Rose Rasink, Mönchengladbach, Germany

The beauty of serendipity is you don’t know there will be a rainbow, much less a pot of gold at the end of it. For Rose Rasink, that serendipitous moment happened in a sauna. And she certainly didn’t expect her world to be painted with resplendent colours as a result of that chance encounter. But it did.

Rose moved to Germany in 2001 and met a German lady who was into painting when she was in a sauna. The Singaporean, whose artistic expression was limited to drawing using crayons in primary school, started picking up acrylic painting after becoming friends with the German. “We talked and talked. We encouraged each other and we painted side by side in her attic. It went from afternoon to midnight. We were so engrossed in it. She’s into oil and I’m into acrylic. We gave each other tips.” In 2003, she followed her husband to Israel on his job posting and started dabbling with pastel. Sitting in front of the Mediterranean Sea with friends, thoughts and ideas for her paintings poured forth.

Before she knew it, the accidental artist was invited to hold her private exhibition in Korschenbroich, Germany in 2006. “It took me a while to have the courage to do it because it’s a one-woman show. It’s a bigger responsibility and I have no experience doing my own show,” the 47-year-old reminisces. But with some help to set up the paintings and display, she not only held a successful exhibition -- it was the first of many solo exhibitions to come in Germany. She was also featured in a few German publications.   

Rose describes her work as “folk art”, something that can be easily understood by people. Looking at her paintings, it is palpable that inspiration for some of her paintings stem from Singapore and being Singaporean. “I’m proud of Singapore and I want to share our Singapore roots and history, the cultures we have and how harmonious we live,” she explains.  However, her proudest work yet is that of her husband in front of a vintage BMW. Recalling the day she revealed the painting to him, she laughs: “He was shocked that I did it because I didn’t tell him. I had to shut the room I was painting in and I didn’t allow him to come in.”

The most telling sign that Rose has found her calling as an artist is when she talks about the creative process involved in painting and how she revels in that. “When I’m with my painting and canvas, it’s an amazing feeling that’s indescribable. You mix the colours and you let them dance. Happiness comes from within when you start to let your brush dance, swirl and flow. It’s like a magical moment.”

Who would have thought that the start of her magical moments began in a nondescript sauna? 

To view Rose’s work, visit

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rose-Rasink/150067445027649?sk=photos

By Yee Wei Zhen, Overseas Singaporean Unit

Singapore Day 2012 in New York

If you're still sitting on the fence about Singapore Day 2012 in New York, we're sweetening the trip to New York because 4 successful registrants will win for themselves room stays at the Millennium Broadway hotel in Times Square the weekend of Singapore Day! REGISTER before 15 March 2012 to qualify for the draw! T&Cs at www.SingaporeDay.sg ! Good luck!

Changi Airport is once again in the running for "The World's Best Airport"

You come through it every time you return home and when you depart for your overseas country of residence. She is a leading international airport that even citizens of other countries rave about. Changi Airport is once again in the running for 'The World's Best Airport'. How about sparing 30 seconds to vote her in!

Our Chinese New Year Dinner Event to welcome the Year of the Dragon

A large turnout of 51 persons attended the CNY Dinner Event in Munich on Saturday, 4 February 2012. Singaporeans from Berlin, Cologne, Karlsruhe and even the Netherlands were there to celebrate with us. It was an enjoyable and memorable evening for all of us.

A group photo of us

SG students from Munich and Berlin

Getting the flag ready for group photo taking

The Official Singapore Day 2012 e-Flyer

Gong Xi Fai Cai !!!

The Singaporeans in Germany Club wishes everyone Gong Xi Fa Cai !!!

Singapore Day 2012 in New York

Registration is now open!  Register today for Singapore Day 2012 and an early bird prize awaits you!  Don't delay and act now!!!

