Adjusting From The First World To The Third

After living and working their lives in the West, some decide upon retirement to ‘expatriate’ themselves and relocate to a different, foreign country. This new life is not without its unique challenges and frustrations but there also can be a raft of advantages as well. New languages and customs can be confusing and take some getting used to but the effort of finding comfort in one’s new adopted homeland can be very satisfying and enlightening.

My adopted homeland for the past three years has been the Philippines. While the country is considered ‘third world’ by the more powerful western nations, it’s not like we’re still living in the trees here or something. We have our McDonalds, Burger Kings and Taco Bells here too; it’s just that the typical citizen can’t afford to spend three bucks on a Big Mac, fries and a Coke. Many can… just not most.

Yesterday the toilet seat in our upstairs bathroom broke so we took a trip to the mall (Ace Hardware) to see what they had in the way of colored toilet seats. Things rust, break and/or wear out easily here and replacing items in the home, especially plumbing parts, is an ongoing concern. Ace is one of our common destinations.

As should have been guessed beforehand, the toilet seat selection was small. One reason for this is that toilet seats are not commonplace here. Neither is toilet tissue for that matter, but that’s another story. Here, most people squat for relief so a seat just gets in the way. Standing on the seat can be a little tricky.

For me, a foreigner, a functional toilet seat is desirable, if not required. I carry a supply a tissue just in case I get caught needing to go when away from home, but carrying a seat would be a bit inconvenient. I usually just wait until I return to the house but that’s not always practical.

We found an adequate toilet seat and, best of all it only cost about five dollars worth of Pesos. As we were exiting there was a display offering the latest in seat belt covers. I wondered if people even use their seat belts here in the Philippines. I don’t think there’s a law.

I had seat belt cushions on my car in the ‘other world’ and they worked well, were comfortable and looked good. Here I don’t even own a car but drive a motorbike instead. No need for seat belts on my rig! I predict they won’t be selling a plethora of those covers!

Bob Proctor has been writing articles since 2006 and is an expert on seat belt covers, however he’s also interested in colored toilet seat for his house

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