yevka’s blog

Random things about me:

1. Ebot+Lynda=Ebolyn. Evelyn is the only better version.
2. My dad used to say that the song “Ebony, Ivory” is my song.
3. The other name my parent’s considered was “Gina”, after my Dad’s other nick, Gani.
4. Yevka means “Eva/Eve” in Russia.
5. I discovered the name Yevka with my friend Loida (who now calls herself Mahryska - the Russian version of Maria), from a baby names book in National Bookstore.
6. I used to be called Eve-Lyn by my non-Filipino classmates and teachers (which was the majority). I never really corrected them, so the name stuck.
7. I was EVES (evs) during college, particularly by my SA friends.
8. Leap 21 was Yevka-rebirth age.
9. My pamangkins, Brian and Andrew, call me Tita Evewyn.
10. At work they call me EC (short for Evelyn Caratao).
11. I’m the youngest child of Isagani and Erlinda Caratao.
12. I have 1 brother (Glenn) and 1 sister (Glenda) who I call Nana. They’re twins but they don’t look alike. I’ve been teased to look like my brother’s twin or my sister’s twin. I disagree.
13. My brother’s wife’s name is Scheela, who I call Ate. They met in Dubai, but are actually neighbors in Pinas (Scheela’s brother and I found that out for them, when they announced their wedding plans). They’re expecting their first child by April Fools Day. We’re calling him Baby Boy Nooner.
14. My sister’s husband’s name is Baji. They have 2 sons, Brian and Andrew, who are absolutely adorable - last time I met them was late last year. They’re 7 and 5 years old. They speak in slang, and cannot pronounce the letters L and R.
15. My parents, sister and sister’s family are based in Toronto, Canada.
16. My brother and Ate are based in Dubai, UAE.
17. My dad’s clan originated from Bicol, although, as long as I can remember, they’ve lived along the riles in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
18. My mom is from Lipa City, Batangas. I have tons of relatives from there still and visit them often. I still have a cousin that’s a baby. I’ve lost track of how many cousins I have actually.
19. My mom came from a *big* family. She has 11 brothers and sisters. I have terrible memory and get confused with their names. My great grandmother lived to a hundred. I don’t know how many cousins I have.
20. My dad is also from a big family, but not as big as my mom’s. He has 6 brothers and sisters - 2 are still single. They think I’ll end up like them.
21. I’m an Aquarian (that means I’m weird)
22. I have an Air Sign (independent/smart thinker)
23. I was born on the year of the Horse.
24. My birth goddess is Hathor.
25. My numerology is 5 (I’m a free spirit)
26. I am an extrovert by nature, but an introvert by heart.
27. I use my senses more than my intuition
28. I am a thinker, more than a feel-er – to the point of being insensitive.
29. I perceive than judge
30. I am a Visionary
31. I am not single - I am between boyfriends
32. I remember JOY Learning Center as my primary education (Prep), although I have pictures of me in a BF Homes School uniform - I don’t remember that at all. I think I was happiest in Prep because of the loads of extra curricular activities.
33. I skipped Grade 1 (or Junior 1). Everything I don’t know, they most probably taught in Grade 1. That’s why I’m like this.
34. I lived for 10 years in Dubai, U.A.E., when I was younger. That’s where I graduated from Elementary and High School.
35. I studied in St. Mary’s Catholic High School for Elementary and High School. I believe it is (or at least used to be) the only Catholic School in Dubai.
36. I took up Arabic language in school for 7 years. I didn’t learn anything. I also took up French. I only know how to say, Je m’apelle Yevka; Comment-a-lez vous? Une, Deux, Trois, Quatre, Sinq. Voulez vous couche avec moi? (okay that last part I didn’t learn in school.)
37. St. Mary’s is multiracial. My classmates and teachers consisted of Indians, Pakistanis, Polish, Armenians, British, Filipinos, etc. There were only 3 of us Filipinas in my graduating class.
38. St. Mary’s is also a Catholic school run by nuns. The boys were separated from the girls via the basketball court. There was a no flirting rule.
39. I took up college in De La Salle University in Manila
40. I started with a double-degree course with Education and Math as my majors. I totally blew Calculus and needed to shift out.
41. I ended with a Marketing Major under the College of Business. I was still terrible in subjects that included numbers, like Accounting, Finance, Economics and Statistics.
