The year was 2001. It was our first visit to the USA. Our minds were full of trepidation and apprehension. How to check in, whether the baggage weight was okay, what the customs guys might ask, where to keep the passports, and to whom to hand them over—everything was viewed with doubt, suspicion, fear, worry, and tension. We had to change aircraft and airlines in Singapore. How would we navigate such a huge airport? Thankfully, we received thorough guidance and instructions from our sons.

The transit time at Singapore Airport was over six hours. My sons had booked a room in the transit hotel for that period. And so began the tapestry of confusion.

It was early morning, and chores needed to be performed. I jauntily went to the restroom and tried to open the tap. I tried all angles and directions, but it wouldn’t open. No sign of water. I was instantly reminded of water-starved Chennai. After my wife and I tried in vain, I contacted the reception and thought I had successfully conveyed our predicament. A Chinese lady, apparently a cleaning staff member, walked in. What followed was a hilarious exchange of sign language. She didn’t know English, and I didn’t know Chinese. I am not even thorough in the languages I have learned, so using sign language was a whole new challenge.

With Herculean effort and Himalayan patience, I laboriously explained my soul-stirring struggle with the tap. She made an upward twisting movement with her hand, accompanied by a ‘hmmm’ sound, to indicate the pressure required, perhaps. Eureka! Unlike in Chennai, the water gushed from the tap. Half of our time at the hotel was already over. We spent the next few hours window shopping, not knowing how to ask for the price of anything we liked. In Singapore, everything is methodical and organized. Not knowing what to do, in typical fashion, we barged into the check-in counter. With more hand gestures, I learned that we had to get a token and wait until our turn arrived.

Great relief. We got onto the next flight, which was headed to Taipei. We had a short time there to transit to another aircraft. On the way to the next flight, I thought of having a wash. The restrooms were wonderfully neat. As I marveled and went to a washbasin, I saw something astounding. There was a tap but no lever to operate it. As I stood there confused, another Chinese gentleman tapped me and gestured—another silent sign language—to cover a small sensor on the side of the tap.

Whether water gushed or not, relief gushed over me, washing away some of my embarrassment. Hoping no one else had witnessed this episode, I saw a few others battling the same confusion. With newfound confidence and recently enriched knowledge about taps, I smilingly showed them how to use it. With my head held high, I walked out and boarded the aircraft.

To be continued... 56. Tapestry of Confusions - Part 2