On a walking tour of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, I asked about water at the start of the trip. I was glad I did. We had a long wait of over ten minutes before departing. The guide told us we were visiting public sites for over an hour and would not be stopping anywhere for drinks and water. I darted into a plaace she pointed out to refill with water. But bad news was to come.
Half way through the trip, the whole walk was halted for over twenty minutes because an apparently fit young man collapsed, possibly due to the heat. Several of us grew tired of waiting in the heat and set off on our own, missing the last part of the tour, if it ever took place.
I kept thinking of Wall Drug, South Dakota, advertising around the world its offer of free iced water.
Wall Drug store advertisement in Antarctica. Photo from Wikipedia.
Wall Drug advertisement in Afghanistan. Photo from Wikipedia.
Water is essential for survival and feeling well. American hotels often have water dispensers and ice dispensers in the lobby of hotels and every floor or every other floor.
What are the possible effects of lack of water?
A doctor told us:
1 The pains in your legs could be due to lack of water.
2 If your urine is dark you need to drink more water.
Cramp when swimming.
Drink water before swimming.
Singapore flag
In the tropics, such as Singapore, drink water in the morning when you wake. You have been sweating all night. The same applies to other parts of Asia, in Europe and Southern USA in summer, even New York and Washington DC, when hiking, taking a boat.
More signs of dehydration:
Aches and pains in your limbs and body.
Eyelids feel dry and you rub them until you get a stye.
Nose is dry so you cannot smell the wine or the food and you keep sneezing.
Generally tired and lackadaisical.
Inability to reach decisions. In a restaurant you can't decide what to choose off the menu.
Get drunk fast and fall asleep.
Wake up feeling no better than when you went to sleep.
Too hot.
Itchy skin.
Dandruff.
Constipation which makes you feel more sluggish.
Irritable.
Drink water. You are alert enough to decide or what to eat or to cook yourself some food. Energy enough to clean your teeth and go to bed in time to get up early.
So where can you get water? Ask!
Ask for water. Look for water.
In Airports
When getting off the plane, fill up at the airport fountains.
On Planes
Save the water from your lunch or diner or breakfast if you have not drunk it rather than letting it go to landfill.
If you fear that a foil-topped container will burst in your bag, carry it in a separate bag. Or decant it into your water bottle.
Alternatively, use the saved water for brushing your teeth, washing your hands and body, in the airplane toilet which has signs saying Not Drinking Water.
In Hotels
Ask at reception. When offered a welcome drink of alchohol or juice ask for water.
Go past the gym and fill up your water bottle.
In Shops
Ask for water, especially if you have made a large purchase or are kept waiting.
Choose places which have free water.
Remember Wall Drug in the USA which grew its business and its town by adveritsing Free iced water.
In homes you visit, ask for water. make sure everyone else has water, too. Family friends, your driver.
After drinking water, you might need a toilet.
Drink water before taking a long train journey or leaving home for a long journey. Make sure everybody else also drinks water and goes to the toilet.
Write the word for water in your diary or notebook in the languages you will need on holiday or a business trip.
I just used Google translate to find and confirm the words for water in other languages.
Here are some handy words:
Flag of Canada
French
French is spoken in France and Canada.
De l'eau - some water
Je voudrais de l'eau, s'il vous plait. I would like some water please.
Flag of Germany.
German
wasser - water
Ich mochte etwas wasser trinken, bitte. (Notice the verb is at the end of the sentence.)
Spanish Flag.
Spanish
agua - water
Me gustaria berber agua. Por favor.
Italian flag.
Italian
Vorrei un po d'acqua da bere, per favore.
Flag of Indonesia.
Indonesian
Agua
Flag of Israel.
Hebrew
Mayim - water
Japanese
water - misu
Flag of Singapore.
In Singapore there are four languages, English, Chinese (Mandarin), and Tamil.
Chinese (Mandarin)
Water
drinking water
(The word for water is 'shway' as in fung shway which means wind water, implying harmony with wind and water.) The different dialects such as Cantonese pronounce it differently, such as foong shooey. Ask for the local pronounciation of wind water and you will be able to remember the word for water.
wind
water
translated into traditional Chinese
風
水
Fēng
shuǐ
On long-haul flights such as Singapore Airlines, the staff come around with trays of drinking water between meal times and water is served with meals.
Now I'm off to drink some water. How about you?
Useful Websites
singaporeair.com
About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
