Uppsala, Sweden

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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Domkyrkan, Uppsala, Sweden.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro, Sweden 2014

$1: Uppsala is a beautiful city isn’t it? It’s the first time that I’m here. I’ve always heard about it being a university-city, because of its history and how its really the true capital of Sweden, housing the first of the Swedish universities, where Roman Catholicism had a role to play in it being so educationally forward.

$2: Oh yes. Uppsala has so much history to it. You can see it everywhere today, from the streets to the walls of the buildings, down by the river too, there are just so many beautiful buildings lining the riverside, all from hundreds of years ago. < pause > And yes it’s absolutely beautiful here. So beautiful!

With the meeting of so many people at the conference, it is usual that there are many more visitors to the city of Uppsala than residents participating at the event.

The Blue Train – Sweden’s business commuters choice

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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At the restaurant and bar on west Sweden’s Blå Tåget that commutes between Gothenburg and Uppsala.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro, Sweden 2014

My first observation in finding my aisle seat on west Sweden’s Blå Tåget was that the passenger with the window seat could come and go without much bother to the one seated along the aisle. Like large parlour armchairs, the seats on the train are generous in depth and width.

The Blue Train opened in December of 2011, as a comfortable, efficient way to travel between the cities of Gothenburg and Uppsala. The interiors of the vintage train were refurbished in deep velvet blue upholstery set against the original dark wood of the cabins in the style of the 1960s. Modern touches were added to the cabins to accommodate free wi-fi onboard. And in each carriage, bottled sparkling water placed with a wicker basket of fruit and chocolate stands on a coffee table next to the cabinet for coats.

Sustainable luxury in Singapore 2014

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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View from the Marina Boulevard paseo, Singapore.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 2014

If there was a favourite place to withdraw when in Singapore, it would for the moment be the expansive Marina Bay area overlooking the waters, marked by an urban space that lacks a crowd during office hours. The slowly undulating movements of the river water taxis navigating the bay lends a different rhythm to the adrenaline rush of the skyscrapers. This difference in bio-rhythms is a contrast in symbiotic urban city living that I find interesting.

In asking for directions to get from Raffles Place (steps away from Collyer Quay) to Marina Bay Sands (MBS), I was advised by more than one person encountered, to take a taxi. I smiled and nodded and proceeded to find my way on foot, to the Marina Boulevard paseo.

A magic night at CHIJMES. The Swedish Business Association Singapore (SBAS) Mid-Winter Ball, 2014

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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Swedish Business Association Singapore (SBAS) Mid-Winter Ball 2014 at CHIJMES, at Victoria Street.
Text & Photo © KD Cordeiro, JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2014

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PS Café at Ann Siang Hill, Singapore. Knowledge intensive service industry with a cherry on top.

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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A CIBS “selfie of the day” at Amoy Street, Singapore.
Text & Photo © P Ström, JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2014

I recently found myself navigating a number of historical streets in and around the central business district of Singapore. If this somehow is an epigenetic memory or not, I don’t know, but I do find myself very much at home around here, it being the very place in Singapore as to where I want to bring my friends.

In Singapore together for this study visit were colleagues from the Centre for International Business Studies (CIBS) of the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Across the outdoor patio seating of Ristorante Da Valentino in Singapore, 2014

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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Visiting Valentino’s in Singapore have by and by become a meeting with the Valtulina family. It is pleasant beyond description to be welcomed by familiar faces and even better having your own guests treated as if you were just a big family having waited much too long to finally see each other again.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2014

Across the outdoor patio seating of Ristorante Da Valentino in Singapore is a small spice garden. The restaurant is the venture of the Valtulina family. A place I have over time come to regard as a little home away from home, and a place I am always happy to revisit as occasions occur.

Regarding the little garden. We had actually talked ourselves into this little gem mainly in the care of Gianpiero Valtulina, or Papa Gianni, by showing a genuine interest. And while excusing himself for “its many shortcomings”, he showed us around, showed us what were to be and complained – as all true farmers at heart – about the soil, the weather, the sun, the rain and the climate in general, with a smile.

Gödel or Godot? Differing world perspectives in a shared language and culture

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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Mr. P, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2014

In SINGAPORE. It was the result of a serendipitous meeting along the street. My first reaction was to believe it to be due to path dependency, although I was pretty sure that was too literal a translation of that theory, that led me to after forty-five minutes, the poignant realization that we were seated at a leveled table speaking across levels.

Singapore narratives, from white Mercedes-Benzes

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2014

Taxi drivers. They make some of the most understated ambassadors to a country, in particular, if that country is Singapore, if only because most taxi drivers are quite loquacious individuals who love spending time in transit to get to know their passengers.

Having not been back in Singapore for a couple of months, I had expected some kind of feedback when I landed in Singapore from Sweden, from family or friends about the climate, not just literally about the haze from Indonesian forest fires, but rather the political and cultural climate of the country. It seemed I had that opportunity however, on the incoming flight from Scandinavia on the airplane, sitting next to Ben, a 1980s born young man who had five years ago, married a woman from Malaysia. She was in fact, seated in an adjacent row with her sister. In the course of conversational exchange, Ben mentioned that he and his wife had no children as yet, “Even though we are five years married already.”

Existential authenticity, Ahlströms konditori from 1901, in Gothenburg

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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Hot chocolate, at Ahlströms konditori, Swedish west coast, Gothenburg.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2014

In the past week, a conversation in a restaurant at Haga, between myself and a restaurant steward, after lunch when I was looking for cookies to go with my coffee:

” – Yes, can I help you? You’re looking for something?”
” – Yes, do you happen to have cookies to go with the coffee?”
” – Only on Fridays, sorry. But you can walk over to Jacobs. They have cookies and dessert in general. We don’t.”

Swami – product development of an orange cushion cover

Posted on by Cheryl Marie Cordeiro

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Noodle soup.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro 2014

§START
$1: most theories of consciousness still put the human being at the center of it all / that[i]s my problem with them / and i don[o]t like it / it[i]s like thinking the sun revolves around the earth because you observe it to be such / the theories haven[o]t matured in the thought processes / these theories they have now are put out to make the human being feel important // what i[a]m saying is that / from a cosmic perspective the difference between humans and mold or bacteria is insignificant / it[i]s like / nothing // in fact / look at yeast / it can raise bread // <1 can the human being raise bread >1 / <2 what can humans do compared to yeast >2 / nothing / at some level / humans are not much better than a virus / destructive and eating everything in sight / and if we can do better / we[a]re not showing that we can do better / the general consciousness of humanity is going downhill // this somewhat has to do with technology / globalization / and the interconnectedness of everything / too much too fast / inequality gaps increasing between groups of people / and people feel it / they get disenfranchised