AUG 2014
Singapore
Life
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Future Olympic Medalists Required Ages 2-18
Stamford American is proud to highlight our World-Class Sports Facilities. At Stamford American, sport plays a key part in every student’s life and holistic development. Every student benefits from our own world-class sports and Physical Education facilities. These include; Golf Academy, sports field, fitness center, tennis courts, climbing walls, outdoor playgrounds, dance studio and 3 swimming pools. At the same time, learning about the spirit of competition and how to celebrate their own and others’ successes. We are ready and waiting to meet your future Olympic Medalist. Please introduce us.
Stamford offers an outstanding international education for students from 2 to 18 years. We offer the rigorous IB Program – enhanced by American standards and a focus on languages – to equip your child for global citizenship.
Open House
Friday, September 5th 2014
Stamford American International School CPE Registration Number: 200823594D Period of Registration: August 10, 2010 to August 9, 2014
Register at www.sais.edu.sg
Coming Events
Orientation for Newcomers to Singapore 23 August 2014 Norwegian Seamen’s Church 300 Pasir Panjang Road, 118640 Singapore
Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Singapore ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Singapore.
Are you a newcomers who have just relocated to Singapore? Get general and practical info at the Seamen’s Church. We open our doors at. 12:00 and the Information Day ends at. 16:00. This free event is open to all, no registration is required. Just show up on the day. At this event, you get to meet new friends, exchange business cards, ask questions, eat porridge and waffles, mingle and get general
TeenageMasterchefs: Cooking Party
We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and the rest of South East Asia.
23 August 2014 13:00–16:00 The Danish Seamen’s Church 10 Pender Road, Singapore 099171
Get your own FREE copy: scandasia.com
Do you have a Jamie Oliver in you? Would you like to be challenged in the art and science of cooking? Then this programme is just the thing for you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been in a kitchen before or whether you are already the Masterchef in the home! We will challenge you and help you develop cooking skills. Together, we will make a main course and a dessert - and we guarantee that the food will be
Publisher : ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. 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 Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Assistant Editor: Thana Poopat thana@scandmedia.com Advertising : Frank Leong frank@scandmedia.com Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Advance Printing Services Co., Ltd.
information about being Scandinavian in Singapore. The Embassy, Norwegian Seamen’s Church School will set up a booth for information at the meeting from 1:00 p.m. The Swedes will hold its Information meeting at 3:00 p.m.
both festive and fun. In return, you contribute with food that tastes good. The price for this event is 15SGD. We look forward to a wonderful day with many young people aged 12-16/17. To participate, send an e-mail to: dkchurch@singnet.com.sg
WHAT IF...
OPENS DAEYMBER SEPT 14 20
Parent Christine takes a strategic view of the school
…YOU COULD EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES? Would choosing a school for your child be easier if you could experience it firsthand? At UWCSEA, we appreciate how important this decision is. We know that it’s reassuring to experience a school in action before deciding if it is the right fit for your child. Our open days provide an opportunity to meet Principals and teachers and observe classes. Most importantly, you can speak directly to our students about their experience at UWCSEA.
We invite you to come and see for yourself: East Campus Primary School Middle School High School
Monday, 15 September Wednesday, 17 September Thursday, 18 September
Dover Campus Primary School Middle School High School
Monday, 22 September Wednesday, 24 September Tuesday, 23 September
What if your child joins UWCSEA? Visit www.uwcsea.edu.sg to register and find out more. 084ADV-1314 August 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 5
UWCSEA Dover is registered by the CPE CPE Registration No. 197000825H Registration Period 18 July 2011–17 July 2017 UWCSEA East is registered by the CPE CPE Registration No. 200801795N Registration Period 10 March 2011–9 March 2017
News Brief
Kongsberg leads navigation safety research in Straits of Malacca
K
ongsberg Norcontrol IT will lead a three-year project called SESAME Straits (Secure, Efficient and Safe maritime traffic Management in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore), which aims to create solutions to significantly improve the safety and efficiency of ship navigation across the world. An important test-bed for IMO’s e-Navigation implementation strategy, the objective of the SESAME Straits Project is to develop and validate a concept for a next generation Ship Traffic Management System (STMS) in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS). Partly funded by the Research Council of Norway, through its Marine and Offshore (MAROFF) fund, the NOK23m SESAME Straits project is the first project to be delivered under the international Straits e-navigation Alliance. The Kongsberg Norcontrol ITowned project will receive input and guidance from the Straits e-navigation Alliance High Level Advisory Board (HLAB) who met in London on the May 16. The HLAB includes governmental members from Singapore, Norway, Malaysia and Indonesia and experts from important maritime organizations such as IMO, IHO, IALA, ICS, BIMCO, CIRM, IEC, and the Research Council of Norway. The HLAB is co-chaired by Norway and Singapore.
