Secondary School Kids called me Aunty!

I was running errands at a ma-mak shop near after my mid-day lunch.

The ma-mak shop was giving away free coke because it is ending its sell by date, it is expiring very soon. The staffs need to clear the carton of coke so I happen to see a bunch of secondary school kids (?) and told them about it. 

They already took 3 cartons before me! Omg! They are a group of really polite kids because they said: "Thank you AUNTY!" AUNTY! 

I am AUNTY! They called me AUNTY!!!

One of them asked how old am I, and I said my actual age and they were like huh, why you look older? "Blame it on corporate..." 🙄

I believe I am officially transited to aunty...

Yours Sincerely, 

Shirley Charlin 李

I shaved my head and never look back

Since transitioning to my new environment nearly 10 months ago, I've never once looked back. Repeat it with me now: never! The serene atmosphere of my current surroundings has prompted me to pen down this blog post, capturing the essence of my newfound positive lifestyle.

Reflecting back on the past, it's astonishing how much my physical health was affected by my previous workplace environment. Almost overnight, my scalp became excessively oily and flaky. It reached a breaking point last December, on none other than Taylor Swift's birthday, when I decided to take matters into my own hands and shave my head. As my hair began to regrow rapidly and luxuriantly, I couldn't help but marvel at its thickness. Yet, this newfound growth came at a cost—I ended up spending close to SGD $2K attempting to remedy the hair loss that plagued me from 2022 to 2023. Unfortunately, my efforts only led to my hair becoming thinner and oilier, with unsightly bald patches dotting my scalp. It's a stark reminder of the unhealthy environment I endured for far too long.

However, dwelling on the past won't change anything. Instead, I choose to focus on the future with optimism and anticipation. I eagerly await the day when my hair fully regains its former glory, and I can once again feel like a true goddess. 😁😁😁

Of course, every cloud has its silver lining, and even my bald head and petite, chubby physique have their perks. Admittedly, dresses may not be my best look right now, but that's a small price to pay for the newfound comfort and confidence I've discovered in my preferred attire: comfy tees and shorts. Long pants have never been my cup of tea, anyway!

In conclusion, I'll leave it at that for now. Here's to wishing everyone a fantastic day filled with productivity and positivity!

Yours Sincerely, 

Shirley Charlin 李

I thought my middle name Charlin will be unique forever

Before I named myself Charlin back in 2008, I made sure to google the name first and no one was using this name. It is supposed to be unique as there is a reason how my middle is spelt. Char - Char Si Lang (吵死人 in hokkien) and Lin comes from my chinese name. I wrote a blogpost for this in 2008. The meaning of my name - Charlin aligned with my formal name - Shirley. It was elegant and creative. 

I cleaned up my blog shortly after I went to work in SI company, my first job after graduating in Polytechnic in 2017. Hence the first blog post in this blog became 2012, the same year I officially started - SHIRLEY CHARLIN. 

I set my blog and a few social media profiles to private for six years due to clauses in my permanent employment contract regarding our personal social media accounts. We need to show the HR if we have public social media account and required to close it if higher management did not approve it. There were sharing from former employees that uncivilized/ no-progression people working in the company have too little work during official working hours so they will go out to invade your privacy. They are usually the ones who had been in the company longer than their reporting supervisor. The reporting supervisor will listen to whatever make-up stories of you from anything does not matter if it is true or they had witness it. The fear of invasion of privacy from uncivilized individuals in the workplace who had too much time on their hands fueled my decision.

Fast forward 15 years, I have came to realise that my middle name is no longer unique, even in Singapore. The first indication of this shift came when I stumbled upon a LinkedIn profile belonging to another individual with the same spelling of Charlin, coincidentally with the surname Lee—a high-ranking employee at A* Star. Her profile is impressive. It was a surreal moment, imagining a scenario where our paths might cross professionally. If I became her colleague or research student? Will Charlin One be me or her?

So funny.

After seeing my name on LinkedIn profile, I went to search social media account handle with just "Charlin" as the keyword. Oh my, there are three Charlins now. If there are more after this post, it only means I still have readers and my blogposts are still interesting.

I really love my middle name, and so I decided to register it in legal papers. However, even this endeavor proved to be challenging, as I discovered that the name Charlin had already been claimed by a company named Charlin Holdings, which emerged during the Covid pandemic. Thanks for helping me to save thousands of dollars. Still, I really want my name back.

I thought my middle name Charlin will be unique forever, but nope. 😐

Yours Sincerely, 

Shirley Charlin 李

Youtube talk show: RICH BOSS VS WORKER

Sharing a Malaysian Talk Show I have just watched from YouTube. The open debate started with a question :"Should worker be paid for overtime?" 

This topic is a serious matter, as we all need to pay our bills. The participants in this talk show voiced their own opinions in a very balanced conclusion. Team Boss agreed that employees should work overtime because they get to pick up practical skills when they are really working. They should be open to this and not only ask about overtime pay.

Both parties did mention how the company knows if the employee is actually working for the company when they are doing overtime.

