culture shock, part 118

[jay]

The Hotel Platzl here in Munich has a top floor sauna/gymnasium for the use of guests... it has a steam room, sauna, cold plunge, foot washes, tanning booth, showers, lockers and exercise equipment in various rooms (the latter bombarded with German MTV-like videos). It is lovely, done in tile and in a Turkish style. No street shoes are allowed inside.

So, this morning after breakfast I went up for a workout...

... wondered where the men's and women's lockers were, and bathroom, and wondered if I'd wandered into the wrong side. Er. There's only one locker area, and users often exercise in the nude, going from equipment to shower to sauna in nothing or just a bathrobe. Men and women share the same facilities.

Given the social norms at home in California, this wasn't particularly alarming, except that I didn't know these other people... I kept on my T-shirt and shorts (chuckle).

Comments

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Yes - my first experience of this in Germany was at a squash club where the cleaning lady was quite happy to go into the men's showers while we were all there in the nude. She had the advantage of us since she was wearing her clothes.

Its for reasons like this that I never found the mixed shower scene in the movie of Starship Troops to be as remarkable as some thought. You'll see a lot of other things, like bear breasts in normal advertising posters, if you travel round Europe.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Bear breasts? Mmm! Furry! :-)

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

OK - bare...

And the French used to have them on their banknotes! I have no idea how the faint-hearted could cope!

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

I was amused at Schiphol Airport my first time in Amsterdam. I was waiting for my flight to Hannover and the women's restroom in the terminal area where I waited was closed for repairs. The sign, in both English and Dutch, read Women's Restroom Closed - Another Available on Level Below or Use Men's. I was standing at a urinal doing my business, and women were walking back and forth behind me to and from the stalls, no one caring. It was nice to be somewhere absent of so many of the hangups we have in this country.

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

Could make for some nice views, at least :-)

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

LOL

Good thing we've given you so much practice!

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

mmmm, sauna and cold plunge. Maybe I need to go to the gym tonight?

my culture shock in a European train station: two restroom doors, clearly marked for Men and Women, both opening into the same room.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

They probably didn't know each other, either.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Two restroom doors. How fun. :)

My uncle once told me about being in a bathroom in Japan years ago -- like the '60s -- and using the urinal, looking up to find the face of a woman in the mirror over his shoulder, and watching her put on lipstick as he peed. I have no idea how usual shared bathrooms were, there and then, but I can't imagine it was common or expected.

[brooksmoses]

Well, the Commonwealth of Virginia has one on its flag....