Peak Support Q&A: Karmina Evangelista

Karmina is one of our QA Team Leads. Her sister, Katrina, also happens to be her best friend. She prefers to travel by air and looks forward to visiting Dumaguete again so she can go freediving in Apo Island. Although Karmina doesn’t have any pets, she’d love to own a Scottish Fold someday. She plans to name it Toothless (from the movie How to Train Your Dragon.) As a music lover, it isn’t surprising that Karmina uses Spotify a lot. She’s always eager to discover new songs and the app has this feature called Blend where you can invite friends to “blend with”. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, or watching her favorite movies Top Gun and Nefarious, or listening to hit songs from OneRepublic. If you didn’t know, Karmina just can’t stand looking at open wounds. Get to know her more by reading our September Q&A blog. 

Your top 5 must-visit places in the Philippines.

San Juan, La Union – where there’s no bad coffee, and their long stretches of beach and waves are simply irresistible!
The Manila Hotel – The moment I stepped foot on their lobby lounge, it instantly felt like I was transported back in time. I haven’t seen a warmer/prettier lounge anywhere – it made me feel like I’m in one of the hotels in Agatha Christie’s books (only that the Manila Hotel is older!).
Sintral – It’s my favorite restaurant situated in the peaceful seaside community of Dumaguete. I don’t normally enjoy eating beef but in Sintral, I could finish a whole serving of their Osso Bucco.
Kapilya San Miguel – I love heights and I love God, so this glass chapel that sits on top of one of the chilly hills in Don Salvador Benedicto is a dream place to be.
Provincial Capitol Lagoon (Bacolod) – No other place holds more (core) memories to me than this. When my cousins and I were kids, our grandparents would take us to this park to take night strolls or to have fun in the playground, but the best part for me was feeding the fish with rice crispies.

Who always knows what to say to keep you inspired?

The first person that I thought of was my grandmother who was such a strong and smart woman who reared 7 children, post wartime, and was able to provide for their whole family. Next, I have my parents in mind – I can vividly remember the heartbreak, and the look of loss and pain in their faces after losing my younger brother back in 2000, and yet, it amazes me how they can still genuinely enjoy life and laugh at the silliest things. I can only think of one word which all of them have in common, and that’s – faith.
So, the answer to this question is going to be, God – He always knows what to say to keep me inspired.

What is something that you’ll never buy even if it was on sale?

People would hate me for saying this – shrimp paste. I’m sorry!

If you could have any amount magically added to your bank account, how much would it be?

I’m inclined to say that my answer is going to be, just enough amount of money to – buy food, pay for shelter, clothes, and pay for all things basic. Believe me, “enough,” is something that I’m more than grateful for.

The one thing that I really want to change about myself is _____.

The way I communicate. It literally takes so much time for me to organize my thoughts and articulate what I want to say or share, and if I can just improve on this part then it would make my life so much easier – especially in presenting reports. 

Do you have a fear that you’ve been able to overcome?

I was once an introvert back in high school and college. I would just wear my headphones all day, listening to music, fearing any type of interaction, participation, or any type of activity that would give me attention. I even feared answering phone calls and would just prefer to chat/text. Until one day, I met a friend who was the total opposite of me. I guess what struck me most was how he’d make everyone around him comfortable or at ease when he’s around. So, in retrospect, that made me realize how difficult I was being and how I was making others uncomfortable or uneasy when they’re around me. And to my core, that’s something that I don’t want – making others feel uneasy around me. 

Who do you think deserves a relaxing massage right now?

ME! But I’m unmassage-able because I’m ticklish. Instead, I prefer hot showers. Or, if I have the time, I’d invite my family or friends to a nearby hot spring, and we would take long dips in it. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.

Why do we often forget to take care of ourselves?

I can only think of one reason – we have someone whom we believe is more important to take care of at the moment. That someone could be sick, or injured, or someone who needs more of our time and effort, so they can live. So, forgetting to take care of ourselves is not something to feel guilty about, because more often than not, it just stems from a place of goodness or love for another. What we shouldn’t forget, however, is that when we’re at our best, that’s when we can provide the best care that our loved ones deserve. 

How patient are you?

That would depend on the length of my hair. At the time of this writing, I have shoulder-length hair so that’s just about having someone ask me two to three repetitive questions – short. I’d like to think that I’m kidding but I know that patience is really something that I would need to work on. Don’t get me wrong, and this is not an excuse – I am even impatient with myself. But I find that being open to others, getting to know them, understanding where they’re coming from, keeping in mind that we are all different, helps – so much. Also, I’ll try to keep my hair longer this time. 

Have you ever been on a rollercoaster ride?

