ScandAsia June 2020

JUNE 2020

Lasse StĂĽlung I never planned to stay

Business:

Nick Jonsson and partners take over EGN Singapore network

Community:

Nordic food in Bangkok and Pattaya

PERSONAL FEATURE:

Susie Ogeborg - an active Swedish expat

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June 2020

ScandAsia Stories

34 Nick Jonsson and partners take on EGN Singapore

9 Thai Red Cross needs more blood 10 Sweden has closed Chinese institutes and classrooms 11 Norwegian gets Chinese investor 14 Kipina to open 10 pre-schools in Indonesia

16 Lasse Staalung interview.

9 20 Susie Ogeborg interview

10

30 Nordic Food in Bangkok and Pattaya

24 The art of moving

11

14 4 ScandAsia • June 2020

Editorial

The sacrifice of 2020

I

t is clear by now, that the Covid-19 virus is here to stay.

There is no “beating it” there is only “live with it”.

This was actually clear from the first introduction of the various lockdown measures worldwide. The majority of people liked to believe that we were “fighting the virus”, but government experts around the world stressed all along that the lockdown measures aimed only at “flattening the curve”.

The experts also knew, that this would come at an economic price.

When a couple of years from now we look back at 2020, I think we will be amazed by the economic hardship we brought on ourselves to battle the unbeatable. With open eyes we accepted the bankruptcy of hundreds of thousands of companies which threw millions of people out of work and into spiraling personal debt traps. Economically comfortable politicians kicked ordinary people with ordinary lives into a free fall that was more devastating than the prospect of getting the virus.

How come it was so easy for governments to brake the economy and what took them so long to shift the foot from the brake to the speeder by the time when it was clear they had sacrificed too much to save overburdening the hospitals?

I believe the keyword is sacrifice.

Human beings are religious people. Basic religious concepts is in our nature as deep as our instincts, it is not something, we have learned. If we sacrifice, we will get.

We can throw a human being into a volcano to keep it from erupting. We can set out to kill our own son because God has requested it.

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6 ScandAsia • June 2020

And there is a scale to it. The bigger the sacrifice the bigger the benefit. When a chicken on the alter is not enough, we slaughter an ox.

We need to understand this as a major reason why the masses around the world accepted the destruction of their lives at the hands of their own governments because they saw it as each their personal sacrifice on the alter of appeasing the monster.

There you also have the hesitation of the humans in power to move the foot 20 cm to the right and hit the floor. Something deep down in their human nature objects to this. This is the opposite of sacrifice, could it be a sin?

And how would the people react, if they found out that the sacrifice had been in vain? How can we prevent them from blaming it on the priests, who brought this misery on them?

Gregers Moller Editor in Chief

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June 2020 • ScandAsia 7

News brief

Denmark to send $5.5 million to Indonesia

I

n a new political agreement between the government and the suppor ting par ties it has been decided to send 37,5 million DKK ($5.5 million) to Indonesia with the purpose of star ting a par tnership

focusing on an Indonesian green transition.

“Indonesia is a countr y with extreme economic growth, which contributes to combatting poverty and a rise in the overall living standard of Indonesia. But Indonesia is at the same time the sixth biggest emission of greenhouse gasses in the world – and amount that is only expected to increase the next years,” says the Foreign Ministry of Denmark in a press release.

“We will invest 37,5 million DKK to strengthen the partnership

between Denmark and Indonesia, which will promote a sustainable development of the country,” adds the Ministry in the press release.

The political agreement will send a total of 150 million DKK to four different projects, amongst which one is the Indonesian green transition project. The others are projects in Mali, Uganda and an innovative fund for Danish NGO’s to promote sustainability.

Source: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Indonesia to receive $56 million reward from Norway for reducing emission

I

ndonesia will receive a $56 million fund from Norway as a reward for the Southeast Asian country’s efforts and success in reducing deforestation and carbon emission, repor ts the Indonesian daily The Jakarta Post.

The Indonesian effor t and Norwegian reward are under the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) scheme.

“The grant is a result-based payment. This is going to be the first payment for Indonesia’s achievement in tits REDD+ effor t during the period between 2016 and 2017,” said Siti Nurbaya, the Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister.

The Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry reported to Norway that Indonesia had experienced a decline in the deforestation rate in 2016-2017, according to The Jakarta Post. The decline in

8 ScandAsia • June 2020

deforestation, as repor ted by the Indonesian Ministry, prevented the release of around 4.8 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions.

But according to the process of verification conducted by the Norwegian government, the 20162017 emission reduction in Indonesia actually reached 11.2 million

tons CO2e – way higher than the initial Indonesian report of 4.8 million tons.

And so, Indonesia is looking forward to receiving its reward.

“Our President had ordered to use the grant for community-based environmental recover y effor ts,” said Siti Nurbava.

Source: The Jakarta Post

News brief

Thai Red Cross needs more blood

of nurses and a blood donor bus were already booked. All would be invited to the embassy to donate blood. Paradoxically, although the COVID-19 outbreak really underlines the relevance of hosting an event like this, we had to postpone it … because of the virus!”

Anders Lønstrup Graugaard has a rare blood type AB- and has also in Denmark been active as a blood donor. On 20 May, the National Blood Centre, Thai Red Cross Society asked him if he could give blood in a special case.

“This Sunday, i helped a man who critically needed my blood type in order to sur vive an imminent urgent operation,” Anders Lønstrup Graugaard wrote on the Facebook page of the Embassy as an extended caption to a photo on himself in the donor chair.

The Chargé d’affaires appeals to other foreigners who are still living in Thailand to donate blood as well.

“Every donation makes a difference. It’s the best gift you can give – blood donations actually save lives! Here is a chance where we can all support a good cause in Thailand.” the Chargé d’affaires adds.

T

hai Red Cross is facing a severe shortage of blood supplies. In particular Rh negative blood is needed, which 15% of the Europeans have but only 0.3% of Asians. Since many Europeans left the country to avoid the Covid-19 lockdown, supply has dropped dramatically.

Nationwide , Thai hospitals needs 5,400 units of blood daily, but the Thai Red Cross is only getting 2,400 units a day. Currently,Thai Red Cross’ headquarters at the National Blood Center on Henri Dunant Road in Bangkok only gets 1,500 units of blood per day as opposed to their normal supply of 2,500 units daily – a 60 percent drop.

Denmark’s Chargé d’affaires Anders Lønstrup Graugaard has become involved in the effor ts of

How to donate blood?

The main place to donate is at the Thai Red Cross Society’s National Blood Center on Henri Dunant Road, which is open from 7:30am to 7:30pm on weekdays, and 8:30am to 3:30pm on weekends and holidays. The closest MRT station is Sam Yan, or BTS Siam. Foreigners should bring their passport as an ID. Blood donations outside of Bangkok are also sorely needed. assisting the Thai Red Cross by appealing widely to the foreigners, that are still left in Thailand, to go and donate blood.

“Originally, our idea was that we should host a blood donor event at the Royal Danish Embassy. A team June 2020 • ScandAsia 9

News brief

Sweden has closed all Confucius Institutes and Classrooms

T

he deteriorating bilateral ties between Sweden and China has resulted in closure of all Confucius Institutes in Sweden – making the Scandinavian countr y the first country in Europe to close all institutes and classrooms.

The decision has been prompted by growing Swedish concern regarding Chinese security, disregard for human rights violations, oppression of ethnic- and religious minority groups and the jailing of Gui Minhai, the Swedish bookseller and poet from Hong Kong.

The last institute was announced closed by Luleå University of Technology, in late December 2019 – but was officially closed in

late January. On 23 April, the last Confucius classroom at Falkenberg Secondary School was terminated, but will properly close in late May, reported Radio Sweden and Radio P4.

The closure of the Confucius Institutes has also resulted in termination of exchange programmes and twin-cities between Chineseand Swedish cities.

Confucius Institutes are public educational institutions under the Ministr y of Education of the People’s Republic of China, that aim to ‘promote Chinese language and culture, suppor t Chinese teaching internationally and facilitate cultural exchange’.

Hostility between China and Sweden at an all-time high

T

he bilateral ties between Sweden and China continue to grow more and more hostile, says a report by World Tribune.

The repor t highlights a sur vey of 34 countries by the Pew Research Centre, that concluded that 70 percent of Swedes had an unfavorable opinion of China – coming in at second place, as only Japan was more hostile.

