AUG 2014
China
Danish chef
joins rank of Thai cuisine innovators ScandAsia.dk
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WHAT IF...
S IN
OU TALK T
NG O K G HON AND HAI G N A H S Recent UWCSEA graduate Sophie experienced a high-powered IB education
… ACADEMICS LEFT STUDENTS ENERGIZED? Would their passion for intellectual pursuits be charged for life? That’s the aim of the UWCSEA learning programme. Just ask Sophie, Class of 2012. At UWCSEA, Sophie was encouraged to learn, share and challenge ideas by enthusiastic teachers in Singapore’s culturally diverse environment. After taking a gap year, where she worked with a UWCSEA Global Concern project in India and taught English in China, her energy didn’t stop there. In 2013, she began studying international relations at London School of Economics. Imagine the potential after that.
What if your child joins UWCSEA? Visit www.uwcsea.edu.sg to find out more about enrollment in our boarding or day school. Or come and talk to us while we’re in Hong Kong and Shanghai: Hong Kong
24–26 October (presentation evening on 24 October)
Shanghai
27–29 October
Email admissions@uwcsea.edu.sg to arrange an appointment.
UWCSEA Dover is registered by the CPE CPE Registration No. 197000825H Registration Period 18 July 2011–17 July 2017 UWCSEA East is registered by the CPE CPE Registration No. 200801795N Registration Period 10 March 2011–9 March 2017
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Coming Events
Swedish Crayfish Party 2014 Date: Saturday, September 13, 2014 Time: 18:00-01:00 Venue: Royal Garden, Radisson Blu Hotel Beijing Save the date: Please mark your calendar for the Swedish traditional Crayfish Party 2014. As always in cooperation with the Radisson Blu Hotel in Beijing. Crayfish are cooked as the Swedes like them – in a brine, with plenty of crown dill. Crayfish parties are generally held during August or early September. People gather to eat, drink and be merry, a typically Swedish festivity marking the end of the summer.
Cover Photo: Benjarong Restaurant, Dusit Thani Group.
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The fight against corruption in China
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Venue: Swedish Embassy, Big Hedin Date: Thursday, September 04, 2014 Time: 08:30-10:30 Price: Members only 150RMB Chamber Jointly: How to prevent corruption and how to address problems related to corruption and bribery as well as how to relate to the Chinese anticorruption authorities, and other issues of practical relevance for foreign companies in China. Welcome to join this event! During the event we will discuss the current anticorruption campaign in China and its implication for business and business conduct. How to prevent corruption and how to address problems related to corruption and bribery as well as how to relate to the Chinese anti-corruption authorities, and other issues of practical relevance for foreign companies in China. We will learn what measures are taken politically and economically to fight the corruption in China, discussions about the legal framework followed by practical tips and real life examples.
About the Speakers: Lars-Ake Severin has a background from military intelligence and has been working with the Swedish Police and the Swedish security police for more than 16 years. Lars-Ake Severin founded the executive protection team for Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Sweden and also operationally led the close protection teams for the Swedish Royal Family. Since 2000, he has been CEO for consulting businesses supporting companies with security implementation, fraud and corruption cases, handling criminal influence, threats against management and staff and also supported companies during natural disasters. Peter Idsater, Resident Partner at Mannheimer Swartling in Shanghai, China. He assists clients establishing, doing M&A or conducting other business in China. Further, Peter has extensive recent experience of assisting clients involved in investigations from governmental authorities regarding commercial bribery and anti-monopoly related issues.
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News Brief
Norway’s salmon exports to China on path to recovery
N
orway’s exports of salmon to China are on path to recovery, according to the latest available export figures. However, volumes are still far behind what they should have been, NSC’s representative in China Sigmund Bjorgo told the salmon news website www.iLaks.no In October 2010, the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel peace prize. This sparked a diplomatic row between China and Norway and Norway’s fresh salmon exports to China have since faced considerable obstacles, as containers would be kept at the border for days. Although it seems very promising for salmon exports to China, the Norwegian Seafood Council is not too happy with the modest growth. Compare the first half of this year with the first half of 2010, volumes declined by 10 per cent. But compared with the first half of 2012, the volume was up only four percent. This, despite the fact that the consumer market for salmon in China has grown in recent years, and it is salmon sourced from Scotland and the Faroe Islands that benefited most for this growth. In 2010 Seafood Council expected annual growth in consumption of salmon for the next few years at around 30 percent. Norway has therefore not been part of this growth, says Sigmund Bjørgo, the Norwegian Seafood Council representative in China to Ilaks.
