I’m Charmaine and I write about culture, social justice, and mental health among other things.
[Updated: 15 April 2021]
You may have arrived at my Medium profile from a comment I left on your article. Or you may have seen one of my original pieces. Whatever way you found me, thank you for visiting and checking me out!
I am currently on hiatus. I just…
It’s not always safe to go out as an Asian woman, but I lean on the strength of my ancestors before me.
I was sixteen and stuck on a chairlift.
I had just learned how to snowboard and this was another exciting weekend on the local mountain. …
Last name Li, first name Charmaine. I write stuff.
Hi! I’m Charmaine :) I list my surname first in my bylines. You can call me Charmaine or Sharkii, which is the nickname a friend gave to me in Grade 6 that has stuck.
My Backstory
Since I was three, I’ve lived on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples …
Audience participation! Join my monthly newsletter and tell me what you’d like to read about. Here’s what you’ll get:
- Friend links to read my Medium articles for free (no paywall).
- Curated links to interesting reading around the web.
- A poll to vote on what you’d like me to write about next.
Sign up here! Thank you for your generous support :)
Am I respected more now that people don’t see my height?
I’ve met a surprising number of new people over the last year and a half.
Yes, that year. The year we spent crouching over our computers talking at people in screens when clothing below the waist was optional.
As a very short person (4’11”), this has been interesting. …
Recent discoveries of hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children prove that Canada is not the “nice” country it claims to be.
CW: This story contains violent details of Canadian residential schools that some may find distressing.
I used to be a proud Canadian.
I was proud that, unlike our neighbours to the south, we Canadians have universal healthcare, legal same-sex marriage since 2005, and legal recreational marijuana nationwide since 2018, among…
The be-your-own-boss lifestyle is not for everyone.
In October 2019, I left a well-paid, full-time content marketing job to freelance for a year and a half.
In April 2021, I left freelancing and went back to being a full-time, nine-to-five content marketer.
Over the past year and a half, I’ve cycled through a lot of feelings. …
Sure, it’s difficult to become a doctor, but being a creative professional isn’t “easy” either
Many of the friends I’ve grown up with have found success in medicine, law, business, engineering — you know, professions society traditionally deem important.
Sometimes, I feel left out and less-than when I’m with my friends and they’re all discussing some complicated, scientific concept. There’s a belief that STEM disciplines…
When I was in Grade 7, my 2nd year in a new school, I was suddenly pulled out of English class and made to do an ESL (English as a Second Language) evaluation for "kids who recently moved to Canada." I was born and raised in Canada. I had never…
I refuse to add more stress to my already boiling cauldron of anxiety.
Obligatory Preface: I am not a healthcare professional and this article should not be taken as medical advice. For accurate information on nutrition, fitness, and Covid-19, visit the CDC website.
[Edit 21 March 2021] This piece is getting some traction, which is awesome, but I want to clarify that a)…
Li Charmaine Anne
(She/They) Author on unceded Coast Salish territories (Vancouver, Canada). At work on first novel. Get links to read my stuff for free: https://bit.ly/2MleRqJ
