ScandAsia Singapore March 2013

MAR 2013
Singapore
Gudmund Erling
a modern and creative
priest in Singapore
ScandAsia.dk ScandAsia.fi ScandAsia.no ScandAsia.se
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 1

I like to try new foods and at Stamford, I know
the food cooked by Chef Emmanuel Stroobant
will be healthy and nutritious, helping me be
the best student I can be.
Stamford is a world-class school with
over 50 nationalities of students from
2 years old through High School, offering
daily Mandarin and Spanish and the
rigorous IB Program enhanced by
American standards.
Open House on Friday, March 15 th
Register at www.sais.edu.sg
+65 6602 7247 www.sais.edu.sg
Stamford American International School CPE Registration Number: 200823594D Period of Registration: August 10, 2010 to August 9, 2014

Open House
at Stamford
American
International
School
Date: 15 March 2013
Location: Stamford American
International School in Singapore
Stamford American International School
in Singapore will hold Open House featuring
Stamford’s new, healthy and nutritious
foods on Friday, 15 March 2013.
Chef Emmanuel Stroobant will prepare
choices of good food for students, families
and interested people to enjoy.
For more information, call +65 6602 7247
To register, visit www.sais.edu.sg
Easter trip
to Rawa
Date: 23 – 26 March 2013
Location: Rawa
The Script
Concert in
Singapore
Date: 29 March 2013
Location: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Coming Events
The Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Singapore is hosting
an Easter trip to the beautiful island of Rawa. There
will be activities for kids, morning prayers, evening activities
and more. Participants will also have a lot of
spare time to relax and enjoy the sun.
Tickets are limited. Interested people are suggested
to register in church opening hours. Passport number
and expiration date are required from all travellers.
There are three types of accommodations available:
Hillside Deluxe at SGD 550, Beachfront at SGD 680,
and Water Front at SGD 840. Prices include 3 room
nights and 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners.
For more information, contact 6775 7835
www.singaporeatsjomannskirken.com
Irish alternative rock band The Script will be back to
perform in Singapore on March 29.
Based in London, the band released their eponymous
debut album in August 2008, featuring the hit
songs “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” and “Breakeven”.
They were in the Lion City for an intimate acoustic
showcase performance at Avalon back in September
last year. In April 2011, the rock trio also treated fans
at Fort Canning Park to their biggest hits.
This time, they will be performing at the Indoor
Stadium for a proper concert in support of their recently
launched album #3 which was released in September
2012.
For more information, visit www.sistic.com.sg
8 Women:
Date: 29 March – 7 April 2013
Location: SOTA Drama Theatre
Produced by Sing’ Theatre, the play embarks on a journey that explores the depths of the female
psyche: seduction, love, hate, resentment, anger, despair, tenderness and jealousy. In line with International
Women’s Day on 8 th March, Sing’theatre celebrates WOMEN by staging this murder-mystery
play turned into a critically acclaimed movie of the same name with Catherine Deneuve. This murdermystery
dark comedy is directed by multi award-winner Samantha Scott-Blackhall (Freud’s Last Session,
Lord of the Flies, The Physicists).
The show will start at 8.00p.m. on Tuesday to Friday. There will be two rounds on Saturday and
Sunday which will start at 3.00p.m. and 8.00p.m.
For more information, contact 6594 8411
March Home 2013
Date: 29 March – 7 April 2013
Location: Singapore Expo Hall 7,
Convention and Exhibition Centre
March Home 2013 is the ultimate home fair,
featuring a variety of high quality furniture for
all types of homes from a bachelor’s stylish
studio apartment, a cosy condo for newlyweds,
a five-room flat for a family with kids
to a large bungalow for an extended family.
There will be something for everyone.
For more information,
visit www.myhomeinternational.com.sg
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 3

Opinion
Mixed Marriages
a Risky Business
Your FREE
ScandAsia
Magazine
in Singapore
ScandAsia is the only magazine
that covers all the Danish, Finnish,
Norwegian and Swedish residents
in Singapore.
We also publish a ScandAsia magazine
in China, Thailand, and the rest
of South East Asia.
Please sign up for
your own FREE copy:
www.scandasia.com
Publisher :
211 Soi Prasert Manukit 29
Prasert Manukit Road
Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao
Bangkok 10230, Thailand
Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8,
Fax: +66 2 943 7169
E-mail: news@scandasia.com
Editor-in-Chief :
Gregers A.W. Møller
gregers@scandmedia.com
Assistant Editor:
Wachiraporn Janrut
wachiraporn@scandmedia.com
Advertising :
Frank Leong
frank@scandmedia.com
Finn Balslev
finn@scandmedia.com
Piyanan Kalikanon
piyanan@scandmedia.com
Nattapat Maesang
nattapat@scandmedia.com
Graphic Designer :
Supphathada Numamnuay
supphathada@scandmedia.com
Distribution :
Wanvisa Rattanaburi
wanvisa@scandmedia.com
Printing :
Advance Printing Services Co., Ltd.
Daily news and
features here:
www.scandasia.com
Front cover image courtesy of
Maxima Lenik
My Thai wife and I participated last month in the wedding celebrations in
Ho Chi Minh City of my good Danish friend and his Vietnamese fiancé. It
was a beautiful wedding with a generous mix of Chinese-Vietnamese and
Western-Danish traditions, sprinkled throughout with the great sense of humour that
my friend is gifted with.
In the morning, we went to her father’s house to ask for his permission for our friend
to marry his daughter. The ceremony was simple and still exotic and the father – supposedly
with her mothers acceptance – gave the marriage his blessing.
At the dinner party in the evening, we were several foreigners - mostly Danish male
friends of the groom. Looking around I noticed that we were all - except one bachelor
- married to various nationalities of Asian women. I happened to know that for
most of them, this was not their first marriage. The bride and groom, whose marriage
we were celebrating, had also both been married before.
So, mixed marriages are risky business? Well, you could say that any marriage is risky
business. But a few years ago an analysis from Denmark showed that the divorce rate
for mixed marriages was close to double that of marriages between a Danish-Danish
couple.
The analysis showed that of 10.000 marriages entered in 2000, eight years later 1.800
of the Danish-Danish couples had ended in a divorce. In comparison, 3.250 of the
mixed marriages had ended in a divorce.
I am quite sure you could question how this analysis was done and if the difference is
indeed that significant. I wonder also if other socio-demographic factors were considered.
Like differences in age. But beyond that I have no doubt that mixed couples face
a number of additional challenges that make them more prone to failure. Language
and cultural differences being the two most obvious.
But let’s focus instead on the marriages that did survive the dreaded “seven year
itch” and the mixed couples that did remain married. This was indeed the case with
most of the mixed marriage couples we were gathered around the dinner tables that
night. Maybe beyond the struggle of overcoming misunderstandings and forgiving
disappointments there is a deeper affection. But now we are into the department
of beliefs.
So what if some marriages are more risky to enter than other marriages? Love is risky!
Knowing that the road ahead may be bumpy should never stop anyone from setting
out to travel it.
Gregers Moller is the Editor-in-Chief
of ScandAsia and the founder of the
Scand-Media Group. He has lived in
Thailand since 1988.

