Bidets: What Are They Good For?

This morning I was reading a magazine called THE WEEK that Calley included in our care package. It's a weekly round-up of the best news stories and columns from all around the world. On page 20, I had to laugh out loud. Here's why.

In a story about David Beckham's upcoming move to LA, excerpted from the Chicago Sun-Times, writer Neil Steinberg argues that Beckham won't have any impact on popularizing soccer in America. That's because he claims soccer is "the bidet of American sport." Why? Because it's "a puzzling contrivance, very big in Europe, that Americans simply don't like the look of."

Frankly, I have to agree with my country's state of bafflement over the bidet. We've had bidets in both of our apartments, as well as the hotel we stayed in over New Year's. Given how cramped bathrooms can be here, we've lamented how much precious space these strange appliances take up. So you'll enjoy Matt's eventual conclusion of how best to use the bidet - as toiletry storage! :)

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Here are a few other tidbits we've learned. Apparently the ubiquitousness of the bidet in Argentina is a direct result of the Italian influence on the culture. Bidets are very common in Italy, unlike Spain. We've also learned that many people use them for washing their feet in addition to other parts. Apparently there is a setting for foot washing where the water only comes out around the rim instead of shooting like a geyser. Who knew?