This is a good counter-debate question, as I have witnessed my peers in the first corporate job I worked for using company resources for their own benefit—passive income (not referring to stock investment). It was obvious during COVID that there are some who do drop-shipping but use their company laptop. Printing their own using company resources For no reason, and I did not ask, they would "share with me out of kindness" and complain to me that they are not paid enough when the company earns so much.

I really do not need to know, and I will not be surprised that they are reading my blog to know where I am working now. Don't you find yourself rude?

They can just be shareholders and buy a portion of the company's stock to pay back. Life can be simple and less political if you are not happy with your work and the salary; you just need to find a new one! The difference in the amount of salary your employer has to pay in your employer's CFP the older the employer.

Imagine if you are an employer. Don't you want to earn more?

The second question was "You can only be rich if you are a boss".

It is not true; there are many companies out there that have closed down. Are you sure the directors will know that one day their company will close? Nope, until they try.

With the rise of marketing and social media, there are a lot of online marketing freelancers with registered companies. How many are just passive-income partnerships? You would not know because you need their services. Maybe? 

All you need to do is try.

There are employees who are much better than their bosses. I believe you agree with me.

Lastly, "The economy is influenced by the environment". The wealthy should pay more taxes. Yes, this is to balance the economic flow between high and low incomes. The host spoke about why the lucky ones need to help others.

At my last company, there were people who thought they needed to pay more taxes because they owned more than one property. Hello! ARE YOU SHOWING OFF!? The more you earn, the more tax you will "donate" back to the community. In return, you are helping one kid or more get out of poverty because their parents can't. This is just to balance out the poor and rich.

Why can't their parents get themselves out of poverty? They are just simple-minded workmen who only think about easy money, and they just want their kids to do the same: get a job faster and then take care of them. Work is all that is required; no advanced education is required. Their next generation will do the same. Their children are their wealth. They have plans to do nothing for their children but expect them to take care of their retirement.

The old-fashioned mindset apparently still exists in my environment. The hard truth assumption is: " How you behave yourself outside is how you behave at home." If this assumption is so true, then whoever said this to you, especially if she or he is your boss, This is not the company you will want to stay with.

Thank you for reading my 30-cent thoughts.

Yours Sincerely, 

Shirley Charlin 李

Updated my grammar because my reader friends cannot stand them.

#OffTheInternet Chap 10: Review of Limitless by Jim Kwik Part 4/4 - Creating a habit

So in Chap 9, I had shared that it is really bad to go without sleep or less than your supposedly night night time. Yep, I know you are using your baby voice when you read night night. Don't deny. 

As promised today, I will share how you will start to create a habit. When I attended my first Adam Khoo's workshop in secondary school, I learnt that if we repeatedly perform an action for 21 days straight, we will perfect that one action and created a habit. 

So try the following summary, and modify to fit in your schedule and for yourself. 

Creating a habit 101 starter pack Create a morning routine Starting with a nice breakfast Focus Practice on concentration Calming your busy mind Study (Lifelong Learner) 4 level of competence How to study better Active focus With visual Associate each pointers Keep your emotion away. All the negative thoughts. Creation

As for myself, I have already checked the first point which is a great improvement. Now is your turn.

Yours Sincerely,
Shirley Charlin 李

#OffTheInternet Chap 9: Review of Limitless by Jim Kwik Part 3/4 - NO SLEEP?

Sleep is very important. Typically we need as little as 6 hours of sleep, regardless of what occupation are you currently excel in. 

The negative impact of NO SLEEP Harder it becomes to maintain a sense of reality Compromises all of your cognitive skills, your focus, your memory, and your overall brain health You cannot focus.

Personally, for me, it is hair fall. Appearance is what is pulling me away from making a comeback, and of course, the employment contract, which many of us do not take seriously until a mishap hits us hard or because the peers are sloobish at work. Your purpose of being in the company is just for paychecks. 

All I know is I am taking every single milliseconds of my life seriously. Living like today is my last day. 

According to Harvard Medical School, there are both short-term and long-term effects if we go without ample sleep. 

Which can also lead to poor health, according to study from Harvard Med, people with poor sleep are at greater risk for a number of diseases and health problems. Let me virtual read for you so that you do not need to read and not understand well - There is a linkage with Sleep and Chronic Disease. The lesser you sleep or if you sleep more than 9 hours can have link with hypertension, diabetes and obesity. The focus point of this research type is called cross-sectional epidemiological studies. 

Interesting? I am just pick up one section of the research as I have ever witness a senior of mine in secondary school who was sent to the A&E and almost need to repeat her study year because of Hypertension. 

Let us start a great habit by first, create a new habit routine for ourselves so that every day can be a fruitful day. I will blog more about create a habit in the next chapter. Before that happens, we can first start by not using our smart phones before bed time. :)

LOL, I hope you guys could read this post when this blog is back to public.

