SEP 2019 Business
Anki and Michael Cederkvist control their brand from Malaysia
Community
New Danish Chaplains in Hong Kong and Singapore. New Norwegian Church opened in Pattaya
Lifestyle
Agneta’s “wild strawberry places” in Bangkok.
New Finnish Ambassador in Singapore
September 2019
ScandAsia Stories
13
Danish hero saved thousands of Chinese at Nanjing massacre
10 572 Danish pensioners in Thailand in 2018 38 Selling Singaporean food in Finland 41 Concern over China’s presence in the Arctics 42 Agneta’s “wild strawberry places” in Bangkok
14 Antti Vänskä the new Finnish Ambassador at the helm in Singapore
10 20 New Danish Chaplain in Hong Kong
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28 Opening of new Norwegian Church in Pattaya
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New Danish Chaplain in Singapore
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32
Anki and Michael Cederkvist control the brand Soft Touch gloves based in Malaysia 4 ScandAsia • September 2019
Paul S.
France University of Cambridge Human, Social and Political Sciences
Elena C.
U.S.A. DePaul University Film Scholar’s Award
Own the future.
Tomas O. S. Lianne P.
Spain Berklee College of Music Composition and Music
Singapore University of Bristol Biology Undergraduate Excellence Scholarship
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Editorial
Dear Reader,
S
tarting to enforce the TM30 beyond the hotel business is the most painfull damage that I have ever seen Thailand inflict on itself.
For readers who live elsewhere, here is a brief overview of the matter: TM30 is a form used to report to the Thai immigration police, where a foreigners is staying.Tourists staying at hotels have routinely been reported to the Immigration police by the hotel using this TM30 form - which is why hotels copy your passport at checkin. It was only when the immigration police started rigorously to enforce the TM30 reporting for foreigners staying in their own apartment or in a rented house or apartment that the trouble began. We, who live here, do not stay at hotels. When we go away for a weekend, we now have to make sure - even if we stay at a relative’s house - that we are being TM30 reported to the local immigration police station. When we go back to our own apartment, we have to report to the local immigration police station that now we stay at our apartment again. If we have travelled by train overnight, we must keep the receipt to prove that we are not too late when reporting to the police station.
If we have no receipt or have reported ourselves incorrectly, we must pay a fine. If we want to extend our stay it is not possible until we have filed a TM30 form and paid the fine for having done it incorrectly. It is not enough to pay the fine, you also must chase your landlord to file the TM30 or - which is the real life - do it yourself. And pay the fine. No other countr y requires Thai people to go through anything like this if they work or study there. Although the move is seen as a tool in the fight against AirBnB, ironically it is whispered among foreigners living and working in Thailand, that if you want to avoid the hassle, book your weekend with an AirBnB host who promises not to report you to the immigration. For the time being at least, our simcards are not tracked. The TM30 has irreparably damaged the image Thailand had painstakingly built up over years as a business friendly country, open for foreign investments.
It feels like Thailand wants foreigners to carry a yellow star in a visible place at all times. Gregers Moller Editor in Chief
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6 ScandAsia • September 2019
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News brief
Swedish investors to support island in sustainability project
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ndonesians suck their way through 93 million straws each day. And of the 9,8 billion plastic bags they use every year, almost 95 percent end up as waste. In Western Indonesia the Nor th Sumatra Provincial Government has therefore decided that it’s time to cope with large amounts of plastic waste, and one or several Swedish investors are prepared to give a helping hand. The Swedish Energy Agency,Business Sweden and the Nor th Sumatr a Provincial Government’s secretary met on 7 August 2019. At the meeting the parties dicussed the expressed interest of Swedish companies to invest in waste management on North Sumatra. Fuad Hasan, Business Sweden’s consultant, said that “the Swedish company is prepared to work with the North Sumatra Environment Agency in the waste management sector,” reports the news agency Antara News. Hasan refers to a company, which has previously handled waste management in North Jakarta.
Ms. Sabrina, the Nor th Sumatra Provincial Government’s secretary, also expressed her keenness to work on a sustainable solution with Swedish investor s to journalists after the meeting. “The Swedish investors said North Sumatra has been potentially chosen
as their investment destination. We are ready to work with them.” Ms. Sabrina explained that Nor th Sumatra hopes to convert waste into energy and other products such as fer tilizers. Fur thermore, the province plans to build a large landfill for waste.
EU ban on palm oil could keep Telenor out of Indonesia
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orwegian telecommunication giant Telenor Group is trying to enter the Indonesian market by merging with the Indonesian company Axiata. Axiata holds 66.4 percent of the shares in PT XL Axiata Tbk which is the second largest mobile telecommunications company in Indonesia. Not so fast, says Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Rudiantara. The EU parliament passed on 10 June 2019 a law that will restrict and ban palm oil usage in biofuel by 2030. 8 ScandAsia • September 2019
Since Telenor originates from the EU, the merger should be scrutinised, she says. “I cannot ignore the issue [of the EU ban on palm oil],” Rudiantara has told the media. Norway is not a member of the EU but has several agreements with the EU that often makes it difficult for other nations to see the difference. The ministry would also first have to look at the post-merger business plan in Indonesia of Telenor and Axiata, he said. It was therefore too early to comment on the merits of the merger.
News brief
Finland struggles to attract Chinese students
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hinese students looking to Finland for education has declined by 24 percent since 2011. Meanwhile, the share of Asians of all foreign students has risen by 30 percent during the same period the Chinese news site Xinhuanet writes. This is an issue for Finland, as the countr y hopes to find potential immigrants among foreign students. Due to low birthrates and high taxes, Finland may struggle to finance its social welfare system through its own citizens in the future. Hence, immigrants are valuable to the Nordic country. And it matters where people are from according to a study published by a Finnish think tank. The study shows, that immigrants from Germany, Estonia and China are the most likely to be successful in Finland. Prime Minister Antti Rinne hopes non EU/EEA graduates will stay if they
find a job. Therefore, she wishes to extend that period from one to two years. While students are allowed to bring family, there are some cultural differences in determining what a family member is. As the term in Finland only includes spouse and children, some Chinese have been very upset to find, that their parents or grandparents were not granted a residence permit. Fur thermore, students may find it difficult to meet Finland’s income requirements for being able to support family members. Finland also introduced tuition fees in 2017 for programs taught in English for students from non EU/EEA countries. Universities charge 15,000 to 18,000 euros per year. Applied sciences institutions charge less. If the student happens to possess the language skills
to study in Finnish or Swedish, there is no tuition fee. However, this is not believed to be a major issue. In 2017 Chinese students in Finland counted 1609, making up the third largest foreign population of students in Finland. At the Chinese Embassy in Finland it is believed that a lack of English bachelor-programs may carr y par t of blame for the decline in Chinese students.
Nature attracts Swedish tourists to Sabah
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Sabah’s rich natural resources are at the center of its tourism industry. In Ranau – a town and district 108 km east of Kota Kinabalu – you can experience paragliding as a passenger and at several locations, you can experience the corals from a zipline without intruding in their sensitive habitat. Photo: www.vacation-key.com
alaysia’s vibrant nature with its tropical climate and lush green forests is the main attraction for Swedish travellers, Dag Juhlin Dannfelt, Sweden’s Ambassador to Malaysia, told Sabah’s Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal during a visit to Sabah. He said the beautiful islands in Sabah are already frequently visited by Swedish tourists. “Malaysia has the reputation of being warm and inviting, particularly in the aspect of tourism,” the local media Daily Express quotes the Swedish ambassador in a news article published in 18 August 2019. “The people are friendly and the scenery here is a welcoming change for Swedish tourists,” he added. September 2019 • ScandAsia 9
News brief
Sweden to deliver gun system for Indonesian Navy
A Bofors 57mm naval gun. Photo: BAE Systems.
