ScandAsia Singapore

APR 2011

Singapore

Sports

Day

ScandAsia.dk ScandAsia.fi ScandAsia.no ScandAsia.se

April 2011 • ScandAsia.Singapore 1

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Maroon 5 Live in Asia

Date: 25 April 2011

Location: Singapore Indoor Stadium

Maroon 5 enthralled you with their soulful pop

grooves back in 2008. Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael,

James Valentine, Mickey Madden and Matt Flynn will

return to our shores on 25th April 2011 for another

unforgettable show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Los Angeles band will play in support of their

latest album, Hands All Over. Maroon 5 has sold

more than 15 million albums worldwide, nabbed 3

Grammy awards and spawned hits like “This Love,”

“She Will Be Loved,” “Harder to Breathe,” “Sunday

Morning,” and “Makes Me Wonder”.

With their unforgettable sound-a crisp blend of rock,

pop, funk and R&B, paired with Levine’s trademark

vocals, fans can expect one dynamic live performance

come April. Don’t wait and miss this. Get your tickets

today at www.sistic.com.sg. For more information

click www.maroon5.com for the official Maroon 5

website.

ASX 2011

Conference

and Exhibition

SWA Ladies lunch at

Bollywood Veggies

Date: April 28, 11am – 1pm

Location: Bollywood Veggies

The Scandinavian Wome’s Association in

Singapore organizes its special ladies lunch at

Bollywood Veggies where is an organic farm.

Bollywood specializes in fruit and spices. Read

more about Bollywoodveggies on website:

www.bollywoodveggies.com.

The program will start with a guided tour around

the farm. Then the ladies will have a lunch at the

bistro “Poison Ivy”, which is set in an aromatic

garden. The set lunch menu include: Moringa

Tempura, Papaya salad, Warrior curry chicken,

Grilled fish with mixed herbs, Crispy tofu with

peanut sauce, Fragrant steamed rice, Banana

Bread with ice cream, and Fram brewed fig tea.

PRICE: Price for members is $25/person and

price for none member is $30/person. Please

sign by marianne@vildenfeldt.com. Deadline

for sign up will be 25 April 2011. If you are

interested to be a member, please visit www.

swasingapore.com.sg

Date: 24-29 April 2011

Location: Sands Expo and Convention Center

The Aerospace Supplier eXchange (ASX) 2011 is a regional conference and exhibition that will feature the

3rd and 4th tier suppliers who service the vibrant aerospace industry. Showcasing their best products and

services, this biennial event is an excellent business platform that meets the vital sourcing needs of both Original

Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) companies. Registration should

be made priority. Please visit www.aerosupplierx.com for more details.

A trip to Yogjakarta

Date: 11-15 May 2011

Swedish Priest Goran Wiking and Diana invite you

to discover Yogjakarta (Jogja in short name) where

is a major tourist destination in Indonesia. Visiting

the UNESCO World Heritage Site; Borobudur and

Prambanan. Borobudur is an ancient Buddhist stupa

and temple complex in central Java. Prambanan is

the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, and is one of

the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. Besides

the sightseeing tour, they will take you to see the

classical performance and much more interesting

program. Any inquiries please contact singapore@

svenskakyrkan.se.

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Fun with Swedish and Norwegian Families

By Kristene Silva Marie

It was a day filled with fun and runs for Swedish

and Norwegian families in Singapore. Organised

by the Norwegian Seamen’s Church and the

Church of Swedish in Singapore, the Idrettsdag

was an opportunity for all members of the Scandinavian

community to outdo one another in

different sports.

The Sports Day took place at the Serangoon

Stadium and began at 10am, just as the sun started

sending out its heat waves. The weather stayed just

as pleasing allowing both the children and adults,

of around 400 participants this year, to enjoy the

activities prepared.

Kicking off the event with an aggressive and

fun aerobics session, most of those present were

seen dancing and moving according to the rhythm

of the music following the aerobics leader.

The event began, with the children category

first, and even with the sun furiously shining down

on them there was no deterring the young ones’

spirit. They were determined to win and were

obviously trying very hard to beat their competitors.

Among the items lined-up for them were

athletics, soccer and long jump.

Helene Nolebring, whose 15-year-old son

participates in the activities, said that this event

is a healthy competition for the Norwegian and

Swede children.

When asked how she found out about the

event, she said, “Everyone knows, it’s an annual

event which is great fun.”

She concluded confidently saying that “Sweden

will surely win.”

The father of an eight-year-old, Kjetil Gulliksen,

said the sports day is a very good arrangement

especially for the children as it encourages healthy

competition.

“It allows Sweden and Norway to mingle with

each other through games,” he said and ended up

by saying “I’m sure Norway will win.”

The church representative, Lise, explained that

the purpose of the event is not the competition;

there were no ranks because at the end of the

day, “Everybody is a winner.”

6 ScandAsia.Singapore • April 2011

Fastelavn in The Danish Seamen’s Church

in Singapore

The Danish Seamans Church in Singapore

celebrated Fastelavn with a whooping 225

participants for the Christ service at 15.000

preceeding the fastlavns fun.

Witches and knighst were among the more

than 100 children in costumes. It was for sure a

festive day and all 400 fastelavns buns were eaten.

Annual General

Meeting of DABS

Danish Business Association of Singapore?s Annual General Meeting

2011 was held on 3 March 2011 in the Danish Seamen’s Church

in Singapore.

The meeting was attended by 75 members who elected Henrik Ziegler

as the new President. Ziegler is a former President of the association and

has great knowledge of both the work of DABS and of Singapore in general

after living in the city-state for 20 years.

DABS has decided on a new and more focused approach and the Board

agreed that Henrik Ziegler was the best choice when it comes down to

implementing the new strategy.

One of the first things on schedule for DABS will be to strengthen the

cooperation with the Danish Embassy in Singapore. This will make DABS

more accessible for the members. Also on the quality of our events the board

is planning to upgrade.

“We have a lot of exiting projects coming on and I am sure, that within

the next 3 months it becomes transparent that we have taken steps in the

right direction”, Henrik Ziegler says.


ScandAsia News Brief

IATA Asia-Pacific Regional

Vice President Appointed

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has

appointed the Finn Maunu von Lueders as Regional Vice

President for Asia-Pacific based in Singapore.

Asia-Pacific is the world’s largest aviation market. Its 26%

share of travel will grow to 30% by 2014, when 1 billion passengers

are expected to travel within the region.

A Finnish national, von Lueders has served as CEO of two

international carriers, JetLite in India and Nordic Airlink/FlyNordic

in Sweden. His aviation career began with Finnair where he

worked until 2001 in various positions including general management,

sales & marketing, commercial partnerships and international

relations.

Von Lueders who has also worked with the oneworld global

alliance as Vice President of Sales said “I have always been fascinated

by this region, which is taking on increasing importance

as aviation’s center of gravity continues to shift eastward.”

The mission of IATA is to lead, represent and serve the airline

industry. IATA brings together some 230 member airlines,

including the world’s largest. Flights by these airlines account for

93% of all international scheduled air traffic.

One

Visa

for

All

Asean

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations

(ASEAN) is working on a plan to

make one visa for all of ASEAN in the

same way Europe’s unified visa system works,

reports The Independent.

“You would just have to apply for one

visa and you could then visit all the countries

using that visa,” said Eddy Krisneidi, an official

at the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat,

which recently released its Tourism Strategic

Plan for the next five years.

ASEAN countries recorded more than

65 million foreign visitor arrivals in 2009. Malaysia

led the field, followed by Thailand, Singapore,

Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines,

Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Brunei.

Analysts say visitor numbers could be

boosted by slashing the time-consuming and

confusing visa requirements for each of ASE-

AN’s 10 countries, which range from vibrant

developing democracies to isolated, militarydominated

Myanmar.

Finn Maunu von Lueders ,

Regional Vice President

for Asia-Pacific based

in Singapore.

While some allow foreigners to simply purchase

visas on arrival, others require wads of paperwork,

photos and up to a week to issue the

required stamp.

“One of the major concerns of the industry,

as well as visitors, is the difficulty of obtaining

visas, a series of widely differing regulations and

information needs for visas,” ASEAN’s strategic

plan states.

It is a view shared by Stuart McDonald, who

runs an online travel forum for Southeast Asia.

“One of the most common questions that

we see on travelfish.org is people asking visa

questions: What kind of visa can I get? How long

is it valid for? What does it cost?,” said the Australian

who travels extensively in Asia.

“The rules change all the time and it introduces

a level of uncertainty and confusion that

the industry can do without.”

The concept of a single visa has wide support

among tourism bodies across Southeast Asia.

Qatar Airways

Opens Oslo,

and Doubles

S’pore and KL

Flights

On 9 March, Qatar Airways

announced that there will be

more expansions to its rapidly

growing global network, beginning the

second half of this year.

On 5 October 2011, Qatar Airways

will start off their five-flights-a-week

schedule to Norway’s capital city, Oslo.

