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.

Tuesday, October 06, 2015

After ALL These Years, Wow... Tuesday, October 6

You'll never believe who I ran into on the streetcar.  I still can't believe it.

So I was about to get on the one streetcar when I realized I had no idea if I had to go east or west.  With my foot on the first step of the streetcar, about to jump on, I then stepped back.  Figured out my directions, realized I should have taken that particular streetcar in fact, and then a few minutes later I got the next one.

Stepped up into the streetcar, flashed my TTC monthly pass to the driver and then proceeded to walk down the isle to get a seat.  Just as I passed the front few solo seats on the right side there, what should happen but I look down at who is sitting there right as they looked up to see who was walking by.

It was my ex... my ex as in my ex-fiance.  Are eyes had met.

Instantly my heart jumped and I held my breath.  I didn't know if he had recongized me  but I knew without a doubt that it was him.  I continued on past him but then ducked behind some big dude standing at the halfway point in the streetcar.  "What are you doing?" he asked me.  "Just be quiet", I responded.

Was I seriously hiding from my ex? Really?!  

It's been about 11 years; we both have clearly moved forward and moved on.

Hiding was immature.  It took me about a second to realize that so then I moved to a seat close to him, diagonally across from where he sat.  I figured if he was going to take a double look at me then I'd take it to the next step and actually get up to say hi.  He never took a double look but I definitely took it to the next step.  Took it beyond that anticipated step actually.

I walked up to him, tapped him on the shoulder and blurted out his name.  No sooner had I said his name but he was spinning around, yelling out my name loud for all to hear and wrapping his arms around me in a big, warm hug.  I then grabbed the seat behind him as we giggled over the unexpected run-in after all these years.

We chatted a bit about what we're both up to.  He knew I was still in Korea and was running a boxing club so I took it he's kept up somewhat with my homepage here.  He then asked me how my parents were.  My parents really loved him and were quick to take him into our family as another son so I got a bit choked up when I told him that my mother has since passed away.  He gave his condolences and I knew they were genuine.  

He has since married but is now separated.  He looks pretty much the same and I think he lives at the same place too.  Eleven years ago he was my life and my future but now he's some dude riding on the streetcar that I just happened to run into.  That's wild but that's how life is.  Life is good, it's pretty fabulous, but life is funny like that.

If I hadn't stepped off that first streetcar, I never would have run into him.    

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