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

The Tower of Pisa, Piazza dei Miracoli, Italy

Cheryl Marie Cordeiro, Pisa, Italy. 02

In front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which up close, looks disconcertingly precarious. The beautiful symmetry of the stacked arches distracts some from the precarious leaning of the tower though.
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro-Nilsson 2008

Pisa, the birthplace of Galileo Galilei the physicist and one of my favourite tenors, Andrea Bocelli (born in Lajatico, Tuscany), is a city that lies in the west coast of the Tuscan region of Italy. Tuscany in central Italy, is a most inspiringly beautiful place to visit in general, with the lands undulating with vineyards and restaurants atop hillocks. Florence is one of the more beautiful cities in Italy to visit, with fantastic food and scenary. The Tuscan region in Italy is like poetry, with its land sculpted via both the force of nature over time and its people.

An architectural marvel and personal curiosity is the Tower of Pisa that in my view, so elegantly leans to one side. Well. Alright, it was miscalculated, but still – beautiful.
Continue reading “The Tower of Pisa, Piazza dei Miracoli, Italy”

A Chanel diamond quilt bag in dark blue

A Chanel flap bag in dark blue

Back at work, a pencil dress in deep purple from Mango (MNG) with a Chanel Classic Flap bag with diamond quilting.
Photo: Geoffrey Pereira.

These Chanel classics are quite comfortable in size. The slimmer, sleeker versions are perfect for evenings out and the larger sizes are great for office wear, allowing for A4 documents.

For office wear, I’m favouring pencil skirts and stream lined pencil dresses. This Mango (MNG) rendition is in a deep royal purple with capped sleeves and a skinny belt at the waist.

For more designer handbags such as this Chanel, Gucci, Tod’s, Prada and this Bottega Veneta clutch as pictured above, please contact Jaimie Lim.

New Year’s 2009 in Gothenburg, Sweden!

At the Gothenburg Opera House greeting the New Year, 2009, with a glass of champagne!

No New Year’s party in Sweden is complete without a massive display of fireworks so this year, we made it a point to go see the annual fireworks in Gothenburg, Sweden, sponsored by the local newspaper, Göteborgs Posten (GP). Continue reading “New Year’s 2009 in Gothenburg, Sweden!”

Christmas day in the Swedish west coast archipelago

A nippy Christmas day, at -5 deg C outdoors. In the background, a gliding ferry coming to a controlled and steady halt at the jetty.

It was perfect weather with clear blue skies in the Swedish west coast archipelago today. The sea was perfectly still with not a wave in sight, save the ones created by this ferry that ferries passengers to and from the islands. Continue reading “Christmas day in the Swedish west coast archipelago”

Christmas marketing in Gothenburg

Homemade candy is an irresistible draw at most Christmas markets. This candy stand was at the Saluhallen Christmas market. Saluhallen is a marketing hall famous for good cuts of meat and specialty cheeses, year round.

One of my most favourite things to do during the Christmas season in Sweden is to explore the various Christmas markets around the city center. Gothenburg city has about five or six major markets to explore, all within walking distance from each other, and you can spend an entire day hopping from one Christmas market or julmarknad to the other in exploration. Continue reading “Christmas marketing in Gothenburg”

Christmas dinner at Sjömagasinet, 2008

Tucking in at the ‘julbord’ or Christmas buffet at Sjömagasinet, Gothenburg. This restaurant serves a wonderful variety of Scandinavian delicacies during the Christmas season and it’s a recommended restaurant to visit at any time of the year, when in Gothenburg.

Sjömagasinet is somewhat of a tradition, and this year, we made our way back to the restaurant for our Christmas dinner. It’s all things familiar, such as the warm fireplace at its entrance and its golden candle lit interior, that makes you feel at home when you step in. A gazing sweep over the buffet spread and you begin to look forward to trying out your favourite dishes, the ones you can recall from last year.
Continue reading “Christmas dinner at Sjömagasinet, 2008”

Air Itam Dam, Penang, Malaysia

A beautiful water reserve, at Air Itam in Penang.

The small island of Penang that lies on the northwest coast of the Peninsula of Malaysia, is best explored on scooters or by car. These modes of transport are readily available at the airport or booking arrangements can also be made via some hotels when you get there.

Traffic in Penang is languid and very much kampong or ‘village’ style where modern roads are their markings are there as a suggestion rather than a rule. I’ve witnessed motorcycles ride against the main flow of traffic on expressways, and cars carrying along merrily despite a red stop light. What was more amazing was that everybody expected it and no accidents occurred. Continue reading “Air Itam Dam, Penang, Malaysia”

A perfect everyday tote from Tod’s

A handcrafted pebbled leather tote by Tod’s, in white. Photo: Geoffrey Pereira.

For those who love quality made products, but dislike designer goods with too many monogrammed logos (most often Louis Vuitton and some Gucci items), Tod’s with their philosophy of sophisticated and elegant luxury goods might be a brand whose products you could explore.

This white pebbled leather tote from Tod’s for example is crisp and clean in its design lines, complementing most work day outfits. The craftsmanship on this bag is impeccable and the leather is weighted though not so heavy that you’ll find it cumbersome to carry.

The allure of this bag is in its timeless simplicity, where less is often more when it comes to what is fashionable through the ages. It has just two silver hardware hoop-latch buckles on either side of the bag for opening and closing, and it can easily hold a 12 to 13 inch sized laptop together with A4 sized documents.

The rolled handles ensure a comfortable fit to the shoulders and you won’t find the weight of the bag slicing through your blouse or jacket when carrying the bag.

For more designer handbags such as Chanel, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Prada and this Tod’s tote as pictured above in white or sand colour, please contact Jaimie Lim.

Christmas tranquil in Gothenburg, Sweden

In the middle of the city of Gothenburg, which was once a fortress, you’ll find the quiet waters of the old harbour, casting a scenic glow through the city.

Almost every year, the local Swedish newspapers report how Swedes feel absolutely stressed during the year-end festive season. But for someone who’s just back from the all too humid bustle of Southeast-Asia, I couldn’t help but feel an inner serenity when looking at the dim twilight glow of the Gothenburg sky coupled with the chilly breeze of the winter air in the northern hemisphere. Continue reading “Christmas tranquil in Gothenburg, Sweden”