TAIWAN
JAPAN
SOUTH KOREA
CHINA
The Asian Filmmaker with a Never-Ending Dream
Living in a Country Under Economic Stagnation
When Your Life Destiny is the Result of One Exam
Shanghai Marriage Market
BY CHALMERS STUDENTS IN ASIA
ISSUE 27  SPRING 2016
WELCOME! In your hand you are holding the latest issue of Asia Magazine, a joint effort carried out by Chalmers students in Asia. The magazine is meant to be informative and entertaining regarding current topics of Asia as well as a source of inspiration for students curious about exchange studies. With this dynamic region in focus, it features articles on cultural, political, economical and social subjects. The magazine is coordinated and compiled by students at the Chalmers International Taiwan Office.
CITO WHO?
CITO WHAT? Chalmers International Taiwan
Office, CITO, was opened in March 2003 and is the result of a bilateral Viktor Wåhlberg
Björn Agaton
HEAD OF OFFICE
DEPUTY HEAD OF OFFICE
Quality and Operations Managment viktor.wahlberg@chalmers.se
Management and Economics of Innovation bjorn.agaton@chalmers.se
exchange agreement between
National Chiao Tung University,
NCTU, and Chalmers University of Technology. CITO is strategically located at NCTU, near the Hsinchu Science Park.
Thure Waller
Malin Ansgar
ART DIRECTOR
EDITOR–IN–CHIEF
Industrial Design Engineering thure.waller@chalmers.se
Supply Chain Management malin.ansgar@chalmers.se
CITO WHY? The main purposes of CITO are: • To increase awareness about the development of East Asia, with focus on Taiwan, at Chalmers
Linn Lindfred
Johan Rebner
ACADEMIC EXCHANGE AND ALUMNI CONTACTS
ACADEMIC EXCHANGE AND ALUMNI CONTACTS
Management and Economics of Innovation linn.lindfred@chalmers.se
Management and Economics of Innovation johan.rebner@chalmers.se
• To support mobility of students and staff between NCTU and Chalmers • To enhance the visibility of Chalmers in Taiwan and in the neighbouring region • To act as a hub at NCTU for Chalmers students in East Asia
Johnny Truong IT RESPONSIBLE
Communication Engineering johnny.truong@chalmers.se
Erik Martinsson
ACADEMIC EXCHANGE AND ALUMNI CONTACTS
Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering erik.martinsson@chalmers.se
• To further develop Chalmers’ cooperation with Swedish companies in Taiwan and Asia
CITO CONTACT! Marcus Bexell
Ebba Mannheimer
CORPORATE RELATIONS
CORPORATE RELATIONS
Management and Economics of Innovation marcus.bexell@chalmers.se
Supply Chain Management ebba.mannheimer@chalmers.se
Looking for internship, master's
theses or other co-operations in Asia? Or do you just want to say hello? Don't hesitate to contact us! www.asia.chalmers.se National Chiao Tung University
Cover photo by Thure Waller Photo essay on page 52
1001 Daxue Road, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan R.O.C
CHALMERS IN ASIA Studying at Chalmers does not limit you to Gothenburg, Sweden. Through many exchange programmes Chalmers students are given the opportunity to study at a range of Asian universities. Likewise, students from many different countries are invited to study at Chalmers in Sweden.
Delhi, India
Indian Institute of Technology
Singapore
Nanyang Technical University
National University of Singapore
Beijing, China
Tsinghua University
Shanghai, China Tongji University
Seoul, South Korea
Seoul National University
Sendai, Japan Tohoku University
Tokyo, Japan
The University of Tokyo
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Hsinchu, Taiwan
National Chiao Tung University
Hong Kong, China
City University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
CONTENTS
05
ASIA LETTER
06 CHINA
10 TAIWAN
14 SINGAPORE
Embracing a New Culture
Shanghai Marriage Market
Defining Convenience
Singaporean Food Culture
18
20
22
26
JAPAN
HONG KONG
SINGAPORE
SOUTH KOREA
Living in a Country Under Economic Stagnation
Hiking in Hong Kong
Housing for the Typical Singaporean
When Hyper-Modernization Meets Ancient Tradition
28
31
33
36
SINGAPORE
TAIWAN
JAPAN
SINGAPORE
Why so Serious?
Ready, Set, Shop!
In Anticipation of Tokyo Rainbow Pride
A Wet Night in Singapore
39
42
44
48
TAIWAN
JAPAN
CHINA
Gender Inequality in Sweden and Taiwan
A Western Perspective on the Japanese Music Scene
50 TAIWAN
PHOTO ESSAY
Myanmar
When Your Life Destiny is the Result of One Exam
60
62
64
The Asian Filmmaker with a Never-Ending Dream
HONG KONG
Why Visiting Hong Kong Should be on Your Bucket List
52 JAPAN
Lab Based Education
JAPAN
Yellow Mountain
Skiing in Japan, There and Back Again
56
58
SOUTH KOREA
ASIA APPLY
Want to Study in Asia?
SINGAPORE
Singapore’s Economic Development
ASIA LETTER
2016/04/05
When arriving to Taiwan I was overwhelmed with the new culture and new impressions. In some aspects it almost felt like arriving to a completely different planet. The food, people, and language, all had great impact on me and became sources of interest. Even something as simple as a traffic sign was fascinating but at the same time impossible to understand, due to the Chinese characters. As time passed by, more and more things started to become natural and it did not take long to get accustomed to the Taiwanese way of living. However, this fascination for the unfamiliar is something that has followed me during this exchange year, and it has pushed me to leave my comfort zone and to seek new challenges. In order to fully embrace another culture I believe curiosity is the key. To be curious about your surroundings and continuously ask questions like: Why is it so? How come? In this globalized world, understanding other peoples’ cultural heritage is off great importance. The knowledge and interest gained can build bridges between societies and broadens ones scope of the world. Through CITO, we Chalmers students in Taiwan have been given a great opportunity to experience Asian cultures. Over these past months we have held events, conducted company visits, and gone on business travels, all to get a broader understanding of Asia and in particular of Taiwan. Of course it has sometimes been challenging, but all obstacles have been overcome. And by exposing oneself to new challenges in a different culture I believe you grow as an individual. Therefore, I encourage you all to keep on challenging yourselves; take a dive from the cliffs of comfort, into the sea of the unknown. Expose your personality to something new, something different. Dare to embrace a new culture. This magazine is made possible by all Chalmers students currently on exchange in Asia. I would like to express my gratitude towards them, through their courage and curiosity we all get to take part of some unique views of Asia. Lastly, I would also like to thank my amazing team members of CITO, and a special acknowledgment to our editorial team, whom have done an excellent work re-inventing this magazine. Thank you all!
Viktor WĂĽhlberg Head Of Office
05
06
CHINA
SHANGHAI MARRIAGE MARKET
Shanghai Marriage Market
SHANGHAI MARRIAGE MARKET IS A place where parents, grandparents and other concerned relatives meet to search for suitable partners for their unmarried descendants. Imagine a dating site meeting a farmer’s market, and you will end up pretty close. The market takes place in Shanghai’s most central park, the People’s park, at weekends all year around. “It is about creating a harmonious match, not just any pair”, Lou, a man I have ask to interpret for me makes a brief description. At the market, unmarried men and women are presented by key information such as: age, height, Chinese zodiac, education, job and salary. Further the same requirements regarding the person they are interested in meeting are listed. All the information is printed on a paper and fastened on an umbrella. The hundreds of colourful umbrellas almost covering the ground are the first things that strike visitors coming here. The second is the constant chatter, which tells us that the market is also a popular social meeting point. When strolling down the winding walking paths crowded with people we meet Ya Wei, an old man who visits the market every week. He seems proud when he tells us about his son: “He studied in Hong Kong and Australia, and now he works as a teacher in Italy”. My interpreter continues to explain to me that the father truly adores his son, but is concerned that he will end up unmarried and unhappy in the long run. As many other middle age Chinese, Wei’s son puts education and career before finding love and building a family. It is typical of today, but distressing for the older generation and a society that emphasize survival of the family line. Many parents and grand-
parents therefore see it as their duty to help their offspring find a proper partner, as in Wei’s case. “I think he would like you…”, the old man smiles in my direction, “…he wishes for a European woman”. “You send out happiness and he is handsome”. My interpreter chuckles before he tells Wei that I am at the market to do research for a magazine, not to find Mr. Right. Wei seems a bit sad, but in a second he is back smiling and in good mood again. I wish him the best and we say goodbye. Wishing him the best feels important. Institutes all over the world has estimated that there might be up to 40 million unmarried Chinese men, unable to find a wife in their age by 2020. This as a result of sex-selective abortion and abandonment of female infants, which in its turn is a consequence of the one-child policy and a culture where a male child is preferred in front of a female. The shortage of females in China has turned into a problem of government level and lead to a formal phase out of the one-child policy with start 2015. We continue our walk through the park. There are umbrellas all over the place, Lou stops by a huge one with as many as twenty information pages. “This is an agent” he says. “You pay her, she creates an information page and puts it on her umbrella, in return you get access to all her clients, I think it is free for women”. The agent does not only share contact information, but also make suggestions when a suitable partner pops up. If the agent’s work happens to lead to a wedding, he or she will of course be invited as a guest of honour. At the opposite side of the agent there is a wall covered with information papers. Obviously not everyone owns an umbrella. We step up to a woman in front of the wall and ask her to tell us about 07
BEIJING
08
CHINA
her intention at the market. She seems drifted, but says that she is here for her daughter. “She works at a travel agency, knows a lot about China, mostly historic places and she speaks a little English. I am here to find her a husband”. Lou tells me that he thinks this is another of those typical cases. “Her daughter probably likes her job”. “It is not about a high salary, it is a relief to take care of yourself ”, he says, “Many women do wish for that – sadly, her mother does not agree”. Further he tells me that many parents are at the market without their children’s permission, knowing that they would never agree about it. The last statement is confirmed just a minute later when we ask the mother for her name and agreement to take photo. She refuses but saying “My daughter doesn’t know I am helping her”. Before I leave the market I ask Lou to translate one of the many information pages for me. He chooses one and makes a theatrical presentation of a man named Mi Liou. He is a doctor from Vancouver School of Economics, nowadays a business man in Shanghai. He, or should I say
SHANGHAI MARRIAGE MARKET
his parents, wishes for a good-looking woman born after 1986, preferable with at least a bachelor’s degree. A high salary is not necessary since the family’s income is already ensured. There are people of all range at the market. “Finding a harmonious match, the perfect couple”, Lou said. I wonder if any of these match making efforts lead to a happy marriage or any marriage at all. I will let that question be unanswered and hope for the best. At least the parents, grandparents and other concerned relatives have a great time chatting while getting around at the Shanghai Marriage market.
