Terminal Lavatory

Thailand - Bangkok (Terminal 21 Shopping Mall)

盥洗室, دورة المياه, inodoro, туалет, banho, tuvalet, gabinetto, toilette, καλλωπιστήριο, ท้อยลิท, danh từ, お手洗い, 화장실, סגנון לבוש (בריטי, tvättning, toaleta, bersolek, kasilyas, secreet, toalett, gateala, жорлон, lavatory.

These are different languages for the word TOILET.

Toilet, a place where most would rather not talk about.

In that case, can we give toilet a miss?

Most, if not all, would agree that we cannot live without toilet!

Toilets in most of the airports, hotels and hospitals are relatively clean.

But other public toilets including shopping malls are "ahem" - dirty and smelly.

It is really hard to find a toilet with high standard of cleanliness.

So what constitutes a clean toilet?

Personally, toilet without smell is essential.

Toilets in Terminal 21 Shopping Mall not only meet this requirement but also with themes on each floor.

Caribbean - LG Floor

Rome - G Floor

Paris - M Floor

Tokyo - 1st Floor

London - 2nd Floor

Istanbul - 3rd Floor

San Francisco - 4th Floor

San Francisco - 5th Floor

Hollywood - 6th Floor

In 2001, World Toilet Organization (WTO) declared 19th November as World Toilet Day (WTD).

Let's not forget to do our part by keeping all the toilets clean.

Err On The Right Side

Malaysia - Johor Bahru (City Square Mall)

City Square, the nearest mall from Johor Custom.

After renovation, the top floor has a roof top garden, restaurants, cinema and Dapurkita Food Mall.

There are interesting (grammatical error) wordings about food stenciled on the walls at this food mall.

It should be VICTIM'S CONFESSION with an apostrophe S.

Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian so his food quote was in Italian-English style.

What the quote meant was "One of the nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever we are doing and devote our attention to eating".

We do agree that food cures our hunger just as medicine cures our pain.

But who in this world let their medicine be their food?

无名英雄

Singapore - Changi Airport

新加坡 － 樟宜机场搭客站

樟宜机场，一个新加坡人引以为豪的机场。

它也是众多过境旅客公认“最好睡”的机场。

最近新加坡政府更是宣布了他们的“宝石计划”。

将现有第1搭客站前的停车场从新发展。

打造成一个聚集登机服务柜台、零售商店和休闲场所于同一屋檐下的多用途大厦。


这“宝石计划”，无疑将让这座已经享誉国际多项“最佳”的机场锦上添花。

樟宜机场也背负着“新加坡－花园城市”的使命。

它使新加坡留给旅客的第一印象犹如置身花园中。

想象在钢骨水泥里找到一片绿意黯然的惊喜。

这片美丽的花海肯定让很多热爱大自然的人流连忘返。


让大家能沉浸在画一般美的花海的功臣，我叫他们无名英雄。

我们在出国、回国匆匆拍照的同时，有多少人真正欣赏过这花园？

记得下次出国、回国时，逗留多一分钟好好享受这花园带来的宁静。

别辜负了这群无名英雄们的一番心血。

尘缘

Thailand - Chonburi

泰国 － 春武里俯 （白龙王庙）

世间很多事都是注定的。

人生在世，也因为有着尘缘才会相遇、相知。

曾听说过白龙王的种种事迹，也去过泰国这么多年，但就是从来都没机会去白龙王庙。

终于在2010年的三月，特别安排了小型巴士专程去了一趟。

去之前也在网上寻找了相关的资料。

有正面的评语，说问事有多神准就有多神准。

而负面的则说所给的答案都大同小异。

从曼谷坐了两个多小时的车程，终于到达了目的地。

时间大概是凌晨一点半，却已经有几十辆小型巴士已经排在我的前面。

司机关了引擎、把门窗都打开后，就下车去。

正在纳闷时，他回来告诉我说我们的车排在第24位。

然后说我可以在车上休息或睡，早上可以入庙时他会叫醒我。

整个晚上也不知捐了多少血给那些饥饿的蚊子，没觉好睡下就索性出去走走。

看到很多小型巴士坐满人，听他们的口音都是来自新马港台的。

清晨终于到来。

入了庙停好了车后，司机说有免费早餐可吃。

早餐是简单的面包和豆浆。

吃了早餐，就是一轮的拜拜。

多数信众都是白衣白裤，以示对白龙王的尊敬。

终于盼到了白龙王的现身。

白龙王：一位慈眉善目、和蔼可亲的长者。

当可以问事时，大家是以之前的车队的编排一批一批的被安排接见的。

等待时，很多人都在互相的问应该问些什么？

轮到我这批时，大家都是跪着等候自己被接见。（老人免跪。）

因为是开放式的原因，所以可以大略听到在我之前的一家人所问的事及白龙王所给的答复。

不是我“鸡婆”，实在是因为是开放式，大家可以听到大家的问与答。

只听白龙王叫他把店给关了。。。（谁说白龙王只说好听、讨喜的话！）

轮到我时，整颗心是忐忑的。（虽然不迷信，但还是希望听到称心满意的答复。）

白龙王的答复给了我正面的力量与激励。

临走前白龙王告诫我，父母已经年迈了要多让父母开心点。

每人大概只有五分钟的问事时间。

听说有时信众太多，白龙王也只会给于信众们群体的祝福。

在白龙王庙的墙上看到一些很有意义的训言，在此跟大家分享。

得知白龙王往生的消息时，有点不知所措。

虽然说跟白龙王只是一面之缘，但心里还是悲伤的。

白龙王跟他的信众们的尘缘已经尽了吧。

白龙王的肉身也算功德圆满，应该功臣身退了。

安息吧，永远的白龙王。

注：鸡婆（嗜闲事者）

Time Freezes

Indonesia - Batam Island

Batam island, nothing more familiar to most Singaporeans.

