First, we actually have a Restroom Association of Singapore (RAS)!
Second, they give out Happy Toilet awards, ranked by stars!
Third, "It’s not just about cleanliness but about ergonomics"!
Singapore – A petrol station that turned its bathroom into a "refreshroom" received the Restroom Association of Singapore’s "Happy Toilet" award, the RAS said on Tuesday.
The Caltex station’s spick and span facilities feature automatic activation of the flush, soap, sink and hand dryer.
The station is the first in the transportation sector to receive the five-star designation by Singapore’s crusaders for clean public toilets. Assuring toilets are clean, airy and devoid of odour is just the beginning.
"It’s not just about cleanliness but about ergonomics," said RAS founder and president Jack Sim. "For example, a shorter distance from the sink to the dryer means less water splattered on the floor."
The toilets at the station are inspected every hour. – Sapa-dpa
So we were having dinner with Emily and Rutherford* last night having a conversation about my dear country as usual. Emily and I are of the same sort. We love this country dearly, but just as much there is that endears us, there is more that fascinates, shocks, scares us. As the conversation tumbled along, and as we casually flip through the day’s papers simultaneously, I spluttered at this article (a more hilarious version in yesterday’s Streats, I must add, but I couldn’t find it online), and read it aloud, while the rest of us gaped. I’m dying for Talking Cock to write something up about this.
My country is run like a primary school. We have campaigns telling us to "wash your hands thoroughly, cover your mouth while you sneeze", there are roadshows at Great World City telling you about "Responsible Pet Ownership", and every fucking campaign heavily uses cutesy CARTOONS to pass on the Message.
The conversation was duly pitted between the Americans (Rutherford and Patrick) who can see with clear detachment the insaneness of their policies (granted, Patrick complains as much about Californian/Floridian/American politics and society as he does about Singapore), and the Singaporeans (Emily and I) who have probably been brainwashed and benefitted enough from this nation that we have to struggle to question ("the problem with this country," said Emily "is that so much of it seems to make sense"); at the same time, we struggle loving it simply and wholeheartedly because this country sure ain’t simple and wholesome.
In the end, it is a paternalistic state, because the frustrations we feel in this country is like the frustrations we feel with our own parents: there’s always a guilt attached to it because we are products of them, without whom we’d never have been, and for whom we should eternally be thankful for whatever we have (we must admit, we are fortunate well-educated, well-looked after, well-traveled, well-etc)…because at least we aren’t starving or made to wear a veil or barred from education, or fearing for our lives, or etc…, right?
* We will be screening their video Andy Forever on Saturday night pre-Digweed party at our place (9-ish). Come by and check it out.
* Check out their exhibition (scroll down to 5a) at Tanjong Pagar MRT (tunnel towards Temasek) before it goes on 28 Novemeber.