WORDS AND PHOTO Emilia Eråker Tongji University, China
Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering. eraker@student.chalmers.se
09
TAIWAN
DEFINING CONVENIENCE
Defining Convenience
IN A WORLD THAT IS EVOLVING FASTER than ever before, a common thought in many peoples’ minds is: “How did people survive without this or that?”. How did people endure communicating without phones? How did people manage everyday life without electricity? How did people enjoy their Saturday nights without a bag of sour-cream and onion flavoured crisps? After a few months of living in Taiwan, another question that easily comes to mind is: “How did people do anything before 7-Eleven?”. 歡迎光臨, Huan ying guang lin! One of the first phrases you get familiar with when moving to Taiwan is this one, used by 7-Eleven personnel to welcome you to the store. 7-Eleven is the world leader in the convenience store industry with more than 58.000 stores across 18 countries. 5022 of these are located in Taiwan, which makes Taiwan the country with the highest density of 7-Eleven stores worldwide. This can easily be observed when walking down the streets of Taipei, where it is not worth crossing the street to enter a 7-Eleven store since another one surely will appear on the same side in less than 50 meters. But why are Taiwanese people so in need of this many convenience stores? The answer lies in the enhanced variety of products and services that they offer. Except from ordinary services we were surprised to find that you can also print train tickets, buy video games, renew your international driver’s license and much more. You can even turn in clothes for dry cleaning. Aside from these things, 7-Eleven has entered new markets that have not yet successfully been penetrated by other services in the Taiwanese society. Paying bills is one example. Online banking 10
is not widespread in Taiwan, so when you receive an invoice you bring it to a convenience store. The cashier scans it and you pay the amount directly in the store, like any other merchandise. In a country with a lower density of convenience stores this system would be very time consuming. However, in Taiwan the system becomes quite handy and after a while it is like you have never heard of the words “online banking”. 7-Eleven also helps you through your everyday life by offering atm-services, sending packages, and if you ever find yourself without a fresh pair of underwear, you now know where to find them. 7-eleven has also made an impact and affected the Taiwanese drinking culture. Socializing while consuming alcohol is not particularly widespread in Taiwan and hence, pubs and bars are pretty rare. In places that lack bars, you may instead see people gathering outside 7-Eleven to have a drink and socialize. This is a description of a Facebook event taking place a Saturday night in Taipei: “Taipei is not particularly famous for having enormous amounts of pubs and bars, but there’s something, which offers alcohol for a decent price, is open 24/7 and literally everywhere - 7-Eleven (Some even call 7-Eleven the best bar in Taiwan). Instead of a pub crawl, we go 7-Eleven crawling which means that at every 7-Eleven on the road you gotta buy a can of beer”. These kinds of events show that 7-Eleven has evolved from being just another store, it has become an important part of many people’s everyday life. When we first arrived to Taiwan, we found it particularly odd to see that a lot of people regularly had their dinner here, only to find ourselves doing the same thing after a few weeks.
DEFINING CONVENIENCE
“Taipei is not particularly famous for having enormous amounts of pubs and bars, but there’s something, which offers alcohol for a decent price, is open 24/7 and literally everywhere — 7-Eleven. Instead of a pub crawl, we go 7-Eleven crawling which means that at every 7-Eleven on the road you gotta buy a can of beer” 11
BEIJING
12
DEFINING CONVENIENCE
Must Try at 7-Eleven in Taiwan
Steamed Buns
Hot Chilli Chips
Taiwan Beer
Chinese Tea Eggs
In comparison to Sweden, where people usually just purchase snacks at 7-Eleven, the Taiwanese counterpart has a lot of different food options which heat fast and provides you with a full but maybe not so healthy meal. In our expat community these meals are humorously referred to as a “7-star meals” and make up a way too big part of our food intake due to the convenience. Since you may visit a particular 7-Eleven store almost everyday (and often several times a day), you soon start to think of the closest 7-Eleven store as “your own”. You start to recognize the people working there and other frequent customers, which ads a personal touch to the otherwise identical 7-Eleven store. A classmate even preferred to go to “his own” 7-Eleven rather than the closest convenience store at the time, stating that he wanted to support “locally produced products”.
Dried Squid
In conclusion, one can argue that the Taiwanese society revolves around convenience stores and at this point we would have no clue what to do without our very own 7-Eleven down on the corner. WORDS Viktor Wåhlberg
National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Quality and Operations Management. viktor.wahlberg@chalmers.se
Björn Agaton
National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. bjorn.agaton@chalmers.se
13
Singaporean
Food Culture
14
SINGAPORE
IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND A PLACE IN THE world where life revolves around food like it does in Singapore. An astonishing variety of Asia’s many cuisines can be found here. Live to eat rather than eat to live, is a good description of the Singaporean food-centred lifestyle and you could easily say that Singaporeans talk about food as often as Swedes talk about the weather. Everybody has their own perception of which Hawker centre and stall that serves the best traditional dishes. Singaporeans tend to eat out more than they eat or cook in their homes. This is mainly because of the affordable prices and that work life in Singapore is very time consuming, but it is also a social thing. Singaporeans love to meet, mingle and interact with friends and family over a meal and this is usually done in informal gathering places called Hawker centres. A Hawker centre is a complex that houses a lot of stalls selling a large variation of different cheap cooked food, mainly from the Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines. The buildings are usually non-air-conditioned and have an open planning with seating areas for customers. The name “Hawker centre” derives from the name Hawker, someone who travels about selling food. To deal with unhygienic food preparation by these unlicensed street hawkers, the government started to develop Hawker centres where the hawkers could set up permanent stalls. In addition to this a license requirement was implemented which made it easier to control that a certain standard of hygiene was followed. Stalls with food from different ethnicities are situated in rows close to one another and offer a showcase of Singapore’s multi-ethnicity. Due to growing urban wealth in Singapore these Hawker centres are being replaced with so called Food Courts, which are indoor, air-conditioned versions of Hawker centres located in shopping malls and commercial venues. These Hawker centres and food courts serve as a great social lever in Singapore, a place where people of different cultures, religions and races can mingle, and rich and poor equally queue up for their favourite dishes. With a great diversity of
SINGAPOREAN FOOD CULTURE
food and people of all ages and income levels – students, professionals, housewives and retirees – the absence of social strata makes these locations vibrant meeting points and eating places where everybody feels at home. So what is Singaporean food? The food is intimately linked to the regions that used to be home to the ancestors of today’s various ethnic communities, mostly from China, Malaysia and India. It has its origin in these countries but is a fusion of the many cultures and races that have lived together here. Singaporean food combines a rich variety of flavours, Chinese condiments, Malay tropical herbs and fruits and Indian spices. Ingredients include chillies, coconut, lemon-grass and galangal and they are combined in innovative ways. The Chinese cuisine is dominated by food from Southern China and includes the cooking of Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka, Hainanese and Foochow people. Hainanese chicken rice is a solid favourite in Singapore and is rice grains flavoured by chicken broth and roasted or steamed chicken meat, usually served with a sliced cucumber and a ginger-garlic chilli sauce and a thick dark soy sauce. Tian Tian Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre is said to be the best place in Singapore for Chicken rice but you can find it at almost every Hawker centre. Chilli crab is a popular dish in Singapore and it is made by stir-frying a black crab in a sweet and tasty tomato and chilli based sauce. The name doesn’t really reflect the spiciness of the dish as chilli crab is not very spicy. Chilli crab can be found all over Singapore but JUMBO seafood located at Newton Centre has one of the best in town. The Malay derive their food from the Malay peninsula as well as from Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. Nasi Lemak is considered the national dish in Malaysia and is one of the most popular Malaysian dishes in Singapore. The dish is based on white rice soaked in coconut milk and cooked with pandan leaf or cooked with coconut flakes and comes with various combinations of garnishes and sides. It is most commonly garnished with anchovies, chilli paste, peanuts, hard boiled egg 15
BEIJING
16
SINGAPOREAN FOOD CULTURE
and cucumber. Stalls well known for their Nasi Lemak are Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak at Adam Food Centre, Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak at Boon Lay Place Market and Food Centre and Changi Nasi Lemak at Changi Village Food Centre Mee Siam is a dish based on thin rice noodles which is inspired by Thai flavours. The noodles are served with a spicy, sweet and sour gravy which is made from a spice paste, tamarind and salted soy bean garnished with shredded omelette, scallions, bean sprouts, garlic chives and lime wedges. The Indian food is predominantly from the southern parts of India, mainly Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Singapore the Indian cuisine is known for their Roti Prata and Chicken or Mutton Biryani. Roti Prata is a fried flour-based pancake cooked over a flat grill often served with vegetable- or meat-based curry. It is also possible to get a Prata with cheese, egg and onion for main course or banana and chocolate for dessert. Biryani is a mixed rice dish made of basmati rice and a great variety of Indian condiments like cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, garlic, nutmeg and mint leaves. The dish is usually served with chicken or mutton; goat or adult sheep meat. ZAMZAM is an Indian-Muslim restaurant opposite the Sultan Mosque, in the Arab quarters, that has been serving these dishes for over 100 years. The variety of food available at Hawker centres and in food courts in Singapore evolves and develops at the pace of globalisation and reflects our changing tastes and cosmopolitan lifestyles. Nowadays we can find pasta, pizza and pies alongside with Singaporean favourites like Chicken rice, Nasi lemak and Roti prata. Who knows, maybe even the Swedish cuisine with its precious meatballs, will be represented here in the future. WORDS Alexander Jensson
National University of Singapore, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. jensson@student.chalmers.se
17
JAPAN
Living in a Country Under Economic Stagnation
BEING IN ASIA AND SPENDING TIME WITH people of various Asian nationalities for an extended period of time made it clear what “Swedish identity” really is. I realized that among the Asian acquaintances and friends I have made during my stay, the most direct associations with Sweden are IKEA, Volvo and occasionally Ericsson. During my conversations, I sometimes mention other companies such as Skype, H&M and Spotify and in exchange receive nods of recognition. These conversations later evolve into a discussion of the success of these Swedish global corporations and that’s where it ends. The associations to Sweden rarely involve anything about culture, food, sites and cities. If you are lucky, they may know that the capital of Sweden is Stockholm. The associations have, of course, another character when I talk to citizens from neighbouring European countries, but listening to Asian associations made it clear that Swedish export is the core of our Swedish identity. Swedish export is not just the core of our identity; it’s the core of our current wealth and the hope of future generations. Fortunately, most of our core companies have managed to transform and evolve and their future prosperity also looks hopeful. However, I can’t avoid asking, what would happen to our Swedish identity if for example Volvo or IKEA fail to meet the challenges of the future? Before going to Japan, my main association to Japan was that it was a high-tech country, which was built up from movies, literature and what I had heard from friends and family that had visited Japan in the past. Also when talking to friends 18
after coming back to Sweden, the most frequently asked question was: “Was Tokyo high-tech?”. My answer to that question was unfortunately: “No, not really!”. Arriving to Tokyo was like going back 20 years in time. The feeling was that the development of everything from ticket machines and vending machines to infrastructure had suddenly frozen in the 90’s. My impression of Japan as high-tech immediately proved to be invalid. As time passed, I got to know Japan better through more observations, conversations with Japanese people and through business management classes at Tokyo Tech. All of these encounters further validated my first observation: Japan had stopped in time and was struggling in transforming to meet future challenges and demands. When talking to Japanese friends, many of them were worried about the future and how difficult the work environment at companies has turned out. When going for dinner with an older Japanese family friend of mine, she and her friends explained how they had seen the hopes of the future grow drastically during their youth and then diminish after the beginning of the 90’s. My business management classes at Tokyo Tech were focused on figuring out what had gone wrong in the economy of Japan and in the transformation of society and corporations. Unlike my home university, where classes were focused on how to learn from past successful transformation in order to meet future challenges, the core theme of the classes focused on understanding why Japan’s GDP was at the same level today as it was in the beginning of the 90’s.
