A blast from the past

March was comp month in investment banking, at least at my old shop. One night, I was stunned to read an eFinancialCareers article detailing the average annual pay (base pay + bonus) of 1st-3rd year VPs across the top-tier investment banks. Had I stayed, I would have been a 2nd-year VP by now and I can’t help but feel a sudden tinge of regret with the potential sum that I had decided to forego.

Had I stayed, my bonus would have immediately allowed me to purchase in cash that piece of lot that I have been eyeing for months now, a family vacation at Amanpulo, and that Cartier Tank Louis Cartier watch that I think I would only be comfortable of buying in two years or so. And despite these big-ticket purchases, I would still have a significant amount set aside for savings (this is just my presumption given previous pays and the latest published estimates)! Hmph. That night, the difficulty of leaving a career in investment banking - which hit me when I was already considering to accept a job offer from a different industry last year - all of a sudden came back to me.

But the truth is, I would have only stayed in IB solely for the money. And I would not have been happy with myself had I done that. Life is too short to spend one's time for a prolonged period on money alone, you know. I spent four years in IB (so I'd like to think I have saved something, although certainly not enough for a house downpayment here huhu but never mind!) and at some point in my latter two years, it crossed my mind during one of those late-night stays at the office, that what if I die here? This company and my colleagues would simply move on, while in my last breaths I would certainly regret not being able to spend as much quality time with my young children and pursuing something that I would like to do career-wise.

The life I left - I was just two months into the job here. This photo was taken on a Friday. Little did I know then, when this photo was taken, that I would be stuck at the office until 5am the following day writing about Malaysia's 2014 Budget. But I miss this trio - in the middle is our research assistant visiting from Bangalore and to the right is the best boss I may ever have (hopefully not!). A very good man. All three have left this shop and moved on.

Still, the weeks approaching the submission of my resignation letter was utterly difficult. How could you leave a high-paying, high-profile career that many people dream and strive for, one that promises quite a clear progression with supportive bosses, and one that is surprisingly family-friendly given the flexibility that it offers despite the job's well-known demanding nature? But when I finally moved into my new job, it only took me less than a month to know that I had made the right decision, at least at this particular point in my life when I have young kids to take care of and no PhD. Sad to say that despite all my considerations of staying, much of it boiled down to the pay.

But life is not all about the money. I would like to believe that life is more about pursuing dreams (once you have enough savings perhaps, or with the hope that the financial aspect will follow) and becoming better versions of ourselves. After my second year at IB, after I learned the ropes of being an economist in the sell-side and in the commercial setting, I started to yearn for depth again. The idea of returning to school and taking a PhD to get a good training in research came to haunt me again. It took me months to realize an ideal arrangement given my particular situation.

Thing is, I am no longer as determined as I used to be to go back to graduate school. A lot of this sentiment has to do with the fact that graduate school will also not allow me to be as present for my children as I want to be. Moreover, I want to help my husband in providing a comfortable life for my family. Furthermore, I need to support my own family (my parents and sometimes, my siblings) and it would be uncomfortable to ask my husband to support them when he himself is also supporting his own family.

So the ideal situation for me would be a research career that does not have to follow markets closely and no frequent travel, unlike in investment banking. After several times spent googling in the office toilet cubicle, 'investment banking exit strategy' or something like that and a couple of job interviews wherein the prospective employer is just curious why I want to leave a high-paying job, God heard my prayers with the role that I have now (I had applied at least three times within five years here until they finally noticed me!). What I am happiest with my current role is the fact that I can focus spending my time with my children and on other activities that interest me without worrying about what I am missing from the rest of the world. (You gotta be well-informed because chances are high that clients would ask you about certain market-moving or potential risk events sooner than later. Oh well, maybe I hadn't really adjusted enough to IB life. But I also knew then that I would like to teach my kids how to read and be able to bake their birthday cakes, things that IB life cannot guarantee I can do.)

