DEC 2013
Malaysia Indonesia Philippines Vietnam Cambodia Laos
Sustainable Entrepreneurs ScandAsia.dk
ScandAsia.fi
ScandAsia.no
ScandAsia.se
Past Events
Frank Belfrage visited Jakarta Photos by Eddy Fonyódi, Fitriadi Santoso
S Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine
wedish Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank Belfrage visited on 20-21 November Jakarta where he among others met with Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, Minister for Justice Amir Syamsuddin, ASEAN’s Deputy Secretary General Mr AKP Mochtan and Yudhoyono’s spokesperson for foreign affairs Teuku Faizasyah. “This visit brings particular weight in the strengthening of ties between our two countries as it comes at an important time in the development of the already strong relationship between Indonesia and Sweden, following up on the recent visits by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to Jakarta in the fall of 2012 and of President Yudhoyono to Stockholm this past spring,” Ambassador Ewa Polano said. 1. At the visit to Jakarta’s historical harbor, from left Eddy Fonyódi, Kristin Forsgren Bengtsson, Ewa Polano, Frank Belfrage and Victoria Forslund Bellass. 2. Meeting with ASEAN’s deputy secr. gen. Akp Mochtan.
ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in South East Asia. We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and Singapore.
Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www.scandasia.com Publisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Assistant Editor: Wachiraporn Janrut wachiraporn@scandmedia.com Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Supphathada Numamnuay supphathada@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Advance Printing Services Co., Ltd.
Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com
1
Art opening with depth
T
he art exhibition Depth & Deception featuring artworks by Danish painter Charlotte Donvang and Pakistani photographer Ahsan Qureshi was launched recently by Danish Ambassador to Malaysia HE Mr. Nicolai Ruge and the Acting Pakistani High Commissioner to Malaysia Mr. Nadeem Khan at the Westin Kuala Lumpur and witnessed by 150 people. “What better example of bridging the global diversity of cultures and customs than when a Dane and a Pakistani from different cultures, of opposite sexes and using different means of expression, decides to team up as artists in a third country, Malaysia, to explore the depth and perception in our lives”, said HE Mr. Nicolai Ruge in his opening speech. Some 150 guests including the Swedish and Belgium Ambassadors to Malaysia enjoyed a spectacular art show where East is meeting West in a melting pot of paintings and photography and profound messages. The exhibition themed Depth & Deception is the culmination of 7 months work by Ms. Donvang and Mr. Qureshi and it is portraying their take on the depths and deceptions we meet in our lives. The exhibition works with the drama between our own presence and what could be when we allow ourselves to see different layers of life, of people, of things around us and most importantly, different layers of ourselves. The different pieces of artwork play on us probing our perceptions about ourselves and encourages us to dig deeper into our own discovery of self as we discover facets of the art. Ultimately, the artists hope to get the viewers of their artworks to ask themselves “Who am I?” The exhibition is open every day 24/7 until 31 October 2013 and can be viewed at level 1, Westin Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang.
