Born in the vibrant city of Singapore with a unique Eurasian blend of Portuguese and Chinese heritage, my journey has taken me from the bustling streets of Singapore to the serene and open landscapes of Sweden. My educational pursuits in Singapore culminated at tertiary level with two separate Master degrees, after which I embarked on a new adventure in 2002, moving to Sweden. In Sweden, I pursued with deep interest, the knowledge field of applied linguistics, particularly corpus linguistics research methods, earning a doctoral degree from one of northern Europe’s largest universities, the University of Gothenburg. I currently work as Project Manager, focusing on EU and international projects, at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, at the Division of Bioeconomy and Health, Department of Agriculture and Food. My office is located in Mölndal municipality. Mölndal, known also as the Valley of Mills, is located about ten minutes by bus ride from the city center of Gothenburg to the south. If you’re ever traveling south from Gothenburg to Malmö, whether by train or car, you will likely come by Mölndal municipality. In these pages at cmariec.com, you’ll find my lifestyle musings on culinary and travel adventures from Singapore to Sweden, and from when I lived and worked the Arctic City of Tromsø (2018 to mid-2022). SINGAPORE | SWEDEN | NORTHERN NORWAY Life in Singapore Pursued all academic interests in Singapore, of which the post-graduate years were founded in two separate disciplines. In 2000, graduated with two separate Masters Degrees: (i) Master of Science in Information Studies at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore (ii) Master of Arts in the English Language at the National University of Singapore (NUS). In 1999, represented the Republic of Singapore at the Miss Universe Pageant in Trinidad and Tobago. With this came a variety of film, educational TV, media, and ambassadorial work for the Singapore Tourism Board. Life in Sweden In 2002, moved from Singapore to Sweden in order to pursue a PhD in Gothenburg, where a number of international corporate head offices were located that all had a substantial business presence in Singapore and also Asia in general. In 2009, graduated with a PhD in applied critical linguistics from the faculty of humanities at the University of Gothenburg, with a cross-disciplinary thesis entitled, Swedish management in Singapore: a discourse analysis study, looking particularly into the concepts of assimilation, integration and hierarchy, at top management levels of Swedish-Asian corporations in Singapore. 2013, as research fellow at the Centre for International Business Studies (CIBS), School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, researching the future implications of increasing Asian-Swedish cooperation within the field of international business. The project is entitled Gothenburg in Asia, Asia in Gothenburg, funded by the Anna Ahrenberg Foundation. The project is aligned with the 400 years anniversary of the city of Gothenburg in 2021, and falls under the broad category of Kunskap Göteborg 2021 initiated by city representatives of Gothenburg, Göteborg & Co, University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. 2015, was granted the Flexit post-doctoral scholarship by Bank of Sweden Tercentennary Foundation (Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, RJ) for a three year project together with the Swedish-Swiss multinational enterprise ABB. From 2015-17, the research will take place at ABB Corporate Research Sweden HQ in Västerås, and at CIBS during 2017-18. The research focus of the project is how new technologies are perceived and accepted by users and customers, using linguistic methods of data analysis. More information can be found at RJ’s website, at Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) Felxit 2015. Life in Northern Norway (2018-2022) 2018, late summer. I acquired new work as Market Scientist at Nofima. Having moved to the county of Troms in August, I’m currently enjoying myself, exploring the island city of Tromsø. From the 1900s, this city became known as Paris of the North due to how the people of Tromsø were exceptionally stylish and sophisticated in contrast to the fishing village preconception that many might have of a city located in the Arctic Circle. In my years in Sweden, I have known Sweden to be called the land of the midnight sun. During the long summer mights, it was beautiful to sit and watch the sun’s languid pendulation between east and west, touching the horizon out at sea before going up again. Northern Norway takes this languid pendulation of the sun to the extreme. It is not only known as the land of the midnight sun, but it is also the land of polar nights and the northern lights. This is my new adventure. And in these lifestyle blog pages, you’ll find my personal thoughts, insights and musings. Cheryl Marie Cordeiro | PhD MSc MA ACADEMIC REFLECTIONS | CV LIFESTYLE BLOG

My secret garden

A picture of Spring in Sweden. Photo: Kevin D. Cordeiro

This picture, taken by Kevin D. Cordeiro, reminds me of the phrase, my secret garden, the loosely tied rope around the tiny gates that promises green pastures beyond.

My secret garden as a phrase that has about 1.5 million hits on google if you search for it. The most popular is a metaphorical use of the phrase in a book by Nancy Friday. Her books are recommended reads. And a favourite of mine is My Secret Garden, a restaurant by that name just beside Plaza by the Park in Singapore. Continue reading “My secret garden”

Laptop bags with feminine chic or a whole new laptop?

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The J’tote Afric laptop bag. Fits most 14″ Laptops. Weighs 2 lbs 15 oz and measures 10″H x 14.5″L x 5″W.

I’ve been in search for a laptop bag for about two years now, to not much avail. Admittedly, I shy away from the average laptop bag designs, which feels more catered to the urban warrior than runway chic (see Productdose below for a good review of urban warrior type laptop bags). There were none too many feminine versions of laptop bags to be found, but the ones found were quite luxe pretty. An alternative approach would be to go for an entirely new laptop, one of those I call latté tops, since they fit so nicely on the café table.