Moreover, I now have the opportunity to do in-depth research, so I treat my current role as a substitute to a PhD training. This role would also allow me to upskill myself as an economist and give me the opportunity to write research papers, which I feel would make me a more competent economist. (Writing these down to remind myself haha!).

So after the surprise that night, that tinge of regret, and jealousy too, has died down. I guess it is normal to feel a tinge of jealousy towards former colleagues or other successful investment bankers every now and then - you know, when you came so close to that life that could afford you luxury vacations and all. Sometimes, I asked myself why I felt IB was not for me, when many other women have made it to managing directors or higher. But then, we each are in different circumstances and have different sets of priorities. So there is no point of comparing.

And someone once told me, it is God who planted those dreams in you. That is perhaps why my heart beats for something else, at least not for financial markets at this point.

Welcoming Paco - a water birth experience

7:00pm, 10 March (Saturday) - 5cm dilated
It would be my third warm shower at the hospital since Rene and I were admitted at 2pm the previous day. This was my attempt to facilitate the progress of my labor which has moved so slowly. In truth, I was also scared of my impending delivery (and the fear may also be delaying my labor). Yes, I had delivered Umi and Pax through unmedicated natural births more than 5 and 3 years ago, respectively - each a different experience - but I have somehow forgotten how it is to deliver naturally again. I wondered whether my body and psyche can still handle the stress and trauma of childbirth, more so naturally.

Hinting that I had finished showering, Rene came in to the toilet and offered to dry me with the towel.

Perhaps a residue of my shower reflections, I told him, “Tumatanda na ata ako, bii.” (I think I am getting old already, love.)

"Why do you say that, bii?" Rene asked.

“It’s because I am not as energetic as before. Remember Umi’s delivery when I mostly walked for 5 hours (from 2 to 7pm), which may have likely increased  the dilation of my cervix from 1cm to 5cm? I even continued to walk during the active phase of labor until around 9pm. This time around, I get tired easily.” I explained.

Rene replied, “Kaya bii this is your, our last. Had you gotten yourself pregnant with me when you were in your 20s, then yes maybe we could have had 10 kids by now.”

I was caught off guard, then laughed at Rene's half-meant joke. Rene was poking fun at me, after I earlier said that I want to have at least three kids, which would imply that I am still hoping for more after the birth of Paco. I am just kidding though, perhaps also half-meant. But really, if money and time are not an issue, which to us are, why not have 5 kids? The more, the merrier!

9:30 - 10:30pm, 10 March (Saturday) - 7cm dilated 

The long wait - one of those false alarms

At past 9 that night, I requested to be taken to the delivery suite. After a couple of false alarms, that would be my second time at the suite that day and my third since the day before. I felt that the contractions, and the pain that came with each contraction, had somewhat intensified though still bearable. However, I also didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night with unbearable pain and being rushed to the delivery suite, which was some distance from the ward. The distance was indeed a concern among the medical staff in the ward; they fear that I could deliver on the way to the delivery room, especially as that was my third pregnancy and the delivery can be swift.

In my last attempt to do some physical activity to hasten my labor and save face among the staff at the delivery suite (hopefully, this is it this time around!!!), I decided to walk the 200-300 meters distance along with the nurse and Rene, instead of being transported on a wheelchair. Since Friday when I was admitted at 3cm dilated, Rene and I had been walking around the hospital, taking the stairs from the fourth to the ninth floor several times in order speed up my labor.

We reached the delivery suite and were immediately placed in the water birthing room. We were lucky that the room with the biggest tub was always available in the times that I checked in at the suite. After some minutes of waiting, the resident doctor came to do a vaginal examination (VE) on me. The VE indicated that I was 7cm dilated. He strongly advised to break my water bag. He had earlier advised to break my water bag, when I was 5cm dilated earlier in the afternoon. But I did not agree as there was no assurance that my labor would progress. I might just end up being induced, which I strongly tried to avoid after my experience with my second delivery.