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he Indonesian Navy has signed a contract with BAE Systems Sweden Weapon Systems for a naval gun system. More specifically, the navy has initially ordered four Bofors 57 Mk3 naval gun systems for its KCR-60 fastattack vessel programme. The gun systems will be produced at the British BAE Systems facilities in Karlskoga in central Sweden. The Bofor s 57 Mk3 naval gun system is used by navies and coast guards in among other nations Sweden and Finland.The gun can tackle surface, air and land threats. “This most recent contract with PT PAL Indonesia signifies the nation’s continued trust that BAE Systems naval guns consistently meet quality requirements and capability needs,” said Ulf Einefors, director of Weapon Systems Sweden at BAE Systems, in a press release. According to the press release “two of the new 57 Mk3 systems will be for two KCR-60 vessels currently under construction, while the remaining two guns will be integrated onto two existing KCR-60 ships”. The deliver y is planned for completion in 2021 with the first unit scheduled for delivery in 2020.
10 ScandAsia • September 2019
Danes in Thailand receiving pension rose to 572 in 2018
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total of 572 Danes were receiving their pension in Thailand in 2018. Fifteen years earlier, in 2003, there were only 46 Danish pensioners in Thailand. The 572 Danish pensioners are a small group among the 57.500 Danes who today receive their pension outside of Denmark. This number was around 25.000 pensioners fifteen years ago in 2003. An ar ticle in the Danish daily Politiken has analysed the Danes receiving pension abroad based on a repor t from the Danish ATP – a pension scheme for Danish workers. The ar ticle tries to dismiss the general image among Danes that pensioners living abroad are all sun tanned golf players living in the South of Spain wondering which restaurant they should choose for tonight’s dinner. They are also not immigrants who in their old age go back to their original home countries where the Danish pension will buy them a higher living standard. The majority are ordinary Danish citizens who have moved just across the border s to our neighbouring countr ies Sweden, Ger many and Norway. In par ticular Sweden, where a quar ter of all the total amount of
pension payments is disbursed. Not all recipients are Danish citizens. The average is 54 percent that are Danes – again mostly because of cross-border movements. In Thailand, 86,8 pct. of the recipients are Danish citizens. Apart from Thailand, the USA has had an increase in Danish recipients of pension from 274 to 2.122 pensioners. Danish pensioners abroad receive in average 48.810 Danish kroner per year – but with big variations according to number of years, they have worked in Denmark and other factors. The largest average amount per pensioner – 74.844 Danish kroner per year – is paid out to pensioners in 3. countries like Thailand, Brazil and South Africa. Also here, there are big variations. The Danes in Thailand can only receive the basic pension which for a single person amounts to maximum 80.736 kroner. If the person keeps living in Denmark and only visits Thailand part of the year, the amount is maximum 155.580 kroner for a single person according to the ATP analysis and max. 114.840 kroner for a pensioner living with a spouse.
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September 2019 • ScandAsia 11
Feature
Dane saved thousands of Chinese at Nanjing massacre
Bernhard Arp Sindberg happened to be in Nanjing during the Japanese imperial army’s massacre on soldiers and civilians in Nanjing in 1937. During the massacre, the young Dane rescued thousands of Chinese from being killed or raped. While Sindberg is well-known in China for his deeds, he is only now becoming recognized in Denmark as a national hero.
12 ScandAsia • September 2019
Queen Margarethe II of Denmark unveiled the statue of the Danish hero in his hometown, Aarhus in Denmark.
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n Saturday 31 August 2019, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark unveiled a 3 meter tall bronze statue of Sindberg in a memorial park in Aarhus, his home town in Denmark. The statue is a gift to Aarhus from the city of Nanjing – the work of three award-winning artists: China’s Shang Rong and Fu Licheng and Denmark’s Lene Desmentik. A delegation of 40 people from China participated in the ceremony Sindberg was 26 years old, when he started working as a guard in December 1937 at a cement factory in Nanjing, which was being built by Danish firm F. L. Smidth. It was soon after, that the Japanese troops conquered Nanjing. When the horrific slaughtering started, Sindberg together with a German colleague provided shelter and medical care for 6,000 to 10,000 civilians at the cement factory. Chinese estimates put the number saved people even higher – at about 20,000 people. Sindberg’s courage has been compared to that of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist who saved 1,200 Jews from the Nazi Holocaust by employing them in factories, and who was immortalised in the movie Schindler’s List. Sindberg painted a giant Danish flag ‘Dannebrog’ on the cement factory roof, to ward off Japanese bombs. He and Günther also planted the Dannebrog and German swastika around the site, as a deterrent against the Japanese army. At the time, imperial Japan was not hostile to Denmark or Nazi Germany, so the flags were respected. When the Japanese arrived at the gate, Sindberg would walk out to talk to them, and after a while they would
Sindberg in his US merchant marine uniform.
disappear. He pulled out a Danish flag, and after they had exchanged a few words, the Japanese would turn around and leave. Bernhard Arp Sindberg was a very average Dane. He was 173 cm tall and had only a basic education: in his early teens he left school and went abroad, doing various jobs on ships. He spent a few months in the French Foreign Legion in 1931, but deserted. He arrived in China in 1934, where he demonstrated Danish rifles, then worked as chauffeur for Philip Pembroke Stephens, a British foreign correspondent. Stephens was shot and killed by a Japanese machine-gunner while covering the invasion of Shanghai in November 1937. After his time in China during the Japanese invasion, he served in the US Merchant Marine in World War Two, then settled in California and rarely spoke about the horrors of Nanjing. He died in 1983. Sindberg in his US merchant marine uniform. In China, a photo exhibition opened on Saturday 31 August 2019 coinciding with the unveiling of the statue in Denmartk. The exhibition commemorates Bernhard Arp Sindberg as the Dane who helped save over 20,000 Chinese during the Nanjing Massacre. Jakob Linulf, the consul general of the Royal Danish Consulate in Shanghai, said at the launch ceremony of the exhibition that history is the best teacher, and the painful events of 82 years ago should never be repeated. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49524779 September 2019 • ScandAsia 13
Feature
Antti Vänskä
the new Finnish Ambassador at the helm in Singapore 14 ScandAsia • September 2019
When he was in his early 20’s, Mr Antti Vänskä, on route to a summer job in Australia, sent a postcard to his parents back in Finland from Singapore, describing the city as wonderful but an awfully hot place for Finnish people. Now he is back, as no other than Finland’s new Ambassador to Singapore!
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By Joakim Persson ntti Vänskä, who has been in Singapore since June, tells ScandAsia that he coincidentally found this postcard just recently. Now, the Ambassador, together with his wife, two teenage children, and their small dog, have just moved into Finland’s new Ambassador’s Residence, having transferred here all the way from his previous posting as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in Washington DC, USA. The Ambassador had applied for a few positions within Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Ambassador posting to Singapore – which he is very happy to have been offered as his first Ambassador appointment. “This is a very dynamic country and with lots of things to do. There are many popular places in the world but Singapore definitely belongs to those that many Finnish diplomats would like to work in,” says the Ambassador. “I’m also very fortunate to have my family with me and during the time here our kids will finish their school and move on to something else. But right now we are all here and everyone seems excited. We have been to Singapore as tourists, so we had an idea of what Singapore is like and everyone had a very positive image of it so in that regard it was easy and we were looking forward to coming here.” It was back in 2014 that the Vänskä family visited Singapore, as a stopover on a trip to Bali. “Geographically it is not that big so we managed to get an idea of the city state. It seems like a dynamic place which is changing all the time, where construction is going on all the time,” Mr Vänskä reflects. September 2019 • ScandAsia 15
Ambassador HE Antti Vänskä received in June by Singapore’s Guard of Honour
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he family is used to foreign postings, as the children were born when he worked at the Embassy of Finland in Berlin between 2001-2004, but the children have also had some of their youngest years back in Finland, including when father Vänskä served as the Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Finland (2010-2014). Apart from during those years he was served the MFA continuously since 1996. Also during the years in the Prime Minister’s office he worked intensively with the MFA as his role was as a diplomatic adviser. Mr Vänskä’s reason for applying to join MFA connects to his strong interest, ever since his teenage years, in international relations and issues and other cultures. “I did not know what I would be doing as an adult but I knew it had to be something to do with international things and other countries, and after finishing my high school I wanted to travel a little bit and move around and see other countries. I first went to Sweden for one year to improve my Swedish language. I spent a fantastic and very memorable year at a school in the very south of Sweden.” Later, Mr Vänskä graduated from Turku School of Economics and Business Administration in Finland with a Master’s degree in Economics. “MFA recruited new people yearly. For me, it was not an obsession to get a job at MFA, but it was something that
16 ScandAsia • September 2019
sounded really interesting – I was willing to give it a try. I have been happy with very interesting postings ever since I was accepted.” Three years as Indonesia Desk Officer in the Unit for Asia also meant he could develop his Asian understanding. “I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about Asia before so those years did really widen my horizon. I learnt a lot about the Southeast Asian countries as a whole, mostly dealing with Indonesia at the time, being the desk officer for three countries, also including Myanmar and Timor-Leste. It was therefore a very good practice for this posting I am having now.” “And, by coincidence, at that time the peace process negotiations in Aceh took place, which was led by the former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, so I was lucky to become involved in that as a junior, suppor tive staff member. It was a unique process and something that I will always remember,” he remembers. He also got to visit Indonesia a few times during those years.
