When washrooms become fun

I seem to spend a large part of my life writing about lavatories. A sad admission, and one that will no doubt cause me some regret on my deathbed. But as a pleasant contrast, much of the rest of my time is spent writing about international cultural quirks. So I thought I'd combine the two and bring you some toilet quirks from around the world.

You’d better mind your pees and Qs when you visit the De Balie cultural centre in Amsterdam, Holland. Apparently this has an interactive talking toilet that rebukes you for smoking or leaving the seat up.

Japanese toilets are as high-tech as you would expect. Built-in bidets, heated seats, glow in the dark loos and toilets with a blow-dry function are all pretty commonplace. Some Japanese lavatories are so complicated they come with a manual and a remote control.

The Madonna Inn in California, America, has a “waterfall urinal”. This is more fun than it sounds since the man (only men can play, unfortunately) pee upon a bare expanse of rock and if they manage to break a beam of light they activate the waterfall themselves .

Peeing in Space is achieved with the aid of his and hers’ suction attachments. The liquid waste is then sent into space where it freezes and creates a light show as the crystals catch the sun. With solid waste, your average astronaut needs to keep his wits about him (or her) and catch it in a bag before it breaks loose and orbits the spacecraft.

More tomorrow.