ScandAsia China - February 2014

FEB 2014

China

The Swedish

Volvo Experience

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Coming Events

Finland vs Canada - a Joint YP and ShaSu Hockey Event On the 16th of February, the Finnish Young Professionals as well as Shanghain Suomalaiset ry. (ShaSu) invite for a night to enjoy a night ice hockey, beer and good company. The event will be held at the popular Shanghai sports bar “The Spot” where the organizers have arranged a big screen where we can watch Finland beat Canada at the winter Olympics in Sochi.

The evening starts 20.00 with a warm up match. Finland vs Canada starts at 01 o’clock and lasts till 03 o’clock the morning of 17 February 2014.

Swedish Jazz in HK: Magnus Lindgren and friends When: Thursday, February 20th, 9pm- 11.30 pm Where: Peel Fresco Music Lounge, Peel St 49, Central, Hong Kong Price: 150 HKD Tickets: soulsasiatour@gmail.com (limited number) Photo: Fredrik Jonsson To the delight of local Hong Kong jazz fans, Magnus Lindgren is coming back after last year’s success. Magnus Lindgren brings with him award winning singer Rigmor Gustafsson, guitarist – vocalist Andy Pheiler, the former Hong Kong based bassist Rickard Malmsten and the drummer Jack Greminger.

Walk and Talk Series: Beijing on the Move!

When: Sunday, February 23, 2014, 14:00-16:00 Swedish Chamber of Commerce invites members for The first history talk of 2014 brought to you by Beijing Postcards. This will be a photo exhibition that will focus on how we get around in Beijing.

“Beijing on the Move” is a visual portrait of this transformation. It describes how twisting donkey drawn carts and long lazy camel caravans and wheelbarrows were overtaken by rickshaws and tramways, before they in turn were surpassed by automobiles, metro lines and bullet trains.

Beijing All-Chamber Event: Welcome Back Networking!

Venue: Marriott Hotel Northeast, 26A Xiao Yun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100125 Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 - 18:30-21:00 The 15 leading foreign chambers in Beijing are delighted to invite you to our traditional All-chamber Welcome Back Networking at the Marriott Northeast Hotel on Wednesday, 26th February. The Chambers encourage you to bring friends and colleagues. It is a great opportunity to network, exchange contacts and meet Chamber staff to learn more about the Chambers’ services and activities.

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in China ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish residents in China.

We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in Thailand, Singapore and the rest of South East Asia.

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Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

Past Events

Danish food and culture in Guangzhou

T

Photo: Courtesy of Embassy of Denmark in China

he Royal Danish Consulate General in Guangzhou together with Arla Foods China, Co-Ro Food (China) Ltd. and Kjeldsens Ltd. hosted the event “Happy Denmark, Hello Guangzhou” to promote Danish food and culture with special attention to H.C. Andersen on 18 January 2014.

For the last couple of years food safety has been high on the Chinese agenda, and therefore the event was used to highlight the Danish food companies and their focus on high quality and food safety.

This issue was touched upon by the Consul General, Mr. Ole Lindholm, during his opening speech.

“If you enjoy either, a butter cookie from Kelsen, a glass of milk from Arla or a glass of lemonade from Sun-Quick you can rest assure that these products are made from ingredients of the highest quality,” said Consul General Ole Lindholm.

With a small Danish village as the setting, milk, butter cookies, and lemonade was handed out to the local people of Guangzhou.

Furthermore, in close co-operation with Odense City Museums, the event had the opportunity to bring two of Denmark’s most famous characters, H.C. Andersen and The Little Mermaid, to the city of Guangzhou.

With the help of these two characters the event attracted the attention of thousands of local Guangzhou citizens as well as and numerous local media.

According to Ole Lindholm, the attention showed the strength of combining food and culture in one event.

“I must say that the overwhelming success of this event shows the attractiveness of the Danish culture, and our fine food products. The combination of these two elements ensured a high level of attention,” said the Consul General.

Finnish cigar night

F

innCham in Hong Kong is all about business and networking, and the opinion of the Chamber, a good cigar night is a great way to combine business and networking with pleasure. So every month, the FinCham hosts an evening in style at the Havana Club, 9/F, Li Dong Building, No.9 Li Yuen Street East, Central.

The monthly event is organized the third Thursday of every month from 19.00 onward and hosted by cigar aficionado Jay Bhatt.

All interested are welcome to join, the only requirement is to buy a cigar from the Havana Club shop. For first time Cigar smokers guidance will be provided. No cigarette smoking allowed, strictly cigars only. Casual clothing is recommended.

More on www.havanacigarclubhk.com

Embassy cooperation with Finnish companies

F

innish Ambassador to China Jari Gustafson hosted a morning coffee meeting at the embassy on 16 January 2014. The aim was to strengthen cooperation among Finnish companies active in different regions of China. Finnish companies are spread out all over China in Beijing, Shanghai, southern China and Hong Kong.

Photo: Courtesy of Finnish Embassy in China

4 ScandAsia.China • February 2014

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News Brief

China-Nordic Arctic Research Center set up in Shanghai

T

en research institutions from Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, and China signed in December an agreement to boost mutual arctic research cooperation in Arctic research. Together, they have established the China-Nordic Arctic Research Center in Shanghai. The center is focused on the sustainable exploitation of the abundant resources of the region as the ice melts.