Finland targets solar, wind energy storage in China, Asia
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TT Technical Research Centre of Finland has joined forces with Lappeenranta University of Technology and the Finland Futures Research Centre at the University of Turku in the launch of an extensive development project for a brand new energy system and its associated business sector in Finland. The NEOCARBON ENERGY project, targeting the storage of solar and wind energy, has been granted major strategic funding by Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation for next couple of years. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and endeavours to achieve energy self-sufficiency are boosting the development of emission-free energy production. Germany has thus far led the development of solar and wind power but the momentum appears to be shifting towards China and Asia. This development may well enable a genuine third energy choice alongside nuclear and fossil sources.
4 ScandAsia.China • August 2014
China orders US$100 worth of Sweden-made robo-coptors
T
he Swedish UAV company CybAero, which develops and sells unmanned helicopters, has landed an order from China worth over US$100 million (SEK 700-800 million) through an eight-year framework agreement. The order is dependent on an export permit being issued by the Swedish Agency for Non-Proliferation and Export Controls (ISP). The order has been placed by a company in the Chinese aerospace manufacturer AVIC group. The company expects to deliver at least 70 systems of rotary-wing drones, to be used by customs, coastguard services and agriculture services.
News Brief
Maersk in shipping alliance with MSC after Chinese snub
C
OPENHAGEN: A.P. Moeller-Maersk announced on July 10 an alliance with shipping company MSC on some of the world’s busiest cargo routes after China scuppered a planned tie-up between the two companies and CMA. maersk_kina The Danish shipping and oil conglomerate said it had signed a 10-year alliance with Swiss-Italian MSC on routes between Asia and Europe, and across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Maersk said in a statement that if regulatory approval was given, the alliance would begin operating in early 2015. The agreement came less than a month after a tie-up between the world’s three largest container operators — Maersk, MSC and France’s CMA CGM — was blocked by Chinese authorities.
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Nordea Bank S.A, Singapore Branch is part of Nordea Group, the leading financial services group in the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions. Some products and services may, due to local regulations, not be available to individuals resident in certain countries and their availability may depend, among other things, on the investment risk profile of persons in receipt of this publication or on any legislation to which they are subject. Nothing in this publication should be construed as an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to purchase, subscribe to or sell any investment or product, or to engage in any other transaction or provide any kind of financial or banking service in any jurisdiction where Nordea Bank S.A., Singapore Branch or any of its affiliates do not have the necessary licence. Published by Nordea Bank S.A., R.C.S. Luxembourg No. B 14.157 on behalf of Nordea Bank S.A., Singapore Branch, 3 Anson Rd #20-01, Springleaf Tower, Singapore 079909. www.nordeaprivatebanking.com subject to the supervision of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (www.mas.gov.sg).