LIVING IN A COUNTRY UNDER ECONOMIC STAGNATION
Several cases of Japanese flagship companies that had lost large portions of their market share and market value since the beginning of the 90’s were discussed. The likes of Fujitsu, Hitachi, Sony and Toshiba have all seen their slow but steady decline. Even views of Japan from the outside world have also shifted: what was once seen as a financial miracle and role model for how to create economic growth, Japan has now been positioned as an example of how things can go wrong. With the insight that the core of the Swedish identity is lying in the success of our large corporations, I started to reflect upon how Japan’s economic stagnation affected the identity of Japanese citizens. It was quite apparent that my professors at Tokyo Tech and the people I had met were affected by the stagnation, but it was difficult to judge how this affected their identity. The fact that Japan has an older and richer culture than Sweden might tell us that economic success doesn’t play as large of a part of Japanese identity as it does for the Swedish. I never asked my Japanese friends directly how they felt about the demise of many of their important corporations, but I assume that they don’t feel as strongly for it as I would if the same thing hap-
pened with IKEA or Volvo. If a Japanese person came to Sweden, (s)he wouldn’t be associated with Toyota or Hitachi. Instead, (s)he would be associated with the unique culture of Japan. There are many more important dimensions of the Japanese identity that go beyond corporations or the domestic economy, which are still standing strong today. Its deep cultural values of Japan remain unchanged and unaffected by the economic stagnation. A traditional tea ceremony is still carried out in the same manner regardless of GDP level. The conclusion is that the strong Japanese culture makes its citizens more deep-rooted and more tolerant towards identity crises; however, it also generates a transformation inertia, which the economic stagnation indicates.
WORDS AND PHOTO Jakob Werner
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Quality and Operations Management. jakobwe@student.chalmers.se
19
HONG KONG
Hiking in Hong Kong
HONG KONG IS OFTEN IMAGINED AS A hectic metropolis characterized by commerce and modern architecture. Hence, it may come as a surprise for some that beyond the scenic skylines of Hong Kong’s city districts awaits green hillsides, rural areas, and volcanic landscape. You need not travel far from the densely populated city to reach one of Hong Kong’s many beaches. More than 40 beaches are publicly maintained, but the real gemstones are the deserted beaches along the coastal line of the New Territories. With such diversified and rich landscape it is no wonder that Hong Kong is internationally renowned for its hiking trails. Every year, the high peaks, woods, and wetlands attracts thousands of hiking enthusiasts from all around the world. The enthusiasm for hiking goes back to the colonial time of Hong Kong. Among the most famous hiking trails is the MacLehose trail. This 100K country park trail bares its name after the former Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose, who is said to have been a hiking enthusiast himself. The trail is divided into 10 sections and links eight country parks, all established by sir MacLehose. Other popular trails are the Wilson trail and the Hong Kong trail. Apart from the main trails there are also countless paths, together making up a smorgasbord of options varying in length, landscape, and level of difficulty. Up for a challenge? Join one of the many trail runs or bring your bike! A little surprisingly it is possible to do a five hour hike without meeting a soul. A human soul that is, because monkeys, buffaloes and black kites are likely to keep you company. If you are lucky to meet fellow hikers you will be met with 20
a smile accompanied by a cheerful greeting. Some hike in group, other prefer to hike alone. Sometimes they walk backwards or hold on to a radio screaming out traditional Chinese music. Along the most popular trails, like the Dragon’s back with its great view of the city, you will even see hikers dressed up in high heels. Hiking truly is for everyone, and it is made easily available by the efforts of the Hong Kong Government. In total they maintain several hundred kilometres of hiking trails, even the most remote and challenging ones. Most starting and stopping points are accessible via public transport. Trails that are not covered by public transport can be reached by taxis, which is a cheap way of transport, and sometimes by boat. Public toilets are found along most paths and in many areas camping and barbecue sites can also be found. Apart from the signs and maps along the tracks, there is an array of maps, reviews, and tips shared by other hikers on the web. But, as with most things, even the Hong Kong hikes have their downsides. While the city streets of Hong Kong are spotlessly clean, the surrounding nature is not. Nor is the air or the water. The environment is suffering from the heavy traffic, the coal power plants, and the industries in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. On bad days hikers will face thick patches of smog as they climb the steep peaks of Hong Kong, blocking the spectacular views. Other days the skin is left brown after swimming along the beach of the Lamma Island. Although it is hard to be sure, it is difficult not to blame the coal power plant placed on the other side of the rocks a few hundred meters from the beach. Whatever the reason, the dirty water leaves a bitter after-taste to the expe-
HIKING IN HONG KONG
rience. And then there is the amount of trash to be found around the trails and along the coast line that has either been thrown by fellow hikers or been brought in to the shore by the sea. Signs encourage people to bring their trash home with them, but ironically people seem to somehow find it more difficult to bring empty water bottles and snack packages back home than to carry the full ones in the first place. Luckily, there are also hikers and others that are willing to clean up the trash. Several initiatives have taken place to make Hong Kong a cleaner place. For example, the Hong Kong Government has an inter-departmental working group, The Working Group on Clean Shorelines, that, among other things, arranges shoreline clean-ups. Perhaps more widely known is the annual Hong Kong Clean Up challenge. In 2014 the initiative engaged more than 51 000 individuals that together collect-
ed almost 3,9 tonnes of trash from country park trails, shorelines, and city streets. Last year the challenge celebrated its 15th anniversary. Apart from those bigger initiatives, there are also smaller and informal hiking groups that occasionally invite others to join them in a clean-up of a certain trail or seaside area. Despite major challenges positive action is being taken to deal with the problem of littering in order for everyone to continue enjoying the beautiful nature of Hong Kong.
WORDS AND PHOTOS Anna Antonsson
City University of Hong Kong, China Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. annaant@student.chalmers.se
21
SINGAPORE
Housing for the Typical Singaporean
Singapore has a very unique housing market where more than 80 % of the Singaporeans live in flats developed and constructed by the government, so called HDB flats. Background During early days in Singapore there was a housing crisis and many people were living in unhygienic slums and squatter settlement. It was so bad that in 1947 the British Housing Committee wrote a rapport saying “one of the world’s worst slums, a disgrace to a civilised community”. In an election campaign in 1959 the People’s Action Party pledged to provide housing for the poor if they were elected. When People’s Action Party later won the election they took immediate action and in 1960 The Housing & Development Board, HDB, was set up to solve Singapore’s housing crisis. HDB estimated that between the years 1959 and 1969 147 000 units were needed to be built, an average of about 14 000 per year. The private sector had the ability to construct 2500 a year but the price levels were out of reach for the citizens living in the slum. For HDB to successfully solve the problem they needed a good strategy. This strategy was defined by 3 crucial fundamentals: A sole agency in charge, strong government support and a total approach where planning, design, land assembly and construction was carried out as a seamless whole. The strategy was a success and in the first 5 years they managed to build over 50 000 units and by 1985 80 % of the population was living in HDB flats. When they reached construction peak, flats were completed at the rate of one unit per 8 minutes whereas the birth rate was one baby per 13 minutes. 22
HOUSING FOR THE TYPICAL SINGAPOREAN
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SINGAPORE
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HOUSING FOR THE TYPICAL SINGAPOREAN
Design It is easy to distinguish what buildings HDB have built since they have some unique design features. Void deck is one example and it refers to the first level of a HDB building. It is free from housing units and just consists of columns. These open, sheltered places are intended for communal activities such as weddings, parties, funerals and polling stations. Right from the start Housing Development Board fully adopted the new town planning concept, building partial towns from scratch all around Singapore. Over the years HDB developed a very advanced precasted building strategy to increase efficiency and reduce the building costs. The economic advantage of using high repetition of the same precasted building components has led to a very similar look of HDB buildings in the same HDB town.
Present and future There are a number of eligibility conditions a buyer of a HDB flat must satisfy, both for the new constructed HDB flats and for those who are sold on the “open market”. If you plan to buy a flat as a family, that means you are married and both applicants must be at least 21 years old. At least one must be Singaporean citizen and the other hold a Singapore permanent resident permit. Furthermore the household income must not exceed 10 000 Singapore dollars. If you are single and want to buy a HDB flat there are different rules that apply. You are not allowed to buy a flat unless you are 35 years or older and you can’t buy a flat that has more than two rooms. The reason HDB promotes families is to make sure their apartments are being efficiently used. Therefore it is very common for Singaporeans to live with their parents until they are married and can buy their own HDB flat. Since there no longer is a housing crisis in Singapore, new HDB complexes are only being built when there is enough interest in a certain project. The programme is called Build-To-Order and was launched in 2001. It means the number of applicants must exceed 70 % of the total number of flats planned to be built otherwise the project will be cancelled. These days the focus of Housing Development Board lies in improving already existing HDB estates, to ensure the old HDB towns live up to their goal of providing a quality living environment.