Past Events
Danish Seamen’s Church occupied by ninjas
and cowboys – Fastelavn reaches Singapore
By Anders Holm Nielsen
Every Sunday on Mount Faber in
Singapore, Nordic expats gather in
the Danish Seamen’s Church for the
weekly service. However, on this particular
Sunday, February 24, many of them were
forced from the front rows and pushed
to the back as the church was occupied
by ninjas, princes, princesses, cowboys
and astronauts. “Fastelavn” had reached
Singapore.
The Danish tradition of Fastelavn is a
custom that dates back to the time before
the Reformation. Fastelavn marked the entrance
to the 40-day fasting before Easter.
In Denmark, just a few hundred years ago,
the day was quite an ordeal if you were a
cat. Many of them experienced the holiday
from the inside of a barrel being beaten
with sticks by children.
Today kids still dress up and swing
bats, however, the poor cats have been
spared and replaced by toys or candy. And
just because you now live in Singapore,
that does not mean you should be cheated
out of dressing up like a princess or fireman
and beating your way to some toys.
Nearly 300 people had turned up
when the Danish Seamen’s Church in
Singapore hosted Fastelavn. The church
on the hill was swarming with kids in
costumes along with their mothers and
fathers snapping away on their cameras.
The day started out with a different
kind of service. Hymns had been replaced
by children’s songs and instead of wine and
bread, lemonade and crackers were on the
menu of today’s Communion. For most of
the kids, the service was most likely more
of a warm up for the actual action. The
main event was waiting outside, as barrels
filled with toys had been hung up and bats
were ready to be swung.
One of first to approach the barrel
was a ninja kid, masked and dressed in
black. Bat in hand he confidently gave it
the first crack of the day. Witches, knights
and cowboys followed. Had there in fact
been a cat inside it would soon be going
deaf.
Knowing full well what was inside the
barrels, just waiting to be released to its
proper owners; it seemed that the kids
had gotten superhuman strength along
with their costumes. They gave it all they
had and parents kept a distance as flying
pieces of wood filled the air.
At around five o’clock the barrels had
been diminished to stacks of firewood, and
with sore arms and a new toy to bring
home it had been an eventful day for the
attending kids at the Danish Seamen’s
Church in Singapore.
6 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2013

First ScandBizBar of the season
By Anders Holm Nielsen
Past Events
The Norwegian Business Association Singapore
(NBAS) hosted the first ScandBizBar
of the season on 7 February 2013 at The
Cufflink Club in Jiak Chuan Road. It was a huge
success with a crowd of 70 – 80 people.
Attendees on the first three ScandBizBar
events of 2013 will be part of a grand draw for
a gift voucher from Siri Mendira, Bali Beach Villas.
People who left their business card or contact
details on the night would have the chance of
winning a three day stay including breakfast at a
villa in Bali. The lucky draw will be conducted on
the ScandBizBar on 4 April 2013.
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 7

Past Events
Concert with Viggo Sommer at
the Danish Seamen’s Church
By Anders Holm Nielsen
There is a first time for everything. Even jokes on masturbation and sex
with animals being blasted from a pair of speakers in the Seamen’s
Church in Singapore. Because that is what you get when you have
Danish singer and comedian Viggo Sommer to fly in from his vacation in
Thailand to perform.
The concert with Viggo Sommer was one of many unlikely acts to be
seen at the Danish Seamen’s Church on Mount Faber which have arranged
a number of concerts by snatching artists already in the neighborhood. The
unlikely pairing of entertainer and venue happened through Sommer’s friend
and soundmand, Johs, who supplied the church with other acts in the past.
Part of the night was also a lavish buffet that allowed people to enjoy the
show with a full stomach. At the bar, the audience could supply themselves
with beer, wine and water and the venue at Mount Faber along with the
entertainment made for a cozy evening.
The 56-year-old singer and comedian is probably best known for being a
part of the band and comedic trio, “De Nattergale” that among other projects
had a huge success with the Christmas show, “The Julekalender” from 1991.
Viggo Sommer is from the western part of Jutland and a large part of
his persona and act is performing his jokes and songs in a dialect that to
Copenhageners, who are often part of his jokes, can be hard to understand.
Armed with a guitar and a unique dialect, Viggo Sommer supplied a large
number of Danish expats with a piece of home. Part of the show were things
like songs about his divorce, jokes on two lost sperm cells, Copenhageners
wetting themselves at night and a bachelor party gone wild. It was certainly
not the material you would normally find in a church, but like Sommer said:
“Even the priest laughed.”
“It’s a special feeling being here because many of these people haven’t lived
in Denmark for several years so I’m not quite sure how much they know of me
or my songs. But they seemed happy and I think they bought it,” said Sommer.
And that they did. All night through the audience were singing along and
chuckling as Viggo Sommer shared his semi dirty and Danish humor.
8 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2013

Danish Embassy hosts networking event
for young Danes
On 5 February 2013 in Singapore, the Danish
Embassy held a networking night for Danish
young professionals and students. 15 students
and interns participated. They had defied the rain and
when they arrived at the ambassador’s residence, rye,
meatballs, “leverpostej”, champagne, beer and more
were supplied.
They received a warm welcome from Ambassador
Berit Basse who talked about the embassy’s work in
Singapore and the region. EU Visiting Fellow, Michael
Matthiessen of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
talked about his work in Singapore for the EU. After
that, priest Kristen and church assistant Rasmus from the
Seaman’s Church told about the work of the church and
its meaning for Danes in Singapore. They also said that
the students were always welcome to come and cook
in their kitchen. Consul Rie Madsen told the participants
about environment, safety precautions and gave travel
advice. Finally Sara Grønberg-Jensen talked about being
an intern at the embassy.
Past Events
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
GESS - Giving Children Roots and Wings
International education in German and English from Pre-School to Grade
12, encouraging students to develop their strengths and become balanced,
responsible and informed world citizens
1,500 students of more than 50 nationalities
Authorized IB World School for PYP, MYP, and IB Diploma programmes
taught in English (est. 2005)
German curriculum with all school leaving certificates (founded 1971)
Dedicated, caring international staff. Low student to teacher ratio
2 green, spacious campuses close to nature reserves
Modern facilities and ICT, bright airy classrooms
Wide range of co-curricular activities including vocal and instrumental
programme
C.A.R.E.@GESS uniting charity, community service and environmental
projects offering students hands-on encounters and understanding of Asia.
GESS 72 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289760
www.gess.sg . info@gess.sg . Tel: +65 6469 1131
CPE Registration Number: N05-01-443, Period of Registration: 22/06/2011 - 21/6/2017
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 9