The airline already operates scheduled

services to Stockholm and Copenhagen.

Flights to Copenhagen will also be upgraded

to daily operations.

In South East Asia, Qatar Airways

has announced plans to double its

weekly flights to Singapore by introducing

a second daily service. The Dohabased

airline currently operates daily

flights from Doha to Singapore with

continuing flights to the Indonesian resort

island of Bali.

Additional non-stop services between

Doha and Singapore will start in

May when the airline adds three weekly

flights to its schedule in October. An

extra flight will operate to Singapore

from 3 November, doubling its daily

flights.

According to Qatar Airways Chief

Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker Singapore

has been one of Qatar’s best-performing

routes in the entire region for a

long time, with load factors consistently

in the high 90s.

Flights to Kuala Lumpur will also be

upgraded to be twice every day and

beginning this March, there will be a

gradual increase of flights from 11 to 14

weekly by October.


Helsinki

Copenhagen

Singapore

Partnership

with Helsinki,

Singapore and

Copenhagen

The Danish non-profit organization

INDEX: announced a pioneering

partnership model with three of the

world’s leading design capitals. This innovative

alliance will raise awareness of design

as a significant way to create promising solutions

to the world’s, and the partner cities’

most pressing challenges.

INDEX:’s mission is to promote and

to apply design and design processes that

have the capacity to improve people’s lives

worldwide. By entering INDEX:, Partner

City Network, Helsinki, Singapore and Copenhagen

become a vital part of this mission.

Furthermore, the partner cities are

now part of the movement that challenges

the traditional concepts and stereotypes of

design; highlighting the complexity of the

design field, and demonstrating very different

solutions to problems such as education,

urban transportation and climate

change.

Snow and Ice

in Singapore

Around 130 guests attended the official

opening ceremony of the exhibition

“Polar Norway – the white

adventure” jointly organised by the Royal

Norwegian Embassy and Science Centre

Singapore. Pål Prestrud, the Director of

CICERO, was the key note speaker at the

opening. In addition Dr. Prestrud gave several

lectures where he highlighted different

aspects of Arctic warming during his visit to

Singapore.

On Monday, a mix of students, faculty,

officials and members of the diplomatic corps

were welcomed to the launch of “Polar Norway,

the white adventure” at Singapore Science

Centre. Dr. Prestrud, Prof. Lim and the

Norwegian Ambassador to Singapore, Janne

Julsrud, spoke at the launch.

The speakers focused on the great

changes taking place in the Arctic and how

to obtain a peaceful, sustainable and prosperous

development in this region through

increased activity, presence and knowledge.

During her speech, the ambassador welcomed

international cooperation, stating that

“only through joint action can we ensure a

stable development”.

The exhibition will remain open until the

end of May. We welcome you to come and

take a closer look at the history of the brave

polar explorers and to discover how the environments

of the North and South Pole are

affected by changes in the climate.

Lis Heisselberg

Continuous as

SWA President

The Scandinavian Women’s Association

in Singapore held its Annual

General Meeting on the 23rd of

February at Republic of Singapore Yacht

Club. About 30 ladies showed up and enjoyed

dinner together. After meeting, the

well-known Singaporean author Catherine

Lim was the guest speaker.

Here is the new Committee:

President : Lis Heisselberg

Vice President: Ulla Behrend

Charity officer: Lis Jensen

Charity officer: Britt Rozario

Tours: Marianne Schibbye

Tours: Birgitte Tvilde

Committee member: Amrie Christensen

Committee member: Henna Paivanne-

Andersson

All the Stuff You Miss !

SCANDINAVIAN SHOPPE

Scandinavian Shoppe • 30 South Buona Vista Road

Tel: +65 6476 2575 • Email: scandishoppe@singnet.com.sg

How to get there?

• MRT to Buona Vista. Bus no. 200 to Lor Sarhad.

• MRT to Harbour Front / Vivo City. Bus no. 10, 30, 143

to Redwood West. Walk up South Buona Vista Road

‘Gamle Ole’

Vintage Cheese

s$ 49.90/kg


Sweden’s New Ambass

By Joakim Persson

We just had Sweden’s

Defence Minister on a

visit, with collaboration

on different levels,

but most importantly

regarding that Sweden

has sold submarines.

Submarines have been

upgraded in Sweden

and Singaporean crew

was there for three

years of training.


ador “Finally” in Asia

When Sweden’s

new Ambassador

to Singapore

in the

end of September

2010 presented his letter of

credentials to President S.R. Nathan

he had really drawn the winning ticket.

Ingemar Dolfe was very pleased

to be in Asia, at last. But what the

Ambassador did not know then is

clear now; while Ingemar Dolfe can

involve himself in a very vibrant connection

between Sweden and Singapore

(and its surrounding region),

two other recently arrived Swedish

ambassadors to Southeast-Asia are

now finding themselves with the unrewarding

task of closing down the

Swedish Embassy missions (in Kuala

Lumpur and Hanoi respectively).

“I am personally first and foremost

very happy to get the opportunity

of working and living here. I

have looked very much forward

to this, leading this Embassy and

also operating in the region. This

is a country with which Sweden

has close and good relations within

various sectors. Trade is a given

area where the Embassy actively

supports Swedish businesses. In

Singapore there are now some 250

Swedish companies employing over

6000 persons,” says Ingemar Dolfe

on his first position as Ambassador.

Previously he has been Deputy

Head at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Department for Disarmament

and Non-Proliferation since 2007

and also placed at three different

places in Europe; the Netherlands

and Bulgaria among them. Before

Stockholm he was Minister at the

Swedish Embassy in London.

“We had stayed within Europe

in order to puzzle together my wife’s

and my careers. Now we are here,

which could not be accomplished

before, and I’m happy for that,” says

the Ambassador, openly showing

how keen he had been on getting a

diplomatic position over in Asia.

“Singapore is an exciting place

to be in, absolutely.”

It was based on genuine interest

in the world and foreign places

that Ingemar Dolfe became a diplomat.

He started exploring the world

at young age as a backpacker, first

interrailing seven times in Europe,

then backpacking in the U.S. In between

his studies, he also took time

off for a round-the-world trip. He

then visited Singapore for the first

time, back in 1984. This interest led

the globetrotter to a career at the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sweden.

“I’m a ‘generalist’. I started the

Foreign Ministry’s education in 1988

and have done most things one can

do there, so I am broad. I have experience

from bilateral and multilateral

issues. For instance I dealt with

trade-supporting issues in London,

but also political reporting. And I

have done UN work.”

What he hopes to accomplish

in Singapore is first of all to give big

support to Swedish trade - the core

task.

“We have some projects. Fashion

is interesting now when H&M is

coming, so that is one area, and also

to develop the collaboration with

Singapore within defence but also

research.”

One way to support trade is to

look out and collaborate with other

representatives in the region.

Case in point, in January, when

receiving ScandAsia, the new Ambassador

had just returned from a

trip to Malaysia with a Swedish business

delegation from Singapore (coarranged,

paradoxically, with the

closing local Swedish counterpart in

Kuala Lumpur) to learn more about

the prospects for business investments

there.

“We have a very active chamber

of commerce [SBAS] and the

Embassy tries in all kinds of ways to

support Swedish business. 15 companies

here in Singapore participated

in a trip arranged by the Embassies,

SBAS and MASBA jointly. As

the Swedish companies established

here are not only covering Singapore

as such, they have an interest

in learning more about other markets,

which we then try to support.”

The delegation visited various

ministries and the PM:s office and

learned from a briefing and about

which projects are in the pipeline

where incoming investment is supported.

“I see this as a good way for

the Embassy to support Swedish

trade; we can open doors and enable

for Swedish companies to get

access and information from senior

government personnel in a way that

perhaps companies cannot otherwise

get.”

“The previous Ambassador

came up with this, and did such

trips to Indonesia and Vietnam. And

it has been very appreciated and

successful, so I have listened and

found out if the interest to continue

among companies was there.”

Brimming with close connections

and business relations between

the two distant countries,

the Ambassador has had a lot on his

table since arriving, with openings,

receptions and official visits of various

kinds - much related to trade.

For instance Mr. Dolfe recently

gave a key note address for 800

guests attending the launch of the

new SAAB model by its local distributor,

marking his support for

Swedish business.

And he did the same when the

Swedish family-owned Chris-Marine

recently launched a showroom in

Singapore, then highlighting the close

co-operation between Sweden and

Singapore in the areas of high tech

and the marine sector.

This also relates to defence,

where there is long-established

comprehensive collaboration between

the two countries within maritime

and naval technology, on officialslevel

and also with private companies

interested in Singapore.

“We just had Sweden’s Defence

Minister on a visit, with collaboration

on different levels, but most

importantly regarding that Sweden

has sold submarines. Submarines

have been upgraded in Sweden and

Singaporean crew was there for

three years of training.”

