The most interesting toilets in Singapore

I remember when I first came back from Canada, I had a culture shock again. This time, I was not accustomed to the less than satisfactory public toilets found in Penang and most parts of Malaysia. The only toilets that were really clean were those found in the hotels.

In Singapore, the public toilets are much better. They are getting better and better all the time. The toilets in the hotels of course are clean and pleasant enough for customers, and the public toilets in shopping centres and public buildings are also quite satisfactory.

Perhaps the most interesting toilets are the ones found in the Great World City. They have different themes for the toilets. The one I like most is the "Holland" toilets. Tulips, windmills and cows grazing on the meadows had been painted on the walls, and even Dutch wooden shoes are displayed on the doors of the toilet cubicles. ! The moment you enter the toilet, you feel as if you were in Amsterdam!

I guess, no matter how filthy sometimes a public toilet can be, I have learnt not to complain, for indeed we are so much more blessed than many others in other parts of the world.

I remember when I was touring China in 1987, many of us dared not use the public toilets in the rural areas because they had no doors. Unless, it was urgent, then we had to seek the help of friends to guard the door, and the one guarding had to use an open umbrella! Now China has progressed by leaps and bounds!

When we went mountain climbing in Nepal, I had to fast. Armed with only a bottle of water, I only sipped a little water when I was thirsty. I did not want to drink too much because I knew it would be dfficult for me to use the toilets found along the villages. For those who could not control their bladder, the world was their "open air" toilet!


We reached Nanglay Village after 5 hours of continuous climbing. The following morning, one of our group members decided to use the toilet. Unfortunately he had to bid his camera goodbye when it fell into the pot hole of shit.! During the two days we were up in the mountain, I went on a fast again, so as to avoid going to the toilets!

Whenever I think of China and Nepal, I learn not to complain, but to count my blessngs and name them one by one! Most of our buildings are user-friendly to the disabled, and there are special toilets for them. Let us who are not disabled be contented with the toilets allocated to us, and be considerate to those who need bigger cubicles for their wheelchairs to enter as well.

Someone said, "I complain I have no shoes, until I saw someone with no feet!"

Gan Chau