Past Events
Thaipusam evening with SWA
By Rose Jensen
On Saturday 26 January 2012, the Scandinavian Women’s Association
(SWA) in Singapore organised an evening out in Little India
(an ethnic neighborhood found in Singapore) to see and learn
about the Hindu celebration Thaipusam. The event was fully booked and
40 persons participated.
Jan Lund from Asia Adviser told the attendees about the background of
the ceremony. The documentary “Thaipusam”, which he produced together
with Ib Søby from DK4, was screened at the event. Participants then enjoyed
traditional Indian dinner, arranged by Kirsten Nordahl, at the “Choor Bazaar”
Restaurant.
Guided by Jan and Kirsten, the participants left the restaurant at about 10pm
for the Sri Nivasa Perumal temple, a little further up the Serangoon Road.
The street was already quite crowded with many people wearing orange
robes and sarongs. It took a few minutes of pushing and shoving in an excited
crowd before they were able to enter the chaos of the temple grounds.
The scene, with religious ecstasy, wild yelling, upturned eyes and piercing of
chins and tongues, was a bit frightening, but also interesting. As there were
smiles all around, much laughing and singing, the contentment and peacefulness
of many of the participants also pointed at the proceedings being
controlled and deliberate.
Once a year 20,000 Tamils in Singapore celebrate Thaipusam. The festival
is a tribute and thanksgiving to the Hindu god Murugan who protect the
religious and fulfill their wishes.
It was a night to remember for the participants.
Jan Lund talking to the audience
FBC’s Extraordinary General Meeting
By Rose Jensen
An Extraordinary General Meeting was held on 13 December 2012 at
the Marina at Keppel Bay to address issues of immediate importance
with the Finnish Business Council in Singapore’s (FBC) constitution
and to elect committee members to replace those who have relocated or
otherwise needed to step down from their duties.
The name ”FBC Committee” itself was changed to “FBC Board” to
better reflect the type of work accomplished by the group. Also, now one
Individual Member can be elected as a member of the Board, and Board
members (if elected to do so) can hold their office for 5 consecutive years
in row instead of three. Also, Corporate memberships were divided into
Category A for companies with more than 5 employees in Singapore (fee
SGD 700 per membership term) and Category B for companies with less than
5 employees in Singapore (fee SGD 350 per term). For individual members,
it was decided to be kept unchanged (fee SGD 350 per term).
Mr. Arttu Salmenhaara from Kone Pte Ltd. was elected as a new Deputy
Chairman to replace Mr. Mikko Lehtonen from Nordea who has repatriated
to Finland. Seppo Leskinen from Karelia Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. was elected to
replace Ms. Nathalie Ahlström from Amcor Singapore Pte Ltd who decided
to step down due to work commitments. Mr. Jari Talvinen was re-elected
to continue as a Board member, now representing Paradise Investment &
Consulting Pte Ltd. instead of Aalto EE.
After the EGM and a following lunch, well-known competitive sailor and
Captain Ludde Ingvall gave an inspiring presentation called “Teamwork in a
Competitive Environment”, in which he looked into how effective teams are
created, what the benefits of teamwork are, and how teamwork is conducted
in high pressure environments. After the presentation, FBC members visited
Ludde’s AUDI Ultra boat moored in the marina.
10 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2013

Norwegian Kings
of Convenience
in Singapore
By Rose Jensen
News Brief
The Norwegian folk-pop duo Kings of Convenience kicked off
the last weekend of January with a memorable concert at the
3rd Singapore Laneway festival. As the first band entering the
stage, Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe geared up the early bird
hipsters in Singapore with an acoustic set of tunes that sent chills over
the crowd out in the burning sun. Finishing up with their 2004 hit “I’d
rather dance with you”, the duo left the crowd giggling after a swinging
dance performance by Øye.
For the first time, Laneway Festival was held at the Meadows at
Gardens by the Bay. The scenery of skyscrapers and the massive Marina
Bay Sands in the background gave a powerful feel to a Saturday
filled with modern rock, indie, folk-pop and electronic music.
Norgesskolen
July 7 – 26, 2013
Norgesskolen is a three-week summer school located
outside Oslo. This is a unique opportunity for youngsters
between the age of 9 to 18 to learn Norwegian language,
history and culture in an intensive yet enjoyable environment.
The vision for Norgesskolen is to give the children an
opportunity to become secure about their Norwegians
identity, learn as much Norwegian as possible and the
culture as well as creating friendships and networks that
last for a lifetime.
The program includes several hours of instruction daily.
In the afternoon there are various sports, cultural and
recreational activities to choose from. During their stay in
Norway, the students will enjoy camping, celebrating both
the 17 th of May and a Norwegian Christmas in the traditional
way - but in mid-July.
Norgesskolen provides children with a wonderful Norwegian
summer experience. Last - but certainly not least:
participating in Norgesskolen is a small contribution towards
globalization.
For more information: www.norgesskolen.no
Registration deadline: 1 st of April 2013
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 11

News Brief
Norwegian know-how contributes to
underground oil storage in Singapore
Faced with the growing demand for oil storage, coupled with the
scarcity of industrial land, Singapore’s JTC Corporation ventured
underground in search of an innovative solution for more industrial
space. This resulted in a groundbreaking solution for oil storage
with the gigantic underground rock caverns off Jurong Island. When
completed, the first phase of the rock cavern project will hold approximately
eight million barrels of oil and other petroleum product.
In this way, the petro chemical plants at Jurong can rely on a stable
and uninterrupted supply. The underground solution is safe and durable,
and saves approximately 60 hectares of surface land that may
be used for other purposes.
While Norway is widely known for its maritime and offshore
technology, the country’s competence in underground solutions and
rock excavation has for many years been in international demand. At
Jurong Rock Caverns, a Norwegian consortium consisting of Sintef,
Tritech and Multiconsult is offering engineering solutions and project
management to JTC, making sure that this gigantic, eight year project
finishes on time and within budget.
Inspired by its involvement in the Jurong Rock Caverns project,
Multiconsult, a leading Norwegian consultancy and engineering
company, is now establishing itself in Singapore with the aim to help
develop more space underground. To utilize the underground is an
approach that is increasingly popular in densely populated areas, in
Singapore and beyond.
Worldwide
Cost of
Living 2013
While Oslo ranked the forth most expensive city to live in among
all cities in the world, Singapore ranked sixth, up 3 places compared
with last year’s ranking, according to Worldwide Cost of
Living Index 2013 conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
The top five cities this year are Japan’s Tokyo, Osaka, Australia’s Sydney,
Norway’s Oslo and Australia’s Melbourne, almost all cities in Asian countries
or Australia.
The survey said “one of the features of the cost-of-living ranking over
the last few years has been the rise of many Asian cities offsetting traditionally
more costly European locations.”
Australian cities ranked high mainly due to inflation and currency swings, the
survey added.
According to the survey, there are now 11 Asian cities and eight European
cities among the world’s 20 most expensive cities, while a decade
ago “this was six Asian vs 10 European cities, with four cities from the
U.S.”
Singapore’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation in 2012 registered at
4.6 per cent, while at the same time its currency also saw appreciation last
year, which together make the city- state more expansive to live in.
Channel NewsAsia said China’s cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen have
seen the cost of living continue to rise, due to the wage inflation, increasing
demand for consumer goods and strict currency controls.
In contrast, Pakistan’s Karachi was at the bottom of the list and ranked
as the cheapest city among the 131 cities surveyed.
The survey, carried out twice annually and for more than 30 years, collects
over 400 individual prices across 160 products and services.
12 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2013

