Realistically idealistic daydreamer, seasoned procrastinator, atheist and monarchist with a secret agenda and a slight inclination towards voodoo practices.
Guys you know me. I am nice. I am polite. I mind my language and I have my manners.
But:
I swear, if I walk into a flooded toilet one more time, somebody will die. There was water on the WALLS!! There was water all over the toilet seat, even the toilet roll was drenched. I mean, seriously, WTF???
At work, every time I walk in the toilet I secretly hope that I am not the first one to use the toilet after a Muslim girl. When I walk into a flooded toilet I have to mop up before I could use it. I hate doing this!!
Today I was waiting for a free cubicle in the mall. I heard the flush. Then I heard the all-too-familiar sound of the water spray. I prayed that someone else will walk out first - no such luck. A girl floated out adjusting her abaya and proceeded to the sink to wash her hands. With some other ladies in line behind me I had no choice but to walk into the cubicle she had just vacated... and what do you know? It was as if monsoon just happened to pass through there. OK so you don't sit on the actual toilet seat, you prefer to crouch over it while hanging for dear life on the door handle - that's your own problem. It doesn't mean you should spray all over the seat that someone else might actually use the way it is meant to be used!!
If you think you are so damn clean that you have to have a shower in the toilet cubicle every time you pee - STAY IN YOUR DAMN HOUSE AND FLOOD YOUR OWN DAMN TOILET!
Oh wow the pains of public toilets are digusting everywhere.. but you're right. the pains in of using them in the gulf are very peculiar to the region.
Whew..and,here I was thinking that this 'phenomenon' applies only to male toilets(flooding,et al)..Ugh at the picture of the toilet roll,which looks like some dog bit into it.I wonder why someone has not invented a 'mop-up-automatically' toilet yet?(http://amitsmusings.rediffblogs.com)
LooOooo0Lz.. some1 lost it big time:-p the idea of "share" with the others stops ....here..!..never...ever..went to a public tOilets..on travels ..I manage nOt to sit:-p.. and some of Arab ladys do use the water mOre than the tOilet paper ....dont u know that..?!.. PS:stop drink coffee..:-)
I am confused. Is it technically feasible for a woman dressed in an arabic outfit to crouch on a toile seat? How can you possibly have a shower in a toilet cubical? Do toilet cubicals in the Gulf have showers?
Glad it amused you. To be honest - now it amuses me too. It didn't then. And welcome to Life in Qatar!
Sever,
You can't sit, you can't stand, your best bet is to hold!
KuE,
Hehe yeah eww is the word.
AmitL,
Welcome to Life in Qatar :^) So male toilets are no better? Tsk tsk..
13.5,
Lucky you if you can avoid doing it! Sadly I can't. If I am out of the house for more than 2 hours, I HAVE to go.
UE,
Miss you miss you miss you! And no I never wonder if it's "just" water. I know it isn't! :^(
S&D,
Haha I would love to be a believer in bladder control, but to believe and to control are two different things :P Thanks for the tips though. I will pass on learning to squat over the seat, I CAN squat I just hate it when I have to do that while pulling my pants down AND holding them up at the same time! I carry tissues, maybe I should invest in toilet seat covers too. And a bigger bag :P :P
Shlemazl,
Welcome to Life in Qatar. Loved your questions! 1. It is technically feasible for a woman in an "arabic" dress to crouch/squat over a toilet seat, BUT it is very hard not to make a mess of the toilet if you squat. 2. You can't have a shower in a toilet cubicle, obviously. 3. Toilet cubicles in the Gulf have those little shower sprays Muslim people use to wash their privates after using the toilet. They are really powerful, those sprays, and tricky to use. Many people just spray all over the place, thus giving me the reason to blog my despair!
Those little sprays are very nice. They avoid me having to wash my underwear everyday because there are shit marks all over them. Thsi way, I can change/wash my underwear every 2 or 3 days
Nice post, I hate public bathrooms, I'd die of disgust from the smell, I always tend to avoid them.. Thing is QC, the best thing is the spray, the toilet paper alone doesn’t clean, and we need to be decent when we go to a masjid or a cemetery, or when we pray which we perform 5 times a day.. So I think the spray is lovely!! And it usually can be adjusted to be not as powerful.. About the squatting, I never did it, but i do tend to try not setting on the toilet seat =P the place is yucky enough.. Good thing; I can't see ur pic, but I trust from what u wrote it's as disgusting as I think!
Imagine that! Poor paper. I hate public toilets too. However, I still have to use them, mostly at work where I get to share with at least 15 other girls. Most of who are horrible when it comes to common courtesy of cleaning after themselves in the toilet.
Anon,
Yes you do have to sit, for #2. God help you then :P
Leilouta,
Didn't know you were a reader, welcome anyhow, love your blog, and thanks for leaving a word (even if it's an EWW)!
Fo0f,
Actually, other than the flooding, they aren't that bad here. They are reasonably clean, and the smell is clinical. The spray is a good thing, of course, as long as you aim well, and wipe the seat and preferably the floor, too (cause I have to do that if they don't before I use the toilet) after you spray.
