Bakonative, I hate to tell ya', but "squatters" are easier on the internal plumbing that the porcelain goddesses worshipped here in America.  Just remember that 98% of our genetic makeup is identical to our chimpanzee cousins.  Just watch how they do "business", and you'll see that "squatting" is the natural way to do things.   "Sitters" are a cultural phenomenon and have very little to do with the way that nature intended for us to excrete waste. 

My dog Molly knows that, and thinks it's silly for me to waste time in the bathroom.

Welcome back! I hope you took a million pictures and plan to share them here. :) May I inquire about why you took a trip to China? I remember that you had mentioned it to me before, but I forgot to ask why you were going.

What were you using if you only used the squatting hole once while you were in China?

Related trivia (almost said interesting trivia then realized this really probably doesn't qualify as interesting)... one of the things China did to prepare to host the Olympics was to install "sitters" in public restrooms throughout the areas they expected to have a lot of foreign tourists since they knew Westerners don't care for "squatters". This probably answers Robin's question as well.

Bako, what a fantastic experience!  (The country, not the squatters.)  Congratulations on taking such a great trip instead of the  usual ones we see.  I'd love to see the soldiers too, they fascinate me.

Re: squatters..if you ever used a real outdoor privey you'd surely appreciate the "position"  due to spiders ans other critters.      :-).    My ex sister in law is from Greece and they have those there too....right in the marble floors.  My problem is that if I got down there I might not be able to get back up without assistance and that could get embarrassing.

Be sure to post some pictures for us will you?

I am envious~ and welcome back! Please blog about the trip and please do post pictures! 

I have a mule urine story but it's just wall too early to tell~ let's just say ..ugh. ;-)

 but "squatters" are easier on the internal plumbing

But much harder on the knees.

Squatting birth is supposed to be easier too...gotta be a reason why we don't "squat" much anymore.

Not to do with plumbing, internal or external, but my dad and his "buds" used to squat for what seemed like hours while shooting the breeze out in the yard.  Now everyone grabs a lawn chair.    Squatting is a lost art it seems.

Nancy~ if your used to squatting ,giving birth that way is "easier"( there's a oxymoron for you!)

My earliest memories are of men(farmers all) squatting,taking some dirt into their hands and talking about the soil,the crops....thanks for reminding me of that.

I have a question, Bakonative.  What's the chinese food like there?  Is it anything like the chinese food we have here?  Did you travel to different regions?  I hear Cantonese food is different from Mandarin like American Southern food is different from New Englander food, etc.

I worked with a Chinese doctor at West Kern and she said there were only two places in town that had food that was close to authentic.  One was on Ashe across from Osh.  Can't remember the name.   Catherine, she also confirmed that it's very different in different regions.

For instance, she didn't come from the region where they eat cats.  She brought her own lunch and it sometimes looked very strange.  At least to us. 

Well, Bakonative, that's something you and I have in common. I went to China in 2001, and I too only "squatted" once!  lol  I told myself when I went I was going to try new things (food, traditions, etc.) at least once every day, so I had to do it just to say that I did. We went to Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Huangzho (West Lake), and Hong Kong. It was the trip of a lifetime... an experience I will never regret. I'm curious -  what took you there? I went with my professor at CSUB... there were about a dozen of us. She knew the ropes, and had lived there at one point.

To answer some of the questions - Chinese food here is NOTHING like it is over there. We have "American" versions of Chinese food here. Some of it is really good, but some of it, is not so good. And they do have different types of food in different regions. And, the Chinese don't eat dogs and cats, contrary to popular belief. It's the Vietnamese and Koreans, I believe (don't quote me on those, but I just know the Chinese don't, by normal practice...but that's not to say it doesn't happen over there at all - but you won't find it on the menu). However, seeing duck intestine served at the dinner table can't be much better. Let's just say I was finished when that came out.

The people over there are amazed at seeing "Americans". I stood out like a sore thumb - pastey white girl with dark brown hair with big blonde chunks, and long, brightly painted finger nails. I had many pictures taken with the kids, who couldn't keep their hands away from my hair and nails. It was a very weird experience at times. Privacy and personal space was DEFINITELY violated on a daily basis. lol 

I can't wait to hear some of your stories!!!  I might have to dig out my pictures and reminisce...

Jetlag killed me today, I will answer and post some pics tomorrow on a new blog.