In late 2019 members of the Swedish parliament advocated for the Chinese ambassador in Sweden, ambassador Gui, to be declared persona non grata – essentially meaning ‘a person not appreciated or wanted’ – and therefore prohibited from entering Sweden and meddling in Swedish affairs.

The Chinese ambassador in Sweden has threatened several Swedish media outlets who had

10 ScandAsia • June 2020

written criticism about China regarding the case of Gui Minhai. The ambassador even addressed critics of China on Swedish live public radio in November 2019.

“We treat our friends with fine wine, but for our enemies we have shotguns,” said the ambassador, according to The Economist.

Since then the Swedish government scrutinized Chinese investments in Swedish companies and advised against having Chinese investors. Like so, the media- and press industry of Sweden has become skeptical of Chinese affairs in Sweden, according to World Tribune.

The catalyst for the downturn in relations began way back in 2015 when Chinese authorities kidnapped and arrested the bookseller Gui Minhai, a Swedish national.

Since then the relations between China and Sweden has deteriorated into hostility and mutual suspicion, reports World Tribune.

Source: World Tribune

News brief

Chinese state owned company bought 12.67 percent of Norwegian airline’s share

N

orwegian has secured government loan guarantees of NOK 3 billion. The company confirmed that the restructuring plan has been completed and that the state loan guarantee totaling NOK 3 billion has been approved, in an official statement published on 20 May 2020.

Leasing company Aercap Holdings in Ireland now becomes the largest owner in Norwegian. At the same time, the Chinese state own company BOC Aviation Limited will weigh 12.67 per cent of the shares in the company, according to The Nordic Page.

The company is through a large

number of companies owned by the Chinese government, NRK reports.

BOC Aviation is a company controlled by Sky Splendor Limited, which is again controlled by Bank of China Group Investment Limited, dominated by Bank of China Limited, which is dominated by Central Huijin Investment Ltd, which is dominated by China Investment

Corporation, which is owned by the People’s Republic of China, Norwegian Airlines elaborates in the stock exchange announcement.

Norwegian Airlines said in their report that they have laid a “good foundation for the future” The current state is at a relief and that the coming months situation will be still demanding.

June 2020 • ScandAsia 11

News brief

Scandinavian governments donate relief fund to Taal volcano eruption victims in the Philippines

D

enmark, Norway and Sweden are par t of a multi national donor group of countries that will resume dispersing relief to people affected by the current eruption of the Taal Vocano in the Philippines.

The distribution of aid was disrupted by the Covid-19 outbreak.

The other donors and partners of the relief effort include the Red Cross Societies and governments of Belgium, Britain, Canada, German, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg,

New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Spain and Switzerland, as well as DG ECHO and Blizzard Entertainment, Mondelez International Foundation, and Fortive Corporation and other corporate and private donors.

The Taal Volcano is situated on Volcano Island and is listed as a “Permanent Danger Zone”, with permanent settlement on the island not recommended, however, approximately 459,300 people live within the 14 kilometres Danger Zone. Taal Volcano is among the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, with more than 30 reported eruptions.

On 12 January, the activity at Taal Volcano main crater had intensified, with continuous eruptions generating a 15 kilometres of steam laden cloud of super-heated ash, and frequent volcanic lightning raining wet ashfall as far as Quezon City, some 100 kilometres away.

The Philippines re-open Embassy in Stockholm

T

he Philippines’s Department of Foreign Affairs announced on 15 May 2020 the reopening of the Philippine Embassy in Stockholm. It is eight years ago, that the Philippines Embassy there was closed. The re-opened embassy will star t offering consular services to Filipinos in Sweden and Finland.

In the past, Philippine consular services were conducted through

12 ScandAsia • June 2020

the Philippine Embassy in Oslo, Norway.

Together with concurrent jurisdiction over Finland, formal consular operations began on 15 May 2020, for applicants residing in Sweden and Finland.

The consular services are Visa, Civil registration of birth, marriage, death, Notarial and authentication of documents, Attestation of au pair

contracts, Acknowledgment of employment contracts, Dual citizenship, Extension of passpor t validity in emergency cases The Philippine Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden may be contacted through the following: Mobile: +46 702 735 407, +63 9054039435 (Viber) Email: stockholm.pe@dfa.gov.ph

Singaporean gangster dies in Denmark after 51 years on the run

R

oland Tan Tong Meng has died in Denmark at the age of 72 – and has already been buried. The Singaporean man has been wanted since a murder in 1969, according to the Singaporean daily Mothership.

After the 1969 murder, Tan became number one on Singapore’s list of most wanted fugitives, with local authorities offering a $2,000 bounty in their search for him. An extradition attempt in 1973 was unsuccessful due to insufficient evidence.

Tan, who was dubbed Mr. Big by the Danish media, died of a heart attack in the middle of a dinner

party. Mr. Big was notorious, even in Denmark, for his ties to organized crime.

Tan had an appetite for Singaporean cuisine and would have dishes like laksa, char kway teow, and yong tau foo delivered to him by Singaporean flight attendants travelling to Denmark. He was an avid gambler who preferred Chinese poker and dai di. Although he spent the bulk of his life living in Europe, Tan was more comfortable conversing in Hokkien.

Around 100 people attended the funeral ceremony with most of them being members of biker groups and former convicts, reports

News brief

the Danish daily Ekstra Bladet. Reportedly a fight broke out amongst several guest and the police had to be called.

Source: The Mothership

June 2020 • ScandAsia 13

News brief

Kipinä to open 10 new pre-schools in Indonesia before 2024

A virtual reality image of the kindergarten in Serpong which is scheduled to open in September 2020.

K

ipinä, the fastest growing international preschool brand featuring an “Enhanced Finland” curriculum will join forces with Yayasan Akademi Anak Indonesia (YAAI), to launch more than ten new Kipinä preschools throughout Indonesia in the the next 4 years.

YAAI is a special purpose vehicle formed by a leading Indonesian educator Mr Sudino Lim. YAAI will work with several property developers on new-build projects. The first purpose built Kipinä campus is already under construction in Serpong – due to open in September 2020. It is a joint venture with proper ty giant PT Summarecon Agung Tbk. The preschool will have capacity for 250 kids.

YAAI plans to develop the preschools adjacent to shopping malls, residential complex and integrated projects throughout Indonesia, starting in Jakarta.

Yayasan Akademi Anak Indonesia is spearheaded by a senior and experienced education expert – Mr Sudino Lim. Mr Lim’s earlier projects have included establishing a Training Centre (Master Language Centre), International College (INTI College Indonesia), International School (Tzu Chi School), a Private University (Pradita University). He was also sitting on the board of

14 ScandAsia • June 2020

Yayasan Akademi Anak Indonesia is spearheaded by a senior and experienced education expert – Mr Sudino Lim. Mr Lim’s earlier projects have included establishing a Training Centre (Master Language Centre), International College (INTI College Indonesia), International School (Tzu Chi School), a Private University (Pradita University). He was also sitting on the board of The Association of International IB Schools, the Association of Colleges and Universities.

The Association of International IB Schools, the Association of Colleges and Universities.

Kipinä already has schools and partnerships in 14 countries, mainly across the Middle East, Nor th Africa and Eastern Europe. Kipinä is also launching in Vietnam in August with local partners ILA. The regional roll-out highlights Kipinä’s planned

expansion throughout India, Asean countries and China.

Kipinä’s Finland university partner Häme University of Applied Sciences will provide certified teacher training in Finnish Pedagogy through a special program for foreign teachers that it jointly developed with Kipinä.

“We believe in creating exceptional schools with proven pedagogies, international standards and sustainable futures. A large par t of the Kipinä ethos is about local autonomy, empowering teachers and cultural adaptation. During this preparation phase we are working closely to ensure learning outcomes will prepare kids for entry into any K12 environment in Indonesia,” said Lim. “One of the things we love about Kipinä is their commitment to uncluttered, super clean, hygienic environments. All the design elements encompass ease of cleaning and disinfection, use of natural wood and best practices with a nurse on staff and kids temperatures recorded twice a day. This has never been more important than in these days of Covid19,” he added.

Kipinä Managing Director Kieran Galvin says, “Kipinä Indonesia will appeal to the mid market and be affordable for a large number of parents. While international schools frequently target only expats and wealthy families, we chose to work with YAAI because they are committed to bringing quality education to a wide segment of the population.”

Kipinä uses an enhanced Finland approach based on the Finnish National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care, with extra elements added to make the program more suited to international environments. These include: Focused Instruction Methodology, 21st Century Skills and Executive Functioning skills for children.

