ScandAsia Singapore - June 2014

JUN 2014

Singapore

Farm Resort in Singapore

The house of a new tomorrow

Media Track expanding ScandAsia.dk

ScandAsia.fi

ScandAsia.no

ScandAsia.se

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EXPLORE WHAT IF

Middle School student Noa connects with her teacher Paula.

…THE FOCUS OF TECHNOLOGY WAS LEARNING? Would technology no longer be an end in itself? At UWCSEA, our students are surrounded by technology, with 1.2 devices available for every student. But access to devices is only the beginning. UWCSEA invests even more in training teachers in the use of technology to transform learning.

With a goal of cultivating trust and collaborative conversations, Paula’s students use apps to extend discussions, access authentic audiences, edit one another’s work online and more. Technology keeps them connected—to each other.

Take Paula Guinto and her student Noa. With the support of dedicated digital literacy coaches, Paula uses technology extensively in her English classes. But she knows that the most important connection is the one that Noa makes with her learning.

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138ADV-1314

Coming Events

Fun Wild Learning Every weekend in the month of June staring from 7 June. 08:30 AM - 06:00 PM Venue: Singapore Zoo

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.

Singapore Zoo transforms into a living classroom every weekend this June to show visitors, parents and children alike, that learning can be fun. Happening every weekend, visitors can discover and appreciate wildlife through a diverse range of activities, including performances, craft workshops, animal enrichment trails and even yoga! In an exclusive collaboration with Discovery Kids, visitors can gain insights into the fascinating world of documentary production.

FBC Annual General Meeting Time: Monday 09 June 2014, 11:30 - 14:30 AGM of the Finnish Business Council will cover FBC’s yearly report of activities, balance sheet and statement of accounts, appointment of auditors for the ensuing financial year, and election of five board members and four alternative board members. After the Finnish Business Council Annual General Meeting, Mr. Jari Hietala, Vice President, Head of Region from Finpro will talk on the topic “The New Finpro and Team Finland”.

Registration: Email to FBC Coordinator Maija Meriläinen at fbcsg@fbcsg.org

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 Managing Editor: Thana Poopat thana@scandmedia.com

Beerfest Asia 12 - 15 June 2014

Learn Clay Pigeon Shooting

Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com

Venue: Marina Promenade (the F1 tracks behind the Singapore Flyer)

Venue: Fort Siloso on Sentosa Island.

Price: $35 for every 30 minutes.

Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com

Beerfest Asia returns for the sixth time to the thrill of beer lovers in Singapore and the region.

Featuring close to 400 types of beer from all over the world, live stage performances, a comedy club, beer auctions and tasting workshops, anyone who has been to Beerfest Asia will tell you that the experience is packed with great entertainment, drinks, and food.

From Sweden you will find Älska Cider, Herrljunga, Rekorderlig and Somersby available, from Denmark a variety of beers from Carlsberg, Faxe, Amager Bryghus, Mikkeller and To Øl. From Norway and Finland? No beers - but why let that hold you back?

Looking to try out Clay Pigeon Shooting?

Need training before the pheasant hunt?

Or just want to have fun trying something different? Laser Clay Pigeon Shooting brings you a safer and greener version of the sport! Gun sounds are realistic and hits are indicated by the sound of breaking clay. Scores will be displayed on a scoreboard in real time! This is definitely a fun game for both family and friends!

Visit www.beerfestasia.com for more updates on beers, beverages, food and entertainment.

More information: www.laserclay.com.sg

Advertising : Frank Leong frank@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

Viking Cup alive and kickin’ The Singapore Vikings participated in the 25 Year Anniversary of the Viking Cup in Shanghai in mid April. But the champion title stayed with the Vikings from Bangkok.

S

ingapore Vikings gathered in late April along with 250 other Vikings from all-over Asia for the 25 Year Anniversary of the Viking Cup which was played in Shanghai. That in itself would make it a great experience, but the anniversary was truly extravagant and extraordinary due to extraordinary efforts by the hosts, the Shanghai Vikings.

“Seeing happy people was our reward and all in all we are very satisfied with what we feel was a successful event,” said John Poulsen from the Shanghai Vikings.

“We had started preparing for the cup early. It is important that everything lives up the participants expectations. With the Formula One being held at the same time we had our struggles with finding a hotel. The Viking Cup is important to the participants and they should not stay below standard. But eventually we managed to accommodated them in the topclass five star Westin hotel,” he said “We had found pitches in good condition where it was possible to have two games played simultaneously next to each other. We had also taken extra care to decorate the hospitality area as Vikingly as possible. The Carlsberg bar needed to be nothing less than perfect as this is where we go when we leave the battle field behind to just enjoy each other’s company.

We flew in a DJ to push it over the top - and succeded all most too well.

We had to literally push people out of the bar every night,” John said.

