International Words for the Bathroom - Annie

When traveling abroad, I always try to learn at least a few phrases in the local language. My favorites include: hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and "please give me chocolate ice cream!" However, the most useful phrase of all is: WHERE IS THE BATHROOM? Since I began my toilet paper ambassadorship a few weeks ago, I've continued to collect different ways to ask for the bathroom in as many languages as possible. New York has a fairly diverse array of people, so it has been a really fun project… although it has been a challenge to find an appropriate way of writing it with English letters to convey the correct pronunciation, so please excuse my spelling!

Actually, in English alone, we really do have quite a few options. We can say that "nature calls" or ask to powder our nose. We can ask for the restroom, the washroom, the can, the john, the toilet, the throne, the commode, the powder room, the facilities, or the little girls' room or little boys' room. If we're British, we would ask for the water closet, the loo, or the WC. I hadn't heard of "the bog" until corresponding recently with a friend from Canada, but that's an option too. Apparently, you can also say: "I need to spend a penny!" (Assuming, of course, that the other person understands what you're talking about!)

Every language has numerous ways to ask, so my list was getting long. Just today, I realized that I might be able to find more by using the incredible tool known as the internet, and my list has suddenly expanded even further! Thank you, Wikipedia! My new favorites include the Tagalog language (from the Philippines), which calls it the "comfort room" or "the CR" and the polite Japanese way of asking, "may I wash my hands?" Other useful ones might be the Pig Latin, "Excuseay emay, erewhay isay ethay athroombay?"

Take a peek:

In Afrikaans: Waar is die toilet? or Waar is die badkamer?

In Albanian: Ku është banjo?

In Arabic: Wain al hamam? or Wein ha mam? or Ayna Al Hammam?

Egyptian Arabic: Men Fadlak, Fen El Hammam?

Moroccan Arabic: Fin el bit al ma?

In Austrian: Tschujdigung, wo isn dees Scheisheisl?

In Bengali: Bathroom Kothay?

In Bulgarian: Къде е банята? Kade e banyata?

In Catalan: On és el lavabo?

In Chinese:

Cantonese: Ching men, sei sou gan (washroom) hei been? (polite)

Chi soh (toilet) hei been? (casual)

Mandarin Chinese: Qing wen xishoujian/cesuo zai nai li? Qing wen, ce suo zai nar?

In Creole: kot twalet la ye?

In Croatian: Oprostite, gdje je kupaonica?

In Czech: Kde je záchod? or Prosim Vas, Kde jsou toalety?

In Danish - Hvor er toilettet? or Undskyld mig, hvor er badeværelset/toilettet?

In Dutch: Waar is de batkamer? or Pardon, waar is de W.C.

In Esperanto: Pardonon, kie estas la banejo?

In Estonian: Vabandage, kus on tualet?

In Fijian: Au sa via mi (i need to pee)

In Finnish: Missä on kylpyhuone(vessa)? Missä on vessa/WC

In French: Où sont les toilettes?

In Gaelic/Irish: Ca bhfuil an leithreas?

In German: Wo ist die Badezimmer? Or Wo ist die Toilette, bitte?

In Greek: Parakalo, pou ine i tualetta? or Pou einai i toualeta?

In Hebrew: Slikha, ehfo hah sherooteem?

In Hindi: Mere ko bathroom jaana hai? or Saunchalay kahan hain?

In Hmong: Honm naj nyob qhov twb os?

In Hungarian: Elnézést, hol (van) a vécé?

In Icelandic: Hvar er salernið/klósettið?

In Indonesian: Permisi, di mana kamar mandi?

In Italian: Dov'e il bagno?

In Japanese: Toire wa, doko? or more politely, Otearai wa doko desu ka? (Where can I wash my hands?)

In Korean: Hwajangsil odie issuimnika? or Huajiangsiri eodiyijjo?

In Lao: Hong nam yuu sai?

In Latin: Ubi est latrina?

In Latvian: Atvainojiet, kur ir tualete?

In Lebanese: Waynil hemehm?

In Lithuanian: Atsiprašau, kur yra tualetas?

In Malay: Tandas/bilik air kat mana?

In Malayalam: Bathroom evide ah?