Yours Sincerely,
Shirley Charlin 李

#OffTheInternet Chap 8: Review of Limitless by Jim Kwik Part 2/4 - Limitless Model

Limitless Model

- Mindset Mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. - Beliefs Believe in yourself and convinced. You have already excel and what you are going to continue to achieve today and into the future. - 7  Lies of learning (my favourite pointer) Intelligence is fixed We only use 10% of our brains Mistakes are failures The criticism of other people matters Genius is born? Knowledge is power Learning new things is very difficult

This chapter places emphasis on the Seven Lies of Learning. My take is that people around you can torture you into thinking that you "have a broken brain," but this is not your destiny. Would they even tell their own flesh and blood that they have a broken brain? No!

They would only have the guts to tell others' children that they are "stupid". They cannot be what they inspire to be; they are too boastful. Awful people seem to find it a pleasure to insult the weak or young. Feeding them negativity.

What are they trying to gain from here? Some form of achievements? 

If I were you, I would not bother them. They have no class and are pathetic. 

Back to the main topic, the limitless model guided me to change my mindset (as Kwik mentions at the very beginning of the chapter). You can start by changing your mindset to one that says, You can do what you want! There is a superhero in you.

Here I am sharing the screenshot from his book, DO NOT FORGET!

Yours Sincerely,
Shirley Charlin 李

#OffTheInternet Chap 7: Review of Limitless by Jim Kwik Part 1/4 - The Forgetting Curve

I have been trying to create a reading habit with my intern at work. Each day we will have a 25 minutes to ourselves just to read. I may be born and raised in a country with English as a national language, but my English is the worst subject that is always fluctuating at the boarder line. 

My last read was Limitless by Jim Kwik. This book recommendation was from a online friend. It is proven to help me with my life choices I had made and motivated me to be better and have a CAN DO attitude.

Jim Kwik shared a lot of his life experiences of growing up with learning difficulties at the beginning of this book and been called "The Boy with a Broken Head". How his friend's father navigated him in the right direction and gave him books to improve himself. Yep, his friend's father role came into the picture is very Rich Dad, Poor Dad. 

This one person has molded Kwik to a motivator, cognitive learning brain researcher and bestselling author up to date. We all need to meet that one person (probably your friend's father) to make a great impact in our lives. As per reading, that one action is to read. Creating one good habit is to read, and this is one of the key pointers in Kwik's book.

Reading is a form of learning, how can we remember and apply what is relevant. I was introduced to the forgetting curve. This curve shows how information is lost over time when there is no attempt to retain it. Kwik shared the strategy on how he remembers stuff and I had jotted down notes and summaries on how to combat the forgetting curve - 

Combat The Forgetting Curve

Step 1: How to remember stuffs Take 5 every 25 mins That is one Pomodoro Step 2: Use the FASTER method Forget Act State Teach Enter Review Thinking is a process of reasoning through something, during which we ask and answer questions. Step 3: ASK QUESTIONS What is your dominant questions? How can I use this? Why must I use this? When will I use this?

I hope it will help anyone who has a goldfish memory like me.

Yours Sincerely,
Shirley Charlin 李

#OffTheInternet Chap 6: A lot of topics but i cannot remember any. Now my post is random rants.

The procrastination of me to set this blog back public has just got approved for an extension. There have been many fruitful topics coming to my mind to write about. Of course, ChatGPT is not used.

 

The layback of myself is, I cannot remember a single topic at all when I finally have the time for blogging.  Oh, my, it is only the second month of the year. The month when our government had the press to release the news that we will no longer need to wear masks anymore.

When I first heard of this news, I was like, "Okay, now everyone can see how pretty I look!" Hahaha, you must be thinking that I will be afraid of my appearance. No way. The two-word phrase "no confidence" has never appeared in my vocabulary.

My blog may still be private, I still hope to wish all the singles and attached a Happy Valentines' Day!

//

    How are you going to spend your day?

//

I am going to spend 45 mins on work whilst I am supposed to enjoy my annual leave which is part of my employee's benefits. This type of work imbalance has been going on since 2020 when I am reallocated to this project. What can I do for myself? 

I have been thinking for a period of time, what can I do for myself? It has been unhealthy and I am getting more and more less happy.

Okay, now this post is random rants. 

Yours Sincerely, 

Shirley Charlin 李

#OffTheInternet Chap 5: Speeding into 2023

>> Blog post created on the 24th day of the Year 2023.

In the year 2022, there will be some computer shopping, and it is somewhat related to my second interest, which is technology. All the computer peripherals and storage for cables and wires—I seriously cannot wait to have a smart home. And the question here is: a condo or a HDB flat?

I really enjoyed my stay at one of ASCOT's loft (service) apartments facing the giant-tech building. It has a really great view of the skyline and a quiet environment, with a short walk to the nearest train station. not a shopping district, but who really does physical shopping nowadays, right? A wish to live in Districts 09–11 may mean I need to have a monthly salary of close to S$9K at the very least to pay the mortgage and live humbly. Looking at my last payslip, I am not even close to a third of it. Savings to pay for housing is a no-no. At one point in time, when I started to eat into my savings for mandatory items, I almost wanted to be a Lalamove walker. It will go against my employee contract. That is another no-no.

Speaking of which, there is something I must do for myself this year so that I can get a nice place I really want for myself, where I only need to make plans once and can live very comfortably. The floor plan must include a loft where I can sleep, dress, and use the bathroom. I have a great-sized room where I can work from home or do my computer stuff.

