Missing Missy

My cat is missing.

We started putting Jaffe (a 2-year-old Siamese) in a cage every night ever since Seven gave birth to Syd, to prevent him from impregnating her and risk opening her surgical cut. Since male cats are eternally in estrus, Jaffe would meow and growl like there's no tomorrow. We found out recently that he shuts up when we place him outside where he can watch insects and birds for his amusement.

This morning before I left for work, I asked our trusty helper to let him out of the cage and into the house. Hours later, I got a text from my sister saying that the cat was gone. He managed to destroy the screen and now he's nowhere to be found. We're hoping he'll come back when he gets hungry, but I can't shake off the feeling that he's injured or something since he can be very aggressive towards other cats (except for Seven and Syd).

I really hope he's okay. He better be. He's a cat, for crying out loud.

And if you're wondering what's with the title, click and read. :)

What If I Were A Millionaire?

741.2 million pesos.

That is a LOT of money.

I remember having a conversation with a couple of students last week about what we'd do if we won that jackpot. One of them will beef up his home and personal security. Another will by a jet and travel the world. Yet another will deposit it in a bank or buy stocks and basically make the money grow as if 700 million isn't big enough already.

After mulling over the concept of becoming a millionaire, I kind of figured out what I will do with the money - invest on stocks, donate to charity, sponsor scholars and rebuild some schools, build a studio, travel, and of course, spend on personal stuff (house, car, guitars, cameras, etc.). It may seem too many, but I'm sure even after doing all of this, I would still have a lot of money to spare.

What about you? What do you plan to do?

PS. To whoever won the Grand Lotto, congratulations. Please save the world.

Bio Pages: Your Online Calling Card

Just finished adding pages to this site. Check out the navigation panel on the right side of the screen. The portfolio part is still in the works, though. I still have to scour Google for instructions. In the meantime, this will have to do.

While doing the "about me" page, I realized how hard it is to write a brief description about yourself. I tend to ramble even in writing, so I risk turning the page into an autobiography. I doubt my readers (if I have any) would want to read about how I almost drowned because of my own stupidity, or how I freaked when I got my first pimple.

The "About Me" page is important because this is what people who randomly end up in your site look for first. People like potential employers, potential clients, potential significant others, and your long lost mother read this page and decide if you are worth their time. This page gives you the chance to tell the world who you are and what you do, and what you write in there can make or break your image.

So what exactly should we put in an "About Me" page?

1. Your name. Probably the most important thing you can put in there. If you want your readers or potential clients to know or hire you, they should know what to call you first.

2. What you do and other beneficial skills. If you are a superhero who protects the weak and the innocent and can fly faster than a speeding bullet or leap tall buildings in a single bound, then say so. Just try not to mention that you wear your pants first before your undies, and you'll be fine.

3. How to get in touch with you. Unless you have super hearing, include your contact details like phone numbers and emails in this page.

These are just the basics. Of course, there is no way of writing the perfect bio page; some people want to see your personality shining through, while others prefer to read you resume. Again, it will all depend on who your target is. If you are having problems, check out other bio pages in the Internet for inspiration.

It's not much, but this is what I came up with so far.

New URL

I finally have my own domain, thanks to my oldah sistah. You can now visit this website by typing in http://kei.gabutero.com. It sounds so professional, aylavet. XD

Will be turning this into a blog/portfolio when I have the time. :)

Cardio

Brisk-walked 6km in an hour today. It's slow, but I think it's a good start for someone who hasn't done any serious workouts in a long time. Thanks to Ze Bespren for the idea and motivation. I hope I can keep this up.

I'll be doing this again with her tomorrow if my legs will let me. They feel fine now, but experience has taught me that the pain will come the next day. So yeah, we'll see. And I'm going to keep this short for now because my body is screaming for sleep.

Poetry

"Friday"

Why do I love thee, let me count the ways.
I do not have classes.
I can catch up on paperwork.
There's ihaw-ihaw in the afternoon.
There are no classes the next day.