The organizers had also not forgotten that some of these Viking warriors would bring their spouse. Therefore a survival book had been made - “Little red book to survive Viking Cup in Shanghai”.

Beer Drinking Cup But for the Vikings, football and beer goes together like movies and popcorn, so all was not lost to the ‘koks as Shanghai Viking John Poulsen was quick to point out.

“The Shanghai Vikings won the competition that really counts - the Beer Drinking Cup,” he proudly states.

But the victory may be short lived.

“This is an area where Bangkok Vikings will need to improve!” said Bangkok player Johan “Mofok” Mühlman.

“We didn’t even reach the final three, so believe me when I say that plenty of practice in beer drinking will be done this year.”

Otherwise the veteran player praised the organizors for a good show.

“I was impressed with the whole setup. The hotel was truly a five star experience, the Viking bar and DJ was a great success as well, but I would like to point out the gala dinner as probably the highlight of the cup, if we are viewing the Cup from a non-football perspective.”

“We expect the same kind of standard from the Saigon side who is arranging next year’s cup,” he added.

Come out and play!

Johan Mühlman encourages more to join their local Viking team.

“In my opinion the level and quality of football was a bit lower this year than normally. It seems like the teams are struggling with bringing in new and young players to strengthen their teams. The average age just seems to be increasing from year to year,” he said.

If you are not yet a Viking warrior on the football pitch in your local Asian city and you find beer, party and enjoyable competitive exercise of interest, then do a quick search on ScandAsia.com - Local contacts to see if your city of residence has a team or if there is a team nearby. Most of the Viking footballers have both web- and Facebook pages.

Bangkok Vikings kept the title By the end, the Bangkok Vikings once again won the Viking Cup. Last year, they took it from the KL Vikings, but this year the victory was more deserved, it seems “To be honest I think that we really deserved the title this year,” said veteran player on the Bangkok team, Bangkok player Johan “Mofok” Mühlman.

“Thanks to a great goalkeeper in Thomas Frederiksen - protected by a strong defense - we managed to win three of the games and draw one without conceding a single goal,” said Johan, emphasizing also how the midfield was quality; their lightning fast striker Kenny Rundh was elected MVP – Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

“When after six games you end up with a goal difference of 8-1 with four wins and two draws, then.. yes, we deserved to win it!” Johan Mühlman.

June 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 5

Past Events

Norway-Asia Business Summit 2014

T

he annual Norway-Asia Business Summit took place at the ShangriLa Hotel in Bangkok from 24 to 26 April 2014. With more than 150 participants from all over Asia and from Norway, including two Deputy Ministers as well as a number of CEOs of multinational Norwegian companies, it was the biggest Norwegian business gathering in Asia this year. The aim of the Summit was to present opportunities for Norwegian companies in the region – with a special focus on what will happen when ASEAN Economic Community becomes a reality in 2015.

In addition, the Summit analysed different challenges affecting the world today: • The food crisis: In the next 40 years we will need 70% more food. But there is only 7% more agricultural land available.

• The energy crisis: The need for energy in Asia is likely to double by 2060 – where will it come from and how to make it carbon neutral?

• The education challenge: What will it take to ensure that education in Asia succeeds in reducing inequalities at the same time as supporting continued growth?

The Singapore business delegation were well represented, and Mr. Erik Borgen, President of NBAS, thought it was a good and interesting summit.

Norwegian 17 May Celebrations

M

ay 17 is the day Norwegians everywhere celebrate their National Day. To add to the significance of the annual event, this year also marked the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution.

The annual tradition is well celebrated in Singapore and this year, 500 Norwegians and friends of Norway participated in the event. The participants gathered at Fort Canning Park where the traditional march, speeches and community singing was on the programme. This was followed by choir singing by Norskskolen, differerent forms of entertainment and food, drinks and candy for all the children who are a very important part of this event.

The day was also marked at the Norwegian Ambassador’s residence, where around 300 people showed up for choir music and an impressive speech by a 14 year old student.

At the Norwegian Seamens Church a “shrimp-party” was on the menu, where Norwegian shrimps were served with garnish along jazz singing by Eva Kristian Dale Wessman og Øystein Tønnessen.

The event that spurred the writing of the Norwegian Constitution was the Treaty of Kiel, dated January 14th 1814. Norway was at the time subjugated by Denmark, but was to be given away to Sweden because of the outcome of the Napoleonic Wars. Hearing of the treaty, the Norwegian Constituent Assembly gathered at Eidsvoll and drew up the constitution, signing it on May 17th – the independence day.

Sweden intervened and took control of Norway by force, but the constitution was embraced as a national symbol of freedom. The Swedish king was denied the right of veto over Norwegian affairs, and never got the authority he wanted; it culminated in Norway’s eventual independence in 1905.

6 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2014

Past Events

FBC Luncheon with Konecranes President and CEO Pekka Lundmark

T

he President and CEO of Konecranes, Mr. Pekka Lundmark, talked on May 7th at a FBC, Singapore, Luncheon on the topic “My two years in Asia”, in which he highlighted Asia as the biggest growth potential market for Konecranes.

