Both sides now

Date: 18 Mar 2016
Time: 1824 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT Circle Line platform

I'm plugged into my headphones walking at a steady pace when a stationary Indian young woman in a yellow dress and a big suitcase on wheels points a finger at me and talks so I took off my headphones to listen to her and she asks me "Excuse me, which train do I take to go to Promenade Station" and I tell her it doesn't matter as both sides will get her there and she said thank you and quickly rushed onto the train pushing her bulky suitcase. That was when I saw her male companion, an Indian guy in a checkered shirt, also yelling at her the same thing (he probably was looking at the map?) and rush onto the train.

Missing mother

Date: 29 Nov 2015
Time: 0835 hrs
Place: Middle Road, near the construction site where Midlink Plaza was (Queen Street)

I was jogging through the temporary walkway when a 40-something year old Chinese woman in a brown dress asked me whether I knew of any cheap backpacker's hostels nearby. She had already asked another auntie, still standing behind her. I asked her if she knew of the name of the hostel as there are many backpacker's hostels in the area -- in the Beach Road area, on Bencoolen Street, etc. That's when she said that she was looking for her mother, who was unable to tell her the name of the place, only that she had to walk up a flight of stairs, it was a shophouse, and that it was near "Bugis Market", and something about a "pod". And that her phone had ran out of battery so she wasn't able to call her mother again. I wasn't aware of any backpackers hostels near Bugis though so I told her I couldn't help her without the name of the hostel. As I left she asked me again where were the hostels that I knew of and I told her to look at Beach Road and Bencoolen Street and she walked off towards Bencoolen Street.

[postscript: Googling after I got home, her mother could be at Plush Pods at 2 Tan Quee Lan Street http://www.plush-pods.com ]

Ring my "bel"?

Date: 29 Nov 2015
Time: 0830 hrs
Place: Traffic junction of Middle Road and Victoria Street, Bugis Junction side

A teenaged Malay boy wearing his cap backwards, with three other younger boys (8 to 10 years old?), intercepted me as I was jogging and asked, "Bel, where is the Bras Basah Complex?" I pointed him to the National Library building and told him it was the building behind that. He didn't quite believe me. As I started jogging across the road he followed me for a bit and I had to point out Bras Basah Complex again and tell him to go the other way.

Smells like lost spirits

Date: 04 Dec 2014
Time: 1701 hrs
Place: Near Fragrance Hotel, Selegie Road

(sorf) I was walking past Fragrance Hotel when a young girl with a long ponytail, wearing glasses, t-shirt and bermudas, and holding a map, asked me for directions in really fractured English. I didn't understand her at first, then realised that she was looking for the train to Marina Bay. I told her to go straight and turn left, the station is next to the black building, and underground. She said "Thank you."

Desperate for his 9 times 9

Date: 30 Nov 2014
Time: 1240 hrs
Place: Outside Fortune Centre (Middle Road)

I was walking down Middle Road carrying groceries when a big sized Indian man, wearing a black t-shirt and black bermudas, makes a bee-line to me and asked me where Bencoolen Street was. I pointed out to him that the road across was Bencoolen Street and he asked me how come there was construction. I told him that the construction was for an MRT station and it had been going on for about five years. I asked him where exactly he wanted to go and he said Hotel 81 so at the junction I pointed to him where he could walk to get there (the pedestrian walk besides the construction site). We crossed the road and instead of heading there straight he went to the prata shop to use the toilet.

that's rich coming from these kids

Date: 29 Nov 2014
Time: 1950 hrs
Place: Outside Sports Hub, near Kallang Wave

(both) Two tween Caucasian girls, each with a cold Starbucks drink, asked us where they could go to get a taxi. I told them they had to walk quite far out to get to the road, pointing out the general direction back where we came from (the Stadium MRT station).

On hindsight, they should really be taking the train. But I guess they can afford it.

Just Chijme in anytime

Date: 11 Feb 2014
Time: 1005 hrs
Place: Sculpture Square

(sorf) I was walking past Sculpture Square plugged into my earphones and a Caucasian guy in sunglasses, blue cotton shirt and white bermudas waved his hand at me. There was a petite blonde lady and a younger guy (also blonde) with him. He asked if I knew where Chijmes was. I said, "Oh you guys are a bit far off." I was looking around to see what's the easiest directions to give and he asked "You know Chijmes?" I said "Ya" and told him to go straight down to the second junction where Victoria Street is and turn right. I asked him if he knew what Chijmes looked like and he said "Ya. Thanks."

Tricked by the signs

Date: 07 Feb 2014
Time: 1840 hrs
Place: Behind V Hotel Bencoolen Street

A Singaporean Chinese man wearing a white shirt and pants, together with an auntie in a red dress and permed hair, asked me in English where Bayview Hotel was. I started to give some directions when he interrupted me and complained that there were no signs. I asked him how he got here and he pointed towards Nafa and said he saw a sign there and followed that. I told him to go through the V Hotel lobby and turn left and Bayview Hotel was about 50 metres down. He thanked me and went off.