The center will organize research on chosen topics, host seminars, offer scholarship and allowance to researchers and promote exchanges and information sharing between China and Nordic countries, but the focus in on international cooperation on climate change, resources, shipping, economic cooperation, as well as policy and legislative issues in the Arctic.

The center is an expansion of a previous cooperation mechanism between China and Iceland only.

Carlsberg buys Chongqing Beer Group

D

anish brewer Carlsberg has bought the eight Chinese breweries for US$258 million as it grows outside the sluggish markets of western Europe. Chongqing Beer Group which owns the eight breweries accepted Carlsberg’s offer to acquire 100 percent of its assets.

“This transaction follows on from our decision to construct two new breweries in China and Myanmar and further reinforces our commitment to Asia, and in particular to China,” CEO Joergen Buhl Rasmussen said.

Carlsberg has been expanding in the fast-growing Asian market along with its three bigger rivals - AB InBev, SABMiller and Heineken.

The Carlsberg Foundation, the group’s main owner, said in October that it wants to change its charter so that it no longer has to own over 25 percent of any subsidiary, while continuing to hold at least 51 percent of the voting rights. The move would enable Carlsberg to make acquisitions without its main owner tying up more capital in the group to maintain the size of its shareholding.

Saab’s revival hinges on electric cars, China market

A

year out of bankruptcy and with just two cars a day rolling off its production line, Saab is betting on an as yet unbuilt electric version of a decade old car to bring the iconic Swedish marque back from the death.

Saab’s new owner, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), is targeting its home market of China, where the government is promoting clean automotive technology with up to 100 billion yuan ($16 billion) in vehicle subsidies, R&D and infrastructure spending, according to research firm Frost & Sullivan.

However, the battery version of Saab’s 9-3 model will be up against the likes of BMW , VW and Ford in one of the most competitive industries in the world.

Norway’s salmon export value soars despite weak China’s demand

D

espite sizable decline in salmon exports to China, which dropped by 5,000 tonnes, overall export value totalled NOK39.8 billon (USD6.4 million) in 2013, or a 35 per cent up on the previous year — due to reduced production and record prices, according to Norwegian Seafood Council.saumon2 “A reduction in salmon production in Norway combined with a strong increase in demand has resulted in higher prices for Norwegian salmon,” says Paul Aandahl, manager salmon and trout with the Norwegian Seafood Council.

The volume of exports of Norwegian salmon in 2013 totalled 960,000 tonnes, down by 3.5 percent compared to 2012.

Export prices for fresh whole Norwegian salmon during the course of the year have varied between NOK 33.45 per kg in September and NOK 48 in December.

The average price for the year was NOK 39.74 per kg. This was NOK 12.11 or 44 percent more than in 2012 and is the highest since 1988.

6 ScandAsia.China • February 2014

News Brief

In photo, a model of Danish-designed ship by Knud E. Hansen A/S

Danish-designed, Chinese-built ships in the offing

A

new collaboration which may be a sign of things to come sees a project incorporating innovative European design skills alongside the physical and mechanical attributes of Chinese ship building as an integrated unit for a newly ordered Ro/Pax vessel to operate freight and passenger services carrying containers and Ro/Ro trucks out of Hainan Island in the South China Sea.dan_chin_shipbuilding Helsingør based Knud E Hansen A/S has de-

veloped Concept and Tender Designs with CS Marine on behalf of the Bohai Shipyard in China.

The ship is a conventional propulsion Ro/Ro vessel designed to transport vehicle and containers on a single cargo deck in compliance with Chinese Classification Society Rules and Chinese Flag regulations and the first vessel’s construction contract was awarded to the shipyard by the Local Government of Hainan Province.

The cargo capacity comprises of approximately about 350 lane meters for cars and trucks, about 1200 tonnes of containers or a combination of the above on the car deck, while a large extra capacity for fresh water and heavy fuel oil has been created to allow the vessel to supply some of the region’s minor islands. Cargo will be loaded via a quarter ramp situated on the starboard side and the vessel will able to operate in multiple modes as a regular ferry service or as a long term cruiser with a 30 day duration.

The owner was very keen to give a distinctive look to the vessel and several configurations of superstructures where developed with particular focus on the distinctive funnel and particular attention has been paid to the comfort of the vessel which is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 19 knots in normal sea conditions whilst the ship’s communal areas include such luxuries as library and conference rooms, a dedicated VIP dining area, a cinema, internet café and 200 seat cafeteria and, somewhat incongruously to many European eyes, a cigar bar.

February 2014 • ScandAsia.China 7

Nordi

in Beiji

By Belle Taylor

I

t’s a Saturday afternoon in Beijing in autumn and the Malty Dog bar, tucked down a quieter stretch of Beilouguxiang hutong, is packed with a cool crowd of locals and expatriates.

A small band plays in one corner and in the in the other two hotplates are being manned by Swede Mikael Livas and a friend. They are busy cooking, filling orders for Dutch pancakes they are serving pizza style, on wooden boards to the enthusiastic crowd.

This is the launch of Beijing’s newest catering business, “I Crepes You Not”. Headed by Livas, it’s name hints at a distinctive, dry, Scandinavian humour. Their menu, Dutch pancakes and hotdogs that combine the best parts of Danish pølser and American style chili dogs, is innovative, fun and quirky - perfect for their pop-up events in Beijing’s hippest bars and cafes, or private parties.

“There is some novelty to this, it’s new, it hasn’t been done here before,” says Livas.

“Especially Dutch style pancakes. Back in Sweden this market is saturated whereas here people are more willing to try new things”.

