Thursday, June 17, 2010

forcing it; java

So I've been in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia for the last two weeks (two to go).  Plenty to talk about poop-wise, but I want to share this:

Most pooping in Java is done into literal shit holes - a squatting toilet with no flushing power.  No toilet paper, instead you use your left hand and a bucket of water.  I have yet to shit like this.  Sort of.  There was actually one morning when my kos (where I'm staying) was out of TP, so before my mandi (bucket shower), I had a shit, used water, used my hand a little, and used water again.  Perfectly fine.  The catch is that we've got a toilet, so I've yet to squat.  There's the big difference.  I don't feel as though I need to prove anything by squatting, I've done my share of shitting in the woods (I prefer a trowel to a shit hole most days).

Anyway, my teacher here has both the hole and the toilet.  However, before today, I've never noticed TP in his bathroom (there ended up being some today).  I had the runs yesterday, and in preparation for being at his place from 8 AM to about 2 or 3 PM, I took a roll of TP, just in case.  Before I left this morning, tried to force the issue, even though it didn't feel like anything was there.  Some sounds came out, but no solids.  Then I closed up shop.

I was there until 4 PM, and nothing happened.  I could have shit a few times, but today was a perfect example of just holding it.  You kind of force yourself to close up, and then, as happened to me a little at 5 PM, it's hard to get things started again.  You make a decision to lock it down (which I'll admit I used to do in the woods), and then the works don't get greased anew without a little concentration.  Anyway, for now, no more runs, things are back to normal.  Amen.

Happy pooping, campers!

Dave