If there is a balcony, I hope to have a door leading towards a swimming pool to myself. lol It sounds like I could like to live in London.

Hmmm...

Just check my pockets and wallet; it's only $2.

Anyway, the extended monitor I had has been down for almost two days. I am looking for a new one and have made a list of what I need and can do without since I am still looking for a new laptop for myself. My laptop, which I purchased in September 2017, is suddenly dysfunctional on and off. It is a really good-priced Acer Aspire VX 15 laptop. It is still working strong when it comes to gaming. 

Anyway I had spotted the following desktop when I was looking for the extended monitor - Acer Aspire Z24-890

Acer Aspire Z24-890 (i999MR165122T) NEW AIO Desktop with 9th Gen intel i9-9900T processor

- 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9700T Processor 

- Windows 10 Home

- 23.8 Inch FHD IPS Anti-Glare Borderless Screen with 10-Point Multi-Touch

- NVIDIA GeForce MX150 (2GB GDDR5 RAM)

- 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 2TB HDD

- DVD Writer

- Integrated Wireless LAN & Bluetooth®

- Integrated 2.0 MP Full HD high-sense webcam with stereo microphones

- Built-in stereo speakers with Dolby Audio™ Premium

- -5°- 25° tilt angle

- 3 years On-site Local Singapore warranty 

Front/Side I/O connectors

Card reader: Yes

Rear I/O connectors

HDMI port(s): 2 (in/out)

LAN port(s): 1

Audio jack(s): 1

USB 2.0 port(s): 1

USB 3.1 Gen 1 port(s): 1

USB 3.1 Gen 2 port(s): 2

USB Type-C port(s): USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps): 1

What’s in the box:

1 x Acer Aspire Z24-890(i999MR165122T)AIO Desktop

1 x 3 Years McAfee Internet Security(Physical Card)

1 x Acer Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

The question here - A desktop or a new laptop? I need to bring to school though. I am still surviving my part time school.

Let the checklist for 2023 begin with looking for desktop monitor first!

Yours Sincerely, 

Shirley Charlin 李

#OffTheInternet Chapter 4: Why is C programming so hard?

So we need to know C programming in for our study in Computer Science at NTU. 

I have conquered so many languages from HTML to .NET but I can't seems to get C programming right. I even need to practice from LeetCode, till the extend, I put a stop to practice Kotlin and GoLang.  

At the start of my academia journey in Information Solution, I thought I could not survive as I did not have proper resources nor WIFI at home. I had overcome so much with the minimal basic needs I need to pass the courses over the 5 + 3 years and counting... 

Now I am logging in to my blog to write a post about how I find C programming so difficult. My Data Structure And Algorithm Class could not have passed without the teaching by Dr. Loke. If you ever googled my post, which I do not think you can as of the date time of this post. Dr. Loke is the LEGEND!

Some of my classmates over in the part time course may find Dr. Loke speak really harshly, but what he say is reality. He teaches really well, frankly speaking I am surprise that I can understand. I can virtually understand what you're thinking. I know right. 

Well, I requested for course notes earlier to study in at night and over the weekends. 

Back to the main topic of this post. WHY IS C PROGRAMMING SO HARD! 

Any senpai please give me your advise. My friends (actually human-being), told me to start practice on LeetCode. I.. I ... now declare LeetCode my best friend over WWW. 

Update: I do not use LeetCode already...

Yours Sincerely, 

Shirley Charlin 李

#OffTheInternet Chapter 3: Hello, World!

It is already 0133hr on 12 December.

Nope, I am not waiting to check out my cart with the virtual coupons I have been saving for the 12.12 sales. I have already made purchases before today.

On and off I have been thinking about this Blogsphere I have crafted out since 2014. I thought keeping a low key life will motivate me to be a better adult. Certainly, it have not.

Just as I am writing on the edit page, I navigated to my blog and counted the numbers of remaining blog posts I have left.  Less than 50. Reminisced on the late nights and efforts I have once put into to create contents and shinning the positive sun ray with an ending quote in each post. 

In just a few months, I received my very first editorial request while I am away in Vancouver. The request was sent directly to me. 

//

What a great time. 

//

I had experienced "live" how childish human can still be, even when they are in their adulthood. There is no limit to how high is the sky, there is also no limit to respecting each other's boundaries. Off the internet for 3 years plus, I still adore this space. 

After I vented my frustration to a buddy, it inspired me to start writing once more. Merely to ensure that I never violate the terms of my employee's contract, I set my social media accounts to private.

While thinking through what I have done for myself while I am #OffTheInternet, I am proud. 

For marking the fifth year in my first job, I organized a tea time mini party at the cafeteria in the main office to celebrate this wonderful time and appreciated their support since my first day with this company. I have joined this company as the pioneer batch of the Earn and Learn Program. A initiative from SkillFuture before Covid-19 greet us unwelcome. 

No matter what had happened, I am still glad to be in this company as my first job. 

Yours Sincerely, 

Shirley Charlin 李

#OffTheInternet Chapter 2: Mirror Reflection

For the past few months, being alone even at work.

