ScandAsia Singapore - October 2012 by Scandinavian Publishing Co., Ltd.

OCT 2012

Singapore

H. E. Berit Basse

Danish Ambassador to Singapore ScandAsia.dk

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OctoberScandAsia.se 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ ScandAsia.Singapore 1

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Opinion

My coach and I

I Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Singapore ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Singapore. We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and the rest of South East Asia.

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have a guru, a mentor. The Americans call it “coach”, a coach in fiction writing. It took me years, not to find her, but to actually contact her. Sometimes, we’re good at putting obstacles in our way. Imagine an experienced novelist and artist taking you by the hand, guiding you through the mysteries of writing a novel. That’s what Caroline Allen is doing with budding fiction writers all around the world. I’m interviewing her in this issue. She is a magical person with wide-reaching powers, a sage, an artistic and spiritual leader whose work is yet to be known on a global scale. And when it finally will break through, it will be with the force of a creative tsunami. I’ve had other teachers in the past. “You should write a novel,” one of them said at the writing course I attended at Folkuniversitetet in Stockholm. I was playing with a number of short stories, sketches and portraits inspired by my experiences in Eastern Europe. “I really don’t have this kind of fascinating material that you have,” he said. “You should turn these stories into a novel.” I always wanted to write a novel but had no idea how to actually do it, how to structure all this material, which kept haunting me, into a narrative that could work. I wasn’t even sure which language to write in. I’m multilingual and with my inherent respect for language, I knew I “should” be writing in Swedish, the language I was educated in. The problem was that my novel is not a Swedish story, and that’s why writing it in English seemed the only thing that would make sense. The story needed to be told in English. Yet, I worried. I looked for advice. There are classes, courses, none of which worked for me. Writers have always learnt by reading and writing, by trial and error and by never-ending rewriting. But we also need help and we do need people. For feedback we can trust, we need mentors who are writers and artists themselves. I was recommended to contact Caroline Allen by my American artist friend Leah Kohlenberg years ago. Finally, after much hesitation, I did contact her and the journey under her guidance has been mind-blowing. I began with Caroline by simply talking to her about my story idea. She made suggestions for how to begin the novel, how to write a rough draft of chapter 1. I wrote it, emailed the document to her, and we Skyped about how to evolve it further. This has been our process week after week as the novel has progressed. I realised that this is exactly what I’ve been looking for and there had been nothing like it on offer in Sweden. She has literally put me on track with my writing and showed me how to shape my seemingly disconnected fragments of text into a story. Also, the synchronicity in our lives has been amazing. Plenty of spinoff ideas for further cooperation has resulted out of this creative process. I could also see that I too know how to support other writers, that in fact, I have been doing this with friends in the past: collaboratively talking through, sometimes even co-writing their stories or plays without ever having put a “coaching” label on it. Americans are so much more entrepreneurial (creative) about the arts and writing than we are in Europe. In Europe, we are surrounded by our rich artistic heritage, a source of never-ending inspiration, but we’re not at all entrepreneurial about creative endeavours for the average person. Yet, anything seems possible via Skype these days, even art classes – my friend Leah teaches people all over the world how to paint via her computer. Busy executives can squeeze in one hour of painting in their packed schedule but not three, the time it takes to get to and from the class. Doing it via Skype might be the only chance for some people to pursue something they always dreamed of doing, at the convenience of doing it from their homes. The lesson is that it really doesn’t matter where in the world you are anymore - your coach and mentor in whatever passion you wish to pursue could be just a Skype-call away. There is a whole world of opportunity to tap into for anyone who wants to join this creative global revolution.

Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Advance Printing Services Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com Front cover image courtesy of Kim Birkkjaer Lund

Andrea Hessmo is a Swedish freelance journalist and writer, currently based in Singapore. She has been a regular journalist for ScandAsia Singapore since September 2011. She holds a Master’s degree in English.

Now an IB World School!

CONTENTS 16

OCTOBER 2012

8 Coming Events 10 Past Events 13 ScandAsia News Brief 16 Meet H.E. Berit Basse, the new Danish Ambassador to Singapore

Interview with the new Danish Ambassador to Singapore By Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

18 Enjoying Singapore’s gastronomic explosion

Jakob Esko, Swedish Executive chef at Capella Singapore on Sentosa, brings modern European Mediterranean flavours to Singapore’s culinary scene. By Joakim Persson

20 Coaching writers in memoir and novel writing

Interview with Novelist Caroline Allen who coaches people from all backgrounds to write By Andrea Hessmo

22 Eco-bungalow project in Laos

Two young Swedish entrepreneurs founded the Swedish organisation “World Volunteer” and initiate projects that put smiles on the faces of the villagers in Laos. By Malin Tornvall

25 Tallest in the world 26 Sudoku & Danish Meatballs in Curry Singapore Flyer By Kristene Silva Marie

By Gregers Moller

6 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2012

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GESS 72 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289 760 www.gess.sg . info@gess.sg . Tel: +65 6469 1131 CPE Registration Number: N05-01-443, Period of Registration: 22/06/2011 - 21/6/2017

October 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ ScandAsia.Singapore 7

Coming Events

Introduction to Maritime Singapore Date: 19 October 2012 Place: Goodwood Park Hotel, Aroundel & Dover Room, 22 Scotts Road, Singapore 228221 Price: Member USD 70 Non-member: USD 80 The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is organising an event to give an introduction to Maritime Singapore, which continues to be an important part of the Singapore economy, contributing to about 7% of Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product and employing over 170,000 people. MPA’s presentation will also share how Singapore can be a key partner to the international maritime community. The main speaker will be Ms. Tan Beng Tee, the Assistant Chief Executive (Development) of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Ms. Tan oversees developmental matters pertaining to Singapore as an International Maritime Centre (IMC), MPA’s international ties and linkages, port policies and organisation-wide plans.

SBAS 30th Anniversary Gala Dinner

For more information, visit www.nbas.org.sg

For more information, contact swedbiz@singnet.com.sg

Date: 3 November 2012 Location: Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Road To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Swedish Business Association of Singapore (SBAS), the Midwinter ball will be held as a glamorous Gala Dinner with entertainments from Swedish celebrity and pop star Mans Zelmerlow and band. The pre-dinner cocktail will start at 6.30pm and a four-course dinner will start at 7.30pm. Dress code is black tie and sparking gold.

