Experiences of an American woman who was married to a Serb.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

How Much is That Bidet in the Window?

I frequently walked by this bathroom supply store near our home in Sombor this summer. They opened in 1991, and you've got to admire the resiliency of a business that made it through civil war, insane inflation, and NATO bombing... coming out the other side of a dozen straight years of crisis still healthy. In fact, their Italian tile displays made me nearly faint with pleasure. But then I get that way about gorgeous housewares.

The tiles aren't the only thing that's much nicer than my local Home Depot back in the USA. Here's a close-up pic of a typical display window:
Take a look at the porcelain item in the bottom left corner. No it's not a toilet with its seat missing. It's something you'll never ever see in a US plumbing display, or probably in an American private home either. It's a bidet. And it's not the only one in Sombor either.

Strolling by one afternoon this September I remarked to my husband how pleased I was that our own Sombor bathroom had a bidet, the first I've ever lived with up close and personal. He replied, "Yes, that was my (first) wife's idea, not mine." I couldn't think of a rejoinder beyond a big honking "Duh!", so remained politely silent.

Then after a half a minute of thought he spoke again, "You know, I really like it too. It's so useful." "Useful?" "Yes, it's great to wash your feet in." Yuck! Too much information.

That said, I'd like to compliment the women of Sombor, and of Europe, for convincing their men to buy bidets in such great numbers that bidets are seen as essential equipment to be rightfully included in any bathroom suppliers' window. Bravo. Your American sisters are far, far behind you.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bidets are prized by those of the male gender with hemorrhoids. I was entrusted with this information by a brother-in-law who was brought up in Puerto Rico, where every bathroom also has a bidet, and found his bidet indispensable when he developed them. Yes, I know, too much information

Marijan Miletic said...

We got bidget in the bathroom but no space for washing dryer :-)
This is very fine posting of the rare small EU over USA advantage.