Both the Danish Ambassador to Singapore and the Singaporean ambassador to Denmark attended the open house event hosted by the Danish Seamen’s Church on Saturday 14 September.
As often before, when the DanishChurch in Singapore hosts events, the white tent had been raised in the garden. On Saturday 14 September the occasion was to welcome newcomers and already residing Danes to Singapore after the summer break.
Danish Ambassador to Singapore Berit Basse, was the first to wish everybody welcome, saying that she was happy to see so many attendees.
Singapore’s Ambassador to Denmark, Mr. A. Selverajah, then held a speech where he accentuated the two countries’ common interests and mentioned a list of areas, where Singapore can learn from Denmark, counting the approach to lifelong learning and the Danish people’s level of happiness that recently has been announced to be the highest in the world.
The event was also an opportunity for the guests to meet Danish Elementary School, German European School, Singapore Women’s Association, The Danish Business Association (DABS), the Danish Embassy and of course the staff of the Danish Seamen’s Church.
The event was the first of its type and was followed by a barbecue get together later in the evening. The event was well visited and likely to be repeated next year.
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”The church is a good place to start”
For a Danish couple the event at the Danish Seamen’s Church was their first step to build up a network in Singapore.
Klaus Roswall and Martin Bruun Larsen have been in Singapore for less than a month and they are just about to build up their life as expats in the city. The couple moved there because Martin had a new job as purchasing manager for Asia Pacific in Compass Group, which is providing catering for drilling platforms, hospitals etc.
It was an advice from a friend, also expat, in Toronto, who made the couple decide to visit the Church.
”Our friend Kurt told us, that it is a good way to meet people, when you are abroad,” Klaus Roswall says.
”It is a big step for us to move out here and we did not know anybody in Singapore before we came here, so we want to build up a network, and the church seems to be a good place to start,” he adds.
Martin agrees.
”I am quite sure I will come back here,” he says, adding that he is already planning to attend the Tuesday morning coffee in the church in the week to come.
”We had a nice day here. It was positive and great to meet people, especially those from the Embassy who gave a casual talk on which situations they will be helpful,” Martin says.