SWA: Deepavali Walk in Little India Date: 8 November 2012 Location: In front of Tekka Market at the junction of Buffalo Road and Serangoon Road Price: SGD 40 for members and SGD 45 for non-members plus SGD 2 per head for snacks/tea Scandinavian Women’s Association is organizing a Deepavali walk in Little India to celebrate the Festival of Lights, the most important festival for the Hindus. Join this walk to find out how the Hindus celebrate the colourful holiday. The three-hour tour will start with an overview of Tekka Market, one of Singapore’s biggest and best known as wet markets, and the journey will move on to Serangoon and its back streets. Participants can learn about history, beliefs and traditions of the Hindus here. Interested people are suggested to register by October 17 at btvilde@mail.tele.dk

The Annual Gentlemen’s Dinner Date: 23 November 2012 Location: Goodwood Park Hotel - Windsor Ballroom Hosted annually for the past 16 years, the dinner is an opportunity for gentlemen to connect with the Scandinavian community in Asia. Last year there were altogether 260 gentlemen in attendance. The only woman allowed at this prestigious event is the celebrity chef from Norway - Ingrid Espelid Hovig. Traditional Norwegian seafood dish “lutefish” will be served together with beer and Aquavit. Dress code is strictly black tie. For more information, visit www.nhstasia.com/sls/upcoming-events

8 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2012

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Past Events

Tom Kristensen guest at Nordic Golf Tournament 2012 By Kim Birkkjaer Lund

special guest added stardust to this year’s Nordic Golf Tournament in Singapore. Danish race driver and 8 times Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen was in Singapore together with another enthusiastic golfer, journalist Jens Hansen, as commentators on the Singapore Formula 1 grand prix for Viasat. Henrik Ziegler, President of The Danish Business Association of Singapore (Dabs), who loves motorsport and is a regular visitor at Le Mans, had invited both Tom Kristensen and Jens Hansen to participate in the Nordic Golf Tournament. The three of them together with fourth man Kim Nikolajsen had their own internal match, which was won by Henrik Ziegler with Jens Hansen coming second and Tom Kristensen third, leaving Kim Nikolajsen as fourth. “I had a slow start, but my play improved significantly towards the end of the game. I made a birdie at hole 16 and pairs at hole 15 and 17,” Tom Kristensen told after the match. But none of those four won any the many nice prizes from the tournament’s sponsors. Although Henrik Ziegler would have scored 41 points if his personal handicap had been used, the tournament is determined by a system called double peoria calculating a one day handicap for all players based on their score on 12 of the 18 holes, which must have provided Ziegler with a lower than usual handicap.

Danish victory by proxy This year’s winner Giancarlo Roggiolani is Italian, he participated as regional manager at Grundfos. A circumstance that pleased organizer and toastmaster Oliver Andersen, who was in charge of this year’s successful tournament. “It looked good after the first few holes, but then my putting went totally wrong. I think what saved me was that I stated swearing heavily in Italian,” Giancarlo Roggiolani said when he received the price. It probably also helped him winning that he made birdies at both hole three and nine. More than 90 Scandinavians and business associates to Scandinavian firms had chosen to spend Thursday 20th September and 300 Singapore dollar on participating in the Nordic Golf Tournament 2012 at the lavish Laguna National Golf and Country Club.

1. 2. 3.

SWA’s Ladies Lunch

he Ladies Lunch, held at the Jim Thompson Restaurant on Minden Road in Singapore, gathered approximately 16 women from Scandinavian Women’s Association (SWA) on 25 September 2012. Most of the ladies had already met each other for Coffee in the morning at the Danish Seamen’s Church. “It was a very cozy lunch with many new faces and it was wonderful to see so many spirited and enthusiastic people at one spot,” says Lisa Thrane from SWA.

10 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2012

Tom Kristensen shared golf cart with Dabs President Henrik Ziegler. Tom Kristensen drive at hole one. The overall winner of the tournament was this year Giancarlo Roggiolani who participated as regional manager at Grundfos.

Nordic Embassies participated in Europe Fair 2012 By Rose Jensen

he four Nordic Embassies were among the 11 European states represented at the Study in Europe Fair 2012 Singapore which was held at the Hilton Hotel on 15 September 2012. Organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Singapore, the fair seeks to attract top students who want to pursuetheir education in post graduate programmes in Europe’s top international universities. There were approximately 1,200 students visiting the fair. Throughout the day, students collected materials and talked to university representatives they were interested in. According to the Embassies’ websites, all booths were very well visited.

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Past Events

SWA walk n’ talk

nce a week the ladies from Scandinavian Women’s Association (SWA) take a walk together, not only for them to have some good exercise but also to catch up with the latest news from their friends. This week, however, there were a few men joining the walk n’ talk with the SWA ladies on 19 September 2012. Approximately 20 people participated in Walk n’ Talk through the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve in Singapore. Some ladies also had their visitors from Denmark to take part in the walk. It was a beautiful morning in the sylvan forest. The group spent about two hours on the 8-km journey.

SWEA’s annual Crayfish Party

wedish Women’s Educational Association (SWEA) in Singaporeorganized the Annual Swedish Crayfish Party on 15 September 2012 at Blooies Roadhouse & Grill. 73 guests showed up and enjoyed fresh crayfish, Swedish snaps, beers and house. Many of them danced along with the loud music at the party. 1st picture: From left MalinNoren, Charlotte Huston, MalinGrafström-Wilhelmson 2nd picture: From left Camilla, and David Lundberg. in printed dress IngerNordlund, Mats Hedin and IkaForsell.