2
Past Events
SSM’s brings early Christmas cheer to Scandinavian & Malaysian families By Ranjini T. Larsen
T
he Scandinavian Society of Malaysia’s (SSM) annual Family Christmas Party once again brought together adults and kids alike for a cosy Sunday afternoon gathering on November 17th. Held at the Tropicana Golf & Country Club in Petaling Jaya, nearly 200 guests with adults and kids alike gathered for the celebration. The invitation was also extended to fellow Malaysians friends, who got a taste of Scandinavian Christmas without having to spend a fortune or travel across continents. The guests, who got the most out of the Sunday, were undoubtedly the huge numbers of children who tagged along with their parents, as the event included a good list of activities to keep the juniors well occupied. Little tots were busy icing heart-shaped gingerbread, and also learnt to decorate oranges with cloves, a common Christmas ornament in Scandinavian culture. A clown was also busy giving out balloons. However, the highlight of the day for the children was of course an appearance by Santa Claus, who captured the attention and hearts of the children as soon he stepped through the door. Santa did a fantastic job entertaining the kids by pulling out various games and gifts from his magical sack; and also led the dance around the Christmas tree, which later extended into a fun conga line around the room. A long line later ensued for a chance to sit on Santa’s lap who assessed them if they had been “naughty or nice”. Santa also led the singing of the Christmas carols in Danish, Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian. On the foodie front, SSM had it all covered – there was Glogg (a classic Scandinavian hot spiced wine punch served with raisins and almonds meant to take a bite off those cold Scandinavian winters). flowing freely in everyone’s glasses, cheeses, fresh rye bread, risalamande (rice with almonds, mixed with whipped cream and served cold with hot cherry sauce) and traditional home baked cakes and biscuits; apart from some western fare to suit everyone’s palate. For those present, it was indeed a great way to spend the Sunday with family and friends, and a soothing reminder of good ol’ home. Official partners were: Novozynes, Uhrenholt, Sunquick, Bisca-Karen Volff
Busy DBA and SBA day in Jakarta
W
ednesday the 27th November was a busy day for members of Danish Business Association Indonesia and Swedish Business Association Indonesia. Starting at 3 pm in the afternoon, members of DBA met for an informal meeting in the Fountain Lounge of Grand Hyatt. They continued from here to the Bromo Room for the Nordic Business Forum Meeting at 16.00 After about an hour, the participants were joined by the new EU Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Olof Skoog. Finally, at around 7 pm, all joined in the Burgundy room as guests of the SBA networking Glogg party and some Christmas snacks.
6 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2013
Past Events
Scandinavian Crayfish Fun Party 2013
B
efore devastation struck the Philippines, Scandinavian Society celebrated on September 21st a fabulours Crayfish Party at the fabulous Sofitel. Well over 200 tickets were sold and the party was great fun and good value for money for the many sponsors. The Scandinavian Society Philippines has arranged Crayfish Parties in Manila for the past 15 years. The party normally gathers hundreds of party-goers from many countries. It is a casual, fun-filled event where guests are dressed up in the traditional crayfish hats and bibs. The dinner is filled with party games and sing-along songs for everyone to participate in. Amazing prizes are up for grabs in the traditional Raffle Draw. The evening starts with sunset cocktails by Manila bay, and ends with open dance-floor and the best music of the 70s, 80s and 90s. The Scandinavian Crayfish Party is a fund-raising event for the benefit of Chosen Children Village Foundation, a home for abandoned children who are physically and mentally challenged.
December 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
7
News Brief
Sweden’s ABB urged to abandon Malaysian dam project Norway, Indonesia ink seafood safety pact
N
orway and Indonesian have signed a Mutual Recoginition Arrangement (MRA) on Quality and Food Safety of Fish and Fishery Prod-
ucts. The Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Quality and Food Safety of Fish and Fishery Products between the Fish Quarantine and Inspection Agency of The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) of Norway was signed in Bergen, Norway in September 2013. The Norwegian Embasy has actively facilitated the meetings and discussions leading to the agreement and considers this a milestone in the Indonesian-Norwegian bilateral cooperation on fisheries. The Norwegian Seafood Council has high hopes for increased export of Norwegian seafood, especially Norwegian salmon, to the Indonesian market. Norway is the world’s largest exporter of fresh, air flown salmon and can deliver fresh salmon throughout the year to a market in strong economic growth. We see a strong trend within the sushi and sashimi segment throughout Asia and believe that this trend will gain momentum also in Indonesia in the years to come. Growth for Norwegian Salmon in Indonesia rests on the ability to bring in more fresh salmon to professionals and consumers. Due to lack of harmonized approval systems between our two countries the Norwegian salmon is currently under a 48 hours mandatory testing regime. With this newly signed MRA it is our hope that the quarantine established for extra testing can be removed. This will greatly improve the market situation for Indonesian importers who create value added products for export and domestic sales and give Indonesian consumers a fresher product. An improved trade situation for seafood from Norway will provide more tasty, healthy seafood from the cold, clear waters of Norway to Indonesia.