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he Finnish ambassador describes himself as a generalist. “There are those who are specialists, who have done the same thing throughout their careers; concentrated on some specific issue. They might have
Finland’s Heads of Finnish Missions abroad convened for their annual meeting in Helsinki on 19-22 August. Photo: Petri Krook. worked with for instance trade or security policy, or one specific country or region. I have worked in Europe, in the U.S and in Russia, done a little bit of the economic side but also security policy issues – so not concentrating only on one specific issue.” Mr Vänskä now looks forward to the work ahead, together with the specialists on trade and education/science that Finland’s mission in Singapore is currently also equipped with. “I expect that economy and business will be the most impor tant sphere in my job and of the embassy as a whole. Singapore is a very dynamic city state and there are surprisingly many similarities actually between Finland and Singapore; both countries are investing heavily in human capital, education, innovation – all these things in order to be in the forefront of development in the new economy. Another similarity is that both countries are big proponents of the multinational system – in trade but also otherwise, so I see a lot of chances for continued connections and good cooperation.” “Singapore’s role in, and big promoter of, the ASEAN co-operation is also interesting to follow how it develops its regional integration,” he adds. In a well-functioning country like Singapore the many Finnish companies present can stand on their own feet, however the Ambassador believes they also appreciate if
Ambassador, HE Antti Vänskä, presented his credentials to the President of Singapore in late June the embassy is willing to facilitate in situations where its presence is welcome – which it is definitely willing to do. “I am happy to see that there is a lot of interest among Finnish companies towards Singapore and that goes for SMEs and start-ups as well as for the bigger, listed Finnish companies. It’s a good mix of Finnish companies being active
September 2019 • ScandAsia 17
in Singapore and also with Singaporean companies being interested in the Finnish star t-up scene and vice versa,” thinks Mr Vänskä. On Singapore’s role as a hub, he thinks it is strengthening: “I guess there was a time some years back when people thought that it was enough to go directly to China, somewhat questioning how the hub of Singapore would continue, but it looks to me that now again this position Singapore has as a hub is very strong and appealing. Many foreign companies know that it’s easy to establish your company here and Singapore really wants to welcome foreign companies. “ “At the same time – something that I tell Finnish companies when I meet them – Singapore is a ver y competitive market so it’s not easy in that regard. There is a lot of competition and everybody wants to make it here, so you have your product or services in good shape and your strategies well thought-out when you come here.”
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ne such occasion is the annual road show taking place in Finland.This year, connecting to the annual meeting of the Heads of Finnish Missions abroad in August, the turn had come to the town of Espoo (Finland’s second largest municipality). There, the Southeast Asia Ambassadors together informed some 30 Finnish companies about their respective countries. 18 ScandAsia • September 2019
“There seemed to be a lot of interest. We try to tell what this region is like and of course this region is far from homogenous; there are different types of countries, which at the same time mean that there are different opportunities for different types of companies. There might be companies mostly interested in Vietnam and then there are others who are mostly interested in Singapore and some might mostly look at potential new opportunities in Myanmar. So it depends on the plans of the company as well.” “And of course we also tr y to tell the same about Finland to Singapore. It’s two-way traffic we like to see, not only about Finnish companies coming to Asia and doing trade and selling services – investing in Finland is one of the themes in the Business Finland philosophy. We want to promote Finland as a good destination for Asian investments, it’s a well-functioning countr y and with a friendly business climate. And it is a safe and secure and can also be seen as a hub to the wider European or Russian markets so that’s definitely one of the ideas. We are here to inform about our country in many ways, with economy and trade being of importance.” Invest in Finland is the official investment promotion agency for Finland. In 2018 a record-high figure of 479 million euros was invested into start-ups and early stage growth companies in Finland in 2018, of which foreign investments accounted for 291 million euros.
Finnish technology
in high-tech Singapore towers
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he Finnish company KONE has won a large order at The Central Boulevard Towers in Singapore. The company is to deliver a total of 47 elevators and escalators to Central Boulevard Towers mixed-use development. The complex will be equipped with KONE’s groundbreaking innovations including the KONE UltraRope® hoisting technology and the intelligent KONE 24/7 Connected Services. The intelligent KONE 24/7 Connected Services means a completely new experience for KONE’s customers, with less equipment downtime, fewer faults and detailed information on maintenance work. For the people using the building, it means less waiting time and more personalized experiences. The system enables vast amounts of data from elevator sensors to be monitored, analyzed and displayed in real-time, improving equipment performance, reliability and safety. The KONE UltraRope® is super-light elevator hoisting technology eliminates the disadvantages of existing steel ropes - high energy consumption, rope stretch, large moving masses, and downtime caused by building sway.With KONE UltraRope® future elevators may travel up to a height of 1,000 meters. Located in Singapore’s Central Business District and developed by Wealthy Link Pte Ltd (a subsidiar y of IOI Proper ties), Central Boulevard Towers will consist of premium Grade A office and retail spaces. “We want to provide value for our customers during the entire lifespan of their building, and we are extremely excited to bring the latest innovations and digital solutions in the industry to the benefit of IOI Properties and the Central Boulevard Towers tenants,” said Axel Berkling, executive vice president for KONE Asia Pacific in a press release from the company. The Central Boulevard Towers project is scheduled for completion in 2022. KONE booked the order in the second quarter of 2019.
September 2019 • ScandAsia 19
Community
A dream come true New Chaplain at the Danish Seamen’s Church in Hong Kong. By Sigrid Friis Neergaard Photos: Private
20 ScandAsia • September 2019
It was Hong Kong or nothing. It just has a certain flavour to it, when you say ‘Hong Kong’. It’s a clash of East and West
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he 30-year-old Dane Lars Emil Bolt had only just finished his degree in theological studies and star ted a temporary job as a pastor in Glostrup, Denmark, when the dream job was posted. Chaplain at the Danish Seamen’s Church in Hong Kong. “I always dreamt of going overseas,” says Lars Emil Bolt. “And if I had to move my entire life, I had to do it the proper way. Hamburg or the like just wouldn’t do it for me.” The church in Singapore was also looking for a new Chaplain at the same time, but this didn’t catch Lars’s attention, who says, that Hong Kong has been “on the list” for a long time. “It was Hong Kong or nothing. It just has a cer tain flavour to it, when you say ‘Hong Kong’. It’s a clash of East and West,” says Lars, who is excited to start feeling at home in the big city.
A turbulent start
When Lars and his wife, Nickie Mathilde Bolt, arrived in late July, so Lars could start his new job as planned on 1 August 2019, they only just touched down when a typhoon struck the city.
“We landed in the first forceful typhoon of the year. We were one of the last planes to land. So, the first thing we did was to rush to the supermarket and buy food. Then we sat in our dark apartment and turned on the TV,” says Lars. Prior to moving, the couple had only spent 48 hours in Hong Kong, which was during a visit to the church in May. Tropical weather is therefore a new climate for both of them. Another thing, the couple have had to get used to, is the demonstrations Hong Kong has experienced for the past couple of months. “When you drink coffee with people, demonstrations are often the talk of the town. I’m surprised that people speak so freely about politics.” But the new Chaplain is quick to add, that the demonstrations aren’t visible in his everyday life. Thus, neither Lars nor his wife feel unsafe in any way. It might even have helped, that the couple have seen some of the protestors. “The other day, we were out for lunch when we saw a lot of people dressed in black clothes and black masks.”