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27/02/2014 14:24 August 2014 • ScandAsia.China 5
Danish chef By Thana Poopat
The road to Thai cuisine Chefdom for 39-year-old Morten Boejstrup Nielsen was not strewn with rose petals. Having completed training at a Copenhagen culinary school, Nielsen, originally from Nordjylland, went through the usual daily grind, earning hardwon progress in his career. Then he began dabbling with Thai cuisine, or, to be more precise – a tiny fraction of it way back in the late 1990s. 6 ScandAsia.China • August 2014
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joins rank of Thai cuisine innovators as apprentice and learning from the best native Thai cooks from the humblest street-side foodstalls to celebrated eateries to some of the most obscure regional Thai restaurants,” Nielsen said. He decided early on upon arriving in Thailand that immersing himself in the local culinary tradition and all its regional varieties was the only way to learn how to cook Thai.That means leaving the comfort zone of Western European food tradition. “My first encounter with stir-fried frog was interesting, I have only eaten frog the French way, legs only, and was quite surprised when chewing into bones, skin and whatnots from the frog,” he said. “It goes without saying that I had never eaten bugs or crawling insects, I simply could not compare them to anything or find any reference in the range of my taste sensations while I was eating it.” Apparently, his culinary adventure made a lasting impression, so Nielsen decided to get a tattoo that says ‘fascinated with food’ in Thai text on one forearm in addition to the Polynesian one on the other. By the time his savings ran out, he has mastered and been putting finishing touches to his vast
repertoire of Thai cooking techniques. He needed to start looking for a job again.That’s when an opportunity opened up when Henrik Yde Andersen launched Kiin Kiin molecular Thai cuisine restaurant in Copenhagen in 2007. Nielsen became the head chef at Kiin Kiin. In 2010, Nielsen spearheaded the opening of Srabua by Kiin Kiin restaurant in Bangkok to offer the Danish restaurant’s brand of modern Thai cuisine to Thailand. Nielsen’s journey in Thai cuisine has come full circle. Nielsen met his future Thai wife, Puntira, in 2011 and got married two years later. The happy couple is now expecting the arrival of a baby in August or September this year. To Nielsen, life in Thailand is both personally fulfilling and professional rewarding. Like most expat Danes, he occasionally finds himself longing for Danish rye bread and cold cuts. As the new Dusit International Group Chef of Thai Cuisine, his first mission is to update the Thailand-based hotel chain’s Benjarong Royal Thai cuisine restaurants from its deep, classic roots to give it a modern-contemporary reinterpretation.
Photo: Benjarong Restaurant, Dusit Thani Group.
t that time,Thai was a mere subset of the so-called ‘Asian twist’ in the fusion food movement as Nielsen recalled. It didn’t take much for a Fusion chef to churn out their culinary creations and label them as ‘Thai-style’ or ‘Thai’ish’. All it took was to add a bit of galangal or kaffir lime juice to, say, the ubiquitous French Bearnaise sauce. Fast forward to the turn of the millennium when Thai has gone mainstream in virtually all cosmopolitan cities around the world and the cuisine firmly established as one of the most popular. That’s how far the Thai cuisine has come and that, in a sense, also applies to Morten Boejstrup Nielsen’s rise in the hierarchy of western practitioners of traditional Thai cuisine. The first time Nielsen got to experiment with Thai elements in Western cuisine was in a fusion kitchen in Copenhagen in 2003. The idea of manipulating a complex interplay of rich flavours of Thai so intrigued Nielsen that he jumped at the first opportunity to work for the legendary David Thompson of Nahm Thai Restaurant in London in 2004. After six months of learning all he could from the Thai cuisine heavyweight, Nielsen decided to travel to gain first-hand experience in the Thai cooking tradition at its source. In 2005, he packed up and went to Thailand with a tentative plan to spend 6 months in quest of knowledge of Thai cuisine. “That planned six months dragged on to two years that took me to all corners ofThailand, working
The timing couldn’t have been better. His expertise in combining modern techniques with traditional flavour profiles to produce contemporary dishes that are distinctively Thai at heart is assured. The Thai cuisine as a global phenomenon has been so well-established that it’s now okay to move away from authentic Thai to give it a moderncontemporary twist. “Benjarong Restaurant in Bangkok is older than I am. I find it a privilege and am thankful they give me this chance to revamp the restaurant’s Thai cuisine concept.” Nielsen was quick to add that “We’re not creating something totally new. Nothing is new about Thai food. Infused with so much tradition and pride, Thai cuisine will remain what it has always been and it should.” Textures and flavours are something one should not change, he stressed. “But some people will have their own ways of making Thai food, their own interpretations of Thai food.They will enjoy new contemporary Thai coming up in Thai food scenes. At the same time, there’ll always be Thai food that stays true to its roots.” August 2014 • ScandAsia.China 7
Life
Moving to Asia as a couple, if you want your relationship to survive you have to adapt to the new realities around you and make sure that you are still aware of each others needs. It sounds pretty simple but it has been key to a Danish couple’s happy life in Laos.
upside down By Morten Krogsholm
8 ScandAsia.China • August 2014
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hen you choose to pursue a career outside your home country, most people wonder what impact it will have on their relationship. Often it is only one of the two in the couple who has a working assignment while the spouse must adjust to a new way of life. Danish couple Mads and Kristine Brinks knew that their relationship would be challenged by moving to Asia and the heavy changes that come with it, but felt up for the challenge.