12 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2012

News Brief

Finnish KONE relocates regional office to Singapore

innish Company KONE Pte Ltd., the leading provider of elevator and escalators, has relocated its new Asia Pacific & Middle East regional office to Singapore. The company believes that the move will allow them to focus more on business opportunities in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific market. The company’s CEO Pekka Lundmark has also moved to Singapore. “We forecast that 70 to 80 percent of our growth will be in the fast growing Asian markets. Not just in China and India, but also in Vietnam, Indonesia and other Asian countries,” Pekka Lundmark tells HBL.fi The regional headquarters in Singapore will manage and operate KONE’s sales, installation and maintenance in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, India, and the Middle East. “KONE has been in Singapore for more than 30 years and it’s a natural location to lead our business stretching from Jeddah to Wellington. Using Singapore as our new regional hub gives us even better possibilities to develop our business further in all of these markets,” says Noud Veeger, Executive Vice President and Area Director of KONE Asia Pacific and Middle East. “Choosing Singapore as the regional headquarters for Asia Pacific and Middle East was a strategic decision. Singapore is a cosmopolitan, worldclass city with global connectivity and a multi-cultural environment that offers an excellent platform for us to launch new and innovative solutions into the region,” adds Anthony Tan, Managing Director of KONE Singapore. KONE solutions can be found in many prominent buildings around Singapore such as Marina Bay Sand®, Reflections at Keppel Bay, Circle Line, Jem™, Floridian, International Cruise Terminal, and W Residences. The company currently employs over 200 staff serving customers in Singapore.

October 2012 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13

News Brief

Norway learns from Singapore in monetary management

he Supervisory Council of Norway’s national bank, Norges Bank, recently visited Singapore to learn more about investment strategies, capital markets, risk management and how Singapore manages its sovereign wealth. The council is appointed by the Norwegian parliament to oversee Norges Bank’s activities and ensure compliance with the rules governing the Bank’s operations. During their visit they met with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), the investment holding company Temasek, and the Singapore Exchange. Prudent, long term management of foreign reserves was a key issue in the council’s meeting with Singapore authorities. The council also visited NBIM Singapore – one of four offices overseas tasked with managing The Government Pension Fund, Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (SPU). The SPU is a fiscal policy tool that supports long-term management of Norway’s petroleum revenues. The fund is managed by NBIM on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, which owns the fund on behalf of the Norwegian people. The visit by the Supervisory Council served to consolidate the close relationship between Norway and Singapore within management of sovereign wealth. The fact that co-operation in this area has become an important part of our bilateral ties is a good example of how the relationship between Norway and Singapore is evolving into new areas, says Ambassador Tormod C. Endresen.

Close research collaboration between Singapore and Sweden

mbassador Ingemar Dolfe recently hosted a reception to welcome representatives from a leading Swedish University, Karolinska Institutet (KI), who flew to Singapore to attend a joint scientific symposium organized by KI, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. The symposium aimed to strengthen the existing collaboration in medical research and education between centres of excellence in Singapore and Sweden. Ambassador Dolfe highlighted the close research collaboration between Singapore and Sweden in his welcome address. He also referred to the bilateral agreement signed by the Swedish Minister of Education and Singapore’s Minister of Education 2010. This bilateral agreement laid the foundation for enhanced co-operation in the areas of education, research and research-based innovation. Currently, some 30 Swedish researchers are working in Singapore.

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News Brief

Denmark and Singapore signed memorandum on maritime relations

n 31 August 2012, Danish Minister of Business and Growth Mr. Ole Sohn and Singaporean Minister for Transport Mr. Lui Tuck Yew signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen maritime cooperation and relations between the two countries. “Singapore and Denmark are both leading maritime countries with strategic interests in high-quality maritime services. The MOU provides a solid foundation for engagement in a range of maritime activities for the benefit of both Singapore and Denmark,” Ole Sohn said when

signing the MOU at the Ministry of Transport, Singapore. The MOU underscores the strong bilateral ties that Singapore and Denmark enjoy, and is also a testament to their excellent maritime relations. Under the MOU, Singapore and Denmark will explore opportunities for collaboration in the areas of quality shipping, green shipping as well as maritime research and development, education and training. It is said in a joint statement. “I am delighted that Singapore and Denmark have taken proactive steps to enhance bilateral co-operation in the maritime sector. This MOU will enable our two countries to build on our common maritime interests and address the challenges ahead,” said Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Transport, Singapore. According to Ole Sohn those common interest includes securing free market access in international shipping, which serves the interest of Danish maritime companies. Are you looking for a new place in SINGAPORE? I know the perfect HOUSE or APARTMENT in strategic locations for you and your family to live.

Nordic countries participate in OSEA 2012

orway, Finland and Denmark participate in the 19th International Oil and Gas Industry Exhibition (OSEA 2012), to be held on 27-30 November at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Norway, the biggest Nordic exhibitor with 16 companies participating, has expanded their pavilion’s size by 20 per cent this year. There are seven companies from both Finland and Denmark participating this year. Only one participating company from Sweden is Talurit. This year the exhibition space will take over 32,000 sqm of the two levels at the Marina Bay Sands, which will be the host to a congregation of 1,500 international exhibitors from 48 countries/regions. The previous event attracted over 25,000 trade attendees from over 60 countries/regions, and saw many visitors from some of the world’s major oil and gas players.

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Meet H. E. Berit Basse, the new Danish Ambass

ith a Master of Science in International Business and Politics and Intercultural Communication, Ambassador Berit Basse has always sought challenging assignments, starting with her time in Senegal with the UNDP to her prior role as Head of Department - Strategy, Quality and Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark. As the new Danish Ambassador to Singapore, she is looking forward to continuing the great work of her predecessors and to further strengthening the knowledge of what Denmark and Danish companies have to offer the ASEAN region.

Singapore exceeds all expectations!