News Brief
Star Alliance introduced
enhanced Asia Airpass
Star Alliance has launched an
enhanced Asia Airpass to
serve growing demand of
travellers for travel across the Asian
continent.
Roundtrip for 52.000 THB
An example of a trip put together
by ScandAsia went from Bangkok
to Hong Kong to Beijing to Shanghai
to Seoul to Taipei and back to
Bangkok. The price was 52.000 Thai
Baht. To create a trip like this, Star
Alliance has developed a convenient
online Airpass Planner tool.
Asia Airpass must include a
minimum of three flights and a
maximum of 10, with a choice of
over 235 destinations. Countries
and territories that can be visited
on an Asia Airpass include: Cambodia,
China including Hong Kong
SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand,
Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The enhancement of the Asian
Airpass offers the following seven
fare products: Africa Airpass, Asia
Airpass, China Airpass, Europe Airpass,
North America Airpass, Circle
Pacific Fare, and Round the World
Fare
“These fares allow customers
to maximise their travel opportunities
on Star Alliance member airlines
and demonstrate the value of a
strong collective regional network”,
commented Horst Findeisen, Vice
President Commercial and Business
Development at Star Alliance.
Airpass
A Star Alliance airpass allows customers
to travel across a geographic
region making use of flights offered
by the various Star Alliance member
airlines. The fares are calculated on
a per coupon basis and offer better
value for money than buying individual
airline tickets. Airpasses can
be purchased in conjunction with
any international return ticket for
travel into the area on a Star Alliance
member airline.
• internationally recognized
• gives admission to universities
all over the world
• taught in English
You can stay at Nyborg Gymnasium’s
boarding school.
Contact us for more information about
the programme and the boarding school.
Deadline for applications:
15th of March
Circle Fare
The Circle Pacific Fare is designed to
facilitate travel between destinations
across the Pacific Rim using various
Star Alliance member carriers.
Customers select the destinations
offered to create a personalised
circular itinerary. The fare is calculated
by the total distance travelled
and cabin class, whereby passengers
have the choice of purchasing First,
Business or Economy Class. Travel
needs to begin and end in the same
country.
Round the World Fare
In addition, Star Alliance will continue
to offer its popular Round the
World Fare, where customers can
choose between three mileage levels
29,000, 34,000 or 39,000 miles.
The fare is available for travel in
First, Business or Economy Class.
Tickets are valid for one year and
permit anywhere between three
and 15 stopovers. Additionally, a
Round the World special fare is
International Baccalaureate
- an alternative to the Danish
‘Studentereksamen’
on offer, which is only available for
travel in Economy Class, has a maximum
mileage of 26,000, needs to
be purchased seven days prior to
departure and permits three to five
stopovers.
Star Alliance Book & Fly
“Star Alliance Book & Fly” is an online
booking tool available at http://
www.staralliance.com/en/booking/
book-and-fly Bookings can be made
anywhere in the world and tickets
are automatically issued electronically.
For more information, visit
http://www.staralliance.com/en/fares
Nyborg Gymnasium & Kostskole
Skolebakken 13, DK-5800 Nyborg, tlf +45 65 31 02 17
post@nyborg-gym.dk, www.nyborg-gym.dk
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 13

Gudmund Erling
a modern and
creative priest
in Singapore
Godmund Erling, the Swedish priest in
Singapore, spoke with Ika Forssell about
his personal career and spirituality.
By Ika Forssell
The Swedish priest, Gudmund
Erling, is walking
around greeting everyone
who has come to
enjoy a superb lunch
at the Swedish/Norwegian church
in Singapore. Every Thursday the
skilled kitchen manager Jon Inge
presents a great meal for hungry
people to enjoy at SGD 30 or SGD
15 for students. It is a popular event
and conversations are merry and
loud among all.
Exciting background
As a theology student in the 1990’s,
Gudmund decided he wanted to
become a priest. He was attracted
to the challenge of conveying the
message of God in an inspiring way,
and for many years he was active
in various congregations in the Gothenburg
region. The latest job that
Gudmund had before transferring to
Singapore was as a university priest
at Gothenburg University. It was a
huge task and highly important as
well as challenging. It involved acting
as a dialogue partner for students
at an important stage in their lives
which were filled with monumental
changes and serious decisions. Gudmund
also had students from other
religions seeking help from him. In
which case, he found it not only
challenging but also adding the excitement
to the job.
The daily life of being a priest
in a foreign country is vastly different
from that back in Sweden. In
the large organization that is the
Swedish Church, there will always
be somebody assigned to each task.
To name a few, there are positions
such as a treasurer, a deacon,
a secretary and a janitor– and the
priest can concentrate on his task
of being a priest. Here in Singapore,
Gudmund is a little bit of everything,
and he likes it. The church here becomes
more like a social meeting
place for members of the Swedish
and Norwegian communities. A
lot of different activities take place
throughout the week for people of
all ages.
You can check out the comprehensive
weekly schedule at www.
svenskakyrkan.se/singapore, where
you click on “AKTIVITETER” in
the navigation to see the schedule.
Nearly everything is integrated between
Norwegians and Swedish at
the church. So far, says Gudmund, it
is only the baby play groups, where
Swedish and Norwegian groups
14 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2013

