No Result
View All Result
Shopee Singapore Official Blog
  • Lifestyle
    • Festivities
    • Featured
  • Home & Living
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Tech & Gadgets
  • Health & Fitness
  • Food & Drinks
  • Shopping
    • Gift Guides
    • Grocery Guide
  • Shopee News
  • Lifestyle
    • Festivities
    • Featured
  • Home & Living
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Tech & Gadgets
  • Health & Fitness
  • Food & Drinks
  • Shopping
    • Gift Guides
    • Grocery Guide
  • Shopee News
No Result
View All Result
Shopee Singapore Official Blog
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle

How Scaling Walls Gave This Web Developer A New Perspective On Life

Cordelia Lee by Cordelia Lee
March 8, 2021
in Lifestyle
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0

I put forward my introductory question and ask the lady sitting across me what her role in the Shopee office is.

“Front-end web developer,” she answers and quietly sips her tea.

I nod, praying she elaborates. Help, I haven’t any idea what web developers do, let alone what front-end web developers do. There’s a front-end?? What’s a front-end?!

Perhaps she too hears the panicked voices emanating from within my head, because she smiles reassuringly in the next moment and kindly explains her job scope in layman’s terms.

This is how I learn that Gao Wei, the bright mind before me, works hard with her team to code the website interface that millions of Shopee users browse daily.

By assembling web app designs and liaising with back-end developers, she ensures that her code runs smoothly in browsers and translates into a functional interface for a seamless online shopping experience.

Wei at the weekly sharing session for web-developers that she oversees

Up till this point, the conversation is professionally cordial with our respective roles as interviewer and interviewee clearly marked out.

But something shifts the moment I ask “So, I hear you’re a rock-climbing enthusiast?”

Wei lets a bashful laugh escape, as though her rock-climbing hobby isn’t something serious enough to be worth mentioning. But her eyes give her away, lighting up at my question, and I sense something substantial in this hobby of hers.

A community she didn’t know she needed

Wei hadn’t planned on sustaining an interest in rock-climbing.

“I was initially invited to climb by this friend who was interested in trying it out,” she recalls. “After that first time he never climbed again [laughs] — but I stayed! And it developed into a hobby for me.”

Wei with Raymond and Lihau, two other members of the Shopee climbing team, at the NUS BoulderActive competition last year

When she first started out, Wei joined the rock-climbing interest group over at SEA, Shopee’s parent company, for weekly sessions. But last May, she and some others initiated one of their own here in Shopee.

“We meet weekly to climb, alternating between a weekday and Saturdays. Sometimes people bring friends from outside Shopee too, so the club has been rapidly expanding.”

A part of the team at one of their weekly sessions

Hold up. A company-based interest group that doesn’t exclusively cater to its employees? This takes workplace inclusivity to an entirely new level.

As Wei fondly shares snippets of her climbing experience, it becomes apparent that the team has quite successfully built a vibrant community, welcoming everyone from the climbing novice to the non-Shopee employee.

Learning to fall, on and off the wall

“…There’s a way to fall off the wall?!” I ask, eyes wide.

We’re mid-interview, and I’ve just discovered that there’s a mechanics to falling.

“There’s a better way of falling off a wall,” Wei reiterates, amused.

Scaling walls during a climbing session

Safety is a priority in rock-climbing, and learning how to fall safely, as I soon gather from Wei, is as important as learning how to climb. The pre-climb safety briefing Wei conducts for new climbers includes a demonstration of the proper way to fall and land with both feet. After which, under her guidance, they practice falling in the same way.

“I’ll ask if they feel like they’re in full control when they fall. If they are inexperienced climbers, their bodies aren’t ready for the impact — so it’s better for them to fall with the knowledge of it happening.”

Mastering this art of conscious falling has changed how Wei perceives her failures within the workplace. She likens the heightened awareness of falling to being mindful of one’s limitations and mistakes when failing in a task. It’s instilled in her an understanding that failure is requisite for self-improvement.

https://shopee.sg/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/1547197704692480.mp4

“I tell myself that it’s a learning process, that everyone is constantly a work in progress. Even though someone is great at something, they can’t claim that they’re the best or have nothing left to improve at.”

Gone are the days of feeling inadequate when mistakes occur. The present Wei channels her energy into recognising and accepting her errors before humbly learning from them.

A competition that boosted her confidence

Judging from her commitment towards rock-climbing, I expect Wei to be excited about throwing herself into competitions. But when the conversation veers towards the topic of competitive climbing, Wei shrugs and shakes her head, claiming she’s not really “a competition type of player”.

“Problems in competitions tend to be riskier as opposed to commercial settings where routes are standard,” she explains. “And I’m a more conservative climber…”

A plausible scenario if you take playing it safe to the extreme

While she’d rather not scale walls under pressure, Wei admits that participating in the occasional competition has been fruitful.

“I’m sketchy when I climb under normal circumstances and tend to throw many attempts,” she confesses, “but in last year’s competition, instead of planning I told myself to spontaneously try a move. At the very worst I’d fail, but not trying would mean losing any chance of flashing the problem altogether—”

I listen intently.

“—I think I experienced my hardest attempt ever? But I eventually managed to flash the problem!! And it felt so cool.”

She’s beaming widely at this point, and I no longer feel like a stranger probing into her private pastime. Instead I feel like a confidante, listening to a friend let me in on a personal achievement.

Wei climbing the Escher Wall in Krabi, Thailand

“Actually…… that experience made me want to participate in another competition this year,” she discloses half sheepishly, half proud.