The Ambassador also held last

year a reception for 60 Singapore

submarine sailors at the Swedish

Residence.

The third area with close relationships

is within education and

research.

“In fact regarding studying in

Singapore the most popular country

for exchange studies in Europe is

Sweden, aside U.K. Last year, some

300 students from Singapore studied

in Sweden.”

The National University of

Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological

University (NTU) and

Singapore Management University

(SMU) have exchange programmes

and research collaboration agreements

with a dozen Swedish universities

and institutions, and currently

some 25 Swedish researchers are

active at Singaporean universities.

“There’s geographical as well

as topic-based broadness regarding

where these students study everywhere

from Lund to Luleå and from

KTH to economy.”

“It was striking that, after coming

back here, their perception of

Sweden and what it represents

was very positive,” the Ambassador

concludes after having welcomed

former exchange students to a BBQ

evening at the Swedish residence.

He mentions the openness, transparency

and values such as the public

right to access nature.

“So their positive image is valuable

for the Swedish Embassy which

has the task to promote Sweden.”

Last year the two countries also

signed a MOU in order to enhance

cooperation in the fields of education,

research and innovation.

“Another proof I see of a close

and good relationship is that there

are a number of prominent Swedes

on prestigious positions here in Singapore,

not only because of their

excellent backgrounds but also since

Singaporeans have great confidence

in Sweden and Swedes.”

The Ambassador mentions

Magnus Böcker, chief executive of

the Singapore Exchange; and Professor

Bertil Andersson, NTU Provost.

“And the Head of Karolinska

Institutet, Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson,

is part of a scientific advisory

Board in Singapore”

“That so many Swedes on

leading positions are being invited

to take development in Singapore

further illustrate how Singaporeans

have great confidence in Swedes.”

Distant geographically but not

culturally, Ambassador Dolfe finds that

there are many similarities in several

ways between the two countries.

“We are small or middle-sized

and open for globalization. Our

economies are based on export.

We’re also the same in being reliable,

loyal partners one can trust,

which is a very good platform for

doing business between each other.

We deliver what we say we can and

do not oversell.”


Satu Mattila Sums Up Firs

There are many similarities and great opportunities for increased

cooperation between Finland and Singapore, the Ambassador

concludes as her assignment here is coming to an end.

By Joakim Persson

While Finnair is

about to restart

direct

flights between

Helsinki

and Singapore Finland’s current

ambassador to this Southeast-Asian

hub country is preparing to leave

back to the head quarters of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland.

Satu Mattila’s first posting as

Ambassador will be over this coming

summer and her next position

will be “something” in the very exotic

place called Helsinki since she

has had two in a row overseas.

Slowly she is preparing herself for

the move back to the home country,

somewhat reluctantly, one can sense.

At the same time she is looking forward

to new challenges, and also to

be posted again in another country

in a couple of years' time.

Though, she got married with a

Finnish man in Helsinki while at the

helm in Singapore so it must also be

a nice homecoming!

She is certainly comfortable having

an international kind of career

and joined the Foreign Ministry since

she was interested in international

affairs, she tells ScandAsia when looking

back at her fruitful years in Singapore.

Also this is not her first stint in

Asia; in fact the Ambassador started

her career in New Delhi already

back in the 1980's as a “very young

diplomat”

“Later I serve in Washington

DC and Tokyo as Minister of Counselor.

To Singapore I came from

Geneva where I have been posted

twice, working a lot with multilateral

issues at the permanent mission of

Finland to the UN.”

“I studied history of art among

other issues and if I hadn’t joined

the Foreign Service most probably

I would have continued my studies

overseas, but I was accepted to the

ministry.”

As to her previous experience

of Asia Ambassador Satu explains

that she did not know Singapore

very well, only that it was a very

advanced country with a very open

economy and that the relation with

Finland was mainly related to trade.

“I hadn’t even visited Singapore

before I came here. Some people

say that Singapore is rather sterile,

my first impression was positive. It’s

green, and growing very fast. In Finland

the importance of Singapore is

not fully realized, but I think that due

to trade and the potential for cooperation

we have it is now better

understood.

Growth is here

“Asia as a whole is becoming more

and more significant; the growth is

here. In that context it is important

that Asia is not only China and India.

There is also South-East Asia,”

the Ambassador explains and points

out that the EU is now also finalizing

the negotiations for an FTA with

Singapore.

“It’s an important step. I think

there are many interesting issues

going on and I like following these

regional developments, of course

with Singapore being a member of

ASEAN and what’s going on here,

within economics and also from a

security point of view.”

Settling down in the Lion City

ambassador Satu Mattila found that

it is an easy place to live in.

“Singapore is small but very dynamic;

there are many things happening

here. And also, from the cultural

point of view it’s getting more

and more interesting. And I hear

from people who have lived here

longer that it has really changed during

the past ten years.”

Ambassador Satu is very interested

in culture. The embassy cannot

do much in that field, but there

have been a few highlights connecting

to Finland during her time.

“The Finnish National Ballet was

invited to the Singapore Arts Festival;

that was a big event. This year

we are supporting some Finnish

painters coming for the Singapore

Biennale 2011.”

“One project we’ve had was an

exhibition in the autumn 2007 on

Alvar Aalto at the NUS Museum

followed by the 75th anniversary

celebration of his iconic stool in

2008. In connection with that we

created a Singapore edition of the

Stool 60. This stool was in the exhibition

in Singapore.”

This stool was upholstered with

red Marimekko fabric with dark red

dots representing the vibrancy and

creativity of Singapore.”

The famous architect and designer

was then studied by the first

year students of NUS Department

of Architecture and as a follow-up

these students created their own

models and constructions of the stool.

High level visits

Some of the milestones have been

the high level visits. President of

Finland visited Singapore in February

2008 with a business delegation;

and the Prime Minister in 2009.

“And then President S. R. Nathan

paid a state visit to Finland in

October last year. Besides the official

programme, he also attended

the inaugural event of the Singapore-Finnish

Association. Around

120 Singaporeans live in Finland,

surprisingly enough, so there’s now

this new association.”

Most of the Singaporeans living

in Finland are studying in the country's

higher educational institutions.

As for some new business developments

the Ambassador highlights

Kemira Oyj.

Kemira

“Last year, Kemira started research

cooperation with NTU, Nanyang

Technological University, in the

field of water purification and also

entered into a strategic alliance with

the Public Utility Board. There’s a lot

of potential for cooperation in R&D.

And Finland’s Tekes and VTT, the

Technical Research Center of Finland

have cooperation with A Star

funding the research here.”

Based on an MOU, Tekes, the

Finnish Funding Agency for Technology

and Innovation and Singapore’s

Agency for Science, Technology and

Research (A*STAR) promote R&D

and scientific collaboration in strategic

technology areas between the

two countries

The MOU provides the opportunity

for Singapore public sector

researchers and scientists from

Finnish universities and research institutes

to jointly develop technologies

of national interests through

three annual calls for proposals and

to participate in joint seminars and

symposia to share the latest scientific

information and materials.

“Cleantech is one field where

Singapore and Finland could have

much more cooperation. I am trying

to encourage Finnish companies

to attend for example the Singapore

International Water Week.

We have a lot of knowledge within

water technology,” says the Ambassador.

Despite that Finpro (Finland’s

global expert network for promoting

the growth and competitiveness

of Finnish companies through internationalization)

changed its operational

model a year ago the Ambassador

is satisfied with the present

cooperation, although much more

resources would be needed for

trade promotion.

“Finpro closed down in Bangkok,

Kuala Lumpur and Singapore

but we are lucky that the same person

who was their representative

earlier has continued as a partner

and we have a good collaboration.”

To the future

A final word goes to the promising

relationship with the two countries.

“There are many similarities

between Singapore and Finland; we

are both small by population and

our natural resources are limited,

even more so in Singapore. We

both have to focus on education

and innovations in order to stay

competitive. Both are open economies,

very foreign trade related, so

there is a lot of room for further

cooperation. Santa Claus is wellknown

here in Singapore. Finland

is no longer successful in the Formula

One, but Singaporeans used

to know the F1 drivers. I hope that

tourism will grow both ways once

Finnair will start direct flights between

Helsinki and Singapore.”


t Ambassador Posting

Singapore is small

but very dynamic;

there are many

things happening

here. Also from a

cultural point of

view it’s getting

more and more

interesting.


Direct Finnair Flights H

Finnair will as of 31

May 2011 establish

daily non-stop

flights to and from

Singapore from

Helsinki. The direct

flights are introduced

four years after

the connection to

Helsinki via a stopover

in Bangkok was

cancelled.


Sales Director Singapore

and South East Asia.


elsinki - Singapore

Some 20 years ago, Finnair

opened a route to Singapore

via Bangkok but

as the number of tourists

to Bangkok gradually

increased, the flights from Helsinki

often ended up full. Due to this,

the flight to Singapore via Bangkok

was eventually terminated around 4

years ago.

