TRAVEL
By Don Knebel
Like many Americans would, I assumed once people in such places learned about the miracles of flush toilets with seats and squeezable-soft paper, they would quickly abandon their old ways. I was then surprised with what I saw when we were about to leave the international airport in New Delhi. Identical doors near security were marked “Eastern” and “Western,” and they were not airlines – they identified the type of facility. Many of the passengers, whose familiarity with western culture was trumpeted by their stylish jeans and sneakers, nonetheless chose the door that opened to a hose and a hole in the floor. Not recognizing at the time how arrogant and condescending this must have sounded, I asked our guide why so many people still preferred the “Eastern” door. His answer was as matter of fact as it was enlightening: “It is hard to convince most people here it is appropriate to sit on a seat someone else has just used, and to put their hands in places their mothers have taught them to avoid.”
Travel provides a variety of learning opportunities, from the big ones about our history to the little ones about our cultural biases. That is why we travel. In future columns, I will try to provide some of the other lessons learned. But there will be no more talk about toilets – I promise.