United Nations Association of Singapore (UNAS) – Celebrating its 40th Anniversary

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UNAS 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner, table with national flags, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore

At the UNAS 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner, 2010. Like the others in the room, the table of the Guest of Honour, Mr. Kamal Malhotra, was dressed with the flags of the countries represented at it.
Raffaele Di Nardo, Patrik Tan and CM Cordeiro for CMC © 2010

The United Nations Association of Singapore (UNAS) marked its 40th anniversary this month with a charity gala dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel, held to raise funds for the association’s educational and humanitarian work. The evening opened with a welcome address by Dr. Tham Seong Chee, President of UNAS.

Cheryl Marie Cordeiro in a black gown with gold underlay at the UNAS 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner, Singapore

At the UNAS 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner, Singapore, in a black gown with gold underlay by Francis Louis Ler of Amor Meus, 36 Purvis Street, Singapore.

An anniversary with a purpose

Since its founding in 1969, UNAS has worked to build awareness of, and support for, the United Nations and its ideals, holding consultative status with the UN’s Economic and Social Council. The evening was very much in that spirit, a milestone in Singapore’s continued backing of the UN and its international programmes. The Guest of Honour was Mr. Kamal Malhotra, UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, and UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia.

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Visiting the Geely Holding Group in Hangzhou, November 2010

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Geely headquarters, Hangzhou, China.

The Geely Holding Group headquarters in Hangzhou, November 2010
Photo: J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC © 2010

It was with great expectations that I went to visit the Geely headquarters in Hangzhou, the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd, as part of a Swedish delegation from the University of Gothenburg. Geely’s acquisition of the Swedish car manufacturer Volvo with their headquarters in Gothenburg was announced on Monday the 2 August 2010 and with that, the Zhejiang Geely corporation had concluded the largest ever acquisition of a foreign car company in the history of China.

Geely headquarters, University of Gothenburg visit 2010.

A warm sign at the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group headquarters that welcomed the visit by the Swedish delegation.

Geely headquarters, hallway.

Just inside the Geely headquarters entrance.

Having followed the Ford and Geely negotiations as well as could be done in the press, I expected this acquisition to be an important opportunity to study the process of top management knowledge transfer between modern China and the West.
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M on the Bund, Shanghai

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Cheryl Marie Cordeiro-Nilsson and Yina Huang at M on the Bund, Shanghai.

Sunday lunch at M on the Bund with the Swedish delegates to Shanghai (pictured below) and Yina Huang, Associate Director, Global Local Public Relations Office, Shanghai University’s MBA Center.
Photo © Olof E Johansson, J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC 2010

Shanghai is a remarkable city. Considering all vicissitudes this unfortunate city has seen over the last century it was with great expectations that I recently got to visit it, and to explore to what extent this city had regained its former glory. And in many ways it has.

The ebb and flow of great fortunes being made and lost ripples through the city, constantly changing its face. What is a constant is the river, and facing it is still the Bund however much widened. Across the river on the east bank, an entirely new skyline of Pudong greets us, the new skyscraper-laden financial and commercial district that also houses the new Pudong International Airport.

River view

Pudong area, just seen across the Huangpu River. To the left, the somewhat brutal outline of the ‘Oriental Pearl’ Tower.

What better place to take in all of this but at the fashionable restaurant, M on the Bund? As one review had it:

With superb Continental cuisine, an excellent wine selection and deft service, the fashionable M on the Bund sets the standard for other haute cuisine restaurants in Shanghai. As the place to see and be seen, the much-touted eatery attracts its fair share of Shanghai’s movers and shakers. Contemporary, airy and stylish decor complements sweeping views of the Bund. The food reaches equally high heights. Diners are recommended to try the Salt Crusted Leg of Lamb and the Crispy Suckling Pig. They should also leave room for dessert—the sinfully delicious pavlova is rightfully legendary.

But however much I had wanted that to be my impression too, I am forced to say I beg to differ.

I believe that if I were living in Shanghai, M could possibly be a place where I might want to bring friends and visitors. But it isn’t a place I would find myself craving to come back to, nor a place I would get addicted to as it stands right now.
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Sunrise in Shanghai

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The Hengshan Picardie Hotel, Shanghai

Morning skylight, at the Hengshan Picardie Hotel, Shanghai.
Photo © C M Cordeiro-Nilsson and Per-Olof Larsson for CMC 2010

And I thought I would walk into a city that would be so foreign to me that I would not have understood half of what was going on as soon as I landed. But I was wrong. In fact, the melding I felt to Shanghai was so immediate it was as if I had stepped off the plane, right back home.

