The river bank on the side of the Fullerton Hotel in the evenings is a great spot to sit and watch the boats go by and have a quiet chat with a good friend. I find this side of the river very interesting, not so much for the bars and restaurants along Boat Quay, but between the Boat Quay stretch (before the bars start) and the Fullerton Hotel where the public art is.
You start off under the UOB Plaza in its vast foyer, a little further in from the river, where you will find a Newton statue by Salvatore Dali. It's such a landmark, many office workers tell their friends to meet them "by the statue with the hole in the stomach".
Along the river bank itself coming out from UOB Plaza, you will see the Fat Bird statue by Botero, a lovely, happy art work. How can one not smile when faced with a giant, fat, round bird?
Keep walking down the river towards the Fullerton Hotel and you will be greeted by artworks depicting local Singaporean scene of days gone by. There is the working ox and cart and its owner. Another one of a trio of men discussing business.
Then if you look very carefully by the side of the end of the Elgin Bridge, you will find a kuchinta, a local breed of cat with its sharp face and feline features.
A few more metres down, still on the same end of the Elgin Bridge near to the Fullerton Hotel, you will see a group of cheeky boys, pushing one another and jumping into the river for a skinny dip, including a little fella in mid-jump which is why the work is so dynamic. Such simple pleasures of olden days gone by.
Come discover the public art in Singapore, they will put a smile on your face.
Orchard Central, the mall, is not much different from the other 47 malls you find along Singapore's most famous shopping street, Orchard Road. (Ok I made that magical figure of 47 up in case you were wondering) However, if you go up to the roof top, this is what you will find - a secret garden.