Why do I hate thee, let me count the ways.
I do not have classes.
Catching up on paperwork makes me realize how horribly behind I am.
Realizing how behind I am frustrates and depresses me.
When I'm depressed, I get bored.
When I'm bored, I harass the kiddies. >:)
When I harass the kiddies...I harass the kiddies. >:)
Harass the kiddies.
Harass the kiddies.
And then I get bored again.
There's ihaw-ihaw in the afternoon, which means my diet is thrown out the window.

Kaloka.

Have a great weekend, everyone. :)

Definition

Me: What is multimedia writing?
Student: (with all the enthusiasm in the world) Writing for multimedia!

***

Three weeks into the semester, and I only got to meet my Tuesday classes today. Since we only meet once a week, we had a lot of catching up to do so I had them do these crazy things like...writing and drawing with rulers. I kind of get the feeling these kiddies will hate Tuesdays because of me. As one of the freshmen would say, "this is all your fault, Ms. Kei!" LOL

This is turning out to be a good semester.

"If It Ain't Broke, Why Fix It?"

I was browsing through Inquirer.net when I stumbled upon the news that Vicente Romano III has resigned from his post as the Department of Tourism undersecretary. To be honest, I kind of expected this to happen after the controversy that is "Pilipinas Kay Ganda."

"Pilipinas Kay Ganda" (for those who are not aware) is the new DoT slogan, replacing the 8-year "WOW Philippines" program by the ex-DoT Secretary Dick Gordon. It is supposed to highlight not just the beauty of the Philippines, but also that of its people and culture. Now, I'm not a PR or advertising expert, but a number of warning bells went off in my head the first time I saw this campaign.

First, it's in Tagalog. I've been around PR experts and advertisers long enough to know that if a tag line can't catch a person's attention at first glance, then it's never going to catch their attention. The problem with this promotion line is that foreigners (a.k.a. the target audience) don't know squat about what "kay ganda" means. How can it compete against "Malaysia, Truly Asia", or "Incredible India", or "Infinitely Seoul"?

Next, the logo. A colleague told me about how the logo was plagiarized from Poland, and lo and behold. Check out the P, A, and the S, plus the waves and the tree concept.

Hay. Parang tinamad mag-isip.

Lastly, I just read somewhere that the website's URL is similar to that of a porn site.

The big question: Now that Romano has resigned, will DoT still use this campaign with it's string of issues? WOW Philippines may be old (and a part of the GMA era), but it works. I wish they just stuck with it.

Song Selection

P: Anong magandang kanta para sa reunion video?
Me: Um...Through the Years? LOL
P: Ponyeta. Wag naman yan. Something more merry.
Me: Merry Christmas?
P: Uminom ka na nga ng Benadryl.

The Wish List

Yes, it's that time of the year again when people raid bazaars and ninongs and ninangs move out of the country temporarily to hide from their inaanaks. The Christmas season is supposed to be a time of love, gifts, and wishes, and it wouldn't be complete if we didn't make our wish lists while hoping that some kind soul will take pity and actually buy us that iPad we've been dreaming of.

Looking back at last year's list, I managed to get most of the items I put in there. I think making lists is a good way to keep our sights on certain goals. So yeah, here's my new wish list, and I hope I get to complete them next year. :)

1. Canon 550D or 60D. I still have to try the latter before I choose which one to buy.




2. Canon 450D or 500D. Since I'm doing some freelance event coverages, I need another camera so I can use two lenses without interchange them on my primary cam. I saw some 2nd hand packages on eBay (the ones with additional telezoom lenses), so I'm looking into purchasing those too.



3. Sigma lenses. A wide lens (10-20mm f/3.5), a zoom (18-200mm f/3.5), and a telezoom (70-200mm f/2.8). I don't think I get all three within a span of a year, but at least I know what I want. :)



4. Canon 50mm f/1.8.



5. Blackberry Curve Gemini (white) 8520. It's white, it's qwerty, and it's a gemini.



6. Sunglasses. In case you haven't noticed, I always wear shades especially when it's bright outside. It's not just some sort of a "fashion statement" for me; my ophthalmologist actually told me to always wear sunglasses because my eyes are too sensitive to sunlight. Recently, I lost my favorite reflective shades (the one my sister brought home from the US), so now I'm trying to look for something to replace it. Sayang, ang ganda pa naman nun. :(



7. Acoustic-electric guitar. My beloved Blackie, the Lumanog guitar I bought many years back, is nearing its retirement.



8. Shoes. I need new leather shoes after an incident in the 5th floor ruined mine, plus another more comfortable pair for when I'm doing coverages.



