Date: 12 Jul 2004
Time: 1510 hrs
Place: Inside Dhoby Ghaut MRT
I could tell from his tanned skin and her gaudy overly colourful clothes that this middle aged couple were from mainland China. Them opening their mouths confirmed it. It was just my luck that I was standing next to the map showing the station sequence, and the man asked loudly to no one in particular the way to Bugis MRT. He looked at me and I felt obliged to reply that they needed to change train at City Hall. I don't think he understood me completely and the woman just seemed to be either too arrogant or too embarrassed.
It's strange but we probably seem like the most exotic location possible for a comfortable holiday, a city of Chinese folks and English signs.
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
fencing
Date: 4 Jul 2004
Time: 1605 hrs
Place: Outside Meritus Mandarin Hotel
Out of the corner of my eye, just behind and to my left, was a short Malay woman berpakaian baju merah tua (wearing a really red shirt) walking very rapidly -- now we all know the whole theory about the length of the pendulum determining the period of the oscillations but I think someone she managed to force her legs to swing much faster than that theoretical limit. The rapid plop plop plop of her heels forced me to turn my head to the left and I gazed at her and she seemed not to be moving because relatively, she was matching my speed. She asked, "How to go in?" You see there's this cobblestoned road just outside the Mandarin entrance and a white metal fence that blocks off that road from the main pedestrian pavement and it's not that high so I normally just hop on over it when I'm in a hurry.
"Follow me," I said and I led her to the nearest opening that was quite plainly visible but perhaps not so from her more humble perspective.
Time: 1605 hrs
Place: Outside Meritus Mandarin Hotel
Out of the corner of my eye, just behind and to my left, was a short Malay woman berpakaian baju merah tua (wearing a really red shirt) walking very rapidly -- now we all know the whole theory about the length of the pendulum determining the period of the oscillations but I think someone she managed to force her legs to swing much faster than that theoretical limit. The rapid plop plop plop of her heels forced me to turn my head to the left and I gazed at her and she seemed not to be moving because relatively, she was matching my speed. She asked, "How to go in?" You see there's this cobblestoned road just outside the Mandarin entrance and a white metal fence that blocks off that road from the main pedestrian pavement and it's not that high so I normally just hop on over it when I'm in a hurry.
"Follow me," I said and I led her to the nearest opening that was quite plainly visible but perhaps not so from her more humble perspective.
Saturday, July 03, 2004
the power of three
Date: 2 Jul 2004
Time: 1840 hrs
Place: Outside Clarke Quay Station
Three German girls (a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead) were have a quiet discussion over their German language guidebook to Singapore. It had a nice map. They needed to get back to "Novotel", I needed to clarify which one because there were a couple of "Novotel"'s in the country (wouldn't life be easier if the hotel chains put their branding on the end of the hotel names rather than at the beginning?) So it turns out to be the Novotel Apollo on Havelock Road, where some time ago they boarded a river taxi and ended up here. Looks like they already decided to take a walk back to the hotel, and had already figured out the civilised, follow-the-roads route, but the discussion was about whether to walk along the river.
I pointed them in the right direction (upstream) and advised them to walk on the other side (that's the Robertson Quay side) as it's more pedestrian-friendly.
It was the short one with the eyebrows that almost faded into her face that could speak the English well. I wonder why girls tend to travel in groups of three, or why girl groups in general are in threes (pop culture examples being Powerpuff Girls and Charlie's Angels). Sorf tells me it's cheaper to pack three girls into a single room, and the odd number is needed to break deadlocks. Makes sense. :)
Time: 1840 hrs
Place: Outside Clarke Quay Station
Three German girls (a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead) were have a quiet discussion over their German language guidebook to Singapore. It had a nice map. They needed to get back to "Novotel", I needed to clarify which one because there were a couple of "Novotel"'s in the country (wouldn't life be easier if the hotel chains put their branding on the end of the hotel names rather than at the beginning?) So it turns out to be the Novotel Apollo on Havelock Road, where some time ago they boarded a river taxi and ended up here. Looks like they already decided to take a walk back to the hotel, and had already figured out the civilised, follow-the-roads route, but the discussion was about whether to walk along the river.
I pointed them in the right direction (upstream) and advised them to walk on the other side (that's the Robertson Quay side) as it's more pedestrian-friendly.
