1. About a week or so, my mom emailed me to remind me about my little niece's birthday that was back in November. Now, it's not that I forgot her birthday, I remembered it but I just was so distracted with work and training. Honestly though, lately, thinking about Canada kind of makes me depressed. I don't know whether it's cause it's the holiday season coming up or what but I've been trying really hard to forget Canada. I think about my family a lot but I don't think of them as being in Canada. I don't know how to really explain it. Q always asks me about my family, especially my brothers. I like talking about my family, I do love them, as weird as they may be at times... hehehe. But thinking about Canada, no thanks. I left my life in Canada for various reasons. I am not that same person and so I don't want to think about my first life. I made too many stupid mistakes, now is my second chance to better myself. A chance to start fresh.
2. I'm a rotten, rotten aunt... yup, I am. Turns out my niece is 2, not 1. Wow, where did the time fly. Realizing that she's 2 really hit me funny. I am becoming the very relative I despised growing up. You know, the one who never remembered things about you, like your age or your name. "No, Auntie... I graduated high school years ago!"... "I'm Amy, not Ashley." I figure I'll slack off in the "bad relative group" for the rest of the year and then I'll put my family on my New Year's resolution list.
3. Every week I email all 292 students of mine. I email them lecture notes, a quick hello note and homework answers every Saturday. This past week I had gone out of my way to get my email translated into Korean so that they'd be extra prepared for class. I had asked them to bring in their presentation writing so that we could peer edit. Only 15 out of my 98 students today brought it in. There went that activity... ahhhhh!!!
4. I laugh at the fact that all my students know I'm on a diet... hehehe. They know I've been working really hard to become a flyweight boxer. Today some of my students thought it funny to test my self control by tempting me with goodies. Throughout my lesson, every once and a while when I turned to write something on the white board, a random student would run up and put a treat on my desk. They did this about 6 times and each time, I honestly didn't hear the student sneaking up. It was so funny. The class was in tears, giggling as they all watched their classmates tempt me... hehehe. By the end of the class I had 3 Snicker bars, a Twix bar, and 2 packs of cookies.
5. Despite my weakness for Snickers, I fought off temptation and, as a result, I was a huge hit with my next class. I handed out the oh so tempting treats to those who brought in their presentation writing.
6. No matter how much work and marking I have, there's no way I'd ever say I don't like my job... thanks to my students. I'm always amazed at how awesome they are. Today when we were reviewing last week's lesson, they got all giggly when I popped up a picture of various electronic things, one of which was a fax machine and a palm pilot. Last week they had me in tears, laughing my head off when they kept on saying "pecks" instead of "fax" and then with the whole "I like P.D.A." comment. A week has since gone by but they remembered last week's situation and so today, we had a total repeat. Hehehe... gotta love my Korean students. They're awesome. They're what's going to keep me young, for sure!!!
7. After class I headed over to Giggle Girl Jr's house. I've known for some time now that they'll be moving but it wasn't until today that they told me they're moving December 22. Upon hearing their official moving date, I got really sad. They're keeping their current house cause Mrs. Kim's husband will be living in it during the week, but Giggle Girl will no longer be here in Cheonan. She made me pinky swear that I'll come visit her and her mom... for sure!
8. I waved good-bye to them, jumped in the taxi and left. I felt like I was going to cry. Giggle Girl Jr. has been my little Korean sister now for about 2 years. I don't have a sister but I love her as if she were my very own blood sister.
9. I didn't hit the weights tonight or go boxing either. I had way too much homework and after 8 hours of university work and 2 hours of playing with Giggle Girl Jr., I was so exhausted. Mondays are always my longest days.
10. Q called me up. He had just finished class at the English school and was wanting to see me. We sat outside all cozy together for a bit and then headed over to a local pub for some citrus tea. Q's so cute.... he's so curious about my brothers. He's particularly curious about my brother Bobby-B and so tonight I amused him with some stories about how my parents were convinced Bobby-B and I would kill each other when we were young. We were always fighting.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What does family mean to you?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.
-- Jane Howard
As the story has it, one day I headed to the opposite side of the globe – the Flipside. I arrived in Korea February 16th, 2005 and thought I’d do a year, then leave. I was wrong. I stayed, launched my first company, Flipside Fitness, and then opened Korea's largest boxing club, Hulk's Boxing (now called Hulk's Club).
After 11.5yrs in Korea, I then picked up one day and returned to Toronto, Canada. But then I left again.
Now I live in the Philippines where I am the CEO and head coach of Empowered Clubhouse, the Philippines' first and only boxing clubhouse exclusively just for women. I also am the founder of the Lil' Sistas Project, CEO and designer of Slay Gear and Baa Baa Black Sheep .Ph.
1 comment:
Again a soooo verry beautiful and emotional live story!Amy
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