Our New Bathroom

Our old bathroom we thought was small and cramped and we dreamed of putting in a Japanese soaking tub. Now we have a new perspective. What looks like a Meulaboh soaking tub is actually call the mandi and serves as a water reservoir as well as a mosquito motel. Every 2 weeks the mandi water has to be replaced before the mosquito larvae hatch. Our bedroom has its own attached bathroom which is nice. The door to the bathroom is a solid wood door and they nailed a sheet of metal to the bathroom side to help protect it from splashing water. They floor and walls are tiled and there is a 4 inch ledge where the door opens to keep the water in. They toilet is the common Indonesian style that we call a “squatty potty.” The toilet has 2 wavy foot beds on either side, and you learn quick how to balance. Flushing is also a new experience. That is where the mandi comes in. Every bathroom has a plastic handled scooper which you fill and pour into the toilet for your manual flush. One becomes quite familiar with what foods make what colors on the other side.

Let me take this opportunity to elaborate on a large cultural faux pas. In native Indonesia culture one should NEVER waive, shake hands, handle or pass money or food with ones left hand. I’m sure some of you have already guessed, but that is what the Xpats call going native. In the traditional culture the left hand is reserved for cleaning yourself after passing your stool. Therefore is it considered categorically unclean and not used for anything else, except clapping.

Traditionally there is no central water heater. In fact, the locals do not use a water heater for bathing. Most houses have a large water tank that is perched on the roof and gets plenty of sun during the day and so evening showers can be quite refreshing. The water heater in our bathroom is an inline heater and can only heat a little amount of water at a time. This means that you have to turn it on 15 minutes before you want to shower so it can heat up. Then you get wet, turn it off, wash and turn it back on to rinse. This really isn’t a problem since you don’t need the water for warmth when the room is 80-90 degrees.