The port
cranes in the
background
reminds the
Swedish priest
Gudmund
Erling and his
wife Mia that
they are in busy
Singapore. But
inside the fence,
the Church is a
peaceful oasis for
the Norwegian
and Swedish
communities.
that are still held on different days.
Gudmund is happy to have had the
opportunity to get to know Norwegian
customs on a deeper level. The
cooperation is definitely something
that enhances the experience for
everyone at the church.
Gudmund has lived abroad before.
As a young child he lived for
six years in Ethiopia in Africa with
his family. His father worked as a
missionary priest and his mother as
a school teacher during a time of
great unrest in the region. Thanks
to Sweden’s benevolent relations
with Ethiopia and SIDA’s emerging
involvement in the region, the family
enjoyed protection and a relatively
calm life. Gudmund has inherited a
great deal of his parents’ adventurousness,
which naturally has helped
pushing him onto this Far East adventure
where he has taken his own
family on now.
From seamen to residents
Originally, the Swedish/Norwegian
church in Singapore was only the
Norwegian Seamen’s Mission. It was
established to offer an alternative to
the vice that seamen often used to
spend their time at when ashore.
The church was much needed and
it attended to those who were
passing by. Nowadays, the situation
is very different. The church is
a natural meeting place for Norwegian
and Swedish residents, students
and tourists in Singapore. It was
only as late as 1984 that the Swedish
church joined in and formed the
successful partnership that we know
today. Gudmund also talked about
their cooperation with local churches,
in which they offer services to
seafarers inside of the restricted
zone in the harbor. A number of
churches have joined together to always
provide a listening ear to those
who need to talk to a caring human
being, without the hassle of passing
through immigration.
Speaking about religion in multicultural
Singapore, Gudmund says
that he is impressed with the Singaporean
way to handle the different
religions. “Here, they are always
very aware of the consequences
that religions have on different circumstances,”
he comments.
Spirituality in modern life
In the pleasant atmosphere of the
church room our conversation
moves to a more philosophical discussion
about spirituality in general.
I try a hypothesis on Gudmund,
which I have been thinking about
lately. I have a feeling that we are
becoming more and more spiritual
as human beings – even if not
completely aware of it – and I wonder
if he agrees. More and more
people seek simpler life styles and
less materialism. We are constantly
bombarded by little words of wisdom
through viral videos or pretty
pictures posted on social media
and blogs. A story of courage and
warm compassion will make a
greater impact on our emotions
than a traditional success story on
fortune and fame. Gudmund gives
this a thought and then refers back
to the 1990’s in the post bubbleera,
when people fed up with a
hysterically expanding economy
and a tireless race after more and
more money in the 80’s. People
yearned for more thoughtfulness
and contemplation. It was a natural
reaction against the shallow values
that reigned during those days.
Bookshelves were filled with titles
on self-help and personal psychology.
Famous musicians and artists
pioneered the movement and created
songs of compassion.
Next shift in spirituality for
Swedes came in the 2000’s with the
emerging “multi-religious” Sweden.
With the influx of most significantly
Islam, many people found themselves
reflecting over their faith.
All of a sudden there was another
viewpoint on religion that people
were not familiar with. Many people
wondered what to believe in, and
wanted to find out whether they
were really religious or not.
Teenagers at the church
One of Gudmund’s favorite tasks is
to lead the monthly meetings the
confirmation group. The teenagers
are a fresh breeze of contemporary
spirit. They often come as more or
less totally clean slates, and some
have not heard the various stories
from the Bible before. Gudmund
considers it a privilege to be the one
to tell the story first. It is otherwise
a great challenge to always be creative
and find new ways to convey
the message of the Bible in order to
reach out to people’s minds. With
the teenagers he seeks to find what
is relevant, in the old stories, to us
in today’s society. Often it is about
drawing parallels – to extract the
archetypes of good and evil, and to
make them think.
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 15

Giving back
to Singapore
16 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2013

Lisa Thrane is the
new President of
the Scandinavian
Women’s Association
(SWA) in Singapore.
She plans to
introduce new events
and activities to SWA
members, expanding
the expats gatherings
while increasing the
association’s support
for local charity
projects.
By Sofie Lisby
I would like SWA
to become a
gathering point
where people
know there are
activities they
can attend and
where they can
find different
information
and learn about
other people’s
experiences of
being expats here.
After the departure of
SWA’s former President
Lis Heisselberg,
Lisa Thrane stepped in
as Acting President in
December last year. The long-time
Singapore resident and mother of
two has spent the last couple of
months laying out the Association’s
new strategy.
As an expat in Singapore herself,
Lisa knows that you can easily get
isolated if you don’t know anyone
whom you can pick up a phone to
call and arrange to go out with. So
part of the new strategy is to make
SWA more visible and accessible for
new as well as old members.
Lisa has added the activity calendar
on the website, which now
features an updated calendar where
people can get on overview of what
is offered and when. The reason is
for us to be more accessible and to
make that initial contact easier, she
says.
“I would like SWA to become a
gathering point where people know
there are activities they can attend
and where they can find different
information and learn about other
people’s experiences of being expats
here,” explains Lisa.
In addition to SWA’s wellknown
and popular activities such
as Walk’n’Talk, where members and
non-members meet on Wednesday
mornings for a walk of around two
hours, and Ladies’ Lunch, usually held
on the last Thursday every month,
Lisa is using her background as a
swimming teacher to offer more
recreational activities such as body
toning and boot camp classes which
will be added to the calendar on
Tuesdays and Fridays, depending on
attendance.
Also on the drawing board
are guided tours of Singapore with
Kirsten Nordahl, the owner of a
tours and events company, www.
mitsydøstasien.dk, where attendees
can learn more about the history and
culture of specific areas of the island.
With the plans to introduce
more events and activities, Lisa hopes
to increase the number of SWA
members from 90 to 150.
“If our members like the activities
we offer they are more likely to invite
their friends who will then hopefully
invite their friends. That way it will
spread like rings in the water,” says
Lisa.
Charitable endeavours
While a goal in itself, growing member
numbers through more events
and activities is also part of a larger
strategy to improve SWA’s finances
in order to increase its donations to
charities. Through membership and
activity fees as well as donations from
the Scandinavian community, SWA
supports various charitable causes in
Singapore. The Marit Thome Scholarship,
named after SWA’s founder,
supports two students at Singapore
Polytechnic with S$2,500 each which
goes towards tuition fees and books.
“We have supported these
charities for many years and as long
as we have any money in SWA we
will continue to give out the Marit
Thome Scholarships,” says Kirsti
Wisloff, SWA’s Charity Officer. “We
hear feedback that we are really making
a difference with this scholarship.”
SWA also supports families on a
yearly basis through Breadline Group,
a community service of volunteers
registered with the Societies Act/
Charities Act. One of the biggest
charity organisations in Singapore,
the Breadline Group supports more
than 200 families, recommended to
them by social workers.
Every month the Breadline
Group meets and decides which
families to support and they then
recommend families to SWA who
makes the final decision on who
to support with anything between
S$100-300 per month based on the
Association’s values.
“We prefer to help families with
children if possible,” says Kirsti Wisloff.
“And we have actually had to say
goodbye to some families because
they had been receiving the support
for more than six years.” Kirsti
explains that most of the families are
supported for a short time only, as a
help when they are really down and
not as part of their regular income.
“The message we give out to
families is: we are going to help you
with this amount of money for a
certain amount of time and after
that we’re going to re-evaluate the
situation,” adds Lisa.
“The hardest part is to tell them
that: sorry, now we can’t help you
anymore. But if they know from
the start that they have six months
to work something out, it can help
motivate them.”
80 dollars can make
a difference
After joining SWA for a short period
of time when she first came to Singapore
12 years ago, Lisa took a long
break from the Association before
joining as a board member one and
a half year ago.
“For many years, SWA just didn’t
appeal to me,” she says. “There was a
lack of visibility, which I think was the
main reason why I wasn’t a member
for so long. I didn’t know exactly what
the point of being a member was because
I could still attend the activities
if I wanted. Then a year and a half ago,
I read an article in ScandAsia about
Lis Heisselberg and SWA’s support
for charity projects, and I remember
thinking it was a good cause. For
a membership fee of 80 dollars I
could make a difference for a family
out there for an entire month. So I
became a member again.”
The lack of information about
the work and objectives of SWA
is something that Lisa Thrane sees
as one of the biggest hindrances to
recruiting new members.
“If you are aware of what 80 dollars
can do, then you are likely to stay
because it is a good cause that you
can support for a reasonable amount
of money,” she reasons. “But if you
don’t know about the charitable
aspects of SWA you may decide
to save the 80 dollars because you
don’t know what it will go towards.
So it is also important for me to keep
the costs down. The annual general
meeting for example is being held
at the Seamen’s Church and we are
going to buy coffee and cake from
them. We hope that many would
like to bring a friend or two along to
hear about and support our work.”
In addition to the Marit Thome
Scholarship and the Breadline Group
families, SWA supports The Tent, a
girls’ home, with S$300 per month.
Home to girls aged between 12 and
18, some of whom have been abused
and some of whom are convicted
of petty crimes, The Tent provides
each girl food and shelter and a small
amount of money per day, which
is just enough to buy school lunch.
The SWA donation is meant to be
pocket money for the girls to spend
on private things like clothing.
“That is just something that
speaks directly to my heart,” said
Lisa. “How many parents would not
be moved by that? We live quite
privileged lives as expats in Singapore
and we have so much more than we
asked for. Could we not share a little
bit with those who are actually from
this country?”
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 17