Torben Vester at his restaurant Bleu Marine, one of the first places to serve Danish food in the Chinese capital.

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dic foodies

ing

“We cook in front of people when they order, nothing is pre-cooked, usually when you go to a Chinese restaurant things are pre-cooked in a back room somewhere, here you can see us doing it and it’s part of the experience.”

Livas says he hopes to branch into private cooking classes.

Other Nordic foodies I Crepe You Not may be novel, but Livas is not the first nordic foodie to find opportunities in China. With Scandinavia undergoing something of a food revolution, a movement that gained international attention thanks to Copenhagen’s Noma, dubbed the “best restaurant in the world” from 2010 to 2012, Scandinavian chefs and restauranteurs are finding themselves in global demand. The focus on seasonal produce and seafood appeals to modern sensibilities on eating, and in China, the burgeoning middle class with disposable income and a growing curiosity about different cuisines, are luring many chefs and restauranteurs from all over the world to try their luck in the Middle Kingdom.

China is the biggest importer of Norwegian seafood, with the countries flag acting as a stamp of quality next to fish dishes on many menus. Last year a Norwegian seafood dinner at Beijing’s St Regis hotel attracted 200 people.

In May, the Danish embassy held an open day which along with promoting Danish design, had cooking demonstrations by celebrity chef John Kofod Pederson and samples of organic Danish milk for the crowd of 3000 people to try. Royal Smushi House in Beijing’s expatriate hub Sanlitun offers DanishJapanese fusion cuisine and even one of the cities most notable restaurants, Capital M overlooking Tiananmen Square, counts smørrebrød as a signature dish.

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Torben Vester One of the first Scandinavians to bring nordic food to the Chinese capital was Dane Torben Vester, co-owner of French and Danish restaurant Bleu Marine. The restaurant opened in 1998, offering only French food, but in the early 2000s, with Vester missing the taste of home, Danish food was added to the menu.

“I said to my now wife, ‘it’s strange that in a big city like Beijing you can’t find Scandinavian food,’ so we decided to do something about it,” says Vester.

Bleu Marine has become something of a home away from home for many expatriates in Beijing. As for the locals, Vester says the restaurant’s appeal goes beyond just food.

“I think a lot of Chinese are going to Western restaurants to enjoy the atmosphere which is a little different to a Chinese restaurant,” says Vester, referring to that hard-to-define Danish sense of hyggeligt, which his restaurant has in spades, created by the intimate space, candlelit tables and Vester himself, who says he tries his hardest to remember the names of his customers, greeting his regulars like old friends.

It’s not all smooth sailing however, with over a decade in business Bleu Marine is a stayer in a notoriously fickle industry, Vester has this warning for others thinking of entering the market: “There are opportunities here but there are risks if you don’t understand the language or culture.”

As for Livas, he is building the business slowly but says the future is promising.

“So far, it’s been very positive.”

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February 2014 • ScandAsia.China 9

The Swedish Volvo Experience John K. Lindgren visits the Volvo car plant and takes the new Volvo V60 Sport wagon for a spin in Sweden, the nordic kingdom that gave us “Dancing Queen”

by ABBA, the flat pack IKEA furniture concept and the coveted Nobel prize.

By John K. Lindgren

Torslanda Factory tour and road testing the New V60 Sports wagon Gothenburg – Stockholm

C

ity of Gothenburg is located on the windy west coast of Sweden.

“Göteborg” in Swedish, the kingdoms 2nd largest city sits on the banks near the mouth of Göta river.

Here Volvo cars and trucks are seen everywhere: four door S60 sedans, V60 utilitarian station wagons, diesel powered Volvo taxi cabs and tall tenwheel trailer trucks.

Our Volvo experience starts on a autumn day with clear blue skies. First stop the Volvo Museum near the old Arendal shipyard. This museum is a must see for any auto aficionado. On display is a large collection of Volvo’s most important historical vehicles and the evolution of the brand including construction equipment, industrial and marine engines. Nearby, at the original brick built factory the first Volvo named ÖV4 was rolled out the 14th of April in 1927.

Next Volvo Cars Torslanda visitor center and 10 ScandAsia.China • February 2014

the factory tour, the so called Blue Train. This dinky train is also popular among overseas customers arriving at Gothenburg for the Overseas Delivery Service (ODS), where they pick up their their brand new Volvos at the Torslanda factory.

On the tour we follow the birth of a Volvo car, from a roll of gleaming sheet metal to the finished product. A first-hand impression of how a Volvo passenger car is built “Please keep your hands inside at all times.

And no cameras, please”, says our guide as the tour starts. Outside the factory we see massive rolls of sheet metal that have just arrived. Inside the factory hall the heavy duty press shop. Here doors, hoods, floors and panels are pressed with precision and speed. At the next corner sparks fly all over as hundreds of bright yellow robot work the line sans fatigue. This is called the “robodance”, performed by the robots. Further down the assembly line male and female teams of specialized

workers fit the electronics and wires into doors and dashboards. Next area, the marriage point!

This is where the power pack (the engine) joins with the body. As we approach the next of corner of the aircraft hangar size factory there’s a bright canteen with a sign: HIGHWAY CAFE, “that’s the factory workers cafeteria”, says tour guide.

Moments later the wheels are attached, followed by battery of sophisticated diagnostics and tests. The assembly line ends here and the new Volvos are rolled out. First off the line a bright shining, white V60 followed by a black XC 90 and a metallic silver S60. All brand new Volvo cars ready for delivery to customers round the globe.