S
wiss-based NGO, Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) called on Swedish-Swiss power and technology group, ABB, to withdraw from all dam-related activities in Malaysia’s Sarawak. BMF criticised the Zurich-based multinational corporation, which specializes in automation and robotics, for ‘providing key technologies to Sarawak’s controversial dam projects’. In a statement released in November, BMF said that ABB, which has operations in around 100 countries, ‘is involved in a controversial dam initiative with vast environmental and social impacts in Sarawak’. “The human rights situation at the Murum Dam has been criticised for a while, but now the conflict has spread further and reached the area of the planned Baram Dam. In both areas, affected communities are manning blockades. “Since 2009, ABB has deepened its involvement in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo, where the government is currently realising a series of at least 12 mega-dams,” said BMF. It also noted that the planned dam programme would ‘dislodge tens of thousands of natives and inundate over 1,600 sq km of rainforest and farmland.
Saab, Malaysia mull weapon tech collaboration
S
wedish aerospace and defence company, Saab International Malaysia Sdn Bhd, has expressed interest in entering into partnerships with local companies to develop radar and weaponry technologies. Saab International Malaysia Managing Director, Thomas Linden, said the company was also open to discussion about possibility of technological tranfer. “We have been here (Malaysia) since 1970. Our strategies are to help South-East Asia countries, like Malaysia, improve defence capabilities and move to next level,” he told reporters after a briefing session at Malaysia’s National Defence University in November. Linden said its smart partnership with DRB Hicom involved working together to develop military systems for the Malaysian Armed Forces. “We have a long history with Malaysia’s defence industry players … we supply a lot of sophisticated technologies to Malaysia’s air force and navy,” he said. On Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s decision to postpone buying new MultiRole Combat Aircraft, Linden said he was optimistic of winning the deal once the government decided to continue with the purchase.
Det bästa från Sveriges Television för dig som semestrar, arbetar eller bor utomlands. Enda sättet att se flera av SVT:s mest populära program utanför Sverige. I vinter sänds nya säsonger av program som På Spåret, Äkta människor och Stjärnorna på Slottet och i vår börjar bland annat Melodifestivalen, Mästarnas mästare och Antikrundan. Visste du att även hotell kan abonnera? Fråga efter SVT World på ditt hotell och fyll i enkäten på vår hemsida - som tack får du en naturbok! Läs mer på svt.se/svtworld och följ oss på facebook.com/svtworld Abonnemang tecknas på www.connova.se eller +46 (0) 141-20 39
8 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2013
News Brief
Indonesia adopts Finnish model in education revamp
T
he Indonesian government says it intends to reform its education system by learning from Finland’s known as one of the world’s best teaching and learning systems. Indonesia’s Education and Culture Ministry Secretary-General Ainun Naim, said that the ministry hoped a cooperation between Finnish and Indonesian education experts would help in the reform of the country’s education despite difference in the contexts and organizational setups. “We are hoping to set a new benchmark for education. However, we must acknowledge that we both have different social conditions, which means that an education system that works perfectly for one country may not translate perfectly for another. We have to take in other considerations,” Ainun said at a recent Finnish-Indonesian Symposium on “Education and The Role of Teachers” in Jakarta recently. During the symposium, Finnish educator Pasi Sahlberg said that Finland’s education system featured a systematic focus on equity. “Equity means that the system has to be designed in a way that will help, with a particular focus on children who come from families or backgrounds that do not support their learning,” Sahlberg said. “Equity means that the school system must endeavour to compensate for those things,” he said. Schools with more students from deprived backgrounds should receive more financial support than other schools. Finland does not recognise national-standardised exams. The only standardised examination, he said, was conducted at the end of high school, when students were about 18 years old.