In Maltese: Fejn qiegђed it-toilet?

In Mongolian: Uuchlaarai('ʊ:tʃ|ɑ:ræ )

In Nepali: Baatroom snaan kaksha kahaan cha?

In Norwegian: Hvor er toalettet? or Hvor er doen? (casual way) or Hvor er dassen? (teenage way)

In Persian: Bebakhshid, dastshoee kojast?

In Polish: Przepraszam, gdzie jest toaleta?

In Portuguese: Aonde esta o banheiro? or Faz favor, onde é o lavabo?

In Punjabi: Bathroom/Gusal Khana kithe hai?

In Romanian: Unde este toaleta, va rog?

In Russian: Gde tualet? or Skazhite pozhalusta, gde toalet?

In Samoan: E, 'O fea le faleuila?

In Senegalese: Fun moy douche bee?

In Serbian: Izvinite, gde je kupatilo?

In Setswana: Kopa toilet or toilet e kae?

In Slovak: Prosím vás, kde sú toalety?

In Spanish: Dònde està el baño?

In Sranan Tongo: Pe a wc de?

In Swahili: Choo iko wapi?

In Swedish: Var är toaletten? or Ursäkta mig, men var finns toaletterna?

In Tagalog: Pwede po bang malaman kung nasaan ang banyo? or Saan po ang baño? or Saan po ang CR? (for "comfort room")

In Tamil: Bathroom enga irukku?

In Telugu: Bathroom ekkada?

In Thai: Hong nam yu nai kha/khrab? or Hong suam yuu thi nai? or Hong nam yoo tee nai?

In Tigrinya - Sha'uq abey alo?

In Turkish : Toalet/WC nerde?

In Urdu: Bathroom kidhar hay?

In Vietnamese: Cho hoi, nha` ve^. sinh o da^u va^.y?

In Visayan/Bisaya: Asa ang banyo?

In Welsh - Pardwn ble mae`r ty bach?

In Zulu/Xhosa/Siswati: Celi itoilet? or Ikuphi itoilet?

(note the "c" is a click. sort of like the click in English when chastising, usually spelled "tsk tsk.")

These phrases should help you find a bathroom, wherever you find yourself on Earth. But of course, if you find yourself in outer space, you might need the Klingon phrase from Star Trek: nuqDaq 'oH pacha''e'?

If you have questions or comments, write to me at: annie.thegoteam@gmail.com !

International Outhouse Adventures - Annie

Anyone who has gone backpacking or spent significant time traveling in developing countries knows that going to the bathroom is often part of the adventure. While talking to one friend recently about a trip to Asia, she said that she never really feels like she has fully arrived in a new place until she has sampled a local toilet. I tend to agree -- and if you have read my previous blogs about "squatty potties" versus the complicated electronic Japanese toilets, then you are already familiar with some of the amazing global toilet diversity.

While in Tanzania climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2008, I had the joy of experiencing "long-drop toilets." Really, these aren't toilets at all, but more like a very deep pit dug into the ground. Usually, there is an outhouse-type wooden structure around the pit to provide some privacy. There is sometimes even a seat to sit on, although not always! Occasionally these long drop toilets are "squatty potty" versions of outhouses, if you can imagine such a thing. (I was always extremely careful to avoid falling in!) Fortunately, the pits are usually deep enough so that the experience inside isn't too stinky. Although, again, not always! I'm including a photo that I took of one of my favorite long drop toilets, the day before our summit day on Kilimanjaro. It's quite a scenic location for a potty!

One of my favorite international bathroom stories is an anecdote from my Canadian friend Jeremy, who just wrote to me about a toilet that he encountered while driving in a jalopy across the middle of Australia. Jeremy was traveling with two friends, and they were camping as they made their way across the continent, so they were always in search of reasonably clean facilities. On their 4th day of driving, they went swimming at a reservoir in the middle of the Outback, and were relaxing in the sun. Jeremy suddenly realized that he badly needed to go to the bathroom… so he writes:

"I located a small cinder-block building on top of a small hill, that contained a functional, if somewhat spartan bathroom. One of the many amenities that was missing was a toilet seat, and I was in a situation that normally would have required that particular piece of gear. But, needs must when the Devil drives, so I used the toilet, sans seat (chilly, and somewhat precarious), stood up, turned around, and flushed. And watched in horror as the long, green snake that was coiled around the inside of the toilet, just under the rim, was knocked out of it's perch by the flush water, and began to thrash around. To say that I experienced a "shrinking" feeling is no understatement! I beat a hasty retreat, feeling lucky that I had avoided a worse experience."