Torslanda factory manufactures 165,000 passenger cars per year. Or 800 units per day.

Apart of the Blue Train tour of the plant, Volvo Cars Visitor Center offers a visit to the Volvo Cars Brand Experience Center. Here a permanent core value exhibition focuses on safety & en-

vironment research, on-site accident investigation and crash laboratory research. Remember the Volvo advertising tagline “VOLVO FOR LIFE”.

The aim for 2020 is that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car.

But, what is a premium car brand plant without test track? Volvo Torslanda boasts of a 2.5 kilometer long circuit in a realistic Swedish country road setting with real traffic signs; the moose crossing and speed limit warning signs, tight turns and a long straight. Waiting for us outside the visitor center is a collection of new Volvos with several different engine alternatives. The latest Volvo S, V and XC models; or the sedans, the station wagons and the SUV’s. All lined up outside the paddock just like at the Le Mans race track. We have the whole circuit, all for our selves. What a treat. This track is not for the fast and furious. But it is part of the Volvo Torslanda factory experience for customers, journalists and visitors. A unique chance to drive all the different Volvo models on the road in a secluded, clean and safe environment with pine trees and shrub as a backdrop.

Volvo Design Inside the vast Torslanda Volvo plant there is a top secret department, the design center. Here classic values of Scandinavian design such as simplicity, functionality and durability have been cornerstones of Volvo cars exterior and interior

styling for many decades. We meet Volvos Senior Design Advisor, Jose Diaz de la Vega, a Mexican who graduated in industrial design and later received his degree in vehicle design from Royal College of Art, London regarded as the world’s leading center for vehicle design education and research. “RCA was my ‘Ticket To Ride” says, Mr Diaz de la Vega who has worked 23 years with Volvo. Jose de la Vega presents us with Powerpoint images of Volvos design concepts. Here the materials and colours are often inspired by the Sweden’s beautiful nature. And contemporary Scandinavian art, fashion and music are other sources of inspiration. “Modern Swedish, Scandinavian design is cool not cold!”, says Mr Diaz de la Vega and shows an image of the spectacular Norwegian Opera and Ballet building in Oslo.

The V60 Finally the time for the extended test drive has ar-

rived. Parked outside the visitor center is a bright ice white station wagon that does not look like a station wagon, or estate, (shooting brake if you like). The new Volvo V60 looks more like a sleek stylish, sporty coupe. Gone are the straight lines and severe angles, the “soccer mom” vehicle” styling and in come curves, low-set air intakes, racy exhausts and in front a smaller grille.

The badge reads V60, V for “versatility” and 60 is the model number. AWD, All Wheel Drive or traction in each corner, each wheel pair. I have seen many stationwagons and driven many European, Japanese and US made. But hands down this is the best looking of them all. And it’s Volvo!

The Swedes are practical and versatile people that’s why the “combi” as the Swedes call the stationwagon is the most sold Volvo passenger car in Sweden. “Combi” vehicle customers include the Swedish police. Volvo’s “V” line up consists of three variants: the baby V40, the midsize V60 and the big brother V70.

Our demo unit is the top-of-the-line V60 T6 AWD. Fully loaded with a powerful straight six cylinder petrol engine under the hood. The powerful turbo charged T6 petrol pumps out 304 hp and 440 Nm of torque. Inside it’s all luxury off-black, stitched leather, brushed aluminum accents and a floating centre console, the sweep of the dash is cool and classy and the materials are nice to touch. It’s rationality, simplicity,

vehicles in the offset rear blind spot on both sides of the car. A yellow warning lamp beside the relevant door mirror comes on to alert the driver to the danger.

clarity and functionality at its best. Including a 40/20/40-split rear seat and the fold-flat front passenger seat make it possible to combine passengers and cargo. Perfect for the big IKEA week-end shopping spree.

There’s also an amazing array of bells and whistles like ergonomic leather power memory seats, sat-nav, premium sound system, parking sensors, self-leveling headlights and dualzone climate controls plus all the safety gear you could ever wish for. Including; Driver Alert Control (DAC). A unique technology to alert tired and distracted drivers. This function monitors the car’s progress between the lane markers and warns the driver if his or her driving pattern changes in a random or uncontrolled way. Lane Departure Warning (LDW) alerts the driver if the car runs across the lane markers without the turn indicator being used. Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) helps detect

Volvo V60 T6 AWD

The Drive On our 1000 kilometer run from Gothenburg to central Sweden, Stockholm and south to Malmoe and back to Gothenburg, Torslanda plant the Volvo V60, lifestyle wagon passed the test with flying colours. The roads were perfect. Half of the distance on motorways with maximum speed 110 kph. Along the journey at the Shell pumps many large Seven-11 stores with free Wi-Fi!and clean restrooms, shelves stocked with groceries, Red Bull and freshly brewed coffee & delicious cinnamon rolls.

What a drive and what a stationwagon. No! A sportwagon called V60 V for versatility (or could it be V for Volvo). The colour? Ice white, of course. “Swede dreams are made of these...”

PS When driving in Sweden do not forget the 30, 50, 70 kph speed limits. There are many speed cameras. Suddenly you’re slightly blinded by an instant flash. It’s not the reflexion from the sun. It’s the speed camera! That’s when you’re caught on film. We were doing 80 kph in a 70 speed limit area. Fine 1,500 SEK (7,300) THB. No excuses! Road safety is taken seriously in the Nordic Volvo country.