Ms. Berit Basse first came to Singapore as a young back-packer in the mid-eighties and then went on to have a prolific career in international affairs spanning across Europe and Africa. She is delighted to be back in Singapore as the new Danish Ambassador, her first assignment in Asia. By Anne Pinto-Rodrigues Photo by Kim Birkkjaer Lund

16 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2012

Ambassador Berit Basse, then an enthusiastic 22-year-old back-packer traveling across Asia, fondly recalls her first, daylong stopover in Singapore in the mid-eighties. “Even back then, it struck me as orderly and clean”, she exclaims. With her first month as Danish Ambassador to Singapore already behind her, Ms. Berit Basse is quick to point out the things that she appreciates most about Singapore. “From the time you arrive at Changi airport, you get an overwhelming sense of how welcoming Singapore is”, she adds. In her own experience as well as that of her predecessors and colleagues, Singapore is a wonderfully easy place to live and work, she adds. Ambassador Basse also appreciates the manner in which Singapore is governed, very professional and business-like with clear-cut goals and strategies, swift decision making, short wait time from decision to execution and defined consequences if plans are not executed as should they be. Just returning from a morning function at the Istana to meet the President of Mexico Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, Ambassador Basse appreciates the Singapore tradition of inviting all ambassadors whenever there is a visiting dignitary. “It’s a wonderful

sador to Singapore opportunity to meet colleagues and ministers from other nations”, she enthuses. She is also amazed at how accessible the Singapore Government is. “If you have business to discuss, you can definitely contact a minister directly.”

Ms. Berit Basse’s journey Ambassador’s Basse’s illustrious professional journey is one, which very few can hope to emulate. At the United Nations Development Program office in New York in the early nineties, Ms. Basse’s was gearing up for her first assignment. Given her proficiency in the French language and Haiti being a francophone country, it was the logical match. But a coup d’état there meant that she would have to go to another French speaking country. Her first preference being Asia, she requested to be posted there but was assigned to Senegal. After her first assignment in Senegal, Ms. Basse has also lived and worked in Denmark, Uganda and Germany in various capacities, with each role having its share of unique professional and cultural experiences as well as challenges. Since those early days, Ms. Basse has wanted to work in Asia. She is ecstatic when she declares that the highlight of her career is most definitely her role as Danish Ambassador to Singapore. Briefly touching on the subject of culture shock, in her case, it has more to do with re-integrating into life in Denmark after her various international assignments.

The Danish community in Singapore With more than 1,500 Danes living in Singapore and over 150 Danish companies operating out of here, there is a relatively strong Danish presence in Singapore. On 17th August 2012, the Danish Business Association of Singapore (DABS) organized a welcome dinner for Ambassador Basse, which provided an excellent forum for her to interact with the DABS members

on a one-to-one basis. Keeping in mind the crucial role that the maritime sector plays for both Denmark and Singapore, Ambassador Basse recently hosted a dinner for the Danish maritime community, an avenue for her to reach out to this key business segment. Through the Danish Embassy, Ms. Basse has also been actively involved with the many social and fund raising activities organized by the Danish Seaman’s Church, a common gathering place for all Danes in Singapore.

Back to business Ambassador Basse’s first month in office has already been a very busy one. Last week, she hosted Mr. Ole

plays both from a business as well as a political perspective. From the business perspective, the ASEAN region is being viewed as a key economic growth force, despite a slight slow down in the overall growth rate. Many Danish companies looking to enter the ASEAN market or China first establish their presence in Singapore due to its strategic location. Singapore also provides a conducive business environment with no corruption, several tax incentives and a robust infrastructure. From the political standpoint, Singapore has a high status thanks to its socio-economic achievements over the years and is viewed as a highly stable political environment as well.

From the time you arrive at Changi airport, you get an overwhelming sense of how welcoming Singapore is.

Sohn, the Danish Minster for Business & Growth who was in Singapore to further strengthen the maritime relations between the two countries. “With a view towards increasing maritime co-operation, Singapore Minister of Transport, Mr. Lui Tuck Yew and Mr. Ole Sohn, signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will explore opportunities for collaboration in the areas of quality shipping, green shipping as well as maritime research and development, education and training.” she asserts.

The Ambassador’s viewpoint Ambassador Basse goes on to elaborate on the critical role that Singapore

technologies, biotech and health/ welfare related sectors. In addition, the maritime sector is one of the biggest in Singapore and is of mutual interest to both nations. She is keen to strengthen co-operation in this critical sector even further. She adds, “Denmark and Singapore are both small countries. Today Singapore is facing welfare and economic challenges like falling birth rates, requests for paternity leave etc, areas in which Denmark has extensive experience.” Furthermore, there is scope for dialogue and exchange of ideas between the two countries in priority sectors such as education, innovation and R&D. Another item on her agenda is to raise the profile of not only Denmark but of Europe as a whole. Europe is Singapore’s second largest trade partner and she hopes the new trade agreement between the EU and Singapore that will come into effect by fall 2012, will give a further boost to trade relations.

Life in Singapore

Given this background, the Danish embassy in Singapore plays the critical role of a facilitator to the Danish business community looking to enter ASEAN (or broadly Asia) via Singapore.

The way forward During her upcoming 3 to 4 year tenure in Singapore, Ambassador Basse’s top priority is to further strengthen the knowledge of what Denmark and Danish companies have to offer Singapore as well as the ASEAN region. Denmark has developed expertise in many different sectors such as water treatment, environmentally sustainable

Ambassador Basse loves her new home, located close to the Singapore Polo Club on Thomson Road. With MacRitchie Reservoir less than a kilometer away, she cherishes the experience of jogging there. She remarks, “Singapore is much greener than I expected it to be.” She has 2 children, an 18 year old son and a 16 year old daughter studying in high school back in Denmark. “They will visit Singapore during their school breaks, the first one being in October & then during Christmas” she beams happily. Her partner Hans Holm also enjoys Singapore very much and divides his time between Holland and Singapore. In the days to come, she is looking forward to exploring the many sights Singapore has to offer. “I look forward to exploring the various facets of Singapore - the museums, the fantastic attractions and most definitely, the culinary experiences one can have here from the top class restaurants to the local hawker center”, she signs off with a dazzling smile.