9. 2TB external hard drive.



10. Canon Speedlite 580EXII.



11. More money. LOL.



I didn't include some of my wishes, since I'm sure I won't be able to afford them in a year. LOL.

And that is my wish list. I, tenkyu.

Disclaimer: All pics are not mine. :)

Say My Name

I go by a number of names, depending on when and where I met a certain person.

Kristen, to my family and Manresa people.
Kei, to my elbi blocmates.
Keipots, to my elbi dormmates and the arnis team.
Keiichi/Keich, to Southville people.

And then there are the pet names.

Ten, to really close friends and family.
Tenny, to Vanny and Laila.
Kwisten, to Juay, Ria and Krishna.
Keipotchicus, to Drea and Oyotz.
Ketsi/Ketsilator, to Doi and the rest of the Alligators.

Unlike common names like Alex, Joy, and Michelle, my name is misspelled hundreds of times and sometimes it's a pain to correct people. Thing is, it's my identity, so I tend to be very particular with it.

Here are some of the more interesting spellings I've heard/seen.

Kristine (common mispronunciation)
Christine
Key
Kee
Kaye/Kay
Keichi
Keichii
Keichie
Kitchie (I particularly dislike this one LOL)
Kechy
Kechie
Keiidri (Now how the hell did a "d" and an "r" get in there? Also, it sounds like "kadiri". LOL.)
Kaychee
Kaychy
Kaych
Keechy

Yeah. Maybe I should just change my name to Bob.

Exceptional

These are people whom I can be proud of. I am glad to have been a part of their lives, even for such a short time (yes, 4 years is short compared to the rest of their lives).

CLIPS Surprise Trailer from Jepster Togle on Vimeo.

In other news, today was the general assembly for the college department. It didn't take too long like the last time, but my auditory senses took a beating and is now in the ICU. Now I am so looking forward to watching sessiOnroad to rehabilitate my ears.

Where Art Thou?

Insomnia attacks are getting worse. I'm starting to think I need meds. Haha. Where the hell is that damn Sandman when you need him.

I just finished talking to a student who reminded me so much of myself back in college. It's funny how she and I went through almost the same thing during our final semester as a student. As much as I wanted to give her words of encouragement, I have to admit that I suck at giving advice. I second guess myself most of the time, and I'm not even sure if I make sense. I just hope she feels better now, even for a little bit, after our exchange. I'd really like to see her graduate this March.

Convergence

Convergence
n. the combining of different ideas which can result to new or better ideas.

I met some friends this afternoon to work on a couple of things when a story came up about this multi-purpose shampoo. Apparently, this shampoo is sooooo amazing, it can be used as a conditioner, toothpaste, body wash, feminine/masculine wash, sink declogger, car wax, and salad dressing. Okay, I was kidding about the last three but you gotta admit that what this magic gooey liquid can do is pretty amazing/preposterous depending on how you see it. If ever I do get my hands on it, I would probably just...I don't know, stare at it or something and see if it can show me the future. Who knows.

//edit: I was just told that it can be used as car wax. How about that.

Keiichi, I Am

Hi. My name is Keiichi, and I am a teacher. I really don't know what possessed me to create another blog, but here I am anyway. Oh wait, I do know.

I will be using this blog for posts that are fit for public reading. Random ramblings, reviews, funny stories, and all that jazz. The more personal stuff will be stashed in my personal blog, which I now set on private. Only a few people will be able to read the contents of that blog. Yes, I am exercising my right to privacy, especially from my students. LOL.

So yeah, let's see where this goes.