September 2019 • ScandAsia 21
Things added up, when the couple checked the news and read, that a demonstration was to take place in the area that day. “The pictures can look frightening, but when you actually see the protestors, you realise that most of them are young people. University students. And even though they are dressed in black some of them also have Hello Kitty labels on their clothes. And they hit with umbrellas. It’s limited how much damage an umbrella can cause to an armoured police car,” says Lars.
From Cultural Christian to pastor
It’s a job which is very social in a lot of ways. You have to open your life and your home, so it seems pretty natural that both spouse and children become a part of it. It’s not just a job where you show up at 8am and leave at 4pm.
Lars grew up in Ordrup in Northern Copenhagen in what he refers to as a “proper accountant family”. “My family is what you would call Cultural Christians. We went to church during Christmas and sometimes Easter. That was it.” But when Lars started high school the sign above the entrance read Niels Steensens Gymnasium –a Catholic school in Copenhagen. Here, he became familiar with religion in a way he hadn’t been before, when he was taught by a teacher he speaks of with great respect and gratitude. “I learned that religion was more than the prejudice people had. It generated a general interest for religion in me.” After high school, Lars went on to serve his time as a conscript in the Danish military. Later, he had several shortterm jobs as well as an office job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Staring at a screen from 8am to 4pm just didn’t appeal to me. I thought, there must be more to life. And then I thought of my former teacher (at the Catholic high school). It became more and more obvious that being a pastor must be the most amazing job in life,” he says. “Getting to be there through the greatest moments in peoples’ lives. Both the good and the bad. From baptisms and weddings to funerals. And you get to choose, how you want to do the job.” Despite his family’s relationship or lack thereof with religion, he has always felt that they supported his decision. “It wasn’t even a question. I had to study theology. And as I was studying, I was affirmed more and more that I had made the right choice.” And the job has another perk for Lars. “I’ve always been fond of singing and acting. So, to be in the spotlight every Sunday and perform my sermon is ideal,” he says but stresses that to him, being a pastor of course isn’t an act.
A dream come true
Living abroad was not a spontaneous thought to strike Lars. In fact, he was planning to study in Finland for a semester, when he met his now wife during his studies. “She’s from Aalborg (in Nor thern Jutland) and she moved to Copenhagen for me. So, I never went to study abroad. It has remained an unresolved dream ever since.” Finally, his dream came true when he and his wife left 22 ScandAsia • September 2019
their beloved apar tment in the Copenhagen district of Østerbro and set sail for the Chinese port. “We are 30 and 25, so we had to decide that either we have children, or we go for an experience. We decided to put our dream of children on hold.” Lars’ wife, who decided to bring her theology studies with her and finish them remotely, is helping her husband as much as possible in his new job. “At some level it’s a couples thing. It’s a job which is very social in a lot of ways. You have to open your life and your home, so it seems pretty natural that both spouse and children become a part of it. It’s not just a job where you show up at 8am and leave at 4pm,” says Lars.
On your own
Even though Lars didn’t get to work as a pastor in Denmark for a long time before his Hong Kong adventure begun, he has already spotted a few of the differences. “In Denmark you will often have a church council which is happy to devote time and inclination to the cause. Out here, I don’t have that service. I’m the one who sits in the office and applies for funds, and I send the thank you notes. It’s a very versatile job,” Lars says. He adds that in Denmark, the church is secured financially unlike seamen’s churches, which are on their own in finding a way to make ends meet. Nevertheless, Lars is excited about the job, which he goes on telling about. “There is a big, fat line under the word ‘seaman’ in my job. Any Danish ship to arrive in Hong Kong must be paid a visit.” According to Lars, about four to five ships moor to the quay. Every week. Luckily for him, it is the one part of the job that he enjoys the most so far. “It’s a wonderful task. Seamen live in the moment,” he says and adds that he does have an assistant, who can also visit the ships. “When I arrive, they boldly spill all their problems right away. They trust me from the get-go. I don’t take notes or write reports about it, so they can tell me anything. It’s
a relief to a lot of them, when they have been at sea for perhaps months. Family problems, issues with the captain or whatever it may be, I consider it my first job to be there for other people.” Apart from offering his ears to the seamen it is also his job to supply the ship with newspapers and bring them DVD’s or whatever they may be missing after being at sea for however long.
Big dreams for a small church
Lars has bigger plans for the church than what is expected of him during his time in Hong Kong. “Every pastor should be able to add their touch to the job. But personally, I hope to bring the church back to life.” When the new Chaplain says so, he isn’t trying to offend anyone. He explains, that the church has been run by a substitute for the past half year, and therefore a lot of things have been on stand-by. “The church needs more life. It’s a natural center for the Danish colony out here. I don’t just want it to be a place where people buy lakridskonfekt (Danish liquorice confectionary) and rugbrød (rye bread). I want it to be a second home.” Lars says that even though Hong Kong isn’t the expat paradise it used to be, he sees a great potential in Danish exchange students. “It has become less interesting to do business in Hong Kong, but there are still a lot of students that come here. They are far from home, but they haven’t really been in focus. I will do whatever I can to appeal to them.” He also hopes to have more services. His ideal is to have one every Sunday, but he acknowledges, that most people are too busy for this. “Time is the most valuable resource out here. A lot of people come here for work. Unlike some other places, we don’t get a lot of people on post-employment benefits and retirement. Pretty much everyone is working,” the Chaplain says. “For now, I’m happy with a service once a month.” September 2019 • ScandAsia 23
Community
New Danish Chaplain in Singapore Seamen’s Church Sussie Nygaard Foged was inaugurated as the new Danish Chaplain on Sunday 8 September 2018 at the Danish Seamen’s Church, Singapore. By Sigrid Friis Neergaard Photos: Private 24 ScandAsia • September 2019
Not everything is rosy, when you change your lifestyle. But we’re growing with it every day.
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dull, grey December-day in 2018, 43-year-old Sussie Nygaard Foged sat at home when she stumbled upon a teaser for a job. ‘Chaplain for the Danish Seamen’s Church in Singapore’, it read. Looking outside at the Danish weather, she felt tempted by a change in climate and she slid the advert across the table to her husband and high school sweetheart, Jan. He took a glance at it, laughed and shook his head. Then came Christmas and New Year which occupied Sussie’s mind. 2019 star ted and it was still cold outside, so when January brought along the final job advert for a Chaplain under the tropical sun, she once again passed it to her husband. This time, he took a better look at it. The couple talked about it, and found it difficult to come up with a good answer to the question: Why not? “We were at a point in our life where it just made sense in every way,” says Sussie Nygaard Foged.
Convincing the kids
Before moving to Singapore, so Sussie could start her new job on 1 August 2019, it had to be cleared with the children. For a while Sussie and Jan had joked, that it was time for the oldest daughter, 20-year-old Mathilde, to move out. The family had lived in Sussie’s official residence as pastor of the churches in Sønderholm and Frejlev near Aalborg in Northern Jutland in Denmark for 14 years. By deciding to move to the other side of the world and thus having to leave the family home, Mathilde did not have much of a choice anymore. “We all laughed about the fact, that we moved out before she did,” says Sussie about her oldest child, who’s on a gap year after high school and decided to stay in Denmark. Their second child, Amalie who’s 17 years old, turned out to be thrilled about moving to South-East Asia. “She loves Manga, K-Pop and all that stuff. Everything
about Asia is apparently great. Except sushi,” Sussie says about her daughter. Now, they only needed to tell their youngest, 12-yearold Emil. The couple decided to wait until they had visited the church in Singapore and both parties had decided whether it was the right match. “We told our colleagues and Emil that we were going to Barcelona for a romantic couple’s holiday.” It turned out to be the right match, so it was time to tell their youngest son what was going on. September 2019 • ScandAsia 25
We were at a point in our life where it just made sense in every way.
“Not everything is rosy, when you change your lifestyle. But we’re growing with it every day.” Amalie has already started an International Baccalaureate (IB) in Singapore. A system, the family is quite familiar with, as Jan was an IB teacher before leaving Denmark behind. Being a teacher allows him to home school Emil, until the boy feels ready to attend school in Singapore, and Jan can start looking for a job. “We would like to change how we live as a family. So, the two gentlemen are at home and it really creates a special relationship for father and son. I wish for all families to try something like this. To be able to pull a few months out of the calendar and do something good for the family,” says Sussie.
Language matters “He got so mad at us, went to his room and slammed the door. It left us feeling, that we were the worst parents in the entire world,” says Sussie. But 45 minutes later, the door opened, and Emil came out. “’Is there a swimming pool’”, Sussie recalls him asking and adds: “We could see on his computer, that he had googled earthquakes in Singapore. Once we had assured him, that it’s a safe country, there are swimming pools and that they also play computer in Singapore, everything was fine.” Now, they are all doing their best to adapt to their new way of living.
26 ScandAsia • September 2019
While Sussie’s family is adapting to life in Singapore, the new Chaplain is gaining her own foothold in her church work. While she has been a pastor for 14 years now and is confident with services, confirmation classes as well as other church actions, the role of a seamen’s Chaplain and representative for Denmark is new to her. “The church is not just a church, it is also a culture house and a culture bearer. It is a new way to think church in which you constantly have to be in dialogue with the users,” Sussie, who refers to the church as “the official Denmark”, says. “It’s interesting to work with different people. I have to talk to people in hospital and prison. And I have to talk to seamen. I experience the importance of having coffee with a Danish person and of speaking Danish for people who are far from home,” the new Chaplain says.
“Our language is essential. You lose a bit of yourself speaking another language. It gives a closeness and intimacy when you can speak to people in your native tongue.” Therefore, Sussie plans for the church to be as visible as possible with both traditional church actions and social events embracing as many as possible. From children to parents and elderly, women and men. “Traditionally, a lot of women have moved here with their men, so many events are aimed at women. But I already got some phone calls from men who had moved here with their wives. So, it seems there is a new demand. Perhaps they aren’t so interested in coffee-mornings (a regular event in the church), but they might need other events. I want to show, that the Danish church is also for men.” Fur thermore, Sussie also has to take on the role as leader of the church. “I have a diploma degree in leadership, and I think it is very exciting to combine the work as a pastor with that of management,” says Sussie whose job now includes fundraising and economic management. For tunately, the Danish church in Singapore, is lucky enough to have a lot of volunteers. So, in the same breath that Sussie says she has to provide a confidential space, host social events, visit people in need as well as seamen,
manage the church and at the same time carry out regular church duties, she also expresses her gratitude for the volunteers. “Without them, there would be no church.”
From punk to priest
When Sussie was a stubborn teenager, who only attended confirmation classes so she could see what she was missing out on and eventually decided in favour of her confirmation, albeit in an orange skirt and a matching turban, she never imagined she would become a pastor. Neither did her mother or husband who first went quiet, then burst out laughing because the punk-styled girl, whose hair had been through a varied colour scheme including green and blue, wanted to study theology. “Nobody imagined that the Aarhus-girl would study something as complicated as theology, having to study Greek, Latin etc. But when I decide on doing something, I do it.” So Sussie finished her studies and she has been happy about her decision ever since. “It has met all my expectations.”
September 2019 • ScandAsia 27
Community
Opening of new Norwegian Seamen’s Church
Pastors Ragnvald Seierstad and Ørnulf Steen.
in Pattaya with waffles and blessings Text and photos: Sigrid Friis Neergaard 28 ScandAsia • September 2019
A building made of stone is stone dead. It is people who give life to the building.
Ørnulf Steen, Secretary General of Norwegian Seamen’s Churches, Ragnvald Seierstad, Chaplain of the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Pattaya, and Kjersti Rødsmoen, Ambassador of the Norwegian Embassy in Thailand.
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eptember 5th, 2019 was not just any ordinary Thursday for the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Pattaya. It was the official opening of the new church in Thappraya Road Soi 5, even though it has been used for a few months, merely a stone’s throw from the former church in Soi 7. In fact, you can see the roof of the latter from one of the higher floors on the new church. But the new building belongs to the church. Even though the white bricks and modern building style of the new church calls resemblances to a high-class, minimalist villa, the large cross that adorns the wall opposite the entrance leaves no doubt that one has entered a church. It will now act as the new social and religious place, where people can get their lørdagsgrøt (Saturday porridge), join for the weekly jungle trip and of course attend the traditional Sunday service as well as other activities organized by the church.
Ørnulf Steen, the Secretar y General of Norwegian Seamen’s Churches, repeated at the opening what he said in an interview the previous day: “A building made of stone is stone dead. It is people who give life to the building.” About 140 chairs had been placed in front of the altar and almost every one of them was occupied. Glancing through the room the eye would meet a sea of black hair, blond hair, grey hair, and no hair. Regardless of hair, all had in common that they were wearing their finest shirts, dresses, pants and shoes. Small-talking filled the church while men with cameras were preparing to capture the atmosphere and events of the day to come. True to Thailand, the opening started a few minutes past the scheduled 12pm.
The Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Pattaya was officially opened, when Norwegian ambassador Kjersti Rødsmoen cut the ribbon. September 2019 • ScandAsia 29
Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Thai voices died out and it soon went completely silent apar t from a few phones beeping or ringing before the owners managed to turn them off. A child made some noise before being shushed.
A special church
Being the Secretary General of all Norwegian Seamen’s Churches, Ørnulf Steen has been to quite a few churches around the world, but the special thing about the one in Pattaya, he says, is that so many people come to the church. “The church always reaches out to people, but here (in Pattaya) many also reach out to the church,” he says. Therefore, it means a great deal for the church to get its own building which will provide a safe space for visitors. “Pattaya is a place where many Norwegians both live and visit. The church is welcoming and including, people feel noticed. Many use the church to meet other people, but it also helps people in need. People in hospital and in prison.” Bringing life by showing up is exactly what people did on this cloudy, humid day in Pattaya. 30 ScandAsia • September 2019
Yet, it is also important for the church to stay true to its role as house of God, Ørnulf Steen stresses. “It should be clear, that it is a church. People should be able to see the reflection of God in the church.” As so, the church is a “cultural, social and religious meeting point”. A combination which motivated Ørnulf Steen to accept the invitation to the world of seamen’s churches in the first place, when he was asked to be responsible for the building of the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, some years back. Today, Ørnulf Steen felt honoured to be at the opening of yet another new church. Because, it does not something that happens every other day.
Bells and cakes
The opening day started with a welcome speech by the current chaplain of the church, Ragnvald Seierstad. “The church is a home away from home,” he said, adding the importance of making people feel welcome even when there is “10,000 kilometers to Norway”. Cameras and mobile phones were snapping photos of the soon to be former, but proud, chaplain.
The church always reaches out to people, but here (in Pattaya) many also reach out to the church.
“The church is open to everyone knocking on the door.” The Norwegian chaplain went on to thank for the building and for all the donations of, among other, chairs, an oven and most importantly a waffle iron. All of which were put to use on the opening day. A musical input by the organist and a French horn made for a short break, before a long list of speakers started taking to the stage in front of the altar. The microphone was passed from one impor tant person to the other as the language switched between English and Norwegian with the occasional Thai greeting. From the chairman of the Norwegian Seamen’s Church to representatives from the Church of Christ to the Norwegian ambassador and even the lead architect. Ragnvald Seierstad then took to the stage to once again express how thankful he is for all the contributions made to the church. One after the other, architects, designers, the chaplain and many other people worth thanking, were welcomed on stage for a gift of gratitude and a hand shake. When everyone had gotten their reward and photo taken, the attendees were guided outside where Kjersti Rødsmoen,
the Norwegian ambassador, got a pair of scissors and the honour of cutting the red ribbon, officially declaring the church open. Once everyone was back in their seat, the service by Ørnulf Steen began. While Norwegian dominated the singing and readings, everyone was urged to say the Lord’s Prayer in their respective language. The pastor then finished off with a collective blessing before the bells rang with a loud, high pitch that concluded the service. Meanwhile, volunteers and employees had been working in the kitchen to serve colourful sweets, layered cakes with strawberries and whipped cream, brownies with nuts, fresh fruit and of course waffles with sour cream and jam once everyone was outside in the heat. As the coffee-cups were emptied and everyone had gotten their desired or undesired sugar-rush, cake and coffee faded into a culinary fusion of roast pork, potato salat and spring rolls. Eventually, most people had rolled into the streets of Pattaya by late afternoon with big smiles, full stomachs and blessed hearts.
