Travel, like homestay, gives us perspective on all kinds of things. It also reminds us what we can’t take for granted…
Did you know? Canada is one of the few countries in the world—along with the US, Australia, the UK, parts of Northern Europe, New Zealand, Japan, and Tanzania—where everyone flushes toilet paper.
Residents all over the world throw their used toilet paper in the rubbish bin due to the diameter of their sewage pipes, which is too small to handle anything other than human waste. This was certainly true in Greece, where on a recent holiday, it took me several days of concerted effort to stop myself from dropping the paper in the toilet.
Even the use of toilet paper isn’t universal: In many places like Southeast Asia, India, Japan, and parts of Southern Europe, people use water to clean themselves instead of toilet paper. They may use bidets, or they may rinse with a bowl or cup of water or their hand.
Teaching your students to flush the toilet paper may take some explaining and a lot of reminding. In the meantime, make sure there’s a covered wastebasket near the toilet in case they revert to an old habit.
Another habit of many students is to squat on the toilet, rather than sitting. Squat toilets are common in many Asian countries including South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. However, sitting toilets are gradually becoming the norm in major urban areas in several of these countries, as well as places like Russia and Japan, where the sitting toilet is starting to be seen as more modern.
Some students will squat on their host’s toilet seat, which can loosen the seat and, over time, cause irreparable damage—and if they are wearing shoes at the time, it’s unhygienic. Nevertheless, most students who are used to squat toilets will adapt to a sitting toilet. It can help to reassure students that the seat is cleaned regularly. Keeping a small step stool near the toilet for their feet to rest on while sitting can also ease the transition, as it facilitates a more familiar squatting position.
Just remember: your norm is actually not the norm!