Babies, Butts, and Bathrooms

If you come to China, you'll see, taste, smell, and feel things you've never imagined existed. Seriously. The topic we'll dive into (hopefully not literally) today: babies, butts, and bathrooms.

I'm not a huge sanitary snob; however, I have to admit that Chinese toilets, bathrooms, and waste sanitation in general has some serious room for improvement. From the country outhouses to the city's public restrooms, there needs to be some serious public health movements. First of all the infastructure could use a serious makeover, replacing the holes in the floor (which you can see straight into the piles of "you know what") with toilets and installing some soap and sinks into public facilities. Secondly, people, and men in particular, have no problem just turning their back and letting loose in the middle of the street. There's just no restraint, as though, if the urge comes, no matter where you are, just do it! An absolute mindset of "why wouldn't I just go?" So I'm not sure if I'm struggling with a personal preference of human cleanliness or if this is an actual public health problem, from education and all that jazz (don't get my sister talking ><), but I'm just recording observations.

However, all of us over here have a theory as to why this trend exists, and the answer is simple: development. Babies. Everybody loves babies, and if you asked anybody, Asian babies are pretty cute (you can't deny that). But take a closer look and every child is equipped and armed with a pair of pants or shorts with a healthy sized slit near and around the crotch area. This hole is a very functional part of the clothing and has entirely replaced the need for diapers. Children, when they need to "go", just walk down to the curb, squat (which I'll describe in a second), and let it flow or fall, seriously! In public, no privacy, and no one drops any J's (judges). It's a phenomenal thing, and this squatting takes "pop a squat" to a whole new level. First of all, Heels are on the ground, butt is literally inches off the ground, hands are free to do whatever needs to be done. And the troubling matter is that they think it's comfortable! I challenge you to squat (keep you clothes on) and just see what happens. Later in life, this position serves to not only relieve oneself in the "squatty podies" but also to comfortably sit whether it's waiting for the bus or just hanging out in a park. It's seriously a skill and can be a workout for those unfamiliar with its deceptive nature.

In the end, I've accepted and appreciated the trend of babies' butts and bathrooms, but personally, if I had a child with slit pants, I would not put them on my neck....just saying.