Meanwhile, Singapore continued

its rise to be the main business

hub in Southeast Asia attracting

international business people to

conduct meetings and conferences

there.

Now, Finnair will as of 31 May

open a route directly to Singapore

and not via Bangkok as in the past.

Perks of Flying Finnair

Finnair’s Sales Director Petteri Kostermaa,

Singapore and Southeast

Asia, ensures that these business

people can get the comfort and

ease of mind they need on the flight

before attending those meetings

when they reach their destination.

“Singapore is the business hub of

Southeast Asia and Finnair is very

convenient especially for international

business people heading to

Singapore,” Petteri Kostermaa said.

Kostermaa stated that this is

because Helsinki, being the closest

European capital to Singapore, cuts

off a few hours of being on a plane.

“People hate to stay on a plane

for very long if they can avoid it,” he

said.

“Helsinki is less than 12 hours away

from Singapore and a short distance

is what all business people want.”

In addition to that, the availability

of daily flights makes it more

convenient for the business travelers

going to Singapore and back.

They can change the time and date

of their flight with no extra charges.

For others, Finnair offers prices that

are quite affordable.

Being a small airport, passengers

will not need to queue in long lines

in Helsinki before getting their passport

checked and this is one of the

perks because Finland is part of the

Schengen agreement, which allows

easy travelling to other European

countries..

Passengers who travel by Finnair

and arrive in the Helsinki airport only

have to get their passports checked

there - then they can continue their

flights to any other European countries

without the hassle of having

their passports checked again.

Kostermaa also shared that

Finnair delights in making its passengers

feel at home on flight. This is

the reason why the flight attendants

always consist of locals which would

be an extra touch of interpersonal

relations.

Finnair has hired around 40 Singaporean,

young and experienced

flight attendants, both male and female

for the new flight.

The plan was made

Finnair decided to establish the direct

route to Singapore this year

although the idea surfaced around

two years ago. At that time it had to

be postponed due to the financial

crisis and recession.

Soon after, the Singapore market

was booming but they still had

to wait a little longer until the crisis

period was over in Europe as well

and in 2010, traffic to Singapore

started picking up again which was

when they felt was the right time to

start.

Although decisions of this route

had been made, Kostermaa explained

that to start an airline there

will be a certain lag before the actual

operations can begin.

“We have to buy aircrafts, negotiate

the route rights with the government,

hire a crew... all that requires

some time,” he said.

Success

About the success of this new route,

Kostermaa believed that it is going

to do well adding that it may even

do better than Bangkok because of

the number of business travelers to

Singapore.

“Bangkok is still more of a tourism

attraction than a business center,”

he said adding that every airline

wants business travelers as they

are the ones who usually purchase

premium price for tickets and fly on

business class.

Kostermaa pointed out that

while there was a possible commercial

risk, market studies have shown

that around two million people travel

between Singapore and Europe

every year.

“We only need five percent

of those people, which is not farfetched,

and we are successful,” he

said.

Awareness

He also mentioned that after being

away for four years, people have

forgotten Finnair so now the main

focus is building awareness and

encouraging people to try and see

how good Finnair is.

The Finnair traffic had been

picking up since 2010 with 70 aircrafts

in total flying to all parts of the

world. Of these, one or two would

be serving the Singapore route.

Other than that, Finnair is also part

of the oneworld alliance which allows

transition with other airlines

such as British Airways, Cathay

Pacific, Iberia, Japan Airlines and

Qantas ensuring the passengers a

smooth, hassle-free transit.

Helsinki airport an advantage

Another plus side of Finnair is that

Helsinki airport is known for its

short connections and delay-free

arrival or departure and since there

are less aircrafts, there are also no

airspace problems or traffic congestion.


New Priest Installed at

Danish Seamen’s Church

The Danish Seamen’s Church in Singapore

installed its first female priest at a service on

Febuary 15.


The service was attended

by more than 100

members of the Danish

community here as well

as the Danish Ambassador

to Singapore, Mr. Ole Lisborg,

and the Secretary General of the

Danish Church Abroad, Ms. Margith

Pedersen.

Ms. Pedersen, 59, specially flew

in from Denmark to conduct the installation.

Vicar Kirsten Eistrup, 55, is also

the Lutheran Protestant Church’s

first female pastor in Asia. The Danish

Seamen’s Church is also represented

in countries such as Hong Kong,

Australia and the United Kingdom.

In Denmark, women have been

allowed to be ordained as priests

since 1947. Currently, about half of

its priests are female.

‘Personally, I don’t consider

myself a female priest specifically. I

come as a priest,’ said Vicar Eistrup,

who was ordained as a priest about

25 years ago. Before this posting,

Vicar Eistrup served her community

at the church in Hørsholm, north

of Copenhagen, for more than 20

years.

She is married with two adult

children, both of whom are studying

in Denmark. Her husband, a

61-year-old researcher, will join her

in Singapore soon.

Singapore, which has a 1,500

-strong Danish community, is not

a foreign place to Vicar Eistrup and

her husband, who used to travel to

the country regularly for work.

“The country has been a part of

my life and it is a fantastic opportunity

for me to be able to come

here,” she said.

She replaces former Vicar Ronald

Petersen.

On Febuary 20, the Norwegian

Seamen’s Church in Singapore will

also welcome its first female priest.

Vicar Eistrup will be based here

for at least the next four years, serving

as priest of the church as well

as port chaplain, visiting Danish seafarers

on vessels which call at local

ports. She will stay on the Danish

Seamen’s Church’s premises, located

on Mount Faber, a scenic point in

the south of Singapore. Assisting her

there are six other staff members.

Ambassador Lisborg called her

presence in Singapore “important”,

as she serves as a central figure for

all Danes here.

“This place is not just a church.

It serves as a cultural centre taking

care of activities uniting the community,”

he said.

New Priest

Installed at

Norwegian

Seamen’s

Church

Just a week after the

Danish Seamen’s

Church in Singapore

welcomed its

first female priest,

its Norwegian

counterpart did the

same.

Reverend Eva Marie

Jansvik was inaugurated

into the Norwegian

Seamen’s Church on

February 20, replacing

the outgoing Reverend Jan Tommy

Fosse, 37, who has been promoted

to the church’s director of overseas

operations for Asia, Australia and

Africa, for which he will be based in

Bergen.

Reverend Jansvik’s husband will

stay in Singapore as well and will

act as the church’s general manager,

overseasing administrative work.

The couple have a three-year-old

daughter and are expecting a second

child in May.

Reverend Jansvik, 27, never

thought she would become a priest,

and had initially thought of being a

nurse or a physiotherapist.

However, at the tender age of

18, she felt God was leading her

towards becoming a priest and she

decided to heed the call.

Reverend Jansvik, who was ordained

in May last year, decided to

apply for the Singapore posting because

she felt it would be easiest to

assimilate here.

“This is a fascinating city. I get

to experience Asia, it’s exciting yet a

safe destination to come with family.

Also, people speak English here

and I don’t have to learn a different

language. With a community here

as well, it’s easy for us Norwegians

to settle here,” she said, adding that

she will be committing at least three

years to this posting.

The Norwegian community in

Singapore is about 1,500 strong,

with several hundreds more if you

include the undergraduates studying

at the various varsities here.

Reverend Fosse, who flew to

Singapore to attend his successor’s

inauguration, said he and his family had

a “wonderful time in Singapore”.

“We really miss it here,” he said.

When asked if he had any advice

for Reverend Jansvik, Reverend

Fosse quipped: “Be yourself, use

your skills and gifts. And take care of

yourself, create people around you

to lean on for support.”

Of her plans for the coming years,

Reverend Jansvik said: “I hope to

continue to be part of making this

the place where people feel welcome

and where they can get to

know God.”


Singapore Visit to Baan

1

Church of Sweden

in Singapore

and Norwegian

Seamen’s Mission in

Singapore arranged

in February-March

a joint field trip to

the Swedish initiated

Baan Chivit Mai

in the North of

Thailand. ScandAsia

went along with the

group and shared

the experience.

By Pimjai Chaimongkol

Norwegian and

Swedish ladies from

Singapore visited

Baan Chivit Mai in

Chiangrai in the

North of Thailand on 28 February

to 3 March 2011. The visit was organized

by the Church of Sweden

and the Norwegian Seamen’s Mission

in Singapore. The main purpose

of the trip was to visit the famous

institution - originally established by

a Swedish lady, have fun activities

and bring gifts to the children in the

orphanage.

Arrival in Chiangrai

Diana Wiking and Lise-Beate Ringsby

from the Church of Sweden in

Singapore arrived with the group of

19 ladies at Chiangrai International

airport on 28 February. They were

met by Madeleine and Inge Ekelyck

of Baan Chivit Mai who took

the group to check-in at Wienginn

Hotel.. After having refreshed themselves,

the group had dinner at Baan

Chivit Mai Bakery in town.

trict. Most of the children there are

kindergarten or elementary school

students. After the visit they went

on a sightseeing tour around the

beautiful North of Chiangrai.