September 2019 • ScandAsia 31
Business
Swedish protective gloves business in Kuala Lumpur 32 ScandAsia • September 2019
Swedish CEO Michael Cederkvist and his wife Anki are happy that they settled in Malaysia
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By Joakim Persson oft Touch AB is a leading brand and producer particularly of work gloves for the international market. STIL Services Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is the group’s Kuala Lumpur-based corporate entity, where also the Swedish CEO Michael Cederkvist and his wife Anki are based. From Malaysia, STIL conducts product and business development, quality assurance and logistics for the production in Asia and also training and back office services for the headquarters in Gothenburg Sweden. STIL also obtained so called MSC Malaysia status about four years ago, which is an initiative by the Malaysian government to accelerate the growth of the Digital Economy in the country.
Two years off
This business’ presence in Southeast Asia goes back to 2004. “When we moved here I already had companies in China, Hong Kong and Pakistan, so I was already established in Asia. But we chose Malaysia because of a combination of English being spoken, good food and affordability. We only planned to be away for two years and wanted to make those as good as they could possibly be. And Malaysia also had good schools for our children and location-wise it was close to get to many other places in Asia,” explains Michael in Kuala Lumpur.
When we moved here I already had companies in China, Hong Kong and Pakistan, so I was already established in Asia. We moved to Malaysia to set up something that could add value to the company but also for the family.
September 2019 • ScandAsia 33
What we today call working gloves are gloves with so many more functions compared to some years ago. We also do models in pure leather – which is an art form. You get some pretty cool things.
34 ScandAsia • September 2019
The main reason for the move was actually that he and his wife had decided to change their successful but fastpaced and overworked lifestyle back in Sweden. “It was our way to escape reality and do something else. So we came here to set up something that could add value to the company but also for the family.” And that move has clearly proven to be successful, as they remain in Kuala Lumpur 15 years later. Only thing is that while they stayed on for their two children’s educations not to be disrupted, their son and daughter eventually moved to England for university education and work. Looking back, Michael says: “After the two first years I could show that it was not only about diversion and having fun to be here. My job was to source for the company in Sweden. I had travelled a lot to find producers, initially from Sweden to China, doing networking and relationshipbuilding. But a knowledge transfer project together with SIDA changed everything into being much more for real.”
Pakistan the big push
In the end of the 1990s Michael had visited a manufacturer of dress gloves in Pakistan, who had shown interest in producing also protective gloves. So he had started sourcing from there, as one of the pioneers on the market. “But the big push for growth came around 2007, when I got the offer to run a programme financed from SIDA and Nutek with the goal to move production from China to Pakistan. I thought relatively early that China had had its time as manufacturing country and wanted to move to a country I believed in for the production of gloves.” “My task there was to assist producers of gloves to become more industrially savvy and make it more lean, and also produce working gloves in large quantities – it’s a big
difference for example in manufacturing 100 skiing gloves in one day, than 15000 working gloves; an entirely different production - and being the volume I represent.” “What’s good with Pakistan is that it has a supply of skilled craftsmen producing gloves. They are also very good at leather and the work understanding is there thanks to dress gloves actually,” explains Michael and adds: “Those buying from Pakistan are relatively few because it is dangerous to operate there; people are scared of that country. That also contributes to giving us much attention when we come up with smart product development.” Soft Touch’s final repor t on the successful project concluded that it created about 2,000 jobs. Michael who has been in this niche business sector since he was twenty two years old uses the word “nerdy”, but recognises that he has developed a lot of know-how for product development and innovation throughout all the years “One thing one knows is how to talk when it comes to product development, and then things happen very fast and it’s very easy.” He demonstrates this by showing examples of basic idea sketching, which, combined with communication with the established Pakistan manufacturers, quickly can progress new ideas and models into new products. For innovation in terms of materials they look at what comes out within leisure and sports; in particular things like mountain biking and climbing. “We work with synthetic leather materials but there are various characteristics and we prefer materials that can breathe. We build gloves with membranes and various functions. So a lot has happened; what we today call working gloves are gloves with so many more functions compared to some years ago. We also do models in pure leather – which is an art form. You get some pretty cool things. Today gloves resemble the hand much more, so, looking back, a lot has happened and I think we have contributed as well to the innovation,” he says modestly.
Linkedin success
Michael has built up a reputation of being an authority on innovation within protective gloves, much thanks to branding via his personal Linkedin – where he has reached 21500 followers to date. He says this really took off around 2016 and today it is the most important tool for the continued expansion of the business. “It’s a bit funny: I was quite early with Linkedin and by starting to publish articles with the confidence of being the best in the world, it led to people seeing me as a different person than in fact I am! Sometimes I get invited to speak about innovation and gloves and how the future looks within personal safety.That would never have happened had I not written those articles.” A marketing team member writes the posts – published three times weekly. In Kuala Lumpur they also produce the photographs and commercials that are published online. “We’re now building and expanding a base with customers where we sell private brand. We can see which market is opening up for us, where we are seeing how we can penetrative via Linkedin etc. We write everything in English. We are at the beginning of an entirely new journey, I believe.” “These days I get queries that almost scare me. We are constantly working with projects also with an American connection and are working hard on getting a breakthrough in the US,” he adds. In Sweden Soft Touch sells 15000 gloves per day, plus another 1.5 million annually for private brands. In 2018 an agreement was landed with the Dutch company KRAMP Groep BV, in launching a whole line of new work gloves in all EU countries represented “We estimate that sales can be about 1 million pairs of gloves per year within the EU.” “Should things develop as we are hoping for the whole world will open up. Then who knows what will happen!”
MSC status
In Kuala Lumpur, as one of nearly 3000 companies with MSC Status, Michael’s company has permission to employ up to 50 Swedes and other foreigners. (MSC Status: https:// mymscoffice.wordpress.com/malaysia-msc-status-offices/) “We use it to do services for Sweden from here; so we deal with queries and customers – with a sales team based in Sweden” Provisioners of services such as Global Business Services or Knowledge Process Outsourcing can apply for certain incentive tiers and get tax exemption, based on fulfilling various criteria. “It is my wife Anki Cederkvist who strongly contributed to us getting it – she had the patience and stimulation required to go through the lengthy application and approval process which is far from always straightforward.” Once obtaining it one can only be based in cer tain MSC-approved offices, where STIL chose a building near KL Sentral, with views of the Kuala Lumpur city skyline. “After being here for fifteen years we consider ourselves permanently based in KL and call Malaysia, as well as Sweden, our home country.” September 2019 • ScandAsia 35
Lifestyle
Some of the Khon Norway members at Hotel Danmark. Photo: Sigrid Friis Neergaard
Order a Danish dish and get legal advice from Norwegian association in Pattaya
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Text and photos: Sigrid Friis Neergaard he sign above the entrance reads “Danmark”. But even though the menu at the hotel includes Danish open sandwiches (smørrebrød), meatballs (frikadeller) and fried pork belly (stegt flæsk) the temperature and humidity level reveals that the location is somewhere more exotic than Denmark – in Pattaya, Thailand. Inside Hotel Danmark on this warm, cloudy Tuesday morning, about 10 Norwegian men are gathered at a table with coffee, fruit and a sign with the words “Khon Norway” – the people of Norway. It is the weekly meeting for Khon Norway – an independent association aiming to help Norwegians crack the code to the Thai tax system, Norwegian pension rules,
36 ScandAsia • September 2019
real estate, health care as well as other legal advice when deciding to settle down in Thailand. Apart from language barriers, Norwegian migrants will meet a flood of laws and regulations which can be difficult to keep track of. Therefore, the association came about in 2008 to provide room for discussing rules and seeking assistance, Edvin Jonassen, the chairman of Khon Norway, tells. “People come to talk, and if they need further help, we have a lawyer” says Edvin Jonassen, who moved to Thailand in 2014. Bjørn Arild Michelsen came to Thailand a year after the association was started in 2009, but now he is the chairman of Khon Norway’s election committee.
