Know Your ABC's (and AYE's, CBD's, and PIE's)

When we first told our friends in the US that we were moving to Singapore some immediately would ask “Do they speak English there?”.  We would gently explain that while Singapore has 4 official languages (English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil), English is the primary language spoken by virtually everyone.  We heard about “Singlish”, the amalgam of other languages into English, but really haven’t heard much of it after moving here.

So we didn’t expect that we would have to learn a new language, but we have.  Getting directions in Singapore sounds like a NASA launch sequence with the odd sounding, difficult to decipher, acronyms tossed left and right.  There are acronyms here for roads, areas, schools, and government agencies—everything.  They are almost all 3 letters and not pronounced as a word, but as a series of letters.  (Somehow this seems highly appropriate since I work for Visa, which is itself as a recursive acronym.)

Here’s an example:  “To go from the CBD to SIN, I can take the ECP (with no ERP).  Or, I can take the MRT.  From home I can MRT or take the PIE or the AYE to the ECP. Hopefully I am flying SIA (or SQ), but I can be assured I am going to get through passport control thanks to the ICA.”

Sometimes conversations can sound like an episode of “The Californians”, but with letters instead of numbers.

Here’s a short list:

• MRT - Mass Rapid Transit -- This is the subway rail system in Singapore that I ride almost every day.
• SBS – Singapore Bus Service – Exactly what it sounds like.
• LRT – Light Rail Transport – Light rail vehicles that feed the MRT.  We haven’t been on one of these yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
• ERP – Electronic Road Pricing – These are the gantries that use car transponders that charge fees for driving into the CBD.  The price varies by the day and time of day.
• CTE -- Central Expressway (somehow turning two words into three letters)
• ECP – East Coast Parkway
• AYE --    Ayer Rajah Expressway (this time the acronym is the first 3 letters??)
• MCE – Marina Coast Expressway
• BKE – Bukit Timah Expressway
• TPE – Tampines Expressway (two words again?)
• PIE – Pan Island Expressway
• LTA – Land Transport Authority  -- The letters you will learn about if you park illegally, drive in a bus lane, or have the wrong type of license.
• COE – Certificate of Entitlement – Yes, owning a car in Singapore is considered an entitlement—a very expensive entitlement.
• HDB – Housing and Development Board – The housing authority for Singapore
• CBD – Central Business District – Known as “Downtown” in the US
• URA – Urban Renewal Agency – This is the well run planning arm of Singapore’s government.  They plan up to fifty years into the future and do it very well.  Their City Gallery is not to be missed.
• SMU – Singapore Management University
• NUS – National University of Singapore