I have often wondered why they have sprayers next to the public toilets. I thought they used them to wash their feet. But then I saw a woman in an abaya washing her feet in the sink of a public washroom. If muslims must wash their feet five times a day why don't they put some kind of foot washing facility in public washrooms? Middle eastern pulic toilets are the worst I have experienced. The best are in Germany. You have to pay but its worth it.
If you had to go behind this muslim gal..no worries. I don't use water like that. Dunno what it is and I get peeved to. And yes I'll make a scene if I have to go behind someone like that.
"OH MY GOD!! Its a flood"
"Pull up your pants girls you don't need them all WET and NASTY"
"Is Noah's Ark here??"
If I describe the worst public bathroom to you that I've been in believe me that bit of water won't bother you at all.
And really you don't want to know what is mixed in the water.. my ER friend told me a story one day that would give anyone the chills.
I never saw anything like that. All public toilets here (save perhaps hotels) have a special place to wash for the prayer.
Nzingha,
I have no doubt! Never had a problem with a Western Muslim women - they all seem to be exceptionally considerate to others when it comes to the ladies rooms.
And no please don't enlighten us regarding the contents of that water.
Lol. You know I had the same problem at a previous job. Our building was a no-smoking area and the smokers would use the bathroom to smoke and when they would finish, they'd take the little hose thingy and just open it in midair to get rid of the smoke. Eventually the constant flooding cause a leak in the bathroom floor which in turn flooded the office downstairs. While I agree that using water to 'wash up' is definetly more clean than using toilet paper, I hate how people misuse this privelege and fucking make a mess out of everything.
You can use water and still be considerate to those who use the toilet after you. It's possible. Nice remedy to bathroom smoke, by the way! Hehe
Warda,
Using your hand to open the door to the public toilet is thousand times worse than sitting on the toilet seat. And no, not "all" women "float" or hover over the seat. Besides, there were never any reports of any diseases spread by sitting on the toilet seat. There are, however, concerns that "floating" over the seat instead of sitting causes an incomplete withdrawal of urine, thus increasing the risk of UTI.
Ugh now that seriously is disgusting. And here i was thinking the men's bathrooms were getting out of hand. U gotta feel sorry for the workers commissioned to clean that mess up everyday.
You made me laugh hard! Well I don't think it is a Qatari thing or Arab or Muslim thing.. I mean I was in Marbella this year,, I mean Marbella where the Bling Bling and $$$ wander around stylistically, and I've found an OPEN pad on the floor in the bathroom in one of the most pretigous shopping malls, I was about to throw up.. I think people should be civil enough to think about who is using the bathroom next, as for water, using toilet paper while outside won't harm your holy and precious privates!! one doesn't have to use water and splash the "PUBLIC" bathroom! I like the picture QC Very talented indeed ;) Meow
I think the worst public toilets (from a woman's perspective) are in NYC. I mean no one actually sits on one...so you learn to hover over it, and learn you must since the person before you has and has sprinkled all over the seat.
I would perfer a flood of clean water myself.
The NY State health dept needs to mandate paper toilet covers like they have in Calif, which boasts very clean toilets...and unlike in Germany, they are free!
You can do whatever you like, as long as you stick to male toilets I have no issues with you :P :P
Mystique,
Thanks girl! I also say stick to toilet paper outside and be CIVILIZED.
Sunrunner,
Flood of clean water? Oh no it's not clean... And Doha is no NYC, everyone is within 15 minutes of home/work, so public toilets are never crowded and therefore should be kept reasonably clean.
First, I guess you need to be a little more polite and more respectful to the tradition and the culture of the country you are living in. Otherwise, you should go back to your own country and enjoy the very "healthy" public toilets.
Second, you need to differentiate between girls and women who misuse the public toilets or use extra water for cleansing and the idea of the Islamic purification using water.
First I guess you need to grow up a little and get a name otherwise nobody will ever take you seriously. Or you should go back to the anonymous kindergarten you crawled out of and enjoy it there.
Second, you need to differentiate between people who think about religious traditions when using public toilets, and those who just want to, ehm, use the toilet.
Ok sweetie?
And as for "going back to my own country" - I think I'll leave that decision to myself.
Iḿ a muslim girl, not born that way though. Was just like you guys except i dont believe what you believe, but anyways, i have to say yes this is quite funny, however. Lets look at this in a scientific perspective. For all of you chicks out there who have BV, did you know that it is caused by lack of hygene, excuse the friggen spelling. Even the americans figured out that dry toilet paper isnt quite enough anymore and have invented something called feminine wipes. So what does that tell ya'. Ur friggen cunt aint as clean as you think it is, surprise surprise. Just get with da water before somethin you dont want gets with you..ahaha
Oh wow
the pains of public toilets are digusting everywhere..
but you're right. the pains in of using them in the gulf are very peculiar to the region.
man.. nasty memories.