It was interesting to see the

Long Neck Village, fun to go shopping

in Mae Sai - the border of Thailand

and Myanmar, and the boat trip

to Golden Triangle was beautiful.

In the evening, the ladies shared

a remarkable night together with

the children at Baan Chivit Mai in

Hua Doi district. The teachers and

staff had in cooperation with the

children prepared BBQ and some

Thai food for the ladies.

After dinner there was a campfire

where all the ladies and children

sat in a circle watching the children’s

performance. The ladies sang Swedish

and Norwegian songs and had an

easy choreography so the children

could learn and dance with them.

Although the two groups spoke totally

different languages, all enjoyed

the show, laughing, smiling, and

dancing.

School visit

On 2nd March, the ladies visited the

local school named Hua Doi School.

Every morning all students gather

to praise the Kingdom, Buddhism

Sightseeing Tour and

Campfire

Next morning, after breakfast, the

group visited the second location

of Baan Chivit Mai in Mae Chan disand

Chakri Royal Family. The ladies

were amazed that all children paid

full attention to the ceremony.

After the group had seen the

school they went to Wat Rong Kun

(The White Temple) built by Chaloemchai

Khositphiphat, a famous

Thai artist.

In the afternoon, they took

about an hour up to the Doi Chang

Mountain where the premium coffee

is grown. The ladies tasted the

fresh coffee surrounded by hill on

the windy day which added to the

wonderful flavour.

Then the group went to a new

branch of Baan Chivit Mai in Mae

Suai District. This is brand new

house facilitating up to 32 children

where officially opens on 5th March

2011.

Last Day in Chiangrai

The last day of the visit, the ladies

visited a Karen Village by boat and

after that went for a ride on elephants

in the morning. They had

lunch at Baan Chivit Mai Bakery in

town where they came on the very

fiurst day of the visit and eventually

in the afternoon they had to leave

back to Singapore.

Diana Wiking who had arranged

this trip said:


Chivit Mai in Thailand

2 3 4 5

6

7

“Apart from the fun of the sightseeing

tour in Chiangrai, I can feel

that all the ladies had a wonderful

time with the children. We will all

remember their gratefully smiling

faces.”

“It is not because of our donation

but we brought our love to the

children and that was the most important

part of this trip,” she added.

Elisabeth Froeyshou Danielsen,

Assistant at the Norwegian Seamen’s

Church in Singapore confirmed

that she had indeed enjoyed

her time with children. She started

to work at the church in August

2010 and will there for the next 3

years.

“I had really looked forward to

this trip, said Camilla White, another

of the participants.

“First time I heard about this

trip, I knew I have to come because I

love children and I have never been

to Thailand before. The Children

took me around to show me their

house even I can’t understand their

language, but I could see the happiness

through their eyes,” she added.

Madeleine Ekelyck and and her

husband Inge, who is working for

Baan Chivit Mai based in Sweden,

said:

“Back in Sweden, I am very busy

with contacting people and raising

funds for Baan Chivit Mai so I can

only come here a couple of times a

year. This time I came to greet this

group because they continuously

come to visit us every year. They

are very supportive to children in

Baan Chivit Mai”

“Our new branch in Mae Suai

opens on the 5th of March so now

the teachers, staffs and children are

all helping with the ceremony,” she

added.

1. The Ladies was at Baan Chivit Mai in Hua Doi district.

2. Elisabeth Froeyshou Danielsen with flower given by children.

3. Inge and Madeleine Ekelyck who work hard for Baan Chivit Mai.

4. Diana Wiking at the airport.

5. Camilla White with children.

6. Children in Baan Chi Vit Mai in Hua Doi district.

7. Long neck children.

8. New branch of Baan Chivit Mai in Mae Suai District.

8


Patrick Buss from Finland

Enjoys School in Singapore

Six-year-old Patrick Buss and his

mother Heli Buss.

“What are we waiting

for? Let’s go to the

playground.” This

was the persistent

request of six-year-old

Patrick Buss as he sat

on his mother’s lap,

while sharing his

experience as a student

at the German

European School

Singapore (GESS).


Patrick, like most of his

friends in the German

European School Singapore

(GESS), has grown

up away from his parents’

homelands, which are the UK and

Finland respectively.

As soon as Patrick had walked

into the interview room, his mother

explained that he had just been

out to the post office with his class.

They were on the “Sending a Message”

theme this time as part of the

IB programme, which is educated

throughout all grades in GESS’s European

Section.

Communicative by nature, Patrick

expressed his interest in dinosaurs

and started ticking off each name of

the different dinosaurs he has heard

of or read about. He categorised

the dinosaurs into herbivores and

carnivores.

School Preference

Heli Buss, Patrick’s mother, visited

a few other schools before enrolling

her son in the GESS Pre-School

and said the reason why she chose

to enroll him into an international

school, specifically GESS, was because

of the holistic education system

that was practiced in the school.

She also said that she did not

favour the academic segregation

in some schools and wanted her

son to be part of a mixed group of

children. With students from over

40 nationalities and different backgrounds

that is certainly the case at

GESS.

“Patrick is quite fast but he is

not put in a class where only the

fast learners go to. It is a well mixed

class where no one looks down on

anyone. Everyone learns from each

other,” she said.

Heli hinted that Patrick’s favourite

teacher was his music teacher, Holger.

During his music lessons, Patrick

and his classmates sing, dance

and learn how to play instruments.

She explained that teachers in the

school are dedicated and because

of the small classes, each student

receives individual attention and an

opportunity to shine.

Creative Side

Because GESS conducts IB programmes,

it helps Patrick learn

more on problem solving and holistic

learning. He is also exposed to

various areas of learning at a very

early age. Areas like carpentry, science

projects and outdoor trips.

One of the projects young Patrick

has been involved in is the science

themed “Saving Gaia” project. He

was required to come up with a solution

to water pollution.

“I created a water machine that

would release clean water slowly,”

he said referring to what his mother

later explained as a traditional water

filter.

Apart from doing interesting science

projects, Patrick and his peers

get to do woodwork. Under supervision

of their teachers, they are

taught to independently use tools

such as hammers, screwdrivers and

drills.

“I made a small wooden note

stand for my father with a wooden

peg on the top to hold the note,” he

said satisfied.

Missing Finland

Although Patrick has more friends

here in Singapore, he misses his

cousins and extended family members

back in Finland as he only gets

to meet them once a year.

His mother related that Patrick

loves to visit his grandmother’s summer

house in Nakkila when he is in

Finland. She shared that there is

quite a Finnish side to him because

he enjoys the Finnish pastimes such

as plucking berries and growing potatoes.

At that statement, Patrick did not

waste time to share his experience

trying to grow a potato plant in Finland.

“Did you know one time I kept

digging a deep hole and then I put

water in there, then the water

turned dirty, then I covered it so

the potatoes got enough water, and

grew underground, and it will keep

growing until it’s a potato tree,” Patrick

said instantly creating a roar of

laughter in the room.

Another component of the GESS

education system that motivated

Heli to send Patrick there is the

school’s focus on European languages

and culture.

The school has a German and a

European, English speaking, Section

and focuses on other European languages

through special programmes

and mother tongue language programmes.

At the moment there are programmes

for Danish and Dutch and

the school is hoping to start similar

programmes for Finnish and Swedish

in the near future.

German European School Singapore (GESS)

GESS is a multi-lingual, co-educational school providing international education to 1,350 students of

more than 40 nationalities from Pre-School to Grade 12 and a learning experience beyond traditional

academic classroom teaching. GESS believes “learning to live and to give” to be crucial in supporting

and nurturing the students to become balanced, responsible and informed world citizens.

Since its foundation in 1971, the school has evolved into a 1 school – 2 system organisation. In the European

Section the school delivers all three International Baccalaureate Programmes (PYP, MYP, IB Diploma) in English.

As an accredited “Excellent German School Abroad”, the German Section of GESS offers all German school

leaving certificates in German.

GESS Main Campus

72 Bukit Tinggi Road

Singapore 289760

Tel.: (+65) 6469 1131

Fax: (+65) 6469 0308

www.gess.sg


Singapore Scientist Wins

Prestigious Danish Award

Singapore-based

scientist Guillaume

Drillet, received

about three-and-ahalf

million Danish

kroner for his

research on live feed

for aquaculture. He

is going to spend

them on figuring out

why copepods get

stressed and die.

By Anya Palm

Guillaume Drillet

works with copepods.

He looks at

them under his microscope,

millions of

little crustaceans, swimming around

themselves and each other and he

writes down what they do, how

they look, how they looked yesterday,

what happens to them when

they are disturbed. He is an experimentalist

so he spends time in lab,

and does not particularly care for

the prestige in being a top scientist.

Mainly he just likes to research his

copepods and further their environment

in the water, so they can be

stronger and more fit.

