They say it is SO easy...but it's not. Believe Me.

I was once told that the term Turkish toilet is not politically correct.  So I tried squat toilet.  Nope, didn't work either.  I found out that eastern style toilet is the most appropriate way to say it.  Well, whether you call it Turkish, squat, or eastern, they are a lot of work and very messy.

It has been almost a year since I moved here. I love so many things about Georgia, but their non-western toilets don't rank high on my list (see original post about my toileting issues). I thought by now I would have built strong thigh muscles, been able to pee anywhere, and most importantly, not get soaked in the process. When I walk into a bathroom dry and come out with a wet pant leg, everyone can see through my cool demeanor.  Now that it is shorts season, it's just bad news all around.

In October, I was close to purchasing the Go-Girl because I couldn't stand the pressure of having to pee standing up/squatting. However, I would like to alter their motto a bit from: Because life's greatest adventure shouldn't be finding a bathroom. To: Because life's greatest adventure shouldn't be finding a bathroom where you can pee worry-free. Alas, I didn't order it because at the time I couldn't figure out how to get anything shipped here.

I have managed to mostly avoid the Turkish toilets, and my skill level has increased a bit. There was one time I came out dry. Yes, one time.

I guess I have to stick to showcasing my strengths. Sadly, peeing in a squat toilet is not one of them.

Pullin' the Old Switcharoo

Since I live in a country where most people don't speak English and my level of Georgian is stuck at the taxi cab level, I consistently frequent stores where I have found at least a small level of success. This is especially true when I am not in the mood for a game of charades (you should have seen the hand motions when I tried to buy condoms!).  

The problem is...many stores are here today, gone tomorrow. One day you go into a store and have a wonderful experience, purchasing everything you need with ease. Two days later you go back to the same store because you knew you should have bought the dandruff shampoo when you were there two days ago, but you didn't feel like lugging it home. You round the corner and low and behold- the store is boarded up and empty. Sometimes the signs are torn down, but many times they stay up for awhile.

Here in Georgia, bank loans are hard to come by. If you are able to get a loan, it is at a very high interest rate (not sure exactly what it is for businesses, but for homes it is about 18%). So many people save their money, borrow what they can, and open their dream shop. They stay open as long as they can with the savings they have. There is no wiggle room. No one is floating them for a few months. They can't afford to lose money and can't afford to borrow from a bank, so they close if they are not breaking even or making a profit.

This is used to be our favorite shawarma place.
Now it sells hot dogs and other meats.

Now the good news in all of this is that, if you're lucky, a pretty decent pizza joint might open directly across the street from your house. Hopefully it will be here at least another month.