Rice Full Place

These days I seem to have less and less communication difficulties with taxi drivers in Singapore. Today was an exception.

"Hi! Raffles Place Please," I greeted the driver with my (in my own opinion) neutralised English accent.

"Rice full place?" came the seemingly bemused reply from the driver.

"Raffles Place," I repeated, just in case he heard my wrongly.

"Rice full place. Where ah?" he asked again. Oh no! Were my, painstakingly acquired, Singapore communication skills starting to fail me again?

"Raffles Place. Ra-fulls-place?" I tried.

"Ya. Ya. Rice full place. Which building?" he asked with his voice slowly showing signs of impatience.

"Ocean Towers please," I asked.

"Ok lah. Rice full place, Ocean Tower."

Twenty minutes later we arrived at the right place. Phew! My accent is understandable after all.