WORDS AND PHOTOS Gustav Söderlund
Nanyang Technical University, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering and Building Technology. gussod@student.chalmers.se
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SOUTH KOREA
When Hyper-Modernization Meets Ancient Tradition
WHEN I ARRIVED IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, in early September last year, I was ready for a clash of cultures. In fact, one of the things that drove me to go abroad in the first place was the quest for a totally different viewpoint and way of living. I’d already read a lot about Korean culture before even getting on the plane, and I knew all about the deep respect Koreans hold for their elders, their incredibly hard work-ethic and their unwavering loyalty to their job. This super-hierarchical culture, which had been purified and preserved in the works of the great Chinese philosopher Confucius, was so old it probably originated around the time when rice was first cultivated in Asia. So I wasn’t surprised when most new Korean people I met, after hearing my name, immediately asked for my age and year of studies to sort me into the correct spot in the hierarchy. Just like every Korean under 50, I never, ever, sat down in the special seats on the subway – the ones marked with a little sign that indicated they were reserved for the elderly – no matter how many people packed into the crammed, sweaty train. And going out to eat with some of my new-found friends, I knew all about the rules dictating how I had to gratefully accept any drink an older person poured for me, and how I should turn my head away in respect before drinking. I thought I had understood Korean culture before even getting there, and it took me almost the entire semester to realize I hadn’t really gotten it at all. That was when some of my friends started really opening up to me, about their past, their current situation and their future ambitions, 26
and I started to see how the Confucianist culture was more than just a few small courtesies and traditions – it was the underlying foundation of all aspects of life. The instant hyper-modernization of South Korea during the second half of the 20th century hadn’t diluted the effects of this ancient code in the slightest; it had put it on steroids. In a society where the hierarchy is everything, but where the introduction of capitalism and meritocracy meant people were no longer stuck with the same status as their parents, a single day decides your entire life. That day is the day of the suneung, or university entrance exams, when years of constant studying either pays off with a spot in one of the top universities or ends in crushing failure. Friends described the years before the suneung as “studying from early morning until late afternoon, then going to a hangwon (a private cram school) until midnight. Every day, all year.” Without a spot at one of Seoul’s top three schools, getting a good job in the government or one of the giant chaebol conglomerates is practically impossible. And since both cram schools and university is incredibly expensive (families in Seoul spend, on average, 16% of their income on private schooling) most families feel they can only afford to provide for one child. This self-enforced onechild policy doesn’t exactly lessen the pressure Korean youth feel to succeed – if they don’t, there are no siblings to pick up the slack for them – which has led to a society where 20% of middle- and high-school students contemplate suicide. That was beyond what any of my friends would talk about, but I still got an idea of the
WHEN HYPERMODERNIZATION MEETS ANCIENT TRADITION
pressure and frustration they were feeling through their descriptions of unquestionable, authoritarian teachers, routine comparison of test results, and endless hours of rote memorization (your average Korean can, without hesitation, instantly give you the textbook definition of pulchritude, but will struggle to tell you how to find the way to the library.) Of course, my friends know they will not escape the ramifications of Korean culture just because they are done with school. Korean employees work more hours than in any other country in the world, except for Mexico. To show up after, or leave before, the boss does is seen as a betrayal of the corporate family, with whom you are also expected to spend many late nights drinking and bonding. As a result, many Korean workers are forced to rent a secondary, small apartment close to work where they can sleep during the weekdays, and only come home to their family during weekends. Changing employer is almost unheard of, since the only way to get to a good position is to work your way up to it within the company, and because promotions are based on time rather than performance. Still, my friends are optimistic that things are getting better. The Korean government, realizing the problems with a school system based on memorization and a population that halves in size with every new generation, is encouraging companies to hire based on merits and experience as well as aca-
demic background. And Korean companies, facing stiff competition from abroad for talent from an already shrinking workforce, are starting to make reforms such as cutting hours and rewarding good performance. Lastly, I must admit the culture also has very significant upsides – nowhere else in the world have I met people so helpful or respectful towards each other, or felt more safe leaving my computer unattended or walking down an unlit street in the middle of the night. In the end, I did find a different viewpoint during my time in Korea. I learned so much, both from my friends and from my experiences, but after coming home again, the biggest thing I really brought with me was a new way of looking at my own culture. It’s a lot easier to not take the way things are at home for granted anymore once you’ve experienced something vastly different. So while I learned a lot about Korean culture, I also gained a whole new understanding and appreciation of my own culture. And in the end, I guess that’s what going abroad is all about. WORDS AND PHOTO Kasper Thim
Seoul National University, South Korea Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. kaspert@student.chalmers.se
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SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE IS NOTORIOUS FOR BEING one of the safest countries in the world. UN statistics support this theory by stating that the country has the world’s second lowest murder rate and the lowest level of drug abuse. It is suggested that the country’s low crime rates are due to substantial regulations which were introduced in connection to Singapore’s independence in 1965. Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore’s first prime minister and governed in Singapore from its independence up to 1990. He admittedly stated that it was necessary for the government to control most aspects of people’s lives in order for the country to have a rapid development hence why the country is also known as “The Nanny State”. Lee Kuan Yew’s philosophies are highly present in Singapore today and what might be most shocking for a non-local are the penalties for what might be considered low-level offences in other countries. The Singaporean police recently used the catchphrase “Low crime does not mean no crime” as an anti-crime campaign and the quote effectively depicts that activities which might be harmless in other countries have serious consequences in Singapore. If a police officer catches someone littering, one can be subjective to a fine of 1000 SGD as well as being sentenced to “community work orders” where one would be forced to pick up trash in public in an attempt to embarrass the offender. Similarly one can be fined for drinking or eating on public transportation, jaywalking or smoking in certain public areas. The perhaps most infamous Singaporean law concerns chewing gum which bans anyone from importing, selling, buying or spitting the product on the ground. Technically this means that it is not illegal to consume the product. In 1983, the Minister for National Development proposed to Lee Kuan Yew that chewing gum should be banned since it caused maintenance problems in high-rise public housing apartments. Chewing gums were disposed in keyholes, on elevator buttons, in mail boxes and on public transportation vehicles. Although it was not until the chewing gum disturbed door sensors on the MRT, mass
WHY SO SERIOUS?
public transit, in 1992 that the law was enforced since it was judged to give rise to high costs. Despite of what you might have heard, the penalty for importing chewing gum is and has only ever been fines, never caning. For more serious offences Singapore employs corporal punishment such as caning and capital punishment such as hanging. Between 1991 and 2004 an astonishing 400 people were executed in Singapore, predominantly for drug trafficking. However corporal and capital punishments have decreased over the last couple of years and in 2011, four execution and 2500 caning sentences were ordered by the courts. Even though most caning sentences were based from British law, Singapore has added several caning offences in correlation to its independence and regulatory measures. The Vandalism Act is an example of such measures and it is claimed that it was an effort by the ruling People’s Action Party, PAP, to suppress opinions from opposing parties when they vandalized public property with anti-PAP graffiti. The law prevails and in 2014 two German men in their twenties were sentenced to nine months in prison and three strokes of caning for vandalizing a train by spray-painting graffiti. Offences that lead to mandatory caning are crimes such as rape, drug trafficking, illegal money-lending and overstaying a visa for more than 90 days. Other offences that can induce caning sentences are kidnapping, robbery, rioting, drug abuse, sexual abuse and illegal possession of weapons. Singapore is particularly known for their zero tolerance approach when it comes to drugs. Possession or consumption of drugs can amount to ten years of prison, 20 000 SGD fine or the death penalty and trafficking 30 grams of cocaine or 15 grams of heroin will lead to the latter. The caning procedure itself occurs out of view from inmates and the public. Prison officers who conduct the caning are rumoured to have a certain level of proficiency in martial arts and can swing the cane of a speed of up to 160 kilometres per hour. It is only men in the ages between 18 29
SINGAPORE
and 50 who are in a good medical condition who are allowed to be caned and those who have experienced the punishment describe is as beyond excruciating that leaves permanent scars. Caning in a milder form is used as a form of punishment in primary and secondary schools for male students who have considered to behave seriously out of order. Caning is encouraged by the government but only for boys, girls receive punishments equivalent to detention instead. A survey conducted in 2009 showed that 57 out of 100 Singaporean parents thought that caning was an acceptable form of punishment for disciplining their children and had used the method themselves. Caning in the household is legal however not encouraged by the government. After having studied and lived in Singapore for more than half a year I can safely say that Singapore does feel like a remarkably secure country. This is evident due to the fact that students leave their belongings, including laptops, unattended in the library when they need a coffee or even a 30
lunch break. It is also noticeable by the fact that people stay out on the streets at any hour of the day in the city centre without hesitation. However, this does not mean that Singaporeans are unaware of possible crimes. Rather the opposite, Singaporeans are extremely cautious and crime preventative. In the introduction week at NTU, exchange students are taught various preventative measures in order not to be a crime victim. If for example a girl enters an elevator alone and a man walks in, one shall quickly push the “open doors” button and exit, because who knows what might happen.
WORDS Agnes Söderholm
Nanyang Technical University, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. agnesso@student.chalmers.se
TAIWAN
READY, SET, SHOP!
Ready, Set, Shop!
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BLACK FRIDAY ENTERED THE AVERAGE American home as a major shopping holiday it did not break its own previous sales record from the earlier year. The sales of the shopping bonanza that coincides with Thanksgiving, the holiday for being thankful for what you have and all that has been given to you, instead fell by a few percent compared to 2014. When other shopping holidays seem to give way to content and moderate consumerism one still stands strong and is developing in the opposite direction, the Chinese Singles’ Day. Singles’ Day is the world’s largest consumer holiday and the biggest online shopping day of the year. It annually falls on the 11th of November. The obvious connection to single people is the four ones in the date 11/11, Double Eleven. The Singles’ Day dates back to the 1990’s when Chinese students decided to celebrate their single hood as an anti Valentine’s Day. Originally Singles’ Day was celebrated by partying with single friends or by arranging blind-date parties. The day has also become known as Bachelor’s Day. This is due to China’s gender imbalance. The 35 year long one child policy (the one child policy was ended in 2015) has lead to a great male surplus. Cultural and economic pressure has influenced Chinese parents to want their one and only child to be a boy. Recent estimates by sociologists say that by 2020 there will be 35 million more Chinese men than women under the age of 30. As of 2030, 25 percent of all Chinese men in their late thirties will never have married. The Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba was founded in 1999 and has since the beginning been led by the entrepreneur Jack Ma. The company enabled small enterprises to grow and compete with larger companies in an innovative way through new market platforms on the Internet. Alibaba quickly grew into becoming a world leader in online and mobile retailing. Alibaba now dominates the Chinese online market. Their main online marketplace is Tmall.com, and it is through this platform that most of the Singles’ Day purchases are made. In 2009 Alibaba realized there was a vast commercial potential to increase their sales by utilizing Singles’ Day and the Chinese celebration of single hood. Promoting Singles’ Day as a shopping holiday would be a way for Alibaba to boost their sales between the Chinese Golden Week around the national holiday in October and the Christmas season in December. In the first year, Alibaba sales accumulated to 50 million yuan (around £5m). Two years later, at the Singles’ Day of the Century 11/11/11, sales reached £500 million. During 2012 the Singles’ Day sales quadrupled and Alibaba decided to trademark Singles’ Day. 31
BEIJING
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READY, SET, SHOP!
Biggest Online Sales Events 2015 Singles’ Day
$14,4 bn
Cyber Monday
$3,07 bn
Black Friday
$2,74 bn
For Alibaba the shopping frenzy poses an enormous demand on their operations, warehousing and logistics as the numbers of purchases peak. The holiday requires great planning and is later monitored in absolute detail from the Alibaba headquarters. The monitoring can only be compared to that of a moon landing. It is real time and follows the number of purchases, sales and online activity according to geographic location. The Singles’ Day revenue is not only larger than its American counterpart and online shopping holiday Cyber Monday but by far surpasses the whole Thanksgiving weekend shopping bonanza, stretching from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. The Thanksgiving weekend was surpassed in 2012 and no longer stood a chance to compete for the title of the largest shopping holiday in the world as the Singles’ Days sales really took off. In 2015 Singles’ Day revenue grew by 60 percent compared to 2014. The former record was broken just 12 hours into 11/11. As the 2015 Singles’ Day was approaching, China was playing the role of the world’s second largest economy and battling slowing growth rates. Sales were still expected to break previous records, and they did. The results show the buying power of the Chinese consumers. Although, the consumers are not unconcerned by the slowing Chinese economy. Many shoppers admit to waiting to spend until Singles’ Day in hope of saving money. China boasts of the world’s largest e-commerce market. China is shifting from a heavy-industry and export-oriented market to a consum-
er and service driven economy and thus relying more and more on its own consumers to power the larger part of the economy. The main driver and a catalyst of the e-commerce revolution in China is the smart-phone. As smart-phone penetration has increased so has the number of online shoppers. Another important factor is the rural population’s hunger for products. Chinese shopping habits differ from those of other more developed countries. Where for example the US has well-established conventional shopping where stores can be found conveniently in most cities, online shopping is the only available option in many locations in China. As the country is expected to become even more digitalized, e-commerce will likely continue to grow. However, there are challenges that threaten this development. There are still problems with low quality products and copied merchandise that need to be seen to, otherwise the customers’ trust may be eroded. Regional gaps also pose a challenge as they can lead to logistical issues and slower delivery. Nevertheless, this is most likely just the beginning of the Chinese e-commerce revolution. WORDS Malin Ansgar
National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management. malin.ansgar@chalmers.se
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JAPAN
In Anticipation of Tokyo Rainbow Pride I WENT TO MY VERY FIRST PRIDE PARADE in Stockholm in 2011. The parade was huge then, and this year was no different – an estimated 40,000 people joined the manifestation for LGBTQ rights. The parade in my hometown, Gothenburg, is not too shabby either. Since it first started out nearly ten years ago, the parade has grown to encompass over 14,000 participants. So imagine my surprise when I excitedly looked up the pride parade in Tokyo and found out that in this incredibly populated city, “only” 2000 people marched in the parade last year. However, understanding the current situation for LGBTQ people in Japan, and looking back at the history of Pride parades in Tokyo, 34
this seemingly low participation becomes more understandable, and the recent growth in participation becomes all the more uplifting. Tokyo saw its first parade for LGBTQ rights as early as 1994, but in the following years promotion of the event was lacking, and Tokyo saw a few years without any parade at all. For the past four years though, Tokyo Rainbow Pride has been going strong. Public awareness of the meaning of LGBTQ, and of the issues people within the LGBTQ community face, is still unfortunately very low. According to the Non-Profit Organization Nijiiro Diversity, these issues are not discussed in schools, and many think LGBTQ people exist only on TV or abroad, but not actually in Japanese society.
