There are some things about this country that i really appreciate, like the ubiquity of bidets. I have to say, however, that i was a little embarrassed the first time i discovered this. I was in a newly-remodeled bathroom with a fancy toilet that didn’t have the flusher in any of the usual locations. I looked all over for it and couldn’t find it. It seemed like a long shot, but i saw this handle just below and behind the toilet bowl. I couldn’t find anything else remotely like a flusher, and it wasn’t sophisticated enough to flush on its own, so i turned the handle. Of course, i was sprayed hard right in the forehead by a jet coming out of the toilet bowl. I had to contain myself to keep from laughing hysterically. I stood up, wiped my eyes and then finally saw the flush button about five feet up on the wall above the toilet. I exited the stall with a difficult-to-control grin on my face and a very wet t-shirt.
Actually, this isn’t really a bidet, but a toilet/bidet combo. As far as i can tell, there is no word in English for this, although there are a few trademarked terms, like `’Washlet`’ and “Bidet-Loo”. The Arabic word شطاف is for the part that actually produces the rinsing jet.
