How to Pee in Korea

Looks comfortable, right? Sorry for the recycled material but this is an in-depth toilet article so give me a break. I'm even degrading myself for you, in the above photo!

My running joke about toilets in Korea is, "why do you need toilet paper when you can spend the whole day drip-drying to the sound of chirping birds?" Courtesy bells are popular here.

Peeing into a squat toilet is great fun. Cheap restaurants and bars practically never have in-house washrooms. You're handed a key, and given directions to a bathroom shared by more than one business. Cleanliness is always... questionable.

There's rarely soap and if there is toilet paper, don't assume it's in the stall. A dispenser may be located in the hallway or beside the sinks. You take what you need before entering the john.

At a coffee shop the other day, the server behind the counter handed me a key and asked if I needed toilet paper. I'm a girl, of course I do. She held out a roll and let me unroll some, in front of the other patrons.

Carry a packet of Kleenex to avoid that embarrassment!

Squat toilets don't always flush. You may have to do it manually by pouring a bucket of water down the hole. And the trash bin at the bottom right is for toilet paper. There's an unspoken rule in Korea that you don't flush. Wipe and toss it into the garbage. It isn't the most hygienic practice.

The pinnacle of my toilet-shock in Korea was at Tae Hun's house on New Years. He has an outhouse in the yard for "serious business" but his family pees into what looks like a shower drain hole, in the middle of the bathroom floor. The hole is minuscule, and there's a bucket to fill with water and pour onto the floor, afterwards.

Do you have a fun toilet story? Let's hear it!