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| Men and women in a communal bathhouse - wikimedia commons |
undress casually around each other, after a swim in the public pool,
without concern for nudity. In Hawaii women of various cultures may stand in the open in front of a mirror with nothing but a towel around their heads while applying makeup and dressing, but in the South being nude in the locker
room may be considered a social offense.
Who would have thought that being naked in the women's locker room would cause consternation. But it did. I had just finished showering, and stood in the nude while getting my clothes together. What a little furor it caused.
I soon found out a cultural difference I wouldn't have expected. Politely I was informed that if I wanted privacy I could use the men's room because men seldom visited the little spa where I was taking my bath. Dressing and undressing in a private cubicle would be better, I was politely told.
This was a reminder that customs differ sharply in various locales when it comes to what is considered appropriate and what is not, including whether or not a woman should be nude in front of other women in a public place.
The spa where the incident took place is in Natchitoches, Louisiana, right
near the heart of the downtown area that was tied to a medical clinic. It
is well-lit and lovely, with a view of the Cane river, and has all the
amenities to make one feel special, including massage, special showers,
nail treatments and makeup demonstrations. Hot tea and fresh fruit along
with soft music round out a delightful experience.
But being stark naked in front of other women is unique enough for conversation and a reminder that modesty is defined differently by women depending upon where they live.
In Oregon and Hawaii women of all ages comfortably walk around nude in the women's locker room. Some women do find a private cubicle, but no one looks sideways at anyone nude in the shower.
"It's important to be modest," I was told by the receptionist at the spa in Natchitoches, who scarcely could believe I did not know the rules. But the end result was a great, big laugh at the differences in style between the South and other parts of the United States when it comes to what is appropriate attire, or no attire at all, in public places.
Internationally, there are also cultural differences concerning nudity. In front of the hotels in Spain and on most of its beaches, women can be found topless on the beach areas. This is likely starting to an orthodox Christian, Muslim or Jew, who all have cultural views that emphasize modesty. But in many places in Japan women and men together bathe in the nude, and few are insulted by the practice, outside of foreigners who incidentally find themselves in such a situation. Mixed bathing in Japan, however, is said to have declined in popularity, however separately men and women ordinarily don't wear swimsuits to bathe.
The moral is: Look before stripping and don't run naked in the locker room in a region that is unfamiliar unless you have cultural permission to avoid being thought offensive.
This was a reminder that customs differ sharply in various locales when it comes to what is considered appropriate and what is not, including whether or not a woman should be nude in front of other women in a public place.
The spa where the incident took place is in Natchitoches, Louisiana, right
near the heart of the downtown area that was tied to a medical clinic. It
is well-lit and lovely, with a view of the Cane river, and has all the
amenities to make one feel special, including massage, special showers,
nail treatments and makeup demonstrations. Hot tea and fresh fruit along
with soft music round out a delightful experience.
But being stark naked in front of other women is unique enough for conversation and a reminder that modesty is defined differently by women depending upon where they live.
In Oregon and Hawaii women of all ages comfortably walk around nude in the women's locker room. Some women do find a private cubicle, but no one looks sideways at anyone nude in the shower.
"It's important to be modest," I was told by the receptionist at the spa in Natchitoches, who scarcely could believe I did not know the rules. But the end result was a great, big laugh at the differences in style between the South and other parts of the United States when it comes to what is appropriate attire, or no attire at all, in public places.
Internationally, there are also cultural differences concerning nudity. In front of the hotels in Spain and on most of its beaches, women can be found topless on the beach areas. This is likely starting to an orthodox Christian, Muslim or Jew, who all have cultural views that emphasize modesty. But in many places in Japan women and men together bathe in the nude, and few are insulted by the practice, outside of foreigners who incidentally find themselves in such a situation. Mixed bathing in Japan, however, is said to have declined in popularity, however separately men and women ordinarily don't wear swimsuits to bathe.
The moral is: Look before stripping and don't run naked in the locker room in a region that is unfamiliar unless you have cultural permission to avoid being thought offensive.
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