In his speech he emphasized the Megatrend “Internet of Everything” or “Internet of Things”, and the future importance of the Industrial Internet in creating new business opportunities.

Mr. Lundmark stated that in Asia he also had the chance to see and experience the Konecranes’ customer interface infrastructure from the client’s perspective as well as build up stellar personal relationships with the most important decision makers in Asia.

Due the value of reasons mentioned above, Mr Lundmark said he would highly recommend this experience to all the Finnish corporate leaders who do business in Asia.

ScandBizBar with Finnish hosts

S

candBizBar Networking events are targeted to the Scandinavian business community in Singapore and organized by Scandinavian Business Councils in Singapore. In 2014 it was the Finnish Business Council’s turn to organize and host the events.

“We have already had three events this year and all have been quite successful with 70-100+ participants,” said FBC Coordinator, Maija Meriläinen.

First two events took place at Amara Element Bar and the May event was at Bartini Kitchen.

Every event has had a sponsor, which buys some finger food and first two rounds of drinks for the first 50 to arrive. The sponsors for the first three events have been Finnair, Neste Oil and KONE. The upcoming ScandBizBar Networking Nights are on June 5th, September, October, November and December. The events are usually held on the first Thursday of every month.

SWEA Spring Party 2014

T

he annual springparty arranged by SWEA in Singapore was held at Coasters on Sentosa on April 26. Around 120 persons showed up to participate in a festive evening. The dresscode was pure white to the occasion - a suitable choice and a good match for the beach and palm trees, Marina Hedin, editor at SWEA, said.

“We all had a lovely night with mingle, lots of food, good drinks and dance,” she added.

8 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2014

Past Events

Swedish Business Delegation to Myanmar

A

Swedish Business Delegation comprising high-level representatives from twelve companies, largely based in Singapore, visited Myanmar on 18-20 May 2014.

The event was organised by the Embassies of Sweden in Bangkok and Singapore in close cooperation with the Swedish Business Association of Singapore. The Business Delegation was led by the Ambassador of Sweden to Myanmar, Mr Klas Molin, together with Mr Håkan Jevrell Ambassador of Sweden to Singapore.

The purpose of the visit was to identify business opportunities and to get a better understanding of the economic and political developments in Myanmar. The programme included meetings with Minister of Industry Mr Maung Mying, Vice Minister of Finance Dr Maung Maung Thein and Vice Minister of Commerce Dr. Pwint San in Naypyidaw. The delegation also met with representatives from Asian Development Bank, World Bank and International Finance Cooperation. The program also included meetings with the Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry (UMFCCI) as well as a discussion on CSR issues lead by Ms Vicky Bowman from Myanmar Responsible Business.

The delegation also had the opportunity to receive first-hand knowledge about the business climate in Myanmar from interactions with representatives from the Swedish business community and representatives from the local business community in Yangon, through meetings as well as networking sessions.

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27/02/2014 14:26

June 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 9

Past Events

Annual Confirmations in Singapore

T

he annual confirmations of Danish 7th graders were this year held at the Seamen´s Church in Singapore on Sundays, April 13 and May 4.

Five young Danish confirmands confirmed their Christian faith and stepped closer towards life as adults at the Church. A total of 125 guests, consisting of family and friends, attended the ceremonies.

Reverend Kirsten Hougaard Eistrup called it an important rite of passage following months of spiritual reflections, during which candidates were given tools to encourage them to think deeply about what it meant to be Christians, particularly in a cultural and religious melting pot like Singapore.

“These confirmands lead a different lifestyle from their counterparts who live back in Denmark. Their Danish roots have in many ways been pulled up and transplanted into a completely different society. Luckily it is very easily to talk about religion in Singapore because so many faiths are represented here. So we try to make the adolescents think about what makes their faith unique,” she said.

In Singapore equality among religions is guaranteed by law, which makes acceptance and tolerance come more naturally than in perhaps many other countries.

“In school, children of different religious beliefs, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu, some of them wearing sari dresses, spend all the time together and learn not to become prejudging about others, that’s why the Danish students need to know about their own faith as well,” she said.

Kirsten Hougaard Eistrup has been the local pastor at the Church since 2011. Every year she picks out specific passages from the Bible to say to each confirmand at the alter. But there is one particular verse from Paul’s Epistle to Philippians that she thinks is in every way fitting for the occasion, so they can be proud of themselves and walk with their heads held high: “Rejoice in the Lord. Again I will say: Rejoice!,” as Reverend Kirsten Hougaard Eistrup recited for the young Danish Christians.

In Denmark, three-quarters of all 14-year-olds are confirmed through the Danish Lutheran Church in late April or May. The coming-of-age ritual is prepared through the preceding winter with pupils beginning the school day once a week at their parish church. The content of the confirmation teaching is the tenets of the Christian faith and an understanding of the rituals of the Morning Service. But for most youngsters the party overshadows the pledge.

