Number 1 or Number 2 ??

Our med school is housed in a spanking new building that opened just last year (which conveniently coincided with my first year here). We've got spacious, well-lit, high-tech, and "clean" looking classrooms; nicely stocked mock wards; an ever growing library; an overpriced cafeteria; and always fresh smelling yet interesting bathrooms. Check out the toilet below..


It's got 2 buttons above it and I suspect it's for either a BIG flush or a little flush, to accompany your #2 or your #1. I've never experimented to see if there is indeed a difference in flush force, but it does remind me of this one time when I was in China (no not band camp)..

We were walking the streets of Taiyuan and I had to "go". So my colleague (Ginger), who graciously helped me adjust to Chinese culture, brought me to a public toilet, which in China are just randomly placed huts on the sidewalks. They vary in size, shape, smell, cleanliness, lighting, features, and what not, but one thing they all have in common, is the man (or woman) sitting up front that collects your money for use of the facility.

I didn't speak much Mandarin at the time so when Ginger brought me to use the washroom, she asked the man up front which stall is for men and which is for women. He gave her a reply, but apparently didn't answer her question because she was stumped and just stood there staring at me with a puzzled smirk on her face.

Slightly embarrassed, she confesses: "I don't know how to translate what he just said"

So I turn to the elderly gentleman and ask: "What's up?"

And in a sharp and punctuated voice, he replies: "Da bian, Xiao bian ah??"
(translated to English literally means "Large convenience or Small convenience?")

..and it sounds close enough to the Cantonese pronunciation that I understood what he was yelling at me.

I'm not sure if he charged different prices for #1 or #2, or if it was to determine which stall I used, but the poor guy... imagine having to spend all day asking people, "Are you poo-en or peein'??"!

(Yes, I did bring a camera into the men's room to take the pic above =+)

test post..

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