On the leaving of Singapore

I’m in the lounge at Terminal 1 of Changi Airport waiting to be called for the delayed QF31, my first flight on the A380. I’ll make it back in time to get down to Cardiff for Wales v Australia on Saturday. I took this photo from my hotel balcony this morning. Its the first hotel I ever stayed at in Singapore over a decade ago. I was out to speak at a conference on knowledge management for IPQC. I let the local IBM people know I was coming but I was ignored so I had a whole week to myself bar the two days of the conference. Back then the area around the hotel was either undeveloped or a building site. Now we have a host of shopping malls and the new arts centre. The wider perspective of the picture below shows the latest development just off Marina Bay.

I little knew then how close I would get to this small country of five million people, where you can traverse the whole island in less than two hours. Cognitive Edge is based there, and we have just taken on three more staff, all locals, to provide support and development for the network. I’ve had Chicken Rice (one of the greatest national dishes) more or less every day in its many varieties. As always I have had interesting discussions with interesting people. I haven’t seen a police man all week (just in case any idiot out there is thinking of the stereotypes) and at no point have I felt at any risk walking back late at night.. Funny really, this former colony now exceeds its ex imperial master on several economic scales. has the highest rate of inter racial marriage anywhere in the world (one of the best cultural indicators that one) and and an élete education system.

I’ll be back again several times next year. I may even move out here more permanently when my younger child goes to University – mind you I would miss the Rugby.