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.

Monday, December 10, 2018

Frustrations Through the Roof... Monday, December 10

Waking up with pure anxiety is a bastard.  Spending the rest of the day with it too, not fun.

Anxiety and I went to the boxing club together for training.  I threw on my extra layers, laced up my boxing boots, wrapped my hands in my Slay hand wraps, and then jumped on the stationary bike for my warm up.  

My plan is to always wear a sweater at training -- extra layers to make extra sweat.  Of course this means extra laundry too so I better get more laundry detergent.  Pressure is definitely on to drop the weight and I know me stressing over it doesn't help so I'm not stressing but I'm not being relaxed about it either. 

After boxing, I had a meeting with one of the main pro fighters at my club.  He and I then went to GAB (Gaming and Amusement Board) in Makati to deal with moving forward with my fight. 

Still to do...
1.  Get my special work permit for the fight.
2.  Pick up my renewed visa (in my passport).
3. Get all my medicals done for the fight.
4. Apply for my Philippine boxing license.
5. Get my fight uniform designed, ordered and made.

Ya, lots... so much... still to do.

GAB was helpful in helping me today.  I met with my promoter there and then I raced off to immigration to continue the legal process of all this.  It was at immigration though that what should have been a simple thing turned into brain surgery.

I honestly almost lost my sh!# at immigration... seriously.... honestly!!!

I presented to them the form that they had given me back in the summer and then gave them all my supporting documents that I had prepared.  It was then that I was told the original form (that, I'd like to repeat here, THEY HAD GIVEN TO ME) wasn't applicable for my situation.  

"We don't process special work permits for athletes here... you have to go to the main office", she added.  "But we happen to have someone from the main office here."  So on that note I told her I'd like to talk to this particular person.

You know what's more frustrating than experiencing this situation, is then having to explain it again to the very worker that put you through this hassle.  So when I was talking to the main office lady and the other lady kept on interrupting, I almost lost it.  "I don't understand what's the problem again, please tell me", she said.  I responded with a nasty response.  I told her "the fact that you're still talking to me when you're the one who is partly responsible for this form mishap is part of the problem... please stop talking to me.  I'm having a conversation with this lady here, someone who actually has answers to my questions... thanks."

Okay, so maybe that was rude and maybe that could have got me kicked out but I was beyond ticked off.  I even told them that to.  I told them that I was sorry I looked so frustrated but that I was way more frustrated than my face and body language is actually showing.  

I left immigration with answers, proper answers, one of which made it quite clear it's not my responsibility in the first place to be personally applying for my own special work permit.  It is the responsibility of either the promoter or my boxing manager.  And, on that note, I relayed the info to my promoter.  I haven't seen "my manager" since agreeing to take him on so I've pretty much have written him off.  

I'm so beyond depending on people to know their roles and expecting them to do it.

In a perfect world, I'd have firing power and fire them all.

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