NOV 2013
Singapore
THE LONG RIDE
2014 ScandAsia.dk
ScandAsia.fi
2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore ScandAsia.no NovemberScandAsia.se
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Opinion
The blue eyed fundamentalists The Benefit of the Doubt
Scandinavian* politicians truly believe they know how to make things better here in South East Asia; when I learn about their ideas for the future and see the projects they suggest implemented in our region I am baffled. Try to listen to Scandinavian politicians or officials on visit. These most innocent looking blue eyed people are in fact mere fundamentalists; in their approach they are not much different from the Mullahs in Iran. They believe that they know better and that they represent The TRUTH – beyond discussion. Therefore they can tell the governments out here what to do, how and why, but as a one-way affair. Since the representatives of the Scandinavian countries regard their beliefs as TRUTH they themselves can of course learn nothing. You don’t discuss with a Mullah, do you –waste of energy. A Minister of Trade touring Myanmar: “You can actually support the democracy by establishing good business connections”. Selling democracy in slices like salami, eat please; democracy we must have. Mind you: OUR variant of democracy. Another Minister of Trade touring Thailand see: ‘The Scandinavian Economic Model as a Goal for Thailand’. Well this minister is backed by billions of barrels of oil, which makes it easier to create nice models and finance the deficit. Lectures have been given to the Myanmar and Thai government regarding financial operations, democratic institutions, dealing with refugees, the faith of the Rohingya’s etc. In their weird mindset the leaders and officials seem to believe that they represent the best and most advanced of all worlds, therefore their edition of what is right and what is wrong is beyond discussion, they furthermore possess moral superiority. That is why their export of everything from democracy to police agents controlling appropriate sexual behavior here is good and need no further argumentation – ‘everybody can see that this is the right thing to do, can’t they?’ – Exactly this is what makes them fundamentalists; in their ethnocentric thinking they overlook the realities back home, the loneliness, the illnesses and tumors in their own societies.
Doubt. Thesis->antithesis->synthesis.
One of the main elements in European constructive thinking is: DOUBT. We have to look ourselves in the eye: Are we in accordance with facts and realities when we suggest this and propose that –for the benefit of e.g. Thailand and Myanmar. Where are the weak points, what will talk against our solution and why, what can the syntheses then be. The brand ‘Democracy’ is a good example; the Scandinavian politicians advocate ‘their’ homeland edition of democracy. But the magnificence of that model is doubtful, how for example to tell and how to deal with that in Denmark 148.000 people are members of a political party; that is less than 4% of the electorate consisting of 4.079.000 people. Most Scandinavians believe that their democracies are generally in balance and stable. Then there are some problems at the edges of society; a few mixed examples: Mr. Breivik. Riots among immigrants in Stockholm. 423.000 (minimum) people in Denmark living their lonely life on ‘Happiness pills’ such as Citalopram and Lexapro. How many problems before we accept the oriental wisdom that you must also rely on your neighbor, that nothing is stable, that everything is under change and that your life will be a misery if you believe you can control everything. That you have to live here and now, not so much for tomorrow.
The Dialogue
Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Singapore ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Singapore. We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and the rest of South East Asia.
Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www.scandasia.com Publisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Assistant Editor: Wachiraporn Janrut wachiraporn@scandmedia.com
After14 years more or less here in Thailand I realize how much we can learn by accepting a ‘two sides of the coin’ exchange – if we can move ourselves away from prejudices and certain norms. No, I’m not a new convert; everything is yin and yang, good and bad, here too. But a dialogue would be beneficial for both parties.
Advertising : Frank Leong frank@scandmedia.com
* I deliberately leave out the Finns. Their approach and business ventures here in South East Asia seem much more down to earth, not so much ‘knight on a white horse’ babbling, not so much ‘democratic’ smoke.
Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com
Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com
Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Supphathada Numamnuay supphathada@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Advance Printing Services Co., Ltd.
Flemming Winther Nielsen is Senior Lecturer (retired) DSH. DK. M.Sc.soc. (Aalborg University). The author has working and research experience from the Sudan, Zambia, Portugal and Thailand.
Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com
Coming Events Danish Christmas Bazaar in Singapore Date: 23 - 24 November 2013 Location: Danish Seamen’s Church, 10 Pender Road, Mount Faber After last year’s success of more than 1000 guests, this year the Bazaar will once again be for two days, Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th November 2013. This allows the visitors more time to taste the delicious food and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere. Both days the basar opens at 11.00 and closes at 16.00 For more information, visit www.dkchurch.com/calendar.html
Christmas Bazaar @ Norwegian / Swedish Church Date: 9 -10 November 2013 Location: The Norwegian / Swedish Church Two days for the whole family with traditional Christmas bazaar, games, competitions, sale of many home made articles like angles, calendars, decorations for the Christmas tree, Christmas cookies, etc. Both days open from 11:00-16:00 More information: www.sjomannskirken.no/singapore/kalender/julebasar
14th European Networking Night Date: 21 November 2013, 18.30 – 21.30pm Location: KazBar, 25 Church Street, #01-03 Capital Square 3, Singapore 049482 The 14th Euorpean Networking Night will be held at KazBar, Capital Square, once again. The quarterly networking nights allow participants to expand and consolidate their networks SGD $45 (Members & Supporting organizations) SGD $65 (Non-Members & Door-registrations) www.eurocham.org.sg/index.php?option=com_event&task=view&id=383&Itemid=0
Visit Snow City before Christmas Date: Tues to Sun 9.45am - 5.15pm, Monday closed - but open on public holidays Location: 21 Jurong Town Hall Road, Singapore Snow in sunny Singapore? Why not! Experience Singapore’s only indoor snow centre. Find your winter clothes, pretend you are back home and fool around in the snow. Best enjoyed with children and/or childish persons. Check admission fees here: www.snowcity.com.sg
Danish dancer Kit Johnson in Singapore Date: November and Deceber 2013 Location: Esplanade Theatre Studio og Goodman Arts Centre The Danish dancer Kitt Johnson will dance her famous solo performance ’Stigma’ during the ‘CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival’ on 5.-6. December. Kitt Johnson will also speak at the public forum for all dance enthusiasts on 7. December 2013. Kitt Johnsons also conducts a 5-days choreografic workshop from 30. November – 4. December. ‘CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival’ takes place at Esplanade Theatre Studio and Goodman Arts Centre. For more information about the festival and how to buy tickets, follow the link below: Photo: Per Morten Abrahamsen 4 ScandAsia.Singapore • November 2013
www.the-contact.org
Past Events
Nordea’s Singapore branch opening Nordea and its clients celebrated the official opening of the new Singapore Private Banking branch at the elegant Tamarind Hill location Friday 11 October.
