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world toilet day.

not today. but on November 19. yes, November 19!

the school gave out this Today In History Singapore book where they gathered people of different birthdays to write about something that happened on their birthday in history. and this girl who was born on November 19 wrote about World Toilet Day.

the aim of the day? to change the attitude to the humble toilet.

and there's even a World Toilet Organisation! and it is Singapore-based! and from the site, here are some toilet-y facts.

1. An average person visits the toilet 2500 times a year. About 6-8 times a day. You spend about 3 years of your life in the toilet.
2. Poor toilet condition is a worldwide problem. More than half of the world population have no proper sanitation.
3. Suppression of urination due to dirty toilets can lead to kidney and bladder diseases. In order to avoid visting public toilets, some people refrain from drinking and suffer dehydration.
4. Most toilets are designed incorrectly.
5. Female takes 3 times longer than male, yet both toilet sizes are often same.
6. Toilet remains as a 'taboo' as people are shy to discuss the subject.
7. There are toilet associations worldwide promoting toilet education and culture.

interesting eh? and there is even a World Toilet Summit! and the first World Toilet Expo & Forum was held in Shanghai in May earlier this year!

amazing right? the importance of toilets. summit leh!

i promise to start treating toilets better. even though the canteen toilets really stink and i swear that the stench is embedded in the walls, i will not ostracize it. instead, i will hold my nose and risk dying from shortness of breath and use that toilet. :P

but seriously, just think about the number of times we visit the toilet a day. and multiply it by the number of people in the school or wherever else who is sharing the toilet with you. the couple of cleaners a day will not be able to keep them in a great state. so instead on just relying on them, i guess we should just play our own part in keeping the toilets clean.

here's what we can do.

1. Flush the toilets when we're done. Full flush! Don't try to save water. I bet you would rather higher bills than an overpowering stench.
2. Don't pull and pull the toilet paper like it's nobody business! Just take what you need and don't leave the rest lying around on the floor! It's disgusting.
3. Dry your hands properly! Don't flick flick flick. And dispose of the towels you use to dry your hands properly! The dustbin opening is HUGE, for heaven's sake.

suddenly remembered what my Red Cross Mdms used to teach us. after using a place, we should make it we leave it in the same condition, or even better. and i think this applies to toilets too. as much as you want to enter a clean toilet everytime you feel the need to, the others after you wants it too. what goes around comes around!

i can't believe this. i'm actually preaching about toilets. haha. maybe sharing a day makes me more connected to toilets. lol. November 19 rocks my socks! (:

and meanwhile, i shall continue running away from the canteen toilet. it's really THAT bad.