JAPAN
Even though physical violence towards LGBTQ people in Japan is reportedly low, they do lack official legal protection against discrimination, and same-sex couples do not have the same rights as different-sex partners. This makes it very difficult for people to come out at work for fear of being bullied or losing their job, and same-sex couples face obstacles not faced by different-sex couples when it comes to building a life together. In 2015 a significant step forward was taken, when Tokyo’s Shibuya ward, and later also the Setagaya ward, became the first regions in East Asia recognizing same-sex couples. Both wards have started issuing partnership certificates, which although not recognized by national law, will hopefully make life easier for same-sex couples. These documents grant holders the same right to hospital visits and rental agreements held by married couples within the two wards. It is also hoped that these certificates will encourage companies to extend their spouse and family benefits to also encompass same-sex partners. Happily, this change seems to be coming. Whether the change is inspired by the recent issuing of partnership certificates or the estimated 6 trillion yen consumer market that the LGBTQ community make up is difficult to say, but inclusivity seems to be more and more important to companies in Japan. Recently, Sony announced that employees with same-sex partners will receive the default family benefits, while Panasonic is updating their discrimination policies and considering extending their family benefits as well. Some
IN ANTICIPATION OF TOKYO RAINBOW PRIDE
large mobile carriers are also extending customer family plans to include same-sex partners. Meanwhile, a real-estate agency in Tokyo is working to both give employees LGBTQ-training, and taking the burden of dealing with inquisitive landlords off of LGBTQ people looking for a new home. After last year’s step forward in Shibuya and Setagaya wards, the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade and accompanying festival was said to have had a noticeably more positive and celebratory atmosphere. With this year’s increasing visibility of LGBTQ issues, and companies showing their willingness to become more inclusive, I can only imagine that the parade in 2016 will be even bigger and better, and I very much look forward to experiencing it for myself.
WORDS Linn Kullberg
Tohoku University, Japan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Biotechnology. klinn@student.chalmers.se
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SINGAPORE
A WET NIGHT IN SINGAPORE
A Wet Night in Singapore
THE TIME IS 02:12. OUTSIDE, THE ROAR OF revving super-car engines echo in the night. The humming of the AC bestows a questionable feeling of comfort upon me; do I really need a reasonable room temperature to be able to sleep or was is it, in fact, this very beast that keeps me awake? My thoughts wander as I feel how I am giving up on the idea of getting any sleep. As I begin to consider if Youtube can keep me company in the wait for dawn, I feel a bit confused; wasn’t this article supposed to be about water supply in Singapore? My mind fails me in keeping the thoughts focused and with the shaking hands of an addict of some sort, and I resort to the plan-less wandering through the videos in Google’s corner of the world wide web, a habit that has squandered a lot of young promising minds’ futures. I was a stranger in this country, an outsider, even though the very foundation of society in Singapore is based upon the notion of a culture mixture so omnipresent it reminds me of a true alcoholic’s take on Long Island Iced Tea. Perhaps Singapore could deliver good Youtube profiles? The question should have an obvious answer, but by the time it was asked there was a shortage of processing power in the mainframe of the sleepless, empty entity that was me and the passive decision to empirically explore the answer was made, or rather; it was just an inescapable fact. It turned out that the sense of humour in these kinds of videos are from my point of view, horribly bad and I quickly resorted to videos with fun facts about Singapore. Through my semi-conscious mind and my glassy stare fixed on the computer screen I register words that at first
make no sense to me. “…one of the best things about Singapore is the tap water. What you don’t know is that it is made from sewage water. You are drinking urine and …” Had I in some way misunderstood what had been said? Had I been drinking used toilet water all this time? What vile fiend would make a whole nation do this? My uncoordinated fingers hammered away on the keyboard as I tried to make sense of all of this. My engineer’s mind simultaneously tried to process the likelihood of this absurd statement. Singapore has a land area roughly half the size of Öland, but a population of 5.5 million in contrast to Öland’s humble 25 thousand inhabitants. No natural fresh water supply should be able to cover the demand of the population. Supplying this tiger economy with water must unquestionably be an extremely challenging task; maybe the YouTuber was right… and suddenly it was clear that this article in fact would touch the subject of how Singaporeans get their water. The time of consulting Wikipedia was upon me and like so many times before I felt good about having donated money to this incredible organization. When skipping to the chapter about water supply in Singapore the first thing I learned, to my delight, was that the Public Utility Board of Singapore had been given the Stockholm Industry Water Award in 2007 for its holistic approach on solving the water issue, an impressive feat that triggered my interest further. The access to water is, like any other commodity, governed by supply and demand. In the case of Singapore, the Public Utility Board (PUB) has attacked the problem from both ends; by increasing supply and working to minimize demand. 37
SINGAPORE
The water supply in Singapore originates from what they call the four taps. These are: • Imported water from Malaysia • Collected rainwater • Desalinated sea water • Reclaimed water - that is purified sewage water
A mighty country like Singapore surely does not want to be dependant on other countries for something as important as water and is therefore working on the quest of becoming self-sufficient. Singapore has had two deals with Malaysia, one from 1962 with 99 years’ validity and one from the 1990s that expired in 2011, regarding water import. The last deal sets a deadline for when Singapore must be self-sufficient, but with the progress they have made it seems like it will happen long before by maximizing the output of the other “taps”. Right now rainwater is collected from two thirds of the total land area, and impressive improvement from 2011 when the same number was 50 %. The goal, however, is to expand the long term catchment area to 90 % by utilizing water of varying salinity from all remaining rivulets and streams along the coast now that all the main estuaries already dammed up, creating reservoirs. The weakness of water catchment is the fickleness of weather, which makes it very important to create a patchwork of water sources. The two last sources are designed to do just that. Singapore has two plants for desalination, with a total capacity of 100 million gallons per day, which represent 25 % of the total 400 gallons of water demand of today. By 2060 PUB says it will further have increased this capacity. The last source, reclaimed water – or NEWater as PUB refers to it, is further purified at four large plants by the usage of advanced membrane technology and ultra-violet light, which makes it really clean, apparently. This source can today cover 30 % of the nation’s water needs, with a goal of reaching 55 % of Singapore’s future water demand by 2060. At the other end of the spectrum, Singapore tries to promote water conservation by encouraging 38
A WET NIGHT IN SINGAPORE
customers to use water more wisely. This is done by a “3P approach”, that is People, Public and Private, with the goal of achieving a sense of common ownership of the water resource and by that reaching PUB’s tagline “Water for all – Conserve, Value, Enjoy” This approach has been very efficient in minimizing water usage. Since 2003 the domestic per capita water usage has been brought down from 165 to 150 litres per day. The target is to lower it to 140 litres by 2030. This is done through engaging the community through raising awareness, recognizing individuals and organizations that contribute to the cause and creating water saving programmes to encourage and challenge businesses and households to reduce water usage. Re-ensured I shut my computer, dragged my bones to the sink and enjoyed a glass of 30-degree warm water that had come from a Singaporean toilet. Now I was ready to tackle my insomnia once again, while sirens and motorcycles danced on through the night outside.
WORDS AND PHOTO Christoffer Jonsson
National University of Singapore, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Industrial Design Engineering. chrijons@student.chalmers.se
TAIWAN
GENDER INEQUALITY IN SWEDEN AND TAIWAN
Gender Inequality in Sweden and Taiwan
AS A FEMALE STUDENT IN ENGINEERING, I BELONG TO THE under-represented group in both studies and work aligned with this education, the females. I am faced with the issue of gender inequality both in my future working environment and in my current school environment. Although I have lived my whole life in Sweden, which ranks as one of the most gender equal countries in the world, an equal society is far from reached. The under-representation of women in higher positions and in specific fields of work, as well as the unequal pay, demonstrates that even the leading countries in this matter are still marked by gaps between men and women. Taking part in an exchange program in Taiwan, I was urged to investigate the differences between my home country and my current country of residence. It came as no surprise that I found myself walking around in a crowd of mostly male students at my new campus at National Chiao Tung University. I would just like to clarify that I do not mind the many male students, I suspect that the boys suffer more from having less girls at campus than I do. However, the under-representation of women in the field of engineering proves the correlation between gender and different fields of study. Generally, health care is dominated by females whereas technical and science fields are dominated by men. Digging deeper into the matter, I compared the statistics for the educational attainment in Sweden and Taiwan. It shows that, in 2014-2015, the grand total of women enrolled in higher education was 50 and 61 percent for Taiwan and Sweden respectively. The 61 percent ranked Sweden as the country with the highest number of enrolled women in tertiary education. Furthermore, my findings show that more Swedish women tend to choose science and technology subjects than Taiwanese women, where the ratio is one third compared to one fifth. Taiwanese women are highly under-represented in fields that are traditionally associated with the male gender such as engineering, manufacturing and construction where the ratio is 15 percent in Taiwan compared to 30 percent in Sweden. Naturally, the working environment reflects this distribution. With their high educational attainment, women in Taiwan and Sweden should be attractive on the job market and eligible for higher positions. However, reality tells a different story. Even though in 2014 women represented 51 percent and 59 percent of the total workforce in Taiwan and Sweden respectively, women 39
TAIWAN
Women enrolled in higher education
61%
50% Women in percent of total workforce
59%
51% Women on board positions
28% on board positions in Sweden were 28 percent whereas only 6 percent of board positions were represented by women in Taiwan. The calculations may differ depending on the amount of companies taken into account as well as other factors and hence a correct comparison is difficult to make. For instance, Taiwan today has the highest female participation in politics with its 34 percent of females in the parliamentary seats. However, Taiwan lags behind Sweden when it comes to the representation of women in senior management. The reasons as to why this is the reality of today are many and widely discussed. Gender inequality is a prominent issue but has different public awareness in different countries. Whilst gender inequality is a subject of lively debate in Sweden, you still notice traditional values and patriarchal norms in Taiwanese society, although the power of women has increased in the nuclear family. Naturally, the upbringing of children is highly reflected 40
6% by the society and norms, and has an effect on the educational choices made by men and women. The explanations for the gender dominance in different fields of education can thus be derived from traditional, social and cultural values. We are unconsciously coloured by the perceptions of men and women right after we are born. Evidently, not only the educational choices affect the gender differences in the working environment. For instance, legislations, policies, terms and conditions also affect the gender ratio at work. Comparing Taiwan and Sweden, Taiwan has much less effective legislations regarding gender inequality. Legislations can both facilitate women’s participation in the workforce and also create a public awareness. One of the most significant issues regarding gender inequality at work is the parental leave, in which Swedish women have a much more generous leave and can more easily get back to work than Taiwanese women.