Norway is top giver among Nordic’s US$50M for Typhoon Relief
T
he spirit of giving is not lost to our friends in Nordic countries – the home of the Philippines’ favorite grandpa and very jolly symbol of giving himself, Santa Claus. Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland have given close to US$50 million in donations by the end of November for typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) relief efforts, according to Philippine Foreign Ministry. This excludes technical and other forms of assistance which some of the said countries have also been providing to the Philippines since the aftermath of the super typhoon. Following is the breakdown of donations per country, based on the various media reports, interviews, and updates from the respective Foreign Ministries of the five (5) Nordic countries which the Philippine Embassy in Oslo has been able to collect and receive: Norway was among the first to pledge aid to the Philippines after super typhoon Yolanda struck,
providing the country with an initial contribution of NOK20 million or US$3.2 million in aid via the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the Red Cross. This aid was increased to NOK85 million or US$13.71 million and on 19 November, the Norwegian government has proposed to increase its humanitarian assistance to the Philippines with an additional NOK140 million or US$22.58 million. Once approved by the Norwegian Parliament, Norway will be contributing a total of NOK205 million (US$33.06 million) to the relief efforts.
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
December 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
9
Swedes lead the way in global sustainable entrepreneurship pioneering event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia By Andrea Hessmo
10 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2013
E
radicating poverty and creating a better, greener world with sustainable entrepreneurship was the main topic for discussion at the Club Terra Viva event at the World Marketing Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 28-30 September. Club Terra Viva is a group of pioneering entrepreneurs, key influencers, scientists and NGO:s that convened under the umbrella of the World Marketing Summit in Kuala Lumpur to find solutions for sustainable entrepreneurship. The meeting was initiated by Swedish-born entrepreneur and business connector Camilla Hall, who is based in Singapore. The aim of the Club Terra initiative is to raise seed capital for sustainable entrepreneurship projects. The Club is led by Dr Ashok Khosla, world renowned environmentalist who spoke at the event. Dr Khosla is former president of IUCN and founder of Development Alternatives in Delhi. Present were also representatives from France, SeaOrbiter, a groundbreaking underwater vessel, Waste2Wear, a Dutch-owned environmentally friendly clothing company in Shanghai as well as other entrepreneurs and scientists. “Camilla has the ability to bring key people together and create meaningful relationships,” said Dr.Khosla. “We now need to influence global decision makers to realise the gravity of the world’s problems,” he said.
Swedes making a global environmental difference One of the speakers at the event was Anna-Sofia Winroth, a Swedish entrepreneur and founder of Gefle Chocolaterie. Winroth’s mission is to continue creating high-end, ecofriendly and ethical chocolate that does not destroy the environment and that creates fair working conditions. She owns two plantations of cacao in the Dominican Republic where she has started a knowledge project to improve the transformation of the cacao bean in a natural way. “My ambition is to create a positive and visible change in the cacaobelt,” Winroth said. I want to show that quality is equally important as ethical and environmental aspects. The greatest challenge for me now is to make this vision scalable and globally acknowledged.” Another Swede making an impact on the African continent is the legendary zoologist Annie Olivecrona. Passionate about animal welfare since childhood, Olivecrona has worked for 40 years in East Africa to preserve the chimpanzees who are very near destruction. A large part
of the market for the illegal hunt of these animals is in Asia. “I don’t think people are aware of what is happening worldwide, the illegal hunt of animals, the rainforests being burnt down, and how that affects the wild life,” Olivecrona said. “You cannot re-grow a tropical rainforest again and we can’t afford to lose it. It’s not just about the
trees disappearing but also medicine plants that are so important for the future. We are so badly informed about it, but the indigenous people living there, they know this. And we can’t afford to lose all these animals living in the rain forest because everything is connected.” Olivecrona cooperates with a number of organisations and indi-
viduals worldwide to prevent the destruction of the African apes. She and Dr Khosla had a long debate at the summit on how to influence key global decision-makers. “We can no longer say that we will do this tomorrow, or the next generation will do this, or we need to save humans now,” Olivecrona said. “There is no point in saving humans if you’re not saving nature and animals at the same time, because if your saving humans but not nature, then we’ll all die in the end. If we destroy the forests and the oceans we won’t be able to breathe,” she said. Further down on the African continent, in South Africa, Zaiga and Thomas Magnusson from Falsterbo, Sweden, have created and developed a programme called Star for Life to help and combat the HIV epidemic. The programme is financed by Swedish entrepreneur Dan Olofsson. When he realised that his 5-star safari lodge was located in the middle of the greatest HIV area in the world where 40% of the population was infected, he wanted to make a difference. He asked the Magnusson couple for help to create an education programme which started in 2005. The couple has 25 years of experience in competence and leadership development for clients such as McDonalds and Toshiba. “When we got to the first school there were 38 girls aged 12-16 who were pregnant. It was a challenge to understand how we could help,” Magnusson said. The couple created an education programme with a concept of a “dream-book” where students write down their dreams. It is about changing mindsets and building selfconfidence, especially with girls. “If youths don’t have their own dreams they will follow the dreams of someone else. That’s how it works, “ Magnusson said. The couple has worked with 100 000 students in South Africa to encourage these simple and positive values. The performance of the students who received the Star for Life programme increased dramatically compared to the ones that didn’t receive it. It was all about education and changing the mindset. “If you have only 1 dollar to live on, hope is what is most important,” Magnusson said. “We have brought hope to these schools and I think hope is the greatest thing you can give another human being.” Zaiga and Thomas Magnusson want to continue to make a difference and expand their programme to Asia. They are convinced that the programme will work very well in Asia too.
