Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Go powder your nose

One thing that has struck me, as an office worker in Japan now for many years, is the tendency among my female colleagues to almost always go to the bathroom before they leave the office. That is, they pack their stuff in their little bags, they say "see you tomorrow" and then move out of the physical office, but unlike me who usually want to get out of the building as soon as possible, they make a pit-stop in the bathroom.

The big question that I have here is whether this is something Japan specific or something that can be considered a world-wide issue among females? If I feel the need to go relieve myself before going home for the day, I usually go to the bathroom before I pack my stuff up and leave the office. Ok, I can understand that some females might have stuff in the little bag they might feel the need to utilize in the bathroom, but they could just bring the bag back and forth, especially now in winter when it must be cumbersome with the jackets? I don't know the number of times I run into female colleagues that I thought left the office a long time ago by the elevators, since they obviously made a prolonged pit-stop at the ladies room... But is this a cultural issue or a gender issue?

On a similar toilet related note, I remember how I a few years back was traveling with a female Japanese peon, visiting customers and doing general work stuff, during the course of the day she went to the bathroom several times, but I never really had the need. Towards the end of the day and her last visit for the working day she looked at me in awe and said "wow, you never need to go to the bathroom, do you?". I never really understood what was so impressive about that, if anything it's probably unhealthy...

6 comments:

ThePenguin said...

Wow, you've shaved your beard!

Taarne said...

Are those tan lines I see?

Unknown said...

hehe i think this is actually a gender thing since i do the same. granted, i don't put on makeup before i leave, but i do pack up everything and make a pit stop before going to the bathroom. you never know whether a train will be delayed, and considering how public trans in the US don't have bathrooms, it's a wise move since you'll be effed.

btw, that's a smoking hot picture.

aimlesswanderer said...

Given that commutes are often neither short nor reliable, going to the dunny before leaving the office seems sensible.

However, the obsession with makeup so thick you can scrape it off with a trowel is just silly. Hello superficiality and double standards!

RMilner said...

My wife and mother in law both like to go to the lavatory about every five minutes.

Fortunately, my daughter seems to have inherited my ability to last for hours, which may show it is not a specifically female thing.

The more often you go, the more often you need to go, as you are training your bladder not to contain a larger amount of urine.

Mr. Salaryman said...

You know, that man bra looked so nice in the advertisement, but when you actually wear it you don't look nearly as sexy...

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