TAIWAN
A study performed by McKinsey&Co proves the financial benefits of incorporating more women in senior management. It is depicted that the average Return on Equity and average EBIT margin for those companies that are representing women on executive committees increase by approximately 50 percent. Still, while executives were asked to give their own opinions of how important attracting women to their teams is for their companies, only 21 percent of Taiwanese executives considered the issue a top ten priority of their strategic agenda. In Europe however, 53 percent indicated that the problem is on their top ten priorities. The issues of gender inequality among many is thus both welcoming women to engage in higher positions in the workforce as well as attracting women to choose different fields of study than what is expected of them. Surely, women also need to dare to challenge the status quo and grab a seat among the men.
BY BIKE IN BEIJING
Sweden has been in the forefront of promoting gender equality for years but Taiwan also shows prospects of a more gender equal society. Considering the fact that Taiwan elected its first female president this year, it is with great anticipation I will take part in the development of my current country of residence. As a female exchange student in engineering, it is my hope and wish that future exchange students will meet more women on campus than I do.
WORDS Linn Lindfred
National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. linn.lindfred@chalmers.se
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JAPAN
A Western Perspective on the Japanese Music Scene
THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THE JAPANESE music scene is one of a kind. Several genres are unique to the country, most acts only sing in their native language and only a few make it to the international scene. On the underground side of things, there’s a seemingly infinite number of bands playing every sub-genre of more or less accessible music, each with their own quirky flair. As one delves into this scene, the proficiency of every single band becomes apparent, and one begins to wonder where all this talent comes from. I personally believe that one contributing 42
factor is the way the school system encourages all forms of art through clubs. Even in universities a lot of students spend their evenings in school doing their extracurricular activity of choice. After attending the Tohoku University Cultural Festival and being very impressed with the performances of clubs in general, not only those related to music, I decided to join the Modern Jazz Research Society of Tohoku University. Upon my first time entering the clubroom, I was welcomed with a several hours long jam session with the club. With my very limited jazz experience, I
A WESTERN PERSPECTIVE ON THE JAPANESE MUSIC SCENE
spent more time simply staring in awe than actually playing my instrument. I later joined the club for an all day live session at a local bar, watching all the members perform on stage. Their skill ranged from what you’d expect from university students to very professional and artistic. It seems the way the Japanese students gather and focus on honing their skills together is a recipe for success in whatever activity they practice. Because of the very few bands making it internationally, the western general image of Japanese music differs from the way music is experienced in Japan. One of the highest grossing group of performers in Japan, AKB48, is a prime example of this: the idol group with more than one hundred members is largely unknown to non Japanese while being a national phenomenon. Similar to popular music in general, the key to success as an idol lies in performance and image, rather than the music itself. The kind of image the idols uphold is what sets the scene apart from its western counterpart, as idols appear cute and pure, in keeping with Japanese traditional values and pop culture. Minami Minegishi is one of the original 48 members of AKB48, who failed to keep up this image when she spent a night with Alan Shirahama of the boy-band Generations. This “incident” had her demoted to trainee status in 2013 as her contract includes a no date policy. A video of Minegishi apologising in tears with her head shaven (a way of showing contrition) quickly rose to infamy, even overseas, showing how the reputation of idols can be hurt by something as banal as dating. Eventually she was reinstated as a full member, but one can’t help but to compare how her situation was handled with that of Shirahama whose career was largely unaffected. This boils down to the way the idols are perceived by some of their fans, as objects of fantasy. It all seems quite distasteful, but one must at the same time remember and respect the fact that Japanese social values differ greatly from western ones. When talking about Japanese music in general, it is often implied that it’s more quirky and eccentric than western music. This has led to the usage of J- as a genre prefix to distinguish acts as Japanese, for example J-rock. It seems that whatever genre the Japanese tackle, the way they approach it is what sets it apart: with a mindset of experimentation and fun. Listening to a band like Tricot or Sigh, or watching the latest Kyary Pamyu Pamyu video, it’s apparent that the Japanese scene is full of acts who enjoy music. After all, what my fellow club members told me after my first solo in the clubroom holds true: the most important thing is to have fun.
WORDS Linus Norström
Tohoku University, Japan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Physics. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Applied Physics. nolinus@student.chalmers.se
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CHINA
Yellow Mountain
WITH ONLY ONE NIGHT BOOKED AT A HOSTEL AS OUR INITIAL plan, me and three friends from Finland left Shanghai for a very spontaneous trip to Huangshan and the Yellow Mountains. Huangshan, better known as Yellow Mountain, is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China, well known for its scenery and oddly shaped granite peaks. At 14.30 we were seated on the bus which was going to take us to Tunxi. On our way we saw car crashes, mostly collisions from behind which might give you a hint of how intense the Shanghai rush hour is. A bit outside of Shanghai, the road was lined with enormous housing projects. Tall, almost finished, residential buildings stood empty in the dark and lots of concrete shells with cranes alongside loomed. If it was Shanghai or some suburb outside I have no idea of but surely the building pace in China is incredibly fast. In Tunxi we were dropped of at a dark and deserted bus station and very quickly all the other passengers vanished and there we were with two people from Russia, at first we had no idea how we were going to get to Huangshan. Luckily, the hostel owner was a nice and friendly man so after a phone call, he offered to resolve the ride to Huangshan. We ended up in a minivan along with the two Russians and listened to their howling with the driver for an hour more during the journey from Tunxi to Huangshan. Once in Huangshan, we were well greeted by the hostel owner. We checked in and left our luggage before we set out for dinner at an empty place where we watched some movie on the TV together with the restaurant staff. We were all very tired and went to bed right after. On Saturday we got up early and were served a western breakfast and coffee before the owner drove us to the mountain. After another 20 minute ride in a shuttle bus we arrived at the eastern stairs of the mountain. We bought tickets at a reduced student price and quickly followed the old men carrying some 50kg of water and snacks on their shoulders up the stairs. Even though the weather was quite chilly, I immediately got hot walking the steps towards the top. The beginning was quiet slow because of some other tourists who also walked the steps. Strangely, some people walked in a suit or high heels. What were we doing wrong walking in sports clothes, sweating and fighting hard to get to the top? It took us two and a half hours to reach the White Goose Ridge which is located on top of the mountain. The way up offered very nice scenery and views of the mountain. At the ridge, we changed for dry clothes, had some snacks and drank water, before continuing. 44
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One hour later, we reached Beihai, another checkpoint, where we admired a pond together with other tourists. We ate at the crowded Beihai canteen and just as we finished our food and set out to continue, the clear weather changed to humid, foggy and light rain. In a split second all of the people were wearing ponchos so we followed the trend and suited up in well fitted yellow ponchos. We continued to walk in order to get to Yupinglou where we would sleep. We did not see much because of the fog and a trail along the Bright Top comb was turned off because of the weather. We had to follow a less exciting way down through a mountain pass. The way down the passage looked like something out of The Lord of the Rings, and was pretty cool in its own way, anyway. We felled the stairs past the Turtle Cave and Lotus Peak in a fairly high pace and came down to Yupinglou where we found our hostel for the night. The next day we got up, a little later than planned, dressed quickly and went outside and ate an austere breakfast consisting of boiled eggs and corn cobs. With new energy we continued to hike the road to the western stairs. It was said that the Celestial Capital Peak was closed due to bad weather but after a short downward hike from the hostel the gates were open when we arrived at its foot. The Celestial Capital Peak turned out would be the most enjoyable part of the whole trip with some really steep stairs and quite a few tourists along the trails. We climbed at a good pace and reached the top quite quickly. There was some fog passing by the mountain peaks with the wind but apart from 45
CHINA
that it was a magnificent view. We snapped some mandatory selfies with the cheerful Chinese people and admired the view. We then took the steps down on the other side of the Celestial Peak which sometimes consisted of serious death stairs, steep with high steps. So it went on in a very nice scenery that reminded us of Sweden’s forests before we came down for the Celestial Peak and ended up at the usual hiking trail that would take us down to the west entrance of the mountain. With really tired legs, we walked down the last piece of stairs in a fairly fast pace. It was easier to just let your legs keep going than to go slowly and let yourself feel the sore legs. After a change of clothes and some snacks we arrived back to the hostel. We ate lunch at a place
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near the hostel and happened to just miss our bus back to Shanghai. The old man was obviously kind again and once more put us in his car and caught up with the bus, turned in front and let us jump on. I Enjoyed as much as possible of China’s landscape and nature through the bus window as I could before it got dark. My whole body was worn, especially my legs from all the stair walking. Six hours later we arrived at the Shanghai South Railway Station and took the metro home from there. Some fun was that the Finn’s bathroom had been torn down over the weekend so they were now without both toilet and shower. Kind as I am I let them shower at our place. Typically, the hot water ran out before it was my turn.
