Pee (おしっこ)

Peeing in Japanese is called "Oshikko." Sounds kind of like a cute word, it's also typically Japanese in that it's onomatopoeia, Japanese scholars (unlike a lot of words that came from Chinese) invented the word to sound like the actual act of urinating. As you might expect, this post is a little different from normal and not for the "gentile" type of reader.

I think the general public is too caught up on peeing, farting, pooping, all the natural bodily functions that people do. Sure, nobody wants to smell urine in the streets or see homeless people crouched in the corner doing the business in broad daylight (happens all the time where I work in downtown Los Angeles), but on the other extreme the rules of etiquette are to me are too stuck-up. When I'm in the restroom with other guys, I feel a social anxiety not to fart, which really shouldn't be the case. We get teased as kids about farting in public, but as adults we should know better and liberalize farting and peeing. Like when one is in the stall, it should be OK to talk about things, as we both know what's going on...it's just a natural process of the human body, like sneezing or coughing. One wouldn't cut off all conversation to wait for someone to stop blinking, let's say.


There are times when I've been on the verge of having to poop on the side of a road. It happens. It's important to remember to gauge your stomach after a big meal, remember when the last time you did the business, and make a smart judgment. One's stomach also "digests" food the more one walks, as I find that going on a long hike after a big meal can really enhance the "excretion" process. And Joshua Tree National Park, I'm sorry, there was one time I was unable to hold it and I had to just leave a little extra on the paths. I hope I can be forgiven. But that's another thing that could be improved culturally: let it be OK to leave excrement on the paths, as long as you pick up or dig after oneself. It just seems so much more efficient that way than to hold it in and possibly do damage to one's body. My dad always says, "farting is life's air." It's true; as long as I'm standing way away from someone, it should be OK to just let out a fart for all people.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan