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June 2006<br />

MITA 373/03/2001<br />

Book review:<br />

Who’s hot<br />

in China<br />

Singapore:<br />

What’s in a<br />

(<strong>street</strong>) <strong>name</strong>?


Freddy Meindertsma<br />

PROLOGUE<br />

The barbeque on the 18th <strong>of</strong> May was a great success with close to hundred people<br />

enjoying the food, drinks and atmosphere allowing all <strong>of</strong> us to network and socialize in a<br />

great setting. Many thanks to VOPAK for generously sponsoring this yearly barbeque event,<br />

this time the barbeque was set up at the pool side <strong>of</strong> the Hollandse Club.<br />

There have been several changes in the ADB Board in the course <strong>of</strong> this year and we have<br />

one more change to announce.<br />

Charlotte Ruegg will leave the ADB Board after 2,5 years <strong>of</strong> hard work for the ADB in her<br />

role as Honorary Secretary as <strong>of</strong> 1 July 2006. We thank Charlotte for all her contributions,<br />

on behalf <strong>of</strong> the Board and our members, and wish her and her family all the best in her<br />

future endeavours in Dubai. At the same time we welcome as our new board member<br />

Annabelle Deken who will take over the position <strong>of</strong> Charlotte. Annabelle has been residing<br />

in Singapore for nearly 5 years and is pr<strong>of</strong>essionally engaged as logistics manager for<br />

Maersk. The ADB Board looks forward working together with Annabelle and surely she<br />

will be happy to introduce herself to you all in the near future.<br />

With the summer holiday season approaching, we hope many <strong>of</strong> you will be pleased us<br />

announcing another event.<br />

Our last event before the summer holidays will be on the 5th <strong>of</strong> June and it will be interesting<br />

for those <strong>of</strong> you who want to know more about a crucial activity that links our world<br />

economy together. We arranged a lecture by Bert Besseling, Director Operations Asia KLM<br />

Cargo, on “the secrets <strong>of</strong> cargo and logistics”. This will be a good opportunity to learn<br />

more about this ever changing industry and we cordially invite you to attend this lecture.<br />

Jot down in your agenda that the first ADB event we organize for you after the summer<br />

vacation will be the Dinner and Dance lustrum. We scheduled this event for the latter half<br />

<strong>of</strong> August, depending on location availability. This lustrum event promises to be spectacular<br />

and a “must come” for you all as we’d like to jointly celebrate this occasion with many <strong>of</strong><br />

our members.<br />

Ivo Rutten Frans van de Bospoort Charlotte Ruegg Wim Samlal Edward Tonino<br />

Remco Muzerie Bas Fransen<br />

1<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

By Freddy Meindertsma


ADB BOARD<br />

Ivo Rutten President<br />

Frans van de Bospoort Vice-President<br />

Charlotte Ruegg Honorary Secretary<br />

Wim Samlal Honorary Treasurer<br />

Edward Tonino Member<br />

Remco Muzerie Member<br />

Freddy Meindertsma Member<br />

Bas Fransen Member<br />

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE<br />

Wieteke Dijkxhoorn<br />

Jeroen de Koning<br />

Debby Reemers<br />

Lineke van Nederpelt<br />

Barry Doesburg<br />

Wil Kolen<br />

Way Ying Lee<br />

SECRETARIAT<br />

Lineke van Nederpelt<br />

Mailing Address:<br />

c/o 22 Camden Park, Singapore 299814<br />

Telephone: 9101 6201<br />

email: adb@pacific.net.sg<br />

Website : www.adb.org.sg<br />

Email : webmaster@adb.org.sg<br />

Editorial contributions for the next issue may<br />

be sent or handed over to the ADB Secretariat,<br />

before or on the day <strong>of</strong> the monthly ADB<br />

meeting. The contents <strong>of</strong> this magazine are partly<br />

based on information received from third parties.<br />

The Committee does not take responsibility<br />

for the correctness <strong>of</strong> the articles.<br />

Designed by Jennifer Phua<br />

Printed by Khoo Sun Printing Pte Ltd<br />

MITA 373/03/2001<br />

Membership fee is S$ 100 per calendar year.<br />

For registration, please see the website<br />

www.adb.org.sg/en_member_signup.htm.<br />

Membership is renewed automatically effective the<br />

first month <strong>of</strong> the new calendar year.<br />

Make your cheque payable to “Assocation <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong><br />

<strong>Businessmen</strong>” and send to ADB, c/o 22 Camden Park,<br />

Singapore 299814.<br />

Termination <strong>of</strong> membership must be received by<br />

ADB Secretariat in writing before 1 January, otherwise<br />

you will be charged for the full amount for the following<br />

calendar year.<br />

Please notify the ADB secretariat <strong>of</strong> any changes in<br />

employer, (email) addresses or any other personal<br />

particulars that might be <strong>of</strong> interest to the ADB<br />

administration.<br />

A monthly publication <strong>of</strong> the<br />

<strong>Association</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong> <strong>Businessmen</strong><br />

Contents The<br />

PROLOGUE 1<br />

REVIEW<br />

ADB Networking BBQ 3<br />

BUSINESS PROFILE<br />

ModuSpec -<br />

20 years <strong>of</strong> service to industry (1986-2006) 4<br />

EVENT AGENDA 5<br />

SINGAPORE<br />

What’s in a (<strong>street</strong>) <strong>name</strong> - Part II 6<br />

BUSINESS NEWS 8<br />

2006 FIFA World Cup Germany -<br />

Match Schedule 10<br />

MONEY<br />

A modern day gold rush? 12<br />

BOOK REVIEW<br />

Who’s hot in China 15<br />

BIZZ AGENDA 16<br />

EMBASSY INFO 18<br />

ASSOCIATION INFO 20<br />

2<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

Envelope_photo Hans Gerritsen


Ivo Rutten giving his welcome<br />

speech<br />

Herman H<strong>of</strong>huis, Brenda and<br />

Gerbrand Schalkwijk<br />

Walter Leijen, Freddy Meindertsma,<br />

Marcel van der Kolk<br />

Jean van Eeghem, Suzanne Janssen, Mariken<br />

Berns, Michael van Ommeren<br />

Ambassador Chris Sanders, Margreet van<br />

Vliet - van Leufkens, Harriët Anema,<br />

Marianne Sanders, Jikke Heijmen<br />

REVIEW<br />

Frans van de Bospoort, Gilbert Ruegg, Eduard Holtz,<br />

Patricia ‘t Hart- van Rooyen, Sascha Roosen,<br />

Marcel van der Kolk<br />

ADB Networking<br />

BBQ By Lineke van Nederpelt<br />

Close to hundred (!) people turned up at the<br />

traditional ADB Networking BBQ .. and networking<br />

it was!! Also a lot <strong>of</strong> new members took the<br />

opportunity to meet fellow country(wo)men in the<br />

beautiful set up at the swimming pool area <strong>of</strong><br />

the Hollandse Club. A big thanks to our sponsor<br />

VOPAK to make this year’s BBQ a great success!<br />

KINDLY SPONSORED BY:<br />

Michiel Boeren, Mr Boon (HC),<br />

Arnout Mostert<br />

Angelique van Velsen, Hendrik ten Hoeve,<br />

Richard van der Werf, Patricia Butin Bik<br />

3<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

Edwin Jager, Oene Marseille, Charlotte Ruegg,<br />

Ingrid Jager, Remco Muzerie<br />

Bert Besseling, Charlotte Ruegg,<br />

Guido Nieuwenhuyzen,<br />

Bas Fransen<br />

Paul Govaart (VOPAK), Gilbert Ruegg, Herman<br />

H<strong>of</strong>huis, Vera Govaart<br />

Natasja Bijvoet, Nico Bac, Ernst and Linda<br />

Altena, Erwin Bijvoet


BUSINESS PROFILE<br />

20 years <strong>of</strong> service to industry (1986-2006)<br />

Arie J Koortens – Vice<br />

President/General Manager<br />

ModuSpec Engineering Asia<br />

Pacific, The Middle East &<br />

Australasia.<br />

ModuSpec Engineering (International) Ltd. was<br />

established in The Netherlands in 1986. During<br />

this time, oil companies frequently utilised oilrigs<br />

without any or very limited knowledge <strong>of</strong> the<br />

condition and state <strong>of</strong> maintenance <strong>of</strong> the rigs. Leo<br />

Nagtegaal, current director and owner <strong>of</strong> ModuSpec,<br />

recognised the need for independent rig inspections.<br />

ModuSpec, an acronym for Mobile Offshore<br />

Drilling Unit Inspections established a regional<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice in Singapore in 1992. I was appointed as the<br />

Manager <strong>of</strong> the ModuSpec <strong>of</strong>fice in Singapore to<br />

oversee the operations and its growth in the<br />

Australia and the Asia Pacific region.<br />

Over the years with our good track record <strong>of</strong><br />

work done for the major oil companies in this region,<br />

demand for our services grew by leaps and bounds.<br />

Fourteen years down the track, ModuSpec<br />

Engineering Asia Pacific is the leader in Risk<br />

Management Services in the Asia Pacific and The<br />

Middle East.<br />

“The first ModuSpec <strong>of</strong>fice in Singapore was<br />

based in my home which was located at Green<br />

Ridge Crescent. Since 1992, we have moved<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice 5 times, each time to bigger premises to<br />

accommodate our growing support staff.<br />

Health, Safety and Environmental issues are<br />

<strong>of</strong> primary importance to the Oil and Gas Industry.<br />

ModuSpec acquired a Risk Engineering Company<br />

in 2000, and in 2003 acquired an Australian Risk<br />

Engineering Company. With the newly acquired<br />

companies we have developed a risk-based<br />

approach towards our rig inspection business,<br />

concentrating on areas which have the highest risk<br />

with respect to accidents, environmental issues<br />

and downtime.<br />

Our ability to reduce or even prevent downtime<br />

through our inspection process is nowadays an<br />

important (not the most important one as that still<br />

is HSE) reason for our clients to use our services as<br />

the day-rates for rigs at the moment are extremely<br />

high, 170 -200,000 US$/day for a Jack Up and a<br />

5th generation Semi Submersible commands more<br />

than twice that amount and on top <strong>of</strong> this in general<br />

the total operating cost for 1 day drilling operation<br />

is twice the amount <strong>of</strong> the day-rate <strong>of</strong> the rig.<br />

The key services provided by ModuSpec are as<br />

listed below:<br />

• Risk Management Services<br />

• The inspections <strong>of</strong> land and <strong>of</strong>fshore drilling units<br />

• The development <strong>of</strong> manual and computerized<br />

maintenance systems,<br />

• Conduct training courses for drilling and oil<br />

companies.<br />

• Commissioning <strong>of</strong> new build rigs.<br />

4<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

The ModuSpec service presently in very high<br />

demand during this current industry “boom” were<br />

Jack Up Drilling Units are ordered as if they are<br />

hot cakes, Ship-Yards and equipment suppliers<br />

are stretched to the very limit <strong>of</strong> their<br />

capabilities, is the ModuSpec Commissioning<br />

and QA QC services during the new building <strong>of</strong><br />

drilling units.<br />

The result <strong>of</strong> the successful ModuSpec QA-QC<br />

and Commissioning services is a new rig delivered<br />

in a safe and reliable operational condition before<br />

or close to the scheduled delivery date.<br />

Before we end this article I would like to share<br />

some special insights encountered during the<br />

course <strong>of</strong> our business. One project in Irian Jaya<br />

brought back vivid memories. It took three days<br />

to reach the location <strong>of</strong> the drilling unit, traveling<br />

by a Merpati Fokker 27 (probably with serial<br />

number 1) via the various Islands and finally<br />

arriving in Sorong Irian Jaya to overnight and on<br />

the next morning departed on a small bush plane,<br />

followed with a boat ride, a land rover and truck<br />

to arrive at the rig site. A week later we had to<br />

return via the same route. From the recollection<br />

<strong>of</strong> this trip, a vivid picture emerged in mind, <strong>of</strong> a<br />

pre Second World War deserted Shell drilling<br />

location with an oil storage tank complete with<br />

the Shell logo and a large tree growing through<br />

the top <strong>of</strong> the tank.<br />

In another project<br />

located in Central<br />

Sumatra, our surveyor<br />

had his daily mud bath<br />

in a ‘jungle Spa’ as<br />

pictured on the right.<br />

This year, ModuSpec<br />

is celebrating its 20th<br />

anniversary as the<br />

leading independent<br />

provider <strong>of</strong> rig inspection and risk management<br />

services for both the up and downstream oil and<br />

gas industry. Twenty years ago, what began as a<br />

small one-man operation working from home, has<br />

now grown into a multinational company employing<br />

close to 250 employees, with <strong>of</strong>fices in Calgary<br />

(Canada), Houston (USA), Macae near Rio de<br />

Janeiro (Brazil), Perth and Melbourne (Australia),<br />

Singapore, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Aberdeen<br />

(Scotland). The head-<strong>of</strong>fice is located in<br />

Serooskerke in The Netherlands.<br />

Not unimportant, the key to our success?<br />

Good people and the fact that we write Client<br />

with a capital “C”.


Pop Village<br />

An Event <strong>of</strong> Singapore Arts Festival 2006<br />

EVENT AGENDA<br />

Location : Fort canning park Date : 10 and 11 June<br />

POP Village features a line-up <strong>of</strong> local and regional artistes in non-stop, electrifying performances! Japan’s<br />

Aikawa Nanase, Korea’s Ryu, China’s China Magpie, Hong Kong’s Chet Lam and AT17, Taiwan’s Ji Xiao Jun<br />

and Singapore’s very own Tanya Chua, Chua Lee Lian, and 3Dash1 will take to the stage to wow music<br />

lovers. Discover new sounds with twenty emerging, promising and established acts from Singapore and the<br />

region. Industry pr<strong>of</strong>essionals will share their expertise with aspiring musicians and music lovers in<br />

comprehensive workshops. With 40 booths serving great food and drinks, and music-related merchandise,<br />

everyone can join in the fun! Get updates on the latest acts at www.popagenda.sg.<br />

10 June: 11 June:<br />

Aikawa Nanase (Japan) Tanya Chua (Singapore)<br />

Ryu (Korea) Tank (Taiwan)<br />

Ji Xiao Jun (Taiwan) Chet Lam (Hong Kong)<br />

China Magpie (China) At17 (Hong Kong)<br />

Chou Pi Jiang (Singapore) Gong Shi Jia (Singapore)<br />

Concave Scream (Singapore) Chua Lee Lian (Singapore)<br />

Ruth Ling (Singapore) Jai (Singapore)<br />

3Dash1 (Singapore) B-Quartet (Singapore)<br />

Shut-Up Comedy<br />

By Gamarjobat, Japan<br />

An event <strong>of</strong> Singapore Arts Festival 2006<br />

Location: Esplanade Recital studio<br />

Date: 16-18 June<br />

“The gems <strong>of</strong> the comedy festival...” Melbourne<br />

International Comedy Festival, Herald Sun, Australia<br />

No speech is needed ... Just your roaring laughter to amplify<br />

Shut-Up Comedy, a free-flowing mime performed by two funky<br />

guys with Mohawks. Hailing from Japan with the Dubble Act<br />

Award at 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this silent slapstick<br />

has transcended cultural, language and age boundaries to leave<br />

laughter in its trail. See them mime various comedy scenarios,<br />

plus a Rocky-inspired story <strong>of</strong> a boxer in which you will<br />

almost feel the imaginary blows.<br />

Be prepared for some fast and furious fun - this<br />

crazy pair’s madcap romps will have you in stitches!<br />

(60mins with no intermission)<br />

Late Nite@Esplanade: Fuze Collective<br />

Location: Esplanade Recital studio Date: 30 June<br />

Join Fuze, comprising vocalist Fendi and guitarist Munir (<strong>of</strong> Parking<br />

Lot Pimp), as they perform an intimate night <strong>of</strong> music from jazz<br />

to soulful Classics, as well as their original compositions.<br />

The duo has played at numerous events like Cirque Du Soleil,<br />

MTV awards, Zoukout, Heineken Green Room Sessions and<br />

Esplanade’s Mosaic Music Festival 2005.<br />

Together with resident DJ Kaye <strong>of</strong> Liquid Room, catch them<br />

perform improvised Hits from Bobby McFerrin, Radiohead, Musiq<br />

Soulchild, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and many more.<br />

Check out more details at www.fuzeshack.com<br />

5<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

Jamie Cullum in Concert<br />

Location: Suntec Singapore Convention Hall 601/602<br />

Date: 15 June<br />

About The Show:<br />

Dubbed by some as the “Beckham <strong>of</strong> Jazz”,<br />

a junior Harry Connick Jr., hailed as the jazz<br />

messiah, Jamie jazz gourmet, woos fans <strong>of</strong><br />

rock & pop.<br />

Twentysomething, his major label debut,<br />

made Jamie a star - setting records as the<br />

fastest-selling jazz debut in UK history, where<br />

it was certified Platinum in just six weeks.<br />

Revitalizing contemporary jazz seems to be his knack!<br />

As captivating as he is on record, Jamie is a dynamo when he hits<br />

the concert stage. He attacks his instrument – not just its ivory<br />

keys, but the body and strings as well – with ferocity. This is one<br />

player who never forgets that the piano is a percussion instrument.<br />

He walks on stage without a set list, and keeps the proceedings<br />

as spontaneous as possible. His prodigious skills in concert have<br />

drawn raves in just a handful <strong>of</strong> stateside performances. “To watch<br />

a performer go so fearlessly on his nerve is exciting” said Stephen<br />

Holden in The New York Times, noting “all this energy wouldn’t<br />

count for that much were it not backed up by raw talent.” Following<br />

his first ever concert in Los Angeles the Hollywood Reporter dubbed<br />

him “A one man British invasion,” and Variety said “He plays ‘em<br />

the way he sees ‘em, not according to some book... ”<br />

Word <strong>of</strong> his phenomenal live shows sparked a furor <strong>of</strong> attention<br />

that brought Jamie to Universal/Verve and Twentysomething to a<br />

worldwide audience. The dynamic British singer, songwriter, and<br />

pianist Jamie Cullum’s Verve debut, Twentysomething, was a<br />

worldwide smash, selling over three million copies (including nearly<br />

500,000 in the States) and garnering a Grammy nomination.<br />

With Catching Tales, his new hit album, Jamie continues to<br />

redefine where the parameters <strong>of</strong> pop, and jazz – indeed, all<br />

musical genres – are drawn. “At first I didn’t think certain songs<br />

had a place in what I was doing with jazz, but I’ve realized that<br />

everything does, and that reaffirms my belief that jazz is the<br />

greatest platform to do whatever you want.”


SINGAPORE<br />

What’s in a (<strong>street</strong>) <strong>name</strong> – Part II<br />

By Barry Doesburg<br />

In ADB Magazine <strong>of</strong> March 2005 we learned about<br />

the lives <strong>of</strong> Jose d’Almeida (1784-1850), George<br />

Drumgold Coleman (1795-1844), Tan Tock Seng<br />

(1798-1850), Lord Louis Mountbatten (1900-1979),<br />

‘Whampoa’ Hoo Ah Kay (1816-1880) and Ahmad<br />

Ibrahim (1927-1962). They all have in common that<br />

they are significant to Singapore history and that<br />

<strong>street</strong> <strong>name</strong>s have been <strong>name</strong>d after them. In this<br />

issue we will touch on a few other <strong>name</strong>s <strong>of</strong> famous<br />

Singaporeans.<br />

Cecil Street / Clementi<br />

Avenue<br />

Cecil Street and Clementi Avenue are<br />

<strong>name</strong>d after Sir Cecil Clementi Smith<br />

(1840-1916). He was Lieutenant Governor<br />

<strong>of</strong> Ceylon before being appointed Governor<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Straits Settlements from 1887 to<br />

1893. He was educated at St Paul’s School<br />

and Corpus Christi Cambridge, and in 1862<br />

he was elected one <strong>of</strong> the first student<br />

interpreters at Hong Kong, where he<br />

became colonial Treasurer. In 1878 he was<br />

transferred to the Straits settlements as<br />

Colonial Secretary and became Governor<br />

in 1887. He also succeeded in putting<br />

down several Chinese secret societies in<br />

the Straits Settlements, such as those in<br />

Singapore, for which he received the<br />

gratitude <strong>of</strong> the merchants that traded in<br />

the region. Later he became president <strong>of</strong><br />

the commission <strong>of</strong> Inquiry on the Trinidad<br />

riots in 1903 and was chief British delegate at<br />

International Opium Commission Shanghai in 1909.<br />

Cecil Street was built on reclaimed land carried<br />

out under Telok Ayer Reclamation project between<br />

1879 and 1888. Clementi Avenue (formerly<br />

Reformatory Road, because <strong>of</strong> a boys’ home) was<br />

located in the New Town that was developed on<br />

land once occupied by squatters and the British<br />

armed forces barracks.<br />

Napier Road / Tanglin Road<br />

Napier Road is <strong>name</strong>d after William ‘Royal Billy’<br />

Napier (b. 1804), the first lawyer in Singapore in<br />

1833. He arrived in Singapore in 1831 and married<br />

George Coleman’s widow, Maria Frances. Napier<br />

Road originally led to his house (‘Tang Leng’), which<br />

he built in 1854 on 27 ha <strong>of</strong> hilly land. He was one<br />

<strong>of</strong> the founders <strong>of</strong> the Singapore Free Press and a<br />

shareholder <strong>of</strong> the Raffles Library. Later he became<br />

the Lieutenant Governor <strong>of</strong> Labuan (Borneo’s<br />

northern coast) because <strong>of</strong> his friendship with Sir<br />

James Brooke.<br />

6<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

Tanglin/Napier Road in the 1880s<br />

Tanglin Road got its <strong>name</strong> from Napier’s house.<br />

The house was probably <strong>name</strong>d after the Chinese<br />

twa tang leng, which means ‘great east hill peaks’.<br />

After Raffles’ allotment in 1822, the Chinese,<br />

mainly Teochews, ventured out <strong>of</strong> Chinatown and<br />

colonized the tiger infested Tanglin area, growing<br />

pepper, nutmeg and gambier. After the Chinese<br />

came the Europeans, mainly Scotsmen, who started<br />

their spice plantations and built bungalows and<br />

villas on the various hills. Still many Scottish<br />

personal and place <strong>name</strong>s are featured in the area:<br />

Balmoral (Queen Victoria’s favorite residence in<br />

Scotland), Edinburgh, Claymore (house owned by<br />

Captain Scott), Cluny and Scott. Another one is<br />

Tyersall, William Napier’s estate and house in the<br />

Tanglin area which covered sixty-seven acres <strong>of</strong><br />

land was built in 1854 and later replaced by New<br />

Tyersall (or Istana Tyersall), the palatial Singapore<br />

residence <strong>of</strong> Sultan Abu Bakar <strong>of</strong> Johor.<br />

Tyersall Istana (http://www.baum.com.au)<br />

Oxley Road / Killiney Road<br />

Oxley Road is <strong>name</strong>d after the Irish surgeon Dr.<br />

Thomas Oxley (1805-1886), who lived on his nutmeg<br />

plantation in the area bounded by River Valley,<br />

Tank, Orchard and Grange Roads. Oxley came to<br />

Singapore in 1830 from Penang and was the Senior<br />

Surgeon for the Straits Settlements in 1844. He


was also a Resident Councilor. Oxley was<br />

a keen botanist and one <strong>of</strong> the founders<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Agricultural and Horticultural<br />

Society. In 1837, he acquired 70 ha <strong>of</strong><br />

land west <strong>of</strong> Tank Road (now Clemenceau<br />

Avenue) from the East India Company and<br />

began his Killiney estate.<br />

Killiney House was built in 1842 but later<br />

replaced by a bigger one called the Pavilion. In<br />

1850 he sold <strong>of</strong>f part his estate and soon some<br />

20 houses were built in this area. Around 1890,<br />

the Killiney house was bought over by sir Ruben<br />

Manasseh Meyer. Meyer’s residence in this area<br />

led to his founding <strong>of</strong> the Chesed-El Synagogue in<br />

Oxley Rise.<br />

Aljunied Avenue / Syed Alwi Road<br />

Aljunied Road was <strong>of</strong>ficially <strong>name</strong>d in 1926 after<br />

Syed Omar bin Ali Al Junied (d. 1852) and his family.<br />

Syed Omar was a wealthy and highly respected Arab<br />

merchant from Palembang and a nephew <strong>of</strong> Syed<br />

Mohammed bin Harun Al Junied, who came from<br />

Palembang in the very early days after the founding<br />

<strong>of</strong> Singapore in 1819. He was also a philanthropist<br />

and his charitable acts included donating a large<br />

plot <strong>of</strong> land in Victoria <strong>street</strong> for the purpose <strong>of</strong><br />

a Muslim burial ground and the construction <strong>of</strong> a<br />

mosque in Bencoolen Street. Malays looked upon<br />

him as a prince and considered<br />

to be a descendant <strong>of</strong> Prophet<br />

Mohammed.<br />

Syed Alwi Road, formerly<br />

known as Syed Allie Road was<br />

<strong>name</strong>d after Syed Allie bin<br />

Mohammed Al Junied (1814-<br />

1858) the son <strong>of</strong> Syed Mohammed bin Harun Al<br />

Junied. Syed Allie carried on his father’s business<br />

and also contributed generously to the community.<br />

Among the three wealthiest Arab families in<br />

Singapore — the other two being the Alkaffs and<br />

the Alsag<strong>of</strong>fs — the Aljunieds were philanthropists,<br />

generously supporting schools, hospitals and<br />

mosques, as well as sponsoring religious events.<br />

Syed Allie bought a garden and 70 acres <strong>of</strong> adjoining<br />

swamp in Kampong Kapor. This area became<br />

known as Syed Ali’s Land. His son, Syed Allowie,<br />

filled up the swamp area and built Weld Road and<br />

Jalan Besar.<br />

Scotts Road / Claymore Drive<br />

Scotts Road was <strong>name</strong>d after the harbour and post<br />

master, Captain William Scott (1786-1861), who<br />

lived on his plantation in the current area <strong>of</strong> Scotts<br />

Road. The son <strong>of</strong> James Scott, a pioneer settler <strong>of</strong><br />

the Prince <strong>of</strong> Wales Island (Penang) and a cousin to<br />

Sir Walter Scott, the illustrious poet and novelist.<br />

From 1836 till his death in 1861, Scott had an an<br />

atap house in his plantation filled with native fruit<br />

trees like durians, dukus, rambutans, mangosteen,<br />

SINGAPORE<br />

cocoa, betel nut and arrow root. He<br />

was well-known for his charity and<br />

gentleness <strong>of</strong> character.<br />

Claymore Road and Drive were<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficially <strong>name</strong>d in 1926 after the<br />

house and plantation<br />

owned by Captain Scott.<br />

The plantation was one <strong>of</strong><br />

the tree biggest those days and<br />

ran from Orchard Road to the<br />

Tanglin Club area. The district <strong>of</strong><br />

Claymore was used in land titles<br />

and included land from Orchard<br />

Road, Carrington Square and<br />

Selegie Road.<br />

Sources:<br />

Toponymics – A study <strong>of</strong> Singapore Street Names<br />

(2 nd edition), Victor R. Savage and Brenda S.A. Yeoh.<br />

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<br />

http://www.geocities.com<br />

http://www.ura.gov.sg<br />

7<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006


Football madness hits<br />

the flora<br />

Even flora is not spared<br />

from football madness.<br />

With the slogan, “smell<br />

the real grass”, Paul van<br />

Bentem Flower Bulbs<br />

Ltd has come up with mini-football fields,<br />

<strong>of</strong> real grass, for in the living room.<br />

Spray the grass with water before the<br />

game, trim the grass a little and success is<br />

guaranteed. The baskets with grass come<br />

with a goal and football.<br />

Group C<br />

If ever there was a nightmare group, then<br />

this is it. Argentina, Netherlands, Serbia and<br />

Montenegro, and Côte d’Ivoire are all in the<br />

top 50 <strong>of</strong> the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.<br />

The Oranje and the Albiceleste are third<br />

and fourth respectively.<br />

The Albiceleste must be starting to<br />

think they are cursed. In 2002, they drew<br />

England, Sweden and Nigeria in the first<br />

round. Despite being favourites, they then<br />

failed to emerge from the group. The<br />

<strong>Dutch</strong>, imperious in qualification, will have<br />

their hearts set on making a successful<br />

return after an eight-year absence. The<br />

Serbo-Montenegrins, meanwhile, will come<br />

to the tour<strong>name</strong>nt full <strong>of</strong> confidence fresh<br />

from a preliminary competition where<br />

their defensive solidity impressed the<br />

entire world. As for Côte d’Ivoire, their<br />

qualification ahead <strong>of</strong> Cameroon was<br />

nothing short <strong>of</strong> miraculous.<br />

FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking<br />

Argentina 4th Côte d’Ivoire 32nd Serbia and Montenegro 46th Netherlands 3rd Date for your diary: Frankfurt, 21 June,<br />

Netherlands v Argentina, Potentially the<br />

most exciting clash <strong>of</strong> the first round.<br />

Supermarkets colour oranje<br />

<strong>Dutch</strong> supermarkets are getting ready for<br />

the World Cup with a lot <strong>of</strong> products and<br />

promotions. Manufacturers jump in on<br />

the hype with expressions as: ‘we make<br />

chocolate <strong>of</strong> them’ and ‘bite Holland bite’.<br />

Joop Holla <strong>of</strong> research company GfK<br />

values the extra turnover on 50 million<br />

euro. “It depends on how well the <strong>Dutch</strong><br />

team does. For twenty days there are three<br />

games a day on television to see. That’s<br />

why I think that TV-dinners will do very<br />

well”, says Holla. In the year 2000 the extra<br />

turnover in supermarkets was approximately<br />

50 million euro. “This is possible now as<br />

well.”<br />

BUSINESS NEWS<br />

Source: Het Financieele Dagblad<br />

The perfect ball can always be a bit more round<br />

The synthetic fiber industry is very proud<br />

<strong>of</strong> the ball that’s being used at the<br />

World Cup Germany. It exists <strong>of</strong> fourteen<br />

seamlessly glued parts.<br />

Airing football wisdoms is not reserved<br />

to Johan Cruijff. Sepp Herberger has made<br />

himself immortal with statements like: ‘the<br />

next opponent is always the most difficult’<br />

and ‘the ball is round’. Coach Herberger led<br />

the German team to win the final in 1954,<br />

the first postwar world championship.<br />

It is unlikely that the ball with which<br />

the Germans shot themselves to victory<br />

(3-2) in the thrilling final against favorites<br />

Hungary was still round after ‘the wonder<br />

<strong>of</strong> Bern’. The ball existed <strong>of</strong> eighteen pieces<br />

<strong>of</strong> leather sewed together. Even before the<br />

first kick it was already unfeasible to make<br />

a really round ball this way, let alone<br />

after 22 men lived up there ambitions to<br />

become world champion on it for ninety<br />

minutes.<br />

The game ball has come a long way<br />

when Germany and Costa Rica kick <strong>of</strong>f for<br />

the opening duel <strong>of</strong> the world championship<br />

2006 on Friday 9 June in Munich. The ball<br />

doesn’t resemble the brown leather from<br />

According to the Centraal Bureau<br />

Levensmiddelenhandel (CBL) it will be a<br />

party on the shop floor in the time to come.<br />

“The atmosphere is always festive during<br />

major football events”, says spokesperson<br />

Sija de Jong. “Consumers are also more<br />

willing to buy as well. When the weather<br />

is good we sell a lot <strong>of</strong> barbecue packets.<br />

Then the TV is put outside too. However, it<br />

is especially beer, snacks and s<strong>of</strong>t drinks<br />

that do well.” Manufacturers are counting<br />

on products as orange custard, biscuits with<br />

orange topping, orange candies, orange s<strong>of</strong>t<br />

drink, orange pasta, orange mayonnaise and<br />

lots and lots <strong>of</strong> other products. Beer-brewer<br />

8<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

1954 much. Even the resemblance in shape<br />

is deceptive, says manufacturer Adidas.<br />

Teamgeist, as the ball is called, approaches<br />

perfect roundness much closer than its<br />

distant predecessor.<br />

Azteca was the first plastic ball with<br />

which in 1986, in Mexico, a World Cup was<br />

played. The material was new, but the<br />

design, 32 six - and pentagonal pieces,<br />

followed Telstar, the leather ball from 1970.<br />

That had been <strong>name</strong>d after the satellite<br />

which made live-broadcasting <strong>of</strong> the<br />

championship possible.<br />

With Teamgeist, the 32 pieces have<br />

been replaced by fourteen panels. The<br />

benefit <strong>of</strong> this is that contact points<br />

between three panels have been brought<br />

back from 60 to 24. The total length <strong>of</strong> the<br />

joints between the panels has been reduced<br />

from 400.5 to 339.3 centimeter. Because<br />

the panels have been glued together by<br />

means <strong>of</strong> warmth instead <strong>of</strong> being sewed,<br />

the surface is practically seamless.<br />

Adidas promises that its new ball, that<br />

in its original design costs approximately<br />

euro 100, will barely lose roundness when<br />

used.<br />

Heineken launches <strong>Dutch</strong> secret weapon<br />

It was bound to happen: Heineken, sponsor <strong>of</strong> the KNVB,<br />

introduces a smart successor for the famous Heineken<br />

Loudspeakerhat at the coming World Cup in Germany. Holland’s<br />

secret weapon looks like an amiable German hunter’s hat that<br />

in literally one twist <strong>of</strong> the hand turns into a loud speaker hat.<br />

During Euro Cup 2004 in Portugal, Heineken introduced<br />

the since then well-known Loudspeakerhat. This ultimate Orange-item became a straight<br />

hit with <strong>Dutch</strong> football fans and set the scene in houses, <strong>street</strong>s, cafés and many other<br />

places for weeks on end. Every self-respecting Orange-supporter had it in his hands or<br />

wore it. All the more reason for Heineken to introduce a worthy successor for the World<br />

Cup 2006: in the shape <strong>of</strong> a secret weapon.<br />

The <strong>Dutch</strong> secret weapon is available with purchase <strong>of</strong> a set <strong>of</strong> eleven Heineken<br />

cans or bottles.<br />

Heineken has painted its draft system,<br />

Beertender, in the national colors for the<br />

occasion. In the run-up to the games<br />

consumers cannot escape.<br />

The campaign is surrounded with much<br />

secrecy. The only thing market leader<br />

Albert Heijn wants to share is that “it will<br />

be a lot <strong>of</strong> fun”. Manufacturers have come<br />

up with a lot <strong>of</strong> special promotions for the<br />

World Cup. Grolsch has a special beer mug.<br />

Coca-Cola comes with special packaging,<br />

same as producers <strong>of</strong> snacks and candy. De<br />

Jong from the CBL thinks that we will be<br />

harassed the whole summer with orange<br />

products if Holland becomes the new<br />

champion. “A victory leads in abundance<br />

to inspiration and innovation.”


Van Basten drops<br />

Huntelaar from squad<br />

Marco van Basten dropped prolific Ajax<br />

Amsterdam striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar<br />

from his final squad for the FIFA World Cup<br />

finals, sticking with Ruud van Nistelrooy,<br />

Dirk Kuyt and Jan Vennegoor <strong>of</strong> Hesselink.<br />

The Netherlands coach had invited<br />

Huntelaar, scorer <strong>of</strong> 33 first division goals<br />

this season, for a four-day training session<br />

last week, but finally opted to take only<br />

three strikers. “Klaas-Jan had a good season<br />

at Ajax and Heerenveen with many goals<br />

but is unlucky that we won’t take four<br />

central strikers to the World Cup,” Van<br />

Basten told a news conference, adding<br />

Huntelaar would return to the U-21 squad.<br />

“He made a good impression last week and<br />

is a balanced boy who will make the squad<br />

in coming years.”<br />

Manchester United’s Van Nistelrooy will<br />

be first choice up front and Kuyt can fill<br />

in on the right wing. The 23-man squad<br />

contains only two players, midfielder Phillip<br />

Cocu and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar,<br />

with FIFA World Cup experience.<br />

Van Basten decided against taking<br />

experienced 33-year-old midfielder Edgar<br />

Davids, saying the Tottenham player could<br />

be very useful but had started to show<br />

his age.<br />

AZ Alkmaar defender Barry Opdam,<br />

who has played eight <strong>of</strong> the last nine<br />

international matches, lost his spot in<br />

favour <strong>of</strong> John Heitinga. “Opdam is a good<br />

defender who performed well but the last<br />

months weren’t his best, while Heitinga<br />

fought back impressively” Van Basten said.<br />

De Jong was dropped because <strong>of</strong> his<br />

knee injury. Van Basten: “Van der Vaart is<br />

not yet completely fit and the flesh wound<br />

Jaliens has is also not healed. We don’t<br />

want to take to much risk and don’t know<br />

when De Jong will be fit.”<br />

“Boateng has had a good season and<br />

brings power to the mid-field. However,<br />

Sneijder is also fit and in good form. That<br />

was decisive. We had to choose between<br />

Castelen and Babel. We chose Ryan because<br />

he has some specific qualities, in our eyes.<br />

Except Kuijt, also Babel, Robben and Van<br />

Persie can play on the right flank”, Van<br />

Basten motivated his decisions.<br />

BUSINESS NEWS<br />

Source: Het Financieele Dagblad<br />

Old boys out as Van Basten goes young<br />

<strong>Dutch</strong> coach Marco van Basten opted for<br />

a youthful look when he announced his<br />

final squad for the FIFA World Cup finals<br />

in Germany. As expected, veterans Edgar<br />

Davids, Clarence Seedorf and Roy Makaay,<br />

who had already been left out <strong>of</strong> a<br />

provisional squad <strong>of</strong> 28 a week ago, failed<br />

to make it into the final 23-man party.<br />

But there was also disappointment for<br />

Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng,<br />

Feyenoord striker Romeo Castelan,<br />

Hamburg midfielder Nigel de Jong, Ajax<br />

forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and AZ<br />

Alkmaar defender Barry Opdam who were<br />

all cut from the 28.<br />

Despite the exodus <strong>of</strong> top <strong>Dutch</strong> stars<br />

to the big European leagues <strong>of</strong> England,<br />

Spain and Italy, Van Basten selected 14<br />

<strong>Dutch</strong>-based players with Ajax and Alkmaar<br />

supplying five each, although only three<br />

9<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

came from champions PSV Eindhoven, and<br />

one from Feyenoord.<br />

Five more ply their trade in the English<br />

Premiership, including out-<strong>of</strong>-favour<br />

Manchester United hit-man Ruud van<br />

Nistelrooy, with two playing at Barcelona in<br />

Spain and two in Germany, both at Hamburg.<br />

Goalkeepers: Edwin van der Sar<br />

(Manchester United/ENG), Maarten<br />

Stekelenburg (Ajax) and Henk Timmer (AZ<br />

Alkmaar)<br />

Defenders: Khalid Boulahrouz (SV<br />

Hamburg/GER), Giovanni van Bronckhorst<br />

(Barcelona/ESP), Tim de Cler (AZ Alkmaar),<br />

Kew Jaliens (AZ Alkmaar), Jan Kromkamp<br />

(Liverpool/ENG), Joris Mathijsen (AZ<br />

Alkmaar), André Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven),<br />

Johnny Heitinga (Ajax)<br />

Midfielders: Mark van Bommel<br />

(Barcelona/ESP), Phillip Cocu (PSV<br />

Eindhoven), Denny Landzaat (AZ Alkmaar),<br />

Hedwiges Maduro (Ajax), Wesley Sneijder<br />

(Ajax) and Rafael van der Vaart (SV<br />

Hamburg/GER)<br />

Forwards: Ryan Babel (Ajax), Dirk<br />

Kuijt (Feyenoord), Ruud van Nistelrooy<br />

(Manchester United/ENG), Robin van Persie<br />

(Arsenal/ENG), Arjen Robben (Chelsea/<br />

ENG) and Jan Vennegoor <strong>of</strong> Hesselink (PSV<br />

Eindhoven)<br />

Accompaniment staff just as large as selection<br />

The accompaniment staff <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Dutch</strong> team at the World Cup is with 23 people as large<br />

as the selection <strong>of</strong> Coach Marco van Basten.<br />

Staff: Marco van Basten (coach), John van t Schip<br />

(coach), Rob Witschge (assistant-coach), Stanley<br />

Menzo (assistant-coach/keeper trainer), Luc van Agt<br />

(physiologist), Roberto Tolentino (video-analyst),<br />

Gertjan Goudswaard (sports physician), Rob Ouderland,<br />

Leo Echteld, Jörgen van Hattem, Carlo Tosi<br />

(physiotherapists), Gerard Verwaaijen, Jos Smit<br />

(masseurs), Rob Kocken, Arend de Kruyff, Carlo de<br />

Leeuw (materials), Johan Klein Gebbink, Siepko<br />

Lutjeboer (chefs), Theo Damen (security), Kees Jansma<br />

(press chef), Monique Kessels, Anja van Ginhoven<br />

(KNVB-bureau), Hans Jorritsma (team manager).<br />

Indonesia grants visa-on-arrival facility to the Netherlands<br />

On May 23 rd , 2006, the Indonesian<br />

authorities confirmed that <strong>Dutch</strong> passport<br />

holders will be granted a so-called visa-onarrival<br />

(VOA) upon their arrival in Indonesia.<br />

The passport should be valid for a minimum<br />

period <strong>of</strong> six months after the date <strong>of</strong> entry<br />

into Indonesia.<br />

The VOA is valid for a minimum period<br />

<strong>of</strong> seven days and a maximum period <strong>of</strong><br />

thirty days. The costs involved are USD 10<br />

for a seven-day and USD 25 for a thirty-day<br />

visa. The visa can not be exchanged for<br />

another legal residency and can not be<br />

extended. For a stay <strong>of</strong> more than thirty<br />

days you should request your visa at the<br />

Indonesian embassy in The Hague or in<br />

your country <strong>of</strong> residence as before.<br />

We would like to draw your attention<br />

to the fact that despite the VOA-facility<br />

for <strong>Dutch</strong> passport holders, it can never be<br />

ruled out that upon arrival the Indonesian<br />

immigration service decides not to grant a<br />

VOA after all. There is no right <strong>of</strong> entry. This<br />

is the same situation as in the Netherlands.<br />

Journalist, researchers and tourists<br />

travelling to Irian Jaya, the Moluccas and/<br />

or Aceh are advised to apply for a visa at<br />

the Indonesian embassy in The Hague<br />

before their departure even after the VOA<br />

facility has been granted.


Group Matches<br />

2006 FIFA World Cup Germa<br />

Date Match Group Time Teams<br />

Sat 10.06.06 1 A 00: 00 hrs Germany - Costa Rica<br />

Sat 10.06.06 2 A 03: 00 hrs Poland – Ecuador<br />

Sat 10.06.06 3 B 21: 00 hrs England - Paraguay<br />

Sun 11.06.06 4 B 00: 00 hrs Trinidad and Tobago – Sweden<br />

Sun 11.06.06 5 C 03: 00 hrs Argentina - Côte d’Ivoire<br />

Sun 11.06.06 6 C 21: 00 hrs Serbia & Montenegro - Netherlands<br />

Mon 12.06.06 7 D 00: 00 hrs Mexico - Iran<br />

Mon 12.06.06 8 D 03: 00 hrs Angola – Portugal<br />

Mon 12.06.06 12 F 21: 00 hrs Australia - Japan<br />

Tue 13.06.06 10 E 00: 00 hrs USA - Czech Republic<br />

Tue 13.06.06 9 E 03: 00 hrs Italy – Ghana<br />

Tue 13.06.06 14 G 21: 00 hrs Korea Republic - Togo<br />

Wed 14.06.06 13 G 00: 00 hrs France - Switzerland<br />

Wed 14.06.06 11 F 03: 00 hrs Brazil – Croatia<br />

Wed 14.06.06 15 H 21: 00 hrs Spain - Ukraine<br />

Thu 15.06.06 16 H 00: 00 hrs Tunisia - Saudi Arabia<br />

Thu 15.06.06 17 A 03: 00 hrs Germany – Poland<br />

Thu 15.06.06 18 A 21: 00 hrs Ecuador - Costa Rica<br />

Fri 16.06.06 19 B 00: 00 hrs England - Trinidad and Tobago<br />

Fri16.06.06 20 B 03: 00 hrs Sweden – Paraguay<br />

Fri 16.06.06 21 C 21: 00 hrs Argentina - Serbia & Montenegro<br />

Sat 17.06.06 22 C 00: 00 hrs Netherlands - Côte d’Ivoire<br />

Sat 17.06.06 23 D 03: 00 hrs Mexico – Angola<br />

Sat 17.06.06 24 D 21: 00 hrs Portugal - Iran<br />

Sun 18.06.06 26 E 00: 00 hrs Czech Republic - Ghana<br />

Sun 18.06.06 25 E 03: 00 hrs Italy – USA<br />

Sun 18.06.06 28 F 21: 00 hrs Japan - Croatia<br />

Mon 19.06.06 27 F 00: 00 hrs Brazil - Australia<br />

Mon 19.06.06 29 G 03: 00 hrs France - Korea Republic<br />

Mon 19.06.06 30 G 21: 00 hrs Togo - Switzerland<br />

Tue 20.06.06 32 H 00: 00 hrs Saudi Arabia - Ukraine<br />

Tue 20.06.06 31 H 03: 00 hrs Spain – Tunisia<br />

Tue 20.06.06 33 A 22: 00 hrs Ecuador - Germany<br />

Tue 20.06.06 34 A 22: 00 hrs Costa Rica – Poland<br />

Wed 21.06.06 35 B 03: 00 hrs Sweden – England<br />

Wed 21.06.06 36 B 03: 00 hrs Paraguay - Trinidad and Tobago<br />

Wed 21.06.06 39 D 22: 00 hrs Portugal - Mexico<br />

Wed 21.06.06 40 D 22: 00 hrs Iran - Angola<br />

Thu 22.06.06 37 C 03: 00 hrs Netherlands - Argentina<br />

Thu 22.06.06 38 C 03: 00 hrs Côte d’Ivoire - Serbia & Montenegro<br />

Thu 22.06.06 41 E 22: 00 hrs Czech Republic - Italy<br />

Thu 22.06.06 42 E 22: 00 hrs Ghana - USA<br />

Fri23.06.06 43 F 03: 00 hrs Japan - Brazil<br />

Fri 23.06.06 44 F 03: 00 hrs Croatia - Australia<br />

Fri 23.06.06 47 H 22: 00 hrs Saudi Arabia - Spain<br />

Fri 23.06.06 48 H 22: 00 hrs Ukraine - Tunisia<br />

Sat 24.06.06 45 G 03: 00 hrs Togo - France<br />

Sat 24.06.06 46 G 03: 00 hrs Switzerland - Korea Republic<br />

10<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006


y - Match Schedule<br />

Round <strong>of</strong> 16<br />

Date Match Venue Time Teams<br />

Sat 24.06.06 49 Munich 23: 00 hrs 1A - 2B<br />

Sun 25.06.06 50 Leipzig 03: 00 hrs 1C - 2D<br />

Sun 25.06.06 51 Stuttgart 23: 00 hrs 1B - 2A<br />

Mon 26.06.06 52 Nuremberg 03: 00 hrs 1D - 2C<br />

Mon 26.06.06 53 Kaiserslautern 23: 00 hrs 1E - 2F<br />

Tue 27.06.06 54 Cologne 03: 00 hrs 1G - 2H<br />

Tue 27.06.06 55 Dortmund 23: 00 hrs 1F - 2E<br />

Wed 28.06.06 56 Hanover 03: 00 hrs 1H - 2G<br />

Quarter- finals<br />

Fri30.06.06 57 Berlin 23: 00 hrs W49 - W50<br />

Sat 01.07.06 58 Hamburg 03: 00 hrs W53 - W54<br />

Sat 01.07.06 59 Gelsenkirchen 23: 00 hrs W51 - W52<br />

Sun 02.07.06 60 Frankfurt 03: 00 hrs W55 - W56<br />

Semi- finals<br />

Tue 05.07.06 61 Dortmund 03: 00 hrs W57 - W58<br />

Wed 06.07.06 62 Munich 03: 00 hrs W59 - W60<br />

3rd Place<br />

Sat 09.07.06 63 Stuttgart 03: 00 hrs L61 - L62<br />

Final<br />

Sun 10.07.06 64 Berlin 02: 00 hrs W61 - W62<br />

Group A Group B Group C Group D<br />

Germany England Argentina Mexico<br />

Costa Rica Paraguay Côte d’Ivoire Iran<br />

Poland Trinidad and Tobago Serbia & Montenegro Angola<br />

Ecuador Sweden Netherlands Portugal<br />

Group E Group F Group G Group H<br />

Italy Brazil France Spain<br />

Ghana Croatia Switzerland Ukraine<br />

USA Australia Korea Republic Tunisia<br />

Czech Republic Japan Togo Saudi Arabia<br />

11<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006


Jeroen is CEO <strong>of</strong> Blue<br />

Anchor Consulting, a<br />

Financial Consulting,<br />

Advice and Intermediation<br />

firm and can be reached at<br />

jeroen.thijs@gmail.com<br />

MONEY<br />

A modern day gold rush?<br />

In the May issue <strong>of</strong> your ADB magazine, I wrote about the investment opportunity in commodities in<br />

general. Since then prices have continued their relentless rise. For instance, I mentioned that silver<br />

had doubled since the commodities bull market began in 2001. Well, just slightly over a month later<br />

silver has actually now more than tripled since 2001, having risen 40% just over the past 2 months. The<br />

same story goes for gold, which has risen almost USD200 since the beginning <strong>of</strong> this year. Although we<br />

are now (mid May) in some sort <strong>of</strong> intermediate correction, which could take some time to play out, no<br />

one can predict what the price <strong>of</strong> silver or gold will be at the time <strong>of</strong> distribution <strong>of</strong> the June issue and<br />

I certainly don’t want to give it a go.<br />

I would not want to write every week about commodities, but I think it is a good idea at this stage,<br />

given current market developments, to look at one specific ‘commodity’, i.e. gold, study fundamental<br />

reasons behind the current rise and whether or not it is still a good time to invest in gold.<br />

The reason that I put the word commodity in inverted commas is that gold stands out from all other<br />

commodities, as its supply and demand characteristics are not driven by industrial use <strong>of</strong> the metal.<br />

Apart from jewellery, gold’s demand is, and has been for over 2500 years, driven by the fact that it is<br />

considered as a medium <strong>of</strong> exchange and the ultimate store <strong>of</strong> value. The history <strong>of</strong> gold as money spans<br />

from 700BC till about 1930AD. From 1930 till 1970 we had a paper-based system linked to gold and a<br />

mere 35 years ago, we abolished gold as any form <strong>of</strong> money.<br />

It is no surprise then, that the bulk <strong>of</strong> the current generation <strong>of</strong> investors or people working in the<br />

financial services industry in the west have a bad or no perception about the value <strong>of</strong> gold since the gold<br />

standard was abolished by president <strong>of</strong> the United States, Richard Nixon on August 15, 1971. After rising<br />

to about USD850 in 1980, gold entered into a 20-year bear market and bottomed at about USD250 in<br />