A lot of news It is two different lives with completely different experiences and it is all about learning to accept but also recognizing the life of one’s partner and the discourse that him or her may have. Life in Southeast Asia is in every way very different from life in Scandinavia or most other countries in the world. For Mads and Kristine Brinks it was a challenge they were excited to take on. Mads Brinks was put in charge of Carlsberg’s partnership with the local brewery Beer Lao and he is one of the few foreigners in Laos who works in the commercial sector. “At times it is as if my family and I get treated like royalty, which I am not always comfortable with because I am a very modest man. We have arrived at restaurants on numerous occasions, which were packed to the limit except for one table strangely enough being cleared for my family.” Of course it was appreciated, Mads adds, but
that it did not suit his personality. He knew that someone most likely had been kicked out of the restaurant to make room for him. For Kristine Brinks it has also been a turnaround experience. Stepping back into a very traditional housewife role, she experienced the new culture in other ways than her husband.The Laotians focus on wealth, status and hierarchy in general is an ongoing theme in her life, too. “They will want to know how much everything costs. My purse, my car, my shirt, you name it. If it is new, they will ask to the price, which can be a bit uncomfortable at times. They are also very curious people and if I have misplaced something, the community around the house will know where it is... and I mean, exactly where it is.” Kristine said these were a few things she had to get used to upon arriving and settling in Laos.
Quick adaptation The new culture, new circumstances and new scenarios require adaptation. Being adaptable and quickly knowing how to handle this transition is the key to Mads’ and Kristine’s happiness in their new life. At home Kristine emphasizes to the staff that she is the boss. In the process she witnesses her helpers trying to boss each other around. “Our former nanny basically harassed the maid until she quit.There is also a completely other tolerance for what is acceptable to say to one another, than what we are used to. Our former nanny would ask our maid how she had gotten so fat and tell
her that it was unbelievable that she was married when her ironing was so terrible. Not a scenario I would like to repeat. This is why I always make it completely clear to all new employees that I am the only boss in the house,” Kristine said. Initially she was unaware of the internal struggle with the employees as a result of the communication barrier and was not aware of this before the maid had already quit. Having help around the house is a first for Kristine. Though it is nice, it has also forced her to give up some of her privacy. Having already mentioned the curiosity that exists among the people of Laos when it comes to the location of her things, she is also quite aware that some staff will have read every piece of paper or mail in the house. However Kristine explains that, “this is just something you get used to. When you are living here, you need to accept it, because you cannot change it.” For Mads Brinks, things he believes to be completely normal seem extremely foreign to the Laotians “If I have made an agreement with Kristine to pick up the kids from school, then that is what I am going to do. This is a concept that my colleagues don’t understand. Even when I’ve talked about being home for my kids’ or wife’s birthday, they have found it very peculiar. These seemingly normal and natural routines are not as important in the Laotians everyday life,” Mads said. When ScandAsia interviewed Mads and Kristine August 2014 • ScandAsia.China 9
In the beginning I spent my day at home waiting for Mads to return. And when he did I expected him to give me his full attention an airplane had just crashed with many high-ranking Laos officials on board a few days before. Mads had attended the funeral of these officials, not because he knew them, but because it was expected of him. “My position requires me to attend nearly every event. Of course I show up and pay respect, but it is also surreal being there. Not knowing the deceased or being unable to understand the ceremony was quite the experience. However, it is part of the job and my life here. I have learned to accept it,” Mads said.
