Yesterday we went to the mall, and every single bathroom in the mall was locked shut. We couldn't read the sign with the explanation, so we figured the water must be shut off. We went outside of the mall to a separate store to use their restroom, and I asked the security guard at the front, "May I take a shower?" She smiled and looked at me inquisitively. I repeated, "May I take a shower?" Somehow in translation when you ask "Is your bathroom working?" it really means "May I take a shower?" Mike said one word to the lady - "Toilet." She said "Yes." I was trying to be polite, and Mike basically said "Commode" and Mike's communication was more effective. So we went to the bathroom, and the guard must've imagined I was going to the commode to take a shower.
Asking for a bathroom is no simple task here. If you ask where the toilet is, it's kind of rude. It's like saying - You gotta commode? The word "bathroom" also means "shower". The word you really want to use to be polite is the word "sink". If you ever need a public restroom, you ask "May I use your sink?" Then, no one is embarrased from the word toilet or bathroom.
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