I’m back in Singapore again, at least for a few days before I head off to Bangkok. British Airways tried to stick me in a middle seat again, but after a little negotiating I managed to snag an aisle.

I was running late. It was all the taxi driver’s fault – he arrived at the house 30 minutes early, so I went racing around the house to get everything ready. We set off about 15 minutes ahead of schedule and were making good progress towards the office when Aude phoned be to ask whether I’d left my keys at home on purpose? Normally it wouldn’t be a big deal, but my remote access token is on my keyring – and without it, I’m pretty much incommunicado. So we made a quick u-turn and were headed back to Canterbury. Aude met us mid-route, so it only cost me about 45 minutes in all.

I made it to the airport on time, thanks to a very heavy-footed taxi driver. Raced into the lounge, grabbed some dinner, then slept for most of the 14 hour flight back to Singapore. Headed to the hotel and did a little work, unpacked, basically got settled for the week.

Decided to treat myself to a Japanese steak for dinner, then a massage (how great is it that the massage places over here are open until 10pm on a Sunday?), now going to head into a hot shower and hopefully get some sleep. It’s a busy week this week and I need all the help I can get…

Another day, another room service meal. This time, a seafood bouillabaisse.

For the record, bouillabaisse is an incredibly difficult word to spell, as I’ve just discovered as I tried to type it for this blog.

Bouillabaisse

Hats off to the chef. Room service or not, it’s one of the best bouillabaisses I’ve ever had, and it’s loaded with no fewer than three lobster tails. Mmmm. (Although I secretly fear that there are three lobsters out there in little lobster wheelchairs, having given up their tails for my dinner.)

It was a bloody long day today — we’ve got a workshop on Weds/Thu/Fri this week and so we’re all working away feverishly to get everything ready in time for all the bigwigs to fly in on Friday and pass their verdict. Not helped by the fact that I decided to watch “The Good Shepherd” last night, not realising that it’s about 4,000 hours long. So my ‘early night’ turned into a reasonably late night… Not the best way to start the week.

My client is full of a cold and spluttering everywhere. My colleague has already succombed. It’s only a matter of time before I catch it…

What to do on a rainy Saturday in Singapore? Singapore Science Centre, I thought, hoping to catch the new Imax movie about the possibility of a massive hurricane in New Orleans (filmed three months before Katrina) and it’s post-Katrina follow-up. Since I was going all the way out there, I thought I’d go around the museum as well to see what was on offer.

The short answer was: not much, if you’re over nine years old. I was the only person there without small children in tow. The only exhibits that I found really interesting were the ones that were sponsored by corporate sponsors and clearly aimed at a different audience – I learned quite a lot about oil production from the exhibit sponsored by Shell, and even learned a lot about the work that my former company did to help them maximise their existing oil assets.

I also discovered the “Pharmacopeia Arts” exhibit, sponsored by GSK and Roche. It’s no wonder Aude went into pharmacy. When clever pharmaceutical companies can combine the wonders of chemical science with a little fashion, it becomes the obvious career choice for any teenage girl…

The “Pharmacopeia Arts” exhibit at the Singapore Science Centre

The CNS (Central Nervous System) Cowboy Hat!

The CNS (Central Nervous System) Cowboy Hat!

The Diabetes Spaghetti Strip

The Diabetes Spaghetti Strip

The Antibiotics Handbag (Prada it ain’t!)

The Antibiotics Handbag

Still, it was worth it all to catch the film – “Hurricane on the Bayou” – that was showing. It was absolutely amazing – both the breath-taking cinematography and the excellent documentary coverage of Katrina and her aftermath. The Imax experience really brought Katrina to life in a way that even visiting New Orleans in person couldn’t. If this movie comes to an Imax theatre near you, definitely catch the film.

I had my camera around my neck as I walked around Singapore… Here are a few more shots.

The famous Singapore Merlion, shot from across the harbour outside my hotel

Singapore skyline at sunset

Singapore skyline at sunset

The Singapore Merlion

The Singapore Merlion by night

Streetlights