I have a sudden realization of myself listening to people who manipulate me into believing in every word that comes out from their mouths.
And also, another type of people who wants others to be uniform with their own lives. My experience was, they purged me with negativities lies or impactful words that make me think twice before going forth towards my initial plan.

A life example, I have met a few who drop out of the university and go to work. I withdrew out from my acceptance due to financial. (Sometimes, I even think of why didn't just go straight to serve in the National Service (NS) straight after my diploma. Course fee for computer science at SIT is so expensive.) The few shared with me how was life like in universities and how difficult the courses were. One (Let's call her B) even assumed that I did not get in any university before even ask me if I have... I am not happy with the following sentences that she said to me that was insulting. I wanted B to apologize to me but five minutes after which she said that she had forgotten what she had said because it was a small matter to her.

And of course, it was hurtful to me. To make things worse, one of the guysfriends told me that B will not say awful things to me unless I go trigger her. I told him right in their face that nope I DID NOT.

But I moved on... until when one of the closest peers to her, A, keep on digging out this "past" of mine over lunch. At the last lunch, I told A about what she said to me and ask her what can she do after knowing about this. Can she ask her to apologize?

Guessed what?

A said that I was being emotional and even told me that B had dropped out from university anyway. and asked me to move on...

Very contradicting? I could say that it was B who decided to drop out of school. It would not change anything when B did insult me.

I had already moved on and told A, multiple times that I do not want to mention anything about it. A was the one who keeps on digging up my past. After that lunch, A did not ask me out for lunch anymore at this moment at least.

And now, I am even all alone now.

At least I did not reflect my pathetic life into others. Telling others that it is difficult so do not go. Then again, why did you even go in the first place?

Another even more vital example to mention is blogging. Once I was assumed to be rich just because I have a blog.

I aimed to document all of the positive lives I have and spread positive vibes. But sorry guys, I have decided to be off the internet. I do not know what am I reading on the internet. There so many negativities and drama going on with other people's lives and people nowadays seems to have two types of personality - one for the internet, one for the reality.

Okay, I need to flush out the negativities again. There are too many impurities in the air that I need to sweep out.

This reminds me of Xiaxue. She had filmed a video which included content about people having two personality-

After watching and reflecting on my life, I came in term with myself and made a conclusion that it is all about a person's character.  At the end of the day, they are laughing and enjoying their life after making you feeling mystery and upset. They may or may not feel awful for their actions and how they could depict their life on you and advised you with their assumptions which mostly are deemed negativities. There are many things that you can be more concern about - Global warming, the amount of money that comes in and goes out from your bank every month and what to eat for lunch today.

Okay I shall stop here interruptly. I have a report to finish up.

Yours Sincerely,
Shirley Charlin

#OffTheInternet Chapter 1: Half a year?

There is still a draft titled - OOTD #48 in my blogger's dashboard, waiting to be published.

It has been half a year since I have set this blog and most of my social media platforms which I could remember private. It was my decision to get myself off the internet since I have withdrawn out from my university acceptance due to financial difficulties.

Scholarship to Germany for study? Where had it been? I rejected the company's offer at my free will. I cannot afford if anything unforeseen happened to me when I am in a foreign country. I would like to thank the company for the opportunity that they given me. If you are reading this. Danke.

Life has been tough and the hardship will still continue to escalate if I continue to work on what I am doing at the present. It seems that what I have been working on the past few years, besides to blog and work after school hours definitely has not been navigating me to the right path. I believe it is time for a change.

This blogosphere has helped me to note down every single happy moment and even the tiniest bits of the rays of any positivities. Even if so, I do not know what I should do and who I should seek help. Well, I did ask for advice from the seniors and I feel that they have long given up on striving to achieve their dreams. I feel that they are not sick of their life yet.  They just choose to work to live and ensure that they live their days worth well. This would be the reason for me to private my social media platforms.

As for me present, I have started working at a well-reputation IT company. I had been living well. In fact, I am living better than before. I do not have to be discriminated based on my appearance at work. I work hard to gain merits at work.

My supervisors and mentors are currently the best humans I have met. They shared with me their skills and also how they managed their part-time degrees and full-time jobs. I am still getting used to this change of life decision. I am not sure how long would I take to recover.

Nevertheless, I saved a portion of my salary for university even if I have to resort to part-time study. I mean, I do not want to be deprived of education. My citizenship since birth has entitled me to receive a great education and since nothing comes free. I will still to persevere and work harder for it with clean hands.

I wonder when will I set this blog back to public again... I have created a project for myself to continue to write whenever I like. Haha, I shall name this series- #OffTheInternet. I am so creative. Haha!

Quote of the post:

"When life gives you lemons, make lemon water. It is better for your liver.

-Shirley Charlin"

Yours Sincerely, Shirley Charlin

OOTD #47: In the heart of Tiong Bahru

Hello!

I am so excited to be able to log in to Blogger and draft a new blog post while forgetting about my long overdue campus blog post answering my lack of commitment on the World Wide Web. I have just learnt about the newly revamp Blogger space after I logged in a second ago. Blogger has finally created their new responsive web designs after I have very recently redesigned and customized my blog appearance.