Cecilie Bahnsen designs shoes collection for Charles & Keith

News brief

D

ani sh des ign er Cec ilie Bahnsen has entered into a partnership with the Singaporean fashion footwear and accessories retailer Charles & Keith.

Bahnsen’s exclusive collection for Charles & Keith features four classic styles of shoes that takes inspiration from traditional school wear, a recurring theme in her work, and are beautifully finished with her signature couture-like touch.

Cecilie Bahnsen’s shoes were launched on May 25 on the website of Charles & Keith as well as on her own. The shoes are priced from $379 to $529.

Cecilie Bahnsen is a Copenhagen native who has also studied at the Royal College of Art in London and worked with couture houses in Paris. in 2015 she returned to Copenhagen to found her own label.

Charles & Keith were founded in 1996 by Charles Wong and Keith

Wong in Singapore. Today, with Louis Vuitton as a partner, the brand has a global footprint across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and Africa.

In 2004, Charles & Keith be-

came the first company in Singapore to set up an e-commerce website in an effort to expand its business, allowing the company to offer its products where it did not have a physical store.

Scandinavians join ‘Cupboard of Sharing’ movements in Thailand

S

wedes are participating and sharing to the ones in need, in the “Cupboard of Sharing” - ตู้ปันสุข’s movement in various parts of Thailand.

The initiative of “Cupboard of sharing” started from a simple idea: “Give what you can, take what you need.” This movement started within a few days when people started sharing this idea on social media. Then this positive movement spread around the country.

June 2020 • ScandAsia 15

interview

Lasse, Jiji and their son Christian.

Photo: Sofia S. Flittner-Nielsen

Lasse Stålung: “I never planned to stay”

By Sofia Flittner-Nielsen

I

meet Lasse Stålung in front of his company KB Plus.

He had gone out himself to buy soft drinks for our meeting. We don’t shake hands for the sake of corona-safety but smile and greet each other kindly. Lasse offers to show me around the buildings that belong to the family business as he tells me about the daily happenings of the business and in his life; I see everything from Lasse and Jiji’s office, the staff office, the warehouse and the roof-terrace while a young boy with fair skin and dark hair zoom around the premises. The buildings are sleek and modern, but with small contrasts of traditional and antique decorations. We end up in Lasse and Jiji’s office, ready to start the interview.

A childhood in Oslo

On an early winters’ day, 16 January, in 1962 a baby boy was greeted into the world by his Norwegian father and 16 ScandAsia • June 2020

Danish mother. He got the name Lasse. Lasse Stålung.

Lasse grew up in a wealthy neighborhood in Oslo, living in a big, white, three-story mansion that once had been an old ambassador estate with his father, mother, older brother and younger sister.

During his early childhood years, Lasse was a active kid with many interests (everything from sports, to music and an interest in his dad’s publishing firm) and a penchant for fairness.

“If a person or situation wasn’t fair, then I wasn’t fair either,” tells Lasse and laughs.

As Lasse describes himself as a child, I can’t help thinking that not much has changed as his stories reflect how I view the Norwegian-Dane even just 30 minutes after meeting him. I also quickly deduct that even as a kid, the Scandinavian man must have been smart and a quick thinker.

“Once, we had a substitute teacher and one of my good friends had been sent out in the courtyard by our other teacher, because he had misbehaved. As the substitute teacher did roll-call, I noticed that one of my classmates wasn’t present because he was sick,” laughs Lasse.

“So, when the substitute teacher called the name of my sick classmate, I raised my hand and said ‘here!’. When the teacher got to my name, I told the teacher that my friend who had been sent out in the courtyard was Lasse and he probably hadn’t heard the bell,” adds Lasse while smiling fondly.

“The substitute teacher went out to get my friend, thinking that he was Lasse and I was somebody else. Of course, my friend wrecked total havoc again. When the substitute teacher came back the day after, followed by the principal who wanted to have a word with “Lasse”, he got horribly confused when I raised my hand,” ends Lasse with a loud laugh.

Lasse had a big interest in music since young age – especially the drums, which he began playing when he was eight. Lasse’s interest in the musical instrument culminated when young Lasse started a band, Abraxas, at the age of 12, where he – of course – was the drummer.

“We never really got good, but we had a lot of fun playing until I turned 18 and the band broke up,” says Lasse and adds that he has recently bought a new set of drums to curb his COVID-boredom.

But despite the young Norwegian-Dane’s interest in music, Lasse’s dream was always to work in the newsindustry. The dream was born when Lasse visited the Norwegian daily Dagbladet. The hectic chaos of getting articles written and then ready for print, so the newspaper could be delivered the next morning without fail was what captivated the young boy.

And the dream was almost written in the stars.

Lasse’s dad was the Manager of Foreign Media at Narvesen, a chain of news stands in Norway, before he started his own publishing firm. Lasse’s grandfather was also in the news industry as an Editor in Chief at Hamar Arbeiderblad, a local district paper.

“I actually didn’t know when I grew up that my dad and grandfather had been in the news industry. I first

found out much later, when I had become an adult,” says the Norwegian-Dane.

“When I was around 4 or 5, I accompanied my dad at a meeting at Politikens Hus – which I can’t even remember.

It’s funny that I later started working there,” laughs Lasse

A sudden change

Lasse’s childhood changed when he was 10; his father died of a rapidly developing pneumonia. And with that came changes: Lasse lost a parent that he looked up to, a fond smile on his face as he describes his father. His mother lost her husband who owned a publishing firm and with that came a dilemma; should she and her kids move into a smaller apartment to make ends meet or should she stay in the mansion while taking a chance and continue the publishing firm’s legacy?

After confiding in her kids, they all agreed that the publishing firm was work the risk. But with that risk, his mother would worker longer and harder hours, so Lasse and his siblings would have to take over the chores of the house; cleaning, washing and cooking amongst other things.

But they did it – because their mom and the publishing firm was important. With that, Lasse learned to grow up faster to help his family.

As Lasse retells the story, he has a fond look in his eyes. He is silent for a minute – and then in a tone laced with adoration he speaks.

“My mom was just like that. In a time where women were told to shut up and stay home, my mom dared to defy that. My classmates’ parents would tell her all the time to remarry and stay home to take care of her kids.

But she never listened.”

“It affected us all greatly, but we stood by each other through it all.That’s why many of my decisions were done for the greater good of the publishing firm,” adds Lasse.

Lasse defines his own teen years as the typical Norwegian teen experiences; parties, a sudden interest in the opposite gender, alcohol and music. But as Lasse tells stories of his family discussing marketing for the publishing firm and his interest in the family business, I think Lasse doesn’t give his teen-self enough credit. Teen-Lasse was mature and responsible in a sense few teenagers going through puberty can be, always willing to help.

When Lasse turned 18, he started his first business; a one-man graphic business that produced content and helped his mother’s publishing firm while also developing crosswords for newspapers. At the same time Lasse dropped out of high school in his first year. Lasse had many conflicts with the teachers and a high percentage of unregistered attendance because of migraines that would leave Lasse dizzy, unfocused and barely conscience.

“I was on the edge of getting kicked out anyway, so I thought: “what reason do I have to stay?”

So, Lasse decided to enrol into Oslo Videregående’s lithographic course and later returned to finish high school in a two-year adult program.

June 2020 • ScandAsia 17

A flying start

From Oslo to Copenhagen

Lasse dreamt of studying at the Graphic College Copenhagen (Den Grafiske Højskole, that today has merged with the Danish School of Journalism into the Danish School of Media- and Journalism), as many of his idols and people who inspired him had graduated from the Danish school. Lasse realized it would be extremely difficult getting accepted into the school as the Graphic College Copenhagen only accepted two foreign students per year.

“It was a huge relief, finding out I had gotten accepted. At that moment I was very conflicted of whether I wanted to keep working in the industry and for the family business,” tells Lasse.

Just before Lasse packed his bags and moved to Denmark, he got married to his first wife at the age of 23, who became pregnant not long after. So, despite being proud of getting accepted into the prestigious school, Lasse didn’t plan on staying in Denmark after graduating.

“My plan was, that as soon as I had gotten my diploma, I would be on my merry way back to Norway,” laughs Lasse.

The reason why? Denmark and Danish people were simply too boring.

But as you can expect, things didn’t turn out as Lasse originally had planned. After a year Lasse didn’t want to return to Norway; Denmark wasn’t actually that boring and Danes were freer and more open in their approach to life.

While Lasse was in Denmark, his first daughter was born in 1986. A baby girl named Pernille. Not long after, Lasse and his first wife got divorced.

