Welcoming February with a Happy Heart

Chlint, Me, Pat, and Emily

Welcoming February with a happy heart because it's Hobi's birth month and there's just a bunch of things that defined my January! Been a while since I wrote anything here given my full-time job as an analyst. I do enjoy my work, but there are times that I feel so-so. I can't even describe the feeling profoundly hahaha the financial industry is ~cool~, but I also see it as a pressure cooker. I have no regrets about choosing the finance path for my career, but I wonder what would happen if I pursue a different profession. Would I be happier? Would I earn more? Would I feel less pressured? I don't know. Right now, I am doing my best in the company and I am enjoying the work I do despite the challenges brought by the work from home setup.

 There were a lot of things that transpired last month and let me highlight some of them in this entry.

1. Getting myself a copy MAP OF THE SOUL 7
2. Money matters
3. IG Live with Nikka
4. K-dramas
5. Preparing for my revalida and acing it
6. Mini reunion

On getting my own Map of the Soul 7:

I joined this raffle in Shopee and I'm so surprised I won an NCAT voucher worth 1,000 pesos! NCAT is basically an online store that sells albums of Korean groups. When I knew I won the voucher, I contemplated getting a Map of the Soul 7 album version 2 or 3 or a Love Yourself album. I ended up choosing MOTS 7 version 2 because I liked the photo concept by a notch versus the LY album/series. However, I'll save up money so that I can get the LY albums her, tear, and answer! I super love the songs in both albums so I know I'll get my hands on those albums soon. :) Below are some pics of the Map of the Soul album, version 2:

On Money Matters

I am so thankful for this certain person who taught me how to make my money work for me. I recently started investing again in an IPO that will be released this February. I think investing long-term is so important especially if you have goals you want to pursue and if you want your money to simply work for you. Before investing in anything, do your research, consult a stockbroker, and save enough money. For any questions, you may email me. :)

IG Live with Nikka

I never had an IG live before and the first time I did this was with a good friend, Nikka Pangan. It all started when I asked her that I wanted to do a vlog with her because she's the type of person who likes to talk and has very insightful thoughts. We planned the whole thing and made it possible by starting with a live video on IG first. The topic we discussed was about love and all the other things that surround it such as break up, being single, the right person, and even chastity. I loved the discussion so much because we got interesting questions from IG mutuals that definitely challenged our brain cells! A lot of people also watched our live vid, which makes the experience all the more fruitful. If you want to know our thoughts and learn where we are coming from, you may watch the 54-minute video on my IG: @kiaparedes :)

K-dramas

My love for K-dramas has never been a secret! Last January, I focused on watching 2 dramas and these are Run-On and True Beauty. First, Run-on is a show that I didn't expect to like at all. I didn't know the actors portraying the roles and I was quite hesitant to watch it at first because the plot seems...meh. However, I gave it a chance and I found myself tuning in every week for new episodes! Plot seems so simple, but the words they say and their gestures just represent the thing called "life". It's simple. relatable, and just true to life. On the other hand, True Beauty had this usual high school love triangle plot. We all know this could be so unrealistic, especially if the guys are handsome, nice, smart, and rich!!! However, it was understandable since it was based on a webtoon. Although the plot is common, I still looked forward to it every week. The chemistry between the characters was there and of course Cha Eun Woo! I have to say his acting skills improved 10x vs his stint on My ID is Gangnam Beauty. If you want feel-good shows, I recommend watching these two K-dramas I mentioned!

           

Sources: tvN and JTBC (respectively)

Preparing for my revalida and acing it

Revalida is a big thing at work, especially for us management analysts. This is because we show our professional and personal growth to our senior management leaders while trying to stay composed and confident as much as possible. This can be a very difficult thing to do if the nerves get to you. I started planning for my presentation a week before and it was not easy on my end because my brain was not cooperating. The week of revalida, I also had tons of things to do aside from focusing on what I have to present. It's like preparing for a big presentation in school (say, thesis defense), but make the setting different. Fortunately, I was able to pull off such a good presentation even if it was via Zoom. If I were to rate my performance that day, I would give myself an 8 out of 10 because the presentation was clear, coherent, and insightful. However, I always leave room for improvement that's why I gave myself an 8 :) First revalida done, two more to go! I didn't have a picture or a video of myself doing the presentation but here's a photo of me and the GCB analysts! It was so nice of them to invite me for a quick catch-up and a pic.

Mini reunion

Back in grade school, I had different groups of friends. Even if there's a lot, I was able to build a relationship with them. However, the moment we attended high school, things did change. I had a new set of friends and I wasn't as close to my other friends as before. This kept on happening for years and finally, this 2021, I reunited with two of my most precious friends from grade school, Liesa and Patricia. I really forgot how Liesa and I became friends, but I knew she was so kind to me. Patricia, on the other hand, studied in my school for two years only and we did form a good friendship in just a short time. 

It's currently February and I'm also about to end my first assignment already! I am actually looking forward to moving to my new role in a new unit because I am eager to experience and learn more. I don't have Valentine's date this year hahah but it's fine,  always have a date with BTS anyway. February is one of my fave months because it's just cold. Even if it is cold lately, I hope everyone's heart stays warm.