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10 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2014

Past Events

Postiljonen sold out

T

he Swedish band, Postiljonen, played at a sold-out intimate concert with around a 100 guests at Pink Noize in Singapore. It was the the band´s first official show in Singapore.

Postiljonen was formed as recently as in 2011. In the three years since its formation, the band has made huge strides with tours through their native Europe and as far aways as China. Back in Sweden, at the Gothenburg’s Way Out West Festival in 2013, the band played alongside Beach House, James Blake and fellow countrymen The Knife.

Recently, the trio has made waves with the release of their debut LP Skyer, which features the undeniably catchy ‘Supreme’ and the eighties-influenced electro-anthem ‘Atlantis’.

At the concert in Singapore, Postiljonen was supported by the Malaysian duo Juno and Hanna. Hailing from Johor Bahru, this brother-sister combo mix mellow beats with saccharine drenched vocals to produce some really delicate pop music.

Scene from the promo for the release of Postiljonen’s album Supreme.

Postiljonen debut LP has gotten both local and international critical acclaim.

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June 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 11

News Brief

Singapore Thome manages its first DIS vessel

T

home Ship Management has reached a milestone by taking over the full management of its first vessel to be flagged under the Danish International Ship Register. The technical and crew management deal, signed with leading Danish ship owner Evergas, involves the 12,000 cubic metre ethylene carrier JS Greenstone which was placed under the Danish flag during a recent State visit by HM The Queen of Denmark and HRH The Prince Consort to China.

A naming ceremony at the Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (SOE) shipyard in Qidong was attended by Anne H. Steffensen, Director General of the Danish Shipowners’ Association; Andreas Nordseth, Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority; and Carsten Mortensen, Chairman of the Danish Shipowners’ Association and CEO of Dampskibsselskabet NORDEN.

Swedish, Finnish passport holders most welcome worldwide

C

itizens of Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom holds the best passports for global travel last year, with visa-free access to 173 countries, according to the latest Visa Restrictions Index.

The Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index is a global ranking of countries according to travel freedom their citizens enjoy. Henley & Partners has analyzed the visa regulations of all the countries and territories in the world and created an index which ranks countries according to the visa-free access their citizens enjoy to other countries.

NBAS members attend security forum

M

embers of the Norwegian Business Association in Singapore, along with their counterparts from other trade associations, foreign chambers of commerce and staff of embassies attended a security forum at the Fullerton Hotel on May 20.

They were briefed on contingency plans, courses of actions to take in the event of a major crisis or large scale incident, including a terrorist attack or a natural or man-made disaster in Singapore, which affects local Singaporeans and foreign citizens or assets.

The Singaporean government and the head of security of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussed how they would coordinate their efforts to protect the Norwegian citizens and secure the assets of Norwegian companies. Participants were told that establishing communications among all involved, sharing resources and building up a high level of preparedness are all vital if effective crisis management is to be achieved.

12 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2014

News Brief

Finnair puts finishing touches to new Premium Lounge

F

innair is set to open a new Premium Lounge directly adjacent to the award-winning Finnair Lounge near Gate 36 in the non-Schengen area of Helsinki Airport. The Premium Lounge, designed by the Helsinki firm dSign Vertti Kivi & Co, complements the original Finnair Lounge and will be ready for Platinum and Gold Finnair Plus members and other oneworld top-tier customers by 1 July.

The Premium Lounge is a showcase for classic Nordic design in harmony with Finnish nature, with dynamic changes in light, colours and video projections in tune with the seasons and time of day, all combining to create a unique atmosphere of calm.

“This new and exclusive lounge takes Finnair’s long association with Finnish design to a new level,” says Markku Remes, Finnair’s Manager of Lounge and VIP Services. “We will be delighted to welcome our most loyal and regular customers into this special space before their flight.”

“Our aim was to create a high-quality, even emotional experience for Finnair’s demanding clients,” says designer Vertti Kivi. “Different zones for work, refreshment, quiet time or bathing are unified with a light Scandinavian design touch, creating a space that clients won’t forget.”

Helsinki Airport Via Spa has four different saunas and steam rooms, cold water treatment and mineral water baths, rest areas and wellness treatment rooms. Anyone over 18 can visit the Via Spa for 45 euros between 10.00 and 20.00. Unfortunately, swimsuit is required. The nearest mixed gender, clothing optional sauna is in Zurich Airport - you can consider if that layover would be a better route to your destination.

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23/5/2014 5:18:58 PM June 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13

Media Media Track - the Danish media monitoring company still known by many as Newswatch - is continuing its expansion.