As much as I am looking forward to a trip to the southern hemisphere someday, I also have heard that Australia is home to the largest number of poisonous creatures in the world!! I will now always, always, always check under the rim when going to the bathroom in the Australian outback. Every time.

Share your favorite international toilet stories! Write to annie.thegoteam@gmail.com!

-Annie

Potty Talk & Public Health -Annie

While I love finding humorous potty signs in Singapore and interviewing pop stars from Kazakhstan about their favorite toilets, my blog about international bathrooms would absolutely be incomplete if I didn’t address some of the more serious aspects of international potty-going.

Recently, two graduate students from NYU’s program in international development came and talked to me about the over-arching importance of creating sanitary facilities around the world – as well as some of the challenges that result from the lack of clean bathrooms. Here in the United States, we may take our toilets for granted, but the lack of access to safe and clean toilets impacts more aspects of a society’s development than many people realize.

Some statistics:

* 2.5 billion people live without access to a safe and clean toilet. (This is almost two-fifths of the world’s population!)

* Diarrhea kills more children every year than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined.

* Each year, 60 million children are born into households without access to clean sanitation.

* Internationally, 11% more girls attend school when sanitation is available; although in contrast, 1 in 10 girls in Kenya drop out of school because they do not have access to bathroom facilities while attending class.

* Half of the hospital beds in developing countries are filled with people suffering from diarrhea.

The importance of creating clean water and sanitation in developing countries is enormous. Lack of clean facilities cause people to defecate in open public spaces, which results in environmental pollution and widespread diarrhea, both of which greatly inhibit sustainable economic development. In densely populated areas, people without toilets often resort to using plastic bags, and these “flying toilets” are tossed on rooftops or on the ground. For the one million residents of the largest slum in Asia (the Dharavi Slum in Mumbai), the there is an average of 1 toilet for every 1,440 people.

However, fixing the problem can be relatively inexpensive to solve, with broad social and economic benefits. According to the World Health Organization, for every $1 invested in sanitation, there is an overall economic return of $8 due to increased productivity. A $30 donation is enough to help one person gain access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education.

Increasing international awareness of the importance of improving global sanitation is crucial… but modes of raising this awareness can be fun. In Korea, the World Toilet Association has built a GIANT Toilet-Shaped House to help highlight this issue!

(Many thanks to Crossley Pinkstaff from NYU Wagner's School of Public Service and Katherine Frew of WaterAid, for their contribution to the information and statistics on international sanitation. Their sources include: WHO, UNDP, and the UK Government Department for International Development.)

For more information, or to donate, please visit Water Aid’s website: www.wateraidamerica.org!

- Annie

PS: Please continue to send your international bathroom stories and anecdotes to me at annie.thegoteam@gmail.com

Interviewing Rock Stars from Kazakhstan - Annie

Over the weekend, I was extremely lucky and totally amused to meet Mikhail, my new best friend from Kazakhstan. I was helping Antonio with some interviews for his blog, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a guy with a lone cameraman, who was lip-singing and dancing with the backdrop of the flashing lights of Times Square behind him. I thought that he might be shooting a music video, so I went over and introduced myself. I said, "Hi, I'm Annie, and I'm a Toilet Paper Ambassador. Are you famous?" Mikhail was absolutely thrilled to meet us, and said, "Why yes, I am Mikhail and I am from Shymkent. I am a rock musician, recording my music video here in New York!" I was trying to not think of the movie, Borat, but I couldn't help it.

I was really thrilled. How often in life would I get the opportunity to get paid to interview a musician

from Kazakhstan about toilets from around the world? I asked Mikhail about his favorite toilet, and he immediately told me about one in the capital city of Astana, which was imported from Japan. It had a heated seat, and buttons on the side with which you could control the temperature and pressure of the spray of water for cleaning afterward. (Sound familiar? If you have been reading my blog, you should already know all about these electronic toilets from Japan!) I'm not sure if this particular kind of fancy toilet is common in capital cities in Central Asia, or whether this is just a special toilet for politicians and rock musicians.