Anyway, I headed out and explored Tiong Bahru Estate. Tiong Bahru Estate is part of Singapore's Heritage and conservatory area where you would be able to find pioneer batches of public housing architectures. I am still amazed by the beauty of the low-rise houses ( they are known as HDB, Housing Development Board flats in Singapore) and residents drying their freshly washed clothes outside of their apartments. The one thing I missed about growing up in Singapore is definitely the friendliness from all of the neighbours, when none of our doors are shut tight. Everyone invite each other over for house party, celebrating each other's festivals and bringing over food to each other. I missed these memories so much. 

Nevertheless, when I was exploring Tiong Bahru Estate, I can find a lot of cafes where they have photogenically furnished exterior and interior designs that are perfect for OOTDs. Here is one of them:

Entire outfit is a gift from A.
Blouse: Uniqlo Japan // Joggers: Uniqlo Japan // Shades: Cotton On // String Bag: Cotton On

This outfit was not something I would have worn in any of my outfits. As you can see, I showed a little bit of my belly and I do not have any fitness inspiring body. What motives me to wear this was pure confidence. A and I (yes, we went out together) and received a few compliments from shop owners we walked passed. This was hence, my latest out of my comfort zone outfit.

I would only wear sleeveless top nor cropped top when I am with people whom I am comfortable with or when I am at my most confident period. I am proud to also announced that I have somewhat walked out of the dark side of my life and have no longer recalled of my "friends" whom I have mentioned before in my older blog posts. They puked and gave sarcastic remarks at my outfits that I have featured on my blog, asking me to follow the way how fashion models dresses on reputed online clothing websites.

Hemph! 😠 No way! 

  I dress not to impress, I dress to be unique!

A lot of people actually asked me where did I get my confidence from? I will be a liar if I say it is natural. Well, I believe I have fight away my low self-esteem. I actually do not know how did I have so much confidence from. How did I even fight away my previously low self-esteem? I did not even realise this positive change in me until my peers ask me the most frequent question; "Where did you get so much confident from?".

Till this day, this question has yet to be answered. What I did realise was the way I speak, the way I dress, the way I portray myself. I am no longer a timid person anymore. I have walked out of my comfort zone and be who I am. A girl with an ambitious to be the next inspiring female engineer. A person who knows what she wants in life and will no longer be a listener nor a follower. Whereas, a lady who speaks up for herself.

Quote of the post is from Nadia Boujarwah, CEO and Co-founder of Dia & Co, an online company which provides personal styling service for women sizes 14 and up:

"Finding your unique style is more than just putting on clothes. It's a journey that changes as you change and ultimately becomes a powerful way to show the world who you are."

I hope through this post you could also face your fashion fears and slay the outfits that you have always wanted to wear. This will be your challenge for this week! All the best!

Yours Sincerely,
Shirley Charlin

The perks of being the only girl in class

Source

I am a tiny step away from graduating. I could humbly say that I have already graduated from school. Hahaha. This semester would not have been any cooler if it was not for the 18 guys in my class. I am the only girl in most of my classes otherwise one of the two girls in three of my classes.

I could not have dreamt of being the (only) girl in class. I have been wishing for this day to arrive for so long that I have grown out a lot more gray hairs. The best part of all was I have a chance to participate in a national competition. Together with 7 other participants, we worked hard for 8 months to bring glory to the school. Although I did not get into the Top 8 finalists in Singapore, I have felt the honor that I was given a chance to compete. To keep this competition less secretive, I will be publishing an interview with the silver medalist of the competition over at Nimble Youngster's Playground, so be sure to check it out!

- Back to being the only girl in my class -

Thou shall now list out the Top 3 of being the only girl in class! *Wink*

The perfect part about being the only girl in class will definitely be able to receive more positive energy. The guys are always joking around in the class making lessons a lot livelier. You can 

The second best part will be, you can dress whatever you like and you will not get to hear any loathsome remarks about your fabulous outfit that you know it suits you the best. *Thumbs up!* 

Lastly, they will not leave you alone. They treat you like bros. Care and share. You can be as cozy as you are at home. There was once, a night before one of my course works submission due, I stayed overnight alone in school. The guys got our classmates from the other specialization to take care of me and keep a look out just in case I need anything. How sweet are they? Thank you, guys!

Oh my oh my, I am going to miss giving my pair of eyes the nourishment they have been absorbing for the past 18 weeks.

As I am randomly typing this short post, I think I have forgotten to feature some outfits. Hmmm.. What could it be?

Aunty, you have forgotten to showcase the outfits you have worn during your six months internship...

そうですか?

YES!

I see I see. Tune in for more in the next post! Now let me have a moment of peace in the serene of my bedroom as I hope that I could get into the university of my choice. Amen.

Quote of the post:

"A pretty girl is nothing if she has an ugly heart." 

Found this quote from an image in Pinterest

Yours Sincerely, Shirley Charlin

Top 5 Boot Care Tips by King Ranch Saddle Shop

I still remember the last few days staying in the winter of Vancouver. The air was cold and my skin became drier than when I first foot into North America. 