By Gregers Moller Photos Disraporn Yatprom

14 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2014

Track expanding M edia Track in Singapore is expanding its services from media monitoring of Danish radio, TV and newspapers to offering the same services to Swedish and Norwegian clients. This expansion has come gradual as a natural consequence of the takeover in 2012 by Retriever of a major stake in NewsWatch, the Danish subsidiary of Media Track. Retriever is the largest media monitoring company in Scandinavia with an especially strong position on the Swedish market.

But Media Track is also moving out of this special Scandinavian media monitoring niche and into another niche in the IT business: Converting print articles to XML files.

“There are about ten companies worldwide offering this as a service, but Media Track decided to do their own conversion when the company was established back in 2009 and we believe we are now so good at it, that we are ready to offer it to other companies as well,” says Steffen Egelund.

“Because we come from the media monitoring business side and not the data side, we are definitely better if the client is another media monitoring company,” he adds.

The conversion is a very complex IT process which can only partially be automated. From all the media monitored, Media Track receives their output in a number of different formats. When talking printed news media, it will typically be in pdf format but sometimes all they have to work with are simple images of newspaper pages. These files must be extracted and broken down into individual news items and translated to a unified xml format.

Moved from Jakarta to Philippines “In the beginning, we moved this work over to Jakarta, where the skilled manpower is not as expensive as in Singapore, but the almost regular annual flooding of Jakarta disrupted our business so we set up a backup operation in Manila in the Philippines,” Steffen Egelund explains.

“It worked so well that we have now basically

closed down the operation in Jakarta and moved all this work to two locations in the Philippines, the one in Manila and a new one in Cebu so we are pretty safe in case of natural disasters. In total, we have 140 full time staff employed in the Philippines and 35 part timers,” he says.

“Apart from the low cost of highly skilled IT staff, there are other benefits to placing this in the Philippines. The proficiency of the English language is high and conditions for IT companies are OK and so are the international data transmission connections. It is also an added benefit for us, that we work in the same time zone,” he adds.

Recurring entrepreneur As an entrepreneur, Steffen Egelund is rather fearless. In 2005 he moved to Singapore and started a Danish PR company there called Corporate Spin together with two other friends. Soon they had offices in KL, Singapore and Shanghai.

NewsWatch in Singapore was set up in January 2009 with the idea to deliver a premium service in media surveillance that the Danish market leader InfoMedia was too complacent to develop.

“When I worked for the Danish Conservative Party years ago, I was not satisfied with the existing media surveillance in Denmark. The articles came in a messy state and they came too late in the morning,” he explains.

NewsWatch started offering relevant clips from all newspapers, radio and TV in summary form each day at 6 in the morning Denmark time and it quickly proved attractive to head of Danish media departments in major organisations in Denmark.

Two years ago, Swedish based Retriever bought shares in Media Track’s Danish operation NewsWatch. This way, NewsWatch in Denmark continues to buy its daily news analysis from Media Track in Singapore, but in addition to that, products are also delivered from Media Track to Retriever in Norway and Sweden.”

“Our analysts are working here in Singapore

out of this office and we have also analysts placed in some other cities in South East Asia,” Steffen Egelund explains.

Top clients

“Our premium account clients are for instance large corporate clients like Carlsberg and DA - Danish Employers Federation and the five administrative regions in Denmark and other government clients.”

“The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also one of our clients,” Steffen adds.

“That way when the Danish Embassy here in Singapore or elsewhere in Asia is alerted to some news in the Danish press, it actually comes from us here in Singapore doing first the conversion, then the analysis and finally the delivery of the news to the Ministry in Copenhagen - from where they then alert local embassies in case the news affects them as well.”

The product goes beyond simple media monitoring of a brand to include the public discussion.

“Take for instance the Minister of Employment.

She needs to know what people talk about related to the ministry and the areas handled by the ministry or even other subjects what could possible involve her ministry. That is a rather complex task to analyze and cannot be handle by a computer program. That is why we we are constantly on the lookout for clever people who can analyze the data we extract from our media monitoring.”

In the example of the minister, she monitors our service on an iPad from NewsWatch where an app is running that brings her not just the raw text but also a picture of the clipping crisp and clear and then most importantly the comments of the analyst.

“Being part of Retriever, we now offer our premium service in Norway and Sweden too, but the markets there are not as mature as in Denmark and most clients are still prepared to settle with the basic monitoring service. It is also a question of what you are prepared to pay.”

Being part of Retriever, we now offer our premium service in Norway and Sweden too, but the markets there are not as mature as in Denmark.

Three of the analytics at work, from left Charlotte Janniche, Stine Hedegaard og Anita Beilin.

June 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 15

Farm Resort

in Singapore Would I get a room over the barn?

Would my wife have a problem with the smell?

By Gregers Moller Photos by Disraporn Yatprom

16 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2014

I

will stay at a Farm Resort during my next trip to Singapore. I tried to mention it casually, but my colleagues’ reaction was like “What??!

In Singapore?!”