Unfortunately, I haven’t yet. I worry that I’d get nauseous after. Even simpler rides, like a Ferris Wheel, would make me dizzy. Although I do enjoy ziplines and pendulum-motion rides like Anchors Away. 

What was your favorite cartoon show as a kid?

It would be the very short 1936 animated cartoon, “I Love to Singa!” It’s about a family of Owls whose family business is teaching music lessons, EXCEPT jazz. Now the youngest owl loves it so much that he secretly entered a competition just so he can sing jazz. When the rest of the family found out, they went to see him, but the youngest owl would change his singing style upon seeing his family. The family then came in to encourage him to sing in jazz and the father sang to his son. 

Name one fun activity that you just can’t imagine yourself doing.

Playing computer games. I know that it’s fun because I had a grand time playing Bomberman and Battle City when I was a kid, but that’s it. That’s the extent of my computer-games life. After that, I would prefer outdoor activities and sports like playing frisbee, volleyball, and watching football.

What’s something that’s already extinct that you wish still existed?

The Caspian Tiger. I’ve always envied Princess Jasmine in Aladdin for having a tiger for a pet (not that I want a tiger for a pet! Imagine the amount of Whiskas one would need. Haha!).

How much cash do you usually carry with you when you go out?

Two thousand pesos max. I don’t like carrying cash around for safety reasons. These days, I rely heavily on digital wallets and cards. This also makes it easier for me to keep track of my expenditures. Also, the cash that I put in my wallet serves as a reminder for me that that’s exactly how much I can spend.

When was the last time you felt really proud of yourself?

I am really proud of myself each time I push myself to learn something new. For example, learning how to coach a spinning class, learning to free dive, and most recently, learning how to bargain (bargaining in terms of negotiating agreements/conditions of whatever nature), this was by far (and surprisingly was) the most exciting lesson for me. This goes without saying that, without fail, all these things gave me anxieties, pressure and stress; and just the same – and without fail, once I learned these, all of them were worth it.

Check out our previous Q&As below:

Peak Support Q&A: Kendra Pilapil

Peak Support Q&A: Angeline de Leon

Peak Support Q&A: Whitney Collurafici

Peak Support Q&A: Stephen Lowe

Peak Support Q&A: Justin Teh

Peak Support Q&A: Abigael Flores

Peak Support Q&A: Ira Tejada

Peak Support Q&A: Patricia Panibio

Peak Support Q&A: Jacob Cheshier

Peak Support Q&A: Sam Pacunla

Peak Support Q&A: Jesse Elgene

Peak Support Q&A: Trixie Martirez

Peak Support Q&A: Brenda Poquette

Peak Support Q&A: Jack Bolden

Peak Support Q&A: Jose Arenas

Peak Support Q&A: Dianne Guansing

Peak Support Q&A: Christian Lou Manguiat

Peak Support Q&A: Shiela May Ordaniel

Peak Support Q&A: Monica Isidro

Peak Support Q&A: Edmund Perez

Peak Support Q&A: Cez Jaucian

Peak Support Q&A: Al James Abalos

Peak Support Q&A: Autumn Heard

Peak Support Q&A: Marlou Abalona

Peak Support Q&A: Lana Charlton

Peak Support Q&A: Aimee Fermo

Peak Support Q&A: Daniel Gutierrez

Peak Support Q&A: Alyssa Hedrick

Peak Support Q&A: Mari Lou Nina Pineza

Peak Support Q&A: Jim Ray Gacita

Peak Support Q&A: Maria Cecilia Acido

Peak Support Q&A: Manuel Co Jr.

Peak Support Q&A: Bianca Lazaro

Peak Support Q&A: Shirleen Telis

Peak Support Q&A: Roland Allan Papa

Peak Support Q&A: Marichel Natividad

Peak Support Q&A: Hannah Steiman

Peak Support Q&A: Carlos Cornista

Peak Support Q&A: Francis Eronico

Peak Support Q&A: Raezalaine Tayag

Peak Support Q&A: Bryan Rosario

Peak Support Q&A: Patrick Pilares

Peak Support Q&A: Honey Faith Belnas

Peak Support Q&A: Jonathan Steiman

Peak Support Q&A: Hazel Abijay

Peak Support Q&A: Kevin Calatrava

Peak Support Q&A: Leizl Joy Yee

Peak Support Q&A: Jan Merrick Lazaro

Peak Support Q&A: Kathleen Egger

Peak Support Q&A: Kaci Barker

Peak Support Q&A: George Tillotson

Peak Support Q&A: Mark Pabriaga

Peak Support Q&A: Iar Indus

Peak Support Q&A: Mimi Abelarde

Illustration by Bea Morisse Bautista