Soraya Barakbah Not a Banker
Who are you and what do you do?
Most people know me as Soraya and I currently work in a bank, though I never call myself a banker. I also sing part time on weekends. I am a 100% extrovert and feel myself the most when I’m around people. I didn’t shed a tear watching The Notebook but cry buckets watching American Idol (I mean all those people and their big dreaaamsss!)
What makes you get up in the morning?
I always try to make myself look forward to one thing a day. So this means I plan (or plan in my head) to do at least one thing that will make me very happy that day. Could be someone I’ve been meaning to catch up with, could be a nice lunch, could be something simple like playing with my cat. In all honesty, I’m a morning person and I don’t value sleep (I know, weird). I wish we didn’t have to sleep at all (yes, kill me), so I’m almost always geared up and ready to go in the mornings (not necessarily to work but definitely out of bed).
What keeps you up at night?
Because I don’t value sleep, I’m always doing something right up till the moment I just can’t keep my eyes open anymore, so I guess that keeps me up? I also have a really wild imagination so if I’m forced to sleep in complete darkness, I always imagine I’m actually somewhere else and not in bed, and then that keeps me up too.
The one thing you regret the most.
I don’t think I can say there is one big regret in my life. But I do regret not taking languages seriously. I’ve done level 1 language basics for Japanese and French and level 2 Spanish, but with little to no practice I can’t say that I can speak any of these languages fluently. Except maybe ask for the bathroom in Spanish. Ok, maybe a little more than that but you get what I mean, right?
What is the one thing you’ve learned and want to pass on to the next generation?
I always ask myself this question. Will it kill me? And if the answer is no, I don’t sweat it. I know it sounds like I’m oversimplifying a problem but I would like to pass on the message that we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. I don’t think many people realise that stress is the cause of a lot of mental and physical health problems and it is something you can control or at least contain.
I would also like the next generation to know that catnip doesn’t just affect housecats. It affects tigers and lions too!
What is the one thing that we should have asked, but we didn’t, and what’s the answer?
What’s your one proudest moment?
When I posted a photo of me imitating The Rock on Instagram (side by side comparison) and tagged him, he responded with a like and a comment! I received more than 7,000 likes on this photo, and my followers increased by almost 3,000!
Ok and maybe also my first big travel after I started working (meaning it was funded 100% by me and me only). After a year of working, I took my bonus money and went on a trip around Peru, including hiking the Inca trail.
Posted on Thursday, 01 February 2018