I told myself it was just Thai ignorance. For them, Singapore would be all shopping malls and IT. Once we arrived in Singapore it would of course be different.

But it wasn’t! Even born and bred Singaporeans looked at me in disbelief: “A farm resort? Here in Singapore?”

“It’s called “D’Kranji Farm Resort,” I defended myself, but to no avail.

My project was getting more and more adventurous. Would “Farm Resort” be like “Farm Stay”? Would I get a room over the barn? Would my wife have a problem with the smell?

Looking at a map I found D’Kranji Farm Resort up in the far North West corner of the island.

The red Woodland Line on the MRT will actually take you quite close. From the Kranji station, the D’Kranji Farm Resort could have picked us up with their shuttle bus - but we “cheated” and after my last business meeting of the day we took a taxi from downtown all the way.

The first impression was favourable. Scattered around a covered restaurant, barbecue and karaoke area there were several low, one storey buildings with red roof tiles. And no trace of manure in the air, only the fresh country smell of moist, fertile soil.

Further down the central lane there was a building with a sign saying Swiftlets Museum.

Swiftlets are the birds that build the birds nests,

but you knew that of course. That would definitely be an interesting add-on for our stay, I noted.

In the office opposite the museum we met Venisa Hang, the Assistant Marketing Manager, who had invited me and my wife to stay the weekend. Venisa introduced us to her boss, Ryan Ong, a young guy in his twenties with an easy humor and a fresh out of college laughter.

Venisa had until only two months ago worked with a local publisher. But she lived nearby up in this area of Singapore with her husband and three sons and was tempted to exchange her city job with some fresh air closer to home.

Family business Ryan is a native from the area who as a teenager would be called home by his Dad during harvesting

or whenever work had to be done to help out on the farm. His father who was also actively managing other businesses overseas, left managing D’Kranji Farm Resort to his recently graduated son.

Apart from being asked by his Dad to be in charge of the resort, there is actually also another reason for his young age. Most of his friends went on to study for MBA diplomas after their bachelor exams and then went on to do their military service. Ryan took another approach. He went straight into military service after his bachelor graduation and then as a soldier studied MBA at night. A tough choice, but one which today has put him two to three years ahead of his peers.

D’Kranji Farm Resort opened in 2008 with the first phase. Since then, the resort has continuously expanded adding attractions and accommodations.

Our accommodations turned out to one of the newest villas. It was the first in the fourth row of the 35 stand alone villas that have been built next to the sprawling common area where we first entered.

It turned out that the villas actually have their own convenient drive thru reception. If you have booked a villa in advance, you simply pick up your key and park right outside the front door to your villa.

Pure luxury Inside, our villa turned out to be the exact opposite of my childish “room over the barn” imagination.

Ryan had already pointed out that “Singaporeans cannot live without air conditioning”, but apart from that, and the gorgeously equipped bed, and the super comfy sofa opposite the huge flat screen TV yes, there is more! - it turned out that the bathroom

June 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 17

was semi-outdoor with a dreamy look straight up into the twinkling stars of the tropical night from the big rain shower style faucet and - yes, there is more! - the two person jacuzzi next to it as well!

Not yet impressed? Then check out what is behind the glass door - your private steam bath sauna! This will make the Finns wake up, I told myself!

Behind the villa there is also a well trimmed grass lawn with a small terrace with a teak garden table arrangement for coffee or drinks from the mini-bar with a view to the farmland behind the resort.

Venisa had been anxious to explain how we should protect ourselves against the mosquitoes and the room had a little pouch with all kinds of repellents and patches but in reality we were far less bothered by mosquitoes than back home in Bangkok.

Tour of the farms The next morning after a healthy English breakfast - and rice soup for my wife - we started the tour of the farm.

To the west there are a series of small plots that reminds me exactly about the Danish phenomenon “kolonihaver” which during the industrial revolution provided small plots of land for workers who had just migrated in from the countryside. The plots at D’Kranji Farm are 8 x 30 meters and they cost from a couple of hundred dollars onwards per month to rent or about 20 percent of your turnover, if you run your “farm” as a business and sell your produce in the stalls set up inside the

18 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2014

commercial area. Foreigners can rent, too, e.g. if they want to grow their own clean vegetables.

To the south there is an orchard farm with special papaya trees that don’t grow so tall so the fruits are easy to harvest. The area also has a banana plot and a rice field. Many Singaporean schools make excursion here to explain to the students where the rice they buy in the supermarket comes from.

Around the Kranji district, there are a number of ordinary farms located.

First farm we visited was the Hay Dairies goat farm where the son of the founder Leon Hay showed us the stock of 600 goats in total. Some 200 of the goats are with milk and the milking is done by standard milking machines. I thought goat milk would have a woolly taste, but it turned out to be delicious. And then it is better in certain ways especially for children with allergies. An 800 ml bottle costs 8 S$ if you want the farm to deliver to your home.