Dotcom bust to
dotcom boom
Meet the Icelandic
website developer
who made a digital
comeback in
Thailand.
By Wachiraporn Janrut
Thordur Adalsteinsson is
among very few Icelanders
in Thailand. What
brought him here? Not
the hot weather nor the
spicy food – but a chance to start
a business creating top quality websites
for companies all around the
world.
Thordur certainly has experience:
When the internet was exploding
in popularity in 1995, he was
among the brave men tapping the
business opportunities. He started
a company, Icon Media Lab, with his
partners in Denmark.
“There was a lot of internet
hype and it was expensive to have
a homepage at the time. And our
company grew to be quite big,” says
Thordur.
How it all began
Leaving Iceland aged 21 to study Arts
and Graphic Design in Denmark,
Thordur is fluent in Danish and well
integrated with the Danish culture.
After school he worked at an
advertising agency and later learned
to create website designs. And Icon
Media Lab Company was established
following the hype. From five staff in
1995, the company grew to include
over 200 staff in 2002. It expanded
to serve a large number of clients in
Scandinavia.
However, the heyday came to
an end for Thordur in 2002 when
the dotcom collapse hit the internet
industry badly, leaving thousands of
people unemployed.
According to Thordur, prices
collapsed “big time.” The company
could not market a homepage for a
million baht like before as the price
came down to just about 100,000
baht.
“My company also collapsed. I
lost everything at the time. I went
bankrupt and had to sell my apartments
and two boats,” says Thordur
A new start in Asia
With extensive experience in the
industry, Thordur and his Swedish
friends whom he worked with in
Denmark met in Chiang Mai in 2007
to discuss possible business opportunities.
We needed to rethink the
price concept, he says.
“We still wanted to produce
quality web designs and graphic
designs but we couldn’t compete
with the price. It was and still is so
costly to produce in Denmark. And
we got an idea we wanted to come
to Southeast Asia,” says Thordur.
Area Digital was then established
in 2007 in Chiang Mai with a team
of three Scandinavian friends. Instead
of outsourcing Thais, Indians, Asians
from Denmark, they came to outsource
these talents in Asia. Nevertheless,
the three partners continued
to serve clients in Denmark, Sweden
and Iceland.
“We can still deliver the services
and quality designs like when we
were in Scandinavia but at the Asian
prices. That’s what established our
edge and brought us up again,” says
Thordur.
Moving to Bangkok
Soon after setting up their office in
Chiang Mai in 2007, Area Digital
decided to temporarily relocate their
operations to Bangkok because the
air pollution in Chiang Mai caused
by a yearly crop burning became
unbearable to Thordur and his team.
“The fire took us here. We were
planning to go back but we met a
lot of interesting people in Bangkok
and decided to move our base here
permanently,” says Thordur.
18 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2013