New social reality Mads and Kristine Brinks were both on the same page when it came to moving away from Denmark and Mads taking the job in Laos. Although they were mentally prepared it didn’t change the fact that Mads wife, Kristine, was giving up the normal working and social life she had in Denmark. “In the beginning I spent my day at home waiting for Mads to return. And when he did I expected him to give me his full attention,” Kristine said. This was not always the case. As she was adapting to her new reality, so was her husband. Both having to take in a lot of new impressions every day and getting comfortable in their new life was demanding for both. When looking back on the beginning, Mads can certainly relate to what Kristine said. “I knew that she expected me to be there 100 percent when I got home. She was in need of a social life and someone to talk to. I wanted to give her what she needed, but I had my social needs met at work from my colleagues. However, the interaction with my colleagues was vastly different from an office in Denmark. Nevertheless, I had a social life. It required a lot of effort from Kristine and myself to work on that. I was tired when I got home from work, but at the same time I wanted to be there for my children and fulfill Kristine’s needs for my presence as well,” Mads explained. Being honest with each other and communicating openly has led the couple to find happiness 10 ScandAsia.China • August 2014
It is two different lives with completely different experiences and it is all about learning to accept but also recognizing the life of one’s partner and the discourse that him or her may have. Life in Southeast Asia is in every way very different from life in Scandinavia or most other countries in the world
and peace in their new roles. They have grown to totally accept their individual responsibilities and have learned to understand each others desires and/or needs. One of Kristine’s new responsibilities consists of being in complete control of the couple’s social agenda. Kristine explains that, “when it comes to dinners, playdates for the kids or other events in our spare time it is up to me to make it happen. I plan out everything and Mads is completely oblivious to our social life.” Mads Brinks acknowledges that his wife is in charge of the social aspects of their lives, but that
he has tried to be as involved as possible. It is just a result of the life that they are now living, but they are both satisfied with the arrangement. It might sound simple and easy, but both Mads and Kristine Brinks emphasizes that getting used to the new lifestyle while still remaining a couple has its challenges. When a couple is used the typical trades of the Western world, this is not an easy task. With an intense paradigm shift, everyday reality shocks and foreign surroundings life is an adventure for the Brinks.
Finding common grounds Since the beginning of their expat life, the couple has stayed on the same page through the years that have passed. Kristine recently furthered her education by obtaining a business administration degree.This was not a topic for discussion between the two before she enrolled. “Having three kids at a demanding age, I doubted whether or not it was the best idea for Kristine to start on a new education.They both knew it would require a lot of her attention and time. Regardless, she gave up a lot to be there and I could understand her needs to do something rewarding with her life besides being a loving mother and wife,” he said. They are also in agreement that the future may bring new adventures in other countries. “We have not decided on what is next. The only thing we completely agree is that we are going back to Denmark at one point. We will not become full-time expats,” Kristine said. Both have impressive resumes. Mads is working for a major organization like Carlsberg and Kristine has enhanced her education and is continuing to grow intellectually.This couple’s future opportunities seem to be endless, but for now there are staying put in Vientiane, Laos.
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12 ScandAsia.China • August 2014
Down and out in
Vientiane
Half-Norwegian, half-American and homeless in a strange land. Out of options and kept in a downwards spiral. Meet Christian Jones. A high-profile Caucasian beggar in Vientiane, Laos. Living from day to day on small handouts from Western travellers. Christian has been trapped in destitution and poverty from which there seems to be no easy way out. By Morten Krogsholm
D
espair, frustration, sickness, insom nia followed a stream of bad luck that caught up with Christian Jones - both in in Oslo, in Bangkok and now for the past few years in Laos. Yet, Christian Jones appears to be remarkably positive for a man leading such a precarious existence.
An unbroken string of bad luck Christian Jones was born in 1976 in Bergen, Norway. Before the age of one, his family relocated to his father’s home country, United States. Christian grew up in America and stayed there until 1994, when he returned to Norway. For nearly a decade Christian worked as a chef at Oslo’s airport until 2005, when he and his then-wife decided to move to Thailand in search of new opportunities. But their plan to build a better future quickly unraveled when Christian’s mother-in-law in 2007 became ill and the couple was forced to return to attend to her back in Norway. In 2009 Christian Jones suggested that his wife and his mother-in-law should move back to their abandoned home in Thailand, while he stayed put in Oslo and worked hard to support them financially. Christian took every job he could get and worked over 60 hours a week to keep the whole family together. “One of my jobs was fixing up apartments. The physical stress on my body from this kind of work destroyed my back and left me permanently disabled,” Christian said. As Christian’s body deteriorated, so did his marriage and in 2011 Christian and his wife got divorced. Christian thought the marriage had ended on good terms and was shocked, when he found out that his former wife had sold their property in Thailand and kept all the money to herself. “I was not exactly happy with the situation, but it did not bankrupt me. Fortunately I had some savings on the side, so I just decided on a fresh start in a new place,” he said.