Engine: 3.0 liter petrol engine Max power: 304 horsepower Torque: 440 Nm Top speed: 200 kph Fuel consumption: combined 10 kpl Price: 420,000 SEK www.volvocars.com

Nota Bene Since the V60 T6 AWD model is not available in the Thai Volvo showrooms we recommend you testdrive the V60 T4 F (Flexifuel) model.

Same overall spcifications, same safety package and same cool ice white color but powered by a smaller and more fuel efficient 1.6 liter engine.

Volvo V60 more sportwagon – than a stationwagon.

Price: 2.29 million THB. www.volvocars.com/th February 2014 • ScandAsia.China 11

Leading the way at

Volvo • Business Leader • Wife • Mother • Mentor • Linguist • Runner Meet Elisabeth Larsson

By Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

12 ScandAsia.China • February 2014

E

lisabeth Larsson is a multi-faceted woman. It’s hard to do justice to her incredible personality in a few words. As the Vice President of Vehicle Sales and Marketing at Volvo Asia Oceania, she is the perfect role model, especially as a woman professional in a predominantly male bastion.

The thorough professional As a young woman growing up in Sweden, Elisabeth felt very strongly about Volvo. After all, her father and brother had long and exciting careers there. An Economics major at university, she was recruited directly from campus and began her career at Volvo with a role in manufacturing. Volvo being a large and global company, additional responsibilities soon came her way. A stint with the Volvo market company in Paris from 1999 to 2001 provided her with an extremely challenging yet enriching experience. She cherished the opportunity to be closer to the customer.

A few years later, she was offered the role of VP of Vehicle Sales and Marketing based out of the Asia Oceania regional headquarters in Beijing.

She gladly accepted.

Elisabeth’s move to Beijing in 2008 brought with it great possibilities. Asia-Pacific being in growth mode, there was nowhere else she would rather be. She quotes Wayne Gretzky, the Canadian ice hockey great who once said “I do not focus on where the puck is, but where it’s going to be.” The move to Beijing gave her the chance to be closer to where all the action lay.

Once in Beijing, Elisabeth’s love for languages prompted her to learn Mandarin. She took Mandarin lessons twice a week for 2 years and has great respect for the complexity and depth of the language. Her knowledge of Mandarin, though basic, helped in her daily interactions during her 4 year stay in Beijing.

When the decision to move the Volvo’s Regional Headquarters to Singapore was made, Elisabeth welcomed the prospect of living and working in a new city. For the past 1.5 years, she calls Singapore home and appreciates the safety, the cleanliness and the high quality of life that Singapore provides. She does miss the Nordic seasons sometimes but Singapore’s sunny weather more than makes up for it.

Leading Women at Volvo Elisabeth started work at Volvo in the mid-90s and the apparent lack of women co-workers didn’t faze her. Two of her three siblings are boys.

So Elisabeth was already comfortable in a primarily male set-up.

Volvo provided her with a nurturing environment that propelled her professional growth.

“There is great respect for the individual at Volvo”, she states. She also credits her mentors at Volvo who supported her every time she felt discouraged or disillusioned.

The mere mention of ‘women in the workplace’ and Elisabeth’s eyes light up. She’s extremely passionate about the subject and her enthusiasm is evident.

As one of the senior-most woman officers in the company, she is regularly invited to speak at various internal and external forums on gender issues prevalent in the corporate world. She is also one of the initiators of the FAB (Females in Asia at their Best) network at Volvo and dedicates a lot of her time towards coaching future female managers.

Lessons learnt from Elisabeth’s own experience along with the advice she has received over the years from well-wishers, puts her in the perfect position to mentor young women professionals.

Firstly, she says “Don’t play the victim card.

Take ownership of your career.”

She also advises against women behaving like men to stay competitive in the workplace.

“Women come with their unique perspective and it is highly beneficial to the work environment to have diversified opinions”, she adds.

She continues saying “Women should stay positive and believe that things will get better.

Nobody likes a whiner.” She emphasizes on the importance of having a sense of humour especially when things don’t go as planned.

The person Elisabeth is proud mother to 3 boys aged 12, 9 and 7. Between her work and family responsibilities, she is constantly battling for some down time. She is very thankful to her husband Mikael (entrepreneur and founder of Mikritho Business Solutions) who in Singapore, works from home most of the time. “Mikael’s presence at home is invaluable. It enables me to concentrate on my work, when I am there.” she gushes.

Her move to Singapore created some interesting changes in her lifestyle. “Everyone here is so health conscious and fit. It has inspired us to eat better and focus on our health.”

Before she knew it, Singapore’s running bug had bitten Elisabeth and she was training for her very first run. She completed the 10K at the Great Eastern Women’s Run 2013 and is very proud of her accomplishment. “I usually hit a wall around 5K. The other runners from the Volvo team egged me on and that helped me compete the race” she adds.

The times ahead Elisabeth is looking forward to being in Asia for the next few years. Having been away from home for so long, she is fully aware that re-assimilating into life back in Sweden is not going to be easy.

But that’s something she doesn’t need to worry about for some time.

For the moment, she is leading the launch of Volvo’s new product range in Asia. And like a true professional, she hurries along to prepare for it.

February 2014 • ScandAsia.China 13

National Danish Performance Team hits Asia on world tour 2014 Gymnastics athletes from Denmark visit Asia this year to share the concept of living an active and healthy life. Ahead of the tour, the list of things to be planned is long.

