“I had a real shot at winning the Miss Philippines title when I found out I was pregnant. I was advised to keep it under wraps if I didn’t want to get disqualified.
“But I thought I’d rather give up my dream than disgrace my family so I dropped out of the pageant, putting an abrupt end to my bid to represent my country.
“I’ve tried my hand at many things. I wanted to get into med school but it didn’t pan out. I took the reins of my mom’s catering business while I was in college. Eventually I found my way here in Japan and now I teach kids at an elementary school.
“This isn’t my first time here though. My Japanese stepdad, who later adopted me, would bring me to Japan when I was a teenager and we’d go shopping and do fun stuff like go to Disneyland. So I have many fond memories of this country while growing up.
“For now we’re happy here but who knows what’s in store for us. Maybe Canada once my daughter, Blair, finishes 6th grade.”
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