To receive more information, please "like" Singapore Day's page on Facebook on the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/SingaporeDay

OS Hotshot in Focus : Amy Kiesgen, Founder of Singaporeans in Germany

14 Sept 2011 - Not a Singaporean soul in sight. That was Amy Kiesgen’s experience when she moved to Munich in 1994 after marrying her German husband. As hard as she tried to look for Singaporeans living in the area, her search was futile.
“When I first went to Germany, I didn’t have anybody,” recalls Amy. In the year she arrived, she went to the Singapore embassy in Bonn and was told there were only 200 Singaporeans in the whole of Germany. “No wonder I cannot find any Singaporeans in my area,” adds Amy. Since then, the number of Singaporeans staying in Germany has grown. Now, Amy reckons that there are over 200 Singaporeans in Munich alone.
Although the Singaporean community in Germany is a lot larger now, she still wants to help Singaporeans make an easier transition to life in Germany and to build a community there. So, she got the help of a fellow Singaporean, Lee Sha’ari who is staying at Muenster, to start a blog, Singaporeans in Germany, in July this year. A facebook group of the same name has also been set up. The blog contains recipes contributed by Singaporeans, like chwee kueh, pulut hitam, and random but useful pieces of information, like where to find durian in Germany. “It’s created by Singaporeans in Germany, and it’s by Singaporeans for Singaporeans in Germany,” says Amy.

The Facebook group is a no-holds barred marketplace of some sort: members offer tips on how to go about life in Germany without losing sleep over the inability to speak German, suggestions on where they can attend German classical piano concerts, where to find local fare and even, where to get a schoolbag.
Response to the online platforms has been very encouraging. At last count, there are already 268 members on the Facebook page. “I found one girl in Munich and managed to find one in Cologne. She’s been staying in Germany for over 20 years and she’s so happy to find this group. She said: ‘I didn’t know. I’ve been here so long. I was looking for Singaporeans for so long until someone told me to join Facebook and join this group.’ She was very excited.”
Since setting up the online platforms, Amy has managed to find four other Singaporean volunteers apart from Sha’ari to be administrators for the platforms. They are Aslinda J. Oelbauer and Diah Ohlmeyer who are staying in Munich, Hatijah Nuss in Cologne and Rahimah Tamam-Brillowski in Hamburg. These administrators are also active in organising gatherings, the most recent ones being the Hari Raya potluck party and mooncake potluck party. “One of our Facebook members organised a Mooncake Festival at her place on 11th September and she invited most of the Singaporeans in Munich. She brought lanterns and mooncakes over (from Singapore) for the party,” enthuses Amy.
Amy is no stranger when it comes to participating in events for overseas Singaporeans. When the Overseas Singaporean Unit portal was set up in 2006, she took part in its forums. Through it, she made a few close friends. She also volunteered for Singapore Day 2009 in London, an annual flagship event the Overseas Singaporean Unit organises for overseas Singaporeans.“People ask me, ‘Amy, you are not stationed in UK, why do you want to volunteer? I said I like to volunteer. I just want to be part of the team. And that’s what I did. I even dragged my cousin who’s staying in Düsseldorf to volunteer. We are the only two Singaporeans in Germany who volunteered.” Last year, she organised a pledge-taking ceremony in English and German to celebrate Singapore’s National Day in Munich and was featured in the TODAY newspaper back home.
However, her enthusiasm has led some people to question if she has a political agenda. Her attempt and zealousness to build a community to help fellow Singaporeans has caused suspicion. “People think I’m very active and some think I’m a PAP spy. But I’m not,” clarifies Amy.
The mother of two is a housewife in Munich. In between managing the online platforms, tutoring her 12-year-old son, she cooks up a storm in the kitchen. Satay, laksa, Hainanese chicken rice, Hokkien mee, mee siam, thosai are just some of the local flavours that have made their way to the dining table. According to her, whipping up the delights are not a problem as the ingredients are easily obtained in the Asian markets in Munich.
Amy comes back to Singapore every year to visit her family. When asked what she misses most about Singapore, a faint but visible smile breaks out as she seemingly recollects her memories of living in Singapore. “Food. Lifestyle. Our society. We have four races here and I miss how we interact with one another. ” She adds: “The laws here are more straight-forward. You have to follow the law. If you don’t, you get it. I like it this way.”
Setting up the blog and Facebook page is just the beginning. On her plate are plans to hold a mini Singapore Day in Munich and start an official organisation for Singaporeans in Germany. People baffled by her enthusiasm may ask, “Why?” The answer is simple: she is happy to help fellow Singaporeans.
By Yee Wei Zhen