Since 2008, Area Digital has been
located at BB Building in Asoke,
one of the central business districts
in Bangkok.
Competitive services
Specialising in providing homepages
and content management system
(CMS), Area Digital offers graphic designs,
web designs, and online branding/marketing
consultancy services.
Thordur says that for a homepage
to be successful on the internet, it
needs to be maintained and updated
on a regular basis, and thus most
Scandinavian clients request for CMS.
The system also provides security
that there is very small chance for a
website to be hacked.
The company can also create
websites which require advanced
systems such as API Connection –
the communication between two
systems. With the API connection,
for example, a hotel booking website
can link users’ requests to the booking
system of participating hotels
instantly.
According to Thordur, prices
depend on complexity, different demands
in designs and functionalities.
The company’s prices are considered
very competitive in Scandinavia.
However, they are considered
expensive for many Thai-Thai companies.
“We have clients in Thailand but
they are western-owned companies.
Thai-Thai companies tend to have
different understandings in regard to
designs and price,” says Thordur.
Client Profiles
Apart from clients in Scandinavia, the
company has expanded to include
high profile clients in the region such
as Medeguide, Sunway Healthcare
and one of the biggest companies in
Malaysia, Sime Darby.
“We target high-profile clients
but we also serve small clients who
want quality websites and are OK
with our prices and most of them
are westerners,” says Thordur.
Sime Darby is one of the largest
companies listed on Bursa Malaysia
and, according to its website, has a
market capitalisation of RM57.63 billion
(USD19.13 billion). Area Digital
has created a website for Sime Darby
healthcare and its colleges.
“We deliver outstanding Scandinavian
graphic designs and outstanding
programming capabilities. Our
quality is at such level that we have
We deliver outstanding
Scandinavian graphic designs
and outstanding programming
capabilities. Our quality is at
such level that we have attracted
clients like Sime Darby, one of the
biggest companies in Malaysia.
attracted clients like Sime Darby,”
says Thordur.
According to Thordur, Area Digital
also provides consultancy services
to Sime Darby.
The company also serves a
number of Scandinavian companies
in Thailand such as Hyde and Seek
– a stylish gastro bar owned by two
Swedish brothers – an Icelandicowned
travel agency called Oriental
and a Danish-owned travel website
called Visit Beyond which features
six destinations including Thailand,
Vietnam, China, India, Nepal, and the
Philippines.
Business expansion
After the economic collapsed in
Iceland in 2008, Thordur says that
he lost all of his clients there and the
company has changed its focus to the
markets in Denmark and Sweden.
And since markets in Asia are
now growing very fast, Area Digital
also aims to expand its client base to
more countries in the region.
“It’s clearly happening in Asia.
We are looking for sales representatives
and opportunities to set up
offices in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore
and Hong Kong,” says Thordur.
Even though Thordur visits
Sime Darby and Sunway healthcare
frequently in Malaysia, he says it’d be
valuable to have an office in KL where
his clients could just walk into and
have a cup of coffee and discussion
together.
“In this ever more digital climate,
we want to offer a personal touch
that clients can come in to shake our
hands and talk to us on a personal
level,” says Thordur.
The future
Though most of Area Digital’s clients
are western-owned companies,
Thordur says that he can see changes
in the perception of website quality
in Asia.
“Awareness is growing in Asia in
regards to quality web designs and
programming including CMS and
security,” says Thordur.
When asked about his views on
the future of the internet and web
design industry, the experienced
Icelander reckons that the desktop
computer is going to be disappearing.
“Right now it has been evolving a
lot. Everything is going to come down
to iPhone, Android phones, Tablets
and so forth. So now it is about creating
a website that is responsive,” says
Thordur.
“Responsive design is the hype
now. At the moment, most of our
clients request for the website designs
that are responsive to different
media platforms,” he adds.
Thordur says that he also wants
to create more awareness about
Green hosting because traditional
hosting methods require lots of
energy, generate a lot of heat, and
have a detrimental impact on the
environment.
“Now we are working on a
partnership with GreenQloud, the
Icelandic company which offers
a public compute cloud and data
storage services that are hosted at
renewable energy-powered facilities.
We see a great opportunity in utilizing
Iceland’s abundant 100 per cent
renewable geothermal and hydro
energy infrastructure, naturally cool
climate and strategic location as a
means to clean up IT and greatly reduce
the industry’s carbon footprint.
We, therefore, offer our clients a
choice to host their websites on this
truly green and 100 per cent renewable
energy server,” he says.
The company is looking to
expand in Asia and hope to raise
awareness of Green hosting and its
effects on global warming among
Asian companies.
“I’m excited about the expansion
and I have great hopes for it. However,
if this doesn’t work with Area
Digital, I’d become a captain sailing a
boat,” he says with a smile.
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 19

Aava Resort & Spa
named one of the best
hotels in the world
Praised for its unique Scandinavian and
Thai fusion design and superb location
on an unspoiled beach in Khanom, Aava
Resort and Spa was voted one of the
best hotels in the world by TATLER
Travel Guide 2013.
By Wachiraporn Janrut
Finnish entrepreneurs Atte
Savisalo and Kati Hakkinen
received a great Christmas
present in December
last year when their Aava
Resort & Spa was voted one of the
101 Best Hotels in the World in the
globally acclaimed ‘TATLER Travel
Guide 2013’.
“After we heard about it, it was
difficult to keep it a secret. The Guide
was published just before Christmas
and it was our best Christmas present
ever,” says Kati Hakkinen with
excitement.
Making the grade
Located in Khanom, Nakhon Si
Thammarat province in Southern
Thailand, Aava Resort & Spa was
one of the five hotels and resorts in
Thailand included in the top list of the
2013 TATLER Travel Guide.
Focusing on glamorous lives and
lifestyles, TATLER has been around
for more than three centuries, making
it one of the oldest magazines in
the world. The magazine publishes
various supplements including the
world renowned Travel and Restaurant
Guides. Being voted as one of
the best hotels in the TATLER Travel
Guide was a proud moment for the
Finnish couple.
For reservations,
contact
+66 824199617
or visit
www.aavaresort.com
20 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2013

“We are proud of ourselves
and our staff. This is the biggest
achievement in our career in the
hotel business. And the fact that no
other Finnish-owned hotel has ever
received a similar recognition makes
it even more special to us,” said the
Finnish couple.
In the review, Aava was praised
for its unique design - Scandinavian
and Thai fusion - and its location on
white powdered 9km stretches of
the stunning and deserted Nadan
beach in Khanom where you only
have the odd fisherman for company.
“I love seeing genuine smiles from
locals here. It’s something that is very
rare in touristy places,” says Kati.
Khanom – pristine
destination
Virtually unheard of by most people,
Khanom is a tranquil, pristine and unspoiled
destination with an authentic
backdrop of Thai provincial life. There
are also many beautiful waterfalls in the
hills, huge limestone mountains pocketed
with mossy caves, pods of pink
dolphins in the sea, and a vast national
park with the oldest evergreen forest
in the world.
“Khanom is what today’s holidaymakers
are looking for – naturally beautiful
beaches, authentic Thai atmosphere,
no hustle of street/beach vendors, and
stunning nature on your doorstep. They
are looking for new destinations and
somewhere neighbours or colleagues
have not yet been,” says Atte Savisalo.
Despite it quiet location on the
placid Na Dan beach, the resort is
just an hour and a half drive from
the two major airports: Surathani
and Nakhon Sri Thammarat. There
are several daily flights from Bangkok
to the two provinces. Transfers
between the resort and the two
airports, plus Koh Samui, Phuket and
Krabi can also be arranged.
Unique design
Designed by Finland’s leading interior
designer Mr. Vertti Kivi, Aava Resort
& Spa consists of 28 bungalows, two
restaurants and a spa. Mr. Kivi won
‘Interior Architect 2011’ award for
his work for Aava. The award was
given by Finnish Designers association
‘ORNAMO’.
“Since the beginning, we had a
plan to build something that will be
seen, something unique and different,”
says Kati.
On top of its design and destination,
Aava Resort & Spa was also
praised for its facilities for children
and incredible food at its fine dining
restaurant ‘Aalto’.
Delectable food
The resort’s beachfront Aalto restaurant
offers Euro-Asian fusion dishes
and an extensive wine selection in
a stylish and romantic ambience.
Although seafood is popular, Kati says
that most of the visitors tend to go
for classic steaks. Since November
last year, the menu has been extended
after a visit of the Guest Chef
Petri from Finland. The restaurant is
recognized as serving the best international
cuisine in Khanom.
The resort also has another
restaurant ‘Aava Pizzeria & Bakery’,
offering traditional wood fire oven
pizzas, freshly baked breads and
pastries.
Wellness activities
Since there are more tourists looking
for wellness activities on their
holidays, Aava Resort & Spa offers a
weekly wellness schedule to healthconscious
guests, featuring various
classes such as Anapanasati meditation,
Flow Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Pilates,
Tai Chi, Stretching and Pyanayama
(breathing exercises). The latest
addition to the wellness schedule is
Kids Muay Thai which has been well
received by families with young boys.
Wellness Coordinator Khun Chack
teaches daily. The individual wellness
holiday packages can also be created
catering to specific needs of customers.
However, Kati says that the
resort doesn’t offer detox and weight
loss programs as it focuses mainly on
overall health and wellbeing.
In September this year, American
yoga guru Gabriel Azoulay will visit the
resort to host a special yoga retreat.
For more information about Mr. Azoulay,
visit www.gabrielazoulay.com.
Expansion
Since its grand opening in September
2010, the resort has been growing
fast in popularity. According to Kati,
the biggest clientele are Danes and
Thais, followed by Finns, Swedes,
Britons, Italians and Germans.
“We had nine nationalities at our
Christmas dinner. During Christmas,
New Year holidays and in February,
we had more booking requests than
what we could accommodate,” says
Kati. “We’ve noticed that we need
more room capacity and we would
like to expand. The resort has always
been our own project but this year
we plan to look for investors.”
Though the high season is from
December to March, Kati says that the
best time to travel to Khanom is from
March to October because the weather
is fantastic and prices are lower.
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 21

