Who is KC Writes Online?

My name is Kristine Camille F. Ocampo, and I was born and raised in the Philippines - a place where almost everyone is bilingual.

All my life I grew up surrounded by bilingual people. Our household was bilingual. We were taught English and Filipino in school. My exposure to both languages made me fall in love with language in general. I love to read, both English and Filipino books. I find both languages beautiful and unique in their own ways.

I loved language so much that I decided to study it further in college and make it my profession. I started my teaching career back in 2010, teaching 4th graders English Language Arts. Not only am I a bilingual myself, I also taught young bilingual students.

Being a teacher taught me a whole new set of skills - from multi-tasking, taking down minutes of the meeting, to learning new ways to integrate the use of technology in my classroom.

Fast forward to 2015, I took a job as an English teacher in an international school here in the Philippines, wherein I was exposed to more types of learners from different countries. I saw how most of them, having very little bilingual education from their home country, struggled so much, and so I looked for ways in which I could somehow communicate with them. Though there was a language barrier, my students were very motivated to learn another language, and was glad to be help them with their English language skills.

Teaching and writing are both my passions. I feel most at ease in front of my students, talking about anything from Shakespeare to anime. On the other hand, writing has always been a way for me to express myself. I enjoy the introspective nature of writing, it's like a way of talking to myself without looking like a crazy lady.

As a writer, I was given the opportunity to write for a book entertainment news website. I wrote a minimum of 3 articles a day. Aside from writing, I was also tasked to come up with interesting topics for the website, as well as researching relevant information for the articles.

Currently, I am neither teaching or writing, as I have discovered a new job - being a mom. I am a hands-on mom to my son who is currently in the thick of the terrible twos. So technically, I am also raising a bilingual child.

Aside from motherhood, I spend my free time reading books (currently reading "The Radium Girls" by Kate Moore), browsing Instagram and Pinterest, and watching Netflix (I am on episode 4 of "Kingdom"; highly-recommended!). I also enjoy cooking for my family and I have recently discovered my love for a good skin care routine.

Being a mom is the most important job that I have taken. But it is my wish to to be able to continue my passions in life.

Of Motherhood and Changes: What Serena Williams can teach us about motherhood

There is no doubt that motherhood is such a life-changing event. We heard it all from our own mother, our aunts, friends, and other women dear to us. We try to prepare for the baby as much as we can -- from taking birthing classes to prepping our hospital bag (more like a suitcase, am I right?) to somehow ease our transition to our new role as a mom. But no matter how much we try to prepare for it, motherhood will surely change us, and no mom is immune to it, not even tennis superstar Serena Williams.

For someone who had lived a healthy and active life, Serena Williams sure did not expect a host of medical issues to come her way as she gave birth to her daughter Olympia in September 1, 2017. Because of her daughter’s complicated birth, Williams had to postpone training for her next tournament. Pre-motherhood Williams would have wanted so bad to go back to training, but Mommy Serena knew that her time off to regain her strength also meant more time with her baby.

While not all of us may have the same experience as Serena Williams, I know we can all relate to how she handled the new phase in her life. Like Williams, many of us had to take a step back and rethink our career goals once the new baby came into the picture. Some of us had to leave the corporate world completely, while there are also moms out there who had to negotiate for fewer hours or workload, and other moms had to take on another job to make ends meet. And yet somehow, at the end of the day, seeing our children happy makes every sacrifice worth it.

Aside from changes in our career, our priorities sure had shifted. Playing professionally since the age of 14, Serena Williams’ knows how to get her priorities straight, and that is tennis. You wouldn’t win 23 Grand Slam titles and rank Number 1 female tennis player in the world if you don’t have priorities in life. For 25 years, her focus was solely on tennis. But all of that changed since she became a mom. Throughout her medical scare and seven-week bed rest, her focus was on Olympia. Ín her cover story with Vogue, Williams admitted that being a mom reminded her of one of her goals in life ‘before tennis took over’ and that is to have her own child.

A change of priorities does not mean we have become less of a person. It just means we are slowly acknowledging the fact that as mothers, we have evolved to stronger and more resilient version of ourselves. For Serena Williams, winning her first tournament for this year is a strong testament to that.

Most of us may not have Serena's Grand Slam titles under belt, but motherhood had us all on equal footing. Just like Serena, who eventually went back to the court and is currently ranked ninth, we will be able to get back on our feet and be the supermoms that we all are, no matter how much our lives had changed post-partum. Because to be honest, motherhood made us tougher and nothing can faze us now.

How to Invest in Cryptocurrency: What to do Before You Trade

Gone are the days when cash is king. With the world heavily relying on electronic payment forms, your cash can no longer take you as far as it did in the past. Undeniably, cryptocurrency is today’s big thing.

What exactly is Cryptocurrency? To put it simply, it is a decentralized virtual currency that one can use online or trade in the cryptocurrency market. 

The overload of information coming from different sources can easily intimidate anyone. However, understanding how cryptocurrencies work is not as daunting as it seems. If one is equipped with the right know-how on the best cryptocurrency to invest in, then there really is nothing to fear.

There are virtually hundred types of cryptocurrencies, also called coin or token, in the market. The best cryptocurrency to invest in is the one that would fit your calculated risks and gains.

The first and arguably the most popular cryptocurrency in the market today is Bitcoin. However, more new coins are gaining traction among users, such as Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, and EOS. 

Now that you have a brief background on cryptocurrency, let's talk about how to start investing in coins.

1. Identify the Best Place to Invest

Cryptocurrency can be sold and traded in a specific platform called exchange. There are several exchange platforms in the market, and the best one would really depend on what you value as an investor. You may look at the security of the exchange, as well as its liquidity, fees that you might have to shoulder when you need to buy or sell, the company's history, and the user-friendliness of its interface.

2. Know where to store your coin

Just like you coins and bills, you store your coins in a wallet. But in the Blockchain world, wallets are not made of the leather kind, rather it comes in two forms - Hot or Cold.

Hot wallet - coins are stored in a device that can easily connect to the Internet

Cold wallet - coins are stored in an actual USB device not connected online 

But which one should you choose? That really depends on how you plan to use your coins. A hot wallet makes it easier to buy and sell coins because of its connectivity, while a cold wallet may offer more security.

3. Do Your Research

There is a truth to the old saying "Knowledge is Power”, especially when it comes to identifying the best cryptocurrency to invest in. Arm yourself with knowledge about the background of the coin you plan to invest your money in but also by being up to date with market trends. You may look into the coin's whitepaper or by reading up on reputable cryptocurrency websites.

4. Prepare yourself

Cryptocurrency is notorious for its volatility so prepare yourself with the highs and lows of that will come as you grow your assets. Just like in any type of investment, it is best to take calculated risks before fully immersing yourself in the market.