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unn Wærsted, Nordea’s Head of Wealth Management, was in Singapore to celebrate with the bank’s staff and clients. Ms. Wærsted is responsible for Nordea’s Private Banking services, with EUR 220 bn of assets under management and clients in the Nordics and around the world. The occasion was the official opening of Nordea’s new Private Banking branch in Singapore, which builds on the bank’s already more than 30 years of presence in the corporate banking and ship finance business in the Lion City. Ms. Wærsted was joined by Jhon Mortensen, who heads Nordea’s International Private Banking business, with headquarters in Luxembourg. Eric Pedersen, a Nordea veteran who has been with the bank for more than 15 years, heads the Singapore operation, which offers the same services as Nordea Bank S.A. in Luxembourg and Switzerland, but with an Asian touch and personal service in the Asian time zone. Close to 200 clients and friends of the bank attended the celebration at the beautiful Tamarind Hill house in Singapore’s Labrador Park Nature Reserve and both the atmosphere and the venue impressed even old-timers. “I have lived here for 20 years and I never knew this place existed”, one guest said. “We have heard five or six versions of what this house was originally used for”, explains Eric Pedersen. “Some say it was a Communications HQ during the war, others that a Malay regiment used it as their barracks. We have also been told that an important British official used it as his private home - although it seems very big for that! Of course it is quite possible that it was in fact all these things, only at different points in time”. Today, however, Tamarind Hill is a high-class restaurant with a unique décor and location. The evening was long on celebration and short on speeches - only Ms. Wærsted interrupted the music of the Cellissimo string quartet for a moment, when she took the stage to congratulate Mr. Mortensen, Mr. Pedersen and their team on their achievement in getting the coveted Singapore banking licence in place. She also thanked Mr. Lars Kyvsgaard, General Manager of Nordea’s existing Corporate and Shipping branch in Singapore, for his support in setting up the new Private Bank. There after the celebration went on with wine and great food something that all those attending appreciated.
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1. Mr. Eric Pedersen, General Manager of the new Private Banking Branch and the proud host of the evening, with H.E. Ambassador Berit Basse, Royal Danish Embassy in Singapore. 2. Ms. Gunn Waersted Group Head of Wealth Management for Nordea and Head of Nordea Bank Norway, thanked the assembled clients for their support. 3. Mr. Haavard Farstad, Senior Account Manager for Norwegian clients. 3. Mr. Jonas Bergqvist, Senior Account Manager for Swedish clients. 5. Mr. Kim Osborg Nielsen, Senior Account Manager for Danish clients. 6. Mr. Lars Kyvsgaard, General Manager of Nordea’s Corporate and Shipping Branch in Singapore, with Priscilla Tan of Nordea Private Banking. 7. Around 200 guests had come out to Tamarind Hill. 6 ScandAsia.Singapore • November 2013
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Past Events
Autumn Art Exhibition
T Danish a capella group Basix gave several performances in Singapore
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he a capella songroup Basix from Denmark gave on 11 October a public performance at the Aliwal Arts Centre in Singapore during the International A Capella Festival. The group is already well-known and praised around the world. With a grand total of 5 international CARA awards, including “Best European Album” and “Best Holiday Album” the Danish group has proven themselves to be among the very best of a capella groups worldwide. The performance in Singapore was a short stop-over on their way to Taiwan, where they had several performances during the month.
he Autumn Art Exhibition arranged by the Swedish / Norwegian Church and SWEA at the Church opened on 28 October. This is the second year, this event takes place - if it can be arranged again in 2014, it is a tradition. The participants exhibited various kinds of art objects, some showed their paiting, others showed photographay and jewellery. The following artists participated: Ika Forssell, Anette Andersen, Annelie Nikou, Susanne Wallin, Inger Nordlund, Marica Salokangas och Ann Haugan. Most of the exhibited items were available for the visitors to buy and 25 percent opf the revenue was given in support of the Church.