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hen the National Danish Performance Team in October 2014 begins its world tour there will be few things left to chance in the itinerary. That is how it has to be when 33 people travel together for nearly 10 months, told Assistant Manager Thomas Dahl.

These days he is travelling Singapore and Malaysia to meet partners and set up venues for the team’s performances and appointments with schools and universities.

14 ScandAsia.China • February 2014

“We move the world” is the slogan of the National Danish Performance team, consisting of 28 Danish gymnastics athletes and five team leaders. And they are literally travelling around in effort to move the world, explained Thomas Dahl.

“What’s unique about us is that we create a room for sport from the opportunities and partnerships we have in the city we come to. In that way we try to spread our understanding of what sport, healthy living and movement is. And that is a very popular issue almost everywhere at the moment,” he added.

Next years world tour starts in South Korea and continues to Taiwan afterwards. It is already planned that The National Danish Performance Team is going to contribute on a special occasion in Taiwan.

“We found that we share some ambitions with our partners in Taiwan, which means that we are going to be there around the World Diabetes Day in November 2014,” Thomas Dahl said.

Except spreading the concept of healthy living and the idea of moving every day, the Danish Performance team has another important message to spread about enjoying sport in groups.

“In Denmark we have a unique culture in the local societies with local gymnastics and sports association where a large number of volunteers work many hours in effort to make the spirit of the gymnastics culture live on” Thomas Dahl said and added: “And that is what we want to share and spread out on our world tour. We make workshops and create events with different sport activities in schools and universities to teach them how our understanding of moving and being together in a sport team is in Denmark.”

That is also the reason why Thomas Dahl is working hard to make his co-partners understand, that the National Danish Performance Team does not want to be considered as a professional sports team who stays at a 5-starred hotel with

own private chef.

“We have a huge interest in getting to know the culture of where we are. We visit refugee camps and stay with private families, which gives us just as big an experience as we hope to give the people we meet all over the world.” he said.

The National Danish Performance Team travel around the world for 10 months every second year, where they end up performing their big show to the National Gymnastics Rally in Denmark. The “break” year is spent on planning the trip and recruiting the athletes, who must go through a difficult selection procedure, before they can join the team.

“They are of course tested physically, because they need to be able to do our big performance show more than 100 times during the tour. But we also look at each person to consider if they have what it takes to participate in and arrange sports workshops for people all over the world,” said Thomas Dahl.

On the 2014 World Tour will The National Danish Performance Team visit six countries in Southeast Asia. After South Korea and Taiwan they continue to Japan, before they head to Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

Thomas Dahl is not going to join the trip himself; he already travelled with the team a couple of times some years back. Now he is planning the trip, and that is a job he finds quite interesting.

“Especially here in Asia I have experienced another way of getting in touch with people. We don’t just meet and make an agreement or appointment.

We often go out a few times and wait to see if we can work it out as partners,” he explained.

See the highlights from this year’s performance by The National Danish Performance Team at the National Gymnastics Rally in Denmark, by following this link. http://www.ndpt.dk/tour_shows.aspx

Singapore the private banking hub of choice for international investors

By Sine Neuchs Thomsen

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ingapore is fast moving up the ladder as one of the world’s most attractive venues for private banking, according to Fredrik Lager, General Manager, Private Banking, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken S.A. “Switzerland continues to hold on to the number one spot as the world’s largest private banking hub, but Singapore is catching up quickly,” he says.

“Over the past 5-10 years, we have seen a massive shift of private banking business from the more traditional centres such as Geneva, Zurich, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein,” he continues.

The rapid growth in wealth among Asian investors, both local and foreign, has created the need for an enhanced and local private banking offering.

The 158-year old, tradition-bound Swedish bank was the first Nordic bank to obtain a fully fledged private banking licence in Singapore in order to better serve its clients in the Asia-Pacific region. “SEB realised early on that SouthEast Asia would become an extremely important market and with its strategically important location, Singapore was the obvious choice for establishment,” Fredrik Lager says.

Strict regulation and transparency “In Singapore the regulations and the laws are well suited for private banking.

It is considered a safe place to have your money,” he said, adding that when so much wealth is moving towards Asia, the regulatory authorities in Singapore are of course keen on making sure that money, which comes to Singapore, is money which is declared in the clients’ home countries.

“Singapore introduced in July 2013 a new law whereby tax evasion is considered a money laundering offence. So if a bank finds out that a client is not compliant with the new law, the bank has a duty to directly report that client to the financial authorities,” he said.

Benefits of living in Thailand SEB Private Banking in Singapore covers the entire Asia Pacific region, from China and South Korea in the north to Australia in the south, and from Japan

Fredrik Lager General Manager, Private Banking, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken S.A. in the east to India in the west. In the midst of this vast geographical area lies Thailand, which has always been one of SEB’s core markets.

“Thailand has a very specific tax regime insofar as you don’t pay tax on the gains from foreign capital income and investments if you manage those assets outside Thailand,” he explained and continued: “If you remit the profit to Thailand within the same year as the profit arises, you will have to pay tax but if you wait until the next year you can remit the profit tax-free, thus making it attractive to structure your investments in a country like Singapore.”

Choose the right bank Historically speaking, private banking is the oldest form of banking. It dates back to medieval times when the need for wealthy families to have someone look after and invest their fortunes started to pick up pace. Private banking is all about trust where the relationship between the private banker and the client is the foundation for successful wealth management.