2001. The perception was not aided by the fact that most central banks in the world engaged in an<br />

active and aggressive program <strong>of</strong> selling their gold reserves. For instance, Gordon Brown, Chancellor <strong>of</strong><br />

the Exchequer, sold 60% <strong>of</strong> the UK’s gold reserves in 2001, the absolute bottom <strong>of</strong> the cycle! Although I<br />

leave it up to you to decide on his timing, it did not exactly create many gold-bulls in the investing<br />

community.<br />

How times have changed. Gold has since risen about 190% and it is only very recently that a small<br />

part <strong>of</strong> the investment community is starting to take notice. The bullish trend is now well established<br />

and the main explanations put forward are linked to the fundamental demand/supply situation, increasing<br />

inflation concerns, rising geopolitical risks and fears over the US dollar. Let’s look at them one by one.<br />

Demand and supply<br />

The World Gold Council estimates that mine production has been essentially flat since the end <strong>of</strong> the<br />

1990’s and fell by 5% in 2004. Given the 20-year bear market in gold there has been massive underinvestment<br />

in new gold exploration efforts. Gold reserves are coming under pressure as existing gold<br />

mines mature and mining companies find it increasingly difficult to replace current production with new<br />

discoveries. For many countries it is not (yet) economically feasible to extract gold at greater depths<br />

and lower grades, and, once deep shafts close, they seldom reopen. With demand rising at an ever<br />

faster pace and central bank selling abating or even reversing (Russia and China are strong buyers for<br />

instance), the gold market is now in a deficit and this has lead and will continue to lead to a strong<br />

upward push on the price. On top <strong>of</strong> this many gold producers continue to de-hedge their books; an<br />

additional strong demand driver.<br />

12<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006


MONEY<br />

Gold has since risen about 190% and it is only very recently that<br />

a small part <strong>of</strong> the investment community is starting to take notice.<br />

The bullish trend is now well established and the main explanations<br />

put forward are linked to the fundamental demand/supply situation,<br />

increasing inflation concerns, rising geopolitical risks and fears over<br />

the US dollar.<br />

Rising inflation concerns<br />

Although the <strong>of</strong>ficial statistics in the major world economies show that inflation is well under control,<br />

the actual numbers paint a completely different picture. Some leading economists argue that real<br />

numbers could be three times the <strong>of</strong>ficial ones. One <strong>of</strong> the arguments is that the numbers are highly<br />

distorted by the concept <strong>of</strong> substitution. Introduced by Alan Greenspan, the concept argues that if one<br />

item were too expensive, consumers would substitute it with a cheaper one. This has obviously nothing<br />

to do with measuring the cost <strong>of</strong> living, as you cannot continue to substitute down. You would still want<br />

the best education for your children and live in the neighbourhood <strong>of</strong> your choice. It goes beyond the<br />

purpose <strong>of</strong> this article to examine real inflation figures, but I am sure that you are noticing in your daily<br />

life that your cost <strong>of</strong> living has increased by more than 2% per annum over the past couple <strong>of</strong> years. The<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficial rate is <strong>of</strong>ten referred to as the core rate <strong>of</strong> inflation, which exclude the volatile energy and food<br />

components. This seems odd to me, as energy and food are basic daily needs. The latest monthly<br />

inflation number in the US showed a core CPI <strong>of</strong> 0.3% but gross inflation <strong>of</strong> 0.9%. The 0.9% is actually<br />

what you pay, thus an inflation <strong>of</strong> over 10% per annum.<br />

Gold is a perfect hedge against inflation. Although this might be difficult to measure over short<br />

periods <strong>of</strong> time (i.e. years), it is certainly the case over the past 90 years. Since the creation <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Federal Reserve in 1913, the purchasing power <strong>of</strong> the US dollar has fallen to just 5% (one twentieth),<br />

while over the same period gold has risen 35 fold from USD 20 to USD 700.<br />

Rising geopolitical risk<br />

I think that it is quite clear that since September 11, 2001 (coinciding with the bottom in gold), we are<br />

living in an increasingly unpredictable world. Iraq, Iran, Venezuela, etc. are not contributing to a more<br />

stable geopolitical environment. One <strong>of</strong> the drivers <strong>of</strong> gold during the months <strong>of</strong> April and May have<br />

been Iran’s intention to build nuclear facilities. Iran’s president is actively seeking alliances with large<br />

Muslim countries such as Indonesia, who seem to support Iran’s strategy. Moreover, in a recent letter to<br />

President Bush, which is interesting but concerning reading, president Ahmadinejad actually invited<br />

Bush twice to convert to Islam (if you want a copy <strong>of</strong> the translated letter, please send me an e-mail).<br />

Whatever the real intentions <strong>of</strong> Iran, it is clear that the recent run up in gold prices can be correlated<br />

for a large part to increasing global unrest.<br />

Fears over the value <strong>of</strong> the US dollar<br />

As mentioned before, history tells us that gold, not paper is real money. Most people don’t understand<br />

this. Let’s use as example the German hyperinflation in 1923. When Germany abolished the gold<br />

standard during the First World War, the cost <strong>of</strong> the war led to enormous debts. The German central<br />

bank had no choice but to print increasing amounts <strong>of</strong> money, creating at first wealth illusion through<br />

significant asset inflation, but subsequently to a weakening in confidence <strong>of</strong> the German mark and<br />

eventually to a collapse <strong>of</strong> the economy and rapid deflation. One ounce <strong>of</strong> gold was at that time worth<br />

USD 20 and twenty trillion Deutschmarks! Only people who converted their assets into gold protected<br />

their wealth.<br />

Could this happen to the USD? I could spend an entire article on this, but to summarize, the current<br />

deficit, rapidly increasing money supply, decline <strong>of</strong> the purchasing power <strong>of</strong> the dollar and the threat <strong>of</strong><br />

Bernanke that he would print massive amounts <strong>of</strong> dollars in case <strong>of</strong> a looming recession (causing him the<br />

nick<strong>name</strong> ‘Helicopter Ben’), does not bode well for the future value <strong>of</strong> the US dollar. Moreover, Middle<br />

13<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006


There are many ways to invest<br />

in gold. Physical gold, in the forms<br />

<strong>of</strong> coins for instance, i.e. the Eagle,<br />

Maple or Kruger Rand, or through<br />

the gold ETF in the US (symbol GLD).<br />

If you want more leverage to gold<br />

then you can buy gold explorers /<br />

producers in the form <strong>of</strong> (in the<br />

money) options on the Philadelphia<br />

Gold & Silver Index (ticker: XAU) or<br />

the Amex Gold Bug Index (ticker:<br />

HUI). You could <strong>of</strong> course also<br />

invest in gold stocks or gold mutual<br />

funds.<br />

MONEY<br />

Eastern countries (who have seen their wealth massively increase due to high oil prices) have openly<br />

declared to diversify out <strong>of</strong> US dollar assets. China is using part <strong>of</strong> its large US dollar reserve to buy<br />

gold. At the time <strong>of</strong> writing this article the dollar index has started its seemingly unstoppable decline.<br />

The above factors have certainly driven the recent demand for gold and I do not see any reason<br />

to believe that these issues will abate or be resolved any time soon.<br />

Should you invest in gold?<br />

Many sceptics have been silenced by the recent strong run up in gold. The top has been called at<br />

450, 500, 600 and now 700. How far can it run? No one can tell. I can only show you the facts, two <strong>of</strong><br />

which I would like to specifically highlight:<br />

Dow / Gold ratio<br />

Over the past century, in periods <strong>of</strong> inflation, the Dow/gold ratio has averaged about 3-5. Currently<br />

the ratio is about 16, from a high <strong>of</strong> 40 at the peak <strong>of</strong> the technology boom in 2000. If history is a<br />

guide and if we were to revert to a ratio <strong>of</strong> 5 then there are various<br />

possibilities. Gold could move to, say, USD 1,000 with the Dow collapsing<br />

over 50% to 5,000. The Dow could consolidate around the current level<br />

with gold eventually at 2,000 or, as some stock market bulls believe,<br />

the Dow could rally to 25,000, which means that gold would be at 5,000.<br />

The main reasoning behind the last prediction is that high inflation,<br />

due to the continuous printing <strong>of</strong> money, will lead to strong asset inflation<br />

and create an illusion <strong>of</strong> wealth, as happened in Germany in 1923. If<br />

this last scenario happens, you can safely assume that the purchasing<br />

power <strong>of</strong> your wealth at Dow 30,000 will be less than today, with the<br />

Dow at 11,000, except if you had converted part <strong>of</strong> your wealth to gold.<br />

CPI adjusted Gold price<br />

Adjusted for inflation, the price <strong>of</strong> an ounce <strong>of</strong> gold was around USD<br />

1,000 in the period 1720 to 1750. It then slowly declined (with significant<br />

volatility <strong>of</strong> course) to around USD 200 in 1920. Gold then rose to about<br />

USD 500 during the 1st world war, declined back to USD 200 in 1978 and<br />

rose to inflation adjusted USD 2,000 in 1981. The current issues, such<br />

as the geopolitical situation, debt problems, relentless money growth<br />

are a lot worse than in the 1980’s so it is not unreasonable to assume<br />

that gold could hit or exceed its CPI adjusted price <strong>of</strong> USD 2,000 over<br />

the next 5 years.<br />

To conclude, the case for gold is quite bullish, but you can rest<br />

assured that if the gold bull scenario plays out, it would be a gutwrenching<br />

ride. Certainly not for the faint hearted. Movements <strong>of</strong><br />

USD 100 up and down within a very short period <strong>of</strong> time will be the norm. I believe that investing in<br />

gold is much more a wealth preservation strategy than an investment strategy (think hyperinflation),<br />

so a small part <strong>of</strong> your portfolio (say 10%) in physical gold or gold related investments could protect<br />

you in case inflation gets out <strong>of</strong> hand or if the geopolitical situation worsens.<br />

There are many ways to invest in gold. Physical gold, in the forms <strong>of</strong> coins for instance, i.e. the<br />

Eagle, Maple or Kruger Rand, or through the gold ETF in the US (symbol GLD). If you want more<br />

leverage to gold then you can buy gold explorers / producers in the form <strong>of</strong> (in the money) options on<br />

the Philadelphia Gold & Silver Index (ticker: XAU) or the Amex Gold Bug Index (ticker: HUI). You could<br />