Finnish e-learning firm wins contracts in Singapore, Indonesia
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riba Learning, an adaptive learning provider, has signed deals to roll its software out in Singapore and Indonesia. The Finnish company uses data to track users’ studying habits. These are then analysed and used to make recommendations back to students. One of the deals is with e-cognition, a Singapore-based business, which plans to roll out the software in two Indonesian universities: the International Business School and the Indonesia International Institute for Life Sciences.
Singapore bus operator orders Volvo double-deckers
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ingapore bus operator SBS Transit has placed an order for 415 Volvo double-deck buses, bringing the total number of Volvo vehicles ordered by the operator to 1,415 in the past five years. The latest order is for double-deckers built on the Volvo B9TL chassis. The chassis will be produced in Borås, Sweden, while the aluminium bodywork will be made by Wrightbus and mounted in Singapore. Social gathering at Seamen’s Church in Singapore A sizeable crowd turned up at the Wednesday, July 9 social event with cafe atmosphere at the Danish Seamen’s Church in Singapore, where Danish expats and friends enjoyed hotdogs and cocoa. 6 ScandAsia.Singapore • August 2014
News Brief
New Principal at German European School Singapore
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s the new school year 2014/15 begins, the German European School Singapore is welcoming Mr Swen Trinkler as new school principal. He commenced his position in July succeeding Mr. Torsten Steininger, who returned to Germany in June after successfully leading GESS since 2008. Under Mr. Steininger’s leadership period of six years GESS has grown significantly and a variety of new learning opportunities were introduced, such as the introduction of Dutch and Danish mother tongue programmes and a global classroom initiative featuring video conference lessons. The new head of school Mr. Tinkler was, prior to his move to Singapore, principal of the German Kurt-Tucholsky-Schule in Flensburg for five years. Earlier on he worked as a Secondary School Teacher specialising in economics, politics and sport and also worked as an Advisor with the German Ministry for Education and Culture. Prior to his teaching career he spent a few years in business. Mr. Trinkler graduated from the German Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel and speaks English, German and Spanish. As a former top level handball player sports have remained one of his favorite time passes.
Mr Swen Trinkler, new school principal at German European School Singapore.
Together with his family Mr. Trinkler is looking forward to experience Singapore and to lead GESS on the next phase of its journey and into the new campus in 2017. We wish him all the best for this new beginning in Asia.
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Wealth management today involves much more than selecting the best stocks and bonds. At Nordea Private Banking, we offer you an experienced personal advisor and a comprehensive overview of your wealth based on thorough research and rigorous analysis. One private banker, many specialists – making it possible. Contact Nordea in Singapore on +65 6597 1083, or e-mail haavard.farstad@nordea.sg
Haavard Farstad, Private Banker
Nordea Bank S.A, Singapore Branch is part of Nordea Group, the leading financial services group in the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions. Some products and services may, due to local regulations, not be available to individuals resident in certain countries and their availability may depend, among other things, on the investment risk profile of persons in receipt of this publication or on any legislation to which they are subject. Nothing in this publication should be construed as an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to purchase, subscribe to or sell any investment or product, or to engage in any other transaction or provide any kind of financial or banking service in any jurisdiction where Nordea Bank S.A., Singapore Branch or any of its affiliates do not have the necessary licence. Published by Nordea Bank S.A., R.C.S. Luxembourg No. B 14.157 on behalf of Nordea Bank S.A., Singapore Branch, 3 Anson Rd #20-01, Springleaf Tower, Singapore 079909. www.nordeaprivatebanking.com subject to the supervision of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (www.mas.gov.sg).
AD_ScandAsiaThailand_haavard_192x135_eng NEW.indd 1
27/02/2014 14:287 August 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore
Life
Moving to Asia as a couple, if you want your relationship to survive you have to adapt to the new realities around you and make sure that you are still aware of each others needs. It sounds pretty simple but it has been key to a Danish couple’s happy life in Laos.
upside down By Morten Krogsholm
8 ScandAsia.Singapore • August 2014
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hen you choose to pursue a career outside your home country, most people wonder what impact it will have on their relationship. Often it is only one of the two in the couple who has a working assignment while the spouse must adjust to a new way of life. Danish couple Mads and Kristine Brinks knew that their relationship would be challenged by moving to Asia and the heavy changes that come with it, but felt up for the challenge.
