Paper towel vs toilet paper/bath tissue vs napkins

This blog is recorded new life of mine in USA. This is the 4th week, we've been here. I'll try to update this "petit journal*" as often as I can.

* I remember this title is from Vietnam news in French on HTV.

The kitchen in US is much different from Vietnam. In Vietnam, mostly we use gas, while here people use electric, even the electric 110W vs 220W also. Each things in the kitchen have their own use. I was caught attention by many kind of papers such as: paper towel vs toilet paper/bath tissue vs napkins.

We have toilet paper/bath tissue & napkins in Vietnam, I wasn't sure about paper towel. I guess we can find somewhere. There's one thing I am so sure that most Vietnamese families like ours are using only one kind of "tissue"-toilet paper for diverse purposes. We call them all as one word "tissue". "Tissue" in my country is used for cleaning the dirt, absorbing water, weeping tears/mouth/face, toilet purpose, etc. So it's strange when seeing many kind of papers here. "Why do people here produce and need many kind of papers?" I asked. "I don't know either" she said.

Last time, uncle Mike gave my brother and I a lift to Walmart. When going through to paper shelve, I pointed to the toilet paper and asked uncle Mike above question.

- Why do people here produce and need many kind of papers? In Vietnam, we use only one kind of "tissue" for multi-purposes. Why not only using toilet paper to do all the things? It's much simpler. I insisted.

Uncle Mike was a bit confused at that time. I guess he was thinking an answer for me.

- Well, because this is used for behind. He looked at the toilet paper and pointed to his bottom. Really my uncle in law looks funny at that time. Perhaps, what a surprised question! and what a surprised answer too!
- Paper towel is more rough than toilet paper. We use it to clean the kitchen. He continued after a few seconds.
- Ohhh I see.

Few days later, aunt and uncle Mike came to have lunch. Aunt was told the story and showed me how to use each of papers. Here they are:

1/ Paper towel: used for cleaning kitchen.
2/ Toilet paper/bath tissue: used in the restrooms
3/ Napkins: used when having meal

Okay, make sure each of them has their own use and been used correctly.