Although Batam is one of Indonesia many islands, it seems more like Singapore's backyard.

It is about 50 minutes boat ride from Singapore.

Most Singaporeans will travel there for their cheap and delicious seafood.

One of my favourite seafood is the Gong Gong.

Gong Gong

Although Chinese was banned in Indonesia in the past, you can still find Chinese temples in Batam.

You do not have to be in Japan to go Nagoya to shop.

The first time that I went Batam was more than 20 years ago.

The second time was 10 years later and the last time was in 2006.

Something surprised me was that after decades, nothing much had changed on this island.

If you miss the good old days, you can visit Batam as its buildings resemble the old 60's in Singapore.

Checked-in to the same Batam View Beach Resort and everything remained the same as before.

Time seems to freeze and has no effect on this island.

A lot of places are busy upgrading themselves but Batam stands still as it is.

While the whole world is changing, is it good not to change?

越臭越香

Taiwan - I-Lan

台湾 － 宜兰

提起宜兰，多数人会把它跟歌仔戏、饼干联想在一起。

这也难怪，因为台湾歌仔戏名人杨丽花就是宜兰人。

宜兰的牛舌饼更是特产，还有别忘了旺旺也是起源于宜兰。

但宜兰对我来说，更惦记的却是它的“臭”。

从来没接触过这么奇怪的食物。

记得当年是去宜兰探望朋友而有幸和这特殊的食物相遇。

朋友带我穿街走巷，为的就是想让我品尝道地“宜兰的味道”。

光是看，就让我对那些奇形怪状的食物叹为观止了。

什么猫耳朵、七里香的就已经把我搞得一头雾水。

怎么有一股臭屎味？

看了看鞋底，没踩到“地雷”呀？

正在理清头绪时，朋友笑笑地指了指前面的店铺。

天啊，一向嗅觉麻痹的我，居然能嗅到几十米远处飘来的气味！

半推半就下来到店铺。

朋友盛情款待下，一盘热腾腾的臭屎味炸豆腐就送到跟前。

实在盛情难却，只好硬着头皮将那臭豆腐往嘴里塞。

以为一定是难吃之至，但咬了几口并不恶心便放心地咽下肚。

其实臭豆腐，除了嗅觉臭之外，口感、味道（套句台湾话）“还挺不错吃的”。

后来也在新加坡和香港吃过没那么臭的臭豆腐，但都没宜兰的臭豆腐好吃。

这就是老饕们所说的会吃、懂吃的就是爱臭豆腐的臭，而且还是要越臭才越香、越可口吧！

注：猫耳朵（一种形似猫耳的面食）、七里香（鸡屁股的雅称）、地雷（猫狗的便便）

Who Cares?

Philippines - Manila

Manila transit to Davao City.

My taxi driver, Mr Jovanie, a very careful and chatty young man.

He would lock the car doors whenever we were on the road.

He said that was necessary for our safety, as people in Philippines are allowed to carry guns.

He drove me to buy my connection flight ticket.

Due to domestic flight timing, my connection to Davao City had to delay for a day.

Without choice, I asked my taxi driver to suggest a budget hotel for a night.

Since I did not know where to go, I paid him to be my tour guide.

He told me about the problems Filipinos were facing.

One of them was the over populated street children.

Many of them were either from broken families or simply escaped home due to abusive parents.

He and his sister, who was a teacher, helped the street children.

His sister conducted lessons for the children.

He gave them food.

Pictures are provided by him.

What future do all these children have when they grow up?

Will they be doing the same as what their parents had done on them?

Will the cycle repeat?

Does anyone ever give a thought for this over populated group?

想当年

Hong Kong - Tsim Sha Tsui

香港 － 尖沙嘴 （Teddy Bear Kingdom 2002年 至 2005年)

有幸在 2005年 Teddy Bear Kingdom 关闭前的两个月“到此一游”。

记得当年是在误打误撞下游了 Teddy Bear Kingdom。

不知从那年开始，每年的生日都会收到至少一只熊熊。

所以，当时看到那么多的大小熊熊还真乐开了怀。

可惜的是，这泰迪熊王国已走入历史。

香港这些年的变化也太快了！

稍不留神，又不知哪间老字号或是什么的就此变成历史一章！

想当年，数码相机还不是很普遍，我相机的像素也只不过是百万多点。

但现在一般数码相机的像素都过千万。

科技日新月异，现在还有什么是天长地久？

从前听父母说起“想当年”，印象总好象很久远似的。

但现在，东西只不过几年光景就已升级成“想当年”了！

 

值得吗？

Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur

马来西亚 － 吉隆坡 （Petronas Towers a.k.a. Petronas Twin Towers）

去吉隆坡已经忘了多少回。

它的地标之一 Petronas Towers（88层）曾经是世界最高的建筑（1998年至2004年)

此建筑的中部（41层及42层）有座号称世界最高的天桥 － Skybridge

此桥是采取“悬挂”式而非固定性的植入双塔之间以免被风吹断。

管理层规定每天只准1000人登桥。

以前上天桥是免费，但要排很长很长的队兼看运气（票是先到先得）

2010年开始以售票性质让游客“走天桥”。

票价：大人 80马币、小孩 30马币

值得排长队再付费走这天桥吗？

见仁见智啦。

既然都来了，如有闲钱又没地方好去，就上去看看呗。

嫌贵、嫌麻烦？

将就点，免费在North-South-东-西看喽！