Denmark - and more specifically

the Danish Agency for Science and

Innovation - thinks that’s a splendid

way to spend his time.

That is why, the French scientist,

based in Singapore, last week got

one of the most prestigious Danish

Awards for his projects with the

organisms: The Sapere Aude Young

Elite Scientist Award and with that

3,371,040 kroner to continue his research.

“I have never been pro-elite!

And now I am apparently part of

the the elite,” is the 32-year-old’s

first reaction, accompanied by a

trademark of Drillet - a big laughter.

He has a very clear idea of what it

is to be a scientist: “ I take it as a big

honor. But the prize will not make

me smarter and the world Elite may

make a scientist become proud and

forget his real task - doing science, “

he explains.

He is, of course, happy to have

his research funded and he is already

mapping out how the money

can benefit his copepods.

Stressed little creatures

What bothers him is that copepods

have a tendency to get stressed.

When they stress they lay eggs that

do not hatch proper and that may

cause problems for the fish farmers

using copepods as live prey.

Copepods - and other microorganisms

- serve as fish food in

hatcheries. In order to have healthy

systems and a good fish development,

it is important these organisms

fit perfectly to the need of the

fish and that they can be produced

in large amounts. But they are fragile

and apart from getting stressed,

copepods are not easy to grow in

larger scales. It is these two problems,

Drillet is researching.

“Copepods are very complicated

organisms and there are so many

unknown factors. They get stressed

in high densities and then they die

- I need to find out what stresses

them,” he says.

Of course there is an economical

perspective too - if the fish does

not have proper food, they don’t

get fat and delicious and then the

farmers have to sell them for less.

That perspective does not worry

Drillet very much.

“It is just how it is, right? Science

is to be curious and I get to

fulfill my curiosity by examining the

copepods and understand how they

work. The business is business, it is

another part of it,” he says.

A logistical nightmare

Guillaume Drillet has been working

on aqua-environmental research

for ten years - in 2003 he moved

to Denmark to start his research at

RUC and later he took his ph.d from

DTU in Copenhagen. Recently,

though, he decided to pack his bags

and move with his wife and son to

Singapore to work for the Danish

Company DHI Water & Environment.

By then, he had researched

for seven years on his copepods

without much recognition.

“I had applied for research

grants along the way, but no money

was pouring in and I was a bit tired

of it. As a family, we need a bit of

stability. So when I got offered a job

in Singapore that fit my profile, I said

yes,” he says. When he made the

move, he had been going on small

jobs, study grants and other shortterm

solutions for years. But then:

“I moved to South East Asia.

Then I learned all my projects were

granted,” he says and laughs again.

Luckily, his current job is in the

same area as the grant proposal, so

Drillet will continue to be affiliated

with RUC, where the money has

been granted to, while keeping his

research in Singapore current.

It is all a bit messy at the moment,

honestly…and I just want to

play with my copepods! he says. Logistical

problems aside, though, Guillaume

Drillet’s life just got a whole

lot easier – and so did millions of

other lives. Copepod lives, that is.


Enjoying the Differences

When 13 year old

Atte Piltonen’s

parents moved to

Singapore, they let

him select the school

he wanted to attend.

Atte picked the ISS

International School

Singapore because

it was smaller in

comparison with

other international

schools.


Atte and his parents Pasi and Eila Piltonen.

A

day in the school life

of 13-year-old Atte

Piltonen starts typically

quite early. He

needs to leave home

and be ready for school before 7.20

to make it in time for the bus to ISS

International School, Singapore.

His usual school day consists of

seven 45-minute classes, a 15-minute

break and a 45-minute lunch

Atte Piltonen enjoys the projects he does

in school.

break in between. During the break,

he and his friends gather to talk

or occupy themselves with some

sports activities.

When it is time for lunch, Atte

says the school serves a wide variety

of food including Western and

Asian. Personally, Atte favours the

Asian food.

When school ends at 14.25 he

will wait for his bus which arrives

after 10 minutes. Upon reaching

home, he makes it his priority to

complete his homework first. This is

so he will be able to enjoy his free

time after that. He usually turns in to

bed by 21.30.

Atte picked ISS himself

When they moved to Singapore,

Atte’s parents had agreed to let him

pick the school he wanted to attend

himself and he chose ISS, because

it was smaller in comparison with

other international schools.

“It is cozy because it is not too

huge and everybody sort of know

each other,” he said adding that “It’s

much easier and fun to learn when

you’re in a small group rather than a

big one.”

Another part of ISS he enjoys

is the International Baccalaureate

(IB) programme there. Through

the programme, there is much less

theoretic learning or “book smart”

requirements. Instead, the students

are able to get their hands dirty on

practical work or projects.

There are many theme based

projects that the students have to

execute. He explained that they all

require the students to use skills

they have learnt and to execute the

project.

The students are also required

to conduct a lot of research on the

particular topic before presenting it

to their class and teacher. This is to

ensure the information is accurate

and the presentation is wholesome.

His favourite projects is a presentation

he did on the different

types of transportation in a city of

his choice. The difference about this

project is that the presentation was

to be carried out in Mandarin.

”I prepared a Power Point

presentation about the transportation

in the city of my choice, Oulu,

which is my hometown in Finland.

Everybody else presented their own

researched projects too,” he said.

IT in the education

One of the things, Atte likes about

ISS International School, Singapore,

is the intensive use of computers in

the education.

“I like the fact that we use technology

to learn here. Most of our

work is done on the computer

whereas in Finland, we use the traditional

pen and book method,” Atte

said.

He prefers this way of studying

because it is more fun and helps the

students expand their minds.

“I even learn to design on the computer,

which I really enjoy,” he said.

Sports activities

Atte is also proactive in sports activities

not just because it is compulsory

to participate in at least one,

but mainly because he finds it fun.

He chose table tennis, because it

was a popular, fun and an easy game

to learn and play.

“It is so popular among the students

that we have to split into two

groups, each playing for 30 minutes

before switching to the other

group,” he said. Atte is booked with

table tennis as extracurricular activity

every Wednesday.

Another fun class he looks forward

to is P.E. The major activities

are swimming and athletics. He said

that he does well in swimming because

he has got a lot of practice

where he stays in Singapore.

“I think I swim better now than

when I was in Finland because I can

go down to the pool any time I

want and just do laps,” he said.

While Atte enjoys the cultural

differences of all his friends in ISS

and enjoys the variety of their backgrounds,

he also thinks of his friends

in Finland. Due to the distance, he

is only able to keep in touch with

them through online chat or video

conferencing engines.


The ONLY 100%

IB World School

in Singapore

Focusing on Personal & Social Development,

Maximizing Academic Excellence

Specializing ONLY in the IB curriculum incorporating IB

Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma for ages 3 to

18. Extensive range of IB Diploma subject options

Multicultural environment with students from more than

50 countries – no dominant group

Esteemed faculty members with a significant number of

IB workshop leaders, examiners, moderators and authors

Only International School in Singapore with an

Apple Macbook laptop program

Outstanding student support services including university

advising, counseling and guardianship programs

COLEGIO DEL MUNDO • WORLD

ÉCOLE DU MONDE •

SCHOOL •

Accrediting Commission

for

Schools

ISS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Elementary & Middle School

25 Paterson Road, Singapore 238510 Tel: (65) 6235 5844 Fax: (65) 6732 5701

High School

21 Preston Road, Singapore 109355 Tel: (65) 6475 4188 Fax: (65) 6273 7065

Website: www.iss.edu.sg Email: admissions@iss.edu.sg

High Spirited Hotines

John and Hedda have

quite a tight schedule

everyday but they

both enjoy their

activities and look

forward to it every

day.


From left - Lotta, Stina, Hedda and John.

John and Hedda Hotine both

study at the Canadian International

School in Singapore

(CIS). John, eight, has been

enrolled for five years. Hedda,

six, for three years. They also have a

little sister, Lotta, who is three years

old and currently attending a local

pre-school.

When we met, both John and

Hedda were dressed in red t-shirts

and white shorts. Japan had just

been hit by the tragic tsunami and

everyone in school put on attires

in the Japanese national colours in

a show of support to the tsunami

victims in Japan.

John’s favorite school day is Friday

because he likes writing.

“On the first period of every

Friday we are writing stories of our

own choice,” he explains.

Students are encouraged to

compose stories based on experience

or fiction as a form of writing

practice. Due to lack of time, freewrite-friday

is part of a regular class

and not a class of its own.

After school, the both John and

Hedda are involved in outdoor fun

activities such as roller blade skating

and swimming. In fact, John just participated

in his first swimming competition

recently.

Hedda expressed her passion

for soccer and how she enjoys playing

with her friends in school when

they are out on the field. Apart from

that, she also goes horse riding every

Sunday.

Both John and Hedda have

been required to participate in public

speeches called Show and Tell.

For the speech, John brought his

laptop and Hedda brought a rabbit.

They were required to show their

object of interest and speak about it

in front of the class.

