het plassen in Holland

This is a bathroom.

No, really.

I guess it would be accurate to say that I kind of have a thing for bathrooms. I find them to be one of the more interesting rooms in buildings and homes, and I usually make a point of visiting the facilities in new places (if for no reason other than curiosity). I've seen my fair share of the beautiful and the weird; from William Randolph Hearst's bathroom trimmed with gold-leafed tiles, to the waterfall urinal at the Madonna Inn (one of the more risqué visits as it was in the men's bathroom), to the bathroom of the Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, that boasted ten-foot tall tangerine stall doors, to the bathroom of a Freiburg restaurant with 6-foot high ceilings and an equally statuesque condom vending machine. I have probably seen enough random bathrooms to write a coffee-table book, albeit a more uniquely flavored compilation than usual living-room literature.

This bathroom, however, was one of the more interesting pit stops on my journey through Europe last summer; I took this picture during a layover in the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol while I was waiting to board a plane for Frankfurt. This image continues to fascinate me when I revisit the photos from my trip.

I remember the whole experience of taking this photo because I almost ran into the faux windmill tower; I had been trying to text message my parents that I had made it to Amsterdam and was waiting to board my next plane. The tower stood in the middle of the floor next to a mural of a seascape, complete with white slatted fence and plastic grass. It seemed to scream, "In case you forgot, you're still in Holland!" I found the whole scene to be somewhat comical, as if it was putting a theme-park spin on, well, an airport*. Looking at this picture now, it seems impossible to me to think of it being anywhere but the Netherlands.

But what if it were someplace else? What would we think of it then? Would it have been so recognizable to me as a Holland seascape with a windmill if it had been in, say, Humptulips, Washington? And if we're going to start designing bathrooms to represent countries, what would an American bathroom look like?

I can think of how, perhaps, a bathroom located in New York or San Francisco might be designed. It could have a miniature Golden Gate Bridge or Chrysler building inside, or perhaps display a backlit mural of the cityscape at dusk. Idaho could have potato-shaped porta-potties, while New Orleans' would paint theirs in green, purple, and yellow. But how would one design a bathroom that would simply exude an "American" feeling? And is it weird to try and construct something to display such a concept?

I keep thinking of many discussions we've had over the past weeks which I feel relate quite well to these bathroom design ideas. I feel as though I am automatically stereotyping certain areas by trying to ascribe particular aesthetics to bathrooms, though I'm not doing so intentionally or maliciously. There are just so many different flavors of American states, towns, and people that I don't know how to roll them into a single, yet all-encompassing lavatory. I both love and dislike this about America; it makes me think back to our discussion on "whiteness" and the lack of a culture associated with American caucasians. I don't know that I want there to be a single bathroom for Americans, but I do wish that I personally felt more of a cultural connection to my country.

But perhaps one of the things that makes the United States a wonderful place is that we can't all fit into one bathroom (literally and figuratively). To some, we are a melting pot; to others, we are a salad bowl. Yet regardless of the differing views of America, it is undeniable that we are incredibly lucky to be exposed to such a variety of cultures, languages, foods, and ways of life; such experiences can only serve to enrich our lives and make us more aware and accepting of others.

Who knows what bathrooms lie around the corner?

*Side note: the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the Netherlands' main airport, and includes multiple wi-fi hot spots, a family section for quiet naps and play time, as well as an art museum and a three-star restaurant. It also features a scaled model of the airport made entirely out of Legos. It is the Disneyland of the European airlines.