Great article, Kimberly! Many of these things I can relate to here in Mexico: no flushing toilet paper in older places, no screens on windows (including flies and the dog eatings thereof 😂), small kitchen sinks - ugh, I’m constantly doing dishes!
As for the differences in general: “You don’t get into a rut and you rarely go on auto-pilot” - yes! 💯
Awwww thank you Mike! Your comments are always appreciated and I love hearing the similarities and differences between here or the US and Mexico too! I almost ended up there instead of here and know so many people go there. It has such a rich culture!!
Thank you so much Maria!!! You just reminded me that there is more to say about keys!!! I will add it to a future installment. I appreciate your comment :)
I agree with Mike - the not going on "auto pilot" is SUCH a great point and definitely keeps one in the present moment. And oh man - the TP dilemma! That was a new one for me here in SE Asia, especially going into a public restroom where they simply do not provide it because no one here uses it. I now keep a roll of TP with me at all times for just such instances. I'm still not clear on how exactly Khmer people "dry" after using a bum gun without TP but I'm also not gonna ask as I'm not sure I wanna know, and I think it might be embarrassing for us both!
Hi Bestie <3 Ohhhhh it's the same in China about the TP. I didn't know it was that way in Cambodia too!
Before I went to China I was told to bring as many packets of travel kleenex as possible and to always carry one into the bathroom. I learned that it's just too expensive for some places to use TP. It's considered a luxury item and I suppose after never using it, you get used to that too. The other thing I found strange in China, not sure if it's this way in Cambodia too, is that there was no soap in any of the public restrooms. Including in the hospitals where the doctors washed their hands. One time I asked someone how they cleaned their hands. A friend punched me in the arm and told me I was being rude (we're no longer friends LOL), but I was genuinely curious. The Chinese woman I asked told me they rub their hands together vigorously under the water to clean them instead of using soap. I don't think that actually works for resistant germs but...
As for the dry bums, clothing fixes that. 😓 I do wonder though if it's more cost effective to wash your clothing more often or to use TP. Although underwear, TP or not, is not worn past a day by most people either way.
The other thing I have to say about this and yes you know me, TMI, is that there's a reusable pee cloth that vanlifers use regularly called the Kula Cloth (https://kulacloth.com/). So maybe in some cultures, they use a reusable cloth too? For #1 obv and not #2. Or maybe for both and they wash it (without soap)?
I think I may ask ChatGPT for the answers now because you bring up a good point, as always!
Fascinating and gross - HA! I think I will try to avoid non-hand washing Chinese hospitals if I ever visit then...although, Chinese medicine is amazing so maybe they don't need soap? And hey, the Kula Cloth and simply "air drying" after a bum gun may sound a bit odd to most westerners with our use of luxury TP (and it really is a luxury when you think about it) but that definitely seems like it would be better for the planet - a lot less waste (some pun intended)!
Wow, very detailed. I’ve see the light switches on the outside in old houses and always wondered.
Where I live in Alberta, Canada, we have so many flies and hornets and bugs. Without screens, we would have all of those in the house. Except of course in winter!
Light switches on the outside are just so counter-intuitive!
And I didn’t know about the hornets, and other bugs in Alberta. It definitely depends on weather and area. Having a dog shaped fly catcher definitely helps but not with hornets! Yikes!
While I'm happy to hear it's not just me, I'm also empathetic that it also happens to you. I feel like this is a true reason for to wear, a (plastic perhaps) dishwashing apron!!! hahaha!
I love this article and I’m looking forward to the rest in the series!
I’m currently living in Greece where I’m the caregiver to my elderly dad (I’m Canadian and my parents are of Greek origin 😀) and having lived in Canada and Switzerland before where you can flush, Greece is the exact opposite - every bathroom has a small bin where you throw all the TP you use and at first, I couldn’t get used to it again 🙃
I see a lot of similarities between Portugal and Greece 😊
Hi, thank you so much for commenting! I was in Greece in May and wrote 3 articles about my experiences, if you're interested--though perhaps not as you're living it!
But YES! You can't flush any toilet paper there it seems! Once you get used to it (it's just re-training an old habit), you'll find yourself doing it when you don't have to, like perhaps back in Canada!
I agree that there are a lot of similarities between Portugal and Greece, however (and this is a controversial topic that I've written several articles about but never published any of them), the men in Greece are the nicest of anywhere I've personally been in the world. I've never had men motion for me to enter an elevator first, motion for me to walk ahead of them on the sidewalk, etc. Here, they physically push women out of the way. I have a disabled friend and a man physically pushed her instead of walking around her on the sidewalk and she almost fell. He didn't even look back. That's very common here. The women in Greece are also super nice and that's the same in Portugal. There's a Greek guy on Instagram who does comedy sketches and my favorite was one where a neighbor or friend came over and he was trying to give the friend everything, including the literal shirt off his back. I LOVE GREECE!
I'm so sorry you're not there under good circumstances though :(
I hope you have a good weekend too, thank you again for your comment!!
Oh super - I’m going to read the articles about your Greek experience 😊
Oh wow I didn’t know that about Portugal - being pushed out of the way if you’re a woman. I guess all places have their own drawbacks.