18 ScandAsia • June 2020

Right after the young Norwegian-Dane graduated from the Graphic College Copenhagen in 1987, Lasse got a flying start right off the bat at the Danish printing company Dystan, where Lasse stayed for 7 years. During this time at Dystan, Lasse found love for the second time with a Danish girl.

“I met her while I was drunk at a bar in West Jutland.

She worked there and I thought she was cute. Also, very strong,” laughs Lasse.

The two lovebirds stayed in contact when Lasse went back to Copenhagen. Not much time passed before they were married and had welcomed two baby boys, Nicholai and Benjamin, into the world.

Just barely after the two boys had been born in 1991 and 1993, Lasse got headhunted for the company Schultz where he stayed for one year. Then he got headhunted again, this time for a position at Politikens Hus where Lasse ended up staying 11 years.

“I remember the feeling that it was right where I belonged,” smiles Lasse.

At Politiken, Lasse got a excellent start after his first project where he found a way to integrate text and pictures while being full of knowledge and confident in his skills. After his success, Lasse was placed in several prominent projects over the years. In the end the NorwegianDane had his own office overlooking the Town Square in Copenhagen (Rådshuspladsen) and was the Administrative Manager for the then merged JP/Politikens Hus. “It was the best job I have ever had,” tells Lasse.

But then Lasse was offered an executive position at the new company called De Gule Sider in 2006. And despite being happy and content with his position at JP/Politikens Hus, Lasse decided to take De Gule Sider’s offer.

“It was new, exciting and would come with new challenges. But it was very much a wrong decision,” Lasse says.

Lasse left the new company the same year.

An offer in Thailand

At this point, Lasse, his wife and their kids had fallen in love with Thailand after their first trip to the Southeast Asian country in 2005; the weather, the people, the culture and the scenery was great. And so, the husband and wife decided to buy a vacation apartment for the family.

But two years passed since they bought the apartment, and things had changed between them. The couple had grown apart. After 18 years of marriage, the couple got separated, and shortly after divorced, but still decided to travel to Phuket together during the Christmas in 2008. While the newly split couple and their two sons, Nicholai and Benjamin, were on vacation in Thailand, Lasse got a job offer at a property project in Phuket. Of course, he accepted the proposition.

“I had always dreamt of living in the South where it is warm, and you go out to meet people and socialize. It also helps with my migraines,” laughs Lasse.

So, Lasse travelled home to Denmark with his family at the end of December 2008 but returned to Thailand on 4 February 2009 – ready to take on the condobuilding project with Naveen Development. But things quickly went south.

“It went like shit. Almost as soon as I got out here, the investors of the project disappeared,” Lasse says.

In a desperate attempt to not let the project fail, Lasse and two others set out to find new investors. They were successful – just until the 2009 demonstrations in Thailand. Due to the uncer tainty of the situation, the new investors pulled out from the project. Finally, after 1,5 years the project was closed permanently, and Lasse started making plans to return to Denmark.

Despite the failure of the botched building project, something great came out of Lasse’s choice to travel to Thailand. Lasse had come into contact with a sweet Thai woman going by the name of Jiji, who had plans to come to Phuket on a small vacation to meet Lasse. Lasse bears a small smile as he recalls the past.

“Jiji and her friend came out of the plane, saw me and then exclaimed: “But you’re fat?!”, laughs Lasse. Jiji was supposed to only stay in Phuket for three days but ended up staying much longer. When Jiji went back to Bangkok, the two quickly agreed that Lasse should visit her there.

“I hadn’t even considered that I would stay in Bangkok when I left Phuket. But our relationship developed quickly,” says Lasse, who explains that the couple moved in together as soon as Lasse arrived in Bangkok.

When Jiji picked Lasse up in Bangkok they drove directly to Pattaya, where Lasse met her brother – of course, with the intention that Lasse had to be approved before the Scandinavian met the rest of Jiji’s family, who

Lasse Stålung holding his welcome speech as Chairman at the 100 year anniversary of Scandinavian Society Siam.

Photo: Scandinavian Society Siam.

accepted him into their family quickly.

Once again, Lasse’s plans to return to Scandinavia didn’t come to fruition.

A happy ending in Thailand

After settling down with Jiji in Bangkok, Lasse star ted looking for a job, which proved to be difficult.

“I was looking constantly but I just couldn’t find anything that would suit me and my skills. But then Jiji started to ask if I couldn’t help with this, and then if I could help with that and so on. Suddenly I had become a vital part of the business,” says Lasse, who is now the General Manager at KB Plus.

KB Plus is a trade-company that makes sure fashion products are ready for production, while also checking the quality of each product and assembling separate pieces. The company was first started in 2005 by Lasse’s wife Jiji.

“It was Jiji’s business from the beginning and she is more than capable. I can’t run the business without her, but she can do it without me,” adds Lasse and laughs.

The couple got married 12 January 2012, after two years of living together.Their relationship was strong from the start with both looking for more than just a short fling. On 22 April 2015 Jiji gave birth to their son Christian, who was named after Christian the 8th., the Danish King who was the king of both Denmark and Norway.

The next years after the birth of Christian, Lasse’s life was stable. The business was thriving due to his and Jiji’s hard work while he had the joy of a loving wife and son.

Lasse was elected chairman of Scandinavian Society Siam in 2019. A position filled with frustrations in the early period due to economic complications and a lack of time as Lasse had to juggle his private life, his business and his position of chairman.

“It has been challenging but also very fun and rewarding,” smiles Lasse.

The Scandinavian community radiates a positive atmosphere due to the close bonds between Nordic nationalities, where people can enjoy the Scandinavian culture and their heritage.

“We want to be the social foundation for Nordic expats in Thailand. We don’t want to compete with anybody,” says Lasse.

As we near the end of our talk, Lasse tells me stories about how he became a grandfather for the first time in the summer of 2019, how he thought he was too old to become a father again, how much he respects and cares for his father-in-law and how his paternal grandfather changed his surname from Olavsen to Stålung under World War II because a prominent Norwegian Nazi had the same surname.

By now, our meeting is no longer an interview but just a pleasant chat between two Scandinavians. Jiji interrupts to ask when they should go out for dinner, and before I can blink, they have asked me to join them. Seafood is on the menu – how could I possibly say no?

June 2020 • ScandAsia 19

interview

I can not sit and dream at home on the sofa and do nothing

Susie with her parents, Toivo and Mary-Anne and daughter Sofie and son Harry during a visit to Ko Kret north of Bangkok.

20 ScandAsia • June 2020

Susie in the jungle on the way to Phi Suea Samut Fort Museum, Samut Prakan.

Susie’s husband Steve with their son Harry at the Golden Mount, Wat Saket.

By Agneta Bekassy

S

usie Ogeborg is a fascinating Swedish Bangkok expat with many strings to her bow. In November last year she graduated as a National Museum Volunteer guide. If you are lucky, you will be guided by Susie Ogeborg once the Covid 19 lockdown is over and you pay the Museum that long-overdue visit.

“I’m a very curious person and I like to learn new things. I joined this course in January 2019 and received my “badge” and cer tificate in a ceremony for NMV short for National Museum Volunteers - at NMV’s 50s Anniversary at Anantara Siam Hotel last November,” Susie tells.

“The course is quite hard. There is a lot to learn and digest. You have to remember everything to be able to describe what you see when you visit the museum. I have really learned much through this education.”

“Today people can ask me questions about the Royal family, the Thai history, sculptures from different époques, local handcraft, traditions, shrines, spirits and much more that make Thailand the country it has become. It’s easier to live and become a good citizen in a country when you have knowledge about the country, its history and culture,” Susie adds.

“When I started, we were about 20 participants, but only 3 of us received our certificates allowing us to work as guides. We were many different nationalities in the English speaking course e.g. Swedes, Dutch, Americans, Germans and Thais.”

Growing up in Sweden

Susie is born in Falköping, a mid-sized city in Sweden near Skövde where her mother lived at the time. But she spent most of her school time in Sweden’s second largest city, Gothenburg. After her graduation, she decided to take a year off and go to America as an “Au Pair”.

“That year was in every way a fantastic year,” Susie says.

“The family was great and I took care of two young towheads.They looked more Swedish than most Swedes.

I learned a lot and had to take a big responsibility when their mom, only 6 months after I arrived, was admitted to a hospital for mental disorders.”

“During this year, I went to study Art history and also learned how to throw ceramic. During this evening course, I met people from both Germany and Italy who became my close friends. This was the time when I wanted to discover and learn about the world.”