Nearby is also the Jurong Frog Farm which has raised American bull frog for 35 years. The frog meat is lean and high in protein and many Singaporeans like the taste of for instance stir fried frog legs with spring onions.

From the moment the frogs acqquire legs and move from tadpoles to small frogs, it takes 7 - 9 months before they reach a size suitable for slaughtering - which is done on the premises in a separate house. Apart from the meat, our host Anna Cheah explained how the Chinese and

Japanese pay very good money for the ovaries of the female frogs. The ovaries are freeze dried and become a jellyish substance when prepared as a special medical soup.

The Jurong frog farm is a popular outing spot for families with children who get a chance to catch some of the frogs. A girl we saw tried to kiss the frog, too, but to her disappointment it didn’t turn into a prince.

Swiftlet museum The latest attraction at the D’Kranji Farm itself is the Swiftlet Museum which is the only place in the world where a special exhibition explains everything you would like to know about the birds and their expensive nests. Research into what exact ingredients in the birds nests that are so beneficial has only started recently. Among others they have in clinical trials found ingredients that seem to help fight certain forms of cancer and products with this ingredient is sold in the outlet next to the museum.

Finally we tried half an hour of fish spa treatment at the D’Kranji Farm, which was a ticklish fun and relaxing after the big farm round trip.

Meanwhile we watched other guests enjoy the “Hook ’n Cook” activity, which is the art of catching shrimps with a fishing rod with special bait. When you have a net full, you can relax around the grill and enjoy your catch.

There’s a different Sunday for you!

+65 6557 0028

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The house of a

Anne Louise Carstens has studied Social Science and Performance Design at Roskilde Universitetscenter.

“Zalat” coaching a group of Danish Folk High School students.

Ronald Aug.”I2” The musical engineer, as he proudly refers to himself.

“Global Platform” is the spacious training center of the NGO ActionAid in Yangon. Here, idealistic young people come together to learn about political actions, active citizenship and accountable governance. The center has become a hotbed of creative political activism that could prove vital for Myanmar’s development towards democracy.

By Kristian Krüger Lauritzen

T

he high-ceilinged ground floor was buzzing with activity when this writer arrived. The room was packed with young people, mostly Burmese and Danish. That day, the Global Platform house played host to a class of Danish Folk High school, Krogerup Højskole, students who came visiting. They were attending a course “The world is burning”, and they were there to record a song with some Burmese activists.

“Fighting for change”, “An inspiration for a new generation” the lyrics pretty much summed up what Global Platform Myanmar is all about. Building the foundation for Myanmar youths to begin to speak their minds, to learn about their rights and to become citizens of a fledgling democracy at a time when the country is gradually becoming 20 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2014

a more open and tolerant society.

Anne Louise Carstens, Global Platform Training Quality Manager, said she and her staff are working on different levels with different groups of young people since ActionAid Denmark set up its Myanmar chapter in January 2012 .

“We have informal arrangements, such as organizing public campaigns. And then we also do in-house projects, like policy briefs, offering courses in human rights and what democracy is about. It is still not possible to study political science in this countrywhich explains why members of the young generations are so hungry for knowledge,” she said.

Global Platform is the youth training center of ActionAid, known as “Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke” in Denmark with global training centers in 10 countries

around the world. There are three international staff members and eighteen locals at the house, working in different roles, including fundraisers, trainers and admin and support staff. The house also makes available 45 beds to accommodate trainees and participants from outside Yangon.

There was a relaxed atmosphere and an air of informality at the house, something resembling a hangout for youths, which is precisely the right kind of vibe, Anne Louise Carstens said.

“We want the place to have an open atmosphere where the youths can come and go. That applies to our training sessions as well. It has to be fun and inspiring. The participants are making videos, conducting workshops or are out in the streets talking politics, instead of sitting around looking at Power Points.”

new tomorrow Turning Tables That day the music was loud and up-tempo. The Danish students were enthusiastically working on a song with 26-year-old Burmese music producer Ronald Aug a.k.a “I2”. who is a part of Turning Tables, a Denmark-funded activist radio and video concept,. Founded in October 2013, the youth and music focused NGO shares the same roof as Global Platform, with which it collaborates on several projects.

“Music is my passion. I am here everyday and on the weekends too. This a great place for me to keep evolving as a musician and I’ve learned a lot about digital music and techniques here,” he said. I2 also takes care of the booking at the Turning Table Studio. Young people can come and record songs with social messages and ideas, an already popular concept as is evidenced by fully-booked schedules.

Musical instruments and recording studios are few and far between in Myanmar.

Michael Åberg, the Swedish Lab Manager at Turning Tables, saw it as an opportunity for marginalized youths to be able to learn how to create multimedia contents.

“They become acquainted with all the hardware, learn how to shoot and edit videos. And they are all very knowledge-hungry,” he said. Michael Åberg said it was exciting to be working with all the unpolished local talents at the studio.