October 2012 • ScandAsia.Singapore 17

Enjoying gastrono Jakob Esko was schooled in the best of Swedish food traditions at the legendary Ulrikdals Wärdshus outside Stockholm. But he landed his current job as the Executive Chef at Capella Singapore on Sentosa Island due to his modern European Mediterranean cooking skills. By Joakim Persson

ince the Swedish chef Jakob Esko took on the position as Executive Chef at the brand new Capella Singapore on Sentosa Island two years ago, the food scene has changed faster than anywhere else in Asia. “The gastronomy scene has completely exploded,” says Jakob Esko. “Due to the crisis in Spain and elsewhere in Europe, there’s a large interest from chefs there to come over here and do guest appearances ‘cause all of them are interested in possibly opening a restaurant in Singapore - or alternatively Hong Kong,” he explains. “Some of the world’s most wellknown chefs have already opened restaurants here and there are yet more to come.” The clientele is there. Singapore has the highest concentration of millionaires on the planet and two multibillion-dollar casino resorts every year pull in limousine-loads of chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants.

Keeps everyone on their toes Inviting guest chefs for shorter or longer periods of time is also the way forward for Capella Singapore. They create an incentive for the guest to stay and have luncheons and dinners at the hotel. And they are important for the staff because it makes their work place more attractive. “It’s exciting and you learn new techniques from that and come

18 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2012

Singapore’s omic explosion across good food and get to meet professional chefs – that also helps us in our strive to continuously raise the bar and build further on our menus,” Jakob Esko explains. “This continuous improvement is actually crucial; it’s easy to become comfortable. Even if you get something to perfection it does not mean you stop improving it onwards.” “Even if guests are satisfied we have to continuously better ourselves or else our competition will out-compete us. The competition is fierce so one must stay on ones toes even regarding the simplest things.”

Leisure and business The advantage of Capella Singapore is its ultimate tropical locale on Sentosa Island, the Garden City’s premier resort destination only 15 minutes from the central business district. With its ballroom and meetings facilities this luxury resort with 112 guestrooms is utilized not only for vacationers but also for many corporate events as well as private functions, not least weddings. Among the guests you will also often find working travellers opting for another setting than the usual city hotel. Jakob Esko sees this position as the ideal mix where he can get the best of both worlds - leisure guests as well as business travellers. On top of this, the hotel is able to invite Michelin guest chefs on a regular basis offers Esko the opportunity to work

with a melange of nationalities - be it guests, kitchen staff or cuisines. Being able to adapt a breakfast buffet to the myriad of nationalities from far and near which Capella Singapore has is a challenge that is close to impossible, Jakob explains. “Everyone misses something. And in a resort setting the tempo in which you serve guests varies.” Romantic guests on honeymoon want to savour and enjoy a long lunch by the pool for two hours. Businessmen require effective and prompt service, so the challenge lies in accommodating all kinds of wishes and guest types. “Running such an operation is more difficult than if you’re one hundred per cent resort where you can more easily design menus and service for that kind of guest clientele,” he explains.

Corporate career Jakob Esko’s first job with Capella Hotels and Resorts was in Mexico. From here he later moved to Ireland before eventually coming to Singapore. Before that, he worked with the Ritz-Carlton group, which has the same founder. “Ritz-Carlton and Capella have more or less the same philosophy and back then the brand had just started with only a few hotels. It sounded more interesting to be part of building things from the early days within a new and exciting company

such as Capella.” Before his time with Ritz-Carlton, he worked in Spain for five years, toning his skills at some of Spain’s top kitchens and prior to that he worked with fine-dining establishments such as Ulriksdals Wärdshus in Sweden, Hotel Juana Restaurant La Terrasse Christian Morisset in France and La Tante Claire in England.

course dinner with dessert buffet. Hans will do the starter and main course while we’ll handle canapés, desserts and the other dishes. I look forward to this very much.” Sweden’s Ambassador to Singapore also last year invited Jakob to create a modern Swedish food event for local food writers as part of the Sweden promotion here.

Swedish roots

Mediterranean food

Jakob Esko was schooled in the best of Swedish traditions at the legendary Ulrikdals Wärdshus outside Stockholm, which serves one of the best smorgasbords in the country. “But that’s 12 years ago and I have hardly cooked any such food at all since. Some elements of Swedish cuisine sometimes take place at Capella Singapore. Last year, aScandinavian bank requested such a Christmas dinner and now they wish to make it into an annual event. “It is fun to get to do a Swedish ‘Julbord’. I am composing the menu now for them, funnily enough, in the middle of the summer. That’s exciting.” He also discloses that the upcoming New Years Eve bonanza will welcome 2013 with a Nordic twist: Executive Chef Hans Boren from the Michelin-starred restaurant 28+ in Gothenburg, Sweden has been invited for the occasion. Jakob and Hans worked together 13 years ago. “Regarding the food the dinner will be a Scandinavian journey, a four-

But it is not his Swedish cooking skills that landed him the job at Capella. Here, Jakob Esko is valued for his European, modern Mediterranean cooking skills which he dedicated many years into developing. “I lived five years in Spain and also in France for a year and love Mediterranean food.” He oversees all dining elements and the team of fifty chefs and in particular makes his mark on the hotel’s all day dining The Knolls which is dedicated to Mediterranean influences, while blending international food with the flavours and textures of Asian culinary treasures. His Sous Chef, Cristia Nou Picart from Barcelona also adds to The Knolls Mediterranean hallmark. Worth highlighting for healthconscious people one can find a healthy masculine choice-diet for males and a wide selection of light, low-carbohydrate salads, soups and menu items that complement the lifestyle and well-being for the ladies.

October 2012 • ScandAsia.Singapore 19

Novelist Caroline Allen

Coaching writers in memoir and novel wri She has helped people from all backgrounds all over the world, including Singapore and Asia, to unlock their creative potential. Thanks to Skype, it’s possible to coach business executives, farmers, and housewives, actors, a former prostitute wherever they may be - all with one thing in common: a burning desire to write their story. Meet Caroline, who is also a visual artist, for a conversation on creativity, her unique coaching of writers, and even her thoughts on Stieg Larsson’s character Lisbet Salander of the Millennium series. By Andrea Hessmo Photo by Adrien Bisson

I want to build an empire, a huge network of creative coaches and writers and help people unlock their true selves.