Into the bath tub after water bag was burst
This time, the doctor assured me that with my body having committed to labor already, albeit progressing slowly, breaking the bag of waters would speed up my labor. I finally agreed. And the actual breaking was not painful at all, I just felt a small gush of warm water came out of me. Then by some miracle, I felt the need to groan with the next contraction, a sign that the contraction had further intensified. I heard the nurse saying that she will be preparing the tub already. Two to three more contractions and I was told to get to the tub. But that before that, I had to pee. From the bowl to the tub, I was caught in the middle of another contraction. When I finally immersed myself in the warm water, which to me felt like it was not even warm enough, the pain of the rest of that contraction somewhat subsided. The pain did not totally go away though - I still made the same noise, groaning and crying. But the warm water definitely eased the pain.

A few seconds earlier, I remember the nurse asking my husband whether he would like to join me in the tub. I sensed some hesitation in him, although he immediately decided to get into the tub as well. I tried to figure out what position would help ease the pain I was feeling, and I thought it was going to be on all fours. But the nurse advised me to lean back on my husband’s chest.

Why I had to go through this pain?
I groaned and cried with every contraction that followed. I noticed that the pain was more bearable this time than with my previous childbirths (I didn't have to pant and do ha-ha-hu's which was my experience with Umi at the most challenging transition phase of labor), but they were nonetheless very painful. I thought then that no one should go through this pain at all. Why was I here? I wanted to do natural birth; it will be good for my baby. But make it longer for me, and I was afraid that I would just snap with the pain. I thought to myself, this would be my last childbirth.

Some more contractions of the same pain intensity and I heard my OB, Dr. Vanaja, enter the bathroom. I heard her commenting to the nurse that she heard me groaning from the other room. She stayed to sit by the tub. In between contractions, I would ask the nurse to add more water to the tub - I would have wanted my shoulders to be immersed in water, too, but to no avail. So I asked my husband to pour water on to my shoulders and chest. At the same time, I found the gush of running water to be very comforting during contractions.

8cm to 9cm dilated, then push!
Perhaps three to five more contractions of the same pain intensity and I heard the nurse say that I was already 8cm and then 9cm dilated. I suddenly had the urge to push which I uttered for everyone to know. To my surprise, Dr. Vanaja, encouraged me to push (in my previous deliveries, I was only allowed to push when I reached 10cm as doing so prematurely would lead to a swelling and bad tear of the vagina).

The science of pushing
There was a science to the pushing. Proper pushing required taking a deep breath and then holding it in (and pushing it down) as you tuck your chin to your chest with mouth completely closed and as you spread out your upper thighs with your arms. I failed in the first three attempts to push, which came with every contraction. I found that every contraction would give me an opportunity to push three times, each 6 to 8 seconds long. After taking in my breath, I would also partly open my mouth to exhale as I pushed down slightly. With a forceful voice, Dr. Vanaja reminded me that I was doing it wrongly. She reminded me again, step by step, how to do it properly as I prepared for the next contraction.

Somehow, probably in the fourth and fifth attempts, the steps sank in to me. And I began to gear up for the next contraction and simultaneously, the urge to push. I remember, as I felt the earliest sign of contraction, I parted my upper thighs and felt like floating in the water, like I was swimming again. The situation, all of a sudden, became familiar to me - I was suddenly brought back to the feeling when I would swim in warm water in the months and weeks approaching this moment. This was of course not to discount the fact that the pushing stage was the most difficult part of my water birth experience. It felt like the pain was never going to end. I wondered when I would ever see Paco. I wondered if I would end up delivering Paco via c-section.