Another activity John and Hedda

enjoy is when Swedish students

in CIS go to the Overseas Family

School (OFS) by bus and meet up

with Swedish students from a few

other international schools every

Friday.

There, all these students are

exposed to the Swedish language

and culture so they get a better

understanding of Sweden and its

traditions or practices. Their father

is British, but their mother is Swedish,

so it is important to maintain

also the Swedish side of their background.

This effort is supported by the

Swedish government because if

they should return to enter a Swedish

local school, it is important that

they are able to speak Swedish and

if they are exposed to it early and

there is a sudden decision to move

back, the school transition process

will be easier.

Looking for a school

When asked why they chose the

Canadian International Singapore

(CIS), their mother, Stina, said that

she had heard good things about

the school by not only Swedes but

also people of other nationalities.

They even learn additional languages

such as French and Mandarin in

school.

After doing her own scouting

around, she liked how CIS showed

a caring side to its learning system

which she fell for. She said they

applied family oriented type of approach

to learning which made her

feel very comfortable in letting her

children study there.

According to Stina, the teachers

at CIS are very nice and helpful and

are the main reason why John and

Hedda both speak in a more Canadian

accent which is entirely different

from their parents’.

Another very important thing

that convinced her was that they

offered International Baccalaureate

(IB) programme whioch meant that

the teachers would be very keen

and supportive of social development,

especially in the younger

years.

“Although they are academic,

they put a lot of emphasis on the

social aspect of the kids growing up

and to me that is important,” she

said.

She believes that children

should not be pushed too hard but

should develop a desire for learning

on their own rather than being

forced.

John and Hedda have quite a

tight schedule everyday and the

best part of it is they both enjoy

their activities and look forward to

it every day.


Brothers

Enjoy

Global

Environment

The Bocker brothers have been living

in Singapore for about a year and three

months. Prior to Singapore, they lived in

New York.


Brothers (from left) Hugo, Karl and Adam are all involved in charity extracurricular

activities.

As the Bocker brothers

sat down to talk with

me about living in

Singapore and about

their school United

World College, it was quite apparent

that Karl, 15, Adam, 13, and

young Hugo, 11, had mutual respect

for each other. It was heartwarming

to see how one would stop to allow

the other to speak first or, explained

a particular question to each other.

School life

“Being here allows you to see a lot

of different aspects of life and how

different cultures feel about life,”

Karl said.

According to him, education

here is a lot more global, with experiences

from many different cultural

backgrounds unlike the Swedish

school which could be quite homogeneous.

He also added that the education

in Singapore is more challenging

than in Sweden, which he regarded

as good because there is more

room for development.

Students in UWC are allowed

to take certain subjects earlier on

in their education which wasn’t allowed

in Sweden.

“For example, I take economics

and I wouldn’t have been able to do

that in grade nine in Sweden,” he said.

Karl also stated that it is much

more interesting because in UWC

there is a chance to meet international

students and enjoy each other’s

differences.

Another aspect of school life

in Singapore the three brothers felt

good about is that apart from academic

studies, there is a lot more to the

school which broadens the mind.

Adam shared his thoughts

about how he liked that it has more

interesting activities concerning unity,

getting along with other people

and caring about others as extracurricular

activities.

They each explain their take on

the extracurricular activities that the

school allows them to partake in

such as the Global Concern (GC)

and aids provided for the Unprivileged

Children of Vietnam (UCOV).

Hugo and Adam, who are involved

in the GC, explained that

they help organise events and programmes

to raise funds from which

profits will be donated for relief

funds in Vietnam.

Being part of the UCOV, Karl

explained that the UCOV initiative

host different events in school

which not only create a platform

for hidden talents to shine but also

helps those in need in Vietnam.

“We put together events like

“UWC’s Got Talent” where students

can buy tickets to watch other

students perform and the collection

is given to a special home or school

for those who don’t have a family

or cannot afford to go to school

there,” he said.

Apart from the activities, the

boys have the same opinion about

the school and its staff, wide variety

of food and its facilities.

The teachers here are also very

good. It’s a nice campus with good

facilities like the tennis court and

swimming pool and it keeps expanding.

Challenges

It was not surprising when the boys

related their perception of Asia prior

to moving.

“I thought it was going to be

with more houses and buildings,

much less greenery,” said young

Hugo.

Adam, on the other hand, did

not expect Singapore to be as developed

as it was.

“You would notice how developed

Singapore really is, especially

when you have been living here,”he

said.

About missing home, Karl said

that there are certain aspects of it

that they miss.

“I think we miss our friends the

most. In Sweden, we had many,

many friends so that’s what I miss

the most,” said Hugo.

Adam said that through social

networking sites and video conferencing

engines, they are able to

keep in touch with their friends in

Sweden.

When it came to with making

friends and mingling with their

school mates, the boys admitted

that it was not a concern. However,

there had been one persisting issue.

“The language barrier was the

initial challenge because when we

first arrived we did not speak as

good English as we do now so,” said

Karl.

“Making friends was not as challenging

as getting used to the language

because as I said before, Singaporeans

are generally very friendly

and so that wasn’t a problem at all,”

Adam continued.

The Bocker brothers do not

know when they are due to move

and although they would miss their

friends here, they will leave with another

great experience to hold on to.

United World College

Dover Campus

1207 Dover Road Singapore 139654

Tel: (+65) 6775 5344

Fax: (+65) 6778 5846

Email: info@uwcsea.edu.sg

Website: www.uwcsea.edu.sg


Discover the life-defining

education at UWCSEA

in Singapore

Our service programme, extensive after school activities

and expeditions combined with an academically-rigorous

curriculum provide a values-driven, holistic education.

Apply now to our new East Campus in Tampines

Spaces available in Grades 7 to 10 from August 2011

for students aged 11-16 years - Middle School, (I)GCSE

(Candidate Centre) and UWCSEA’s unique Grade 10

Foundation IB programme, Grade 11 IB Diploma from

August 2012 (Candidate School).

Come join our international

boarding community!

• Brand new, state-of-the-art boarding house

• Available for students in Grades 7-12

• English language support programme

• Located in safe and clean Singapore

To find out more

E admissions@uwcsea.edu.sg T +65 6774 2653

W www.uwcsea.edu.sg

UWC-ScandAsia-Mar2011-135x192-FA.indd 1

7/3/11 9:12:08 PM

GIVE

your children a NORWEGIAN

summer of FUN and LEARNING!

Norgesskolen July 10 - 29, 2011

Join children 9-18 years from around the

globe for a summer in Norway!

Children receive 3 weeks of intensive

language training combined with fun

activities and outings in an idyllic campus

setting at Råde, south of Oslo, Norway.

Registration deadline: May 15, 2011

For more information:

www.norgesskolen.no

lbhaaverstad@norseman.no

Telephone: +47 23 35 71 70

The British

International

School

The British International School (BIS), Phuket

is a Day and Boarding school that was

established in 1996 in the heart of Phuket.

Its purpose-built 39 acre campus provides

world-class facilities which enable students

to excel in sports as well as in their studies.

The student population consists of some

850 students with 37 different nationalities

represented.

BIS Phuket provides a Pre-School, Primary- and Secondary School

education of the highest international standard. Academic results

are amongst the best in the SE Asian region and BIS Phuket

graduates regularly move on to top universities all around the

world. In 2010 BIS Phuket students received ‘Top in World’ and

‘Top in Thailand’ awards from the Cambridge International Examinations

board. In the same year the school received the Prime Minister’s award as

the ‘Best Service Provider in International Education’ in Thailand.

The year 2011 sees BIS Phuket celebrate 15 years of excellence in

producing ‘Leaders for Tomorrow’.

To experience what life at BIS Phuket is like, a stay in one of the school’s

annual Summer Camps is recommended. Every April and July students

from around the South East Asian region, Europe and Australia, come to

stay at one of BIS Phuket’s Summer Camps. The school’s excellent boarding

facilities and campus are an ideal base for the BIS English Camp and the

very popular Sports & Adventure Camp, which provides a month of action

and adventure in and around Phuket. Previous students call this ‘the experience

of a life time’! Summer Camps are open to students aged 8 to 16. For

more information, please visit www.bisphuket.ac.th, or email us: summer@

bisphuket.ac.th, info@bisphuket.ac.th


Boarding at Sigtunaskolan

Sigtunaskolan

Humanistiska

Laroverket is located

on a hill part of

Sigtuna, closed to

Stockholm, Arlanda

and Uppsala.

Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska

Laroverket is one of the most

modern boarding schools

in Europe. Approximately

500 pupils attend the school,

of whom 260 are boarders. SSHL

offers both the national curriculum

natural sciences(NV), and the social

sciences programmes (SP). In addition,

the International Baccalaureate Diploma,

administered by IBO in Geneva,

has been offered at the school for

many years. Good results from these

three programmes provide access

to most colleges and universities

around the world.

