Play the Game of Life
Ryan Petersen's Blog

I just returned from my first visit to a toilet factory in Foshan, China. The experience was enlightening, to say the least. Here is how a toilet is made:

1.) A large pile of dirt (presumably it is some kind of special dirt, but to me it just looked like the regular brown stuff I used to roll around in as a kid) is delivered to the factory.

2.) This dirt is poured into giant below-ground mixing vats, where it is liquified using a complex process involving the rare and dangerous chemical bihydrogen monoxide. The liquid is stirred until it reaches a nice consistency. Think about making brownies and you have the general idea, only its a bit more liquid than brownie batter. If you are ask nicely the factory manager may let you lick the spoon.

3.) Giant pumps are used to pipe the batter up to the third floor of the factory where it is poured into molds in the exact shape desired.

4.) The liquid is baked for 8 hours (I told you it was like making brownies) and then the molds are removed.

5.) At this point you have a brown toilet with very rough edges, but properly shaped in the familiar form we all know and love.

6.) A small army of laborers is put to work filing and sanding the toilets until they are smooth all the way around.

7.) The brown toilets are painted with two layers of white paint, then a lacquer coating and, in some cases, a high tech chemical layer that insantly sheds any "liquid" which may get on the toilet during its life.

8.) Then its "hey, hey, hey, bombs away!"

Labels: china