Who couldn’t use a good outhouse? A lot of people, I suppose. But those people are the ones who haven’t really experienced life. Not that using an outhouse is the end game. It’s just that using an outhouse for the most part these days means you’re doing something with your life more interesting than laying on the sofa watching TV or playing video games. You kind of have to be “out” to use an outhouse.
There was a time when that wasn’t so. It wasn’t long before my generation when flush toilets were a luxury to the rural in many parts of the country. And here in Korea, I still pass older houses that have (unused nowadays) outhouses. I know of one that until recently had two. Showoffs.
One of my riding partners seems to eschew facilities on a regular basis. I’ve been out with him at a perfectly good convenience store, used the restroom myself, and then not 300 meters down the road had to pull ahead while he pulled over. Most everyone’s had to make an emergency pitstop at one time or another. On my longer rides, I usually average one myself. But on yesterday’s ride, I did use a porta-potty-type building at a pulloff. Unfortunately, it had what we call a “bombsight” style accommodation…which is pretty much a hole in the floor over which you squat (or into which you pee). Just about my least favorite thing really. No matter what you do, you get the feeling you’re really stirring up the pot.
So I don’t mind the fresh air, myself. While in the mountains of rural China years back, I remember asking my host where exactly I could go. Not entirely sure of the etiquette of the local area, I just wanted to be certain I wasn’t off peeing on somebody’s garden. He laughed, waved his hand in a grand gesture, and said “suibian,” which kind of meant, “as you wish.” They didn’t mind. Those country people have seen it all…
So anyway, I thought this video interesting. I’d seen him build another outhouse a while back, but you can never know too much about these kinds of things. Like I’ve said, who couldn’t use a good outhouse?