On the 29 October, Basix was back in Singapopre, performing at a closed corporate event and the day after they again entertained at a closed event, this time for the Danish embassy. On the “Play Danish” day the 31st of October, the Danish Seamen’s Church had as usual invited the Danes in Singapore to join the populatr sing-along event. This year, the event was elevated with the presence of Basix who performed some of their favorite Danish songs which some of them the participants could also sing along. Painting by Ika Forsell
November 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 7
Past Events
Crazy Fish Party organized by YP Singapore
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he Swedish Crayfish tradition has been celebrated widely not only in Singapore, but all over Asia this year. Young Professionals Singapore would not cheat themselves for one crayfish party, and it turned out to be a great night in Tanjong Beach Club on Sentosa Island on 5 October, YP president Emelie Heden said. “The atmosphere was great and people really enjoyed themselves” she recalled. Around 60 people of many different nationalities attended the crayfish party. In addition to the Swedes, other party-goers were Norwegian, Danish, British, Dutch, Finnish, Singaporean and Japanese. “It was good fun, we sang Swedish traditional snaps songs and gorged ourselves with crayfishes,” Emelie Heden said, noting that they tried to add as many crayfish songs in English as possible, but the problem was there are too few of them. “The international guests saw a new side of Scandinavia and did a great job singing along in the songs,” EmelieHeden said. The lyrics of ABBA’s Thank You for the Music was changed to Thank you for the brannvin, while Helan Gårturned into Hell and Gore. The night continued with contemporary and old Swedish sing-along tunes counting Carola, Thomas Ledin and Swedish Housemafia. The set was performed by YP’s in-house DJ, DJ Mike. After the crayfish party YP Singapore had around 15 new members, Emelie Heden added.
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News Brief
Singapore port to install Finnish network
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inland’s VTT to test and develop and install an advanced wireless network for PSA Singapore Terminals (PSA), the world’s largest transshipment hub. The network will strengthen PSA’s management of innovative unmanned systems, including automated guided vehicles (AGV), which is currently being developed. PSA will be able to command and control its AGV fleet reliably and safely, through a robust wireless mesh network. “VTT is honoured by this partnership, which represents a significant toehold for us in the Singapore market. We look forward to working
Lego plans growth in Asia
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closely with PSA, and fulfill their business requirements and operational needs of such sophisticated terminal systems,” said VTT’s Jouko Suokas, Executive Vice President, Business Solutions. A wireless mesh network consists of a group of wireless devices which can boost the reliability and connectivity of the grid, by relaying and distributing data traffic from other devices within the network. These and other features can also be applied in similar places, such as railway yards and automated storage areas. “These innovations will bolster our capabilities to operate the next-generation automated hub port,” said OH Bee Lock, Chief Operating Officer, PSA Singapore Terminals.
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anish toymaker Lego is developing plans to expand throughout the Asia-Pacific region, using China as a new manufacturing and distribution centre, Warc.com reported. Speaking to Campaign Asia, a company official said the world’s second largest toy company needed “to reach out to even more consumers in the entire region”, and expressed confidence that its products would appeal because “intensive” tests showed they appealed to all children from America to China. Even though the overall toy market is slowing down in Asia – Euromonitor forecasts slower growth of 7.2% between 2011 and 2016 – Lego’s sales in the region grew 35% in its most recent quarter, accounting for 10% of its global revenue. Plans for growth include a new manufactur-
ing and distribution hub in China, expected to be completed in 2017, which will have the capacity to meet 80% of demand for the entire region. Lego CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp told Bloomberg TV earlier this month that he didn’t regard Asia as a supply base, but instead as a growing market. He said the region was witnessing “urbanisation where 500 million people are going to become members of a middle class that will look to great schools, great infrastructure, but also play as an important part of childhood.” The company may find its initiative boosted by a trend identified in the Wall Street Journal whereby Asian parents, particularly in China, are beginning to relax their focus on academic study and are allowing more time for toys and play.
Singapore PM congratulates newly-appointed Norwegian PM
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ingapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sent his congratulations to Norway’s newlyappointed Prime Minister Erna Solberg, when the news of her voctory was confirmed in mid October, Channel News Asia reported.
In his letter to Ms Solberg, cited by a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, Mr Lee said Singapore and Norway enjoy good bilateral relations. The two countries cooperate in many areas, including trade and investment, and maritime issues, and work well together in regional and international forums, such as the Asia-Europe Meeting and the Arctic Council. Prime Minister Lee said he looks forward to working with his Norwegian counterpart to strengthen bilateral ties.
News Brief
Telenor, Schibsted and Singapore Press Holdings team up in online classifieds
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elenor, Schibsted Media Group and Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) are teaming up to create two joint ventures in online classifieds. The companies will provide high-quality online classified services to people in Asia and South America, Telenor said in a press release.
Application for Finland’s 2014 Millennium Youth Camp is open!
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veryone born in the years 1995–1998 from anywhere in the world may apply for the 2014 Millennium Youth Camp in Finland through online service. The application process is two-phased. Application for the first phase begins on 15 October 2013 and closes on 15th December 2013. Link to application form will be published on October on this site: http://www.technologyacademy.fi/events/ millennium-youth-camp/?topic=application From these applications 200 young people will be chosen for the second round on 3 February 2014. They will be given the task of drawing up - on their own(!) - a plan for a project relating to the topics. This plan must be sent in by 3 March 2014. The project work will be examined and some of the young people will then be interviewed by telephone.
The names of the 60 participants chosen for the camp will be published on 17 March 2014. The participants will be chosen by a team of experts comprising representatives from Finnish universities and from Millennium Youth Camp partner companies. Check on Facebook for last year’s Camp! https://www.facebook.com/pages/MillenniumYouth-Camp/211481435698862 Look at the picture of our wonderful 2013 Millennium Youth Campers! Don’t you just wish that you could have been there? Well, you can! Jump at the opportunity to apply for the 2014 Millennium Youth Camp and maybe you will be among our new bunch of lovely and talented campers who will meet each other face-to-face first time in Finland on 3 June 2014. The one-week long camp ends on 11 June 2014. All your costs (including flights) will be covered!