December 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
11
in Asia 2013 Romhild’s Bangkok Christmas 2013
E
lizabeth and Peter Romhild are frequent participants in events in the Bangkok community and a very charismatic couple. Together the couple has one daughter and one son who are both studying abroad. Elizabeth and Peter met in Iran, where Elizabeth was born by a Danish mother and Armenian father. In 1979, they had to leave the country when the revolution started. Since then, they have lived in several countries and in 1988 they arrived in Bangkok and have no plans on leave. Elizabeth has made herself a name as an artist, known for her sensual paintings and impressive sculptures. Her paintings are as colourful as she is; a warm hearted woman with a great smile. Peter is a tall guy with wild white hair, active board member in different companies and President of the Danish Chamber of Commerce. Asking Elizabeth what she and her family’s plans are for Christmas, she replied quickly, “We will celebrate a traditional Gammel Jul (Christmas) in our Bangkok home, with a big Julebord (Christmas table) and all the typical Danish dishes, and of course Gingerbread and Glögg (hot spiced red wine). “Our son will be home from New York and our daughter from Denmark. When the kids lived at home, they used to help me with the Christmas preparations, but this year I have to do it by myself as they arrive just in time for the holiday.” When asked if she has a special Christmas memory, she answered, “When I was a child, I once received some Marionette dolls and I got so deeply attached to them and I still am.” Trying to get her to spill the beans about Peter’s secret wish for Christmas, Elizabeth paused and with a smile she said, “Well, a sleigh-ride through a snowy landscape, that’s what he would enjoy I think. The closest he will get will be a boat ride through the klongs, I suppose.” At last Elizabeth was asked what her big wish for her children would be. “I wish for them to live their lives and fulfill their dreams, to stay honest to themselves, appreciate the good life they have and be healthy and happy”. What more could one ask for? Merry Christmas!