In February, Turning Tables released its first rap music video on YouTube titled “Freedom” with three local rappers chanting lyrics about a better and freer society.

Eager to learn The excitement and eagerness to learn emanating from Turning Tables studio was palpable and swept through the entire house. On the week that the Danish folk high school students were visiting, there was also a group called “Doctivists” attending a two-week course, during which a group of young locals got to experiment with small video projects about social change and record their own personal video diaries.

Anne Louise Carstens said working with Myanmar youths on a daily basis is very inspiring.

“Look at Zalat. She was a participant on my very first training course here, now she works here full-time after having gained so much strength of character and confidence,” she said. 23-year-old Zalat, or Than Man Vung, is a trainer and officer in charge of facility at Global Platform. She was the main organizer of the workshop and recording session of the Danish students.

Zalat has been doing different kinds of social work since she was 19, and became part of Global Platform since the beginning of 2013. She usually facilitates campaign workshops in which she trains her fellow Burmese how to be creative and how to become aware of their own skills.

“I led a course with 20 participants recently, and during the workshop, I asked them to raise their hand if they considered themselves to be

creative. Only a few did. Then I asked them all to draw an animal that does not exist in nature, and once they finished, I could point it out to them that creativity was something they could find within themselves, “ Zalat recalled.

Still precautions to be taken In 2011 the military junta in Myanmar was officially dissolved following the 2010 general election, and a civilian government, headed by former army general, was installed. The country now opens itself up for business with foreigners and the locals are no longer as afraid of speaking their minds on political issues as they used to be. But there are still ongoing ethnic conflicts in the country and the strict rules against public protests stay in place.

This is a reality that Global Platform also has to cope with.

“We were very careful when we began our work two years ago. And we still are. Medecins Sans Frontieres (a French NGO) has just been kicked out of Myanmar recentlyso obviously there are still precautions to be taken. And a couple of months ago, two of my local friends were put in prison for doing an anti-government protest,” Anne Louise Carstens said.

“Much progress has been made during the last two years. There is now free media, and the people are gradually being given more political rights - something that the people take time to get accustomed to.That is why it is so important to reach out to the young generations,” she stated.

“When we ask people about the one thing that might be holding them back from doing activism, we are told that the fear of not getting support from family is the biggest obstacle. When participants go home from one of our workshops, some of them get asked sarcastically by the family “Oh, so now you are going to prison?” The older

generations are not as receptive to changes that are happening in society, as they had been kept under tight control for so long.

A brighter future The transformation from years of authoritarianism to democracy is not something that can happen overnight. But the change is swift. Sigrid Lauenborg Dahl, one of the teachers from Krogerup Højskole, said Myanmar was a different country now, compared to the place they visited as a part of their study visits a few years ago.

“Back then many of the locals hesitated even to talk to us. Perhaps they were afraid of being thrown in jail for speaking their minds. Now you can sense a more relaxed attitude and openness, that is true with people on the streets to the taxi drivers, “ she said.

That sense of joy and idealism can be easily felt at the Global Platform house. From the vibe and enthusiasm coming from the Global Platform team and more importantly the local youths, it seems like aid money well spent. When asked where she sees Global Platform Myanmar is headed in a few years, Anne Louise Carstens said she saw a potential for Myanmar people arriving at the point where they could show solidarity with other countries with similar democratic aspiration.

“The first years we were still in consolidation phase. We hope to expand our network and gain more regional cooperation by having more participants from other Southeast Asian countries and open up for trainings for youth from Scandinavia and Australia. But our main focus is clear, that is to train the young Burmese to become active citizens in an evolving democracy,” she said. So far, it seems that they have achieved just that. www.globalplatforms.org/myanmar

The lyrics for the song is quickly being created by the local Burmese and the Danish students.

June 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 21

My Danish breakfast For me, a proper Danish breakfast is one of the most enjoyable ways to start a great day in the weekend, Saturday or Sunday.

Here are the ingredients that cost me less than 1000 Baht for the two day breakers: 1. Fresh milk – I prefer the dark blue Meiji 2. Kelloggs cornflakes – no other brand will do 3. Two soft boiled farm eggs – I cannot taste if they are organic, but I like the happy look of the hen on the pack…

4. Lurpak butter – lately I go for the spreadable version, though 5. Emborg “Havarti” cheese – sliced is available in the big supermarkets.

6. Jam, Danish Selection – known in Denmark as Den Gamle Fabrik 7. Rundstykker – special Danish bread rolls

I have to go lightly on each item as I will otherwise get too full before the feast is over.

A final ingredient that will make the feast last for two hours is a crisp copy of Bangkok Post.

Most of the ingredients are easily available in Thailand. The missing link was for some years the “rundstykker”, but lately they have become available from Danish bakeries who deliver all over Thailand, plus the online shop ScandShop. in.th - which is also me…

22 ScandAsia.Singapore • June 2014

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