42. My first week in regular Filipino class, I understood zilch. So I took up basic Filipino instead. They taught me conversational Tagalog. (Anong pangalan mo? Saan ka pupunta? Anong gagawin mo ngayon? Etc.) My classmates were foreigners and Filipinos who couldn’t speak Tagalog because they didn’t grow up in Pinas. I kept mum about the fact that I already knew how to have Tagalog conversations because there were no intermediate Filipino classes.
43. My first college barkada were under my Educ-Science blockmates (which is a grand total of 7 girls). About 50% of them graduated with honors, magna or summa cum laude. I felt like an absolute dunce next to them.
44. I was a loner in my Majors block.
45. I became a Student Assistant on my second year. Most of my college friends (to this date) came from all colleges because of this group.
46. I graduated at 2000.
47. My college yearbook was for graduates of ‘99 because I wanted to have a souvenir that had most of my friends in it.
48. My first *work* experience was 5 days in my mom’s old company in Dubai. She was on her vacation leave, and I filled in. It was boring because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I still got Dhs500 for it.
49. When I came back to Pinas from Dubai, I worked as a crew in KFC for 2 months. I was one of the pioneers of KFC in SM Southmall. My number 1 learning is how to commute/travel to Pasig (for training) and Quiapo (for my last pay).
50. During college, I worked as a Student Assistant in the computer lab (total geek). Basically we would get paid to sit in the computer lab and hand out computer numbers to the users. In addition, I also took up an HR/Recruitment post (Operations Assistant). (I’d invite students to join.)
51. My practicum was in Cafe Overdrive, a bar/restaurant owned by Ford Makati. As part of our study, we had to go barhopping almost every night for 2 weeks. During the day, I had a phone attached to my ear selling off the discount cards of Cafe Overdrive.
52. After graduating, I got accepted as a call center agent in one of the first call centers in the Philippines but turned it down for a marketing assistant post in an IT company, for half the price.
53. Mainly for money reasons, I also worked in an archi firm, an industrial real estate company, a short stint for an events company, an exhibit company and a residential real estate company.
54. My latest post is as a Senior Negotiator for a corporate real estate company. (I still get raised eyebrows for my title). I’m going on 3 years, my longest and best learnings so far.
55. I also wear a wedding planner hat and started with C3 Events which is an acronym for Camacho-Caratao-Co, my housemates. We would wear matching shirts. We didn’t coordinate any of our friends events, maybe because we weren’t in the “marrying-age” yet.
56. I’ve helped coordinate the weddings of several friends under the Yevka & Jenne wing, which is a joint project of – you got that right – Yevka and Jenne. We’re the accredited coordinator for Jack & Jenn catering.
57. I currently have an addiction with the TV shows Heroes and Grey’s Anatomy.
58. I prefer romantic comedies, light dramas, fantasies and Disney movies.
59. I enjoy listening to FM radio more, esp. Magic, Good Times and Boys Night Out.
60. I have completed the Shopaholic, LOTR and Harry Potter series - I enjoyed them to death.
61. I have currently been introduced to digiscrapping and I just know it - this will be another addiction.
62. I love seeing new places
63. I want to have passive income
64. I want a Canada visa
65. I want to be a facilitator
66. I want to be an entrepreneur
67. I want a Nikon D40x
68. I heart my smiley widgets in my blog
69. I heart sweets especially Bizu cakes and Café Breton
70. I heart Henry, my car
71. I heart traveling and seeing new places
72. I heart bloghopping, esp. photoblogs and “self-help”/inspiring blogs
73. I heart kids, especially how kids talk
74. I heart leadership seminars
75. I heart coffee in the morning
76. I heart heart-to-heart talks
77. I heart roller coaster rides
78. I am a daughter
79. I am a sister
80. I am a friend
81. I am a ninang
82. I am a tita
83. I am a property consultant
84. I am a planner
85. I am a coach
86. I am a leader
87. I am a lakwatsera
88. I am a digiscrapper
89. I am a blogger

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