Here for example, people comment on your weight as soon as they see you and I find it frustrating. “You are so thin, why are you so thin; omg you’ve gained a lot of weight, how much have you gained?” I guess it’s showing interest but I still find it quite hard to get around. Then they proceed to ask if you’ve married, how many kids, why you don’t have kids…
What I do like though is that if something happens, everyone gets out of their way to help. In Switzerland where I lived for 15 years, I fainted in the street once and no one came to see how I was. I just came round and got up by myself. I could hear people around me but nothing else.
Whoa!! That’s crazy about Switzerland!!! No one came to help when you fainted!!! That’s worse than the US and terrifying! I went to a comedy show the other night here where a South African comedienne was saying “nothing bad ever happens in Switzerland” in the way that you can leave your phone unattended and it’s still there when you return but apparently you can’t faint!!! Yikes! Thank you so much for sharing that!
But yes, absolutely, every country, region and even town or city has pluses and minuses.
I also didn’t know the Greeks are so invasive with their questioning! That would drive me bonkers. Mind your own freaking business people! Hahahaha. The too fat, too thin is similar in the Jewish culture (my culture) as is judging you (or just asking you) about being married with kids.
But maybe it’s because that’s all they can think of to ask? In the US and Canada, most women are no longer stay at home moms but it’s still that way in a lot of the world. And our merit is still based on having a “man” (don’t get me started) and children.
I love hearing other experiences about other places around the globe! Thank you again for sharing :)
And I looooved living in Switzerland! It’s a great country and really nothing ever happens 😉The crime rate is super low, it’s safe and clean, you can live a decent life there. But people mind their own business generally.
I’d love to try another country - who knows, some day!
That's wonderful to hear! I haven't even visited Switzerland... yet :)
And I agree that living in other countries is amazing, or being a slowmad (slow moving digital nomad) and spending several months or longer in different countries. However, I've noticed how much of a community (for the first time in my life) I've built here in Portugal and can't see that happening in shorter bursts.
I'm sure you'll get to live in another country if you want to!!!
Great article, Kimberly! Many of these things I can relate to here in Mexico: no flushing toilet paper in older places, no screens on windows (including flies and the dog eatings thereof 😂), small kitchen sinks - ugh, I’m constantly doing dishes!
As for the differences in general: “You don’t get into a rut and you rarely go on auto-pilot” - yes! 💯
Awwww thank you Mike! Your comments are always appreciated and I love hearing the similarities and differences between here or the US and Mexico too! I almost ended up there instead of here and know so many people go there. It has such a rich culture!!
The doors, keys, towel warmers being to high, so many more that made me laugh and nod in agreement. Thanks!
Thank you so much Maria!!! You just reminded me that there is more to say about keys!!! I will add it to a future installment. I appreciate your comment :)
I agree with Mike - the not going on "auto pilot" is SUCH a great point and definitely keeps one in the present moment. And oh man - the TP dilemma! That was a new one for me here in SE Asia, especially going into a public restroom where they simply do not provide it because no one here uses it. I now keep a roll of TP with me at all times for just such instances. I'm still not clear on how exactly Khmer people "dry" after using a bum gun without TP but I'm also not gonna ask as I'm not sure I wanna know, and I think it might be embarrassing for us both!
Hi Bestie <3 Ohhhhh it's the same in China about the TP. I didn't know it was that way in Cambodia too!
Before I went to China I was told to bring as many packets of travel kleenex as possible and to always carry one into the bathroom. I learned that it's just too expensive for some places to use TP. It's considered a luxury item and I suppose after never using it, you get used to that too. The other thing I found strange in China, not sure if it's this way in Cambodia too, is that there was no soap in any of the public restrooms. Including in the hospitals where the doctors washed their hands. One time I asked someone how they cleaned their hands. A friend punched me in the arm and told me I was being rude (we're no longer friends LOL), but I was genuinely curious. The Chinese woman I asked told me they rub their hands together vigorously under the water to clean them instead of using soap. I don't think that actually works for resistant germs but...
As for the dry bums, clothing fixes that. 😓 I do wonder though if it's more cost effective to wash your clothing more often or to use TP. Although underwear, TP or not, is not worn past a day by most people either way.
The other thing I have to say about this and yes you know me, TMI, is that there's a reusable pee cloth that vanlifers use regularly called the Kula Cloth (https://kulacloth.com/). So maybe in some cultures, they use a reusable cloth too? For #1 obv and not #2. Or maybe for both and they wash it (without soap)?
I think I may ask ChatGPT for the answers now because you bring up a good point, as always!
HUGS!
Fascinating and gross - HA! I think I will try to avoid non-hand washing Chinese hospitals if I ever visit then...although, Chinese medicine is amazing so maybe they don't need soap? And hey, the Kula Cloth and simply "air drying" after a bum gun may sound a bit odd to most westerners with our use of luxury TP (and it really is a luxury when you think about it) but that definitely seems like it would be better for the planet - a lot less waste (some pun intended)!
