1. Interesting to note that I live in a country infested with mountains and yet today I discovered what appears to be a man-made mountain made-up of boulder chunks.
2. First day of the Yoengin English camp and so I woke up early and rushed to meet up with my fellow co-workers, Andy, Edil, and Ariel. Turns out the bus doesn’t go pass the school and so we kind of got stranded at this massive spa in the middle of no where.
3. Experienced the expected first day kiaos but it was us foreign teachers who pulled together and forced the Korean teachers to help sort out the schedule and course material issues.
4. Met my new students and they’re great but I’m convinced my Eumbong and Wollang students (who I teach outside of the camp) are the best ones here! As I stood in front of all the students at the opening ceremony, I couldn’t help but be so proud that some of my students were there.
5. Lots of hugs and smiles from my regular students. Even my middle school boys hugged me. I think we were all relieved to see each other and maybe even missed each other too.
6. My homeroom class, E2 (now called “The Blue Sharks”) consist of a cool bunch of super cute and super sweet grade 5/6 elementary kids from various schools in the surrounding area.
7. Had my first scooter lesson tonight and it was awesome! Ryan took me to a big parking lot and taught me how to drive and I was so excited that I could do it. I tried really hard and paid attention.
8. Had my first scooter accident tonight… yes, you read correctly. We were on a main street (8 laner I think). Ryan was on one scooter and I was behind him. I thought something was wrong with the blinker, I looked down and within a matter of seconds I went crashing into him and then flying into the air. I don’t remember landing but I remember not hearing the scooter and so I moved. I thought it was going to land on me. Stood up with my bruised ego, shattered nerves, disappointment in my heart, and tears in my eyes and picked up the trashed scooter while everyone watched me.
9. Must have said “I’m sorry” a million times to Ryan. I was surprised to see how well he took the fact that I just scratched the heck out of his scooter. He said crashing was a part of learning but dang, that lesson almost cost me more than the expense of fixing the bike.
10. Had to drive back home on the scooter. I started thinking about how I almost died (car behind me had slammed on it’s breaks but stopped close to my head) and so I squeezed the handles so hard my knuckles went white and I could feel my whole body shaking. It wasn’t until later, when the adrenaline calmed down, that my whole body started to ache.
QUESTION OF THE DAY...
What happened?
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Once bitten, twice shy.
-- Author Unknown (but Ryan's favorite quote from now on I'm sure)
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.
1 comment:
Hey! Watch out on that scooter. I hope you were wearing a helmet, at least. I never used to wear one when I rode my scooter and I got hit by a Korando (SUV). My head hit the pavement and I went to the hospital for x-rays. Fortunately, I was fine, but I definitely felt like I'd been beat up the next day, though. Be careful!
Post a Comment