Back in Sweden, Susie enrolled in a Technical College in Gothenburg with orientation on machines/engines, a choice which many years later benefitted her career. But at this point, she instead decided to become a tourist guide with the Danish travel company Tjäreborg.

June 2020 • ScandAsia 21

A bronze Buddha image from Ayutthaya displayed at the National Museum, Bangkok.

Small shrine at Wang Mai district.

Long distance romance

Working in London

Susie was assigned a job in Turkey and this is where she met her husband Steve. She was doing a pub crawl in Sensi Bar, Bodrum in Turkey where she was entertaining the guests by singing “Please don’t go”.

“This is something you do when you are a tourist guide, working for Tjäreborg,” she says with a laugh.

Ever since that night, she and Steve have been in a relation, star ting with a 6 months long distance relation.

“We used to call each other at the same time every Sunday,” Susie recalls.

“After my posting in Turkey, I was transferred to Sri Lanka and here Steve came to visit me. During this time, the civil war broke out and we all had to fly out.

My boss at that time was a bit adventurous and decided that before departing, we should drive to Colombo in a jeep from Hikkaduwa and see what was happening with our own eyes.”

“That was a sight I never will forget. People sat ever ywhere on damaged roads with smoke and fire around. They were devastated and wondering, what now?”

After Sri Lanka,Susie got a posting in Phuket at Patong beach for Tjäreborg and where Steve also came to visit her.

22 ScandAsia • June 2020

In 1996, Susie moved to London, still working as a guide.

“All of us guides lived in a wonderful house In Holland Park, 3 floors with only Scandinavian guides - plus one Englishman, Steve, who was allowed to move in with us. What parties we had at that time and what a fantastic community it was! I don’t think we were very popular among the neighbors in this elegant area, though,” she adds.

After some time, Susie decided to say goodbye to her guide job. She now pick up where she left as a machine technician and became the first female “cold call” sales woman in London within ball-bearings, belts and engines.

“As a female, many companies opened up for me where my male colleagues had never been able to get a foot in the door. I was crawling around in my mini skirt and high heels on dirty industrial lofts while identifying damaged and dusty engines.”

Moving to Hong Kong

“It was a very hard work and I was really happy when Steve was offered a job in Hong Kong in 1997. We arrived only a few months after Hong Kong was handled back from England to China. Here we lived until 2001.”

During this period, Susie was working for the mov-

ing company “Crown Worldwide” as corporate account executive, VIP Inbound Relocation Consultant and later on as PR manager.

“I had no experience in this field, but went for an interview and the boss who interviewed me said she believed in me. I had four incredibly interesting years working for this company.”

Steve now had a wish to make his MBA in the UK, so the couple said farewell to Hong Kong, during a typhoon with a warning of number 8 on the scale, which caused them to almost miss their train to Beijing.

“We had booked the Transibirian Railway from Beijing and all the way to Moscow and then onward to our end destination, the UK. It was a really crazy trip; we met the most famous Mongolian horse breeder during the Nadaam Festival, which is what they locally call the Olympic Games in Mongolia. It is a traditional competition in archery, falconry, wrestling, etc.”

Getting married

The summer after, in May 31 2003, Steve and Susie got married in a little, red church in the Swedish village Råda, followed by a wedding reception on Marstrand, a very popular summer island outside Gothenburg.

“I missed out on my Hong Kong friends; but they were not able to attend due to SARS, another terrible virus at that time.”

Three years later, in 2006, Susie gave birth to their first child, Harry, and two years later, their daughter Sophie. Both were born in the UK. Moving to Bangkok was not part of their plan.

Moving to Bangkok

“We had meanwhile moved and now lived in Baku, Azerbaijan, when my husband suddenly, out of the blue,

received a call saying “We need you in Bangkok, come.”

Everything was decided very quickly and within only a month, we arrived in Bangkok during Songkran 2017.”

Having settled in the City of Angels, Susie decided to pursue another education and enrolled to become a volunteer guide for the National Museum in Bangkok.

This is something she can only recommend other to do.

“I know that several other Scandinavians have taken the course. I absolutely recommend it,” Susie says.

There are courses in English, French, German and Japanese. The course starts with 3 months of class room lessons. The rest of the time the students practice by observing the other guides and by guiding the teachers.

Eventually after 8 months, if you have not dropped out yet, you get the badge.

The National Museum is located on the opposite side of Sanam Luang to The Grand Palace. It was founded sometimes during the 1800s by King Rama V. The guide course takes place partly at the museum itself and partly in a building on Asoke.

“There are mandatory topics that have to be covered, but it’s up to you if you want to go deeper into other topics that are close to your heart, like e.g. khonmasks, textile, howdahs etc.”

“NMV offers guided tours weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays. You decide how often you want to work and we follow a plan. We never know in advance how big the group will be, it all depends on the amount of tourists visiting.

Susie adds, that if you don’t want to become a guide, you can contribute to the museum while becoming a member. An annual membership opens doors to workshops, seminars, the Museum magazine Sala etc. “A nice way to support Thailand’s culture,” she says.

Amazing Bangkok

During your time here in Bangkok, what has been the most frustrating for you?

“The traffic I would say, especially on Friday evenings.

It’s almost impossible to get a taxi or Grab.”

“But if you ask me, what I find the best and most pleasant thing about living in Bangkok, the absolute non plus ultra for me has been to explore the life on all the little Soi’s. Together with two of my friends we started in the beginning of 2019 a group called “Bangkok and Beyond”. We all appreciate exploring what’s going on inside and outside this buzzing city. We have explored many roof top bars, met plenty of fantastic and interesting people and some of them have become friends for life.”

“I feel much richer after having spent 3 years here and Bangkok will always have a central place in my heart.

I feel motivated every day, I want to find out about, to me, unknown places and things, and I live like if every day would be my last day. Who can sit home on the sofa dreaming, but doing nothing? For sure not me!”

Statue at the Royal Funeral Chariot Hall, National Museum, Bangkok.

Learn mere about National Museum Volunteers here: https://www.mynmv.co June 2020 • ScandAsia 23

Moving: The Art Moving. How to make this difficult and stress-inducing undertaking a bit easier?

By Gregers Moller

M

oving is not easy. We all know that. It’s stressful; it tests the patience of even the most calm and relaxed people. Yet, some people seem to go through the ordeal effortlessly,

like a ballet.

One day, they announce that they have been reassigned and then miraculously a few months later, they reappear in the new city, kitchenware in the cupboards and the usual paintings back up on the walls again.

Is there a trick to it? Is it something you can learn?

“Moving is my profession so it shouldn’t surprise you that my first suggestion would be to hire a professional mover,” says Asian Tigers’ Florence Wong, Director, Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Hong Kong.

But how to find the right professional mover for you - not just the one that fits your budget?

“Of course, price will factor in but there are other main factors to consider when shopping for a moving service,” Florence Wong says.

Four factors to evaluate

Florence Wong suggests you start with four basic factors: Experience, accreditations, reputation and chemistry.

Experience How long has the mover been in business in your market? Are they well known in the community? How focused are they on moving - are they primarily movers or is this just one of their many business lines?

Accreditations Most reliable movers will have some accreditations so an ISO certification is a positive indicator. FIDI, the leading international moving organization, has a quality program (FAIM) that is the industry standard. A FAIM certified mover is a reliable indicator of quality and professionalism. Learn more about FIDI at fidi.org Reputation Word of mouth, the advice of friends and neighbors and general standing in community is al24 ScandAsia • June 2020

ways worth investigating. The proof of the pudding so to speak is what their actual customers have to say.

Chemistry In almost all cases, you’ll need an inhome survey of your goods so that the mover can get an accurate assessment of the scale and scope of your move. During that survey, you’ll get an impression of the surveyor and the company he or she represents. Do you feel comfortable with them? Do they listen to you? Are they knowledgeable? Do they convey a sense of caring and concern?

“This is not an exhaustive list; it is only meant to be a basic starting point,” Florence adds, but going through the four factors above you have probably already made up your mind.

Two months before

The right company will steer you through the process but there are many things you will have to do yourself.

Structuring your time before, during and after the move is important.

“Ideally you should begins at least 2-3 months before the Big Day,” says Peter Karlsson, Asian Tigers Mobility, Malaysia.

Two month before the move, you have already made your choice of a moving company, you already know your new home address and it is time to systematically go through the following check-list, which Peter Karlsson has worked out based on his many years of experience.

“First, you should inform the following institutions & people of your departure date and new address to redirect future mail to the new address,” he says.