“Before entrusting the management of your wealth to a particular private bank I think it is important to consider factors such as regulation and location.

It is also a benefit if you and your private banker speak the same language in order to avoid linguistic misunderstandings. From an international perspective it is also a clear advantage if your private bank offers wealth structuring services to optimise the management of your assets from a tax point of view,” Fredrik Lager concludes.

February 2014 • ScandAsia.China 15

Selling sex work for a comfortable living Staffan Nordstrand blames anti-human trafficking NGO’s for selling shocking stories about the victims of the sex industry first of all to cover their own salaries.

By Joakim Persson

16 ScandAsia.China • February 2014

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wedish author Staffan Nordstrand, whose book, ‘River trilogy’, sheds light on the evil of human trafficking in Southeast Asia, has started an awareness campaign to channel donations directly to organisations that are doing a good job in a cost-effective manner battling the modern-day slave trade. International agencies need not apply. To Nordstrand, they are just a bunch of bloated bureaucracies only interested in lining their own pockets.

Because the main focus of his books is on human trafficking, he has often been invited to speak publicly on the topic. Staffan said he was approached by several international aid agencies in Sweden to speak.

In one case, they wanted him to

educate members of their staff and share his insights – so they could sell (read: raise funds) better. That caused him to look at it from a totally different perspective and to see their real intentions. Staffan turned away from them in disgust when he got to see how they operate and spend the money, donated by ordinary people, on swanky offices at fancy addresses and chauffeured around in fleets of expensive cars.

“They want funding to cover their own expenses, that is their number one priority. It’s not to collect money for those in need – forget it!,” said Staffan.

“I said to myself ‘I should try to connect donors directly to recipients instead of helping them maintain expensive offices in Stockholm!”

rkers stories It all came together towards the end of, ‘The Last Journey’, the last book in his River trilogy launched last year, where some of the characters in the book decide to initiate an action campaign: Bee with us (Bee as in the name of one of the characters in his book).

With first-hand experience in trafficking they decide they should do something to tell the truth to the world. In so doing they speak for the author.

Staffan Nordstrand initially came in touch with this world when he started to take an interest in the stories related to him from workers under his supervision as a developer of residential homes in Phuket.

A number of years travelling and research gathering followed which has resulted in three documentary novels.

And now Staffan brings fiction into the real world with this new international aid initiative - without middlemen.

The website Beewithus.com does two main things. First, spreads information on trafficking of children and young people within the sex

industry and manufacturing in Asia.

Second, it links donors with qualityassured recipients in South-east Asia, without any middlemen involved who just waste large parts of the funds. Donations will go directly and in whole to the particular operation being supported by people.

“Actually, there are many competent organisations out there doing an excellent job. They need support, but the donors don’t know of their existence,” he elaborates.

Bee with us will also reach out through holding lectures and other kinds of advocacy work. At the Göteborg Book Fair (Gothenburg, Sweden) held in September Staffan had his booth designed to reflect the slum in Bangkok and also attended a symposium on trafficking as speaker.

His trilogy has sold well. During the book fair alone, Staffan signed over 500 books. The first book has sold around 30,000 copies and is about to be translated into English and other languages.

The books and Bee with us constitute various part of the same effort to counteract human trafficking

and prostitution with exploitation of those poor and vulnerable.

“More organisations should inform about human trafficking. We know that at present this is the largest form of slavery ever on earth.

And still most people believe that slavery is something we abolished globally a long time ago. The truth is that the sex trade and sex slavery has not been stopped, so we need to start a new war to stop it,” states Bee with us.

“Child sex trade, young girls and boys, kidnappings… that’s where we should work hard to fight it. I think it’s very important that people come to understand that tourism plays an important part. On Bangla road in Phuket, for instance, the main sex customers are Asian tourists. Up towards 90 per cent of the customers in the brothels are locals.

On top of that you have the tourists coming here and using the sex trade, which they do,” Staffan explains his view.

Tourists seeing something involving other tourists, what can they do?

“Confront them and report

to the authorities,” replies Staffan.

“And don’t sanction places like Bangla road by taking your family there to look around at what is forbidden back home but somehow acceptable just because being on holiday!”

You can also become active with beewithus.com.

“Forget governments and go down to field-level and try to connect locally with the police etc. Build small cells that work together and get joined later in a central part.

Top-down control won’t work.”

Being an ambassador for this cause is what Staffans intends to be.

“It is very important that more persons. It’s the children we must reach out to: they are the future, so they must go home to their families and say that trafficking is bad and illegal.”

International Baccalaureate

- an alternative to the Danish ‘Studentereksamen’ • internationally recognized • gives admission to universities all over the world • taught in English You can stay at Nyborg Gymnasium’s boarding school.

Contact us for more information about the programme and the boarding school.

Deadline for applications: 15th of March

Nyborg Gymnasium & Kostskole Skolebakken 13, DK-5800 Nyborg, tlf +45 65 31 02 17 post@nyborg-gym.dk, www.nyborg-gym.dk

February 2014 • ScandAsia.China 17

‘From here to Eternity’ About growing old gracefully

By Flemming Winther Nielsen

The photo shows the author, Flemming Winther Nielsen, as a young, self-confident academic with his old father, Hermann Johannes Winther Nielsen, who died in 1984. Flemming Winther Nielsen died on 21 January this year.