YELLOW MOUNTAIN
WORDS AND PHOTOS Filip Wahlund Tongji University, China
Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Quality and Operations Management. filipwa@student.chalmers.se
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JAPAN
Skiing in Japan, There and Back Again
Around 70 % of Japan’s landscape consists of mountains. Up in northern Japan in the village of Niseko on the Hokkaido island, there is in average 15 meters of snow falling annually. Niseko’s location, close to the Pacific Ocean, in combination with the cold air from Siberia and a stable temperature just below zero degrees during the winter months, provides light and dry powder snow. The unique snow texture and quality results in outstanding and world famous backcountry skiand snowboard conditions that bring people from around the world to the north island of Japan. GOING TO JAPAN FOR SKI TRIPS HAS become popular among Scandinavian people. Although, the Australian people are greatly over represented due to the convenient, according to themselves, way of getting there. Just a short flight of about 10 hours. In addition to the perfect skiand snowboard conditions there are several pros with a ski trip to Japan. However, before making any decision and booking the tickets there are things to point out and consider. First of all, one has to understand that the snow quality and especially the backcountry or off-piste snow is in main focus, all the time and in all aspects. You will hear the question “how was the snow” more frequently than “how was the weather” or even “how was your day”. The light and dry snow brings people. Not the facilities, not the gasping sun, not any big and well-developed systems with restaurants in every slope and not the after ski culture. First, 48
when one has realized, and appreciates this, you are almost good to go book the tickets to unlimited powder snow and backcountry skiing. The pros with a trip to Japan do not stop at the snow conditions though, but it is just the start. The people of Japan are warm hearted and polite, and although their English is not the best they will always help you out and make sure that you have a pleasant stay. One can almost think that making sure foreign people will be happy with their stay in Japan is a part of their work description. Furthermore, the food in Japan itself makes a trip well worth going. Of course you will get world-class sushi and noodles but also other specialties as stews, tempura, nabe and hot pots. Basically, one can just enter the first visible restaurant, in general small places with room for 8-10 people, and expect tasty food at an affordable price. Important to remember though, do not tip regardless of your experience since
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this could be interpreted as impolite. In addition to eating tasty food, Japanese people appreciate taking a bath in any of the many natural hot springs in Hokkaido, also called onsens. This is a culture that is easy to adopt even for Scandinavian people after a long day of skiing. As good as it sounds, there are drawbacks with skiing in Japan. Except for the long and uncomfortable trip itself, the facilities are in general small with fewer and shorter slopes than in Europe. One can see development and some efforts in creating a more western atmosphere, efforts that are received differently among both Japanese people and tourists. The efforts will potentially increase the profits and thereby provide opportunities to improve but to the price of the charm of having a small and personal touch to everything and endless of backcountry skiing opportunities. Only time will tell how this ongoing debate will develop. Finally, is it possible to conduct a comparison between skiing in Japan and Scandinavia, North America or the Alps? And in that case, is there a
winner? Not really, or maybe they are all winners. The attributes that speak for a ski trip to Japan are the snow conditions impossible to find elsewhere, especially if you are into backcountry skiing, the friendly people and the delicious food. On the other hand, North Japan is not the most convenient place to travel to when starting from Scandinavia and a vacation in Japan always seem to end up as one of the more pricey ones. Finally, one can stop by in Tokyo on the way home, not to make the trip less pricey but even more memorable. Tokyo, a city that is everything else than what one can expect. Just like a ski trip to Japan, and truly just like all of Japan.
WORDS AND PHOTO Joakim Andersson
The University of Tokyo, Japan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. joakand@student.chalmers.se
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TAIWAN
The Asian Filmmaker with a Never-Ending Dream
NOT MANY DIRECTORS TODAY CAN appeal to film audiences from both West and East like Ang Lee. His films are notable for involving emotional themes, which are believed to be the source of his international fame and success in the film industry. Born in Pingtung, Taiwan on the 23rd of October 1954, Lee was raised in a family that strongly emphasized Chinese Arts and study. During his youth, he had a strained relationship with his father who encouraged Lee to pursue a teaching career. 50
Lee attended Provincial Tainan First Senior High School where his father was the principal. However, he had difficulties concentrating as he was always fantasising and coming up with new ideas during study. Lee eventually failed his exams and instead changed to National Taiwan Academy of Arts where he studied theatre and film. This was the time when he found his true calling. After graduating in Taiwan, Lee moved to Illinois in 1978 to pursue his dreams of performing arts and cinema, much to his father’s dismay.
THE ASIAN FILMMAKER WITH A NEVER-ENDING DREAM
Unfortunately, as Lee himself described it, it was difficult for a newcomer with his background to get into the American film industry. Lee didn’t get many opportunities to direct and started helping film crews while writing his own screenplays. His scripts were however, mostly turned down by the American film studios. He remained unemployed for six years and did all the housework while his wife was the main source of income for their family. This was a difficult time for Lee and he even considered changing his career, including running a Chinese restaurant and taking computer courses. But with the immense support and encouragement from his wife, he was reminded to never give up on his dreams and kept writing scripts. Some time later, his work finally paid off after winning a competition with his screenplays, leading to the start of his directing career. His first debut film, Pushing Hands, was first premiered in Taiwan 1992 and became a huge success, receiving eight nominations in the Taiwanese film festival called Golden Horse Film Festival. The success eventually led to his next two films, The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman. His three films were together called “Father knows best”-trilogy with each film depicting the differences between traditional Chinese culture and the more modern Western lifestyle. Following the success of the film trilogy, Lee caught the attention of Hollywood and landed a directing role in the film adaptation of the English Novel Sense and Sensibility. Despite not being familiar with the English culture at the time, Lee was given the opportunity as Hollywood believed that his directing style would attract more audience worldwide. Released in 1995, the film was proven to be successful, earning many awards and receiving many positive reviews. Since then, Lee started making both American and Asian films. In 2000, Lee worked on the Chinese-speaking martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which surprisingly became one of his biggest breakthroughs. The film was met with universal praise and received over 40 awards,
including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, which was credited to Taiwan. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon remains as the highest grossing foreign language film in the US and is also considered as one of the greatest foreign language films in the U.S. A couple of years later, his next big breakthrough came with his film Brokeback Mountain in 2006. For this film, Lee won the Academy Award for Best Director, making him the first Asian to ever do so. In 2007, he returned to direct the Chinese language espionage thriller Lust, Caution, which was loosely based on a novel written by a Chinese author. Lust, Caution became one of the highest grossing Taiwanese films that was ever made and won the Golden Lion, the highest prize in Venice Film Festival. One of his most recent films, Life of Pi from 2012, once again earned him the Academy Award for Best Director. Through his achievements we can clearly see what an impact he has made, both in the American and Asian film industries. However, this will not be the last we see of Lee’s works as he still follows his dream of continuing making films or as he himself puts it, his “never-ending dream”.
WORDS Johnny Troung
National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Communication Engineering. johnny.troung@chalmers.se
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Words by
Photographs by
CAMILLA JÄMTING
THURE WALLER
Myanmar Don’t show your legs. Eat all the eggs. Be a monk, not a skunk. Make a carnival with no electricity, still it’s a party like in New York City. See the hot yellow sun kiss the dusty roads. Watch a hungry lizard lying still, very still. Find a snake dead beside it’s pray, never to be prayed. Find karma in the wilderness and in the monastery. The eldest monk of them all, taking a nap in the shade. Watch your shoes change colour, from bright pink to dusty grey. Feel life running through your veins as you enter the waves of the never ending lake. Know that this place is beyond Broadway, fancy cars and stock markets. Know that this place, though, is still alive. It’s people are alive.
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SOUTH KOREA
When Your Life Destiny is the Result of One Exam
THE SWEDISH APPROACH TO EVALUATION and assessment in high school combines national standard-setting and central test development with a high degree of trust in school professionals. Hence, the most evaluation and assessment activities are managed internally at the school level. Such a decentralised approach may result in a large variation in performance among students across Sweden, and may even be one of the reasons behind why Sweden has dropped in the PISA results. The totally opposite approach, can however be found in Korea, and there it has bilateral effects. Since the beginning of 1960 young scholars in Korea have been suffering from performance anxiety prior to the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT), also known as an eight-hour-long exam that is their main ticket to study at one of South Korea’s top universities. Over half a million 18-year-olds take the test annually (630.000 test takers in 2015), and during that second Thursday in November planes were prevented from taking off or landing for 40 minutes and the military stopped conducting drills, to reduce noise as students took their exams at over 1.250 test centres. Everyone is well aware of the importance of eliminating potential disturbance, because CSAT is a life-changing exam, and securing a high grade practically guarantees an offer from one of the top universities. When you are from Sweden, you may find it difficult to understand how an exam can be life-changing. Having dinner with a Korean friend made me realize how essential the CSAT is, when he described how parents spend a large 56
number of hours before, as well as during the test, in local temples to pray for their kid’s success. In Korea, the top three universities are often known as SKY, and these are Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Although, getting into SKY is maybe more about social standing rather than actual standing according to my friend, Korean parents invest a lot of money on both good high school and extra private tutoring to give their kids every chance of succeeding when applying to top universities. As motivation, my friend’s parents took him on tours around the SKY campuses in an early age, just to make it even more substantial. Koreans are convinced that if you don’t get into one of the highly reputable universities, it will make your life much harder, in terms of making a good career. This exam actually matters more than how well you perform during your time at the university, because future employers will most likely select you by which university you attended and not your grades. Due to this fact, it’s not unusual for students in Korea to prepare for at least three years prior to the exam. Studying is simply one of the most important things among Korean teenagers, and you should not be surprised when you hear that study sessions until early hours are common. Korea’s educational system, and the overall confidence in higher education, could be why an incredible 63% of Koreans aged 25-34 are college graduates, the highest rate in the OECD 2011. Furthermore, Korea has a mean share of top performers above the OECD average, while Swe-
WHEN YOUR LIFE DESTINY IS THE RESULT OF ONE EXAM
den has a mean share of top performers below the OECD average according to the latest PISA results. But, other statistics could also be derived from Korea’s well-educated and hard-working population. And these specific statistics are not very flattering. An educational system centred on a one-shot exam can be very stressful for a teenager. In a survey, made in 2008, a fifth of Korean middle and high school students felt tempted to commit suicide. It’s no secret that the suicide rate in Korea has been the highest among all OECD countries every year since 2003. Moreover, according to 2014 data by Sta-
tistics Korea, suicide was the number one cause of death among people aged 10 to 39. Well, PISA results and national health status are two separate things, and may be hard to combine.
WORDS AND PHOTO Oskar Magnusson
Seoul National University, South Korea Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. oskarma@student.chalmers.se
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SINGAPORE
Singapore’s Economic Development
SINGAPORE’S ECONOMY HAS BEEN through a rapid development during their 50 years of independence from Malaysia. From being a poor country with a small domestic market to becoming an “Asian Tiger” with one of the most open markets in the world highly dependent on exports. As the country develops it faces new challenges in order to keep its economic growth, where innovation and entrepreneurship will play an important role. Historical Development After Singapore’s independence from Malaysia in 1965, the country faced a small domestic market as well as high levels of unemployment and poverty. A majority of the people were forced to live in overcrowded household conditions and the unemployment rate was at an average of 14%, while at the same time 50% of the population was illiterate. In order to deal with these problems, the Singaporean government established an Economic Development Board. By making Singapore an attractive country for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) they were able to catalyse investments and by the year of 2001 foreign companies accounted for 75% of manufactured output. During the same time the country’s savings and investment rates rose to among worldwide high levels. Singapore’s open and outward-oriented economic strategy led to a rapid economic development for the country. As a result, living standards in Singapore improved and kept rising with a lot of lower-income families moving to middle-income status. Unlike European countries, Singapore individualised the social safety net which led to higher saving rates 58
and a highly sustainable economy in the long run. Singapore managed to develop an exceedingly self-reliant workforce well versed for a global economy, without a cumbersome welfare state with fiscal concerns. Singapore’s economic strategy managed to produce an average growth rate of 7% from the years 1970 to 2015, and today has a GDP per capita of S$ 74,000, which therefore is higher compared to Sweden’s GDP per capita of S$ 68,000. As of January 2016 Singapore’s unemployment rate has also gone down to 1.9%. “Asian Tiger and the Switzerland of Asia” Although Singapore in fact has some unfavourable conditions for economic growth, Singapore still has managed to earn the nickname “Asian Tiger” due to its strong economic growth over the past years. Singapore has a very small surface area and also lacks both arable land and natural resources, but the economy of Singapore has one proper advantage: its location. Singapore is located along important shipping routes in Southeast Asia, hence trade and commerce are key parts of the economy. The cargo port in Singapore is the second busiest cargo port in the world. The composition of exports from Singapore has over the years evolved from labour-intensive to more high value-added products, such as electronics, chemicals and biomedical, which today account for the main source of the country’s revenue. Globalization and free trade is therefore of great interest for the Singaporean government who consequently keep their import tariffs at very low levels. The
SINGAPORE’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
country is also a member of NATO, ASEAN and other multinational trade organizations and has an extensive network of free trade agreements with plenty of foreign countries. Apart from trade and commerce, banking, finance and insurance also make up an important part of the economy in Singapore. The country is considered a global finance hub where the banks offer world-class corporate bank account facilities. Due to its reputation of excellence in managing bank accounts and its strict bank secrecy rules, wealth management prospers in Singapore. This has attracted a lot of assets formerly held in Swiss banks, hence Singapore is sometimes called “the Switzerland of Asia”. Future challenges Due to the Singaporean government’s decade long investments in education, human capital and a skilled workforce also contribute to the prosperous economy in Singapore and will keep playing an important part for the country’s future development. In order for Singapore to preserve its international standing and keep having a prosperous
economy in the future, the country focuses on transforming their growth strategy from being value-adding to being value-creating instead. In order to do this Singapore aims to gain a highly proficient human capital base by investing in education, re-training of workers and attracting foreign talents. An important step in the transformation is also for Singapore to promote innovation and encourage entrepreneurship in order to start creating value. While Singapore in the past has been relying on their geographic location and low cost for labour it is now needed for the country and its workforce to be innovative and create value in order for their economy to keep growing.
