122 replies to this topic

[Ahududu]

Do you take your own slippers when you visit someone?

I'm no slave to fashion, but I feel a little silly wearing a pair of size 4 plastic mules when I'm a size 7!!! (or even worse - wedged heeled mules - I topple off them!)

I've decide that I'll buy a bunch of mules in a range of sizes specifically for any visitors to our new flat - I can't stand people wearing my slippers, and I'm not keen on wearing other people's!

What do you do?

[Cukurbagli]

A few of the locals it my village have "spare" slippers for visitors and I quite often take my own too. I bought some of the rubber ones so I can wash and disinfect them. When my dogs came in the house the villagers would not come inside anyway.

[Abi]

I usally take my own if I know there are going to be a lot of people at the place I'm visiting or going to someones house that I don't know. I usually struggle when I go to the loo though, if I'm lucky there are one pair of mules for women and a larger size for the men. I have small feet and find it hard to lift my foot up and keep the mule on at the same time if you have to lift you feet up onto the higher level of the loo floor if I there is only one pair as they are twice the size of my feet.

[Lucid]

bloody good point...well in spring/summer/autumn and if its not cold i dont offer people anything..as we dont really have anything suitable only for guest usage.
loo shoes just bog standard size and one pair but shower room has choice flip flops or clog style(Abi you would just have to drag them in on your feet i guess?)...and we bleach them often.
Then you have the whole issue of balcon shoes...i dont clean mine everyday as the hose available isnt ideal/doesnt reach and we dont have a tap on the actual balcons...so i therefore tend to try and settle people inside not out then we would have to have an array of terlik available for balcon purpose alone...
when i see on TV some ladies take their own it made me think makes sense but i always forget when i go somewhere to take any...i had started to take my own flats to inlaws as i got scared about standing bare foot on a scorpion as they tend to go without anything..there was one in the loo when i went once and that freaked me out. I do wish turks would replace their loo shoes more often though in villages as sometimes it makes me gag and id rather pee myself than wear them to be frank.In fact i bought my MIL some when i lived there and presumed she would replace them but hasnt yet and that was yrs ago..i want to replace them again but maybe that would be rude of me. She is very clean but they are the ONLY thing in the house i feel should have been replaced and they are the most used item from what i noticed.

[samanthaozkara]

I take my own everywhere I go as when I 1st came to turkey I noticed turkish woman have smaller feet than us brits. Im a size 5 and I have wide feet so there is no chance I can get my feet in a size 3 that dont fit over the sides of my feet haha. Also I hate the thought of wearing other peoples shoes.

Everytime I go back to the UK I visit primark and get a lot of slippers that look abit like socks and then when I am on my family visits I just fold them up and put them in my bag. I have even got into the habit of doing it in Cardiff too haha. In my house we have lots of spare slippers all different sizes for people visiting x

[Ahududu]

What are 'loo shoes' or shoes for the toilet?
Yes, those slipper socks are a good idea.

[samanthaozkara]

loo shoes or toilet shoes are normally blue plastic slip ons. most houses leave them in the bathroom or just outside the toilet door. I guess they are so you dont stand in anything on the floor or it could be because these turks are so worried standing or sitting on cold floor is not good for your back or can give you a bad stomach. x

[Ahududu]

Thanks Sam, I thought you were all talking about outside squatter loos!!!!

[samanthaozkara]

haha no. Well I dont think they are anyway. When I hear toilet slippers I automatically think of what I just described x

[Abi]

My MiL told me to change my slippers at the loo door every time I went to the loo in case I transferred germs from the loo floor into the rest of the house when using a Turkish toilet.

[samanthaozkara]

That also makes sense. Didnt think of that one hehe xxx

[Abi]

Sam I found that out after existing the loo having forgotten to change them back again. As I entered the lounge everyone saw I was still wearing then, there was a lot of tutting going on as you can imagine and MiL got her mop out straight away and washed the floor down. I was forgiven as I had only been there a couple of days and made sure I didn't do it again.