<strong>of</strong> course also invest in gold stocks or gold mutual funds. Whatever your strategy, please ensure that<br />

you consult your financial adviser.<br />

Disclaimer: All statements and expressions are the opinion <strong>of</strong> the writer and are not meant to be<br />

investment advice or solicitation or recommendation to establish market positions. It is strongly<br />

advised that readers conduct their own thorough research relevant to decisions and verify facts<br />

from various independent sources.<br />

14<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006


Mao-suits have been replaced by business suits.<br />

The economy has been five-folded. Internet has<br />

taken the place <strong>of</strong> the red book. A few decades<br />

ago a closed dictatorship and today the highest<br />

number <strong>of</strong> mobile phones. China is catching up and<br />

is doing so in such a fast way that it already belongs<br />

to the worldwide frontrunners in some areas.<br />

Behind these unique and stunning changes are<br />

people. On eight <strong>of</strong> these people, the trendsetters<br />

<strong>of</strong> the new China, a book has been written. The<br />

book is in <strong>Dutch</strong> and titled “De Inhaalchinees,<br />

Portretten van trendsetters in China”. This new<br />

book portrays people in the prime <strong>of</strong> their lifes<br />

who shape the new China in the areas <strong>of</strong> literature,<br />

business, architecture, food, sex, music, technology<br />

or politics. China is ‘hot’ and this book is about<br />

the people who are ‘hot’ in China.<br />

The book is written by Serv Wiemers, a<br />

diplomat who served at the Royal Netherlands<br />

Embassy in Beijing, from 2000 till 2005. In this<br />

period he was invited to Singapore by the ADB to<br />

give a presentation on doing business in China. Now<br />

he is back at the Ministry <strong>of</strong><br />

Economic Affairs in The Hague,<br />

serving in the management team<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Netherlands Foreign<br />

Investment Agency.<br />

On May 16, the book was<br />

presented to two people for<br />

whom China is a key country:<br />

Netherlands Foreign Trade<br />

Minister, ms. Karien van Gennip,<br />

BOOK REVIEW<br />

Who’s Hot in China<br />

and Bettine Vriesekoop, former table<br />

tennis champion, sinologist and new<br />

Beijing correspondent for NRC<br />

Handelsblad. The book got many<br />

positive reviews, some <strong>of</strong> which are<br />

published on the special website<br />

www.inhaalchinees.nl.<br />

During his years in China Serv<br />

Wiemers got fascinated by the<br />

dynamics <strong>of</strong> this country. “I met a<br />

lot <strong>of</strong> extremely interesting people.<br />

The book I have written is about<br />

these people. I have selected eight<br />

who personally contribute to the<br />

enormous changes China goes through at the<br />

moment. There are already a lot <strong>of</strong> books about<br />

China’s past and particularily the Cultural<br />

Revolution. Also there are many books describing<br />

“The Rise” or the “Coming Collapse” <strong>of</strong> China.<br />

There are few books however dealing with the new<br />

China. By showing the people behind the enormous<br />

changes, the reader will get a picture <strong>of</strong> what is<br />

going on in the reforming People’s Republic.”<br />

The people in the book are not just interesting<br />

people. They stand out. Take the richest woman<br />

in China, Zhang Xin, who received an award at<br />

the Biennale in Venice for combining art and<br />

architecture. As a teenager Zhang worked in Hong<br />

Kong’s sweat shops. Take former Tienanmen activist<br />

Edward Zeng, who set up China’s first internet cafe<br />

and saw Bill Clinton as one <strong>of</strong> his guests. Now Zeng<br />

is developing new standards in e-commerce. Take<br />

Cui Jian, the father <strong>of</strong> the Chinese rock music who<br />

recently performed with the Rolling Stones. “In<br />

this book, I do not only describe their lives and<br />

drives, but also the developments in the areas<br />

they are active in.”<br />

There is one non-Chinese pictured in the book.<br />

His <strong>name</strong> is Henk Bekedam, chief representative<br />

<strong>of</strong> the World Health Organisation in Beijing.<br />

Although <strong>Dutch</strong>, he is known by almost all Chinese.<br />

During the SARS crisis Bekedam daily appeared<br />

on Chinese television. By his personal drive he<br />

contributed to an open and more accountable<br />

Chinese government. He was consulted by premier<br />

Wen Jiabao and vice-premier Wu Yi. And he put a<br />

balanced development on the Chinese political<br />

agenda. “That is why Bekedam is a true trendsetter<br />

in China and fits very well in De Inhaalchinees,”<br />

says Serv Wiemers.<br />

De Inhaalchinees, Portretten van trendsetters in China<br />

(with pictures)<br />

ISBN 9086050034; €14,95; for sale in <strong>Dutch</strong> book stores<br />

or via www.inhaalchinees.nl<br />

15<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

I met a lot<br />

<strong>of</strong> extremely<br />

interesting<br />

people. The<br />

book I have<br />

written is<br />

about these<br />

people. I have<br />

selected eight<br />

who personally<br />

contribute to<br />

the enormous<br />

changes China<br />

goes through at<br />

the moment.<br />

– Serv Wiemers


Great Singapore Sale<br />

26 May - 23 July<br />

www.greatsingaporesale.com.sg<br />

�<br />

World Book Fair 2006<br />

Consumer book fair<br />

26 May – 4 June<br />

Suntec Singapore, Level 4<br />

www.bookfair.com.sg<br />

�<br />

Singapore Arts Festival<br />

An International arts festival with a distinctive Asian<br />

flavour, presenting performing arts from all over the world<br />

1-25 June<br />

www.singaporeartsfest.com<br />

�<br />

Event & Sponsorship Marketing<br />

8-9 June<br />

Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel<br />

www.abf-asia.com/project/1804SC_SIAA.pdf<br />

�<br />

The 21st Congress <strong>of</strong> the Asia Pacific<br />

Academy <strong>of</strong> Ophthalmology 2006<br />

10-14 June<br />

Suntec Singapore<br />

www.apao2006.com<br />

�<br />

EUSEA2006<br />

Euro-Southeast Asia 2006 Co-operation Forum on<br />

Information & Communication Technologies Conference<br />

and Exhibition. This first ever European & Southeast Asian<br />

ICT forum <strong>of</strong>fers Singapore ICT Players from research,<br />

academia, business and public administration a unique<br />

opportunity to meet with European and Southeast Asian<br />

counterparts and establish collaboration<br />

19-23 June<br />

Forum at Shangri-La Hotel; Exhibition at<br />

Singapore Expo - Hall 3B3-01<br />

www.eusea2006.org<br />

BIZZ AGENDA<br />

CommunicAsia2006<br />

The 17 th International Communications and Information<br />

Technology Exhibition & Conference<br />

20-23 June<br />

Singapore Expo<br />

www.communicasia.com<br />

�<br />

EnterpriseIT 2006<br />

The 3 rd International Information Technology Exhibition<br />

and Conference for the Enterprise<br />

20-23 June<br />

Singapore Expo<br />

www.goto-enterpriseit.com<br />

�<br />

BroadcastAsia 2006<br />

The 11 th International Digital Multimedia & Entertainment<br />

Technology Exhibition & Conference<br />

20-23 June<br />

Singapore Expo<br />

www.broadcast-asia.com<br />

�<br />

APCOT2006<br />

Asia Pacific Conference <strong>of</strong> Transducers and Micro-Nano<br />

Technology<br />

25-28 June<br />

Marina Mandarin<br />

www.apcot2006.com<br />

�<br />

Singapore Food Festival<br />

Showcase <strong>of</strong> Singapore’s cuisine, home grown F&B<br />

establishments, local food personalities and unique dining<br />

experiences<br />

1-31 July<br />

www.singaporefoodfestival.com<br />

�<br />

PSA2006<br />

16<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

The 8 th International Exhibition on Fluid, Air & Gas<br />

Handling Systems Incorporating Fluid Power and Control<br />

Systems & Instrumentation<br />

4-7 July<br />

Singapore Expo<br />

www.psa2006.com


HVAC Asia 2006<br />

The 6 th International Exhibition on Heating, Ventilation,<br />

Airconditioning, Refrigeration and Air Filtration &<br />

Purification<br />

4-7 July<br />

Singapore Expo<br />

www.hvacasia2006.com<br />

�<br />

INCMTA2006<br />

The 10 th International Conference <strong>of</strong> Nuclear Microphobe<br />

Technology and Applications<br />

9-14 July<br />

Shangri-la Rasa Sentosa<br />

www.icnmta2006.org<br />

BIZZ AGENDA<br />

AOGS2006<br />

Asia Oceania Geosciences Society 3 rd Annual Meeting<br />

10-14 July, Suntec Singapore<br />

www.asiaoceania-conference.org<br />

�<br />

14th Annual ICSC Asia Pacific<br />

Convention & Trade Exhibition<br />

12-13 July, Suntec Singapore<br />

www.icsc.org<br />

�<br />

CSR Asia<br />

CSR in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries is<br />

the first global conference to focus on the Corporate Social<br />

Responsibility (CSR) efforts <strong>of</strong> companies in this sector<br />

25-26 July, Intercontinental Hotel<br />

www.csr-asia.com


EMBASSY INFO<br />

The Philharmonic Winds (Singapore) with guest soloist<br />

Jörgen van Rijen, trombone (The Netherlands)<br />

The Philharmonic Winds, Singapore’s premier wind orchestra, make their festival debut<br />

with an exciting programme that includes Prelude, Fugue and Riffs by Leonard Bernstein<br />

and Artie Shaw’s Clarinet Concerto featuring clarinettist Tang Xiao Ping.<br />

Principal trombonist <strong>of</strong> the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Jörgen van Rijen, will<br />

dazzle you with the Singapore premiere <strong>of</strong> Downtown Diversions by award-winning<br />

composer Adam Gorb. Artistic Director and Resident Conductor Robert Casteels also<br />

presents the world premiere <strong>of</strong> his Second Symphony with a choir <strong>of</strong> voices and tubas.<br />

“In sound, dynamic, colour, musical understanding and expressiveness (Jörgen van<br />

