Journeyman Stories

Have you ever been in a moment when everything comes together and you see “the light”? That was me on that morning of March 2003. Let's say that my early days in Canada were not the way I  had    imagined them to be (there was no money falling down  off of  trees as I had predicted) ;   but  I was happy. It was my fourth month working at a radio station. I was not getting paid but I  was having good times. I was learning a lot thanks to a mentor who became a very good friend over the years. I was working on a project that, in time, would generate money  for  the radio station ( I was hoping there would be enough to  secure  me a contract) and my mentor was teaching me how to do it. Long story short, the radio got the money, but to my great surprise, I could not get hired because there was a statement in the grant contract that made me ineligible for the job. I did all this work for somebody else! How great! But I kept a positive attitude though. At least I  had learnt how to write ...

I have heard many times that experience is the best teacher. That is just a theory until you live it. I used to work in a department whose main purpose was to find accommodation for new immigrants. It was a great experience. Not only was I able to visit many places in the city, but I made many friends too. Some moments were more memorable than others. Sometimes I would work so much that my boss had to remind me about my vacations (get a life, I hear you saying). Every now and then, I would take 2 to 3 days and go for a trip. And that summer of 2005, I went to South Carolina for a business conference (great road trip in a bus for 16 long hours, half of which spent sleeping). On Tuesday, I came back to the office and a co-worker of mine told me that there was someone I should call (was this a lady? I asked...just kidding). She gave me the phone number of this gentleman. Half an hour later, the guy was in my office and we had a little chat. After a while, he told me he was new to Canada a...

Here I am again with another unknown word. What in the world is the meaning of Choq? This is the name of the first radio station I worked at in Canada (so far it's the first and only station, but I believe there are many more to come). How did I come to know about this station? It's a long story. Here I am, new to Canada, with three years of experience in radio broadcasting under my belt, trying to nail my first job without even getting my work permit yet (Superman, watch out). The only connection I had in Toronto was the Internet (what a good one!), and the only place I knew was the public library (another good one). Networking has been one of my strengths (the Internet and the public library were the first good business contacts I made. I was the man!!!). But, after a few calls, I knew that my two contacts were not enough. I had to meet real people. However, I kept coming back to the library (I am a faithful friend) because the Internet helped me to keep in touch with my fami...

Have you ever been in a phase in your life when you ask yourself “what's next?” That was me in the late year 2001. I felt I had accomplished every goal I had set for myself (even though there weren't that many). I had finished university, I was working two jobs (is that an accomplishment?), I had two well rated radio shows, I had won 3 championships as a basketball coach, I had traveled to different countries doing reports and coaching basketball, and above all, I had a very beautiful girlfriend (I think I should have started with this one .......) So what's next? That question kept bugging me for a while. I was still going through the motion, but my passion was not there anymore. Then (by now you must be familiar with my “then's”), I received a call from a lady I didn't know at that time. She told me she was from Montreal and she was a friend of my best friend (if you read one of my blogs, it's one of my journalists friends who made it big). We then met and she...

Most often we watch movies that leave us speechless. That was my case when I saw “The Ultimate Gift” for the first time. It's a must see movie. Very inspirational. I won't ruin the party by telling you the whole story. Watch it if you don't believe me. After watching it for the fourth time, I started thinking about what I would like to do when I grow up (I consider myself still young. Just look at my picture, you will see). I kept thinking about it for an entire week. Then one day, I went on the computer and I started writing. It took me two weeks, at the end of which I came up with a nine page document (I will be a very busy man when I grow up). My next move was to print it out and put it on the wall where I could see it every time I wake up (what else would I see? I sleep alone!!). It was fun to look at my future every morning. But after a while I got fed up with the picture I was seeing. I had to do something. Then I asked myself: “What shall I begin with?” And then som...