and it was my FIRST time doing it... I was forced to.... I did it like i thought you know american way

but my wife (japanese) said you should face it... now I don't know if only females do it ,,, but I figured since they have to squat no matter what 1 or 2 and she being japanese... she was right....


So a very long time passes and I couldn't find a mcDonalds or pachinko parlor (the cleanest bathrooms ever) I was forced to use the ToTo floor model

anyway long story short facing the wall was much easier... especially if there is a pipe there for you to grip onto

I have been in japan for 5 some years and only used the floor model like 10 times...for the serious biz that is... and facing the wall was much better



NOW the hard part is taking the pants off of one leg with out getting you sock to touch the dirty floor hehe

 

[leaford]

Wait, I gotta take my pants off?!?!? I guess it would be easier to straddle the bowl that way but.... AW C'MON!!! 8-o

EDIT: I just realized I am going to need slip off shoes, the laces on mine would be damn near impossible in that situation.

 

[leaford]

OMG, you're right!!!8-o8-o

You know what? This is making adult diapers seem a more viable option.

 

[macscac]

seriously!!
i am so glad we have sit down toilets where we live..
i cannot EVER imagine having to take a dootie in a squat situation such as that
good lord, i feel for you leaford!!!

 

[Adrenalynn]

Yup, he's correct, you face the wall which also provides a balance point.

From a woman's perspective, it's not so tough. We would never let our body touch a public restroom toilet anyway, regardless of the sit-down-country. (Back me up here, girls!) And then there's porta-potty's where you try to stay at least a couple feet away anyway.

You think that's bad, try the open pit trenches in places like Nepal, parts of India, Morocco, or the worst I've found: Turkey.

 

[leaford]

What a life you must have had, Adrenalynn! Every time you post I get a bit more jealous!

 

[Sheryl]

I'm laughing so hard, I don't think I'll ever make it to bed. Good luck Leaford, hope you feel better and that you master those ? toilets.

 

[Lightgeoduck]

OMG, you're right!!!8-o8-o

You know what? This is making adult diapers seem a more viable option.

Yah know!! I tell you for a man that does it 4 times a day the diapers aren't an option either hehe...

I just time keep note of all the sit downs in the area.. and plan my day around that hehe.....

Another tip not sure about china,, but handicap WC usually have a sit down

 

[Adrenalynn]

What a life you must have had, Adrenalynn! Every time you post I get a bit more jealous!

You're supposed to pity me the potty.

This was a nice one - in fact, you're not all _that_ far away from this potty:

 

[leaford]

Yeesh! I want to be as far away from that as I can get!

SO, what IS the cantonese for "adult diaper?"

 

[nightwalker83]

Poor Leaf, get some Pepto tablets and chew them suckers down throughout the day they will help you out a lot, they always do the trick for me.

 

[Adrenalynn]

An adult diaper would be way to colloquial for me to even stand a CHANCE at translating...

I think you'd need a native speaker (and probably one old enough to need one ) to get that translated! If you find out - let me know.

 

[Mary Kay]

Hubby always tells me when I ask about traveling overseas, that I could never hack it! He's right! He has been to a lot of countries that I wouldn't want to visit and a few I would love to see..but when he describes the facilities..I balk! 8-o
Get well fast Leaf! pepto and toast!

 

[Adrenalynn]

I have a friend I hike with frequently - and she'll hold it all day on the trail, because she can't STAND the thought of making like a bear... [boggle]

[shrug] The whole biological acts thing just really doesn't concern me too much. Really unsanitary conditions do bother me. I've skipped "facilities" to use the great out-of-doors more than once. I'm [in]famous for skipping the porta-pottys at trail heads and going off-trail...

Not much possibility of that in Shenzhen though, eh, Leaford?

 

[leaford]

Nope, 'fraid not. And no Pepto either apparently. At least not in the small pharmacy by the McD's. But I got more of the Montmorillonite Powder the doctor gave me, so I think I'll double up the dose on that tomorrow. If tonight is anything to judge by, the stuff seems to really kick in after my second dose of the day. So maybe two doses first thing in the morning will put a cork in me until I can get home.