Developments

I feel better now.

This morning passed easily enough. Was still busy with my literature review on a project that my mentor is interested in, and in the time between finding a website and collecting the printout , in the time it takes to walk the five or so steps between my workstation to the printer, I would have moments of vertigo as I considered the task before me. Knowing that I was going to make the decision, knowing my choice, does not make the choice any less significant. The only way to swallow the unease is to get it over with.

During the lunch hour, before my appointment to sign the deed, I suddenly felt an urge to walk, as fast and as far as possible. And so, speeding out of the URA Centre, I made my way eastwards towards the river. I actually made it, within fifteen minutes, to Raffles Place, on the way wending through the lunch-hour crowd and the traffic, both struggling past the construction sites and digs scattered throughout the city. Passed quite a few potential spots for lunch, but quickly abandoned them for the crowds and because they were too close to URA's offices. I was, I guess, trying to lose myself in the rush; or, more exactly, I had somewhere to get to fast, and I was walking urgently so I could find out where I was actually headed. But the surprising thing was, just by randomly walking through town, I bumped into an old Army comrade and an old classmate. How odd that, at this moment, such meetings would suddenly transpire. That old acquaintances would surface from amidst the patterns of flowing faces.

*

After the signing (there was no real formality, just a brief explanation of the terms, and pens flashing over paper), I got the opportunity to crash UPOP, an orientation programme for new URA colleagues to introduce them to URA's work and each other. Though I was not supposed to actually attend (I had asked previously, but they had not previously granted permission), I got in today because they were going for a "site visit", which I think is a rather unfortunately dour euphemism for "field trip".

When I first joined the group of them, there were a few disturbing moments of pre-Frexprog detachment and queasiness. It's like you're on the outside looking in, wanting to join in, but finding that you're unable to bring yourself to reach out. They struck me as, well, young. Even the ones that were older than me seemed young. In the way they talked and behaved. It reminded me, rather disconcertingly, of my pre-Frexprog self, who viewed such antics with condescension, even disdain. It underlined how much my perspective had changed since JC, and how much I had to relearn in order to be able to play the game again less self-consciously.

However, such concerns were quickly suppressed. After a point, you really have to simply take a leap of faith and reach out to other people, and you take it from there in order to form a connection. Seeing these games as childish is in itself childish; the perspective of past experience demands tolerance and open-mindedness. Met some interesting people there; those who had been posted from other agencies, those who just came out of school, those who were already old hands at URA and who were there to show us the ropes. There was this particular guy, who demonstrated a breathtaking range of knowledge about the city. Here are some of the anecdotes he told us, as he took us on a bumboat ride down the River, and then walked us through the civic district:

Esplanade Bridge was completed on the eve of the Asian Financial Crisis. Feng Shui masters were quick to point out that building the bridge had been a mistake, because the bridge looked like an obstruction to the river, which had always brought Singapore prosperity. Moreover, the pontoons that held up the bridge looked like the capsized hulls of boats, since they were designed to withstand waves coming up the river. On a related note, when Liang Court (the one with Novotel in it, at the northern end of Clarke Quay) was first constructed, Feng Shui masters recommended it be clad in orange; since Fort Canning Hill was like a dragon, a strong building was needed to keep its influence away from the river - a building with the colour of a tiger.

The organisation that saved the Merlion from obscurity wasn't STB, nor the businesses around the river, but URA. Everyone else had, by then, lost interest in it.

The completion of the Ritz Carlton at Marina Centre (that big ugly grey building) drove home to the politicians for the first time the importance of urban design, because, at one fell swoop, it obstructed the view of the city skyline from the Sears Bridge if you're entering downtown from the airport.

Originally, when David Marshall was made the Chief Minister of the self-governing Singapore, he refused to conform to the Western dress code of Parliament, turning up for sessions in a short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts and slippers. Consequently, the governor refused to assign him an office in the Parliament building. So, he set up a desk and chair in an alcove underneath the grand stairway (somewhat like Harry Potter's room), until the governor gave in out of pity or irritation.

The clock tower at Victoria Concert Hall used to appear frequently in Singapore-made films (from the era of P. Ramlee). When it rang, it used to sound the chimes of Big Ben. There used to be a crown at the tower's summit, but it was removed in a fit of post-colonial restoration.

And my personal favourite:

Since the Singapore River is about to be dammed up by the Marina Barrage to form our island's newest reservoir (turning our last little brook into our newest pond), PUB has decided to phase out the old diesel-engine bumboats and river taxis, for fear of contamination to the water. The replacement electric boats are constructed in ersatz-style, in that they look like the original but lack the original's kick (they are, for one, almost totally silent). So, one of the boat companies, thinking that the smell of diesel is part of the character of the bumboat business, decided to partner with a polytechnic to produce a diesel-flavoured perfume to be deployed on all boats.

The last time I went down the river on a bumboat, it was with Florent and Jes during Frexprog almost seven years ago. That time, I had been telling them anecdotes about the developments around the river; but my knowledge back then hardly holds a candle to this chap's savviness. And it strikes me that, before this month is out, all the diesel-engine craft that used to ply the waters will be gone. Their last stronghold is the Changi-Ubin route, which is hardly secure either. I think they are something that I will, really, miss.

But what really stood out on the trip was how intimately URA's planners and architects know the city, and how much of themselves they have put into making it a splendid place to live, work and play in. One of the planners spoke of how she had fought against the developers to keep the promenade in front of The Central (above Clarke Quay MRT Station) free from outdoor eating areas, so that the public could come directly up to the water. And how, every time she passes that area now, she looks at the people sitting at the water's edge with a sense of satisfaction.

Ultimately, that, I think, is the kind of thing that I want to be able to say at the end of my time with URA. That is what I want to get out of the experience; a chance to make a material impact on this city, a physical contribution that will make a real difference to real people, even if they don't perceive the difference.

*

Well, as for the signing itself, it went off without a hitch. There was a bit of discomfort seeing the thick stacks of legalese in front of me, and I could feel my grip of the pen falter at some points. But the HR personnel were courteous and open, and we bantered easily, without a hint of awkwardness. I guess all parties have been waiting so long for this moment that it has been bled of all its anticipatory uncomfortability. And it also helped that there were familiar faces at the table: an old family friend and, of course, my parents.

During the lunch hour, I had wandered the city myself, trying to lose my anxieties in its pulse. And it occurred to me how many of the important decisions of my life have been preceded by moments of solitude, that create the impression that I am facing the difficult choices alone. But when the crunch time comes, it always turns out that I am not standing alone.