Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Little Difference #2

The Toilet is in a Separate Room

Most houses and apartments in Australia have the toilet in a separate room from the bathtub/shower and sink (some bathrooms even have a tub AND a stand-up shower!). I'd like to say it's not very common for the toilet to be in the same room as everything else but there's of course exceptions (Glen's brother's apartment is one exception). At home the opposite is true even though more new homes are building "powder rooms" there will usually be another full bathroom somewhere else in the house.

It takes a bit of getting used to not being able to complete 100% of your bathroom needs in one room. Going to a different room to wash my hands just seems weird.


Here is a picture of our toilet room and the bathroom right beside.

Another thing that is taking me a while to get used to is the fact that this little room is literally called "the toilet" and people talk of "having to go to the toilet". Glen thinks I'm crazy but I find all this talk of the toilet (and having to use it) a little rude and maybe a bit too direct. We were taught that we were to ask for "the washroom/restroom" in formal/public situations and the term "the bathroom" was used in less formal occasions. My mum denies this but I distinctly remember her talking to me before I went to school about making sure I asked for the "washroom" and not the "bathroom".

I don't know if I'm 100% sold on the whole idea of the toilet being in a separate room... I can see having a separate toilet room if you already have a full bathroom (toilet included) OR having a toilet room with a sink would also be not too bad. And because I'm having troubles with this whole calling that room the toilet, I've been calling it the "toilet room" which cracks Glen up (calling it the washroom/restroom just gets you strange looks).


Temperature: +13C
Sunrise: 7:27am
Sunset: 5:09pm

2 comments:

toni in florida said...

I understand the utility (pun intended) of not having the entire personal hygiene area in one room, so more than one person can use the different parts at the same time, while maintaining privacy. But the idea of no sink in the toilet room? That's just not cool. Of course, folks today are much more conscious of the "wash your hands after you use the toilet" than they were years ago, so maybe your house's arrangement is an echo of that? Guess you'll be buying some wet wipes for the loo, yes?

Megan said...

I can see how beneficial it is but without the sink, it makes it kind of pointless! (not to mention if you flush while someone is in the shower they get a hot/cold surprise!).
I didn't think of the wet wipes thing! I guess the big thing is just not to get distracted before making it into the bathroom to wash your hands!