[Lucid]

I thought you were all talking about outside squatter loos!!!!

no inside squatter loos!!
there have always been mini terlik for small kids too at MILs and i always wondered what do the kids slightly too big for the baby ones do?!
we have both types of loos and most wont use the sitting one only squatting one.But they all use the supplied terlik.white ones a good idea so you can see stains and clean or rid of them when needed!?
actually while we are on the subject my pet hate is small kids who pee in the shoes and leave them...i feel for them really in one way but when even 10+ yr olds do it and dont clean or wipe them an you go next it drives me insane....do i need to consider my own loo shoes too for gods sake..arg

[samanthaozkara]

Haha aww never!! I could imagine the MİL and everybody tutting haha. Rather you than me sorry Abi

Sorry Lucid didnt see your post must have replied at the same time. Those squatting toilets are my worst nightmares. I cant even look at them without freaking out. I remember when I first visited harun2s uncles house and he only had the squatting toilet and I was desperate for the loo. I waited for another 3 hours until I found a normal toilet as Im just to scared haha. x

[Abi]

I felt the same Sam, we have a squatting loo down stairs and a normal one upstairs but because I'm lazy I use the downstairs one and have got used to it now and never think about using it. I also find when I go to the aiport only the Turks use the squatting one and you will see a huge line of people waiting to use the normals ones so it's great I never have to wait.

Lu I know what you mean about wet slippers and children. When I was living with my MiL they had 2 types as well I ending up having the normal one to myself as no one every used it. Her sister was also living there and had a back operation and should have used a normal one but no she insisted on using the squat and ended up with MiL and another sister helping her. I did ask Mil why they didn't use the proper one and she said they were considered to be dirty even if they were only used by the family.

[samanthaozkara]

Aw Abi your so brave. After a few alcohol bevvies I could probably pluck up the courage to use 1 but could never do it on a daily basis. This June for my cousins wedding in Oludeniz, the place where they had the wedding on the beach had both types of toilets and it was the 1st time most british women had seen the squatting down 1 and I ended up demonstrating how 2 use it (I didnt actually use it haha) and they couldnt believe that most turkish woman would prefer that. Another thing that amazes me is how these women crouch down and manage to get back up. Im 23 and my knees nearly give way lol. xxxx

[sunny]

I need three arms for the squatting type loo. One to hold my clothes one to brace myself against the wall to stop me falling over and the third for.... well you can guess!

Gosh you've got me at it now. I go away (to a boring tea party) for a few hours and a conversation about slippers degenerates in to a discussion about loos.

We just have normal loos so don't have loo slippers. We have a couple of pairs of slippers for visitors but unless it's wet outside my friends keep their footwear on, especially if we're sitting on the terrace.
If I go out I usually take some slippers with me (if I remember) as I take size 41 and I either have to use men's slippers or nearly break my neck on the tiny little ladies ones.

[Abi]

Sorry that was my fault as I was thinking of other places I have to wear slippers. You and Sue have big feet, i do have a friend who has bigger feet then either of you, mine are only either 36.5 or 37. I had forgotten the terrace thats another place I have to wear slippers.

All the Turks I know and visit who have outside terraces seem to use them as an outdoor lounge with carpets, tv's and furniture, so of course once again slippers before you put one foot on the terrace.

[Ahududu]

[quote name='sunny' timestamp='1317918915' post='58269']
I go away (to a boring tea party) for a few hours and a conversation about slippers degenerates in to a discussion about loos. ]


sunny, last time I started a thread it was hi-jacked with a fish finger discussion!!!

Now, my slippers one turns into toilets!!



all good (clean) fun xx

[samanthaozkara]

haha aw yeah outdoor slippers thats another thing. Where you have to take your own shoes off to put outdoor slippers on then you take them off to go inside just to put more on hehe. I must admit since moving to Turkey I have more slippers than I have ever had in my life. Its like a new hobby for me now when I go home buy atleast 3 pairs of slippers.

Sunny your comment made me laugh haha xxx