SMU-th sailing

Date: 27 Apr 2012 Time: 2139 hrs Place: near Bras Basah MRT (sorf) Was walking to long escalator at Bras Basah station when a young girl came from behind and touched my sleeve. She was wearing jeans, a baseball shirt, cap and backpack. She said "excuse me is this the exit to SMU?" I said yes and she said thank you.

Hubba hubba

Date: 24 Apr 2012 Time: 1500 hrs Place: Macdonald's Anson Road I was walking around avoiding the drizzle when I saw a brown-skinned man in shirt and pants asking an old uncle squatting on the roadside directions. The old man tried to be helpful but had never heard of the place. Just as I thought I was walking out of reach, he came to me and asked me where Anson House is. I saw that he had a map (a Google Maps printout) so I asked him to show me where he was trying to get to on the map. I had to re-orient the map 180 degrees and then I pointed to him down the road the building with the work "HUB" written on its side, showed him where that building was on the map, then told him it was the next building. He thanked me and walked off quickly.

Just going to the casino to take a look...

Date: 23 Mar 2012
Time: 1005 hrs
Place: Bras Basah MRT

I was plugged into my headphones waiting for the train when an old man walked up to me and started yakking. I took off my headphones and realised he was asking directions. He was in an orange shirt and pants and sandals, probably 70 years old, and was accompanied by a lady in her fifties, who looked a bit lost and didn't speak a word. He was walking with the aid of a cane. He asked me in Mandarin (couldn't place the accent. Was he from Thailand? He looked Chinese, she looked Thai) how to get to the casino in Sentosa. I explained to him that he needed to take the train one stop to Dhoby Ghaut and change to the North East Line, otherwise it'll take really long if he went via the Circle Line. I got on the train with them and got off and walked him all the way to the North East Line platform and had to explain to him several times that he needed to get on the Sentosa Express at Harbourfront and to ask for directions there. He said he was just going to the casino to take a look and not to gamble because he had no money. He also asked a few times how to get to Chinatown and I told him he could get off two stops down if he wanted. After he seemed more assured he thanked me several times and I left them at the platform to go on my way.

Womanpower

Date: 07 Feb 2012
Time: 1410 hrs
Place: Opposite M Hotel

I was waiting to cross the road when a short Filipino lady wearing t-shirt and shorts came up from behind me and asked me how to get to Ministry of Manpower. She showed me a letter from a stack of paper inside a clear plastic bag with the address "7 Keppel Road". I had no idea exactly where (as the only office I knew was at Havelock Road) so I looked it up on my iPhone and then directed her to walk down the road towards the viaduct, turn right, and walk another ten minutes or so, and expect the building to be on the left. She thanked me and walked off quickly.

Morning come fragrance

Date: 05 Feb 2012
Time: 0940 hrs
Place: Junction of Rochor Road and Victoria Street

I was drenched in sweat in the middle of my morning run, waiting to cross the road and plugged in to my earphones when a short Filipina walked straight towards me and started talking to me. I took off my earphones and she told me she needed to meet her friend who was staying at Fragrance Hotel at Bugis and asked if I knew where it was. It took me a while to think about it until she mentioned that her friend told her that it was on Middle Road, at which I directed her to walk down Victoria Street to the junction and turn left at Middle Road and that the hotel is on the right side of the road. She thanked me and walked off, still looking confused.

Lost at home

Date: 23 Jan 2012
Time: 1100 hrs
Place: home

(sorf) I got asked things twice today. I was walking to the pool when a girl called out after me from the gym door, wanting to know how to turn on the aircon. I told her to bring her own remote control with her. Then, at 2pm, some Spanish guy asked me the time.

Wherefore Hor Fun? Because I also want!

Date: 03 Sep 2011
Time: 1153 hrs
Place: Hong Lim Food Centre

We were enjoying huge lunch when a lady asked me where to get the prawn Hor fun. I told her at the extreme right stall 40

Do you know the way to good tau hway?

Date: 08 Aug 2011
Time: 0951 hrs
Place: Prinsep Street

(sorf) Was at corner of the triangular building where Mr Bean cafe is near the slip road and typing on my phone when this tall soft-spoken Chinese man in his 30s in bermudas and t-shirt approached me and said "Excuse me do u know where the famous tau huay is?" Told him to go straight and cross the road it's on the right in the row of old shophouses. He said thank you!

Let me in!

Date: 10 Jul 2011
Time: 2131 hrs
Place: Outside Sunshine Plaza

(sorf) A young Indian delivery boy with a pack of food asked me how to get into the residential area. I told him to go to the corner and the security guard will let him in. He never thanked me `_´

Looking for "peace"

Date: 21 May 2011
Time: 1117 hrs
Place: Sunshine Plaza (drycleaners)

(sorf) I was chatting with laundry girl when a Chinese man, very tanned complexion, a monk in an outfit with red cotton pants came in muttering. Took us a while to realise he was asking for directions because his Chinese very accented. He wanted to find someplace in Peace Centre.