20 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2012

fter an international journalism career at The Financial Times and The Independent in London, as well as for newspapers in Asia, former American expat Caroline Allen decided to devote herself to fiction writing, painting, coaching and spiritual practice. Why do expats want to write? We leave our security for new customs and we’re embedded in another culture. When I lived in Japan, not a single custom resonated, not even the lettering. This pushes us deep into ourselves where even survival taps our deepest creativity. It’s difficult to live in another culture, it’s life changing and sometimes you can’t go back. You don’t fit in anywhere any longer and you may have to accept that. But not fitting in is the mark of writers of all time, so it’s as if being an expat is training for being a writer. Who are your clients and how do they find you? It happens quite magically. They come in serendipitous ways by word of mouth, some google me cold or they read my blog. Right now I have clients such as a Microsoft employee, a farmer, a financial advisor, a metaphysical healer. I have to figure out how to help people who cannot afford it. I try to give a scholarship a year. You are committed to help women finding their voice. In what ways do women need help with that compared to men? Throughout history women have been told to shut up and play a secondary role. A lot of the time, women don’t even feel they have a right to express what they’re feeling and sometimes they don’t even know what to say. Men seem to be given that freedom from a young age. When you start working with a client, do you start from scratch or do they already have an idea for a novel or memoir? All of the above. Sometimes people come to me with an idea for a

character like Tess Hardwick whose novel Riversong got published and has done very well. Or someone will have written 40 000 words and know something is missing. How does the coaching process work and what are the benefits of it? I talk the story through with the client one-on-one via Skype. It shaves off about half the time it takes to write a novel, it’s more focused. Writers also don’t feel so alone when they have someone who intimately knows their story. The main benefit is keeping the person accountable to produce words and that makes them go faster. Why don’t more professionals in the industry do this kind of coaching? It’s very challenging work and I resisted it in the beginning. Right now, I’ve got 15 people’s stories in my psyche, it’s like creatively dating 15 people. You need to have the artistic side to be able to do it but also the counselling and guidance part. You have recently hired Jon Sternfeld, a former literary agent from New York. How will you be working together? I bring the soulful metaphysical storytelling aspect and he brings the extensive experience of bringing a book all the way to publication. He knows exactly how to do that which is so exciting. He’ll also be coaching and his expertise is content editing. When a book needs to be popped up to high professional standard, he goes through it and looks at language, structure and plot. You are both an artistic, psychic and a spiritual guide Yes and that’s part of who I am. I’m fascinated with psychology and the way people are and think, especially around creativity. What are the creative blocks for an American? For a Scandinavian? It’s different with different cultures. It’s an intimate collaborative creative process. If you are a novelist and you align with it, every door will open for you to be able to do your novel.

iting What are the reasons for people not going ahead with writing that book? When you write or do any art, you’re expressing what you really feel. A lot of people have issues that come up and if you haven’t dealt with it, it sits like a weight on top of that creativity. Usually it’s a hurt from childhood or a strenuous focus on perfectionism. I think when you’re new at any art you’re really bad at it. That’s just true. I look at my old paintings and they suck and that can really shut down a person creatively. Julia Cameron writes about this in “The Artist’s Way.” The book is a little New Age, but many people have this issue. It’s so much easier for all of us to be a critic. In Scandinavia we’re currently being very entrepreneurial about exporting our crime novels. What do you think of Stieg Larsson’ trilogy? I was really addicted to the Dragon Tattoo books. I haven’t seen female character as abused and raw and full of spit and intelligence as Lisbet Salander. That’s what did it for me. And I didn’t even know about the success of the crime literature genre in Scandinavia. Many Scandinavian expats do think of writing in English after spending time abroad but they worry about not being an English native speaker/ writer. What are your experiences? I have clients who worry about it. A powerful story can carry you far. You can hire a content editor to clean up the language. The English of a non-native speaker can be more lyrical, more quirky and that’s a publishing advantage right there. I love it and find it so profoundly interesting to read. Do you coach writers who write in another language than English? That’s my goal for my coaching company Art of Storytelling, to have coaches across Europe and Asia who can coach in several languages. AofS is expanding every day so the answer is yes. What about talent? Of course, there are people with

logical planetary crisis is speeding up individual spiritual evolution, and I believe writing is part of some people’s evolutionary process. What authors are your greatest influences? I come from a rural upbringing in Missouri. We hunted and butchered animals and grew our own food. When I was a little girl, there were no books in the house but the King James bible. I took it inside the bathroom every night for weeks, locked the door and read it from start to finish. So the biggest influence was that bible as well as spiritual and philosophical thinkers.

more talent than others. My novel Earth was sent out to top publishers who gave great feedback but it has yet to be picked up. The message I’m getting is that all my four novels will be finished before they get published, similar to Stieg Larsson’s Dragon Tattoo books. I’m saying this because sometimes people think that talent means you get published. Some people just need to write because it’s their soul’s path. And yes, some people have talent that the publishing industry cannot even see. I’m all for my clients getting published! That’s why I hired Jon. Tell us about your novels Earth, Air, Fire and Water I woke up in the middle of the night seven years ago and the four novels Earth, Air, Fire and Water went through me like a wordless epiphany. The novels are mystical and represent a person’s evolution towards what Carl Jung calls individuation, a person’s spiritual evolution from be-

ing just a drone of society to understanding who they are. Earth is about a person who has never left home and they only know the customs and ways of their family. Air is about leaving that to be an expat, it’s about floating above the culture and in that separation from the culture you knew, you start to get stripped down to your essence. You get to see who you are behind all the things you thought you were and you took for granted. Fire is when you crash and burn because you really don’t know who you are anymore. All the structures and foundations that held you up had to be completely torn down so you can start from scratch. Water is about the healing process. Your novels are also about the ecological breakdown of the planet Yes, I’m fascinated with how tsunamis, earthquakes, global warming affect our psyche as humans. How do we remain stable when the very earth is unstable? I believe the eco-

You were raised Catholic Yes but I’m not Catholic now. I went to a Catholic school for 15 years and was taught by nuns and brothers, it was very intense. Most of the nuns didn’t advocate open creativity; they slapped you down with rulers. Still, I had insatiable curiosity, I was the top student with straight As and I had a scholarship for university with everything paid for, so some aspects worked for me. The contemplative side of a religious education influenced me. The brothers chose a sacred inner lifestyle instead of say, a life of going to the mall. I admired that. What are your ultimate goals with Art of Storytelling? I want to build an empire, a network of creative coaches and writers and help people unlock their true selves. I’m seeing screen-writers coming to me now, song writers, writers who are also visual artists. Still, I need to do my own art too so I can’t do it on my own. I’m looking for clients who are committed to their creativity, and coaches all over the world who want to be part of this immense global creative output.

