I visited Singapore 15 years ago, and this time I'm excited to explore the city's new developments...

including attractions like the stunning Jewel at Changi Airport, the vibrant Gardens by the Bay.

We installed the latest bike-share app and cycled around the Quay and Singapore Bay in eco-friendly style.

The Jewel is a late addition to an existing terminal, showcasing exceptional engineering design and regentrification.

Here, we visited the iconic Raffles Hotel, renowned for its colonial architecture and history.

It's Christmas and Gardens by the Bay transformed into a winter wonderland, adorned with dazzling decorations.

We explored its elegant interiors, and landscaped gardens.

Beautiful Christmas tree at the Raffle Hotel.

The Marina Bay was developed in the early 2000s, transforming the waterfront into a vibrant hub of activity and innovation.

Back to the old Central Business District.

The famous landmark of Singapore - the Merlion.

Inside this heritage The Fullerton Hotel.

The highlight for Royceton on this trip is the Pokémon Center.

This restored neoclassical building was once served as the General Post Office.

This Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in China Town is dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha and houses a tooth relic of the Buddha. 

The Chinatown storefront facades often have a mix of pastel hues, with red, green, and yellow and feature wooden shutters, intricate carvings, and decorative tiles.

We bought a few traditional Chinese medicine products from these signature traditional shops.

As I won't bring Royceton to India, the Little India is the closest (also cleaner) version of the Indian heritage I could expose to him.

Built in 1900, the former house of Tan Teng Niah is the last surviving Chinese villa in Little India.

Royceton had a bacterial infection just before our flight to Singapore, which made us hesitant to try new foods. Many dishes I wanted to sample at the hawker centers had to be put on hold. His energy level was only at 50% most of the time, so we could only spend about three hours outside before returning to the hotel for three hours of rest, and then venturing out again for another three hours.

Luckily, we stayed in the One-North area, an innovative business park focused on research, innovation, and technology. The area is quite international with INSEAD and a few Singaporean universities, and there was a food court offering a variety of Asian cuisine for students. We enjoyed a variety of clean and tasty food.

I have a high school friend who transferred to Singapore in 2019. As a family-friendly destination, Singapore is great for raising children. However, since he is an expat and not a permanent resident, his son attends an international school, and his family has to pay international medical fees. Additionally, the quota and immigration system make it difficult for him to feel settling down in Singapore and calling it as a home in the long term. Regarding talents, the country's mentality is not quite there yet to fully transform Singapore into an international city. Overall, it is mainly a place to make money. Yet Singapore does broaden his exposure on South and South-east Asia.

I also have a friend who moved to Singapore ten years ago to pursue a career in IT. Recently, he decided to leave the country and mentioned that he won’t be back for at least another decade. Although he didn’t go into detail about why he felt so exhausted, his overall sentiment was clear: "I contributed my prime years to this city." He considers himself fortunate to have earned the reward from property investment there. However, beneath this gratitude lies a sense of disillusionment. I presume in a city where one’s contributions are constantly measured, he becomes more of a tool than a human being.