17 July 2009

Another Way that Travel Broadens the Mind

How many ways must one person learn to turn on the water in a bathroom? 

Traditionalist that I am, I prefer the classic approach. You turn the knob. Left is hot, right is cold. Lefty loosy (more water), righty tighty. 

But I'm familiar with the option of swiveling the lever. Left is hot, right is cold. Up is more, down is off. 

Or you twist the two separate levers, colored red and blue. 

Or you tip the knob. Back is hot, forward is cold. Down is more, up is less.

Or you punch back the buttons. Or perhaps you push down the buttons. And punch or push again when the water stops after five seconds.

Or you wave your hand under the spigot.

And then there are the shower controls. And the drain plugs.

As you might be able to tell, I've spent the last week using bathrooms in various hotels, restaurants, airports, and friends' guest rooms. And I'm very glad to be home.

2 comments:

Roger Sutton said...

Simmons prof. Susan Bloom has a bathroom faucet with a glowing light that changes with the water temp, from cool blue for cold to bright red for hot; lavender for tepid. I won't even start on what the toilet does.

J. L. Bell said...

Yet another MFA program to scratch off my list.