Plus ca change, plus ca me'me chose

I've been to every city/country on this itinerary at least once (Singapore, Thailand, Sydney, Melbourne), so to be quite honest, I had very low expectations with regards to experiencing or seeing something new. I certainly did not expect to see or experience anything new in Singapore (it's such a tiny country landmass-wise), but to my surprise, Singapore recognized my impudence and smacks me in the face as soon as the plane commenced descent with the newly constructed T3 airport terminal, the new and very modern-looking concert hall along the Esplanade, the new Merlion (Singapore's symbol) viewing deck jam-packed with tourists from mainland China (who would’ve thought 10 years ago that majority of Singapore’s tourists will come from that country), and the massive construction going on Sentosa (Singapore's island resort/amusement park and the future site of the country’s first hotel casino). Amidst this onslaught of new development and construction, I still recognized the sights, sounds, smell and taste of the familiar from my previous visits: the bustling streets alive 24/7, the throngs of pedestrians along Orchard Road, the tantalizing smell from Singapore's many hawker stands (food courts) as you become one of the pedestrians yourself and the limitless energy from every facet of day-to-day life in this very dynamic and cosmopolitan of Southeast Asian cities.

I guess at its core, a country or city will always be true to itself in spite of massive development and progress. After acknowledging the folly of my initial premise, I amend myself, and am now pretty sure that every city or country I re-visit will offer me the new and the familiar, and the familiar will always be what makes that city or country unique. If my French serves me well, “Plus ca change, plus ca me'me chose”: The more things change, the more they stay the same.