i) Sensitive Subject# 1
(I tried. I really tried!) I shouted, in my mind.
Still, I couldn’t help but frowned my eye brows when I smell the stinky urine coming from the staircase, at the underground train station (or subway).
(What on earth?) Irrespective of which countries, we would still have this same issue happening in this civilized world.
(Hey! There’s public toilet around. Why did you do that?!?) I was running amok in my monkey mind.
It might not only be an action of an animal; the culprit might be man or woman though. Yes, woman. The other day when I walked past the garden pathway heading towards the shop on the other side of the road, I got to witness a woman in the action of urinating, openly, in the garden. (Oh gosh! My eyes, my eyes have been polluted! I need to cleanse my eyes!!) She and her friends had been drinking for a while, there, in that garden. I quickly walked past and pretended that I didn’t see her action. (Oh my gosh…)
ii) Sensitive Subject# 2
(Three minutes to go…) Peeked on my mobile phone for the bus arrival timing while waiting at the bus stop. Suddenly, I choked by a strong smell. “Phew!!” my nose nearly dropped off. (What was that smell? Anyone smokes, somewhere? To top it off, smoking weed?) A man blew the smokes after inhaling his weeds deeply. And sat next to him was a young woman who performed the same action but she was enjoying her e-cigarette (i. e. Vape). (Huh…) I turned my head to the other side. I walked a few steps away from the bus stop where I could stay against the wind’s blowing direction. Tried to inhale some fresh, unpolluted air. Due to the cold weather, my nostril already suffered a little pain after inhaling the cold air; now it was getting worse with the smokes…
(Great! The bus is here.)
I quickly jumped onto the bus and got myself out of that smoky area.
iii) Sensitive Subject# 3
“A table for two, please.” “Sure, this way, please.” Janet and I went for a dinner at ‘the Shakespeare’ pub. That was my first visit there. Nice interior designs and layout. We placed our orders at the counter. We then took some photos while waiting for our food.
“Hmm… Do you smell some mouldy smell in here?” Janet asked. “Yes… like fabric not dried properly… Could it be the floor carpet?” I said. This was quite an established pub, maybe it has been long enough not having their carpet clean up? Who knows. The waitress delivered our drinks. She walked towards us, with two bubbles-overflowing jugs.
(That’s the apple cider we ordered.) She didn’t deliver the jugs using a tray; but just letting the alcoholic bubbles dripping onto the carpet… Now, the riddle has solved. No wonder there’s mouldy smell coming from their carpets… (My goodness.)
Luckily, the apple cider and the yummy-delicious food were able to ‘outshine’ the mouldy smells. We enjoyed our dinner and had a great time that evening.
iv) Sensitive Subject# 4
Out of my curiosity, I booked an antique hotel in Bristol. It carries the old British building designs. Happily checked-in into this hotel, but my excitement reduced by half when I realized that I had to climb through those tiring staircases, just to reach the floor where my room was located. Tired… as I had to carry two heavy luggage with me.
(Hmm… the room is rather small but the bed is so high.) Yes, high; to the point that I had to climb up to it with tipping toes. I am short… at 155cm only. Ha-ha…
“Wait a minute… What are these red stains?!?” I lashed my complaint to the air.
(Am my having my menstrual period now? Couldn’t be…) I had just shocked myself. Those red dots stains were here and there; on the bed cover and even on the floor carpet… The red colour caused an unpleasant view to the room, in general. It could be the irresponsible guests that happened to spill their red wines to the floor and bed, during their stays.
(Sigh…) Took some selfie photos in the room, avoiding those red stains.
v) Sensitive Subject# 5
Back to my daily working routine after a long vacation, I walked toward the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) station heading to office, at 7:45 a.m. Inhaled the fresh air in the early morning, with plants and flowers growing along the walking path; that’s just refreshing to start my day. Stepped onto the lift to get onto the platform.
(Phew!! What’s that?) I tried to search for the source of that smell came from. (This person in front of me!) (Did he put on his sleeping clothes without changing them? Oh, my goodness…) I couldn’t explain that smell. I guess many people could tell by just imagining the ‘lovely cosy’ smell from one’s bed. Some might find it smells great as that was their own bed that they had been slept on every night, and even left their sweat on. (But that nice smell might not smell ‘nice’ to others. You know?)
(How can anyone to even stepping out from their house without changing their clothes?) Although many people would not change into pyjamas but just a simple t-shirt and sweat pants. So, they might think that was okay to just wearing the same to go out getting something around the neighbourhood… even to work!
“Hey, Mariah, let me ask you something. Is Paul wearing his sleeping clothes to work?” One afternoon, my lady boss asked me this, whispering. “Paul? Why so?” I asked her back. Paul was my ex-classmate that I introduced to this company. He just joined the company for a week now.
“His clothes smell. Like he didn’t change his sleeping clothes and came to work right away with that.” She complaint with frown look on her face.
“Oh… I guess so too.” I said. “Can you tell him not to do so going forward?” She would like me to tell that to my ex-classmate. “Err… You tell him, better?” I refused. It would be better for the boss to instruct him to change, for work sake. (Not through me. That might ruin our friendship if he finds that offensive to his ears.)
This encounter flashed at the back of my mind, at this moment. The same source – i. e. sleeping clothes that smell. I quickly sprinted to another carriage when the MRT train arrived. (I need some fresh air. Don’t spoil my morning, please.)
vi) Sensitive Subject# 6
“How about we go picnic in the park, on Sunday?” Janet suggested to Mariah, on Friday evening. “We can lay a clothe on the grass and lay on the ground, relaxing~” Janet already started to imagine the picnic scenes.
“Picnic? Lay on the ground? Err…” I asked, in monotone. “There might be dog poop here and there though.” Not that I wanted to spoil the mood but that’s the fact that we shouldn’t ignore.
“You think so?” Janet looked at me and asked. “Well, I’ve seen many people walks their dog, but never take the responsibility to clear the poops away.” Frowned my eyebrows while illustrating the views I’ve seen in the past.
“Some just carries an empty plastic, pretending they would clear the poop after their dog. But merely pretending, put up an act. When no passer-by or no one seen to be around, they would quickly walk away from that spot where their dog has just done the business.” “You know what, this happens to not only locals, in fact, people of all skin colours. I saw that with my very own eyes even in Australia… Shxt…” Janet could sense the annoyance in Mariah.
“We try to check before laying the clothe on the ground?” Janet suggested.
“That’s the best we can do for ourselves. I don’t want my hair or shirt gets dirty by dog poops, please.” I declared.
“Me too, no way! Ha-ha…” Janet agreed with both hands.
“So, what do we going to bring along? What food you have in mind?” Both ladies became enthusiastic on their upcoming picnic arrangement.
vii) Lucky You
Smelly bus stop with increasing smokers nowadays, staircase in train station, carpet of the pub, and the eye-catching red stains in the hotel room…
(Oh my goodness, this sensitive nose that I have and the high cleanliness demands I sought after in any environment, have literally making my days challenging.
It is not easy being a sensitive person. Trust me, it is not. Not that I wanted to. It just happened. Each time, I need to do something to stay away from the unpleasant encounters I was in, just to continue my days, without causing any troubles to others.
You’re lucky if you can live unbothered in those situations.)