I was wearing my cousin's boots. It was a wine red high knee leather boots (similar to these). I need to take at least 5 minutes to put them on. That was the very first time I wear a pair of shoes that covered beyond my ankles. Walking in high knee boots were not as difficult as I thought since they fit me perfectly.

The winter weather can be really nasty. My friends back in Vancouver even shared with me that they seldom wash their cars during winter as they will get dirty easily. The aftermath of snowing turns the ground into brown and greyish colour and it's so slippery. This is the time I thanked my cousin for her pair of boots.

I wonder how do people keep their shoes that they may or not wear often in tip top condition? King Ranch Saddle Shop shared with me their Top 5 Boot Care Tips. And, if you are looking for a pair of classic cowboy boots or a stylish and femine cowgirl boots, be sure to check out King Ranch's collection of boots for both men and women!

On the final night, I brought a pair of Sav's rain boots at Costco before I started to pack for home. They have florals designs. The weather in Singapore makes the glue of footwear wear off easily because of the heat. Up till now, it has been 3 years and my rain boots are still in shape. I only wear them once a year, mostly for Anime Festival Asia. The trick I did to keep them in shape is to store them indoors and stuff newspaper into the boots. Similar to how you take care of leather bags.

Now it hits me to recall my favourite black booties. It was my first pair of black ankle boots with heels. I brought them along with me to BC. I wore them to watch The Nutcracker and walked along the Christmas markets with the locals.

As most of you should know that I live in Singapore. The tiny red dot that resides on the equator of mother earth. I get to enjoy the summer every day. Supposedly due to the humid weather, the skin of the leather boots started to peel off when I was back in Singapore. King Ranch Saddle Shop told me that I need to condition my booties and even shared with me some tips on how to take care of leather products.

How interesting. If not for King Ranch Saddleshop, I would never ever learn to wash my leather boots. I am really excited to get a new pair of boots after I received my pay cheque!

P/S: I have found a new part-time job, guys! Wish me all the best!

Quote of the post: 

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. 

- John Wooden"

Yours Sincerely,
Shirley Charlin

What have happened to your blog?

Hello there!

I hope you have missed me and my blog. You may have stumbled across my blog with broken links or there are some images still missing or off.

This was what have happened: 

I was trying to change privacy setting in my Google plus and unintentionally set the privacy for this blog to "private". I thought the change would mean that the photos that are uploaded in this blog will not be available in search.

I was wrong.

I immediately set the privacy of my blog to private.

I took a few days to calm myself down. Feeling so annoyed and frustrated, I read through my very first blog posts to the most recent ones. And I deleted 100+ of them.You may be thinking how crazy am I. And yes, most of the blog posts worth thousands of views.

However, those were the posts that seem rather positive but behind the scenes, they were requests and suggestions by my "friends". The unrealistic luxuries that caused holes in both my wallet and pocket.

Some of which were my requests; I thought of treating myself for working hard and got paid off. The friends who tagged along were not happy as it seems to them that those are the places that are too cheap or not popular. 

Almost everytime, they will ask me to take pictures of every single shit we do and go and then post it to my blog, when all I wanted to do was to enjoy the moments with them. Then again, when I show signs of annoyed, they rebuked me that I was not being appreciative at all. They say that they are trying to help me to find inspiration and gain popularity on my blog. They can really nag all the way back from town to home. I know right, #GirlsDrama. The initial intention of creating this blog was not to gain anything. LOL...

There were also other really harsh remarks. For example, the way I dress. I kid you not, I can even receive criticisms over simple, casual and comfy clothes - Tee shirts and shorts.

How dramatic that it makes my heart sinks.

So, I deleted them all and I have never gotten this happy! 

PHEW! This blog has documented half of my life. I have really changed a lot over the past 5 years. The first time I received an email from a reader who emailed and say that she likes my blog ( Sorry that I did not reply to you as I was shy. If you are still reading my blog. Thank you so much! ), to the up and coming emails from the other side of the globe.

One important key that I really need to work on will definitely be- not to take in every single remark seriously or harshly. Everyone comes from all walks of life. What you have experienced, do not mean everyone does. The numbers of years you have lived on earth does not compute your level of maturity. The.... Blah blah blah blahhhh... getting back the positive energy from everyone. 

*Absorbing in process*

Anyway, this blog skin that you are seeing will not be here for long. I do need more time to change it and style it to my comfort.

Right now, you may wonder why have not I migrate my blog to WordPress as they have ready-made responsive web templates for me to choose.

Well. The answer is raw. Blogger and this blog are where I regained my confidence and motivation. I accrue most of my inspiration from the drafts that may make it to the next publish. Unless Google retires Blogger, this blog domain will still stay as ".blogspot.com" . 

Nonetheless, I do hope you love my logo ( my blog banner and the small icon stamped on the bottom right of my display picture)! There is a story behind the graphic visual and the choice of colors. 

My favorite color is blue so I use blue as the base color.

