Toilet Rules and other Korean Facts

I keep getting asked to share with you all about daily life here in Korea. Your wish is my command so I have decided to educate you in the general rules we had to assume, guess, beg or learn by watching when we arrived. I warn you some of the things they do here are gross.

Toilet Rules

Whenever we enter a toilet I pray - Lord let there be a western toilet and not a squatty potty. For those people who have never seen a squatty i have provided you with a picture. The girls and I have been know to hold on for up to and hour rather than use one of these babies. Another thing with Korean toilets is the toilet paper rules. There is an unspoken rule in Korea that you throw toilet paper into a wastebasket next to the toilet- never flush. The whole thing seems unsanitary. I am not a follower of this rule as I just can't do it, and trust me it is not a pleasant sight when you are using the toilet. You would think in a country that have mobile phones the size of credit cards, that they could make a toilet pipes big enough to cope with toilet paper? Even toilets in our home can't cope with large amounts of paper - which is not so helpful with two little girls who like to use half a roll each trip! The plunger and the coathanger are my best friend.

Many public restrooms have an Etiquette Bell. The Etiquette Bell provides cover up noises for any sounds you may emit whilst using the toilet. So if you are in a Korean toilet and you hear birds tweeting - you know what your neighbour is up too. Once again - I am bemused, as rarely do they provide toilet paper (always carry it in your bag) and if they do it can't be flushed, but make sure no hears any sounds you may make. Practical, right?

Garbage/Rubbish/Trash Rules

Now this is complicated! You MUST put your garbage in the special bags you buy at the shop ($3 a bag) and you can only take your garbage out in this bag. Not that there is much that goes into this bag as there is a separate bag for cardborad, another one for tin, another one for plastic and then there is the food scraps. Food scraps have their own bin that is kept in your fridge (like 4L ice cream container) you fill it up, and then take it down to a massive wheely bin that is only for food. It is so gross opening the lid and emptying your food scraps - I leave that job for Paul. Your garbage can go out to the bins any time, but all the recycable must go out between 9 and 10pm on a Wednesday night. This is truly a Korean experience. It can become a social event. Everyone who lives in our building meet at the bins to sort their rubbish into correct piles. I can't help but laugh as I watch this happen - the guards get so cross when you stuff up. It didn't take me long to learn - stupid foreigner in Korean. I often wonder if anyone met their future husband or wife at the Trash Pile. I bet you are all wondering where the rubbish stored until Wednesday - and yes it is stored in your apartment till then. It is very annoying. I thought I was so clever leaving my recycable stuff in the stairwell until the Adgeshi (guards) made an announcement over the loud speaker in the apartments that this is not allowed - I am claiming that I can't speak Korean and so I don't know what he said.

Well I hope you feel educated in the finer things of life in Korea?

I couldn't leave you with horrible thoughts of toilets and garbage, so here is a shot of my two little ski bunnies and their friend Sarah - they were minutes from hitting the slopes.