Very short but important: Toilets in Russia are differnt:
1st case: If they look horrible, they are mainly ok.
2nd case: If they look normal and nice, they are not.
I just experienced the 2nd kind yesterday night, when we were going to this club Грибоедоф (Griboedov). Before we went to the club, we had some food in a small bar close to the club and as I really had to pee, I went to the restroom there. When I entered the really small “restroom”, that was actually quiet nice (it seemed to be clean and ok), I didn’t expect anything special. Actually, I was even surprised that it was that nice looking. The minute I sat on the toilet seat, the whole toilet started to move and it seemed like it would “fall on me” any moment. I instantly left the room and for the future I know that I have to expect cultural differences anywhere.
6 responses so far ↓
issi // October 1, 2008 at 9:30 am
o.O
Britni // October 1, 2008 at 4:54 pm
haha sounds like you are having some fun adventures! miss you!
andrea, die nervende mitbewohnerin :) // October 1, 2008 at 9:18 pm
apropos mysterium um damentoiletten:
ist euch aufgefallen, dass die russinnen mit beiden füßen auf der klobrille stehend, so quasi über der schüssel hockend pinkeln?
aber das pikante detail dabei kommt erst noch: es gibt hier an weiblichen füßen keine absätze unter 5 cm. und auch die klobrillen sind nicht gerade rutschfest…
woher ich um diese gewohnheit weiß?
A: man achte auf folgendes schild: frau, mit beiden füßen auf brille stehend, durchgestrichen (= typ stehpinkler)
B: durch unbeabsichtigtes reinplatzen in be”setzte” kabinen.
C: detektivische aufmerksamkeit gegen diese winzigkleinen pfennigabsatz-abdrücke auf der brille
nun, ich weiß ja nicht wies euch geht, aber ich bevorzuge ja die skifahrerposition…
interessant aber doch, oder? vielleicht sollte man darüber mal eine doktorarbeit schreiben??
“die materialisierung kultureller unterschiede anhand der pinkelkultur – eine feldstudie”
oder einfach nur ” akrobatik – ein übungsbuch für zuhause und anderswo”…
carianna // October 2, 2008 at 7:48 am
very nice to share this “impression” with us.
For the English-Speaking world, this is really a comment, that should be “somehow” translated (i hope not to miss anything too important):
Andrea, our roommate says that there are also a lot of Russian (women) who pee while cowering on the toilet seat – which is remarkable as women s shoes over here usually have at least a heel of 5 cm.
How does Andrea know about this habit?
A: There is a sign, that tells women not cower on the toilet seat.
B: Sometimes toilet booths are not locked and therefore it might just happen that you “interrupt” some women while cowering on the toilet seat.
C: Signs of high-heel-shoeprints on the toilet seat.
A somewho free-translation that is missing out on a lot of the German “ambiguity” and wit but hopefully better than nothing.
sofie // October 3, 2008 at 8:31 am
oh my god… but i really think i have to try that way as well at least once…
Paaaarty! « Carianna’s Weblog // October 9, 2008 at 5:28 pm
[...] We were a cool bunch of people celebrating Maria’s birthday. Maria, Julia and the two of us from Austria, Marina and Mischa from St. Petersburg and Sara, Iva, Merle, Joanna, Hilmar and Daniel, who are from Germany. We were invited for dinner. It was delicious. We just looooooveeee curry. Yummy! We had a lot of fun. We were really curious about seeing their appartment and it is very nice indeed. It is interesting to see how exchange students live here in St. Petersburg if they don’t stay in a dorm. What a luxurious bathroom they have – with a state-of-the-art toilet! [...]