I ask you from behind you

Date: 27 Apr 2011
Time: 1942 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT (Circle Line)

(sorf) I'm standing in front of the map of the MRT stations when a thirtysomething Filipino woman in a short sleeved frilled blue top and carrying shopping bags came up behind me and said "Excuse me I'm going to Suntec which stop do I get off?" Told her Esplanade and pointed to the map. She said thank you.

The long and winding road... to the hospital

Date: 01 Apr 2011
Time: 2043 hrs
Place: Nassim Road

I had been on a jog and was along Nassim Road and was just about to hit Orchard Road again when a car pulled up to me and the man inside rolled down the windows and asked me where Gleneagles was. Initially I was confused as I thought he could just cut through Tanglin, before I remembered that that was a one-way road and it would be difficult to explain how to get to the Orchard Boulevard side, so I just told him to head back where I came from and turn left at the Botanical Gardens entrance. He thanked me. Hope he managed to get there quite quickly as he looked really quite lost on that dark road.

They all go to central

Date: 17 Feb 2011
Time: 1959 hrs
Place: Toa Payoh North

(sorf) Had just crossed the traffic light and was headed for the Braddell train station when a short auntie dressed in a black t-shirt and skinny pants and wearing round glasses and wedge sandals ran up behind me, pointed to the bus 232 in front of us and asked in Mandarin, "Can please tell me if this goes to central?" I said I don't know and she muttered to herself and I walked off to take the train.

To the Caucasian bridge!

Date: 02 Feb 2011
Time: 1846 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT station (NS line)

(sorf) I was standing in the train station talking to my dad and this woman in a red shirt and slightly walleyed came up form behind me to ask, in Chinese, "Go to Ang Mo Kio take which train?" I told her the correct train so now she's sitting next to my dad waiting for train.

Yes you can get there by foot

Date: 23 Dec 2010
Time: 2031 hrs
Place: Little India MRT Station exit

I am jogging with headphones plugged into my ears and obviously trying to move steadily when, just outside of the Little India MRT station exit, a skinny, young, Indian woman wearing a black dress and with blonde hair, smoking a cigarette, comes right up to me and asks where KK hospital is. I jog on the spot and point to the left telling her it's where you can see the blue lights (and the big sign) and then she asks whether she can walk from here. I told her yes and jogged off, and she still seemed unconvinced as I left.

Lost and found re-ward?

Date: 08 Dec 2010
Time: 1040hrs
Place: National University Hospital

I was on my way from the A&E building to the foodcourt when an auntie and uncle asked me in Chinese whether this is the main building. I looked at the signs and told them yes. Then I asked them where they were going and they said Ward 62 and I found a sign for a Wards 20 to 63 and pointed them that way.

The Chaser

Date: 08 Nov 2010
Time: 1907 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT

(sorf) Got asked or rather chased for directions. Was walking from NS line to the Plaza Singapura escalator and this petite middle aged auntie was chasing me from behind going xiao jie xiao jie. I didn't realize until she knocked on my bag and then on my arm that she was chasing me cos I was listening to my BBC podcast on headphones. She asked in Chinese how to go to Orchard so I told her have to take escalator to NS line. She didn't thank me.

No thanks

Date: 21 Oct 2010
Time: 1923 hrs
Place: Opposite Cathay

(sorf) Was standing at the traffic lights opposite Cathay and this girl with long hair and lots of kohl came up behind me and waved with her handphone to get my attention. I had to unplug my ear to hear her ask in accented voice how to get to Takashimaya. Told her to take the train and she said I cross the road I said no the train station is there, pointing behind her. And of course no "thank you".

Where has your CPF gone?

Date: 01 Oct 2010
Time: 1050 hrs
Place: Tanjong Pagar MRT

I was walking down some steps in the underpass near Tanjong Pagar MRT station when a man wearing a blue shirt and pants ambushed me and asked which way to go to get to the CPF building. He was speaking in Mandarin. I pointed him roughly in the right direction -- it's a little hard to orientate yourself underground -- and he went off on his way.

Good art, where art thou?

Date: 01 Sep 2010
Time: 1222 hrs
Place: Commonwealth Avenue carpark

Having had a nice lunch, I exploring the soon to be torn down flats with my friends when from out of nowhere a Korean lady, looking lost, walking with her son carrying paintings wrapped in plastic, came up to me and asked whether I knew where 39A Commonwealth Avenue #01-16 was. I looked around at the block number signs and spotted the 39A and pointed her in that direction.

