The Essentials in Life: Toilet Paper

Let me begin by saying that I am glad we have soft and relatively cheap toilet paper in the U.S. It's the little things you never think about...

When Bashorat and I went to Uzbekistan two years ago, we packed lots of food and TP. We packed food because she wasn't sure how our stomachs would react to the high fat/meat-heavy Uzbek diet. We packed TP because Uzbek TP is apparently coarser and thinner. (I can't only imagine what the customs officials thought when they went through our bags.)

Because we had a limited supply, we were both conservative in our TP use. However, we were there for nearly 2 months and even the Charmin Ultra double rolls don't last forever. Near the end of our supplies, I paired down to using only two squares unless absolutely necessary.

The day finally came when we had to suck it up and go by some Uzbek reinforcements. We went to a store that was basically a cross between a Super Wal-Mart and a department store. It was so crowded - not that there were that many people, there were just so many products jam packed into every little corner. We finally found the TP. It was right next to the stack of Uzbek flags for sale.

Not sure what that says about their national pride...