Bathrooms / Lavatories

Thank you South Korea.  You have very nice public lavatories everywhere.  Everywhere.  Not so in Sweden.  Here,  one has to hunt for a public restroom, one may have to pay 5 kronor (around 80 cents), and they are not particularly nice (they are comparable to those in the U.S.).  In South Korea, they are always neat and clean.  So here are a few notes of interest, yes about the lavatories/ bathroom themselves.

This rather adorable sign was noted on one of the stalls at a public bathroom.
 (I just noticed that I think the figure may be wearing a face-mask.
 No, not because it is a toilet area.  A lot of Koreans where masks around town.) 

Mirror inside the stall (see earlier post). 

Do I really want to post this picture?  Not sure - but it is part of life.  I put my foot in the picture to help illustrate that this is not a urinal, but a squat toilet on the floor.  One does not always see them, but sometimes there are more squat versions available than the ones I am used to.  The Koreans seem to use one type as readily as the other.  And maybe if we could all get down, and up again, from a squatting position, then more of us would choose this option.  

Or maybe not....

I love this! : )  It is an etiquette button.  If one thinks one is going to be...loud...while in the bathroom stall, one can push this button and the noise of a flush and running water is heard, to drown out any noises that might be...emitting from the inhabitant.  

Finally, a look at the bathroom in our daughter's apartment.  Kate has a small apartment, though not as small as some others have.  It is around 225 square feet (or around 22 square meters).  In the picture, you do not see the toilet, which is off to the left, but you see the sink, and you see the shower-head.  Anything missing? ... Have you realized that you do not see a separate shower space?  

There is none.  

The doorway is elevated, and one just closes the door and points the shower-head so that everything doesn't get soaked.  One keeps "shower shoes" (my term?) dry and outside the room.  When one needs to go in and out of the bathroom, if the floor is wet, one uses the sandals to keep one's feet dry. 

It works!