And here I thought I was going into my seventh year in Korea. Turns out I’ll be entering my EIGHT year… wow! Come this February 16th I will have successfully tackled seven years of existence in this country, so I started thinking about it. What do I have to show for these seven years?! I started thinking about this, so I sat down at the computer and gave myself a good solid twenty minutes to think of the main moments that went down in my life here in Korea. Sure, much more has gone down beyond the moments listed below and I'm not entirely sure if my dating of such events are correct but this is what I came up with in the allotted time.
YEAR ONE – Feb. 2005
Started a job as a kindergarten ESL teacher.
Called off my engagement to the retired pro soccer player.
Decided to stay in Korea to avoid engagement call-off.
Went to Thailand.
Dyed my hair black as a situation of pure discrimination.
Visited the DMZ.
Met a North Korean soldier.
Started dating The Ex.
Experienced my first national air bomb raid practice
Surprise visit to my parent’s house on Christmas Eve – BEST Christmas ever!!!
YEAR TWO – Feb. 2006
Called off my relationship with The Ex.
Got into the public education system with a public school teaching position.
Adopted Mi Nam and instantly fell in love with him.
Learned how to snowboard.
Went to Japan.
YEAR THREE – Feb. 2007
Scored a sweet university professor position at Dankook University.
Was adopted into the UP Boxing Club family/team.
Started dating Q.
Got into a brutal motorcycle accident in which I totaled the motorcycle.
Turned professional with my boxing – first foreign female in Korea to do so.
Earned a sponsorship by the Cheonan Trump for my boxing.
Started getting privately tutored in the Korean language.
YEAR FOUR – Feb. 2008
Experienced my first female-induced heartbreak – lost to Park Mi Ran at my debut bout.
Was the focus of two human documentaries.
Was the focus subject an up-and-coming photographer’s photo shoot.
Was discovered on YouTube by Adidas and this lead to them sponsoring my boxing.
YEAR FIVE – Feb. 2009
Started dating Snickers and then, in the same year, we got married.
Moved out of Sambu and into Ggum Guum.
Had a massive picture of me boxing displayed in a gala.
Had another human documentary focus on me as a female boxer.
Went back to blond hair.
Met Jose Sulaiman, President of the World Boxing Council.
Met Judy Kulis, President of the International Female Boxers Association.
Went to Bali, Indonesia.
Did a commercial with the Wonder Girls.
Had another human documentary focus on me and my boxing.
Starred in two human documentaries about Snickers.
Had to a student hint at sucide and then he went through with it.
One of my Korean friends committed suicide.
YEAR SIX – Feb. 2010
Took Snickers to Canada for his first time and to meet my parents.
Got into a scooter accident.
Had a photographer ask and do a focus piece on Snickers and I.
Touched a real life bear for my first time ever – was stoked about that.
Had my apartment Ggum Guum underwent two-time renovations.
The wife of a common friend of Snickers and me committed suicide.
Ran my first half marathon.
Had to deal with a short-time stalker.
Snickers lived in Japan for a little over two months – definitely hard with him MIA.
Represented Korea in Japan for a boxing bout.
Proudest moment ever as Snickers’ wife -- watching 35,000 crowd members watch him fight in the Philippines.
YEAR SEVEN – Feb. 2011
Started working at a Korean daycare.
Attended a surprise wedding ceremony for me and Snickers, hosted by daycare.
Had Ggum Guum renovated for the third time -- yes, very annoying.
Traveled to Canada to say goodbye to my mother.
Started my own personal training/fitness company – Flipside Fitness.
My fitness company was officially sponsored by Adidas.
Adopted Pyen Chi, the Pee Master Beast of Fur, and slowly fell in love with her.
Mi Nam passed away.
As many people know, last year was a hard, hard year -- the Year of Heartships and Loses -- so I'm totally optimistic and stoked about 2012. This year has already been so much better than last year with the anticipation of my friend Nick visiting us from Canada, Satoshi coming from Japan, and both Snickers and I having scheduled fights for February.
2012 is going to be fabulous, it ALREADY is, so stayed tuned for more fabulocity to come!!!
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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