A lot of news It is two different lives with completely different experiences and it is all about learning to accept but also recognizing the life of one’s partner and the discourse that him or her may have. Life in Southeast Asia is in every way very different from life in Scandinavia or most other countries in the world. For Mads and Kristine Brinks it was a challenge they were excited to take on. Mads Brinks was put in charge of Carlsberg’s partnership with the local brewery Beer Lao and he is one of the few foreigners in Laos who works in the commercial sector. “At times it is as if my family and I get treated like royalty, which I am not always comfortable with because I am a very modest man. We have arrived at restaurants on numerous occasions, which were packed to the limit except for one table strangely enough being cleared for my family.” Of course it was appreciated, Mads adds, but
that it did not suit his personality. He knew that someone most likely had been kicked out of the restaurant to make room for him. For Kristine Brinks it has also been a turnaround experience. Stepping back into a very traditional housewife role, she experienced the new culture in other ways than her husband.The Laotians focus on wealth, status and hierarchy in general is an ongoing theme in her life, too. “They will want to know how much everything costs. My purse, my car, my shirt, you name it. If it is new, they will ask to the price, which can be a bit uncomfortable at times. They are also very curious people and if I have misplaced something, the community around the house will know where it is... and I mean, exactly where it is.” Kristine said these were a few things she had to get used to upon arriving and settling in Laos.
Quick adaptation The new culture, new circumstances and new scenarios require adaptation. Being adaptable and quickly knowing how to handle this transition is the key to Mads’ and Kristine’s happiness in their new life. At home Kristine emphasizes to the staff that she is the boss. In the process she witnesses her helpers trying to boss each other around. “Our former nanny basically harassed the maid until she quit.There is also a completely other tolerance for what is acceptable to say to one another, than what we are used to. Our former nanny would ask our maid how she had gotten so fat and tell
her that it was unbelievable that she was married when her ironing was so terrible. Not a scenario I would like to repeat. This is why I always make it completely clear to all new employees that I am the only boss in the house,” Kristine said. Initially she was unaware of the internal struggle with the employees as a result of the communication barrier and was not aware of this before the maid had already quit. Having help around the house is a first for Kristine. Though it is nice, it has also forced her to give up some of her privacy. Having already mentioned the curiosity that exists among the people of Laos when it comes to the location of her things, she is also quite aware that some staff will have read every piece of paper or mail in the house. However Kristine explains that, “this is just something you get used to. When you are living here, you need to accept it, because you cannot change it.” For Mads Brinks, things he believes to be completely normal seem extremely foreign to the Laotians “If I have made an agreement with Kristine to pick up the kids from school, then that is what I am going to do. This is a concept that my colleagues don’t understand. Even when I’ve talked about being home for my kids’ or wife’s birthday, they have found it very peculiar. These seemingly normal and natural routines are not as important in the Laotians everyday life,” Mads said. When ScandAsia interviewed Mads and Kristine August 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 9
In the beginning I spent my day at home waiting for Mads to return. And when he did I expected him to give me his full attention
an airplane had just crashed with many high-ranking Laos officials on board a few days before. Mads had attended the funeral of these officials, not because he knew them, but because it was expected of him. “My position requires me to attend nearly every event. Of course I show up and pay respect, but it is also surreal being there. Not knowing the deceased or being unable to understand the ceremony was quite the experience. However, it is part of the job and my life here. I have learned to accept it,” Mads said.
New social reality Mads and Kristine Brinks were both on the same page when it came to moving away from Denmark and Mads taking the job in Laos. Although they were mentally prepared it didn’t change the fact that Mads wife, Kristine, was giving up the normal working and social life she had in Denmark. “In the beginning I spent my day at home waiting for Mads to return. And when he did I expected him to give me his full attention,” Kristine said. This was not always the case. As she was adapting to her new reality, so was her husband. Both having to take in a lot of new impressions every day and getting comfortable in their new life was demanding for both. When looking back on the beginning, Mads can certainly relate to what Kristine said. “I knew that she expected me to be there 100 percent when I got home. She was in need of a social life and someone to talk to. I wanted to give her what she needed, but I had my social needs met at work from my colleagues. However, the interaction with my colleagues was vastly different from an office in Denmark. Nevertheless, I had a social life. It required a lot of effort from Kristine and myself to work on that. I was tired when I got home from work, but at the same time I wanted to be there for my children and fulfill Kristine’s needs for my presence as well,” Mads explained. Being honest with each other and communi10 ScandAsia.Singapore • August 2014
It is two different lives with completely different experiences and it is all about learning to accept but also recognizing the life of one’s partner and the discourse that him or her may have. Life in Southeast Asia is in every way very different from life in Scandinavia or most other countries in the world
cating openly has led the couple to find happiness and peace in their new roles. They have grown to totally accept their individual responsibilities and have learned to understand each others desires and/or needs. One of Kristine’s new responsibilities consists of being in complete control of the couple’s social agenda. Kristine explains that, “when it comes to dinners, playdates for the kids or other events in our spare time it is up to me to make it happen. I plan out everything and Mads is completely oblivious to our social life.”