Rijen is unequalled...a great musician.” – Luister, The Netherlands<br />

DATE & TIME : 3 June, 7.30pm<br />

VENUE : Esplanade Concert Hall<br />

TICKET PRICES : $50, $40, $30, $20, $15<br />

DURATION : 100 mins (with intermission)<br />

www.philharmonicwinds.org , www.sistic.com.sg or www.singaporeartsfest.com<br />

“The Great War”<br />

Hotel Modern<br />

(The Netherlands), Asian Premiere<br />

Highly commended for their originality, Hotel<br />

Modern presents strong visual theatre with the use<br />

<strong>of</strong> models to create live animation projected onto<br />

a movie screen. In The Great War, battlefield experiences <strong>of</strong> a young combatant in the<br />

trenches <strong>of</strong> World War I come alive. See how beans, mud, smoke bombs and parsley<br />

manipulated by nimble fingers are transmogrified from miniature battlefields into<br />

hyper-realistic war scenes!<br />

“…a theatrical experience that is poignant, powerful and yet so simple that, at times,<br />

it brings tears to the eyes” – Daily Post, UK<br />

DATE & TIME : 16 & 17 June, 8pm and 17 June, 3pm<br />

VENUE : Esplanade Theatre Studio<br />

TICKET PRICES : $35<br />

DURATION : 80 mins (no intermission)<br />

www.hotelmodern.nl , www.sistic.com.sg or www.singaporeartsfest.com<br />

“Bella Figura”<br />

Nederlands Dans Theater I (The Netherlands)<br />

Hailed as the state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art dance company, Nederlands Dans Theater I (NDT I)<br />

symbolizes the pinnacle and dominant force <strong>of</strong> neo-classical and contemporary dance.<br />

Under the continuous stewardship <strong>of</strong> renowned choreographer Ji_í Kylián for more<br />

than 30 years, NDT I has developed a formidable reputation for outstanding technique<br />

and grace. In this special triple-bill treat presenting the works <strong>of</strong> acclaimed<br />

choreographers Ji_í Kylián, Lightfoot León and Johan Inger, NDT I recreates the magic<br />

<strong>of</strong> dance for you!<br />

“A superb performance ... all the dancers are top-class” - Ine Rietstap (‘NRC<br />

Handelsblad’), The Netherlands<br />

DATE & TIME : 20 & 21 June, 8pm<br />

VENUE : Esplanade Theatre<br />

TICKET PRICES : $140, $120, $100, $80, $60, $40, $20<br />

DURATION : 122 mins (with intermission)<br />

www.ndt.nl , www.sistic.com.sg or www.singaporeartsfest.com<br />

18<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006


Public Holidays in June<br />

COMEDY by<br />

Introdans Ensemble<br />

for Youth<br />

The Envelope_photo Hans Gerritsen<br />

EMBASSY INFO<br />

The Embassy will be closed on the following <strong>Dutch</strong> and Singapore public holiday<br />

in June:<br />

Whit Monday on Monday 5 June<br />

NUS Centre For the Arts, in collaboration with The Royal Netherlands Embassy present<br />

COMEDY by Introdans Ensemble for Youth<br />

Performances<br />

Monday & Tuesday, 24 & 25 July 2006<br />

7.30pm (90min, with 15min intermission)<br />

UCC Theatre<br />

Tickets: $20, $25<br />

Workshops<br />

Monday & Tuesday, 24 & 25 July 2006<br />

2.30pm to 4.30pm<br />

University Cultural Centre (UCC) Dance Studio<br />

$10 (registration fee)<br />

For tickets and workshop registration, please call Ethan at 6516 4229 or email<br />

cfakchg@nus.edu.sg. For more details, visit www.nus.edu.sg/cfa<br />

COMEDY shows the diversity and uniqueness <strong>of</strong> this company that introduces dance to<br />

anyone, and is also suitable for children above 6. Interweaving energetic moves, fun<br />

costumes and creative set designs, both adults and children will intensely enjoy the<br />

art <strong>of</strong> dance combined with a lot <strong>of</strong> wit and humour.<br />

This performance is especially composed for the Singapore audience. It is a remarkable<br />

collection <strong>of</strong> hilarious ballets by renowned choreographers and is performed by the<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essional dancers <strong>of</strong> Introdans Ensemble for Youth. Join this enthusiastic ensemble<br />

in their interpretation <strong>of</strong> dance, ingeniously intertwined with humour and vitality!<br />

The line-up <strong>of</strong> choreographers makes COMEDY a treat for everyone. The stylish and<br />

comical work <strong>of</strong> Hans van Manen, Mats Ek’s lyrical interpretation <strong>of</strong> dance, the hilarious<br />

costumes and props by Patrick Delcroix and David Parson, as well as the rhythmical<br />

and boosting finale by Robert Battle ensure a wonderful and inspiring evening <strong>of</strong> dance.<br />

For more details on Introdans, please visit www.introdans.nl.<br />

Programme<br />

Sans Réponse<br />

Pas de danse<br />

Psycho Killer<br />

Black Cake<br />

The Envelope<br />

For more information: www.mfa.nl/sin<br />

19<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

~~~ 15 min Interval ~~~<br />

Het Debat<br />

Jeu<br />

Palimpsest I<br />

Final Sounds


New Members<br />

Tjalling van Asbeck,<br />

Adimec Electronic Imaging<br />

Rob Heijliger, ING Bank<br />

Werner van Eck, Philips<br />

Hendrik ten Hoeve, Compass Energy<br />

Anouk Diks<br />

Robert-Jan Bertina, Citco Singapore<br />

Nico Bac, Procter & Gamble<br />

Peter Verschuren, Shell<br />

Jan-Willem Adrian, DHL Global Mail<br />

Bert Besseling, KLM Cargo<br />

Rutgert van den Noort,<br />

PM Control Systems<br />

Leaving Members<br />

Jan-Oege Goslings, Shell<br />

Jan van de Venne, Philips<br />

Robert Andriessen, Fortis<br />

JUNE EVENT<br />

Internship & Job Seekers<br />

Name : Luuk Vaessen<br />

Age : 24<br />

Tel.no.<strong>of</strong>fice : +31 204266271<br />

Tel.no. mobile : +31 627305142<br />

Email-address : luuk.vaessen@blueskygroup.nl<br />

Study: Business economics<br />

Specialization: Finance<br />

Internship: I have completed my internship at Blue Sky Group (BSG),<br />

a <strong>Dutch</strong> pension fund in the Netherlands (KLM is one <strong>of</strong> its clients).<br />

For this internship, I have compared various mathematical models<br />

that can be used for evaluating active equity managers in order to<br />

determine the risk pr<strong>of</strong>ile <strong>of</strong> BSG.<br />

Working experience: Upon completion <strong>of</strong> my master thesis, which<br />

was based on the research during my internship, I started to work for<br />

BSG. I am responsible for implementing the mathematical models<br />

and evaluating the performance (investment style vs. required return)<br />

<strong>of</strong> the active investment managers.<br />

Looking for: A chance to work in a specialized and pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

team at a bank or asset manager that is responsible for analyzing<br />

and dealing in financial markets whenever they see a pr<strong>of</strong>itable<br />

opportunity.<br />

Name : Joey de Boer<br />

Age : 19<br />

Tel. no. home : +31 773518738<br />

Tel.no. mobile : +31 617672301<br />

E-mail : joeyboer_de@hotmail.com<br />

Study: Laws (Higher pr<strong>of</strong>essional education)<br />

Specialization: I have to choose my specialization in the third year,<br />

I am in the second year.<br />

ASSOCIATION INFO<br />

The secrets <strong>of</strong> Cargo & Logistics......<br />

Bert Besseling will explain what KLM (and Air France) cargo is in relation to other<br />

carriers and who their partners are. How are they organized and what is air cargo<br />

actually? What kind <strong>of</strong> commodities do they ship and why is air cargo so important for<br />

the global economy? What is the relation to other modes <strong>of</strong> transport and logistic<br />

chains and why it is difficult to change their way <strong>of</strong> working? What is the influence <strong>of</strong><br />

new industrial products and for example sport events on our business? If time allows,<br />

Bert will also explain the issue <strong>of</strong> weight and balance and payload on an aircraft.<br />

Date : 5 June Venue : Hollandse Club<br />

Drinks : 7 pm Presentation : 7.30 pm<br />

Bert Besseling, a 40 years veteran in KLM and mainly in Air Cargo<br />

sector. The last 25 years he was located in Europe and Far East in<br />

various positions. As Air Cargo is so diverse, the challenges and<br />

opportunities change every few years which makes this part <strong>of</strong><br />

transportation so interesting. Dealing with Air Cargo and its clients<br />

is very direct, to the point and a no nonsense business. Global<br />

knowledge <strong>of</strong> all industry markets and countries both economical<br />

and infrastructural are essential to make the right decisions on<br />

where to employ the most expensive asset – aircrafts.<br />

In his present function as Director Operations for KLM Cargo Asia, the main<br />

responsibilities are:<br />

• negotiation <strong>of</strong> handling contracts, total security and safety <strong>of</strong> 14 stations in Asia,<br />

• operational planning <strong>of</strong> aircrafts, quality such as ISO 9002, groundwork and<br />

implementation <strong>of</strong> new stations,<br />

• think-tank member for head-<strong>of</strong>fice for projects. In Singapore the regional <strong>of</strong>fice<br />

for total Asia was opened in 2000.<br />

20<br />

Vol.16 • No. 5 • June 2006<br />

Internship: My internship has to be at a company that is involved in<br />

law. My internship has to be 5 months starting from approximately<br />

the first <strong>of</strong> September.<br />

Working experience: Organisation <strong>of</strong> different events in sports,<br />

teaching tennis, working at an international company which exports<br />

and imports leather, worked in a bar and did there the adminstration<br />

as well.<br />

Looking for: An internship with a challenge in which I can learn and<br />

use my own experience and capacities.<br />

Name : Tom Canters<br />

Age : 20<br />

Tel. no. <strong>of</strong>fice : +31 773518290/home<br />

Tel.no. mobile : +31 628425037<br />

E-mail : tom_canters@hotmail.com<br />

Study: Small Business & Retail Management (Higher pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />

education)<br />

Specialization: An Economics student with a minor in Small Business<br />

& Retail Management and Commercial Economy who is keen to find<br />

a position where knowledge and experience can be gained. I am<br />

a business man with no 9 to 5 mentality. My strong points are:<br />

perseverance, creativity, discipline, social and sales talent.<br />

Internship: My school task is to find an operational function at a<br />

commercial company in a sales or marketing division. I have to start<br />

at the first <strong>of</strong> September and I have to work for (minimal) 19 weeks<br />

at a company.<br />

Working experience: Insurances counsellor, Interpolis nv. Tilburg,<br />

Owner and Marketing Manager, D‚n Hiep S.C. Eindhoven, Call Agent,<br />

Scheidegger Educations Venlo, Programmer and “Public Relation<br />

Man”, Texfree Festival Venlo, Social worker, Thuiszorg Noord Limburg,<br />

Waiter, Galerie de Hoeve Venlo and Waiter, Bilderberg Group Venlo.

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