Day 2: Which Fish is What?

Day 2 was much as the first, in fact, some moments for my greatest hits collections, but the translation department leaves a lot to be desired...

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Today, I ventured far from the safety of my hotel, to find my way to Fusionopolis Park, my workplace for the next two years. I used the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) system, which is the most euphemistic name for "train" that I have ever seen.

For my culture shock tips, there are two things you should know about the MRT. First, return ticket doesn't mean return ticket at all; it means keep going back three times in 30 days. You do get value for your $4.70! Second, when you're on the escalator, STAND ON THE LEFT FOR THE LOVE OF SHIVA! This is in contrast to what we are used to back home in London, where fellow escalatorians will grimace in horror and tut disapprovingly while looking at their shoes if you so much as stick your elbow out on the left. No, in Singapore, there are signs up to make sure that you stand on the left, or so help you when the Chinese bloke late for his train runs up behind you on the right, clutching his triple espresso!

The MRT is extremely clean and punctual, and there is a train every minute or so. Most trains have bulbs on the maps, above the station names, which turn green when the station is yet to come, red when it is approaching, and off when you have passed it. So if you have fallen asleep and missed your stop, and wake up halfway between platforms, you will know exactly where you are by way of consolation! As you approach the station, a matrix above the platform-side door will light up green and the opposite one red, so that, in contrast to, say, the London Underground, here you can at least stampede over each other on the correct side of the train.

Fusionopolis Park comprises two complexes known by the very imaginative monikers of Fusionopolis 1 and Fusionopolis 2. Fusionopolis 1 is the older of the two, housing three buildings, Connexis, Symbiosis and Galaxis. The MRT stop, One North, is directly below Connexis, so that is the first one you see. On the other side of the road is the brand-new Fusionopolis 2, which officially opened on 21st September. There will be an opening ceremony attended by the Prime Minister in the next few weeks (19th October). And Fusionopolis 2 houses three marvellous feats of engineering with Space Age names: Innovis (the HQ), Solaris and Kinesis (where I will have my office). Solaris is billed as one of world's greenest buildings, literally and ecologically, for you cannot fail to notice all the space they have dedicated up the walls to growing plants.

This evening, I had dinner at the Broadway food court, which is near my hotel. The food court is a building that has stalls all the way around the outside, backed by kitchens, where chefs of various persuasions attempt to entice you with their offerings. In the middle of the court, there are tables laid out for you to eat at. After sampling the Chinese yesterday, I opted for South Asian today. I approached an Indian man making naan on a stove and asked him about his curries:

"What fish is in your 'white fish curry'?"

"White fish."

"Which fish?"

"No! White fish!"

"What about that one?"

"Red fish!"

Well, I had the indeterminate white fish, but it was very nicely cooked in onion, garlic and spices. It came with two naans, a side dish of chickpeas and a cup of iced lemon tea. And all for the princely sum of $11.10 (which is about £5). You wouldn't even find the iced lemon tea so cheaply back home!

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By The Imperial Orange,

1st October 2015