1:32am, 11 March (Sunday) - Welcome to the world, Paco!
Fortunately, I was encouraged to hear from Dr Vanaja, the nurse, and Rene that Paco was already crowning. And that I was doing it right. I think it was in the 6th contraction that Paco finally slipped through me. Just like that, I was already holding Paco in my arms. I couldn’t help but utter ‘Oh my God’ and sobbed. I couldn’t believe that it is over (according to the hospital record, Paco came out at 1:32am on 11 March so it took me about 3 hours from 7cm to delivery, although it did feel much shorter). I couldn’t be bothered posing for the camera. I just wanted to stare at my son, until Rene reminded me to smile for posterity's sake.

Rene cuts Paco's umbilical cord
Past 3 minutes and after all the posterity shots were taken in the bath tub, Rene cut Paco's umbilical cord. It would be my very first to see the umbilical cord being cut among my three children. The beauty with a water birth is that everything seemed to be close by. Had I wanted it, I would have touched and felt my baby’s head as it crowned from my opening. I would have also caught my baby as he slipped through me. And now, the umbilical cord is being cut right before my very eyes. The water birth experience was far different from when you are lying on the hospital bed and there seems to be a division between the upper and lower half of your body.

When the tub water turned red
The baby was eventually taken from me for the standard measurements and I was led to stand and walk back to my bed. The moment I stood in the tub was the moment the water, which was getting drained, turned into red. I hadn’t delivered my placenta then yet. I overheard Rene asking how he could change and take a bath. He was advised to do so in the tub. He later shared how he ended up showering with an ankle-length of blood-filled water. Sorry bii, but I admire your courage.

Third stage of labor - delivering the placenta
Back on the hospital bed, Dr Vanaja assessed that I had about 1cm of natural tear from the delivery and this would require a few stitches. There was also some discomfort and pain as the placenta was delivered. This is what I don't like about childbirth - you think everything is over with the baby's delivery, wait until your placenta has been fully delivered and you have been stitched. The latter would involve another round of pain and discomfort. But thanks to local anesthesia, things were a bit bearable.

The ordeal post delivery - uterine atony
Except that I bled profusely. The nurse had to keep on massaging my tummy to encourage the uterus to contract and ease the bleeding. Everything seemed manageable though at the delivery ward, not until I was transported to my room after Paco had latched on each of my breast for about an hour. Rene and I were initially looking forward to celebrating with a chilled Pokka carrot fruit juice and Burger King taro pie. Imagine - we made it together with this child birthing the third time around?!

4:00am, 11 March (Sunday) - Back to the ward
It was around 4am when I arrived in my room and the nurses and midwives started to congregate around my vagina, worrying why the blood flow wasn’t stopping. I heard Rene asking them whether I needed a blood transfusion. The nurse answered that I didn’t need then as my vital signs remained normal, but that the trolley has been prepared outside just in case. It felt forever being attended to by the medical team, with someone keeping on massaging my tummy as if she were stirring a bowl of sticky porridge. The blood flow didn’t seem to ease and I wondered when this will ever end, will I ever see the light of day. My children are so young.

6:00am, 11 March (Sunday) - Wrapping up
I overheard a staff say it was 6am when they wrapped up with me. They ‘overdose’ me with oxytocin (to use Rene's words) to encourage my uterus to contract and close the blood vessels and ease the bleeding. Rene was asleep, out of exhaustion. I, on the other hand, was wide awake. I couldn’t sleep. Every time I tried to sleep, I would be startled in my dream, ultimately leaving me awake. I was starting to get bothered (I thought then, 'This is the start of anxiety and depression - this cannot be!'). I called for the nurse to massage my head, recalling that I had a bottle of virgin coconut oil in my bag. That nurse turned out to be a good masseuse, lucky me! I also shared how I couldn't sleep, to relieve myself from the worries. She comforted me, explaining that maybe it is my body’s psychological reaction to the recent turn of events.

The redemption
Still I couldn't sleep after the nurse left. So I prayed the rosary. I was able to finish the whole Glorious mystery. It was quite symbolic - we arrived at the hospital on a Friday starting with the Sorrowful mystery (the agony of labor?), carried on on Saturday with Joyful (the excitement of seeing Paco?), and finally the Glorious mystery on a Sunday (with Paco finally out - he and I surviving it all). There is redemption after all.