Øystein Tønnessen Singapore Christmas 2013
12 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2013
Ø
ystein Tønnessen, Head of Music & Information at the Norwegian Seamen`s Mission, will celebrate Christmas in Singapore together with his family.– Christmas Eve we have a great Scandinavian celebration with 200 people at the Norwegian Seamen`s Mission. On Christmas Day we will have a private family celebration together with my mother who is visiting us from Norway. We are looking forward to have lots of time together, eat great food, travel a bit and just relax. Our daughter Ella will meet Santa for the first time, wonder how that meeting will go:)
Eskil Hallstrom’s Dream Christmas
I
’ve been fortunate to have parents that put an enormous amount of effort into making Christmas a special experience. Starting as early as advent 1st with the start of the Christmas calendar on TV you knew that something was up. And when you got your first chocolate calendar you just knew that it was going to be incredible, you were getting chocolate out of a calendar every single day for crying out loud! On the eve of December 23rd my parents would put me and my brothers to bed early and then spend hours meticulously cleaning and decorating the house, changing every table cloth, curtain and carpet to a special Christmas kind in red white and green. On the morning of the 24th our socks would be full of candy but most importantly with pieces of paper that, puzzled together, would create a map to where the first morning gift for the whole family was hidden, one year we had to go on a one hour walk to find our new ice hockey game! This kept us brothers very busy in the
M
Katja Nordgaard, Norways Ambassador to Thailand
eeting the blond, good looking Norwegian ambassador to Thailand is a great pleasure. When she smiles, the whole world smiles. Katja Nordgaard has been an ambassador for Norway located in Bangkok since three years and three months. She loves her job and enjoys meeting interesting people. Katja was also responsible for Myanmar until October 28th this year, when an Embassy was opened and a new Ambassador arrived. During her many trips to Myanmar she learned to love that country and its people. She enjoyed seeing how the country developed and opened up. Katja has not been back to Norway for Christmas holidays in three years. “This is the best part of the year in Thailand” she says “so why leave?” She is looking forward having her 2 eldest daughters, 21 and 19 years old, coming home to Bangkok for the Christmas celebration. They both study in England, while the youngest daughter, who is fourteen, goes to school at NIST Bangkok and sees her mummy daily. Katja comes from a family who cares a lot about traditions. There will be a Christmas table with Norwegian dishes like “Ribbe”, which is similar to
morning and our parents did not have to worry about us waking them too early, very cleverly designed I must say. Christmas morning was the first time I ever had coffee, I believe it was from a tradition from my mother’s side that on Christmas morning everyone should be well dressed and everyone including children should have coffee. Did I like coffee at 4 years? Oh yes! Simply because my mum had made it half cream half coffee and lots of sugar, any kid would love it :) In China I have spent many a Christmas trying to recreate the magic of Christmas from my childhood with homemade meatballs and glögg on bustling international Christmas parties. This year though, I will fly back to Sweden just before Christmas to go with my parents, brothers and their families to our vacation house in southern Dalarna to enjoy a tranquil Christmas with short, eye-blindingly white, snowy days and long starlit nights. Spare ribs, but more meatier and you serve it with cabbage and “lingon” Cranberry which is heavy food, so you have to take a small Aquavit to digest, she explains ”. Her mom and brother with family will arrive in time for the festivities and her home will be full but before that, the four women will take a needed rest and be visiting a Yoga resort in south of Thailand, a pre-Christmas gift. Asking Katja if she has a special Christmas memory she replies: “Yes, in 2001 we were located in South Africa and the kids were young. We spent Christmas Eve on a beach, sitting on a rug, listening to the Norwegian Choir “Sölvguttene” who were singing on the car radio, we shared the Christmas gifts and enjoyed the sea and calmness around us, that is a very dear memory to me.” Unfortunately Katja will move back to Norway 2014, in time for her youngest daughter to begin the gymnasium (high school). “We still have time here and we do have much more to experience she finishes before we say good-bye and Merry Christmas to an amazing Thailand!
Hanna Holtinen’s Beijing Christmas 2013
A
s a nonbeliever Christmas has not had any particular meaning to me for years. Despite the tacky Santas at local malls and on restaurant windows, it has been rather easy to forget about the whole Christmas frenzy that occupies most people’s minds for weeks before the actual celebration back home. No pre-Xmas parties, company Christmas dinners or panicky last minute Christmas shopping and most importantly, no akward attemps to start a conversation with that one distant relative who has been coming around for Christmas all your life but whom you never really bothered to get to know better. Last time I recall celebrating Christmas was almost ten years ago when I had just moved to China. I shared a flat with two other students and we invited a few friends over. Living on a very limited student budget our Christmas dinner wasn’t much to brag about, but we had rice porridge, hot glögg and good company and I have to say that was the best Christmas I’ve had since childhood. This year Christmas might not just be another day in the grey. My Chinese husband and I had a baby this autumn and since she seems to appreciate all things glittery, we’ve been thinking about decorating the house. No worries about overdoing it, I am sure she will love even the ugliest Santa as long as it has a little shiny wreath wrapped around its neck and belly. Whilst going to Christmas church is not on our list, we will listen to some Finnish Christmas carrols, exchange gifts and eat Ikea ginger bread. Maybe I will manage to make rice porridge and I think there is some glögg ingredients buried somewhere at the back of the kitchen cupboard. Also, let’s not forget family time wearing matching red thermal underwear, an age-old tradition in my Finnish family. December 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
13
Medium
Icelandic layercake Ingredients: 3 cups of cream Evil
The sponge: • 4 egg whites • 140 grams icing sugar • 140 grams shredded coconut Chocolate crème: • 4 egg yolks • 60 grams icing sugar • 100 grams melted cooled butter • 100 grams melted chocolate
Procedure: Whisk the egg whites very stiff and mix with icing sugar and shredded coconut. Spread the mass in a butter greased cake tin. Bake the sponge in 50-60 minutes at 175 degrees in the lower drill in the oven.