• Banks • Credit & Charge Cards • Embassies • Landlord • Post Office • Schools

June 2020 • ScandAsia 25

• Solicitors • Stocks & Shares • Tax Department • Club Memberships • Electoral registrar • Relatives & Friends • Publications you subscribe to • Doctors/Dentists • Your lawyer “This is also a good time to contact your insurance companies to update your information. Household insurance should either be terminated or transferred to the new house. Also be sure to sort out all other insurance matters for your move. It’s always better to start on that paperwork early, Peter suggests.

The insurance plans to update includes: • Life • Health • Home • Car

1 month before the move...

As the moving day comes closer, here’s what Peter Karlsson suggests you should be doing around a month before the move: • Back up your personal computer • Decide on the items to be shipped by air and by sea • Dispose unwanted items • Give away/sell plants or used furniture/appliances • Prepare insurance valuation list 26 ScandAsia • June 2020

• Sell car • Visit your dentist to obtain dental records • Visit your doctor to obtain medical records This is also a great time to verify all documentation required for the destination country that you’re moving to: • Residence Permits • Visas • Flight tickets Other documents you should be preparing: • International Driver’s license • Personal Accident and Medical Insurance • School Records • Travelers’ Cheques

2 weeks before the move...

Now, it’s time to make a clean break. Start making the calls to discontinue the regular services that you used to be unable to live without. And yes, let reality sink in while you’re at it, you’re moving in just a couple of days!

Services to discontinue: • Electricity • Gas • Water • Newspaper/Magazine Subscription • Telephone Lines • Internet Service Provider • Cable TV • Grocer • Dry Cleaning

1 week before the move…

It’s mere days away. The moving crew will be coming to pack your belongings away soon. At this time, it’s best to go through all the important documents and belongings that you might require to ensure that you have them ready. It’ll also be useful to have copies of those important documents on hand.

Documents to verify: • Passport • Visa/Residence Permits • Identity Cards • Flight Arrangements • Hotel Arrangements • Birth Certificates • Marriage Certificate • School Records • Medical and Dental Records • Insurance Policies • Bank Records • International Driving License Items to prepare: • Medicine • Valuables/Jewelry • Traveler’s Cheques

3 days before the move...

This is it! You’re almost there. Here’s what you should be doing in the days leading up to your packing date:

• Final laundry cycle • Disconnect and drain washing machine & dryer • Clear out refrigerator. Clean the inside of the refrigerator with a strong detergent. Leave refrigerator door open to allow the inside of the refrigerator to dry completely.

On Packing Day

You’ve done everything you possibly could to prepare for this day. In a few moments, the movers will unleash their packing expertise on your belongings. But there are still a couple of final things for you to do before you can heave that sigh of relief!

On Packing Day you should:.

• Reconfirm that the packers know all the details of your shipment, such as pointing out the items that are going by air or sea respectively.

• Inform the packers of items that are most valuable to you or of items that they should take extra care with.

• Be present during packing so that you’ll be able to answer any questions the packers might have.

• Submit passport copy, completed customs forms, and insurance forms if you have not done so.

• Sign & retain a copy of the inventory • Request vessel information and contact information at destination.

June 2020 • ScandAsia 27

• Separate high value items (such as jewelry) and hand carry these to the destination.

• Put air tickets, passpor ts, receipts, and all other important documents you might require on your journey in a safe place to avoid these items being packed with your shipment • After packing, check all rooms, closets & patio, etc. with the supervisor to make sure that all items are packed and loaded into the container.

Congratulations! You’ve made it! The rest of it is the hands of the professionals.

“We do this for a living so we know the in’s and out’s,” says Florence Wong, Asian Tigers’ Director for Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Hong Kong.

At this point, the important part is that we help you navigate the intricacies of customs clearance, insurance, and we tackle the complex paperwork involved with an international relocation.

Arrival at your new destination

Knowing that all is now safely on its way to your new home is surely a relief but your move is still only half done.

By now, you have arrived at your new city but probably not moved into your home as the furniture is only on its way. While waiting, here is what you should do: Contact your movers at the destination to notify them of your arrival Complete any import customs forms if required Set up shipment delivery dates / storage arrangements as required Make a detailed plan of where you want your furniture to be placed in your new home.

28 ScandAsia • June 2020

On the day of delivery When your home arrives it is important that you are there and well prepared. Only you know in which corner of your new living room you want your sofa. If you have drawn up a good plan of where you want each furniture in each room to be placed you can reduce the movers time and save yourself considerable hard work doing the final adjustment after the movers have left.

Other things you need: Ensure that you have a copy of the Bill of Lading on hand Check off each carton delivered on your copy of the inventory obtained on Packing Day Before the movers leave, ensure that all boxes are empty so that no small household items are overlooked If anything is damaged or missing, list the items on the inventory and Bill of Lading.

“Yes, we’re experts in packing, shipping, delivering, etc., but of course things can go wrong,” says Florence Wong, Asian Tigers’ Director for Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Hong Kong.

If so, she and Peter Karlsson recommend that you contact your moving consultant to file a claim as soon as possible (ideally within 3 days from when the damage/ loss is discovered).

But damages are really seldom so most likely all will be fine and you can start feeling at home in your new location.

“I hope you have a great move and enjoy your new life adventure!”

Your Move. Our World.

- Moving Services - Relocation Services - Visa & Immigration - Home Search - School Search - Orientation

www.asiantigersgroup.com June 2020 • ScandAsia 29

30 ScandAsia • June 2020

Stegt flæsk med persillesovs. Photo: Maj-Britt Aagaard. https://spiselandslaget.com/ AV MAJ-BRITT AAGAARD

Nordic food in Bangkok and Pattaya Danes, Swedes, Finns and Norwegians have rich opportunities in finding a little slice of their homeland while in Thailand through familiar and comforting cuisines. Several Nordic-focused restaurants and web-shops has recently opened in Bangkok and Pattaya to supplement the ones that were here for many years.

This is an overview of Scandinavian restaurants, web-shopsand delivery services in Bangkok and Pattaya. None of the restaurants or web-shops are affiliated with ScandAsia.

By Sofia Flittner

Bangkok

Bangkok offers a list of Nordic restaurants that caters to the Scandinavian palate, such as:

Stable Lodge

Stable Lodge offers a variety of Danish, Swedish and Norwegian food – although the selection of Danish food is bigger than the Norwegian- and Swedish section. The restaurant serves both modern- and traditional food, such as medister, krebinetter, raggmunk med fläsk, lovbiff, kjottkaker med kalstuing and fiskboller med asperges og blomkål. The restaurant can be found at the Stable Lodge hotel on 39 Sukhumvit Road Soi 8, Bangkok or online www.stablelodge.com

The Admiral

The Admiral is a sit-down restaurant owned by a Dane.

The restaurant serves traditional Danish food, such as classics like hakkebøf and boller i karry. You can find The Admiral on 20 Soi 18, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey Bangkok or online www.facebook.com/AdmiralsPub RestaurantBangkok/

June 2020 • ScandAsia 31

Conrad’s Deli

Cajutan

Danish Bakery & Deli Bangkok

Mammas Kök

Conrad’s Deli is a physical store with an accompanying web-shop that makes and sells many kinds of Danish food- and products. Conrad’s Deli delivers the food and products to your given address – and the deli also delivers to Pattaya. The physical restaurant can be found at 68/4 Khwaeng Dok Mai, Khet Prawet, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok, while you can order and browse for Danish products on www.conradsdelishop.com

The Danish Bakery & Deli is a delivery service that makes traditional Danish bread and cakes, plus much more. The Bakery and Deli also sells Danish products, such as jams, meat toppings and other products that are a stable piece of a Danish household in Denmark. You can find the Danish Bakery & Deli at Waterford Diamond Tower soi Sukhumvit 30/1, Bangkok or online www.danishbakerydeli.com/ 32 ScandAsia • June 2020

Cajutan is a Swedish sit-down restaurant, that also offers delivery. The restaurant offers Swedish classics such as Swedish potatocakes, Swedish meatballs and more. The restaurant also has a web-shop, where you can buy Swedish products such as snus, candy, alcohol and much, much more. The restaurant can be found on 21/1 Sukhumvit soi 18, Bangkok. The web-shop can be found on: www. cajutan.com/en/store

Mammas Kök is a Swedish-focused bakery- and pastries shop that also caters. The café is owned by a Thai-Swede that wants to bring the tradition of ‘fika’ with coffee, cakes and pastries to Thailand. Mammas Kök offers a wide variety of homemade cakes and sweets. You can find Mammas Kök on 1905 Rama IV Road, Khwaeng Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok or online www.mammaskokbangkok.com

Pattaya

Pattaya also presents a selection of Scandinavian-based restaurants and delivery services where Scandinavians can get food from their homeland or homemade products and goods that are reminiscent of authentic Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish food.