Hong Kong, we like Hong Kong, and the Shanghai, if you can find the bank

Date: 03 Feb 2014
Time: 1700 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT

I'm looking at my phone just inside the Dhoby Ghaut MRT entrance near Atrium where the bubble tea shop is, and heading to the basement, when a grey haired Caucasian man with a slight Australian accent, in t-shirt and jeans and looking very sweaty, came up to me quite flustered and asked me where the HSBC bank branch is. I said it used to be on the ground floor before the renovations (where Plaza Singapura took over Atrium) and I went back up to ground level with him to the bubble tea shop and it wasn't there anymore. So I walked with him inside Plaza Singapura to look for some kind of information counter and I led him instead to the touchscreen information panel and he found that it was in Basement 1. I oriented myself based on the other nearby shops and quickly walked him downstairs to the bank. On the way he told me that he needed an actual teller and not the ATM and he told me that he was just in Malaysia and that it was just as muggy as here. We reached the bank and he shook my hand and thanked me and got inside just in time before it closed.

A hundred victories

Date: 03 Feb 2014
Time: 1455 hrs
Place: Rendezvous Hotel

I had just walked out of the Delifrance with a sandwich in my hand when one of two Chinese men in Bermudas and t-shirt and sneakers and crew cut and a bit of a tan, both middle aged, asked me in Mandarin (Northern Chinese accent) where is "bai sheng lou". Guessing that they meant Park Lane I told them to follow the road right at the junction (Selegie Road) and walk about 200 to 300 metres. I also told them it was on the opposite side of the road. They thanked me and hurried off.

(Postscript: I googled "bai sheng lou" later and found out that it was the Chinese name for Bras Basah Complex. So looks like I completely screwed up the instructions!)

Buck the trend

Date: 06 Jan 2014
Time: 1050 hrs
Place: St Marc's Cafe Marina Square Singapore

(sorf) Sitting at St Marc's Cafe and plugged in to my earphones and some guy in a red polo t-shirt comes up from behind and says "Excuse me, may I know where's the Starbucks coffee shop?" I said, "Sorry I'm not sure I think it's back on the other side", waving behind me and to the right.

Just multiply the years by ten

Date: 19 Nov 2013
Time: 0930 hrs
Place: Centennial Towers lobby

A tall guy in a yellow shirt and khaki pants, carrying a leather sling bag, and wearing glasses, and holding his phone, asked me where Millenia Towers was. I told him this is Centennial Towers and Millenia Towers was the next building over, just walk down the road in that direction. He thanked me and left.

This was brought to you today by the letter L

Date: 29 Aug 2013
Time: 1245 hrs
Place: near East Coast Road / Still Road

(sorf) I was heading to the main road to catch a cab when a petite woman in her 40's, with short hair, glasses and in a dress, approached me and asked if this was Telok Kurau. In Chinese. She also asked where the Buddhist association was. I said that this is Telok Kurau but I don't know where the Buddhist association is. I told her Telok Kurau is quite big and there's a lot of little lanes running off of it, and she should call the association for a proper address. Some time later, I bumped into the woman again still standing there, and she accosted me to show me the address which just said Telok Kurau. So I asked my sister who said there's a temple on Lorong L, and directed her to it.

Hoe Hoe Hoe

Date: 20 Nov 2012
Time: 1157 hrs
Place: Tras Street

I'm standing at the steps outside the 7-Eleven at Icon when a girl in office attire (black blouse and skirt) carrying a large bag comes up to me from behind and asks me where is "Tower 15", showing me a photo she took of a laptop screen showing the address of Hoe Chiang Road and a map. I gave her two options of walking around Amara Hotel and she thanked me and went off toward Tanjong Pagar Road.

Lucky ol' lady

Date: 20 Nov 2012

Time: 0935 hrs

Place: junction outside Cathay cinema

I was plugged into my headphones waiting to cross the road when an old man with his dentures a bit out of place wearing a short sleeved shirt and pants asked me for directions to the "lottery place" which I figured he meant Pomo where the Singapore Pools is. I told him to go past the school and turn left at the hotel and that it's the building behind with the letters P O M O and he took out a pen because he didn't quite get it and wanted me to write on his hand. Instead I repeated the directions and he seemed to get it this time and he thanked me and started walking the other way! That's when I saw that there was an old lady using a shopping trolley as a crutch slowly walking with what might be her daughter or in law (she was old herself) and when they got to the junction with us they were discussing in Cantonese whether he knew where it was and he said he had only been there once before but he went by taxi so he doesn't know exactly how. Turns out it was the older lady who won the lottery and she was energetic for her age and went off onwards without really stopping for breath. 