Hope for a new life shattered Vientiane was the place Christian chose for his new life. After the divorce came through, he moved to Vientiane, got himself an apartment, found himself a new girlfriend and applied for work visa. Everything was going according to plan until one fateful day when Christian’s back began acting up and soon he found himself incapable of moving and from then on everything went downhill. Christian’s life was adrift and he soon became an outlaw for overstaying visa in Laos.The landlady he rented his apartment from got wind of this and decided to use his vulnerability to her advantages. “I did not know that she is married to a police officer and has good connections with the police. She blackmailed me into signing a document that says I owe her 16 million KIP and then she took my passport as security,” Christian said. Being an illegal immigrant in Laos and not having a work visa there was no way for Christian to earn any money and as soon as the money he had saved up ran out, the landlady kicked him out in the gutter. For months Christian and his girlfriend lived in a tent on a deserted field, exposed to the elements. Obviously this was not the ideal living conditions for a person suffering from severe back pain and Christian’s condition got even worse as the days went by. He had to swallow his pride and become a beggar. “I would never have imagined myself doing this, but what else was there for me to do. I need food and shelter and so does my girlfriend, who relies on me,” Christian said. Every day and night he walks the streets ofVientiane begging for money from fellow Westerners. But it is not an easy task. Christian does not look like the average beggar in Asia due to his very Scandinavian look and him being fairly well-groomed for a homeless person. He is not sure if this works to his advantage or otherwise. “I have never done this and I have not had any guidance in ‘The Perfect Way to Beg’, so I have started from scratch and try every day to improve my begging techniques,” Christian said and explained
how he has tried to provide services to people in hope of getting some cash handouts in return. He speaks perfect English and he knows a lot of both Thais and Laotians, who help him in his new found role as an improvised tour guide. “Because of my situation I move around a lot and have stayed in many places, whenever I am able to afford a room for the night. So I offer to help people around town with their chores and get something in return. I do not ask for anything, but of course I have high hopes that they might want to share some of their spare cash with me afterwards,” Christian said and told me of one time when he helped a big group of tourists but in return he got lectured by those ungrateful travellers who told him that he should not behave like a disgusting sleazebag. “I was shocked. I had not asked for anything, I had only offered my help which they accepted and this was what I got. It is fine if people do not want to help me out financially, but there is no point in walking all over a man, who is already flat out on the ground. But that’s life, man,” Christian said. August 2014 • ScandAsia.China 13
I did not know that she is married to a police officer and has good connections with the police. She blackmailed me into signing a document that says I owe her 16 million KIP and then she took my passport as security
Precarious existence Virtually every event in Christian Jones’ life in the past several years seemed to have been stacked against him, but his face is almost always covered in a smile. “I have lived in Norway and I have lived in America, but nothing really compares with living here. The climate and the people here, well most of them at least, just suit me and though my life is not at its peak right now, I am happy most of the time,” Christian said.
Reminiscing on the cold weather and dark days in Norway depresses Christian and he stressed that he does not want to leave this part of Asia. “How lucky are we to be able to walk around in shor ts and t-shir ts in the evening without shivering?” he asked. Christian then showed me where he planned to spend the night. A long walk ended at a guesthouse on the fringe of the city. As we arrived the owner was quick to ask him for the day’s rent. Christian pulled out what he had, which was not enough, some words were exchange in Laotian, and fortunately the owner was kind enough to let Christian spend another night. Up the stairs to the fifth floor and Christian knocked on the door. The door was opened and we were greeted by woman who looked worn out in every aspect. The room smelled of cat and not to my surprise a cat crawled out from underneath the bed. Christian immediately lifted the cat from the floor and his entire face lit up. For a good couple of minutes phrases in English, Norwegian,Thai and Laotian flew out of Christian’s mouth in praise of the cat, he then looked at me and told me how he had rescued the cat as a kitten, when it was living on the streets. “I am a big animal lover and even though it is financially draining for a person like me to keep a pet, when you barely can afford food and shelter for yourself, but I love Tulloo and I will not let him go. And of course there are times when he has to go