Scandinavian versions of international dishes – they also serve Swedish meatballs. The restaurant can be found on Jomtien Beach Road, 144/4 Moo 12, Nongpruy, Banglamung, Pattaya

Majatalo Jomtien Boathouse

The Jomtien Boathouse restaurant offers a fantastic panoramic view over Jomtien Beach as well as a great range of delicious Scandinavian international and Thai cuisine to enjoy either outside under the stars or inside the comfortable large and airy eating area with its nautical themed décor.The restaurant offers great food and music and is straight out value for money. “Elvis” who plays to packed houses every Saturday, Sunday and Monday night.

Majatalo is an in-house sit-down restaurant that serves Finnish food. According to their site, the restaurant serves strictly Finnish food. You can find the restaurant on Soi Yume, Paniad Chang Plaza, Pattaya

Ravintola Helmi Cafe Kronborg

Ravintola Helmi is a sit-down restaurant that serves both Finnish and Thai food. The restaurant can be found on Thappaja Road Moo 12 413-139, Pattaya

Cafe Kronborg in Soi Diana has been part of Denmark in Pattaya “forever”. The dining menu includes smørrebrød (Danish open sandwiches) with various cold cuts, Danish hot dogs, frikadeller (Danish meat balls) and biksemad (Scandinavian hash). Find it here: Soi Diana Inn 13/2 Pattaya 2rd., Pattaya 20150

A Taste of Norway Akvavit Grill & Bar

Akvavit Grill & Bar is a Scandinavian restaurant named after the infamous Scandinavian alcohol, that ser ves

As the name indicates the restaurant caters to traditional Norwegian cuisine like fårikål, flesk & duppe med kålrabistappe og kokte poteter to mention a few. A Taste of Norway also offers delivery. You can find A Taste of Norway on Thappraya Road, 315/177 – 180 Moo 12, Pattaya June 2020 • ScandAsia 33

Swede Nick Jonsson and partners purchase EGN Singapore franchise

‘‘T

By Joakim Persson he way we network is changing now and it will probably be with us for the rest of our lives; it will be a different networking landscape when we come out of this,” believes Nick Jonsson from the knowledge-sharing network Executives’ Global Network (EGN) in Singapore.

The Swede, whose career in Southeast Asia is already long and successful, has just announced some positive business news amidst the Covid-19 virus crisis that will cement his own continued presence in Singapore.

Nick Jonsson, along with his par tner/wife Dona Amelia and also Mr AJ Boelens (who was himself a member of EGN for quite some time) have just acquired the franchise rights for EGN in Singapore.

EGN is one of the largest global professional networks with 13,500 members including over 70 professions (also with presence in Denmark, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong and so on).

The franchising model means that the member experience remains the same, as part of the EGN group in Denmark. “The only difference is that my partners and I have the franchise rights here for Singapore, which is obviously a higher risk for us but it’s also a bigger opportunity in terms of the business because before I was employed and reporting to Denmark,” Nick tells ScandAsia.

“AJ, my Canadian friend, really enjoyed EGN as a member. He is actually a consultant in customer centricity so he is a strategist who also runs his company and also works as professor at Nanyang Business School. What I really like with his approach is that he brings in the strategic element and the customer centricity into the business. My wife Dona and I are close to the business, running the operations, so it’s good to get someone on board with a different perspective when you’re going to move forward, especially in this time of disruption with Covid-19 crisis, which of course is generating a lot of opportunities as well.”

Dona Amelia’s role is Business Development Executive.

“EGN Singapore has seen steady growth during the past few years. We have added some more members inside the peer groups because we found that when there

34 ScandAsia • June 2020

are more opinions and members around the table there are also more opinions and energy as a result. We made the groups a bit larger while still maintaining the same business model and groups as previously.”

Virtual sessions

The outbreak of Covid-19 forced EGN to cease having physical meetings and instead switch to holding the network sessions virtually (using Zoom), something that had also been tried previously but without much success, informs Nick.

“It’s just that hurdle to overcome that something is now online. What was pushed as trial a few times within EGN is now working really well, so that is one positive change we have seen during this time. We found a way during this lockdown period to move to online because all business teams have done so anyhow.”

“At first I was quite scared to make this move but actually I have been positively surprised and we are seeing higher meeting attendance and engagement than before, simply because our members are regional heads and VPs and above, and they are travelling a lot so it’s very difficult for them to attend meetings face to face, but when it’s online it will be a bit more easy for them.”

Executive Loneliness is now a more critical topic than ever. On top of this, senior executives might be living away from their families without being able to meet physically – so also in that sense it’s quite lonely at the top at the moment.

Obviously currently nobody can travel, and the impact from that has so far not been hurting businesses too much, according to Nick.

“Everyone can postpone trips for a few months, but if longer than that it will start turning into huge issues. For expats living away from home in another country they need to go and see their family. So, on a personal level it will become really difficult in the months ahead unless international travel come back on. But for organisations as well there are lots of things that were put on hold.”

“Here in Singapore, by 1 June there are lots of expectation from the business community that they will at least get to see a plan when they can start to travel internationally again, because a lot of business projects were postponed and it will cause further huge damages to the economy unless we can start travelling soon.”

Not only EGN but also other networking organisations are all moving online:“You can see that there are more webinars everywhere and perhaps a webinar overload for many people now. But at EGN it’s very important to have engagement and we make sure that this is done by having facilitators to run each session. For example, we open each meeting with a half-an-hour networking, structured in different breakout groups with 5-6 members in

each and with a theme to discuss. When they come back they can highlight what was discussed.”

“The way in which we network is changing now and that will probably be with us for the rest of our lives; it will be a different networking landscape when we come out of this [Covid-19 lockdown].”

Still Nick Jonsson sees the webinars as merely a temporar y replacement for the regular face-to-face cross-functional events held for all groups.

Covid-19 implications topics

As an EGN member, business leaders and managers can get qualified, and confidential, advice and feedback on any concern, issue or on-going project from other members of their group. Such is the nature of the EGN network.

“With their companies now in crisis mode, with all their employees suffering, senior executives have to carry this heavyweight alone on their shoulders. But who is looking after them? Executive Loneliness is now a more critical topic than ever.”

“On top of this, especially senior executives might be living away from their family without being able to meet physically – so also in that sense it’s quite lonely at the top at the moment.”

June 2020 • ScandAsia 35

How does it feel to be young during a pandemic like this Covid 19?

As grown ups, we have suffered depressions, several bad flus etc. but how about the young people? They are mostly happily innocent and have never been through a time like this before.

What do they think about it?

By Agneta Bekassy

Julia Frummerin

W

Hannah Biro

e can’t lie and say this 2020’s pandemic has not changed our lives immense. We adults are suffering and extremely worried, but how do the young people feel?

A few Swedish, young students have been answering some questions about the pandemic and all of them have more than one thing in common, but the most important thing for all of them seems to be the lack of meeting up with friends.

The worst

This is how Julia Frummerin, grade 11 answers to following question: What has been/is the worst thing during this pandemic from your point of view?

“The worst has been all these restrictions that it has brought, regarding socializing, although it’s very understandable. It has been and still is difficult to isolate myself from having a proper social life outside without any concerns.”

Hannah Biro who is 8 years old says: 36 ScandAsia • June 2020

Winter Hahn “The worst thing for me is that I don’t get to see my friends and it’s boring to be stuck inside the house all day long.”

Winter Hahn agrees. He says: “The worst thing is wearing a mask all the time.They are very uncomfortable, and I hate them. I wish Corona was gone forever. I also miss my sports. I’m on my swim team and soccer team at school and I also miss PE.” Mia Munro Hallström, 10 year looks at it this way: “It’s a hard question; there are so many things that are challenging during this time. If I pick my top 3 challenges, they are: not to be able to spend time with friends from school, not being able to travel and seeing my family and friends in Sweden, and it’s been just hard to stay indoors in general.”

Biggest influence

How has it influenced you the most?

Mia continues: “It’s been really hard, but it also made me notice how much we need the outside. Before Covid everyone was always on the phone, we let pure air fill up with pollution,

and now that we are stuck indoors, we know how much we actually need and miss the outside air. During Covid I have gotten more active, I’ve been skipping rope, I’ve played basketball, danced and I have been doing exercises with my mum.”

