Tokyo How To's #4: Japanese Toilets(continued...)

So for all of you who have read my previous post about the dangers of Japanese toilets... I wanted to share with you a good laugh from one of my fellow bloggers. I will list excerpts from the post but I highly recommend reading the whole thing!

Reannon of Taken by the Wind wrote:

"The 999th reason why I hate kanji"

"I woke up this morning at seven, stepped into the shower, and sleepily pushed the button that turns on the hot water heater....Or so I thought."

"Suddenly the bathroom erupted into chaos. Sirens blared, an automated computer voice started shouting instructions at me through the vent over the bathtub and I screamed in terror. "

"Apparently the button located near the hot water heater wasn't outlined in pink because it symbolized 'heat', but because it was the emergency call button. I'd just unwittingly notified the doorman, the receptionist and possibly the police, that I was having a heart attack in the bathtub."

"I could hear the intercom buzzing so I grabbed a towel and dashed towards the front door...I punched every button, pausing for a second after each one to shout: 'moshi moshi!' into the microphone."

"...Yes, I set off the fire alarm."

"Damn. I forgot the Japanese word for mistake. "Misutaiku!" I yelled, pronouncing the English word with a Japanese accent."

"Chotto Matte (Just a moment)," came the reply....there was a knock on the door."

"I only had enough time to quickly rearrange my towel back into place before I watched in horror as the front door clicked open and in walked a police officer."

"Not only do I have to be 'that idiot gaijin who can't read' but I have to be caught wearing nothing but a towel with sopping wet hair and ugly mascara tracks running down my cheeks."

"Funnily enough, this has happened to me twice before..."

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Please read the whole thing at http://reannon-takenbythewind.blogspot.com/2009/04/999th-reason-why-i-hate-kanji.html