I nod encouragingly in full admiration for Wei, certain that this newfound confidence will support her as she continues to challenge her personal limits.


Feeling boulder? Come reach new heights with us here at Shopee!

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Stilettos to Kitten Heels: 11 Comfortable Heels For Every Occasion In Singapore

Next Post

7 Yummy Lunch Box Ideas For Your Little Picky Eaters

Cordelia Lee

Cordelia Lee

Related Posts

best things to do in singapore
Lifestyle

22 Things To Do In Singapore This Weekend (20 – 22 June)

by Shermyn Tan
June 18, 2025
11 best sports bars in singapore to cheer on your favourite teams
Lifestyle

11 Best Sports Bars In Singapore For That Upcoming Match

by Janica Ng
June 18, 2025
9 best home cafes in singapore for your next tea break
Food & Drinks

9 Best Home Cafes In Singapore For Your Next Tea Break

by Chloe Gee
June 18, 2025
best cpu cooler
Tech & Gadgets

9 Best CPU Coolers That Will Blow You Away, Quietly

by Caryn Tan
June 16, 2025
best snacks in singapore
Food & Drinks

Satisfy Your Cravings With These 13 Best Snack Brands In Singapore

by Caryn Tan
June 12, 2025
where to watch the ndp fireworks
Lifestyle

Where To Watch The NDP Fireworks – 15 Worthy Spots

by Bryant Tay
June 10, 2025
durian buffet and durian tour singapore malaysia
Food & Drinks

7 All-You-Can-Eat Durian Buffets In Singapore (Including JB Durian Tours!)

by Caryn Tan
June 10, 2025
(Credit: Spencer Davis / Unsplash)
Lifestyle

Upcoming Concerts In Singapore 2025 (Don’t Miss Them Again!)

by Caryn Tan
June 9, 2025
Next Post
lunch box school kids sandwiches

7 Yummy Lunch Box Ideas For Your Little Picky Eaters

woman workout headphones exercise music

Workout Music: 9 Best Workout Songs To Get You Pumped For The Gym

makeup dupe high end cosmetic brands affordable

The 13 Best Dupes Of Your Favourite High-End Beauty Products

Recommended

upcoming musicals singapore

9 Upcoming Musicals And Theatre Shows In Singapore (2025)

by Caryn Tan
January 24, 2025

For them aura points.

xlash eyelash growth serum review

Longer Lashes In 1 Week — Thanks, Xlash!

by Caryn Tan
October 11, 2024

You grow, gurl!

Korean Bag Brands

Seoul-Searching For The 17 Best Korean Bag Brands In Seongsu

by Jaia Corral
June 9, 2025

Cool girl energy only.

caseharden bag review

Caseharden Review: Do They Have It In The Bag?

by Caryn Tan
January 21, 2025

The hottest brand in Bangkok now.

Trending

new chinese dramas featured image

Top Chinese Dramas: 71 Best Series To Watch In 2025

by Iris Tan
June 16, 2025

It's good being a couch potato.

(Credit: Spencer Davis / Unsplash)

Upcoming Concerts In Singapore 2025 (Don’t Miss Them Again!)

by Caryn Tan
June 9, 2025

Got your tickets yet?

15 Best Mattresses To Live Your Sleeping Beauty Dreams

by Shermyn Tan
December 10, 2024

Snooze without the booze.

ice skating rink singapore

Glide Around At Kallang Ice World, Singapore’s Only Ice Skating Rink

by Caryn Tan
November 13, 2024

Some n-ice time with your kids.

Popular

jazz bar best live music bars singapore

24 Best Live Music Bars To Get Your Groove On

by Rachel Tan
November 15, 2024

Dine and unwind!

best souvenirs from singapore for your overseas friends

17 Best Souvenirs From Singapore For Your Overseas Friends

by Caryn Tan
June 6, 2025

Majulah Singapura!

(Credit: Yarrrrrbright / Shutterstock)

13 Best Garment Steamers In Singapore To Remove Those Creases

by Caryn Tan
March 21, 2025

Full steam ahead!

what to eat in tanjong pagar

From K-Town To Cafes: 35 Food Options In Tanjong Pagar

by Caryn Tan
June 12, 2024

More than just KBBQ.

karaoke system

Sing Your Hearts Out At These 13 Best Karaoke Bars

by Caryn Tan
April 29, 2025

Unleash your inner Mariah Carey

Shopee SG Blog

Lifestyle & Shopping Recommendations by locals, for locals

Category

  • Entertainment
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Featured
  • Festivities
  • Food & Drinks
  • Gift Guides
  • Grocery Guide
  • Health & Fitness
  • Home & Living
  • Lifestyle
  • Others
  • Parenting
  • Shopee News
  • shopeesg
  • Shopping
  • Tech & Gadgets
  • Travel

Follow Us

Recent Posts

  • The Phantom Of The Opera Review: Our Very Own Angel Of Music June 20, 2025
  • 22 Things To Do In Singapore This Weekend (20 – 22 June) June 18, 2025
  • 11 Best Sports Bars In Singapore For That Upcoming Match June 18, 2025

Copyright © 2025, Shopee Singapore Blog

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Lifestyle
    • Festivities
    • Featured
  • Home & Living
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Tech & Gadgets
  • Health & Fitness
  • Food & Drinks
  • Shopping
    • Gift Guides
    • Grocery Guide
  • Shopee News

Copyright © 2025, Shopee Singapore Blog