Rene woke up past 7am and he shared to me what had transpired just hours earlier. It seemed that finally, things have come under control. We waited for the doctor’s go-signal for me to take a meal. Finally at around 10am, we were able to enjoy our much-awaited celebratory meal - the carrot juice and taro pie.

Postscript
Being inutile during those hours of severe bleeding (I lost about 800mL of blood, but still lucky me I didn't lose more!) and even when I was recovering at the hospital were totally humbling (I couldn't even pee on my own without a catheter or a staff to help me.). I look up to the medical professionals who attended to my needs with great care - from the EMMa Care staff and nurses/midwives at the Delivery Suite to the team at the Coral Suite of NUH, my utmost gratitude. Thank you as well to the team who took care of Paco at the Nursery Room while I was recovering after the delivery.

I would also like to thank Dr. Vanaja for supporting me in my desire to do water birth. She has been very objective in providing me reliable information on the pros and cons of water birthing. I also appreciated her strong voice and clear direction when I was at the pushing stage; it made things a lot more efficient. Apart from the heavy bleeding (which may have come with age?), it was really a pleasant water birth experience. Indeed, I got what I wished for - a different, albeit still pleasant (yet risky?), birthing experience the third time around.

The joy of holding Paco after the agony of labor

Hello, baby Paco Matthias.

The family is delighted to welcome baby Paco.

(No)Travel bug

I was browsing through my drafts here and found this. I wonder why I didn't publish this. Anyway, this must have been written some time in late 2013 through the first quarter of 2014, the first six months since I moved back to Singapore.

I have actually forgotten about the excitement of travel. I got so caught up with work that I am afraid to say I do not know how to enjoy anymore.

But recently, I realized that I am still capable of having fun.

A colleague at work invited me to attend his gig at a bar on a Saturday night. R was here so I tagged him along. We just stayed there for an hour but I really enjoyed listening to the songs the band played. And it was actually the first time that R and I were out in a bar late at night together. It was just one pleasant night. And I liked the gin and tonic!

Then more recently, I discovered the joy of actually playing with my 17-month-old daughter. Oh how heartwarming it is to see my daughter light up with the silly games I make up. Oh dear, since then I have found myself eager to go home just to play with this lovely kiddo.

And there's travel. I think I have at least 21 days of annual leave. And I am supposed to make plans to go somewhere with my family, especially that Umi is still less than 2 years old, meaning free airfare. But honestly in the past months, I did not have any drive to go somewhere. I started to associate non-budget plane rides to work stress.

So it's quite relieving to have my travel bug reawakened when I saw these videos. Hopefully, I will be back to my normal self soon.

http://www.wimp.com/travelsworld/

Happy birthday, Lola Apay!

This piece first appeared on my Facebook account on May 19, 2017.

Happy 107th birthday in heaven, Lola Apay!

Thank you for all that you had taught me. I can't remember all of them. But I am sure for all the long hours I sat beside you, listening to your stories and at times your lectures, they have all been ingrained in my being. I recall that time when you were grinding, maybe coffee beans, at the covered part of the backyard. I approached you and I didn't know what came to me, that I unashamedly asked for a peso coin from you so I can buy candy from the nearby sari-sari store. I should have known, I got an hours long lecture from you about how money is earned and how it should be spent. I wish my kids would also be able to hear the many things you had told me.

I remember that Vino Kulafu concoction you gave me when I had severe dysmenorrhea; it seemed to have worked as I immediately fell asleep and the pain was gone when I woke up. I wish I had communicated more with you and wrote down all your life hacks, including the household lana and that VK drink.

