Journeyman Stories

Have you ever gotten up early in the morning because you got inspired to do something? This is what just happened to me (it's almost 3.30 am on Boxing day) For a while now I have been hesitating to write about this story because I am still emotional about it. I guess it was not the right time yet. But now, at 3.30 am on Boxing day, I am going to share the story (and I am selling it at half price lol). Yes I know, it's again about my trip to Mali (I can hear you saying “get over it” as Dr. Phil always does). My old friend Ken just read my blog and his comment was “Patrick, you are an INCREDIBLE and INSPIRING writer”; and just like that, by reading this comment, I got inspired to talk about my new friend Yacouba (and at the same time promote myself by using Ken's comment). Yacouba is my new friend. He is just 11 years old. But what a friend!!! He is the kind of friend who reminds you of your purpose. My trip to Mali (see previous blogs) was full of surprises which included my...

I guess everyone has heard the saying “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”. I would say it does not have to. I am a fan of personal development stuff. Every time I get an opportunity to attend a seminar, read a book or listen to an audio recording, I just run with it. I have learned so many things in the process. It was in late October 2008 that Gabriela,a friend of mine and life coach came to me and told me that a well known speaker and coach was conducting a 3 day intensive training in Vegas. She said that she could invite 5 people to attend for free, provided that they could pay for their own transportation and hotel accommodations. It was a great deal, because the training was a little bit expensive (I believe learning is priceless). Needless to say I was interested, but I had not planned to travel so soon (an easy way to say that I did not have the money to do it). I told my friend that I would go with her and now I had to figure out how. The “how” has never been my business. I ...

Have you ever taken a trip, not really knowing what to expect, and at the end being blown away? That is what happened to me on my last visit to Mali (West Africa). Being born in Africa, I was not expecting to experience a cultural shock (is there an African culture?), but having been away for a while, I had forgotten some aspects of my “roots” (yes, you can blame me if you want). Before leaving Toronto, we were told that everything was taken care of by the Koné family in Bamako and that there was nothing to worry about. I knew some members of the Koné family (two of them taking the trip with me). “Taken care of” was really an understatement when we got there. Three cars were waiting for us (there were 5 of us on the trip ; do I hear you saying VIPs?), Abdoul Karim Koné (the one I knew before going to Mali) was waiting for us inside the airport with his usual nice smile, kids were around helping us with our luggages, and above all, there was....the nice weather (what a relief!!!)...

Have you ever been to a place where you feel like “how in the world did I get here?” That's how I am feeling now as I am writing this blog in the heat (I will take it anytime) of the beautiful city of Bamako, capital city of the Republic of Mali (West Africa). The journey started 2 years ago when two of my co-workers told me that they were going to Africa, in a project that they initiated 2 years prior to our conversation. I wanted to know more about it. They told me that  it  all started while sharing a cup of coffee;they thought about going to Africa just for fun. The fun became a dream: to make a difference in kids'lives. For 2 long years they  saved money with all intentions focused on going. This time, they were ready to go. Everything was ready. What could I say? I am the kind of guy that likes to plan things. But while planning, these people were doing. To tell  you  the truth : I was both mad and inspired. Mad because they were doing something I was planning to do for  ...

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...