In any case, Mikhail then asked me and Antonio if we would dance on his music video. (I'm really not kidding.) So, we took off our overcoats to reveal our Charmin Brand Ambassador jackets and shirts and lapel pins… and we boogied down with Mikhail, right there in Times Square, as his cameraman rolled the camera. I really, really DO hope we make it onto his music video in Kazakhstan!

Check out this small segment of my interview with Mikhail… you can see that we were both very, very excited. (If you don't see the video, click the red link "Read More" to take a look!) Otherwise, please continue to send me your international bathroom anecdotes and stories. Email me at annie.thegoteam@gmail.com!

To Sit or To Squat: THAT Is The Question! -Annie

I've had some great feedback and discussion regarding my blog entry about "squatty potties" a few days ago. If you read that post, you may recall that some parts of Asia face the humorous challenge of people standing on toilet seats to go to the bathroom, since they are accustomed to squatting over toilets that are basically porcelain holes in the ground.

One friend of mine who has lived in China just sent me this photo of an actual sign on a bathroom wall in Singapore... which seems to be proof that the practice of standing on toilet seats really happens frequently enough to warrant a poster! Kind of incredible...

My question is: WHY?

Are people squatting because they prefer it? Or just because they're used to it? One friend wrote me that squatting is actually better for health, meaning it prevents the necessity of "Preparation H" later, if you know what I mean. (To that, all I can really say is: wow.)

SO... regarding the sit vs. squat dilemma, I recently learned about a new website that can actually show you where to find a decent public restroom, anywhere in the world! (For those of us who live in NYC, this is an amazing tool -- we have all experienced the drama of trying to find a good place to go!) So check out: SitorSquat.com! It's also a downloadable free application for the iPhone, which seems even more amazingly useful, when you have to go and you're on the go. But please -- like the sign says, if you choose to squat, don't squat on the pot!

Happy Thanksgiving! -Annie

Thanksgiving Day has been festive here at the Charmin Restrooms -- the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade went right past our front door all morning long! Now we have people from all over the country, and from around the world, coming in to 'Enjoy The Go' and get some relief from the chaos outside!

Opening Week With THE GO TEAM: Seeking International Bathroom Stories!! - Annie

What a fantastic opening week so far in the Charmin Restrooms!! I have literally been bouncing off the walls with excitement! For those of you who have already met me in person, you know that I'm really not exaggerating! Meeting the other members of The Go Team has been such a joy! I feel like we're already a happy little family. We're five very enthusiastic peas in a pod! They're my new best friends. We love each other. It's fabulous! It makes me want to jump high into the air!

The Charmin Restrooms themselves are also truly, truly amazing! Where else on earth can you leap into a big foam pit of toilet paper, sit on (or in) a GIANT commode and have your photo taken, write electronic graffiti on a computerized toilet stall, confess all of your bathroom habits in the "can-fessional" booth, dance the potty dance on stage with pom-poms, AND have ipods and televisions in bathrooms that are cleaned and sanitized after each and every use??! I certainly can't think of anywhere else on Earth!

When I meet and talk to people in the Charmin Restrooms, I always ask: "Where in the world is your favorite place to go to the bathroom?" So far, I've had a lot of people tell me that THESE bathrooms are their absolute favorite restrooms of all time! (How flattering!) But actually, not everyone has said so... when Elvis stopped in on opening day, I asked him where he likes to 'enjoy the go' and he replied, "well, Graceland, of course!"

So, for the next few weeks, I'm going to continue asking everyone that I meet for bathroom stories from around the world! Do you have a favorite international bathroom experience? Or a least favorite? Or a particularly memorable one? Was there ever a toilet that you just couldn't figure out? If you have traveled, then you know that finding a decent bathroom is often part of the adventure. Send your stories my way! Send photos of your favorite international toilets if you have them! You can email me at: annie.thegoteam@gmail.com.

Over the next few weeks, I'll share the stories I hear, as well as some of my own!