Mads Brinks acknowledges that his wife is in charge of the social aspects of their lives, but that he has tried to be as involved as possible. It is just a result of the life that they are now living, but they are both satisfied with the arrangement. It might sound simple and easy, but both Mads and Kristine Brinks emphasizes that getting used to the new lifestyle while still remaining a couple has its challenges. When a couple is used the typical trades of the Western world, this is not an easy task. With an intense paradigm shift, everyday reality shocks and foreign surroundings life is an adventure for the Brinks.
Finding common grounds Since the beginning of their expat life, the couple has stayed on the same page through the years that have passed. Kristine recently furthered her education by obtaining a business administration degree.This was not a topic for discussion between the two before she enrolled. “Having three kids at a demanding age, I doubted whether or not it was the best idea for Kristine to start on a new education.They both knew it would require a lot of her attention and time. Regardless, she gave up a lot to be there and I could understand her needs to do something rewarding with her life besides being a loving mother and wife,” he said. They are also in agreement that the future may bring new adventures in other countries. “We have not decided on what is next. The only thing we completely agree is that we are going back to Denmark at one point. We will not become full-time expats,” Kristine said. Both have impressive resumes. Mads is working for a major organization like Carlsberg and Kristine has enhanced her education and is continuing to grow intellectually.This couple’s future opportunities seem to be endless, but for now there are staying put in Vientiane, Laos.
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August 2014 โ ข ScandAsia.Singapore 11
Danish chef By Thana Poopat
The road to Thai cuisine Chefdom for 39-year-old Morten Boejstrup Nielsen was not strewn with rose petals. Having completed training at a Copenhagen culinary school, Nielsen, originally from Nordjylland, went through the usual daily grind, earning hardwon progress in his career. Then he began dabbling with Thai cuisine, or, to be more precise – a tiny fraction of it way back in the late 1990s. 12 ScandAsia.Singapore • August 2014
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joins rank of Thai cuisine innovators as apprentice and learning from the best native Thai cooks from the humblest street-side foodstalls to celebrated eateries to some of the most obscure regional Thai restaurants,” Nielsen said. He decided early on upon arriving in Thailand that immersing himself in the local culinary tradition and all its regional varieties was the only way to learn how to cook Thai.That means leaving the comfort zone of Western European food tradition. “My first encounter with stir-fried frog was interesting, I have only eaten frog the French way, legs only, and was quite surprised when chewing into bones, skin and whatnots from the frog,” he said. “It goes without saying that I had never eaten bugs or crawling insects, I simply could not compare them to anything or find any reference in the range of my taste sensations while I was eating it.” Apparently, his culinary adventure made a lasting impression, so Nielsen decided to get a tattoo that says ‘fascinated with food’ in Thai text on one forearm in addition to the Polynesian one on the other. By the time his savings ran out, he has mastered and been putting finishing touches to his vast
repertoire of Thai cooking techniques. He needed to start looking for a job again.That’s when an opportunity opened up when Henrik Yde Andersen launched Kiin Kiin molecular Thai cuisine restaurant in Copenhagen in 2007. Nielsen became the head chef at Kiin Kiin. In 2010, Nielsen spearheaded the opening of Srabua by Kiin Kiin restaurant in Bangkok to offer the Danish restaurant’s brand of modern Thai cuisine to Thailand. Nielsen’s journey in Thai cuisine has come full circle. Nielsen met his future Thai wife, Puntira, in 2011 and got married two years later. The happy couple is now expecting the arrival of a baby in August or September this year. To Nielsen, life in Thailand is both personally fulfilling and professional rewarding. Like most expat Danes, he occasionally finds himself longing for Danish rye bread and cold cuts. As the new Dusit International Group Chef of Thai Cuisine, his first mission is to update the Thailand-based hotel chain’s Benjarong Royal Thai cuisine restaurants from its deep, classic roots to give it a modern-contemporary reinterpretation.