Winter answers that he has become more independent in his schoolwork.

“I do things by myself now, so I have really changed and this is good. I do miss my sports though.”

Hannah is disappointed and sad, as her family was supposed to visit her best friend in Greece.

Julia thinks that not socializing with friends as much during this period of time, has really shown her that you have to be grateful for what you have and never take anything for granted, especially when it comes to “the small things” such as seeing friends at school.

Worst fear

What are you most scared of?

Mia lets us know that she is scared that it will con-

study from home?

Mia tells that for her it depends on what the study has been, and admits she really misses school.

“I have so much going on, that sometimes it gets a bit confusing, but my teachers are all amazing (including my parents who help me a lot). I have learned more math and writing and also independence, plus I have got to spend more time with my family.”

Julia says that in the beginning, it was difficult to adapt to the new learning environment.

“But it became a habit quite fast, as the teachers adapted really well and supported us students significantly.”

Winter immediately answers that it has been really easy.

“I’m a very good reader now, much better than before and also at math. Now I’m super good.”

Hannah on the other hand thinks it’s hard: “I don’t get so much help from my teacher and sometimes it’s difficult for my parents to understand the given instructions.”

Looking forward

Mia Munro Hallström

Harry Mawby

tinue, and that she never gets to see her Swedish family and friends living in Sweden.

“I know we will find a cure for it someday, but when?

I think we might already have one. I also think it’s very important that we all try to stay positive.”

Hannah is scared that one of her old relatives will get Corona and that this will go on for a very long time and who isn’t?

Winter says he’s afraid of not finishing his homework in time every day because then he will have so much more tomorrow and it takes forever. ”My mum was in the hospital with Covid during many weeks, but I wasn’t scared, as I knew she was going to be ok. My mum is strong and she is fine now.”

Julia thinks it’s a bit worrying to thinking about what’s to come once this pandemic is over. How the world will look like and how people will cope with everything. Also if things will ever go back to how they were before, or if this will have transformed people into a new lifestyle, a question we probably all ponder on.

Studying from home

Have you found it or do you find it easy or difficult to

For all of these youngsters, the hardest thing seems to be not seeing their friends and it’s very easy to understand, as we adults feel the same.

So what is the first thing to look forwarding to when the virus has come to an end?

Winter says: “To be with my friends in Grade 3 and learning time tables, harder math and harder reading, also on getting older and improving on sports and last, but really most enjoyable will be, not having to wear a mask.”

Mia’s priority is to see her best friend Emma who lives in Sweden and Hanna wants to go to the water park and dine out in a nice restaurant. That’s what most of us adults also want, having a nice dinner at a restaurant in good friends company.

Not surprisingly Julia also says: ”Once this is over, I’m really looking forward to spending time with friends and family outside the house and doing everyday tasks without having to go through a whole sanitation procedure.”

Harry Mawby, a cool guy in year 8, with an English father and Swedish mum, looks at the Corona time like following; “Not being able to hang out with friends is for me absolutely the worst. How has this virus influenced me?

Well, it has made me feel much lazier these days and I’m very scared to catch the virus. I have not had any problems with studying from home, it’s quite easy. Now when I haven’t been able to meet with friends, I have been playing videogames with them instead. When this is over, I will go to the cinema, miss that and I will hang out with my friends.”

I think all of us agree to this and wish this pandemic to come to a quick end with no more death. A Credit to all teachers and parents, who have tried to support the students, as the most, during this unusual time.

June 2020 • ScandAsia 37

News brief

Danish and Swedish Chambers move offices in Bangkok

D

anish-Thai Chamber of Commerce has with effect from 1st June 2020 moved to a new office in the UM Tower building on Ramkhamhaeng Road.

Meanwhile, Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce with effect from 1st July 2020 will move its office to Chamchuri Square on the corner of Rama IV Road and Phayathai Road.

DTCC office moved already on 26 May to UM Tower into premises of the par tly Danish owned engineering company Shaw Group Ltd. on 14th Floor close to the Ramkhamhaeng Airpor t Link, the Chamber informs in its newsletter on Monday, 1 June 2020.

New mailing address of the Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce is:

Shaw Group Co., Ltd. Att.: Danish – Thai Chamber of Commerce 9/148, 14 Floor, UM Tower, Ramkhamhaeng Road, Suanluang, Bangkok 10250.

The TSCC invited its members to bid on the office furniture from the current joint office in the C.P. Tower office next to Phayathai BTS station. The furniture is attractively designed items, mostly of the premium Modernform brand.

Five-year transition scheme for re-acquisition Danish citizenship expires August 31st 2020

T

he Danish Embassy in Vietnam would like to urge all parents of children with dou-

38 ScandAsia • June 2020

ble Danish/Vietnamese citizenship, who are born before 1 September 2015 to contact the embassy for

the purpose of clarifying whether the child’s Danish citizenship has been lost.

If the child is considered to have lost the Danish citizenship it is still possible to apply for a re-acquisition of the lost Danish citizenship by declaration until 31st of August this year without the stipulated demand for residence in Denmark.

It is therefore especially important for Danish citizens living in Vietnam to initiate the process as soon as possible in order to clarify whether the child has lost the Danish citizenship.

Contact the embassy through hanamb@um.dk, attention: Vice Consul Ulrik Kirkegaard Pedersen.

Time to read something about Scandinavian history in Thailand

S

candAsia sells books of interest to Nordic expats in Asia or Scandinavia. Our prices are including VAT and mailing as a parcel in Thailand.

Some have been published by Scand-Media Corp., Ltd. while others are sold on commission.

The books can be bought on-

line with a credit card simply by clicking on the PayPal button on this webpage: https://scandasia.com/time-toread-something-about-scandinavian-history-in-thailand/ – but alternatively you can make a bank transfer and subsequently send the transfer details to scandshop@scandasia.com.

Alternative payment:

Scandinavians in Siam

From the Time of the Crocs

In Memory of the Tsunami in Thailand

his book is a “must” for any Scandinavian working or living in Thailand! The book was first produced in 1980 by the Scandinavian Society Siam to celebrate its 60 years anniversary. It was quickly sold out and so in 2000 the Scandinavian Society Siam decided to reproduce the old book extended with an image gallery of highlights from the 20 years in between.

The book is also an excellent gift to customers and suppliers in Thailand as well as in Scandinavia.

The book covers the early years of Scandinavian – Thai relationship including the “golden era” around the turn of the century during the reign of King Chulalongkorn. The extension part covers year by year from 1980 to 2000 the big and small developments in photos and extended captions of the Scandinavian community in Thailand.

his book is a selection of some of the best historical ar ticles written by by Flemming Winther Nielsen and published in ScandAsia over four years, edited and presented as a complete book.

We learn about Marqvard Jensen, the brave young Danish soldier who saved the Nor th of Thailand from British colonisation; about Jenny Nielsen from Aalborg whose husband, the American Medical Doctor Thomas Heyward Hays, built the “The Neilson Hays Library” in her memory; about the impressive Danish Consul Frederik Carl Christian Købke without whose influence the Danes would probably never have played such a prominent role in Siam, and of course the most influential of them all, Vice-Admiral, Commanderin-Chief of the Siamese Navy, Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu, and H.N. Andersen, the founder of the East Asiatic Company. And many more outstanding personalities.

his book was published by Scandinavian Society Siam in November 2006 – two years after the Tsunami – and distributed as a commemorative gift to its members.

“In Memory of the Tsunami in Thailand” remains the only record of the effor ts of the local Danes, Swedes, Norwegians and Finns living in Thailand to help fellow countrymen hit by the Tsunami in 2004.

Many got at the time in various ways involved in the humanitarian work related to helping their fellow Scandinavians who were directly hit by the tragedy.

Scandinavian Society Siam gave in 2010 a number of copies of this book to Scand-Media which we are pleased to be able to offer people with an interest in the recent history of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland in Thailand.

T

Price: 750 THB Hard cover with dust jacket incl.VAT and shipping in Thailand

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Price: 850 THB Paperback incl. VAT and shipping in Thailand

1. Transfer price to bank account: Bangkok Bank – acc.nr.: 187-3059164 Name: Scandinavian Publishing Co., Ltd. 2. Send payment confirmation to email: scandshop@scandasia.com

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Price: 550 THB Soft cover incl. VAT and shipping in Thailand

June 2020 • ScandAsia 39

40 ScandAsia • June 2020