Medium
Evil
Danish Meatloaf
(Forloren hare)
By Anders Holm Nielsen
It hardly gets more Danish than this. The Nordic version of meatloaf is
the signature dish of any grandmother who’s trying to fatten up a skinny
grandchild. Take a break from your diet and gorge on pork, veal potatoes
and gravy.
Ingredients:
• 500 g minced veal and pork • 2 Eggs • 50 g bread crumbs • 2 onions, blended
• 50 g wheat flour • Salt • Pepper • Half a decilitre whipped cream, 38%
• Half a decilitre sparkling water •125 g bacon, sliced
For frying • 2 decilitres whole milk • 2 decilitres pork broth
Gravy • 1 decilitre cream, 18% • 2 tsp corn starch • Salt • Pepper
• 1 tbsp Currant Jelly
Accessories • 1000 g potatoes, peeled weight
Are you done?
When you have completed the above puzzles, please send your
solution by fax to +66 2 943 7169 or scan and email to puzzles@
scandasia.com. We will make a lucky draw among the correct
answers. Five lucky winners will receive a ScandAsia polo shirt.
Name: ___________________________________________________
Age: ________________________ Mobile: ___________________
Address: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Email: __________________________________________________
Deadline for submitting your solution is 15 April 2013
Directions
Stir meat with salt and mix in eggs and cream, then add onions, flour and
breadcrumbs and finally sparkling water.
When mixed together, form it and wrap it in bacon.
Give the “hare” 15 minutes at 225 degrees. Reduce heat to 160 degrees and
pour the milk and broth by. Leave in the oven for about half an hour at 160
degrees until the stuffing is cooked.
Sauce
Take all the roux from the pan and sift it into a pot. Warm it up and smooth
with cornstarch stirred into cream. Warm the sauce and season with salt,
pepper and jelly.
22 ScandAsia.Singapore • March 2013

Who would want
to stay in a hotel
without free Wi-Fi?
In a modern world where smart
phones, tablets, and laptops have
become indispensible items for
many people, access to online
or free Wi-Fi offer is a top
priority for global travellers when
choosing a hotel both for business
and leisure travel, according to the
latest research from leading online
accommodation booking service,
Hotels.com ® .
Also high on the priority list are
free food and beverages, and the
technological creature comforts of
home such as high-end coffee maker.
And here is the report summary.
Staying Connected…
for Free
• 34 per cent say free Wi-Fi is the
number one factor in choosing a
hotel even on leisure stays.
• 56 per cent of respondents said
free Wi-Fi was their number one
must-have when travelling for
business.
• 66 per cent indicated free Wi-Fi
is the amenity they most wish
would become standard at all
hotels in 2013.
Only 11% of global travellers said
they would be willing to pay for Wi-Fi
when staying in a hotel.
The Perk of New Technology
– Favourite “Modern” In-Room Amenity
It would seem that the technological
creature comforts of home are also
high on the priority list for travellers
with 23 per cent choosing high-end
coffee makers as their top modern
in hotel room amenity. Totally wired
rooms which are completely controlled
by one remote for any need
took 20 per cent of the vote. Guests
also indicated they would like to
enjoy that much-wanted free Wi-Fi
on hotel-provided tablets for guest
information, room service and local
guides (15 per cent). Parallel
It’s the Little Things that
Count – Most Appreciated Simple
Amenity
Keeping hydrated when travelling is
important to hotel guests with 43 per
cent choosing complimentary bottled
water as the most appreciated simple
amenity. Only respondents from Taiwan,
Hong Kong and Brazil rated free
power adaptors above bottled water.
The Way to Hotel Guests’
Hearts – Through Their Stomachs!
• Free breakfast ranked as the
favourite (31 per cent) non-tech
item global travellers want to see
become standard at all hotels in
2013.
• Happy hours, wine tastings or
any other time with free food
and drinks is 42 per cent of
global travellers’ favourite newly
offered hotel service amenity,
with international breakfast options
coming in second (19 per
cent).
• Travellers cite unlimited free
food and beverages as their most
(23 per cent) missed comfort
from home when travelling. Another
14 percent said they miss
access to cooking in their kitchen
the most.
Five-Star Life – The Highs and
Lows of Luxury Perks
• 26 per cent say their favourite
amenity while staying at a luxury
hotel is the high end fitness centre
and/or spa, while designer
toiletries also rank highly (21
percent).
• While travellers enjoy their time
living the highlife, the promotion
of bath menus/bath butlers (26
per cent) and turn down service
(24 per cent) as amenities simply
aren’t of interest according to
survey respondents.
• More than half of respondents
(54 per cent) chose the complimentary
use of a Rolls Royce
Phantom as the “outrageous”
luxury hotel amenity they’d
most like to experience. No real
surprise there!
• The surreal car ride beat out access
to a tea sommelier (nine per
cent), in-room mixologist (nine
per cent), and fragrance butler
(five per cent) among other
lesser desired extreme amenities.
Through Hotels.com, travellers can
book the type of accommodations
with amenities they want, making
it easier for them to find the home
away from home experience they
desire.
The survey was conducted in
January 2013, using a weighted average
based on a sample size of more than
8,600 respondents across 28 countries/cities:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil,
Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong,
India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, USA.
March 2013 • ScandAsia.Singapore 23

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