TO DA LOO

I was sitting at our local Starbucks this past Saturday morning when the need arose to use the "facilities".  Upon asking for the nearest bathroom -  now I am no longer in the USA I can ask for the bathroom or toilet not restroom ha ha - I was directed to the Mall next door.  "Go down the escalator, take a right, down the corridor and turn left". WHAT?!  It seems that not every eating/drinking establishment here has their own loo on the premises!  ​

My husband at our local Starbucks. I've gone on a trek to da loo!!!!

When Graham and I were out for dinner last week, the restaurant was in a Mall, same situation, had to go out into the Mall to find the bathroom.  It is OK for me but Hubby has the worst sense of direction, so he could be gone a long time ha ha!!

Years ago, when I lived in the UK, you would be hard pressed to find a public loo when you were out and about around town shopping.  In my home town of Altrincham, you would have to walk toward the market place and descend into the bowels of a Victorian toilet block covered with grafitti and smelling like a sewer.  It was either that or head for Marks and Spencers, hoping that the queue was not too long.  At least though, if you went to the pub or a restauarant, a loo was nicely on hand (well not literally of course). Not always so here in Singapore.

Living in the USA was a toilet Mecca!!  I loved the fact that most stores in the US had a "restroom" easily available.  All the restaurants did and the major Malls and major stores in those Malls had them too.  No need to wonder how far you would have to walk and therefore hold on until you found one. Heaven!  By the way, it took me quite a while to get used to asking for a restroom.  An American friend once pointed out to me that a bathroom should have a bath in it, otherwise, why call it a bathroom!

Needless to say as I have been wandering round all the crazy Malls here, (up and down more escalators than I have had hot dinners),  I have been making a mental note of the direction of the bathrooms.  They are all incredibly clean and you find them on each floor of the Mall. They usually have a little lady that stays in there and keeps it all spic and span for you, plus you don't have to tip her lol! (You don't have to tip anybody here but that is another story for another day.)  The other thing I have noticed is that the doors on the stalls all fit nice and snug.  No big gaps down the door here as in the USA where a stall in  a public restroom can sometimes feel very "public" if you know what I mean.

Still, when you go out for a dinner to a nice restaurant and let me add; that a lot of these Malls and Hotels contain very nice restaurants indeed, you expect to find a loo pretty close by.  I guess it is just a culture thing and as with most things, you just get used to it.  So if you need to use a "facility" in Singapore, don't leave it until the last minute and bring a map!

---