Hush I’m doing my business.

In response to an article published in the Straits Times, here is a candid photo I took in Ancient Ephesus. I felt really silly taking the photo, but come on! How many times do you get the chance to sit on ancient property like one of the world’s first advanced toilet system that had free flowing water underneath to remove waste?

Anyway, yes I came across this article in ST on the unglamorous part of Singapore - the washrooms. Dirty, wet, stinky and a hazard. My heart really goes out to the people who help us clean the cubicles.

May I give you a good suggestion. One big way to make people sit on the toilet bowls instead of squatting on it? Make the doors such that there is a side gap. Yes, I know Singaporeans would take a long time to get used to this “invasion” of privacy. They would for sure make noise. I mean I did too, I recall feeling outright embarrassed for about 2 weeks when I was in Canada and had to use their washrooms. But after a while, it occurred to me, nobody really cares. Plus your butt is fixed right on the seat who can see anything? The result? People would really sit on the seats and thus better maintained seats. No more disgusting drips of liquid all over the seat.

Such habits really requires many years of cultivation. But after you brain wash your brains for the better, (think no spitting in Singapore) it just kind of get stuck in your mind and it becomes an automatic habit.

So Singaporeans do the right thing! Please, use the washrooms with more grace.