Fragrance is far away

Date: 15 Nov 2012
Time: 2248 hrs
Place: Middle Road

(sorf) I was plugged into my headphones and walking along near the Bank of China building when someone touched my shirtsleeve and asked me where the Fragrance Hotel is. It was a mother and daughter duo - long haired daughter in shorts and t shirt and mum in casual wear. They said Fragrance Hotel on Middle Road but I didn't know where that was. Then they said it is near Hotel 81 and Ibis so I told them its on Bencoolen Street actually and told them to walk with me. I directed them to walk past Space and further down the road. The mum thanked me and asked if I was heading home after work. I said I just watched a show at Drama Centre and she said they were lucky they ran into me.

replacement rate 2.1

Date:  22 Oct 2012
Time: 1230 hrs
Place: saltmines

(sorf) I got asked for directions while I'm sitting at my desk. Some long haired woman, fellow staffer, looking for P2.1 meeting room. Told her to go to the door behind the spiral staircase, go left and through another door and she says "OK, I'll try the door." No thank you!

Along the lorong

Date: 21 Oct 2012
Time: 1820 hrs
Place: Braddell MRT

(sorf) I was plugged into my iPhone and digging in my bag for my ezlink card when a little gap toothed auntie in black pants and brown printed top waved at me to get my attention inside the MRT station along the corridor. She wanted to know which way to Lorong 3 but I told her "sorry, I don't know which way."

Zara salah

Date: 16 Sep 2012
Time: 1900 hrs
Place: Bugis+

(sorf) Coming out of Uniqlo on the 2nd floor, and plugged into earphones, when this manga looking girl with long hair, big eyes and shiny butterfly hair clip came up to me and started yammering in Chinese. I couldn't understand what she was asking and her friend came up. Finally figured out they wanted to find Zara. I said that there's no Zara here, I think the closest one is at Raffles City. Of course these girls were rude and didn't even say "thank you". *scowl*

Driver's block

Date: 14 Sep 2012

Time: 1100 hrs

Place: Gombak camp taxi stand

I wasn't the only person waiting for a taxi at the taxi stand - there were two young boys in front of me in jeans and both dragging large duffel bags, and a guy dressed in office wear and carrying a laptop behind me. But the lorry drove right up to me, the driver got off, and asked me where is Gombak Block 308. He seemed foreign, maybe from the subcontinent. I initially assumed he was royally lost and trying to find Bukit Gombak HDB block 308, but no, he said he had changed pass and that his boss was waiting for him (what a terrible boss to allow his staff to be left behind like that). I had no idea where this block was, but he mentioned that his boss told him to turn right, so I directed him to drive through the security check and take a right down into the smaller camp. He thanked me and sped off.

Temple vs fitness

Date: 02 Sep 2012
Time: 0910 hrs
Place: between National Library and Bras Basah Complex

Here I was, jogging. Looking sweaty. Looking forward. To my right, I sensed a couple. A man wearing bermudas and t-shirt and his female companion, similarly dressed, eating from a pack of dried mango. He came up to me and asked me, in Mandarin, where the Kuan Im temple was. I was actually taken aback, so I paused, jogged on the spot, and wondered for a few seconds what would possess this man to ask someone directions in mid-jog. But I was kind and told him to just go down the street, turn left at junction (Middle Road) and walk down about 200 metres, and the temple is on the right. He thanked me and I jogged off.

Kowloon, Kowloon Hong Kong...

Date: 26 Jul 2012
Time: 0945 hrs
Place: inside Tsim Tsa Shui MTR station

(sorf) We were just inside the fare gates when one of a bunch of ladies approached me and asked in Mandarin where the Central Line to Hong Kong was. Someone mentioned a duty free shopping mall. We said we were not sure and told them we were tourists from Singapore.

From behind pt 2 language 2

Date: 20 July 2012
Time: 0910 hrs
Place: Orchard Boulevard outside Ion

(sorf) I was plugged into my iPod when, from behind, a young Chinese woman with hubby and toddler approached at bus stop. She asked me in Mandarin how to get to Lucky Plaza - told her to cross the road, go through the blue building and cross the road again. And Lucky Plaza is on the right.  Then her husband said something in another language and she asked me where's Mount E hospital. So I told her it's behind Tangs. And she asked which one she will get to first Lucky Plaza or Mount E. I told her Lucky Plaza. And that there's a small road next to Lucky Plaza that will lead her to Mount E.

From behind pt 1 language 1

Date: 20 July 2012
Time: 0900 hrs
Place: Orchard Boulevard outside Ion

(sorf) I was plugged into my iPod when, from behind, a slightly chubby middle-aged Indian lady in jeans and a sparkly top who came up to me after I got off bus 65 at the bus stop at Orchard Boulevard. She had quite a strong accent and was looking for Toys'R'Us. It took me a couple of seconds to figure out how to get her to Forum Galleria. Told her to cross the road and keep walking to the end.

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.