Tales from the Toilet

Before traveling to a foreign country, you typically prepare yourself by learning about the culture, food, etc. It did not occur to me, however, to research bathroom habits. Many of the bathrooms in Vietnam have toilet paper placed outside of the bathroom stall, which is a fun thing to discover too late. Taylor Swift's song "Shake It Off" has new meaning for me. Ask me how many times I forgot to get toilet paper before going into the stall. Every freaking time!!!

Sometimes there were labels on the back of the door showing you how to use the toilet (see above). It also advised you not to wash your feet in the toilet—I have no explanation…. Sometimes there was not a toilet but a porcelain hole in the ground with a bucket of water beside it which was supposed to be used as flushing liquid. I have never wanted to be a boy in my life, but in this instance it would have been much more convenient.