the veterinarian too and that costs money as well,” Christian said while pointing out that fortunately in Laos veterinary fees are much cheaper than in other countries. So I discovered a bit of the secret behind his cheerfulness - a cat. But I still did not buy completely into the idea that Christian is okay with his dire situation. His girlfriend, Aun, said the situation actually has negative impact on Christian’s moods. “He almost never sleeps and when he does it is only for a very short while,” she said and Christian explained how he normally only sleeps around two hours a day. “Yes, you can call it insomnia. But it is very difficult to catch some shuteye, when it feels like your mind could explode at any time. I have heavy thoughts running through my mind all the time and I think about what is next all night until dawn and it’s time to go out on the streets and try to make a living for the three of us,” Christian explains
Escape plan What sort of future lies ahead for a man who is trapped as an illegal immigrant without a passport or any sort of regular reliable income? A plan to escape keeps popping up in his head. Fully aware that his current situation is not leading anywhere he now finds himself increasingly thinking about running away from it all. And for him there is only one way to escape. Looking over the Mekong River to Thailand he said: “I look over the river every day thinking of how I would cross it and when is the best time to do it. But I have not worked up the courage yet to do it and I do not know if I ever will,” he said before going into detail about how the current would affect him if he tried to swim across to Thailand. Being of both Norwegian and American origins Christian Jones also has dual citizenships, though he has never invoked his Norwegian citizenship. “I have also thought of trying to get a Norwegian passport, but I do not know if it is possible or where to get it. And on top of that my greatest fear is actually to be deported,” he said. It is for certain that at some point his massive debt to his former landlady, his illegal residency in Laos will catch up with Christian and force him into doing something. Christian still holds on to what little hope he has that some really good advice and a helping hand might be just enough to lift him up from his misery.
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14 ScandAsia.China • August 2014
Crayfish Party Time
W
hen summer changes into autumn and evenings are growing darker, yet you can still feel the warm breath of summer in the air, it is time to arrange the traditional crayfish party. In shops in Sweden and Finland you can find plenty of accessories to help decorate a table for this occasion; table napkins, table cloths, aprons, lanterns with crayfish patterns and crayfish knives. Out here you will need to improvise. At a crayfish party, short crayfish songs are followed by snaps and small speeches to praise the magnificent crayfish. Crayfish should be enjoyed slowly, and as a result crayfish parties can last until the early hours. If you serve crayfish as a main course, make sure that there are at least 12 crayfish per person and plenty of freshly toasted white bread. Usually a light soup or salad is served as a starter, and a fruit pie, ice-cream or parfait for the dessert. The drinks served are ice-cold snaps and beer or white wine for those who find snaps too strong. A jug of water or mineral water should also be included on the table.
Recipe for Boiling Crayfish Preparations
For four people you need approximately 50 crayfish, 6 liters water, 2dl sea salt and 10-12 cubes of sugar. Utensils: A big pot, a skimmer, a large basin, big bundle of crown dill (inflorescences), sea salt and lump sugar.
Instructions
Crayfish should be boiled a day before serving for the best taste. Check that all the crayfish are alive. Rinse if needed. Bring water to boil and add sugar cubes, salt and half of a crown dill. Put crayfish one by one into boiling water, not more than 10 crayfish at a time, and boil for approximately 10 minutes, starting from the time when the water again boils after the last crayfish has been put into the pot. Ready crayfish should have small gap between the shell and the tail. Lift crayfish with a skimmer into a large basin to cool. When all the crayfish are boiled, strain broth into a clean pot, add the rest of the crown dill, but remember to leave some to decorate the serving plate. When broth has cooled, put crayfish back to pot for at least 10 hours to get juicy and tasty. Keep in a cool place. Take the crayfish out from broth with a skimmer and arrange them nicely on a large serving plate decorated with fresh crown dill from where everyone can take a crayfish to their plate. Every person at the table should have plenty of paper napkins next to them and a bowl of water, containing lemon juice, to rinse their fingers with. Eating crayfish is a messy job!
Frozen crayfish
Shops have a selection of imported deep-frozen, boiled crayfish in different sizes, which are a more economical alternative for crayfish parties. Let the package defrost. When defrosted pour the juice into a pot with fresh crown dill, boil crayfish quickly for a minute or two. Cool broth and leave crayfish to get juicy until served. August 2014 • ScandAsia.China 15
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