All great points anddddd.... it's also a luxury (and wasteful) to use water in toilets!!! But... (LOL)
Informative
Thank you so much!!!
You're welcome always God bless you and your family forever
Wow, very detailed. I’ve see the light switches on the outside in old houses and always wondered.
Where I live in Alberta, Canada, we have so many flies and hornets and bugs. Without screens, we would have all of those in the house. Except of course in winter!
Thank you so much!
Light switches on the outside are just so counter-intuitive!
And I didn’t know about the hornets, and other bugs in Alberta. It definitely depends on weather and area. Having a dog shaped fly catcher definitely helps but not with hornets! Yikes!
The number of times I’ve gotten my counter and my shirt soaked from my little sink is absurd. When will I learn?! 😂
While I'm happy to hear it's not just me, I'm also empathetic that it also happens to you. I feel like this is a true reason for to wear, a (plastic perhaps) dishwashing apron!!! hahaha!
Fun to read about your experiences. I’m in Mexico, land of no flush the tp and few window screens. 😂
Ahhhhh, good to know we're in the same "boat" ;) All worth it though! Yes?
Absolutely!
I love this article and I’m looking forward to the rest in the series!
I’m currently living in Greece where I’m the caregiver to my elderly dad (I’m Canadian and my parents are of Greek origin 😀) and having lived in Canada and Switzerland before where you can flush, Greece is the exact opposite - every bathroom has a small bin where you throw all the TP you use and at first, I couldn’t get used to it again 🙃
I see a lot of similarities between Portugal and Greece 😊
Have a great weekend!
Hi, thank you so much for commenting! I was in Greece in May and wrote 3 articles about my experiences, if you're interested--though perhaps not as you're living it!
But YES! You can't flush any toilet paper there it seems! Once you get used to it (it's just re-training an old habit), you'll find yourself doing it when you don't have to, like perhaps back in Canada!
I agree that there are a lot of similarities between Portugal and Greece, however (and this is a controversial topic that I've written several articles about but never published any of them), the men in Greece are the nicest of anywhere I've personally been in the world. I've never had men motion for me to enter an elevator first, motion for me to walk ahead of them on the sidewalk, etc. Here, they physically push women out of the way. I have a disabled friend and a man physically pushed her instead of walking around her on the sidewalk and she almost fell. He didn't even look back. That's very common here. The women in Greece are also super nice and that's the same in Portugal. There's a Greek guy on Instagram who does comedy sketches and my favorite was one where a neighbor or friend came over and he was trying to give the friend everything, including the literal shirt off his back. I LOVE GREECE!
I'm so sorry you're not there under good circumstances though :(
I hope you have a good weekend too, thank you again for your comment!!
Hi Kimberly!
Oh super - I’m going to read the articles about your Greek experience 😊
Oh wow I didn’t know that about Portugal - being pushed out of the way if you’re a woman. I guess all places have their own drawbacks.
Here for example, people comment on your weight as soon as they see you and I find it frustrating. “You are so thin, why are you so thin; omg you’ve gained a lot of weight, how much have you gained?” I guess it’s showing interest but I still find it quite hard to get around. Then they proceed to ask if you’ve married, how many kids, why you don’t have kids…
What I do like though is that if something happens, everyone gets out of their way to help. In Switzerland where I lived for 15 years, I fainted in the street once and no one came to see how I was. I just came round and got up by myself. I could hear people around me but nothing else.
Oh well! Different places, different things 😊
Vicky :)
Whoa!! That’s crazy about Switzerland!!! No one came to help when you fainted!!! That’s worse than the US and terrifying! I went to a comedy show the other night here where a South African comedienne was saying “nothing bad ever happens in Switzerland” in the way that you can leave your phone unattended and it’s still there when you return but apparently you can’t faint!!! Yikes! Thank you so much for sharing that!
But yes, absolutely, every country, region and even town or city has pluses and minuses.
I also didn’t know the Greeks are so invasive with their questioning! That would drive me bonkers. Mind your own freaking business people! Hahahaha. The too fat, too thin is similar in the Jewish culture (my culture) as is judging you (or just asking you) about being married with kids.
But maybe it’s because that’s all they can think of to ask? In the US and Canada, most women are no longer stay at home moms but it’s still that way in a lot of the world. And our merit is still based on having a “man” (don’t get me started) and children.
I love hearing other experiences about other places around the globe! Thank you again for sharing :)
And I looooved living in Switzerland! It’s a great country and really nothing ever happens 😉The crime rate is super low, it’s safe and clean, you can live a decent life there. But people mind their own business generally.
I’d love to try another country - who knows, some day!
That's wonderful to hear! I haven't even visited Switzerland... yet :)
And I agree that living in other countries is amazing, or being a slowmad (slow moving digital nomad) and spending several months or longer in different countries. However, I've noticed how much of a community (for the first time in my life) I've built here in Portugal and can't see that happening in shorter bursts.
I'm sure you'll get to live in another country if you want to!!!
Oh wow! I’d never heard of the term ‘slowmad’ before 😊You’re right about the community building for a longer time.
heh, yeah slowmading! I'm not sure what the opposite would be though, fastmad? Building community is awesome :)