SSHL also offers the Middle Years

Programme (MYP), a programme which

is based on evaluation of the entire

educational process, not just the results.

This provides a natural link between

the middle and the high school years.

Sigtunaskolan Humonistiska

Laroverket, SSHL

PO.Box 328, 5E-193 28

Phone: +46 (0) 8 592 571 00

Fax: +46 (0) 8 592 572 50

E-mail: info@sshl.se

Website: www.sshl.se

SWEDEN’S LEADING BOARDING SCHOOL

We offer secondary schooling between grades 7 and 12 with teaching in both Swedish and English.

Twenty five years experience of the IB programme with excellent results.

SIGTUNASKOLAN HUMANISTISKA LÄROVERKET

Phone: +46 8 592 571 00 www.sshl.se


Nyborg Gymnasium

Nyborg Gymnasium is an unusual Danish college, offering

both STX (a standard Danish A-level), HF (2 year exam

that gives access to university studies) and IB (International

Baccalaureate) - and further takes in boarders.

As a consequence, young people from the local town of Nyborg

meet young people from other regions of Denmark and from abroad

at Nyborg Gymnasium. It gives a special educational atmosphere, being

local, national, and international at the same time.

All three educational lines are characterized by

• a high educational standard and personal attention to each student

• development of the student in terms of competence in the subjects,

excellence in cooperation and an appetite for further learning

• participation in the IT education and it-based communication between

students and their teachers related to their everyday working

environment

• tolerance, involvement and responsibility for creating a safe and

pleasant living atmosphere for all

• positive and fun experiences, school parties, sports days, etc.

Read more on our website: www.nyborg-gym.dk and our school

magazine: http://issuu.com/nyborg-gym/docs/magasin2011

International School

of Bergen

The educational programme of the International School of

Bergen (ISB) in Norway has been developed to help prepare

its students for a successful future, whether that future is in

the Hordaland region or outside the borders of Norway. Parents

also choose ISB for the English language learning environment, the

small class sizes and the challenge of the International Baccalaureate

programmes. Our mission is to provide an internationally accredited

education which serves the Bergen and business communities.

An education at ISB is recognized as quality far and wide. The

school is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the

New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is authorized

by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer their Primary

Years and Middle Years Programmes. ISB is working towards

achieving authorized status for the Diploma Programme in 2011.

ISB is committed to the ethos of continual school improvement and

strategic planning which are essential features of accredited schools.

Our students and staff

ISB provides educational programmes in English to children between

the ages of 3 and

18. The students represent

more than thirty different

nationalities. The teachers

all hold university degrees

and appropriate teaching

qualifications. Class sizes are

small with normally 16-18

students.

Address:

Wilhelm Bjerknesvei 15,

5081 Bergen

Phone: +47 55 30 63 30

Fax: +47 55 30 63 31

Website: www.isob.no

E-mail: post@isob.no

EngElskspråklig privatskolE

for barn og ungdom

mEllom 3 og 18

• Få elever i hver klasse

• Trygt læringsmiljø med god individuell oppfølging

• God kontakt med foreldre

• Internasjonalt godkjente og utfordrende læreplaner

• Utmerkede resultater i internasjonale og norske nasjonalprøver

• Sentral beliggenhet med bybanestopp rett utenfor døren

• Nyhet fra høsten 2010 – Internasjonal Videregående

med godkjenning fra Lånekassen

Contact us for more information: Tel 55 30 63 30 eller post@isob.no


“Ni hao!” at

Stenhus Kostskole

The Chinese Dragon has come to stay at Stenhus Kostskole

in Denmark. The Chinese classes at Stenhus Kostskole work

closely with the two sister schools in Tianjin and in Shijiazhuang

in the province of Hebei in North China.

Stenhus Kostskole aims to strengthen the understanding of crosscultural

communication, so the students can understand the world

around them, not least understand China today.

“The Chinese Dragon is awake and alive, and we have to follow

its pace,” the school says.

In August 2010 on a study tour to Beijing and Tianjin, students

from Stenhus met their Chinese counter parts . In 2012 the first Chinese

students will visit Stenhus Kostskole in Denmark. For Danish

children to learn and experience the Chinese culture, it gives them

respect and a drive for the future.

Stenhus Kostskole

DK-4300 Holbæk

Phone: +45 59 43 02 69

E-mail: admin@stenhus.dk Website: www.stenhus.dk

New BioTech

College Degree

Bagsvaerd Boarding and High School in Denmark aims at allowing

each student to develop fully in accordance with their talents

academically as well as socially.

Students selecting our BioTechnology are taught at the highest

level in a number of science subjects including mathematics, biology,

physics, chemistry and English. Instruction takes place in close cooperation

between our school, companies and universities in and around

Copenhagen.

We want to equip our students for tomorrow’s global job market

while providing our boarders a consistent and secure home with

space for both studies, homework and friends.

BioTek

-

Danmarks første

femårige gymnasieforløb

8.kl.-3.g

Bagsværd Kostskole & Gymnasium løfter den faglige overligger. I

samarbejde med Novozymes, DTU og KU tilbyder vi nu en femårig

gymnasial BioTek-uddannelse for elever, der har talent inden for

naturvidenskab og bioteknologi. Uddannelsen indebærer bl.a, at

BioTek-elever i 9. klasse vil blive undervist på det, der i dag svarer

til 1.g niveau.

Bagsværd Kostskole og Gymnasium

Aldershvilevej 138, 2880 Bagsværd

Phone: +45 44980065

Att: Soren Borgesen

E-mail: bk@bagkost.dk Website: www.bagkost.dk

Læs mere om BioTek på

www.bagkost.dk

Bagsværd

Kostskole

&

Gymnasium

Vi glæder os til

Vi glæder

at se

os

dig...

til

at se dig...

Tag en bid af kundskaben

på den fede måde!

Aldershvilevej 138, 2880 Bagsværd, Telefon + 45 44 98 00 65, www.bagkost.dk


Medium

Evil

Pork

Liver

Pâté

The pork liver pâté

is a tasty mix of

ground liver and

fat minced into a

spreadable paste

which is later added

with a choice of

vegetables, herbs,

spices, or wine.

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 2011

Inexpensive and simple to make, this

dish serves as a great starter or light

meal and is healthy choice of light

eating.

Although usually eaten with Danish

rye bread, the pâté can also be spread

on any cracker of you choice. Tweaking

the recipe to fit personal taste can make

it better and especially more personal

when served.

This amazing dish does great at parties

and gatherings.

Ingredients

500 gr. pork liver (pork liver is great)

300 gr. pork fat

1 medium onion

3 anchovies (can be left out)

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup light cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Directions

• Put the liver, anchovies, fat & onion

through a meat chopper at least 3 times

or use a food processor.

• The mixture should be quite fine in

the texture. Mix in the flour, cream,

eggs, salt, pepper and all spice.

• Spoon the mixture into a buttered

loaf pan.

• Put it in a pan of water and bake in a

350F oven for an hour.

• If the pate is browning too quickly

place a piece of foil loosely over it.

This dish is usually served with fried

mushrooms, bacon bits, and cucumber

pickles on Danish rye bread.


Serving the Scandinavian community for over 30 years

• International, Domestic and

Local Moving

• Document Storage Services

• Real Estate Services

www.santaferelo.com

• Property Management

• Orientation Programs

• Visa & Immigration

Singapore: Tel: (65) 6398 8588 sales@santafe.com.sg

FiSK

by snorre food

Scandinavia in Singapore

Snorre Food has just opened the doors of its much anticipated Scandinavian

specialty seafood showroom and distribution facility, FISK.

Sourced from the pure and cold oceanic coast of the North Atlantic, FISK brings you

a unique and wide assortment of the finest seafood The North Sea has to offer, in

dainty portions, choice cuts and fillets.

Available fresh, frozen, or marinated, we carry an extensive range of rare and

delectable seafood, perfect for any dinner party or special occasion. Choose from

Cod, Plaice, Turbot, Halibut, Lobsters, Langoustines, King Crab, Scallops, Mussels,

Greenland Shrimps, Caviar and our delicious variety of seafood salad and selection

of Herring. We also have an enticing collection of sauces and condiments that is sure

to make you feel at home. Come and see for yourself.

We bring in fresh fish and seafood from Scandinavia every Tuesday and Friday. To

avoid any disappointment, please call Ken at 6265 9659 a day in advance to find out

if your preference of fresh seafood is available at our 25 Fishery Port Road facility.

Also, be sure to enquire about our seasonal range of seafood.

You can now have a slice of Scandinavia in your home.

Opening hours | Tuesday - Friday: 11am - 6pm | Saturday: 10am - 4pm | Closed on Sunday, Monday & Public Holiday

25 Fishery Port Road, Jurong, Singapore 619739

tel: +65 6538 3303 fax: +65 6538 0104 email: fisk@snorrefood.com.sg www.snorrefood.com.sg

ScandAsia Singapore - April 2011

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