Avoiding the square shouldered and adrenaline pumped look of most laptop bags on the market, J’tote offers what I think are some very feminine and chic looking laptop bags for standard sized laptops. In sumptuous purple suede and bold floral print, their Afric laptop bag for example combines good design, function and style with multiple compartments for your laptop, laptop accessories, A4 sized documents, cell phone and D-rings for keys and wallets. Even the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet have noticed the problem and in their March 29 issue come up with a number of suggestions. Continue reading “Laptop bags with feminine chic or a whole new laptop?”

Miss Landmine in Angola: demonstrating the heart and soul of beauty pageants


Miss Cuando Cubango, Generosa Cassinda, 30 years old with two children, a contestant in this year’s Miss Landmine Survivor, Angola.

A world event of sorts is today held in the capital of the war torn country of Angola. The initiative to hold a beauty pageant for land mine victims in Angola, was taken by Norwegian artist Morten Traavik who whilst visiting Angola noticed two things – the abundance of one legged and crippled people about and the population’s great interest in beauty pageants. Continue reading “Miss Landmine in Angola: demonstrating the heart and soul of beauty pageants”

Fat common sense

In today’s Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet Dr. Annika Dahlqvist, who has her own blog on eating healthy argues in an open letter that children are stumped in their growth and intelligence development by a lack of natural fats in their diet. The Swedish public food authority Livsmedelsverket, retaliates on her standpoint, saying that Dahlqvist has no scientific grounds making such claims. Dahlqvist naturally retaliates right back and will do so on national live television later today.

The general standpoint that natural fats are good for the body and in fact help maintain weight, is a continuation of a more and more pronounced public opinion in Sweden, that questions the goodness of low fat products and a low fat diet.
Continue reading “Fat common sense”

Clean lines that seduce, with Nicole Miller

Nicole Miller wedding dress in Princess silhouette

Nicole Miller wedding dress in Princess silhouette from her Bridal Collection

Time must be passing fast for all summer brides-to-be with the onset of spring. One of my American favourite designers for dresses in general is Nicole Miller, who has a fairly comprehensive collection that encompasses a gamut of occasions, including Nicole Miller Signature (red carpet looks), Nicole Miller Collection RTW, Nicole Miller Studio (everyday sportswear), a Bridal Collection and popular bridesmaids line. Nicole Miller also does bags, shoes and accessories to match that perfect dress. Continue reading “Clean lines that seduce, with Nicole Miller”

Gianmarco Lorenzi – Wicked!

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Satin embroidered heels by Gianmarco Lorenzi

In line with the drive for RED this spring, I couldn’t help but notice these wicked Italian made, 11 cm stilettos by Gianmarco Lorenzi. One of my favourites for shoes, Gianmarco Lorenzi whose philosophy is always sexy, feminine and border pushing on fetish, is infamous for 12 – 14 cm heels even in their autumn / winter collections. Continue reading “Gianmarco Lorenzi – Wicked!”

The Fabergé Coronation Egg, 1897

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The Coronation Egg, by Karl Fabergé, 1897

As a child, I remember having loads of fun painting Easter eggs. This activity was often followed by Easter egg hunts in the school gardens.

This Easter, I have on my mind a different kind of egg, one that is a little more luxurious and most impossible to find at an Easter egg hunt – the Fabergé Coronation Egg from 1897, which is one of my favourites of the 56 produced by Fabergé from 1885 to 1917.
Continue reading “The Fabergé Coronation Egg, 1897”

Easter weather

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Photo: Jan-Erik Nilsson
A bouncy yellow despite the cold

It’s a snowy Easter for Sweden this year. A picture here of our poor Easter Lilies battling the snow in our garden. Stubborn resilience.

The editors of Göteborgs Posten loved the picture so much that they had it published in GP – Vårtecken on 22 March 2008 with JE’s corresponding caption

Vart tog våren vägen? frågar våra småpåskliljor som såg så hoppfulla ut så sent som i går

“Where did the Spring go?” asked our small Easter Lilies, bright and hopeful as recent as the day before.

Feng Shui vogue for 2008

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  • White smocked cotton voile blouse with accents of red roses
  • Red tulip shorts, Patrizia Pepe
  • Limited edition Luella Gisele bag by Luella Bartley, in tangerine
  • C-buckle peep toe shoes with wooden stacked heels, Chloé
  • Seashell ear hoops in a golden hue

I’ve always been aware that colours, when it comes to wardrobe, can correlate to a person’s mood on a day to day basis. And in a broader influence, surrounding colours can lift moods or make people depressed. An individual’s personality can also be described in terms of colour. Most would understand the sentence, Meeting Alex changed her life, where she was a walking shade of grey before, she is today a myriad of pinks, greens and vermillion!
Continue reading “Feng Shui vogue for 2008”

Geisha and Japanese architecture on the runways

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Louis Vuitton skyscraper structural shoes, Fall 2008, RTW. Photo: Matteo Volta.

Sarah Mower’s words, “…otherwise it’s lumpy going” about Louis Vuitton’s Fall RTW 2008 collection, echoed in my head when I perused the shoes that Marc Jacobs had come up with for the runway show. One can always trust Marc Jacobs to be on the innovative front and I mostly celebrate crazy innovative, but here I could mostly only gawk in flabbergast at this runway collection of shoes.

For one thing, I thought lower heeled shoes were the way to go, after previous seasons of skyscraper platforms such as YSL’s Tribute, Louboutin’s Declic and most of Gianmarco Lorenzi’s super platform boots / shoes with 14 cm heels. I was wrong. Continue reading “Geisha and Japanese architecture on the runways”