Monday, May 31, 2010

The 'Dick' Soap

Ok, I have been holding off for far too long. This is one of those things that has been bothering me somewhat almost from day 1. It's something that I saw, felt akward about, but kind of ignored. But it has been happening more and more and more. And now I've had enough.

We've gone on before about the weird etiquettes, and funny bathrooms with musical bells and holes in the floors as toilets, and used loo paper being put in a bucket rather than being flushed. They are all really different to the way we do things and they each have their reasoning. I am about to add another oddity to the 'things that make you feel weird but make a whole bunch of sense but I'd rather do without it anyway' list.

I have appropriately named it 'Dick Soap'. I have heard of soap on a rope. Which makes sense. It's a piece of soap that has a length of rope running through it, and you can hang if from your shower, and it won't slip out of your hands, forcing you to do the whole, awkward bend over in the shower thing. Yes, I know, that only applies in prison, but you still feel weird bending over in your shower, admit it!

So to get to my point. Dick Soap is something very similar in concept but ohhh sooo different in execution. It is a piece of soap, usually quite round and quite oblong fastened to a metal bar which is fastened to the bathroom wall. The idea is quite clever, in that the soap automatically dries after being used because it is 'hanging' in mid air. Also it never sits in a dirty, mucky pool of water, so you will never again be forced to use a squishy, mushy piece of soap. Very clever.

The only problem is the way in which you have to use it. Look at the picture and take a guess at how one gets a good lathering of soap in ones hand...
A person wrists only have so much rotational movement to them so you could try turn your wrist left and right and left and right a few dozen times, or you could, yes, slide your hand up and down the wet, slippery soap a few times and be good to go. The only problem is the whole sliding up and down bit. It really is a little weird. And if you don't believe me, come here and try it for yourself. Then we'll speak again.















It still leaves me to wonder, why not simply fit liquid soap dispensers...?

Post by Oliver

3 comments:

Jennifer said...

I LOVE your fresh new perspective on Korea. It's so refreshing to me, someone who came 5 years ago to teach English for only a year. Now I'm married to a Korean living with my mother-in-law. Be careful, this place is addicting!!!! HAVE FUN!

Claudia and Oliver said...

Thanks so much Jennifer!

We are loving it here and it is definetely addictive!

Everything so different from South Africa!

Gisela M said...

I am canning myself reading..!At first, when I started reading, I thought this was a piece of Korea I never got to experience, assuming it was written by Oliver, and assuming it was some male experience I could never have encountered. And then it hit me - I know this soap! *sigh* Good times, thanks guys!

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