Some men do not deserve to have a penis. Let me tell you why. Firstly, they hide inside accessible toilets to smoke, selfishly polluting it with the stench of cigarette fumes. Secondly, they simply do not bother to lift the toilet seat when peeing. Thirdly, they do not know how to aim properly. Hello! You are not dousing a fire. There is no need to swing it from left to right and up and down. Just shoot straight into the toilet bowl lar!

Inside one of the accessible toilets at Ikano Power Centre.

This photo was taken inside one of the accessible toilets at Ikano Power Centre. This must be the work of a man who did not know how to hold his penis to direct the stream of urine into the toilet bowl. There was urine all over the toilet seat and on the floor too. The room reeked of cigarette fumes. Imagine my consternation when I got into the toilet and was greeted by the unsettling sight and smell. Fortunately I did not need to sit on the toilet bowl. Unfortunately, I usually spend a little more time in the toilet as compared to other people and had to bear with the stench the entire duration I was inside.

Ikano Power Centre is one of the most accessible buildings. In fact it is a paradise for wheelchair users. There are ample accessible parking spaces. The entire building is almost 100% accessible except for the rather steep ramp connecting to Ikea at the ground floor and the pet shop at Level 2. Moreover, just across the road is The Curve where food outlets are aplenty.

There are so many reasons why I like to hang out there, only to be spoilt by idiots who mess up the accessible toilets. These are the handful of people who make other Malaysians look bad. When I was in Tokyo, all the public toilets that I used at train stations, shopping complexes and at the airport were spotlessly clean and, mostly importantly, dry. Malaysians should learn to be more civic conscious and discard that third world mentality. We should keep toilets clean for the next person just like we would like the person before us do the same.

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The holidays after the weekend is over. I am glad. It took me this long to recover from those four days of excesses. Weekends and holidays allow Wuan and I to spend the whole day together. We only get to see each other for a few hours on weekdays. But holidays make me sick. There are just too many things to do, too much excitement, too little routine and practically no time for rest. Contrary to my perception of my adaptability, I thrive on routine. I like the routine that I keep. It gives me a sense of control on my life.

My weekdays are very structured; I keep to a low-protein diet, drink every hour, catheterise every three hours and take plenty of rest in between. This routine keeps me alive and healthy, to a certain extent. It slows down the progression of my renal failure. Holidays and weekends are different. We are usually out for the entire day. It is difficult to adhere to the diet when temptations abound. I do not drink as much to reduce the need to look for accessible toilets. Clean ones are difficult to come by. People here simply do not know how to use public toilets and keep it clean and dry for the next person.

After a couple of years of living outside my comfort zone, I have retreated back into it. Loving my weekday routine is proof of that. This is not necessarily a good thing but not a bad thing either. Trying to fit into the mainstream is taxing especially when the environment is fraught with barriers. My energy level is already below its midway mark. Traversing the attitudinal and physical barriers takes a big chunk out of that. I have a choice; fight it and get burnt out at the end of the day or take a step back and preserve my energy for more worthy endeavours. The latter seems more sensible, for now.

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So, Malaysia has partnered with several entrepreneurs to put together a team for the 2010 Formula One championship. If you ask me, this is a sheer waste of money. I still do not buy the logic that this will benefit the country. Honda has pulled out of the championship. BMW is to follow suit. What does the government know that Honda and BMW does not? Why do we need to spend so much money to boost our image in the international arena when there are still may people in the country who are being marginalised. Look at the Penans. Look at the squatter settlements all over the country. Look at the plight of disabled people.

I have no issue if the team is funded by private investors. However, the money that is going to be forked out by the Malaysian government through GLCs for running the Formula One outfit can be put to better use to improve the quality of life of those marginalised groups. Among others, that money should be used to uplift the life of the hardcore poor, provide decent housing to squatters, improve the public transport system and make the country accessible to everyone. I believe this is what the first half of the 1Malaysia slogan “People First, Performance Now” truly means. Lets not forget that, dear Prime Minister Najib.

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