Civilization

07/21/09  Print This Post Print This Post    13 Comments   Popular   Written by Tim Patterson
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Photo by gruntzooki


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About the Author

Matador ID: rsw

Tim Patterson is a travel instructor for Where There Be Dragons and a contributing editor to the Matador Network.

13 Comments... join the discussion!

  • Turner replied on July 21, 2009

    You and the toilet humor, Tim… :P

    I wish I had a travel website with major readership in which to post Engrish signs.

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  • Kate replied on July 21, 2009

    Is that even a working faucet? Check out how weird that thing looks. Civilization indeed.

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  • Hal replied on July 21, 2009

    Gotta love the incense spiral. Come on, urinals don’t stink that much…hopefully.

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    • Carlo replied to Hal on July 21, 2009

      Haha…good point, I didn’t even realize that was incense. Only in China. Urinal cakes would take them even closer!

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  • Frank Johnson replied on July 21, 2009

    I particular enjoy the use of the definite article “the” here, as it makes me imagine that it’s not using a urinal that makes one civilized, rather that there is some sort of urinal-based civilization just a step away.

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  • Michelle replied on July 21, 2009

    You mean just a flush away?

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  • Emily replied on July 22, 2009

    I believe the Chinese characters say to take a step forward (as in to NOT aim for the urinal from 2 meters away…)

    Urinals in China are nasty from what I hear… my husband tells me that everyone tries to pee from further back than the previous guy so the floor is covered. He also tells me the Chinese aren’t shy – they usually take a look at the foreigner’s “private area”! Incense is frequently used to cover the smell instead of cleaning in many bathrooms.

    (I live in Shanghai.)

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