Telenor Group and Schibsted Media Group have established SnT Classifieds, and Telenor will also join as equal partner in 701 Search (701), the current joint venture between Schibsted Media Group and SPH which operates and develops online classifieds in Southeast Asia. While Schibsted brings extensive knowledge of and experience from the online classifieds business, Telenor contributes with significant emerging market experience and deep insight into mobile internet technology and usage. Through its strong media presence in Singapore and - an alternative to the Danish across Southeast Asia, SPH will continue to bring substantial value ‘Studentereksamen’ to the partnership through extensive local insight and a strong regional network. • internationally recognized Over the next six to seven • gives admission to universities years, close to three billion people all over the world are expected to access the Inter• taught in English net using their mobile phone as the primary or only interface. As You can stay at Nyborg Gymnasium’s more services go digital and moboarding school. bile transactions gain ground, the mobile device will become ever Contact us for more information about more important for distribution. the programme and the boarding school. Participation in the development of the most successful Internet Deadline for applications: sites nationally, which online clas15th of March sified sites typically are, will help Nyborg Gymnasium & Kostskole to secure presence on the devices Skolebakken 13, DK-5800 Nyborg, tlf +45 65 31 02 17 and increased exposure to the post@nyborg-gym.dk, www.nyborg-gym.dk mobile Internet growth.
International Baccalaureate
November 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 11
The Long R By Ika Forssell
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wo medical professors, a Swede and a Singaporean, of the National University of Singapore, will embark on a three-and-a-half-month motorcycle ride from Singapore to Sweden next year. The journey to promote awareness of breast cancer looks set to be a great humanitarian endeavour and the adventure of a lifetime for Associate Professors Mikael Hartman and Philip Lau.
Asian breast cancer is different Incidence of breast cancer among Asians differs markedly from the situation faced by their Western counterparts. By the time an Asian patient is first diagnosed with this form of malignant tumour, it usually has already reached a more advanced and dangerous stage. Despite free screenings for all women offered by the government, not many take advantage of the opportunity for an early detection. Furthermore, treatment is not as readily accepted among Asian women as their counterparts in the West. Mikael Hartman was surprised to see, when he first came to Singapore about five years ago, more cases of advanced breast cancer in six months than he had seen in ten years in Sweden. He discussed the issue with Philip Lau and the two have since focussed their efforts on reversing this worrying trend. It became evident that the exact same method and procedure that have worked so well in the West do not produce positive results here in Asia. There are ethnic and cultural differences that need to be identified and addressed. Although breast cancer has been a very rare condition in Asia, it is growing rapidly and has become a serious problem. “We must change the false idea that breast cancer is a disease of the West,” says Professor Philip Lau.
Asian model It is the quest for an Asian model to predict, detect and treat breast cancer that has led the two professors to launch this mission. The intercontinental ride has two main goals: to increase awareness of breast cancer in Asia and to raise fund for research to better understand and treat the condition. The breast cancer research fund, set up in July 2012, has raised a total of $3 million to date. The Long Ride team recently organized a charity dinner where some generous philanthropists donated considerable sums towards the fund. The fund will be used for research work in Singapore, 12 ScandAsia.Singapore • November 2013
but its findings will benefit women all over Asia.
Collaboration along the way At a number of places along the way, the two biker-surgeons will visit cancer centres and hospitals to learn from both health workers and patients about the socio-cultural context of breast cancer incidence. They will also give lectures, conduct surgical demonstrations and participated in other health-related events. For example, a pink ribbon parade will be organized at a health fair in Penang during the bikers’ visit to a local university. Similarly, there are other collaborators along the route, who will organize events and lectures in their cities. In general, both professors agree that the whole venture is meant to highlight the need for good research in the area of breast cancer. Another project that has spun out of The Long Ride is a collaboration with the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, under the direction of Associate Professor Cynthia Chou, to conduct an anthropological investigation on breast cancer incidence in Asia. During the study, they will
conduct interviews with patients and healthcare professionals, and the findings will be published by the NUS.
A Long and Perilous Journey The 23,000-km journey, which will take the two riders through 17 countries, requires meticulous planning. In choosing the route, Hartman and Lau aimed for a balance between locations where they can expect to collaborate with local health experts and interact with patients, and places of scenic beauty that are also culturally interesting. Another important consideration is to limit the number of border crossings to bare minimum to avoid unnecessary delays. Apart from the cross-border hassles, other probable perils include mechanical failure, illnesses and extreme weather conditions. The pair will be supported by two 4x4 vehicles, one of which driven by Professor Lee Chuen Neng, a renowned cardiovascular surgeon and the Department head of the two riders. Thus, any eventuality that may arise, such as a need for spare parts, fuel in remote areas and other necessities will be taken care of. Although the team has taken precautionary measures, there is always an element of uncertainty involved, and this
Ride 2014 The two bikersurgeons will visit cancer centres and hospitals to learn from both health workers and patients about the socio-cultural context of breast cancer which is growing in Asia.
is what makes the journey so interesting. You can never know what to expect at any time.
Entirely on Annual Leave The riders want to emphasize that all costs for the entire journey will be funded out of their own pockets, and that the time they spend away from work is all accumulated annual leaves. All donations given towards the project will go to the Breast Cancer Research Fund.
