Gotta Go!

My first few months in Singapore I really did not notice anything different about signs for the toilet. 

OK, this is something I DID notice right away in Asia—the term “restroom” is rarely used here.  People say: “I need to go to the toilet” which just sounds odd to me.  I occasionally use it now, but find myself going halfway and using “washroom”.

It was at September’s Formula 1 that I noticed my first humorous signs.  After that I kept noticing more and more so I began collecting them and will update them as I find more.  Enjoy!

Formula 1 – Singapore Sep 2017

LEGOLAND – Malaysia Nov 2017

Coffee Bar  – Melbourne Nov 2017 Guess it’s time to go

Well, it makes the point pretty clearly.
Great Ocean Road, AUS Nov 2017

This was over a urinal in Beijing Dec 2017

Drove Me Nuts Down Under

I am used to driving in foreign countries.  It started back in 1992 when we took a 2 ½ year old Patrick to Italy.  Most recently was the 2,500 miles we drove all over western Europe after picking up Julie’s (then) new Mercedes at the factory in Stuttgart.  And a lot in between, be it Europe, Mexico, or Canada.  But in all of that “foreign driving”, I had NEVER needed to drive on the left side of the rode (known to all of my US friends as “the wrong side”).

That changed on our trip to Melbourne in November.  I had business there and Julie and Christopher came down mid-week to explore Melbourne, then we needed to pick up a car Friday afternoon and head to Lorne, the beginning of our 3 days on The Great Ocean Road.  But this blog is all about driving on the wrong side of the road.  I will let Julie post the pretty pictures.

I told Julie several days before that she would have to be my co-driver and keep her eyes at all times to make sure I didn’t revert to my 42 years of driving experience.  This was compounded after getting to Melbourne and learning in the CBD they have a unique maneuver called a “hook turn”.  In a nut shell you make a right from the left lane—confused?  This might help.

Anyway, one of my first goals in leaving Melbourne on a Friday afternoon in all the traffic was to never, ever, be in the position that I needed to do that.  Google Maps did its job.

When we showed up at the Hertz office they had upgraded this to a “Kluger” SUV which I heard as “Luger” and assumed it by the gun manufacturer.  But it was a mid-sized SUV by Toyota.  I also made sure I got full collision damage waiver for the peace of mind.

 We started out slowly and carefully talking EVERYTHING through before we did it.  And we succeeded.  Only a few feints to the right now and then.  And I only got in the left side of the car once and had that momentary “Where the hell did my steering wheel go?” thought.  And a couple times we went to the wrong doors, but all in all did pretty well.

(I did like the Australian road signs encouraging “Power Naps” if you get a case of the “drowsy’s”.)

Julie and I have had an agreement since our first time driving in Europe 25 years ago: “Never complain to the other person about a driving mistake because we are BOTH going to make them”.  And that approach continues to work for us.

Here's to your health!

Being wheeled to surgey

While we didn’t post anything on social media about this, I had some surgery here in Singapore a couple of weeks ago (actually on Thanksgiving Day).  I had developed an umbilical hernia, which first popped up (no pun intended), in Vietnam a couple of months ago.  It wasn’t too bothersome, but I knew that it wouldn’t fix itself either—so off I went to a doctor to see what was up.

My GP at Camden International Medical Clinic sent me for an ultrasound.  After the procedure  (in which I felt like a pregnant mother to be) the radiologist agreed that it was a moderate sized hernia located just above my navel.  Then I went to the surgeon, 6’1’” Singaporean who had gone to USC for undergrad.  We hit it off well and he even gave me the name of his tailor (big people have a hard time finding clothes here).

My bill

So surgery was scheduled at Gleneagles Hospital.  Family and friends at home asked, “what is medical care like in Singapore?”.  The short answer is three-fold:

1)     The nurses wear uniforms, not scrubs

Thank You Card

2)     A hospital room is about $225 USD per night, not $2,500 like the US (cheaper than a hotel room in Singapore)

3)     Do US hospitals ever send thank you cards?

Anyway, a good experience and all is well.

(Postscript: Leaving a follow up appointment with my surgeon, I picked up a chewy candy from his lobby dish and promptly broke a tooth—sucks getting old, but the dental care seems good here as well.)