One of the things I look forward to whether travelling or at home, is breakfast. Shanghai, being such a dynamic and cosmopolitan city, has no problems providing for all sorts of palates. In fact, settling for both a red bean steamed bun and a mini chocolate muffin at breakfast was just the sort of thing that a Singaporean for example, wouldn’t think twice about either.
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A Swedish lemon cardamon sockerkaka or sugar cake

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Lemon cardamon sockerkaka

Sockerkaka or Sugar Cake, is one of Sweden’s most popular cakes to serve, whether at tea or birthdays.
Photo © J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC 2010

It’s difficult to forget the things that you’ve grown up with, such as the blue pleated pinafore, walking through void decks, eating potong ice-cream bought from the streets, and having HDB heartland bakery butter sponge cakes when you want them. Oh! What it is to have a sponge cake or a chocolate cake when you need it in Sweden!

And when in need of a sponge cake fix today, I fingered the bookshelves in the pantry and landed upon some traditional Swedish recipes for cakes. My favourite book being this lightweight, Sju Sorters Kakor or Swedish Cakes and Cookies that has now been translated into English by Melody Favish.
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Gravlax – Swedish food in the raw

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Gravlax sandwich

This Swedish specialty – the salt, sugar and dill cured salmon – these days internationally known under its original Swedish name gravlax or gravad lax, is served with a dill and mustard sauce and is prepared completely without any actual cooking.
Photo © J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC 2010

Reading up on the latest food trends, I see that the Californian raw food is getting back in the cool stream of things with the idea of no heat, no cooking. The concept is today, spreading as an ecological trend and with the addition of ‘raw’ as in unrefined and unpolished that refers to back to basic foods. Like raw elk. With the horns on. Or, at least that was how I initially read it, and was admittedly not very impressed.

Personally I appreciate gourmet cooking as the ultimate in good handicraft and I see no point in flairs, fashions and useless embellishments. I have eaten my share of culinary creations that don’t taste good and combinations of flavours that just don’t work together, and have a healthy appreciation for the chefs that actually know what they are cooking, and don’t just combine textures and colours on a whim.

That we ever got stuck with the useless aspects of gourmet cooking is actually the fault of numerous cooking competitions where taste is only judged as one of several aspects of good cooking and not even the most important. In my view, taste should be ranked appropriately much higher than for example, the even thickness of slices or whether the display table has four equal legs.

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Travel staples: Ferragamo Vara and Hélène Rancé 1795

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Ferragamo Vara pumps, Hélène Rancé 1975 eau de parfum, Chanel 2.55

Ferragamo Vara pumps in nude beige and a small bottle of Rancé 1795 Hélène eau de parfum
Photo © J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC 2010

When it comes to packing for my travels nowadays the ideal for me is to go very light. If I could get away with a pair of pants and a skirt for three weeks abroad on business with some alternative tops, I would certainly go for that.

But this isn’t all that easy if the countries that you’re going to range widely in terms of temperatures as in winter in Sweden, autumn in China, and humid tropical weather, in Singapore.
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Jonsered – Swedish knowledge industry now, and then

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Jonsereds herrgård, terrace.

Jonsered Mansion, today owned by the Gothenburg University
Photo © J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC 2010

When we first approached the Jonsered Mansion it was one of those early winter days where the night frost had added a crystal sparkle to everything, like a dusting icing sugar on the grounds.
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Trying out the Inova

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After an interesting seminar on potatoes organized by the Western Swedish Academy of Gastronomy, Sweden, we decided to do some research on our own …
Photo © J E Nilsson and C M Cordeiro-Nilsson for CMC 2010

There are so many basic things in life that one take as given, that one should just “know”. Like walk, know that water is wet and that the sun is warm, and in the western hemisphere – how to cook potatoes.

Eventually when you look deeper into things you might find that it is not that easy at all. At a recent restaurant professionals’ seminar on potatoes which I attended mostly out of curiosity, we eventually brought home a whole box of a variety called Inova. An early winter, firm cooking potato that in the testing sessions just struck me as unusually good tasting, with a full, sweet round and lacking a better word, “buttery” flavor.

Then we set out to try out how this Inova would turn out in home cooking. When talking to the “potato guru” Dan Berntsson, we had felt that the Inova despite being a fairly firm cooking kind, might be just the right thing for a gratin, which according to regular wisdom instead should be made from a soft boiling variety such as a King Edward VII.
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