1. Handed out final marks in class today, making for an incredibly short work day. I thanked all my students, wished them a merry Christmas and a happy new year, and then off they went, never to join again in my classroom. I felt sad saying goodbye. There’s a couple of classes that I’m dreading having to say goodbye, especially tomorrow’s first period class. I really don’t want to say goodbye to them.
2. Tomorrow is going to be hard… I know.
3. I remember in elementary school I had some key teachers in my life who really impacted me. I’ll never forget Ms. Chambers and Mr. Alston. Ms. Chambers use to always hug me and greet me with a huge smile that just was so inviting and comforting. She was my model of the perfect woman for the longest time. She had beauty, smarts, a great job, a whole school that absolutely adored her, and she earned it all on her own. She was the single woman that I thought I always wanted to be. As for Mr. Alston, he was my grade six homeroom teacher. He was this massive teddy bear with a matching big heart and dimples that brought about an equally massive crush I use to have on him. He really believed in me and so I tried my best in his class to impress him. I remember when he took one of my poems and entered it into a city-wide poetry contest without me knowing. It ended up getting published and when I asked him if he could sign my book, he answered, “Of course. I’d be my honour”. It was me that was honoured though. I don’t know if I could ever measure up to Ms. Chambers or Mr. Alston but I hope one day many of my students look back and remember me.
4. Been trying to grow my hair long… actually, that’s not quite true. Yes, I do want long hair but I hate getting my hair cut and so I haven’t got it cut since August. I think I’m way overdue for a trim… ahhhhh.
5. Looks like the lucious strawberries weren’t such a great idea after all. No worries. I didn’t train yesterday and the added 0.01kg is hardly worth me frowning over.
Day 1: 55.15kgs = 121.33lbs
Day 2: 54.62kgs = 120.16lbs
Day 3: 54.28kgs = 119.42lbs
Day 4: 54.40kgs = 119.68lbs
Day 5: 54.00kgs = 118.80lbs
Day 6: 53.82kgs = 118.40lbs
Day 7: no weigh-in, gym closed
Day 8 (today): 53.83kgs = 118.43lbs
Weight lost so far: 1.32kgs = 2.90lbs
6. Hell Boy and Gangster Oppa showed up at boxing together and both sporting cocky attitudes, which I really don’t care for. Gangster Oppa had brushed me off yesterday with our plans to get together but I was so over it. I wasn’t mad or anything but I get it, he’s lacking in manners and is a playboy, that’s fine, just don’t waste my time with your cheap words and false promises. A cute smile may get you into my good books but good manners will keep you in them. And you, Gangster Oppa, just got served the old Polish boot… hehehe.
7. From the moment I left school today, my day then became all about boxing, well, pretty much. After training I had some errands to do for Junior Mint, picking up some supplies and whatnot, and then in the evening I went with him to a boxing club in Ssangyong-Dong (different part of Cheonan) to watch him spar.
8. One of the boxers at the Ssangyong-Dong boxing club recognized me from TV and so that was pretty cool. He kept on trying to talk to me but I guess he was too shy and so he used the club’s dog as his way in… hehehe. Apparently the owner has this little mutt and he lets it run around the club. I thought it was rather ugly but my interest in playing with her died once she tried to start biting my jacket… my jacket that she clearly can’t afford to bite let alone me have anyone bite! The dude who recognized me posed as my hero and scooped the little mutt up, saving my jacket from the jaws of the mini terror.
9. At the boxing club, they put on English music for me, called me “Matrix yoja” (yoja = girl), and were all jokes… all jokes, that is, until Junior Mint made a fool out of their leading boxer in the ring!!! Yikes! Everyone had stopped training to watch. Many of them were filming the fight on their cell phones but ALL were amazed at how good Junior Mint was and how strong he was. With every brutal body shot his opponent took, we all cringed a bit, knowing full well that had to hurt. It only took the first round for Junior Mint to prove his strength and superiority but when he decided to whip off the head gear and go for three more rounds… wow…. I felt so proud. I was so incredibly proud. “Ya, that’s right. I came here with HIM!!!” I told them. Buddy boy was no competition for Junior Mint and it was awesome. I’m so stoked about Junior Mint’s fight this Saturday, now more than ever.
10. Despite being due full bragging rights, Junior Mint humbly thanked his opponent and everyone for welcoming us to their boxing club. He did some heavy bag work after the fight, took a shower, and then we left. When we were driving in the car, he turned to me and asked if I had fun tonight. “Of course... you KILLED that guy!!!”
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What impresses you?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.
-- Author Unknown
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.
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