More information on Caroline Allen and her coaching of writers: http://www.carolineallen.com/ http://www.artofstorytellingonline.com/

October 2012 • ScandAsia.Singapore 21

Eco-bungalow pr

22 ScandAsia.Singapore â&#x20AC;˘ October 2012

roject in Laos This autumn, a new exciting project for social development will take place in rural Laos, initiated by two young Swedish entrepreneurs with the drive and motivation to create lasting socio-economic impact for the vulnerable people of the Lao PDR.The ecobungalow project will create an opportunity for a remote village to earn an income for the first time, giving the villagers a chance to have an impact on their own development.

esper Lejfjord and David Jonsson are two young entrepreneurs and the founders of the Swedish organisation World Volunteer. Based on their experience with volunteering and managing education projects in the Lao PDR, they have formed a net of invaluable contacts, on which the foundation of World Volunteer is built. The organisation is based in Stockholm, but with staff in five different countries. World Volunteer tailors suitable volunteering experiences for people of all ages within a wide range of projects, e.g. teaching, child care and sports coaching. If you want to volunteer at a project it can be adapted to suit your requests, no matter if you are a family looking for an adventure, or a business leader in need of a new challenge. This way, World Volunteer and its partners are able to provide a once in a life time experience for any type of volunteer as well as creating a lasting impact on the community. Now the organisation is initiating its second social development project in Laos after last year’s success in building a school in the village of Ban Na Luang, giving 100 children the opportunity for education/to attend school. “The school building project is like nothing I have done before. It is hard work, but worth every second when you see the smiles on the children’s faces.”, says Elizabeth Doern-

hoefer, SSHL Student and participant in the School Building Project 2011.

Eco-bungalow The eco-bungalow project is an initiative made possible through collaborations with Tiger Trail Adventures, pioneers within the eco-tourism sector, and the Ministry of Tourism in Laos. World Volunteer will, together with groups of volunteers, start the building of the bungalow in November 2012 in the village of Ban Long Lao Mai, situated one hour outside of the picturesque World Heritage city of Luang Prabang. Ban Long Lao Mai is a Hmong village with just over 700 inhabitants, where approximately 70% have food to last them all year around. The village lies next to a trekking track leading to one of Laos’ most beautiful waterfalls, which is very popular among tourists.

Local materials The volunteers will participate in the building, using earthen materials found locally, together with the villagers and experienced guides. The project also gives the volunteers the chance to learn about the rich cultural heritage that Laos has to offer through various activities in the village such as harvesting, bamboo weaving or cooking. The bungalow will work as an exclusive hotel, which will be owned and run as a business by the village

and marketed as part of Tiger Trail’s adventurous trekking tours. In this way, the project creates an opportunity for the villagers to generate an income and also labour opportunities for generations to come through services like cleaning, cooking and guided tours. “When a CEO gets involved in activities and creates opportunities for people in need, it is hard not to get inspired by the commitment. It´s a lot of fun as well!”, says Charlie Hansson, CEO Chas Management Consulting and participant in the Laos program 2011.

Make a difference The organisation is always looking for new motivated individuals to take part in the projects, the most important prerequisite being the ambition to help others. There are a number of ways where volunteers can make a difference together with World Volunteer, from own participation, to spreading the word to friends or improving a company’s CSR by funding parts of the project. “Of course, the most rewarding way, both for the participants and the communities we work in, is to come and work with us in the field during the project”, says David Jonsson, Co-founder World Volunteer. If you are interested in more information, please contact malin@ world-volunteer.com or go to www. world-volunteer.com

By Malin Törnvall

The school building project is like nothing I have done before. It is hard work, but worth every second when you see the smiles on the children’s faces. October 2012 • ScandAsia.Singapore 23

Searching for the winners

To find the best fund managers to invest your money with is a core investment decision for all of us.You need a sophisticated and tested method to scrutinize the investment funds available. Nordea’s International Private Banking unit, which is also represented in Singapore, has devised such a method.

o invest in today’s markets takes a considerable amount of time and effort. To leave the investment decisions to the professionals allows your wealth to grow without having to make every decision yourself. In 2008, Nordea developed the Multi-Manager portfolio management investment solution as a way to offer investors convenient access to the best investment funds in the world. To learn more about this investment solution, we talked to Jørgen Jakobsen, Head of the Investment Department at Nordea in Luxembourg.

What do you look for when selecting a fund manager?

Finding the best fund managers in the world is easier said than done. How do you pick the winners?

Generally, around 20 funds. This allows an appropriate diversification in terms of managers. It may happen that a manager underperforms the benchmark for a period of time, but this would normally be compensated by the outperformance of another manager in the same asset class.

We select the best fund managers from a universe of more than 60,000 investment funds. We do not focus on, or limit ourselves to one country or legal framework, but are internationally oriented. We look for managers who can beat the benchmarks in the respective asset classes consistently over time.

The fund manager selection is based on both quantitative analysis and qualitative evaluation. Our quantitative analysis is based on a rating system graded by historical performance. But, as past performance does not guarantee future results, the final selection of managers is also subject to a qualitative evaluation of the investment philosophy, process and management team for each prospective fund.

How many funds are you normally invested in?

How can you be sure that yesterday’s winners will also be tomorrow’s best-performing investments?

Jørgen Jakobsen, Head of the Investment Department at Nordea in Luxembourg We look to see whether the investment team has a competitive advantage that will increase the probability of their fund being best-in-class in the future. Before we determine whether or not to invest in a particular fund, we talk in detail to the managers to make sure that we understand their strategy and investment process, and that they understand our mandate. The investment process must be maintainable and the skills that have created outperformance in the past must remain in the team. That is why we constantly monitor the funds in the portfolio to insure that the right elements are still in place.

