Where’s your thinking space?

Candice: A storm has exploded over an unusual Russian habit, highlighted at the Sochi games.  Apparently its quite common in Russia to have communal toilets!

Now, we all know guys have urinals together, but I’ve never know a number of loos all in a row.  The last time I saw that it was in a Roman ruin.  However, it make me think – do they do business while they are doing their business?

Going back to the Romans, the baths were the place where everything got done.  Over a succession of different bath rooms and ablutions, the men of the Roman world put the world to rights and came up with their deals, before stepping out a fresh.  We’ve really only just got back to the progressive levels of the Roman’s recently I would say, but we do it more via networking groups in pubs rather than in the Sauna.

Back in Russia, do they do their thinking in groups while sitting round on the communal loos?  Obviously Phil and I work as a writing team, but we’ve never taken our writing discussions to this level.  The closest is a cuppa and cake in the local tea shop.  I get my ideas where ever I can, the pool is a good place to have a think as you go up and down and up and down (though I often forget how many lengths I have done), I dont think they have ever come to me on the toilet but there is always a first time! But I can picture a group of men writing War and Peace while on the bog.  Beats reading a crappy version of the Sun as you sit.

The athletes competing in the Winter Olympics are shocked to say the least, even wondering why two loos only have one loo roll.  Can you pass the time of day with a competitor while passing the paper?  Perhaps this is the time to discuss tactics with your team mate?

Currently being awake regularly in the wee small hours, and finding this also means a need for a wee, I have been doing some of my own thinking on and off the loo, but I don’t think I’ll be asking Phil to share ideas with me in that environment!