Aug 1, 2008
Dispatch from Xinjiang: Kashgar #3
In Ugandan English, there are three terms for going to the bathroom: short call, long call, and fast call. Short call and long call mean exactly what you think they do, and fast call means that you need to find a toilet—immediately.
One night in Kashgar was dominated by fast calls. Max, a fellow PiAer who I’d met up with in Tashkurgan, and I were planning to ride camels in the Taklamakan Desert the next day—that is, until he told me his idea for an Imodium commercial:
Two strapping young lads are riding camels in the middle of the desert, laughing and chatting while bobbing up and down on their respective dromedaries. Suddenly, the camera zooms in on the man with brown hair. His eyes grow wide. The frame freezes, and the Imodium slogan appears on-screen: Where Will You Be?
We decided to stay in Kashgar one more day. I watched Die Hard 4 in my hotel room.
Chris,
Love the constant updates. It’s a daily reminder that if I had just done what I suggested you do, I would be wandering around Asia as well.
Thought you might find this link interesting: http://www.cfr.org/publication/16870/uighurs_and_chinas_xinjiang_region.html
Haha in Nepal they call it “long toilet” or “short toilet” They even have symbols you make with your hands. If you hold only your pinky finger up it means you have to go “short toilet.”
P.S. Love the Imodium commercial idea