Follow the biker-surgeons online You can follow the ride, which will begin on March 21, 2014, in Singapore and end on June 17, 2014, in Stockholm, on the blog http://longridess. blogspot.sg/. The riders will carry web cameras on their helmets, and broadcast whenever possible. In many areas along the route, this will not be possible. They can also count on the support of students at the Anglo Chinese Secondary School, who will be following the journey closely and post their reports online using the latest software technology. The official web site of the project is under NUS website: http://medicine.nus.edu.sg/ medsur/thelongride/theproject.htm. November 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13
We are
the human touch The Seamen’s Church provides highly-personalized welfare services that range from fulfilling a request for a special type of chocolate, a friendlyconversation about life or simply the presence of a person from outside the shipping industry. By SIne Neuchs Thomsen
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n Fridays the Danish Church in Singapore is usually closed to visitors. That doesn’t mean no one is working. With her face lit up by the glow of a computer screen, the Danish seamen’s priest Kirsten Hougaard Eistrupwas sitting in her office and pointing out ships coming to the port of Singapore which probably have Danish crew members. “They can be very difficult to find. The most obvious places to look are, of course, in the Danish flagged ships, but the Danish flag isn’t synonymous with Danish crew members. At all,” she said while browsing through the online ship schedules. At any given time, there are around 1.000 vessels in the port of Singapore and with a ship arriving or leaving every 2-3 minutes; it is almost a detective’s job to try to locate an exact ship which carries a Danish seaman. That does not discourage her. “It can easily be up to three or four weeks since the ships had been in a harbour where therewas a Danish Church and that makes this part of my job extremely important. It is the church’s key task to serve the seamen’s welfare,” Kirsten Hougaard Eistrup stressed.
The basis of the seamen’s church’s existence “Serve them welfare” is a vague term. From a historical perspective, the Seamen’s Church has always been a place where seamen gathered during shore leave to meet the priest and to talk about whatever was on their minds. Those kind of “talks” still exist, but due to the transformation of the shipping industry into a highly automated one, and the actual shore leave cut down to somewhere between 10-72 hours, such talks now more often than not take place on board the ships. “It is all about presence and attentiveness. If they won’t have time to come to the church, we will go to them. We are always ready to lend a sympathetic ear no matter what they want to talk about – even the tough thing,” Kirsten Hougaard Eistrup said, without going into the specifics on subjects that seamen usually bring up. “We are the human touch. We give them a chance to talk about anything. Our task is to listen and we are not part of the authority or the shipping company or the technicians who have any specific job to do on the ships. We are a neutral party,” she said, noting that she never really knows what kind of encounter she can expect when she boardsa ship. “One day I can go to a ship, de-
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liver the things they requested and go back without meeting one single person. On another day I can sit for three straight hours and speak to a bunch of crew members from all over the world,” Kirsten said. In that situation the church representatives do not treat different nationality differently. A seaman from Poland or Greece has the same need to talk and be listened to as a Danish seaman has, she said. “They are all part of the ship’s crew and for me as a priest I only see them as my fellow human beings and my task is to serve them. Sometimes, my duty is to fulfila simple need for some dark chocolate or t-shirts in a specific size,” she added.
Flip-flops size 46 The technological advancement has enabled the shipping industry to work faster and more efficiently. But work-related stress and the shorter stopover in the ports, have made it even more difficult for crew members to cope – not to mention fulfilling even simple human longings for company or craving for specific products or treats -- to make their days and weeks at sea tolerable. “We receive wishes in virtually every category. A typical one is flipflops in size 46, for instance – they can be difficult to find in Asian countries because locals’ feet are small,”
Kirsten with printout copies of the latest edition of Danish newspaper Weekendavisen. If there is no request for specific newspapers, Kirsten and her colleagues decide from time to time which one they print.
Kirsten is a bit of a geography nerd and besides checking out the ships for the church’s work, she enjoys tracking the ships for fun and to learn more about their routes around the world.
she said with a chuckle. “We often get requests for candies, movies and books,” she said. Among countless number of requested products, Kirsten Hougaard Eistrup especially recalled one: a Black and Decker Laser Level tool. “It was a gift for a seaman who had to mark his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife while he was on board a ship here in Singapore,” she said with a big smile on her face, saying that she didn’t mind purchasing the gift to make the seamen happy. Reading materials are also much sought-after by the seamen, who work long shifts on board. In addition to a large stock of used books to share, the church has a special access to a database, where latest editions of newspapers from countries around the world can be found and printed out for distribution to the seamen. “The Danish Goverment’s Seamen’s Service (Handelsflådens Velfærdsråd) has sponsored a special printer that makes it easy for us to print out the newspapers. It might not offer the same feeling as reading an actual newspaper out of an industrial printing shop. When I go visit the ships, I often see that old newspapers are so worn out as the result of being read and handled by so many people. It tells me that there is still a need for us to pro-
vide this news sheets even though the photos are not in colours and the news might be a couple of days’ old,.” Kirsten Hougaard Eistrup said. It is not often that the church’s staff experiences the seamen to be especially outreaching, but sometimes they receive a proof that validates the importance of their work. For instance, when the church received this email: “Well, the ship is now again back in its ‘homeport’, and is as usual at anchor at Western Petroleum B. I am supposed to stay for the next couple of days at anchor, after which the ship is going to load in Bangladesh. Whereas I am the only Dane on board, I am very thankful for the newspapers and magazines we have received from you. I would be very thankful if you could exchange some of my Danish-language books, because the ships no longer get the books sent to them. After signing on this ship several times I have read all available Danish-Language literature on board worth reading, and movies cannot match a good book.” “That makes it all worth it,” Kirsten Hougaard Eistrup said with a smile before she dressed up for the next ship visit. Safety shoes, bright orange vest and a helmet are required when she enters the vast expanse of the Singapore Port.