“It is reassuring that you can get help. Khon Norway can also help relatives,” says Bjørn Arild Michelsen about the association which is also open to help other nationalities to the extent the rules are similar. As chairman of the election committee, Bjørn Arild Michelsen has to recruit members and board members. He does so through various platforms such as Facebook, adver tisement and meeting people in person. And he is proud of the effor ts this year, as the association has drawn 36 new members since March 2019. This brings the association to a total of 166 members and 11 active members in either the board or election committee.
Money and TM30
Every Tuesday, many of the members join for the sake of talking, the two chairmen, who are both retired, say.Therefore, several come earlier and leave the association’s regular table later than the scheduled 10am to 12pm meeting. “The Tuesday meetings are informal and cozy,” says Bjørn Arild Michelsen and adds that the association has an annual general meeting as well as five board meetings. However, the members also do take the meetings seriously, and every time, there is a minute taker whose notes will be e-mailed all over Thailand to the association’s members. The hot topics of the day have been wills and the value of the Thai Baht to the Norwegian Krone, the two gentlemen tell. “Some people are considering moving back to Norway because their economy is tight,” Edvin Jonassen says. “Since 2010, the value of the Krone to Baht has been almost cut in half from about 5.5 Krone to 3.8 today. It is getting difficult,” Bjørn Arild Michelsen adds. Furthermore, the group also talked about the news that the rules of the TM30 might be relaxed a bit.
Edvin Jonassen and Bjørn Arild Michelsen at Hotel Pattaya for Khon Norway’s weekly Tuesday-meeting. Photo: Sigrid Friis Neergaard
A helping hand
Even though, Edvin Jonassen and Bjørn Arild Michelsen cannot save the Norwegian Krone and solve people’s problems, they are happy to provide a space where people can talk about it. And when people do need professional help, the association also has a lawyer as mentioned. Well, one of the members is married to a lawyer. For adequate payment she provides assistance in anything from translation of documents and writing of wills to setting up companies and doing all of the extensive and tedious work of sorting and paying one’s taxes. The latter is the second most common concern, the two chairmen hear about. The most common concerns are related to retirement. Pattaya is a haven for Scandinavian pensioners who have discovered that the money lasts longer in Thailand and that the weather is better than in the cold, wet North. “The most typical thing, people need help with, is spouse and par tner retirement. After five years of marriage the wife is entitled to 60 percent of her husband’s pension if he dies. We can help apply for this,” says Edvin Jonassen. “However, the wife might be labelled as too young if she’s perhaps 30 when her husband dies, and she can still work,” Bjørn Arild Michelsen notes about the problems the widow might face.
Not going back to Norway
A membership costs 1,000 Baht per year. Money that goes towards bringing the deputy chairman to Pattaya for board meetings as he lives far away. Even though Edvin Jonassen says that his role as chairman requires him working two-three days a week, the two chairmen are so voluntarily. “We buy our own coffee,” Edvin Jonassen says and laughs. “Yes, there is no free lunch for us,” says Bjørn Arild Michelsen. “We do this, because we want to.” “To me, it is something meaningful to do. I have made good friends and relations and it is enjoyable,” says Edvin Jonassen, who is happy to have found a hobby in Thailand. He started vacationing in the country in 1995 and came back every year since then. Finally, in 2014, he moved to Thailand with his Thai wife after she had lived with him in Norway for five years. Bjørn Arild Michelsen is not married but he too has a Thai partner, whom he lives with. “I was fed up with Norway and I had been on vacation in Thailand and loved it,” he says. Apar t from getting out of Norway, both men have discovered another benefit of settling in Thailand: Their health. “The cold Norwegian winters were bad for my asthma, but here I do not have any problems with it anymore,” he says. So, when asked if they would ever consider moving back to Norway, without hesitation they say in unison: “Never.” September 2019 • ScandAsia 37
News brief
Chinese student in Denmark wants ladybirds to turn China organic
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hile Danish people send ladybirds to heaven so they can ask God for good weather, a Chinese PhD student at Univer sity of Copenhagen is now asking them to eat all the greenflies. It is supposed to advance organic production in China, the Danish development media Globalnyt writes. “I specialise in biological control. Simply put, it is the act of using another organism to control a pest. Ladybirds, for instance, can eat lots of greenflies, so we can use the ladybirds to control the greenflies,” the student, Xueqing He, who is a graduate of China Agricultural University in Beijing, told Globalnyt. Xueqing He’s job is to figure out how she can keep the ladybirds from flying away, when they have eaten all the greenflies. The plan is to stop the
pest from even considering setting foot on the crops and having a taste. “The idea is to plant flowers next to the crops where the ladybirds can find food instead of leaving the area,” said Xueqing He, who’s found buckwheat and dill to be the most successful appetisers so far. The project is funded by University of Copenhagen, and China Scholarship Council sponsors the Chinese student’s stay in Denmark. She is planning to finish her PhD next year in 2020. China is the world’s largest producer of farmed goods but currently, the majority of the large country’s farming is based on conventional methods. The Chinese Government has expressed a desire to turn this around and direct its attention towards organic farming.
Selling Singaporean food in Finland
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or some Singaporeans living abroad, the thing they miss most isn’t family or friends. It’s food. To show how this could be turned into a good business, ChannelNewsAsia interviewed Jasni Zakaria, a 52 years old Singaporean, who has lived in Finland for 23 years. At first, Jasni had just cooked for himself, because he couldn’t find food that he liked. Whatever was sold in Finland as Asian food was either too oily or not spicy enough for his taste. Then he ser ved it for his friends and it turned out that the Finns liked it too. Today, Jasni Zakaria has made a good side business out of selling mee goreng, fried rice, spring rolls, curry puffs and chicken curry from a movable food stall that he places outside pubs, hotels or football matches in Jyväskylä, about four hours away from Helsinki. His prices are moderate. He sells curry puffs at 1 Euro each fried rice at
38 ScandAsia • September 2019
3 – 5 Euro he told ChannelNewsAsia and added, that on a good night he can make a profit of 1000 Euro. ChannelNewsAsia placed the story on its Facebook page, where it created a lively debate among Singaporeans claiming mostly that there is no such
thing as Singaporean food – only Malay, Indonesian, Chinese. h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / ChannelNewsAsia/posts/authenticsingapore-fried-rice-is-so-popularin-finland-that-jasni-zakariacan-m/10156321476187934/
September 2019 • ScandAsia 39
News brief
Singapore admires Nordic paternity leave levels
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espite having the right to government-paid paternity leave for two weeks, only 35 percent Singaporean fathers swapped the business suit for changing diapers in 2018. This is even a decline from 53 percent in 2017 and 47 percent the previous year. T h e fi g u r e s s t e m f r o m t h e Singaporean Ministr y of Social and Family Development answering a parliamentary question on 6 August, writes the Straits Times. The decline is evident despite Singapore’s efforts to make paternity leave more attractive by doubling the paid leave from one to two weeks in 2017. Shared parental leave has also increased from one to four weeks. To stress how far Singapore is lacking behind when it comes to paternity leave, the ministry compared figures with Denmark and Sweden, where 70 and 80 percent of fathers take advantage of the opportunity to take leave respectively.
However, Paulin Straughan, sociologist at the Singapore Management Univer sity believes, the problem partially stems from a perspective of traditional gender roles when it comes to caregiving. “It may also be about self-policing at the workplace. Some may not want to be absent too often in order to show they are committed and dedicated workers,” she told the Straits Times.