Crème: Whisk egg yolks with icing sugar, the melted but cool butter and mix it with the melted chocolate.
Are you done?
W
hen you have completed the above puzzles, please send your solution by fax to +66 2 943 7169 or scan and email to puzzles@ scandasia.com. We will make a lucky draw among the correct answers. Five lucky winners will receive a ScandAsia polo shirt. Name:
___________________________________________________
Age: ________________________
Mobile:
___________________
Address:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Email:
__________________________________________________
Deadline for submitting your solution is 15 January 2014 14 ScandAsia.South East Asia • December 2013
Take the finished sponge out of the cake tin and place it on a round platter. Spread the chocolate crème on the sponge and decorate with whipped cream on the top.
B a g s væ r d k o s t s k o l e gymnasium tid til talent
Bagsværd kostskole & gymnasium (Bk) er en udviklingsorienteret og traditionsrig skole grundlagt i 1908. elever, der vælger en uddannelse hos os, siger ja til fællesskab, faglighed, seriøsitet og individuel talentudvikling. det vi på Bagsværd kostskole & gymnasium kalder for: tid til talent. vi tilbyder: • • • • • • •
dansk uddannelse med et internationalt præg grundskole, 10. kl., studentereksamen (stX) danmarks første femårig Biotek-uddannelse 8.kl.-3.g sport- og talentklasse fra 7. kl. mulighed for morgentræning tirsdage og torsdage aktiv brug af it og internet i undervisningen enkeltværelser til kostelever, lektiehjælp hver dag
scan Qr koden og besøg vores hjemmeside www.bagkost.dk aldershvilevej 138 • dk-2880 • Bagsværd • telefon: +45 44980065 • e-mail: bk@bagkost.dk
e h T IB World School in Singapore!
Specializing ONLY in the IB curriculum
Focusing on Personal & Social Development, Maximizing Academic Excellence ISS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
An authorized IB World School specializing only in the
Established in 1981
IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programs
Elementary & Middle School Campus 25 Paterson Road, Singapore 238510 Tel: (65) 6235 5844 Fax: (65) 6732 5701
for ages 4 to 18. Extensive range of IB Diploma subject
High School Campus 21 Preston Road, Singapore 109355 Tel: (65) 6475 4188 Fax: (65) 6273 7065 Website www.iss.edu.sg
SINGAPORE
PROVISIONAL
M
UN
DO • W OR
L
D
S CH
LE O
•
ÉC
CO
OO L •
L EG I O DE L
Email admissions@iss.edu.sg
Accrediting Commission for Schools
options. 1st International School in Singapore with a 1 to 1 Apple Macbook program. Multicultural environment with students from almost 60 countries – no dominant group.
Outstanding student support services including university advising, counseling and a guardianship program. Esteemed faculty members with a significant number of IB workshop leaders, examiners, moderators and authors.
SINGAPORE
PROVISIONAL
D U M O ND E
Cert No.: EDU-3-3095 Validity: 12/07/2013 - 11/07/2014
ISS is registered by the CPE • Registration no: 201316975E • Registration period: 16 June 2011 to 15 June 2015