Photo: Benjarong Restaurant, Dusit Thani Group.
t that time,Thai was a mere subset of the so-called ‘Asian twist’ in the fusion food movement as Nielsen recalled. It didn’t take much for a Fusion chef to churn out their culinary creations and label them as ‘Thai-style’ or ‘Thai’ish’. All it took was to add a bit of galangal or kaffir lime juice to, say, the ubiquitous French Bearnaise sauce. Fast forward to the turn of the millennium when Thai has gone mainstream in virtually all cosmopolitan cities around the world and the cuisine firmly established as one of the most popular. That’s how far the Thai cuisine has come and that, in a sense, also applies to Morten Boejstrup Nielsen’s rise in the hierarchy of western practitioners of traditional Thai cuisine. The first time Nielsen got to experiment with Thai elements in Western cuisine was in a fusion kitchen in Copenhagen in 2003. The idea of manipulating a complex interplay of rich flavours of Thai so intrigued Nielsen that he jumped at the first opportunity to work for the legendary David Thompson of Nahm Thai Restaurant in London in 2004. After six months of learning all he could from the Thai cuisine heavyweight, Nielsen decided to travel to gain first-hand experience in the Thai cooking tradition at its source. In 2005, he packed up and went to Thailand with a tentative plan to spend 6 months in quest of knowledge of Thai cuisine. “That planned six months dragged on to two years that took me to all corners ofThailand, working
The timing couldn’t have been better. His expertise in combining modern techniques with traditional flavour profiles to produce contemporary dishes that are distinctively Thai at heart is assured. The Thai cuisine as a global phenomenon has been so well-established that it’s now okay to move away from authentic Thai to give it a moderncontemporary twist. “Benjarong Restaurant in Bangkok is older than I am. I find it a privilege and am thankful they give me this chance to revamp the restaurant’s Thai cuisine concept.” Nielsen was quick to add that “We’re not creating something totally new. Nothing is new about Thai food. Infused with so much tradition and pride, Thai cuisine will remain what it has always been and it should.” Textures and flavours are something one should not change, he stressed. “But some people will have their own ways of making Thai food, their own interpretations of Thai food.They will enjoy new contemporary Thai coming up in Thai food scenes. At the same time, there’ll always be Thai food that stays true to its roots.” August 2014 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13
Crayfish Party Time
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hen summer changes into autumn and evenings are growing darker, yet you can still feel the warm breath of summer in the air, it is time to arrange the traditional crayfish party. In shops in Sweden and Finland you can find plenty of accessories to help decorate a table for this occasion; table napkins, table cloths, aprons, lanterns with crayfish patterns and crayfish knives. Out here you will need to improvise. At a crayfish party, short crayfish songs are followed by snaps and small speeches to praise the magnificent crayfish. Crayfish should be enjoyed slowly, and as a result crayfish parties can last until the early hours. If you serve crayfish as a main course, make sure that there are at least 12 crayfish per person and plenty of freshly toasted white bread. Usually a light soup or salad is served as a starter, and a fruit pie, ice-cream or parfait for the dessert. The drinks served are ice-cold snaps and beer or white wine for those who find snaps too strong. A jug of water or mineral water should also be included on the table.
Recipe for Boiling Crayfish Preparations
For four people you need approximately 50 crayfish, 6 liters water, 2dl sea salt and 10-12 cubes of sugar. Utensils: A big pot, a skimmer, a large basin, big bundle of crown dill (inflorescences), sea salt and lump sugar.
Instructions
Crayfish should be boiled a day before serving for the best taste. Check that all the crayfish are alive. Rinse if needed. Bring water to boil and add sugar cubes, salt and half of a crown dill. Put crayfish one by one into boiling water, not more than 10 crayfish at a time, and boil for approximately 10 minutes, starting from the time when the water again boils after the last crayfish has been put into the pot. Ready crayfish should have small gap between the shell and the tail. Lift crayfish with a skimmer into a large basin to cool. When all the crayfish are boiled, strain broth into a clean pot, add the rest of the crown dill, but remember to leave some to decorate the serving plate. When broth has cooled, put crayfish back to pot for at least 10 hours to get juicy and tasty. Keep in a cool place. Take the crayfish out from broth with a skimmer and arrange them nicely on a large serving plate decorated with fresh crown dill from where everyone can take a crayfish to their plate. Every person at the table should have plenty of paper napkins next to them and a bowl of water, containing lemon juice, to rinse their fingers with. Eating crayfish is a messy job!
Frozen crayfish
Shops have a selection of imported deep-frozen, boiled crayfish in different sizes, which are a more economical alternative for crayfish parties. Let the package defrost. When defrosted pour the juice into a pot with fresh crown dill, boil crayfish quickly for a minute or two. Cool broth and leave crayfish to get juicy until served. 14 ScandAsia.Singapore • August 2014
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