Thank you for always thinking about my family's welfare. It warms my heart to recall that you had a saint and a piglet assigned for me and my siblings, each one, that's how much you cared for us. I remember, for all your frugality, you allocated a portion of your budget for a bicycle and a typewriter, among many other things, for me and my siblings. You reminded me many times that Papa had to forego buying a new pair of pants just to be able to meet the needs of us children. That served as a constant reminder for me to take my studies seriously, so that I can eventually get a good job and be financially independent.

You have been so much a part of my life, of who I have become. Shortly after we buried you in November 2011, I learned that I was pregnant. We have named our first born Paz, in memory of you. What a beautiful name, it means peace. You left the world in peace, very gracefully. I hope your family whom you've left behind will also be in peace at all times.

I know that I am never alone in my journey. Thank you so much Lola for keeping me, keeping us, in your heart. Among all the things you had taught and shown me, the fact that held me dear in your heart keeps me secure. How much closer I am to Jesus now that you are with Him. I only pray that you are also with our loved ones who have left this world.

Remembering you especially on your birthday, Lola Apay. Flowers for you, I remember your garden in Sta Fe.

A new hobby - stock investing

I am pleased with myself after reviewing my list here. In much less than 5 years, in just a couple of months, I have already managed to get myself an iPhone (lol!), enrolled myself to the gym (been running for 30 minutes during lunch time at least 3x a week since the start of 2016), and have started investing in the stock market. I have to pat myself on the back for these achievements.

So I have found myself a new hobby, aside from accounting my family's expenses at the end of each month. That is, I will be reviewing my stock portfolio every month. Because of the nature of my job, I am not allowed to trade stocks on a high-frequency basis. I can only sell the stocks that I have bought 30 days later. I think this policy will actually save me from stress. That way, I do not have to worry on a day-to-day basis whether I need to sell my stocks or not.

I have decided to start investing in the Philippine stock market. Aside from my personal attachment to the Philippines (i.e., I am a Filipino), I have strong views on some segments of the economy that I would like to translate into an investment thesis. An economist might as well put her money where her mouth is!

My maiden/inaugural portfolio consists of 5 stocks: CEB, EDC, SMC, SSI, and URC. I have held this portfolio for a little over a week now and has earned 7.4%. It has even beaten the 3.1% increase in the PSEI since I bought these stocks (between 27 Jan and 5 Feb). If I get to maintain this record for a year (i.e. beat the average stock market return or still maintain positive returns during down times), I might as well start my own fund. Haha! Not that I can handle the stress of managing other people's (even my husband's) money.

Why these five stocks? I have four reasons.

First, five is a random number. There are at least 300 companies listed in the Philippine stock market. So to make my life easier, I  decided to start investing with five stocks with more or less equal weights/value (stock price x no. of shares) in my portfolio. That way, I also need not have to think of how many shares I need to buy as I have already allocated 20% of my investment to a particular stock.

Second, I am risk-averse. I am afraid of losing a substantial portion of my initial investment. So I have to diversify my risk. That is, my portfolio should have a mix of blue-chip and non-blue-chip stocks. Blue chip stocks are those companies with solid reputations or are market leaders in their respective sectors. They are (relatively) safe bets as the companies behind these stocks are already seen as household names in the country and thus, have a very low chance of shutting down or even being unable to pay their loans. The price trend of these stocks are expected by many to rise steadily over time. Prices may drop in the short term, affected by broad-based negative sentiment stemming domestically or externally, but they are likely to maintain an upward trend in the medium to long term. These blue chip companies make up the Philippine stock exchange index (PSEI).

Then you have stocks that do not make the blue chip distinction and are viewed by many with relatively uncertain financial future. These may refer to those that are still at an early stage in the business and maybe perceived by some with substantial potential or these may be companies that have an unstable management, some history of loan defaults, among others. For these stocks, the upside risk may be substantial, but the downside can also be more than proportionately substantial. Just imagine the possibility of holding shares in a company that would eventually go bankrupt. But blue chip or not, bankruptcy risks remain. Take for example how much it would have hurt to hold shares of Lehman Brothers, a blue chip company, when it filed for bankruptcy in September 2008. The point is to manage the downside risks by putting relatively stable (blue chip) stocks in the portfolio and potentially increasing returns by adding some less stable stocks but with strong growth potential. And above all, only invest an amount that is less painful to part away with, in case severe downside risks materialize.

