Just Call me Coach Kazumi... Thursday, February 21

Isn’t it funny how saying something can literally put into things into affect, like a nickname you grow into or making a joke about something that turns out to be truer than you initially thought it'd ever be.  Well, yesterday we had nicknamed the day Hiroshima Day, because of the drama that exploded so unexpectedly on us, business wise that is.  Well, I suppose I should have watched my words because, like the real Hiroshima, another bomb was dropped.

Today was Nagaski Day.

The bomb dropped when we walked into city hall to discuss yesterday's "Hiroshima" bomb dropping.  Almost instantly we were recognized -- they're apparently boxing fans, cool.  But what was not cool was then being so mistakenly taken as representing another business, a particular business I am very familiar with.  The aftermath of what was said left me with my jaw dropped to the floor.  I had been overly informed, sadly shocked, and pushed to a whole different level of stress.  What was revealed in the chilly front desk of city hall pertained to someone I really care about, someone that I do consider family, though he’s not being so “family-like” to me nowadays.

Do you ever learn things you just really wish you hadn’t learned?!  Ya, definitely one of those moments today but now someone’s strange manner totally makes sense now.   And the more I learn about the legalities, the strings attached and the loops you have to jump through to start a business in Korea, the more and more I'm learning just how so many businesses get away will being illegal.  

That was a little too much to digest.  It was early afternoon, which means I hadn't even been up long enough to digest my protein-packed pancake.  Snickers tried to pick me up by telling me to get ready.  "I'm going to take you out", he told me.  Here I thought it was a mid day date.  Oh no.... no, no, no.  He did take me out but it was out to  the bookstore and there I sat for a good couple of hours reading up on kettle bell training.  Not so easy when it's all in Korean.

In other news, I've decided to do another half marathon -- the April 14th Adidas MBC Hanghang half marathon.  Item #4 on my 2013 Bucketlist is "Beat my previous half marathon time" so I've got about 7.5 weeks to train and to beat 1:49:11.  My last half marathon was on Sunday, April 22nd, so it'll be almost a year since my last, and I had beat my previous time by 19 minutes so that was awesome.  

I wasn't initially going to do this race but as soon as I saw that Adidas was sponsoring it I just had to get in on it.  Adidas has been really supportive of me, for over 5 years now, and I have a big meeting with next week.  They'll be meeting me at our new boxing club, despite it being still without power and littered with glass and poop.  Yesterday I got an email from them and then today they called me.  I had noted to them that we want to make a mini pro shop in our boxing club and they replied, saying that they want to furnish it with display cases and equipment.  They also want to help out with tournament prizes too so that's great.  With Adidas' help, our boxing club will really be able to up the interest in boxing in Korea, most definitely in Cheonan.  We've got big plans already but with Adidas' plans... wow... very exciting.  I want to go with Adidas.  It is a very respectable company that has really been hands-on, super supportive and very personable with me but they have to work their magic on Snickers. 

With Snickers being Korean, he's very supportive of some key Korean boxing equipment companies.  While Adidas has the image and prestige, some dominating Korean companies have the maturity, years of service and affordable prices... and Snickers' attention.  

9-11 sandbags, 20-30 sandbag gloves, 4 head gears, 100 hand wraps, and 4 medicine balls

This was a very quick equipment start-up list I made. As you can see, we're not buying just a couple of things.  This is a very expensive list.  This is an investment.  

"They don't care about you" is the pull I'm using to get him over to the I-love-Adidas side because it's true.  Those Korean companies don't care about him no more than I care about them.  They're not fighting for his attention.  To prove my point, I sent this start-up list to Adidas and a Korean company that almost all boxing clubs in Cheonan work with.  The Korean company called once... ONCE... and instead of meeting up with us they just dropped a product book into our mailbox.  But Adidas... oh Adidas.  I messaged them, asking for a product book and they responded with not only THREE emails from three different Adidas reps (one of which is on holidays and all three being in different countries too I should note) and a phone call asking me when they could send a rep to come see our boxing club and discuss ideas.  

I'm fighting for you Adidas, I really am, but you're going to have to bring your A-game next Tuesday to fight Snickers.