WORDS Gustaf Larsson
Nanyang Technical University, Singapore Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. guslarss@student.chalmers.se
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HONG KONG
Why Visiting Hong Kong Should Be on Your Bucket List
FIRST OF ALL, I APOLOGIZE IF THIS article seems somewhat rushed. This was going to be an essay about Hong Kong’s food scene, but I rewrote it from scratch because that would miss the point. This city is unique or world class in so many ways that focusing on a single aspect would be to woefully undersell it. There are many great cities, but Hong Kong is one of a kind. The following a non-exhaustive list of reasons why. Hong Kong is a city of seven million, crammed into a few mountainous islands off China’s south coast. Formerly a British colony, it became a semi-autonomous region of China in 1997. In the 20th century, the city’s geography and form of government enabled it to become a major hub for trade within Asia and between communist China and the West. What was once a fishing village became a shining metropolis. Its history is similar to Singapore: both cities were British colonies that turned into trade and financial centres for Asia. Hong Kong is generally considered to be less authoritarian than Singapore however; speech is freer, and corporal punishment and the death sentence have been abolished. Hong Kong’s history has made it an ethnic melting pot with a unique culture and political environment; it is consistently ranked as the world’s freest economy. Hong Kong is one of the top 10 cities in number of Michelin starred restaurants. You might not think that’s relevant for a cash strapped student, but many Michelin star restaurants in the city are very affordable. You can fill up on dim sum at a one star restaurant for the price of a pizza. In Tsim Sha Tsui (a district in the centre 60
of town) there’s an excellent restaurant on every street. Great food from every country is readily available (and cheap): British pub food, Turkish kebabs, Vietnamese food… the list goes on. Many of the products for sale would be hard to find at all in Europe: fried cow intestine, eel skin, squid etc. If you’re adventurous it’s a food lover’s heaven. In general, you’re freer to eat and drink what you want than in Sweden. Alcohol is cheap and unregulated. You can buy a Guinness at a 7/11 and drink it on the street without anyone batting an eye. Exchange students use this to great effect. Referred to as the “Pearl of the Orient” for its dazzling skyline, Hong Kong’s cityscape is iconic. At the street level, the multitude of neon signs lends Hong Kong a unique appearance. The contrast between the lighting and the city’s gritty concrete tenements have inspired artists for decades; notably, the city in Ridley Scott’s classic scifi film Blade Runner was based on Hong Kong. Another nickname for Hong Kong is “Asia’s World City”, coined by the government’s branding department after the handover. It’s actually well deserved! Shanghai and Shenzhen are a couple of hours away by train, and Macau (basically Asia’s equivalent to Las Vegas) is an hour away by boat. Most of the Far East is a few hours and a cheap plane ticket away. I haven’t been myself, but I hear Vietnam is fun. The city’s subway system lets you get anywhere in Hong Kong in perfect comfort, for next to nothing and in less than 45 minutes. Long story short if you go to Asia come here!
BY BIKE IN BEIJING
WORDS Liam Hughes
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Computer Science-Algorithms, Languages and Logic hughes@student.chalmers.se
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JAPAN
Lab Based Education
YESTERDAY EVENING, AFTER PLAYING FAR too many rounds of Hearthstone, I managed to lift my gaze from the addictive game play and instead focused on the television which in loneliness had entertained its non-existing audience the whole afternoon. The editors at Swedish Channel 9 had yet again chosen to air an episode of one of the lousy American crime series that constantly torment TV all over the world. My immediate reaction was to turn off the TV and go to bed but I halted when I heard Laurence Fishburne’s character tell his partner: “You know, I used to spend a lot of time in Japan. There they have vending machines with used underwear for men to sniff them.” In popular culture as well as in daily conversations it is not uncommon, nor controversial, to without evidence claim the weirdest things about Japan, Japanese people and Japanese culture. How come this is not as stigmatized as similar rumours about other cultures? Inspired by John Hanning Speke and his struggle to discover the source of the River Nile, a year ago I set out on my own expedition, determined to uncover the source of this flood of stories about Japan and its people. After now having spent almost half a year in Tokyo I can with some confidence say that while there is some truth in some of the weird stories I have heard, there are also a lot of false rumours that survive as memes in Western society. The truth I have uncovered is that Japan goes its own way. Japan has everything we in the Western world expect and are used to, but often in altered forms. Altered cafés called cat or bunny cafés let you cuddle with animals while you eat. In some of the vending machines you can buy more than drinks and snacks (although I have yet to find one 62
with used underwear). On Christmas the lines for Kentucky Fried Chicken grow around the block since it is the traditional Christmas dinner. However, the Japanese way does not only summon “weird stuff ”, but also some very useful things. Everyone studying industrial engineering has heard the story of how Toyota’s executives came to the USA to study and learn how to manufacture efficiently. The executives came, they saw and they altered. The altered manufacturing style is today renowned as Lean production or The Toyota Way, the key to Japanese manufacturing success and stardom. Within higher education, Japan has also chosen a slightly different method than the Western world. The term Lab Based Education (LBE) is often used to describe the foundation of the engineering education system. A student in a Japanese engineering school is part of a lab. The students in the lab often range from 4th year bachelor students (it takes four years to get your bachelor’s), master’s students and PhD students. The lab members share a big office room where each has his or her own desk. Here they conduct research. Every student in the lab has his or her own research project, instead of courses. Although some courses are available they are not the foundation of the education, for a Western student courses are often the main focus. The lab is led by a professor who helps the students in their research. Each student ends up in their specific lab based on their field of interest. My lab in Tokyo Institute of Technology is nicknamed “The Affective Lab” and consists of around 20 students. Here the students, led by our eminent sensei (teacher) Umemuro-sensei,
LAB BASED EDUCATION
research topics related to how humans react to things. For instance, one student tried to measure the impact on efficiency of being interrupted while being concentrated, another student wanted to know how we feel about audio-books compared to real books. Umemuro-sensei himself tries to figure how to induce affective feelings in others, through for example design, management or products. The notion of LBE is inspiring, and Western styled education institutes could, just as manufacturing companies found valuable inspiration in Lean production, incorporate some useful ideas from LBE into their own system. The feeling of belonging to a certain professor’s lab where you have an office space and comrades working is really desirable. Also, the feeling of responsibility when working on your own project which your whole education in based on is immense and probably hugely motivating. Now half of my time in Japan has passed and I have come to think of the culture as different, but
not at all in a negative way. In Japan some things are just done differently. You can smoke inside restaurants and bars, but not on the streets of Tokyo. If you go outside, to get fresh air and a cigarette to let all the beer you just drank settle down, a bouncer might just lean in and roughly command you, saying: “You know the rules, man. Take that smoke inside!” I am still constantly being surprised by the Japanese way. Living in Tokyo you always wonder what you will find around the next corner. Who knows, perhaps my next discovery will be a vending machine with used underwear!
WORDS Adam Berthold
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management and Economics of Innovation. beradam@student.chalmers.se
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Want to study in Asia? CHALMERS INTERNATIONAL TAIWAN OFFICE Part of the Chalmers’ World Wide Programme
Over the recent decades the economies of East Asia have shown a remarkable development. China and Japan are two of the world’s largest econo-
mies and many more show great promise. The region is vibrant, interesting,
dynamic and somewhat challenging. Among those with a background in technical education professional contacts and co-operations with this region will continue to increase. Considering this, Chalmers has developed a
unique exchange programme, based in Taiwan, giving students an opportunity to study in and gain experience from these economies. 64
The programme is called The Asia Programme and is located at the National
Chiao Tung University (NCTU). The university is among the foremost technical universities in Taiwan and is especially profiled towards electrical engineering and information technology. However, in collaboration with the neighbouring
National Tsing Hua University, the exchange programme covers all engineer-
ing programmes at Chalmers. Courses held in both English and Mandarin Chinese can be chosen.
Contents of The Asia Programme • Intensive course in Mandarin, 4 weeks in July to August at NCTU in Hsinchu, Taiwan • Full academic year of engineering or architectural studies at NCTU • Maintenance of the Chalmers International Taiwan Office at NCTU • Company visits throughout East Asia Students of Chalmers operate the Chalmers International Taiwan Office
(CITO). The operations of CITO include arranging events of representation for
Taiwanese students at NCTU as well as visiting companies and representing Chalmers throughout East Asia.
HOW TO APPLY FOR WORLD WIDE You apply for nomination to NCTU and all of the other universities in Asia through the MoveOn-portal before the 1:st of December 2016. Attach a motivational
cover letter in Swedish with your application. If you are student of Architecture or Architecture and Technology you also need to submit an additional portfolio.
Choose two universities but do not forget to find courses that match you master programme and check these with the coordinator of your master programme.
Main Requirements for World Wide • You have reached your third year of studies at an engineering or architecture programme. • You have the minimum grade point average of 3.7 credits. • You have finished at least 60 hp by the first of December. The selection of students to be nominated for the universities within the World
Wide programme is based on the grade point average and study pace of the
applying students. The motivational cover letter is used to distinguish between students with the same average grade. In February you are informed
whether or not you have been nominated for a university. If you are not nominated you still have a chance to study abroad by applying to the second selection for the universities that still have vacancies to fill.
Asia Magazine aims to be entertaining and informative regarding current topics of Asia as well as a source of inspiration for students curious about exchange studies. The magazine is a joint effort of Chalmers students in Asia. Chalmers International Taiwan Office is the result of a bilateral exchange between Chalmers University of Technology and National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. The office is operated by Chalmers students and acts as a hub between Chalmers and East Asia.
INTE R NAT ION A L TA I WA N OFF IC E