In my portfolio, I have three "safe" bets. These are SMC, URC, and EDC. My riskier bets are SSI and CEB.

Third, my stock picks basically reflect my view that the country's robust domestic demand - consumption and investments - will be sustained going forward. Strong private consumer spending is a pretty consensus view and that is why stock prices and earnings of URC and SM, among others, have grown over the past 5 years. But the market is still divided on the view that investment activity will catch up with private consumption. As for me, I believe investment activity will pick up in the country, even as real estate activities will slow down from higher interest rates. This is because investment activity will be driven by public sector capital spending. The current administration has that desire, despite difficulty to spend its annual budgets. And even if there is a lot of uncertainty with the next administration, I am in the camp that the next President would continue to spend more on infrastructure services (roads, bridges, power generation, etc) to make the country attractive for domestic and foreign investments which, in turn, could accelerate job creation and raise the incomes of many more Filipinos. After all, which rational country head would not do that when funding is not a problem?

In my portfolio, URC and SMC have clearly gained from robust domestic demand. As for EDC, I believe that robust domestic demand will translate into strong demand for electricity in that EDC will also benefit through higher earnings.

A leading retailer of international brands in the Philippines, I have long been meaning to buy SSI as I believe that the country's strong growth will eventually raise an average Filipino's income. Thus, an average Filipino will eventually expand its wardrobe from low-end to mid/high-end ones such as Bershka, Anne Klein, Kate Spade, to name some brands carried by SSI. Better earnings for SSI, in turn, would boost SSI's stock price.

My view on Cebu Air (CEB) has not worked to my favor thus far. CEB's price has been broadly steady since I bought it. I thought Cebu Air's revenues would gain pace from lower oil prices as they get more customers. At least in the stock market, this view has not played out well...yet. But I continue to believe this is likely to be the case and CEB's stock price is bound to rise going forward.

Fourth, the technicals of these stocks look favorable to me. By technicals, I look at how these stocks traded in recent years. If prices have steadily plunged over 2-3 years, I would see that stock as a good buy, provided it meets my macro view . For example, SSI's price has steadily plunged since it went public in October 2014. It's IPO price was Php7.50 per share but it had plummeted to Php2.45 when I bought on Jan 27. I may have bought at the bottom as its price has since risen 32.7% to Php3.25 per share as of Feb 5.

Did I just catch SSI's bottom?
Source: Bloomberg

I am after keeping my current portfolio for 6 months or longer. What could trigger me to sell stocks would be if prices have risen too much, relative to history, that I no longer feel the increase as sustainable. Also, equity analysts have a target price for a particular stock, based on the company's fundamentals, cash flow and liabilities, etc. I don't have my own models to measure the target price and have no plans to build one. But if I get hold of consensus' estimates, I would also use that as a criterion to decide when to sell a stock.

Another metric to look at is the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which gives a sense of whether the company is over- or undervalued. If P/E is still too high even if prices have already fallen, I would still not buy the stock. This was the case of a stock I have been wanting to buy because I strongly believe in the company. I am referring to MAXS (of Max's resto but also Pancake House, Yellow Cab, and Krispy Kreme), wherein its stock price has been on downward trend since last year but its PE ratio is still very high at 46x. So I have decided to forego buying MAXS shares for now.

My methods can be very simplistic but it serves my purpose as I do not intend to spend as much time in stock investing. But the earnings potential in the stock market is amazing! Imagine just spending an hour picking stocks every month and one could earn 5%. That is much better than annual deposit rates of less than 1%. Of course, there is no guarantee one would earn 5% (and I, 7% after 1 month). But definitely, the stock market could be one way to finance my holiday travels, eat outs, or remittances to family members.

