Journeyman Stories

It has been now more than a week that I am in Burundi. I am getting used to everything. I am getting used to eat (very) nice food that I did not cook myself (lol), I am getting used to being mistaken by childhood friends who do not recognize me at first (extra pounds I guess), I am getting used to speaking my broken and almost forgotten Swahili (yes, I am multilingual), I am getting used to meeting my friends and laughing so loud, leaving our neighbours wondering what's going on, and I am getting used to having my afternoon nap (what a delight!). I am also getting used to changing my relationship with time (half an hour meaning two hours lol), and also having my to do list broken by half as everything is slow. Maybe things are not slow here. I was used to the fast North American pace, but sometimes it's good to get things done quickly than wait longer. That's my opinion. I am now heading to Kigali to meet my family-in-law. I can't wait. What a great family! Please don...

You knew this one was coming. Some of you were stuck on the computer waiting for this one to come out (at least that is what I say to myself). I made sure I wrote it on Saturday so that I could post it on Monday (the Internet here is that slow). Now I call my home Internet “my school of patience”. But I am loving it! I landed on Thursday at 1.30 PM local time, after a trip that took me from Toronto to Washington DC; from there I flew to Ethiopia, then Kenya, and finally to Burundi. It was a long flight and I had to be at Pearson Airport at 3 AM on Wednesday to catch my first flight. When I finally went to bed on Thursday, I had spent more than 48 hours without sleep ( I think I am Superman, what do you think?). Some days are more symbolic than others. June 15 was one of them for me. One of the things we do at Goal Achievers (yes, that is a plug for my business), is we ask people to set goals and attach a date to them. June 15 was my date that I had set in January of this year. My goal ...

What a great way to finish the week as I am watching the Dallas Mavericks win a well deserved NBA championship. I guess they knew I was about to leave North America, and they did not want me to miss game seven. I had a very emotional week at many levels. It was my last week at my job as I am transitioning into being in business for myself full time, and I am about to go back home to spend three months with my family and live the married life. What a dream come true! It's a new beginning for me, but things have not been that easy as I have been struggling for years to finally live my dream. I had to overcome a number of obstacles, but there is a lot to celebrate (boy I had so many things to change on me!). What a journey! I remember telling a friend of mine in 2002, freshly new to Canada, that I will be a millionaire in three years. I am glad she did not ask me about it in 2005 (when I couldn't even pay attention lol). Was I naive? Maybe. But I am glad I did not give up on my dr...

I did not go to San Diego (I wish I did), but every time I speak with Jeanine or Lara, I feel I am in San Diego. Hey, Jeanine, now you cannot brag about the beautiful Californian weather anymore. It's nice in Toronto as well. Jeanine lives in San Diego and Lara is her friend. Lara, I hope we will get a chance to return to Ngoma before you head South of the border. Have you heard of BFI (Burundi Friends International)? If you are a true follower of my blog, you would certainly remember my last trip to Montreal where I met Jeanine after decades without seeing her. That day she shared with me BFI's mission which is to help fight poverty in Burundi by providing education, healthcare and self-sustaining enterprise opportunities on a village-by-village basis. Quick question for you: who wouldn't want to be part of this? Especially when you were born in Burundi (by the way; can't wait to be there in a few days), or if you are a person who loves to give a hand. After my first...