November 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 15
Young Professionals Singapore S candAsia catches up with Emelie Heden, the president of YP Singapore, for a quick Q&A on the role the group plays in the city state’s networking scene.
Q: Who can join YP? A: We aim at the age-group of 18-35 and we are focusing on Scandinavians, but we gladly welcome other nationalities who – however – often join our events.
Q: What is YP? A: YP stands for Young Professionals and is a networking tool for young Scandinavian Professionals and students in Singapore.
Q: How many members does YP have? A: At the moment, we have 85 paying members, but we have almost 700 members in our Facebook-group.
Q: What does YP do? A: We organize different events to give young Scandinavians a platform to meet and network with one another other. We have one monthly event on the third Friday at Indochine Forbidden City Clarke Quay and several tradition-bound events such as Swedish Midsummer celebration, crayfish party and glogg. The consistency of events it key in retaining and raising the number of members. We have not had this many members since 2008, which was before the recession. We have since widened the membership in the past year by reaching out to our Scandinavian neighbours. In addition, we have also tried to promote Sweden and Scandinavia to other nationalities. We now have Singaporean, Japanese, French and Dutch members, to name a few. YP has never been as international as it is today - and for that, we are very happy.
Q: Paying members? What does it take to be a member? A: After paying S$50 for professional (S$25 for student) you can join the events and enjoy “1 for 1” offers in the bar at the monthly event. At our traditional events, the members also have discounts of different kinds.
16 ScandAsia.Singapore • November 2013
Q: Can you do more than just be a member? A: We always need new board members to arrange and follow up on the events we are organizing, and if you like to organize events, promote and socialize we might be looking for you. So feel free to ask us if you are interested in spending more time with YP.
Q: Why did you decide to be actively involved in YP? A: It warms my heart to see people join a new network through YP, when phone numbers and business cards are exchanged. It is a good place to start building up your social circle and make new friends. It also helps you to get to know the city better and it is beautiful to see what people can get out of meeting each other over a beer or a drink. People come and thank me every time we have these events, and tell me that they really appreciate what we are doing. Q: What good has YP done to you personally? A: YP helped me create my social platform in Singapore. Through YP I found new friends, that have become some of my best friends and family for many years, before they went back home. And that is actually the sad thing about living in such a transit country as Singapore. Sooner or later, they will decide to go home, and it can be very tough to say goodbye to good friends - I can tell. Emelie Heden works as marketing manager and has been in the city for six years.
Our business was born over a lunch
From left Kristoffer Schram, Thor Hansen and Mikael B. Larsson.
Mikritho is a Singapore-based newly established company, offering consulting services to other businesses that want exposure in the Asian region. By SIne Neuchs Thomsen
I
t took three men and one lunch to create a business. That is the short version of the origin of the newly registered company Mikritho. The long version is about three trailing spouses - Scandinavian male spouses to be exact who started to meet regularly for lunch every Wednesday and named their weekly arrangement “Lunsjklubben”. “The story about Lunsjklubben is a story in itself - but that is where we met,” explained Mikael B. Larsson. Their company name Mikritho is an acronym based on Larsson’s and his two business partners’ first names. Michael contributes with the first two letters, Kristoffer Schram is the Kri and Tho is short for Thor Hansen. Thor Hansen added: “One day we asked ourselves: why didn’t we make good use of our respective abilities? We all have previous business experiences, so it seemed obvious to combine them with our good networks and contacts in Singapore.” All three of them have wives with high positions in Singapore. One of works at the Norwegian Embassy and one at the Swedish Embassy and one is with Volvo Group Trucks, which is equal to a large network in the business world, they said. “We consider Singapore a very good platform to start if someone wants to enter the market here or in the other Asian countries,” Kristoffer Schram said. “Our task is to take a look at the product or
the service of our clients are providing, and help them find ways how to enter the market and expand. We investigate the market to find them the best partners with good references.” Mikritho has had a surprisingly good start, since the opening of the company in May this year, according to the three spouses. Even before the official launch, they had the first deals waiting and since then there has been more demand for services than they can deliver. But the three partners still keep their expectation at a realistically modest level. They pointed out that they do not want to seem bigger than they actually are. It takes time to enter a new market, and still some more time before they can expect to generate steady revenue, they said. “The way we get paid is in the form of a small commission from the clients’ future revenue, but if we do not succeed in finding the right partners for our clients, it won’t cost them anything,” Thor Hansen said. Hansen noted that they target small- and medium-sized businesses, which do not have the capacity to spend their own manpower in researching and testing a whole new market. “We can be a very valuable and effective partner for a small business, which actually has an interesting product to launch,” he said. Mikael B. Larsson and Kristoffer Schram are Swedish and Thor Hansen is Norwegian. November 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 17
Angry Birds Man Behind the Art of Mixing Birds and Juice Jyrki ‘Komu’ Komulainen rides the wave of success with Angry Birds fruit juices. He is a busy man with new ideas, destined for success in Thailand and beyond. By Teuvo Tuomi
K
omu arrives an hour late. But the wait is worth it. Komu is a generous man, with both feet firmly on the ground. Besides, he understands his limits. ‘The business has started well. I’m never on time,’ Komu laughs. Angry Birds hardly deserves an introduction. For those, who are into gaming, Angry Birds has captured the souls of the gaming world. The original concept of the game is simple. You are using a slingshot to launch wingless birds at defenseless pigs. Now, after two billion downloads, Angry Birds is one of the most successful wonders of gaming. Komu is not a gamer. Far from it. But he is an idea man, one full of energy and willingness to take risks. I remember, how he one year ago told me that he is working on something big. And he had gambled all he had to make it a success.
