We’ve posted about Chinese restrooms before. There are many nice ones in Beijing, but as a general rule: They. Are. Gross. Some of that is to be expected; bathrooms all over the world are gross. However, to put them in American bathroom standards the normal Beijing public bathrooms form an echelon somewhere between a port-a-potty that was once tipped and then returned up-right, and a college bar bathroom at 2:00am on a Friday night. Pleasant, no. Usable, absolutely. So picture the scene. I’m rushing between meetings and I have to use the restroom. I go into the stall and start to do my thing. Just then I hear the PW-IIII-NNGG sound. I look down and realize that yes, I did just rip the button off my new pants. Suck.

Okay, so I lost a button, that happens to everyone periodically. Normal, right? What was most definitely not normal, is that I must've forgotten where I was because for a minute I actually contemplated walking over and picking it up. Off the floor. Of the bathroom. In Beijing.

In my defense, the restroom was relatively dark but there was still enough light for me to see that the button rolled away from me and through a puddle of unknown liquid. I'll pause here to let that thought sink in for moment.

Luckily the American germ-a-phobe inside me (thanks Mom!) regained control and I realized that I'm just going to let that one go. I'm not sure what the going rate for a new button is at the tailor, but I'm willing to bet it costs less than hepatitis therapy.

Update 08-12-2011: For reference, the new button cost 2 RMB (which at today's exchange rate is 31 cents.