Just curious- Why are Czech bathrooms located close to the front entry (or why are American bathrooms located close to bedrooms) in a house or apartment - just an odd cultural difference I have yet to fully understand.
My opinion: 1. You can "empty yourself" just before you leave home 2. Your guests can use bathroom without walking through your bedroom. because most flats or houses have only one bathroom (more is too expensive)
Probably American bathrooms are close to the bedroom because Americans eat late at night and then usually have to get up and use the bathroom in the middle of the night. It's also the first thing we do in the morning. Also, using the bathroom is a private thing so perhaps it is put by the bedroom where other private things happen. I'm just guessing here.
Because of design, Czech toilets stink. There is wide open rim around/inside and everything is spashing under it. It is impossible to clean it. Believe me! I had many toilets in Canada, clean so "you can eat of it" and one in Prague which drives me totally CRAZY for that reason. It is 1 1/2 years old toilet with only one person using it. I didn't know that it could have such a problem. Researched Czech toilets and they all have this problem. Probably for that reason most Czechs think that having it (almost) IN your bedroom is absolutely disgusting. Toilet is considered "dirty" thus even having it in the bathroom is in bad taste. My friends are imagining that one has to do business in front of the other family member who is doing something else in the bathroom. They on other hand , have washing machine in their bathroom, quite often with hose over the bathtub and dirty wash water coming out of it. We can discuss toilets for ages. If you travel a lot, you will see all kinds of peculiar things. We in North America are seen as "different" too.
Can I just mention something that has me perplexed. Ok, I understand having the toilet away from the bathroom (though this is strange for us), but what I don't understand is why there is no wash hand basin included so that one can wash one's hands after using the toilet. What if you forget to go to the bathroom afterwards? Sorry, guess it's just a personal thing
"us" means"US"? Aussie in America - Decidedly Different - Toilets: http://www.aussieinamerica.com/differences/toilets.htm
Glad reading Eso!! I really enjoyed it. I wonder if there is anything like it about Czechs and North Americansw. I see so many differences when I socialize with my Czech friends. Much of the behaviour which is considered proper in US/Can. is not acceptable here and vice versa. You will recognize yourself in it. i.e be proud of what you do well and describe it in positive terms when it comes up vs. put your good skills and talents down and minimize them as much as possible when it comes up never say anything good about yourself, be humble vs. if you do something well say it (someone else might need help with it etc.) do not accept compliment without starting to argue about oposite vs. say "thank you" and leave it. when someone asks you, if you want something and you want it (i.e. cup of coffee) never say "yes" - say "no" and say it as many times as possible - till hostess will force it at you and then accept begrudgingly vs. say "yes" or "no" to any offer without delay If you have guests and they answer "no" to your offer of food/drink ask them many times and when you get tired of it, force it on them even if they don't want it. vs. ask only once and take the answer or put food on the table and say "help yourself" You can go on and on and we already discussed some of it in past. These are peculiar things and can create quite an interesting times. Re: eating with knife and fork - see difference with Czechs. They have much more cultured way of eating (and different forks for gravy) than we North Americans with our knife on the table and eating only with the fork. You just cannot eat Czech food like that - learn the right way you savages!
On the (narrowed) subject of toilet locations in homes. I've been to many Czech and American homes where the toilet is located either in the bathroom or separately, or both ways if there are more than one. We have two toilets in our 2-bedroom Prague rental apartment. One is separate (with no sink) and the other one is in the bathroom. I grew up in a family house that had a separate toilet (with sink), a bathroom with no toilet and another bathroom with a toilet. A friend lives in a 3-bedroom panelák apartment and their toilet is part of the bathroom and it's partially divided from it, so it's somewhat private but not completely. Magan is right in saying that the toilet is often separate in Czech homes, but as you can see, it's not always the case.
Here is an example of typical centrally located apartment: http://www.abaka.com/Czech/Jecna/layout.html
About GlennInFlorida's topic for WC. It is a relly long topic for discussion. I cannot answer for Czech toilets, they also may have their negative sides like everything/hope not to be so much/. But in addition I can show some pictures from Bulgarian WC: http://members.lycos.co.uk/batekole/favorite.htm So each of them is suggested to be used frm human being, yes they are all public and it is "normal" to be in such look. But how about the same WC in a student hostel? Because I can assure u they have the same look. I lived two years in university hostel and we have 2 toilets for the whole floor. The one is "big"/consists of 6 or 7 separate WC and the other is "small" and there are 2 in it. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of them to show you. So, the question is about the personal and individual hygiene :wink: so my reply is a little bit "a lyrical digression"
For those of you who are Czech, are the above statements true? It would actually clear a lot of things up for me (for understanding certain things with Czech people).
Thanks everyone for all the responses and insights - just goes to prove the old adage, "there is more than one way to skin a cat" - looking forward to more comments. BTW - today is my 59th birthday and I celebrate 51 years in my little 2 bedroom\ 1 bath (now 3 bedrooms\2 baths with an added family room) house. My sister and I were raised here by my mother and my aunt. Close to the bedrooms or close to the entry, you can imagine what it was like growing up in a 1 bathroom house with 3 women. :wink:
Well, like every generalization - for some people yes, for some no. I can talk only about me. I don't hesitate describe my good skills and talents, I believe I got many of them But I see as 2 different things describe my talents (e.g. at work,) and acting in self-importantly way (e.g. with friends - friendship isn't competition). I can accept compliments without problem I never play this yes/no games Yes, I believe that cuisine culture is important I hope my answers will help you
Another interesting article: THE LITTLE DIFFERENCES http://www.expats.cz/prague/showthread. ... post260637
Milewicz, I'm confused with your long post citing the differences in Americans and Czechs. Which is which? Who are the ones who do what? :?:
I guess the first parts of Magan's generalizations (before "vs.") are applicable to Czechs. BTW, Milewicz was citing Magan's post.
