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.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Lots of Love on Valentine's Day... Thursday, February 14

I had crawled into bed around 6am and it felt like no sooner had my head hit the pillow but someone was calling my cell. “Who’s calling me this early?” I mumbled. Turns out it was almost noon. 

I answered the phone. It was one of my friends whom I had worked with at the camp I just finished. She was frantic on the phone, telling me about how she took the wrong subway and is now supposedly near me in a taxi with it’s meter running crazy. She had a friend’s graduation to attend out in Asan, at Hoseo University, and had no idea where she was. 

Next thing I knew it I was jumping out of bed and into the shower, with my body still half asleep but my mind working on overdrive. Ten minutes later I was now running down the street to where we had told her out-of-town taxi to take her. Snickers and I had decided it best for us to drive her and her two girls so that’s exactly what we did. 

Upon arriving at the university, my friend was now overly late and had missed the whole celebration. My friend and her daughters had tried their best to get there on time, it had been quite the crazy adventure, so I felt bad for them but I felt exceptionally bad for her friend who was graduating. I know all too well what it feels like to have a big event and no one there to celebrate it with – hello eight years in Korea!!! And get this, not only had this foreign friend graduated from university but all but I think one class was in Korean! She learned Korea via studying there, how intense is that?! Ya, really. I was really blown away by this fact and was so incredibly impressed. She’s got beauty and brains, woozers… watch out!!! 

My friend had asked us if we knew a good restaurant and Snickers and I only thought it fitting to take them to La Cubo. With it being Valentine’s Day and the graduation of this impressive new friend, nothing less than La Cubo seemed right so off to La Cubo we took them. 

When we arrived, they took us to the private dining room where our table got flooded with lots of food and our chatting filled the room. It was such a great meal together and such a wonderful and unexpected turn of events. 

Having had “lupper” with my friends meant that I was full for the rest of the day and not particularly interested in heading out for dinner. It was just as well too because I’m sure if we had missed that phone call and gone out for dinner just the two of us, we would have just talked about business anyways. This surprise run-in with friends was great but it was definitely a breath of fresh air and a much needed break from all our business talk. Mind you, no sooner did we enjoy this breath of fresh air but then it was over. We dropped them off at the subway and then we headed home… where talks of business resumed. Ended up being joined later on in the evening by our electrician after we received some fabulous news – cleaning crew starts work tomorrow!!! 

Tomorrow they’ll be doing an inspection so that they can get to work – what a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift. Sorry Snickers, but that Valentine’s Day gift of the great news kicks your Valentine’s Day chocolate sucker’s butt… hahaha.

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