Obviously the gamble paid off. Komu’s company JustDrinkit cannot boast being a huge player quite yet. But the start has been surprisingly good. Angry Birds drinks were launched here in Thailand a little over three months ago. Now more than 6 million cans have been already delivered to 7-Elevens around the country.
Humble Origins Komu was born 44 years ago to a hard-working family in his native Tampere, famous for its lakes, black sausage and ice hockey. But Komu wasn’t into the same activities as other typical Tampere kids. He was successfully playing volleyball for Isku Volley, winning fame in various competitions. Later on he launched himself into a business that must be on the top ten list of any man: drinks! Komu’s sports background still shows. His resting heart rate used to be 32, and his vertical jump record is 82 centimeters. These are noteworthy factors for anyone familiar with sports. During his life Komu has clearly needed low resting heart rate, keeping him cool even during the hectic twists and turns he is facing every day. He has also knows how to take great leaps, to stay ahead of competition. Komu has had a colorful past. He originally started his career selling real estate and eventually graduated to be a salesman for alcohol drinks. He has spent almost 20 years now selling for example Finland-born long drink ‘lonkero’, which is a mixed alcohol drink, and various ciders. And he still has his own cocktail brand, Teaser. After years of selling drinks in Finland, the US and also Vietnam he settled to Thailand. That was some two years ago. He doesn’t regret his decision a bit. ‘I was ready for new challenges, when a friend of mine proposed us to try Thailand with our drinks and ideas.’
Scandinavian in Thailand. Trust is important. And people tend to trust us here.’ Obviously having the right partners also helped. Durbell is taking care of the distribution in Thailand. As a subsidiary of mighty Red Bull, they know the market better than probably anyone else. The product itself is produced by Malee, a local market leader of fruit juices. This enables JustDrinkit to focus on marketing and strategic planning. The three Angry Birds fruit juice flavors currently available are the fruit punch, starred by the most famous Angry Bird character, ‘Red’. The orange flavor is represented by ‘Chuck’, and the strawberry flavor has ‘Stella’ character printed on it. JustDrinkit is also in the process of launching a new mango flavor based on either ‘Boomerang Bird’ or ‘Hal’. Angry Birds drinks clearly represent a certain modern lifestyle, where volume and price are not everything. ‘Our brand is fun, attractive and one that attracts younger generation.’ Beer lovers may need to wait a little for a brewed flavor. But Komu is an idea man with one foot still in the adult arena. That’s why he may well have some surprises in his sleeves.
F1 Champion as new partner ‘Besides, I love it here. I make my own Bangkok. This is it,’ he states, pointing his hand at the organized chaos of his neighborhood soi.
Good distribution essential 7-Eleven is still the only chain in Thailand selling Angry Birds drinks. But they are also the biggest retail chain in Thailand with around 7,500 outlets. Every major brand wants to be there. ‘The first order alone was well over one million cans,’ Komu says matter-of-factly. Probably being from Northern Europe also helped: ‘People here like us. It’s good to be a
Komu does not like to rest on his laurels. That’s why he has just announced a partnership with former Formula One World Champion, Mika Häkkinen. ‘As fruit juices are a healthy option, we thought a (Finnish) superstar would be the perfect fit,’ Komu believes. ‘Mika’s relations with many key players, including the CEO of Hilton, helped a lot. I cannot deny it.’ With Häkkinen’s connections Komu has set his sights to some other countries outside Thailand. ‘One of Singapore’s main supermarket chains is interested in us, and in China we have already good contacts.’ As the potential grows, so does need to travel. Even an energetic man like Komu is starting to
realize that he cannot do everything alone. ‘We need more capable personnel. I don’t have time for everything anymore.’ Komu is currently working hard to get Angry Birds drinks to Super Tops, Family Mart and BigC. This means that beside an occasional round of golf, resting time is limited.
Growth targets realistic While all looks good and business is booming, Komu is also a realist. ‘We don’t need to grow too quickly. Our intention is just to do something new and different, one step at a time.’ The goal for the rest of this year is to sell 10 million new units by the end of the year. For him it’s too early to talk about other future targets. But if Angry Birds drinks can get a foothold in some of the big Asian markets, Komu may indeed have a goldmine in his hands.
Be ready to sell yourself Komu doesn’t want to talk too much about his private life. But he admits that he has a life partner in Finland. Pia or Piude - as he calls her - is essential for his success. After all these years the relationship still works. Komu gives his partner all the credit she deserves. ‘Without Piude I would not be who I am and where I am now.’ Having a peace of mind both in private and public is clearly something that Komu is proud of. Komu clearly enjoys every minute of his life right now. ‘You need to love what you do. But you also need to be flexible and ready to sell yourself, whenever needed,’ he laughs. He also has a piece of advice for all those of us, who want to try something new. ‘You should be familiar with local customs and traditions. You should also find the right cooperation partners and make people believe in your idea.’