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t is one of Fate’s cruel jokes that young people cannot comprehend the life lived by us, the older generation. They cannot understand our inner life, our conditions, even if they take an interest and try; the ‘generation gap’ it is often called. This is the joke and the condition. Apparently a sort of invisible ring is cast around us; we are inside, fundamentally alone. We are left to our own personal struggle, hope and fear. Furthermore, what we learnt in life, our experiences, are of no value in this so-called nuclear society where everything changes with tremendous speed.

You may say that your children and grandchildren love you, yes, rightly so, but it is still my claim that they don’t have a chance to understand what is going on inside us. Our fear is not their fear; they are in the bloom of their life, not nearing the end of the road.

The first consequence of this fact is maybe grief and maybe isolation if we don’t act and react. We have to get used to standing alone and defend our own positions from there. We can never allow family and next of kin to try to diminish us as old fools who can neither see nor hear, that is the direct route to dementia. But now, let me give a few examples of what is on OUR mind, our invariable peculiarities you might call them with a little glint in the eye.

Our peculiarities • For many of us not a day passes by without grappling with the thoughts of our death. For us this comes naturally, but it would not be natural for a person in the bloom of his life. Meanwhile, these thoughts are solemnly between us and His 18 ScandAsia.China • February 2014

Brightness – or His Darkness.

• We get acutely aware of our bodily functions, alarmed and consulting the doctor on even minor signs of dysfunctions. We know that the final blow will commonly be related to an illness and we fear that. Our relatives will often regard this behavior as hypochondria.

• Many of us get a little obsessed with our dress and our smell, not a spot, no odor, the young can dress as bums, we can absolutely not, and for good reasons we prefer dark trousers.

• We try to hide our physical shortcomings, but we prefer an upright dining table chair for the low and deep ‘comfy’ chair offered. We walk slowly and tell our companion that it is because we want to look around, at flowers, birds and bees.

• One very sensitive issue is the decline of our sexual capacity. In the blue hours, talking with friends about this, we find the grief and the sorrow. It is difficult to cope with this loss and of course we deeply envy the young couples we meet on our way. Then many of us chose Viagra as a way out, but that is a personal choice and solution of course.

• Many of us experience that our possessions lose their value and our appreciation, furniture, even books, the maintenance of the house, we are letting it decline with us. It is a strange to observe that the elegant crystal carafe given to you by a dear friend is now more or less without value. I will give it away.

Will to win – born to lose Today we all exercise, young and old, most useful

thing to do. The risk comes if you believe your current level of fitness will last; that you can maintain your handicap; still win the matches, in tennis, still score high. The decline will come, like a thief in the night, slowly and almost invisible; we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be surprised by this fact.

A friend of mine and of my age, exercised early every morning with four friends. Then he suddenly found out that he couldn’t follow suit. Then he simply dropped out disillusioned –or a victim of his own illusion, that things will last – they never do.

It took him quite a while to get back on his feet.

To stand upright, centered and unbiased If we don’t want to surrender ourselves to the greasy hands of the public welfare system and the nursing home, but will continue as long as possible as freedom fighters, we have to learn. Already the ancient Greeks and old Buddhism deal with the eternal human problem: How to survive with dignity in times of trouble. The Greek philosopher Zenon was the father of stoicism. From this practical teaching we can learn a lot. Almost interwoven we then have the Buddhist teaching.

In the writing about ‘The Middle Path’ we are told to stay neutral, upright and centered.

Meaning to investigate and penetrate the core of life with an unbiased attitude (From Teaching in Chinese Buddhism 1996). It becomes a question of whether or not we want to acknowledge and give up our prejudices and false norms.

In my next article I will deal in more details with these two remedies for a better understanding and acceptance of our situation, late in life.

Medium

Swedish

Semlor (fastelavnsboller)

Evil

Makes about 18 buns • 700g plain flour • 140g caster sugar • A pinch of salt • 350ml milk • 2 teaspoons of freshly ground cardamom • 2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast • 150g salted butter, softened • 1 large free range egg Almond paste: • 250g of skinless, blanched almonds • 225g caster sugar • A few tablespoons of milk • A little icing sugar to dust • 750ml double cream, whipped

Are you done?

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hen you have completed the above puzzles, please send your solution by fax to +66 2 943 7169 or scan and email to puzzles@ scandasia.com. We will make a lucky draw among the correct answers. Five lucky winners will receive a ScandAsia polo shirt.

Name:

___________________________________________________

Age: ________________________

Mobile:

___________________

Address:

__________________________________________________

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Email:

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Deadline for submitting your solution is 15 March 2014

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Melt the butter in a large saucepan and pour the milk in, heat until lukewarm. Mix in the yeast.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and the cardamom.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and mix in the wet ones along with the egg. Bring a dough together and knead on a clean floured work surface for 4 minutes. Place back in the bowl and cling film and a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm, dark place for 45-60 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, divide the dough into 18 pieces (80g each) and roll each into a ball. Put the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the buns with a little beaten egg or milk and bake in the centre of the oven for about 10 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire wrack.

Prepare the almond paste by blitzing the almonds and caster sugar in a food processor. Then add a few drops of milk until you have thick smooth paste. Place in the fridge to firm up and become solid.

Cut a triangle out of the top of each bun and scoop out some of the insides, to make a small hole for the filling. Save the breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl.

Grate the almond paste into the breadcrumbs and bring together a creamy paste using a few tablespoons of milk. Fill the buns with tablespoons of the filling and then pipe whipped cream on top.

Place the the tops back on, dust the buns with icing sugar and serve.

February 2014 • ScandAsia.China 19

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