I am happy to exchange views.

P.S. To be able to trade (buy and sell) in the stock market, one has to open an online brokerage account. There is a list of stock brokers in the Philippines here with their minimum investment and fees. My account is with COL Financial (formerly Citiseconline).

To open an account with COL Financial, follow the steps here (print and fill up the forms and send to COL). Make sure that you have your TIN (tax identification number) with you as it is one of the inputs in the form. COL will confirm your account through email. You will then have to fund your account by depositing in one of the banks stated in the link. In my case, I enrolled COL's account in my BPI account.

Planting Ylang Ylang seeds

So this is me trying to be a farmer in Bukidnon while making a living in Singapore.

I bought a kilo of ylang ylang seeds from a group of ylang ylang growers in Tarlac. I was able to contact them through Facebook. A kilo costs Php4,000 (USD84). I had the seeds delivered to my brother's pad in Makati. Delivery costs Php300.

My brother then brought the bag with him to Bukidnon where we plan to plant the seeds. But honestly, I have no idea where to plant all these seeds. So I am starting from the very beginning by learning how to germinate these seeds first and pass this knowledge on to my father, who would then ask his help to sow them for us. I'm thinking of just sowing like 20 seeds from the pile, with plans of planting them around our residential property.

So these are the steps that I got from my online research :

1. Soak the seeds in lukewarm water for about an hour (the period mentioned in various sources are actually varied, from 30mins to 3 hours to overnight). This is done to expedite the process of germination, which usually takes 2 to 4 months.

2.  Prepare a tray with moist and slightly acidic soil.

3. Distribute the ylang ylang seeds 3 inches apart and bury them about 1/4-inch deep.

4. Keep the soil moist (I would take this as sprinkling the tray with water everyday). Seal the tray in a plastic bag to keep the soil moist. Keep the tray from direct sunlight.

5. Wait for the seeds to germinate in 3 weeks to 4 months.

6. Transplant ylang-ylang seedlings into individual containers when they reach 6 inches tall.
Let's see how this goes.

Sources:
 http://homeguides.sfgate.com/germinate-cananga-odorata-seeds-70106.html
http://balconygardenweb.com/quick-growing-guide-of-ylang-ylang/

A new checklist

I am not getting any younger. I am now 32. And I am truly blessed that at this age I have now a much better buying power than I was five or even just two years ago. Lately, I have been stressed with work. There have been several times that I wondered leaving the job. But I know that I also cannot just make a hasty decision. So perhaps, just perhaps, creating a list of aspirations could motivate me to work hard, and enjoy working hard, to meet my dreams.

So I will try to come up with XX points to reach within 5 years. And I can build this up with greater detail as time passes. I just need to list them down now.

1. A set of diamond earrings and necklace
2. Chanel handbag
3. A classic handbag for daily use (usually for work)
4. A wallet to match that handbag
5. Good suit for doing high-level presentations
6. Quality dresses for client meetings
7. Downpayment for our family home (hmm wherever that is)
8. Lasik surgery for both eyes
9. Back to yoga (not really sure if I want to be a yogini)
10. Complete a full marathon
11. Travel around Europe (Italy) with Rene alone
12. Buy an iPhone
13. Resume doing artworks (maybe this time do water color)
14. Start investing more actively (stocks, ETF, bonds)
15. A set of pearl earrings and necklace
16. Holiday in Maldives
17. A good pair of jeans
18. A signature dish
19. Start paying for our vacation house
20. A decent, dependable shoe collection
21. Go on a holiday with Papa and another with Mama

Now I am starting to have a difficult time filling up at least 20 so I will stop here. I am now beyond 30 but still find this list (link below) a bit helpful.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ada-polla/things-to-have-by-30_b_4746640.html