How often do you change funds in your portfolio? Some changes are due to an asset allocation decision, whereby we might change the weight of the asset classes represented in the portfolio, or its geographical allocation and currency exposure. Other changes occur when we decide that a manager might no longer be able to deliver consistent outperformance, or if we identify a manager who we deem able to deliver superior results

What are the typical reasons for pulling out of a fund? If a fund manager is not true to the strategy that has been communicated or starts to change the strategy, then we pull out. Also, if key members of the team leave, and it is not clear that continuity with the results obtained previously can be assured, we would sell the fund concerned.

Do you offer different risk classes? There are three risk categories available: conservative, balanced and aggressive, each of which contains an appropriate mix of funds that invest in a variety of securities and markets.

How do you control the risk in the portfolio? Risk is defined by the category in question. For each category, this corresponds to a variable, asset-class target allocation of the portfolio between relatively “safe” investments (typically bonds) and relatively “risky” investments (typically stocks). We can deviate from these targets, in order to add value with active management, but not in a way that significantly alters the specific risk profile. 24 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2012

Tallest in the world

By Kristene Silva Marie Photos by Disraporn Yatprom

mong the many structures in Singapore, one of the most obvious and outstanding certainly is the Singapore Flyer. It is also an attraction not to be missed while in the Lion City. Standing at 541 feet, it prides on being the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, even taller than the Star of Nanchang, China and a significant 98 ft taller than the famous London Eye, England.

History Envisioned in the early 2000s by one Patrick MacMahon of the Melchers Project Management, the Singapore Flyer was formally announced and endorsed by the Singapore Tourism Board on 27 June 2003. Construction of the wheel began 25 September 2005 under main contractor Mitsubishi - Takenaka Consortium and was completed 1 March 2008. Its official opening was on 15 April 2008.

Why it’s hot? The Flyer is one way visitors can treat their eyes to a feast of Singapore’s breathtaking landscape and modern infrastructure as well as nearby areas like Johor, Malaysia and Indonesian islands of Batam and Bintan. One round on the big wheel takes a good 30 minutes so visitors need not rush to get a fulfilling 360 degree visual of the iconic and historical landmarks. There are 28 air-conditioned exo-capsules attached outward of the wheel structure providing a fantastic view when the capsule is at its peak, unlike the endo-capsule designs most wheels have. The best part about the flyer is that each capsule is capable of holding up to 28 passengers, or five wheelchairs together with 15 other visitors when booked in advance for use by disabled guests. The ride on the flyer is sure to give visitors an experience to remember.

October 2012 • ScandAsia.Singapore 25

Medium

Danish Meatballs in Curry

his great tasting traditional Danish recipe is very popular amongst Danes of all ages. It has undoubtedly been introduced in Denmark by seamen returning from the Far East, but there is very little of its original hot spicy taste left. This is a very mildly spiced dish, and many Danish children happily call this their favorite food. INGREDIENTS (Serves 4) Meatballs: • 1 pound ground pork • 3 garlic gloves • 1 cup breadcrumbs or 2 tablespoon flour • 2 finely chopped onions • 1 egg • Salt • Pepper

Evil

Curry Sauce: • 2 tablespoons Danish butter • 2 heaping tablespoons yellow curry • 1 large chopped onion • 1 large chopped leek • 5 tablespoons flour • 3,5 ounces cream 35% • 4 cups Beef stock • chopped fresh parsley (just enough for a light sprinkling just prior to serving)

Are you done?

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 November 2012 26 ScandAsia.Singapore • October 2012

PREPERATION Meatballs: Mix Breadcrumbs or flour, egg, onions, garlic salt and pepper go into a big bowl. Add ground pork and mix it well again. Leave the mixture in the fridge for 1 hour. Scoop up the meatballs with a tablespoon, and place in boiling water with the beef stock. Boil for 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of the meatballs. Take meatballs out of the water, but keep the water (you will need it for the Curry Sauce). Curry Sauce: Melt butter in a pot. Add curry and brown it for a couple of minutes. Add onions and leek and brown it for a couple of minutes. Add flour and mix well. Add water from meatballs a little bit at the time, until the sauce thickens. Add cream and meatballs. Let it simmer for 12 mins. Serve with boiled rice, and sprinkle with parsley on top. Enjoy!

THE WORLD IS OUR STAGE.

THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CIS.

An IB World School

Providing a 21st Century Education for the Global Child With programmes grounded in our values of collaboration, respect, integrity, commitment and responsibility, we aim to engage students with a unique community committed to the ideals of inclusion and global citizenship. Essential life skills are developed as students from over 65 nations participate in enlightening service opportunities and expeditions, inspiring them to be vibrant participants in a diverse and global society.

With a strong focus on academic excellence, technology, sports and the arts, we endeavour to develop a passion for learning and to prepare students for the 21st century. Come and explore our campuses to find out how we bring learning to life. The CIS educational experience will be dynamic, memorable and life defining.

We offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme to students 3 to 18 years of age.

Lakeside Campus (ECE to Grade 12) 7 Jurong West Street 41 T: 6467 1732 E: admissions@cis.edu.sg Tanjong Katong Campus (ECE to Grade 9) 371 Tanjong Katong Road T: 6345 1573 E: admissionstk@cis.edu.sg

www.cis.edu.sg Canadian International School Pte. Ltd. | CPE Registration Number: 199002243H | Period of Registration: 8 June 2011 to 7 June 2015

When it’s time to do business, we’re exceptionally open.

Every business has a different story and a different goal. We understand that. Over many years in this market of unique opportunities, we’ve developed the local knowledge, resources and connections needed to turn ambitions into reality. That’s why we’re one of the most well-established northern European banks in the region. For corporates, financial institutions and private banking clients, we’re ready to listen and cater to your needs – in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Delhi. Welcome to contact us at Tel: +65 63 57 08 95 singapore@sebprivatebanking.com.sg www.sebgroup.com/privatebanking