November 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 19
How to beat pre-holiday blues:
Online
Christmas Shopping By Sine Neuchs Thomsen
F
or Scandinavians living and working in this part of the world, the Christmas-New Year holiday season is perhaps the only time of the year when homesickness may become something that needs to be actively managed. This pre-holiday stress may be a non-issue for those who can choose to fly home every year to celebrate the juletid with family and loved ones in Scandinavia. But to many Vikings stranded in the Tropics either by choice or by necessity, one of the effective ways to beat this pre-holiday stress is to splurge a little on online shopping to get some impossible-to-find comfort food or familiar products from the home country.
Among Scandinavians, the Swedes appear to stand a better chance of having their cravings for homegrown delicacies satisfied all year round as long as they live in a country with an IKEA outlet. The same cannot be said about citizens from other Northern European countries. Nevertheless, apotekarnes julmust or Mor Anna’s Pepperkakor will still be a heaven-sent for a Swede. There are few things that will warm the heart of a Norwegian like brunost or julemarsipan. Nothing will put a Dane in festive mood quicker than peppernødder or risengrød. For a Finn, Fazer chocolate or Fazerin Vihreät Kuulat probably will offer the easiest way to happiness.
CC By Jon-Eric Melsaeter CC By cyclonebill, Copenhagen, Denmark
bsu (own
CC By ko
work)
20 ScandAsia.Singapore • November 2013
And common to all of the Scandinavians is the gløgg, that is sure to create the proper Christmas atmosphere. A quick survey of online shops offering Scandinavian goodies produced a long list of mostly smallsized outlets that cater to retail shoppers around the world. Among popular items, apart from candies, snacks and food items, are the latest bestselling books in Scandinavian languages, traditional Christmas decoration, CDs and DVDs featuring Scandinavian artists, and everything imaginable, including specialized cheese cutters, that one can get from any well-stocked Scandinavian supermarket. The majority of the outlets do not maintain a stock of goods they sell. They took orders from overseas customers, go pick up the goods at a local supermarket and then ship them out, adding handling fees and making some profit on top of delivery charges. Hjemve (www.hjemve.dk) of Denmark is one of the more popular sites with considerable amount of business from Scandinavian customers in Asia. Michael Nielsen, who operates Hjemve, said his online business was established 10 years ago when he returned to Denmark after having spent some years as an expat working in the Middle East and Asia. “This [time spent abroad] gave me the idea to set up a web shop, where customers, mainly Danes, could purchase items they missed from Denmark, such as food, candy, chocolates, books, among others things,” he said. Hjemve’s customers are those who live outside Europe and therefore do not visit Denmark very frequently, Michael said. “It is my impression that many customers are families with children.” The typical value of an order is approximately US$200, not including handling and delivery charges. “We do not carry any stock, so
we do not see our self as a typical web shop, but more as a personal shopping service.” “When we receive an order we purchase the items in local supermarkets. This way we can ensure that the items we ship have a long shelf life.” Hjemve ships within 3 working days upon receipt of order with payment. The shop does not guarantee a fixed delivery date as custom clearance can vary from country to country. “But as a guideline you can say that orders shipped from January – October normally take 2 – 3 weeks to arrive in Asia, for example. Parcels shipped in November – December will take a bit longer 3 – 4 weeks.” Thailand, with some 100 regular customers, is the single biggest market for us in Asia, followed by Japan and the Philippines. “During November and December holiday seasons our sales triple,” Nielsen said. The online trade in Swedish goods is brisk in the months Christmas. The web shop www.swedelink. se told ScandAsia that the turnover in the month of December will typically be three times the average turnover of any month during the rest of the year. Ms. Elsemarie Angelbratt from swedelink.se also said that Asia is clearly where the demand is highest. In terms of volume, Thailand is leading with Japan and China trailing closely behind. Icelandic people living overseas are not enough to significantly boost the sales on the online shop shopicelandic.com in the months leading up to special occasions like Christmas. According to the owner of web-shop, the sales of Icelandic specialties from the online store is spread more evenly over the year. The majority of the clients are not even Icelandic nationals, he said. Top items are items in wool and fish products which are well-known specialties of Iceland.
CC By Johan Larsson
November 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 21
Medium
Autumn roll By Sine Neuchs Thomsen Evil
This roll can be served as a vegetarian dish or as garniture on the side.
Ingredients (4 persons) • 4 big potatoes (500 grams) • 2 carrots • 1 beet root • 4 eggs • 50 gram of spinach leaves • 1 onion • 1 clove of garlic • 2 tablespoons wheat flour • salt and pepper
Are you done?
W
hen you have completed the above puzzles, please send your solution by fax to +66 2 943 7169 or scan and email to puzzles@ scandasia.com. We will make a lucky draw among the correct answers. Five lucky winners will receive a ScandAsia polo shirt. Name:
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Deadline for submitting your solution is 15 December 2013 22 ScandAsia.Singapore • November 2013
• Turn on the oven on 200 degrees. • Peel and grate potatoes, carrots and beet root and press the liquid from the vegetable so the consistency will be drier. Mix with chopped onion and garlic. Whisk the eggs with wheat flour, salt and pepper in a separate bowl and mix with the vegetables. • Spread the mass on a paper covered baking sheet in a layer of approximately 1 cm. • Bake the “potato cake” in 15-20 minutes. • Wash the spinach leaves and leave them to drain while the baking is going on. • Take the pancake out and let it cool for a short while. Turn it upside down and place the spinach leaves in the one end. Role the pancake with the leaves inside and put it back in the oven for 10 minutes. • Cut the role in 1 cm thick slices before serving.
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