Other explanations given are stigma from colleagues and employers as well as individual arrangements allowing for fathers to balance work and family life. The Ministry of Social and Family Development also noted that fathers are entitled to their two-week paternity leave up to a year after the bir th of their child. Hence, fathers of 2018 still have time to take their rightful leave with their baby.
Singapore Climate Rally inspired by Swedish activist
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Public protests are allowed in Hong Lim Park. This photo is from a previous rally. Photo: Raymond Lau on Flickr.
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group of about 15 Singaporean activists are now organising a climate rally on 21 September 2019 in Hong Lim Park in Singapore - inspired by the 16 year old Swedish Greta Thunberg who skipped school last year to call for more ambitious climate action, writes Straits Times. The September-event will be the first physical gathering in a call for greater climate action in Singapore. “It requires extra commitment for people to show up for a physical event,” said 19-year-old Lad Komal Bhupendra, initiator of the event and year 2 student at National University of Singapore (NUS). “We hope that this would send a stronger signal to the authorities, to
businesses and to the Singaporean public, that climate change is everyone’s fight.” The organisers have deliberately planned the physical event for a Saturday hoping it will make attendance more attractive. “By holding it on a Saturday, we hope many more Singaporeans can join us. We want to stand in solidarity with all in Singapore who care about the climate crisis, and recognise that this is a political issue,” one of the organisers and student at Yale-NUS, 20-year-old Annika Mock, told the Straits Times. Apar t from speeches, attendees can look forward to write notes for representatives of Par liament and other government officials urging them to take action against climate change.
Concern about China’s presence in the Arctic
News brief
By Sigrid Friis Neergaard
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s global war ming is upon us and the ice is melting in both the nor th and south, water areas in the Arctic which were previously inaccessible are now free to explore. An oppor tunity China is utilising according to the American news media CNBC. Meanwhile , the Nor thatlantic defence alliance, NATO, isn’t too keen on the recent developments. Speaking to CNBC Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the organisation expressed his concerns. “We need to assess the security consequences, for all of us, of the rising military power of China.” Therefore , NATO is carefully monitoring China’s presence in the Arctic according to the Norwegian general secretar y who also said it appeared that China is coming closer to Europe. “And, of course, we need to carefully analyze and understand the security implications of that,” Stoltenberg told CNBC.
Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretar y of State, also warned about China’s presence in the Arctic earlier this year. At the time he said, China appeared to have national security aims in the region. But while warning bells are ringing in NATO, China denies all allegations of having military or national security purposes in the cold waters. The country claims to offer a helping hand in understanding and protecting the Arctic as well as contribute to peace in the region. The Arctic is managed by the Arctic Council of which China holds and observing status since 2013 along with 12 other nations.The council consists of NATO-members Denmark – including Greenland – Norway, Iceland, Canada and the US. Non-NATO members of the council count Finland, Sweden and Russia. But while the land of the Arctic Circle is divided among the 8 members, China has previously decribed itself as a “near-arctic state” according to
CNBC. Yet, the country’s nearest point is almost 1,500 kilometres away. At the same time, the membercountries are busy claiming territory. With the melting ice, they are all trying to get a slice of the cake. An arctic cake that holds an estimated 30 percent of the world’s natural gas and 13 percent of its oil reserves. All undiscovered.
Photo: Rosie Rosenberger on Flickr
A glacier melting on Svalbard, a Norwegian group of islands within the Arctic Circle. Photo: Daniel Foster on Flickr September 2019 • ScandAsia 41
Agneta’s World
Escape the noise and traffic of Bangkok I’d like to take you with me to four hidden, beautiful boutique hotels in the heart of Bangkok. Are you in the mood to disappear for a night with your husband, lover, best girlfriend or anyone? You are spoiled for choice between these “wild strawberry places”! Believe me, I have explored them all…
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et me first take you to Hotel Cabochon.This small, beautiful place, located on Sukhumvit Soi 45, gives you a feeling of a British country home. The only thing that a British country home wouldn’t have is the rooftop pool. The hotel has only eight rooms, all equipped with bathrobes, slippers, refrigerator, free WIFI, mini bar, TV etc. It is a friendly, perfect family hotel, close to shopping malls like EM Quar tier, Emporium, BTS etc. Cabochon offers an elegant colonial splendour and old charm, combined with contemporary elements that gives you the feeling of “coming home”. The hotel has a cosy restaurant and if you are a friend of spicy Thai food, I can recommend you the spicy Laab Moo, one of the best I have ever had. This hotel has as its motto: “Arrive as a guest, leave as a friend”. So true, once you have been there, you will return! I went to Cabochon, with some girlfriends for a photoshoot of my friend Anika’s beach wear collection ByNika. We had a fun and productive day up by the pool and in the pool.
The Eugenia Bangkok
Not very far from Cabochon, on Sukhumvit Soi 31, you’ll find the next little pearl, The Eugenia Bangkok. This hotel is perfectly located very close to Sky train and MRT, restaurants and shopping malls. Like Cabochon, this hotel represents the old colonial style, the old world’s architectural beauty blended with 42 ScandAsia • September 2019
spa and offers several massages and facial treatments. Location is perfect, as it is close to shopping malls, BTS and restaurants. The hotel is a bit hard to find, as it is hidden from the main street, but don’t give up looking for it. I have had the pleasure to spend a few nights in this hotel and it was, in all ways, very pleasant. You are surrounded by art showing Da Vinci’s drawings and paintings. The staff is efficient and very friendly.
Ariyasomvilla modern design.This is a really relaxing retreat. Eugenia offers several suites in different sizes. Just to give you an example, the Eugenia suite is 54 sqm, consists of 2 bedrooms with Queen size beds and a bathroom with a beautiful copper bathtub, perfect for a small family. As most hotels in the city The Eugenia Bangkok offers a pool and you can also enjoy the ‘Lavana Spa’. Their tuk tuk will take you to Phom Phrong Bts station and to MRT. Enjoy a lunch and dinner at Eugenia restaurant and bar, open from 10 am until midnight daily. The Chef creates culinary adventures, exciting menus to the guests. I was with a girlfriend, in the bar, after a long working day. My friend is a huge lover of Dry Martinis and when I say “dry” I mean real dry. We ordered our Martinis and she was delighted. As it was Happy Hours, we had a second one. They tasted delicious, but it was probably the most expensive Dry Martinis we both ever had. Must admit, they were worth paying for. The Eugenia also offers a classy, colonial house that you can rent for photo shoots or filming. Several old cars, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar’s etc. give you the perfect back ground.
Aspira Davinci Hotel
My next suggestion is Aspira Davinci Hotel that also is located on Sukhumvit Soi 31. This small hotel offers a classic European décor and architecture. Their 15 rooms are elegant and well equipped. You find the flat screen TV, free WIFI and all luxury equipment in all rooms and free parking. This vintage hotel also has a
My last little “hide away” is Ariyasomvilla, located in the Nana district on Sukhumvit Soi 1. This small, family owned hotel & resort was built in 1942(the original house) by Phra Charuen and khun Aroon Sheanakul, the current owner’s grandparents. Here you find the most beautiful teak floors, handmade silk drapes and reproduction period furniture, to give a real sense of time and place here in Bangkok. Ariyasomvilla has 25 rooms and suites, all luxuriously decorated. Its restaurant ‘Na Aroon’ is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can also order room service. Ariyasomvilla has its very own food concept “Tasty, Healthy and Organic”. They focus on vegetarian dishes, seafood and fish, no meat on the plates here. Choose an English, Japanese, Mexican or Continental breakfast. Enjoy the 20 M lap swimming pool, surrounded by tropical trees and palms.The spa ‘Som Sen’ offers traditional Thai massage, but with the emphasis on releasing and enchanting the energy lines through the body. They offer a massage sala and also private treatment rooms. If you prefer it even more private, you can ask the therapist to come to your room. This little retreat has become ver y popular among visitors to well-known hospital Bumrungrad. The hospital is located more or less opposite the hotel. Of course a city like Bangkok has many, many more secret places that offer you calmness, relaxation, enter taining, exclusive dining and much, much more. Make your choice and escape the daily life for a night or two, it rejuvenates and invigorates mind and body! September 2019 • ScandAsia 43