Friday, November 20, 2009

FIRST IMPRESSION

My friend and I finally made it to the hotel in the province of Gwangju. If I haven’t mentioned it before, this was her business trip to Korea and I was just a tag-along.
The clock on the desk said midnight, but my body clock was so confused having traveled forward in time by fourteen hours and flying from day to night to day to night again, that I felt giddy and wired. I needed sleep. I hadn’t even had a chance to get an impression of this “city of lights” of 1.4 million people.
“Do you care if I use the bathroom first?” I asked.  
“No go ahead. I’m going to see if can get the Internet in our room.”
One minute later.
Squirt, splash, splash swizzle
Giggle!
Squirt, splash, splash swizzle
Giggle!
Squirt splash, splash swizzle
Giggle!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh
Giggle! Giggle! Giggle!
“What so funny in there?” my friend asked.
 “I’m using the bidet.”
 “Too much information!”
“Well you asked.”
Two minutes later.
“Wow! That was incredible!”
“You need sleep.”
“I’ve never used a bidet before. Have you?”
“Yes, they have them in Europe. Are you done? I need to go in there now.”
Grabbing her toiletries, she headed into the bathroom. 
One minute later.
Squirt, splash, splash swizzle
Giggle!
Squirt, splash, splash swizzle
Giggle!
Squirt splash, splash swizzle
Giggle!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh
Giggle! Giggle! Giggle!
“OK! You’re right,” she yelled from behind the bathroom door.
 “See? I told you.”
“That’s an incredible bidet, she said leaving the bathroom. “They definitely don't have that kind in Europe. At least not in the hotels I stayed in.”
“What’s the difference?”
“There, the bidets only splash up.”
“They don’t have three water settings?”
“No.”
“They don’t have the dryer?”
“No.”
“Maybe I am just tired, but I thought the heated blow dryer was way too funny.”
“No, I wasn’t prepared for the heated dryer.”
 “I want one. I’m going to Google and see where I can get one of these.”
“Do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone how silly I behaved over a bidet.”
“Promise.”
As I dropped into my bed and turned out the lights . . .
I realized . . .
My first impression of Korea?
Clean! Refreshingly clean.
Always, Em-Musing
P.S. These multi-function bidets are everywhere Korea.  Who knew? 

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