Purple stands for royal and loyal. Purple always present as the rich. The royalties put on the purple garments as their servants serve them loyally. In my logo, purple holds a strong message about the price tag of every clothes- "It is not about how expensive the clothes that you are wearing cost. It is how you can pull them off. " 

If you have sharp eyes or have learned about hue and saturation on colors, you might be about to spot a dashed pink. The choice of pink is really cheesy. In my logo, the choice of pink comes from the movie- Mean Girls. So ladies, remember on Wednesday we wear PINK! I was actually watching the movie while designing the logo. Hahaha

I am also very excited to come out with more creative contents and visuals for the upcoming blog posts and get them watermarked with my logo! I cannot wait for my secret project that I am working on and plan to share it with everyone after I graduated from my diploma.

Stay happy and positive, everyone!

Quote of the post:

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. 

-Charles Spurgeon"

Yours Sincerely,
Shirley Charlin

Spending the nights in my P.J. (Shirley C's style)

My school holidays have started four weeks ago and I am pretty much enjoying every bit of it. I have so much rest and I am loving it! Although I am still jobless.

Well, I did go for an intensive job hunting which all turned out foul. So, is there anyone out there with a job vacancy for me? I do hope to find one that it could last me even when school reopens. The cost of living in Singapore is way too much for me to handle and I really do need a part- time job that can aid in my school expenses.

I met two new friends during internship; who are also my coursemates. We have not spoken to each other before until then. They are the ones who have created joyous moments during the remaining 12 weeks stay in the company. One of them even introduced to me this show-

I am currently at Season 5 Episode 8 of Modern Family! I have started watching this show somewhere near to the end of the internship. This long series really did help me to relax a lot. I am obsessed with this show! With the legit no-makeup, I lounge in my favourite sleepwear- a long sleeve and a pair of comfy short shorts.  This is the ultimate best part of my lazy holidays that I am looking for.

I feel a lot more energetic after sleeping and being unproductive for a good two and the half weeks. All of the sudden, I have a deep reflection on how harsh I am treating myself. The amount of stress and burden I have made myself carry that actually weighs more than my weight.

At this point of time, I should concern more on how to give my very best for my academic instead of money. Almost all of the time, my mind is thinking about money. I risked my bank amount and quitted my part- time job at a local cafe in my neighbourhood because I felt that I was consistently verbally assaulted by a full- time staff on my religion and intelligent. All thanks for her harsh treatment, I believed I have mastered the art of endurance and patient. This form of art has truly saved me from a number of obstacles.

A quote from Michelle Obama: You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.

After the exhaustive internship, I have decided to give myself a break. I have taken this holiday to rejuvenate, to find myself and explore the wonders of Singapore. I have been to Adventure Cove, Tiong Bahru Estate (again), experience hair removal using sugaring and start to train for my very first Sundown marathon in next March. I have even constructed a website for my aunt who works as a property agent. Please do give her a like on her Facebook!

I spend almost every night keeping up with new animes like Orange ( I LIKE CURRY BUNS! ). My ideal nights are pretty much in my sleepwear and rolling on the bed before I grab my devices and start the drama marathon. What is your ideal night?

Anyway, I am definitely pretty pumped up now and I cannot wait for the new and unexpected adventures that are coming up! Wish me luck everyone!

Quote of the post:

"Be a Sunshine and shine your beautiful light rays that brighten up everyone's day. - Shirley Charlin"

Photos are self-shot using Nikon d5300.

Photos are enhanced using Adobe Lightroom.

Diary: What was my objective of this blog?

I have been spending my time working for a clutch of positivity for as long as I could remember.
I pump in all of my efforts to complete them to the best that I could.
I have enough.

I work for my passion. A passion that has turned a once negative girl to a pistachio (and part-time Harley Quinn).

Many thought I earn money from this hobby but I actually do not earn money from here...
I started to blog with a thought that I could document my fashion styles which I could finally afford after working part time.

Then things changed. In the most horrifying manner that I could not imagine.
Money got scary.
Social media become a money making tool.
Peeps assume that I earn big bucks from the campaigns that I have published on my blog.
Actually no.

I want to. 

I need to learn how. 

I did give it a try.

Added google ads on my blog but it was repeatedly denied. 

However, I did somehow learn something from my blog.

Through blogging, I have earn friends.

The representatives who emailed me to participate in their campaigns. The emails are always filled with positive thoughts and excitement. Seeking for participants very politely. When I received my very first email, I was in Canada ( Hehehe... you must have thought about some idioms, right? ). I actually ask for money.

My heart raced fast cos I thought I will never receive any reply from them again.

Shortly after, they replied. They replied with sincerity. I could feel the earnest from the email. They apologised that they could not offer me any credits. Without hesitation, I drafted my very first blog advertisement post. All thanks to this company I earned my very first collaboration.

And then after which, more emails came.

Recently, I created a new email for blog collaborations purposes.

I was happy.

However, for the past few weeks. I feel the tension. The anxiety that I am experiencing.
I somehow forgot what was the reason I created this blog.

I am still in a deep thought. I am still trying to find an answer to my question that I asked myself.

What was my objective of this blog?