It was the short one with the eyebrows that almost faded into her face that could speak the English well. I wonder why girls tend to travel in groups of three, or why girl groups in general are in threes (pop culture examples being Powerpuff Girls and Charlie's Angels). Sorf tells me it's cheaper to pack three girls into a single room, and the odd number is needed to break deadlocks. Makes sense. :)
Thursday, July 01, 2004
right before your eyes
Date: 1 Jul 2004
Time: 1550 hrs
Place: Toa Payoh North
(sorf) Directions to the SPH News Centre.
Time: 1550 hrs
Place: Toa Payoh North
(sorf) Directions to the SPH News Centre.
cash deposit
Date: 27 Jun 2004
Time: 1900 hrs
Place: outside Kallang MRT
(sorf) An Indian worker not so fluent in English was trying to deposit some cash. Unfortunately he was trying to do so at an ATM, which could only dispense cash, but also was of the wrong bank. He really needed to prevent his account from busting because he was sending money back home through the account (and we wonder why his employer did not GIRO the money into his account directly in the first place). Eventually it was explained to him that he needed to get to a cash deposit machine, the nearest at City Hall/Raffles City. Requests to be escorted were politely declined due to a mismatch in travelling direction.
I'm just thinking of the innocent $2 that DBS is deducting each month from his less than $500 account.
Time: 1900 hrs
Place: outside Kallang MRT
(sorf) An Indian worker not so fluent in English was trying to deposit some cash. Unfortunately he was trying to do so at an ATM, which could only dispense cash, but also was of the wrong bank. He really needed to prevent his account from busting because he was sending money back home through the account (and we wonder why his employer did not GIRO the money into his account directly in the first place). Eventually it was explained to him that he needed to get to a cash deposit machine, the nearest at City Hall/Raffles City. Requests to be escorted were politely declined due to a mismatch in travelling direction.
I'm just thinking of the innocent $2 that DBS is deducting each month from his less than $500 account.
airport
Date: 27 Jun 2004
Time: 2000 hrs
Place: City Hall MRT
A young backpacking couple, tanned Brits with huge backpacks, the girl frowning very hard into her folded MRT map. The boy just looked tired. She asked me, "Which train goes to the airport?" Apparently they had been here a while back, because the boy was mumbling something about the train going directly to the airport, but that system in the past where alternate trains go to the airport or to Pasir Ris was changed to one where all airport/Expo going trains must be boarded at Tanah Merah.
I told her, "No, you have to change at Tanah Merah."
I left her to frown at the map a bit longer looking for that station.
Time: 2000 hrs
Place: City Hall MRT
A young backpacking couple, tanned Brits with huge backpacks, the girl frowning very hard into her folded MRT map. The boy just looked tired. She asked me, "Which train goes to the airport?" Apparently they had been here a while back, because the boy was mumbling something about the train going directly to the airport, but that system in the past where alternate trains go to the airport or to Pasir Ris was changed to one where all airport/Expo going trains must be boarded at Tanah Merah.
I told her, "No, you have to change at Tanah Merah."
I left her to frown at the map a bit longer looking for that station.
wrong way
Date: 26 Jun 2004
Time: 1445 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT train doors
A middle-aged local auntie-type carrying several shopping bags came right up to the train doors just as I entered the train and asked me, "This way go Orchard ah?"
I told her, "No, other way."
She's lucky she's at least on the right line, not lost in limbo on the North-East line. I do admire her positive shopping attitude, doing solo shopping and braving the crowds.
Time: 1445 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT train doors
A middle-aged local auntie-type carrying several shopping bags came right up to the train doors just as I entered the train and asked me, "This way go Orchard ah?"
I told her, "No, other way."
She's lucky she's at least on the right line, not lost in limbo on the North-East line. I do admire her positive shopping attitude, doing solo shopping and braving the crowds.
purpose
I really do get more than my fair share of people asking me for information, like directions, or the time of day, etc. etc. Do I just happen to have a friendlier than average face? or do I look like I know everything? :) Just to prove my point, I've set up this blog to keep track of each and every time some stranger interrupts my normal routine to ask me a question. where, when, why, and how I replied, as well as my thoughts on the general philosophy of asking.
It'll also show that yes, men *do* ask for directions. sometimes.
enjoy!
(sor fern is updating me on when she gets asked for info too. those posts are marked "sorf")
It'll also show that yes, men *do* ask for directions. sometimes.
enjoy!
(sor fern is updating me on when she gets asked for info too. those posts are marked "sorf")
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