Wood Lands!

Date: 12 Aug 2010
Time: 1006 hrs
Place: Bras Basah MRT station

A balding, white haired, fat Indian man in a light blue flowered shirt and jeans and sandals just got out of the train that was heading towards Dhoby Ghaut and just before the escalator came straight to me and asked me "b??????? WOODLANDS!" and I went "huh?" and he repeated himself and then I realised he wanted to know how to get to Woodlands. So I went to the signboard and showed him that he needed to get off at the next stop Dhoby Ghaut and change to the red line and he said "oh!" and thanked me and walked off back to the platform to wait for the next train.

Tak-e me to Tak-a

Date: 02 Aug 2010
Time: 1919 hrs
Place: ION orchard

Plugged in to my headphones, I'm at the Orchard MRT just walking into ION near the Swatch shop and Uniqlo, when an old man, carrying a lot of shopping bags, with grey, short hair, cubby, wearing a white t-shirt and shorts, comes up to me and asked me, excuse me where is the Takashimaya? I directed him through the MRT and he thanked me and walked off with his wife, also carrying a lot of shopping bags.

Teresa gets a package

Date: 26 Mar 2010
Time: 1651 hrs
Place: the salt mines

(sorf) A delivery guy zoomed in on me out of three people sitting in the area and asked "Where's Teresa Goh?" who is in a completely different part of the office. I pointed to him to the other side of the room and said it's over on the other side. At least he said thank you.

I missed the bus...

Date: 22 Mar 2010
Time: 1859 hrs
Place: Resorts World Sentosa

I'm walking about exploring the layout of Resorts World at Sentosa, looking for restaurants, when a short Indian lady with frizzy hair asked me where to take the bus. I told her I didn't know!

At the onsen info booth...

Date: 22 Feb 2010
Time: 1958 hrs (Tokyo time)
Place: Shinjuku station, Tokyo, Japan

(both) We're in Shinjuku station, near to Odakyu side, looking at a map of all the onsens, when from behind us a little old Japanese lady with perfectly styled hair, wearing a maroon jacket, asked us directions in Japanese. We said we are very sorry, we don't speak Japanese, and she said gommenasai and walked off. We're standing in front of a map and so wouldn't we look like we were lost too? And why did she come up to us from behind? Later she went to ask someone else for directions. We took a picture of her.

Walk this way?

Date: 12 Feb 2010
Time: 1811 hrs
Place: Selegie / Prinsep

(sorf) I was cutting across the big green field and this dude in his 40s who was standing on the other side picked up his bag and came towards me. "Little India this way?" he asked, pointing back at Sunshine Plaza. I told him straight down that way, pointing down at Selegie Road. And no "thank you" either.

Oh! Gee... thanks

Date: 20 Jan 2010
Time: 2022 hrs
Place: Orchard 313

(sorf) I'm waiting for a friend outside Forever 21 and this China girl wearing lots of makeup and a hairband with a pink crystal bow on it asked me in Chinese "Where is this?" and showed me an SMS in Chinese. I recognized "Orchard" in Chinese and OG so told her in my half baked Mandarin to go 3 blocks down on the other side of the road.

Next to 124?

Date: 8 Jan 2010
Time: 2203 hrs
Place: outside the salt mines

(sorf) I'm walking to the main road and plugged into my iPhone and this guy holding hands with his girlfriend waves his hand in front of my face and says "Excuse me where's block 125?" I said "Sorry but I've no idea!"

Bubble trouble

Date: 18 Dec 2009
Time: 1137 hrs
Place: salt mines


(sorf) I'm sitting at my cubicle clearing copy and some girl with long curly hair and wearing office wear came up to me to say, "Excuse me, how do we get out of here?" She was with a bespectacled dude carrying a laptop bag. I pointed her to the doors to the bubble lift.

It's where they store, um, cold?

Date: 22 Nov 2009
Time: 1945 hrs
Place: Selegie Road

(sorf) Just got asked for directions again! Was crossing Selegie Road and got to the MR Bean side where this skinny Chinese girl dressed in black tank top and jeans said, "Excuse me is there a Cold Storage around here?" I pointed at Pomo and said, "in that building in the basement." She said thank you and smiled. Had American accent. At least she was polite!

Go West

Date: 22 Nov 2009
Time: 1833 hrs
Place: Braddell MRT

(sorf) Got asked for directions coming down stairs at Braddell MRT to platform. This skinny girl in tight jeans and long hair threw out her arm to get my attention and asked "Is this the train to Bukit Batok?" I said that's in the West so you have to take this train to City Hall and change to East-West line. Silly girl didn't even thank me. Just looked blur and went to look at signboard and asked another woman then climbed back upstairs.