At St. John’s College Residence

2 Comments / My American Experience / By

[Continued from “Winterpeg“. This is the last post under “Coming to the New World … America“. Shows how language misalignment and unfamiliarity with culture could be viewed with a mindset that could be totally unrelated. Reaching out and willing to lean will tear down inaccurate perceptions.]

In my first day in Winnipeg, I was getting myself situated as a full time student at the University of Manitoba, and finding a place to live in. There were several accommodation options on and off campus. I was looking for the closest building to the University where I could walk door-to-door with the least exposure to the climate I’m not accustomed to, while staying within my scholarship budget. 

St. John’s College Residence seemed to meet these requirements, but I wasn’t sure how would the life in the seminary residence would be. I didn’t know if religious services at the dorm would cause me being in a state of discomfort.

Timeless Values: On My Honor

4 Comments / My Scouting Experience / By


Values are what set our conduct in life. The Boy Scout Oath, Law, Motto, and Slogan are core values for the development of upright individuals. Interestingly, its short lines are shared and uttered by all scouts world wide, in many languages. A lot of wisdom can be extracted from its abstract, yet to the point sentences.

In 2007, when I was a Scoutmaster for BSA Troop 99, responsible for the personal development of a small group of teenage youth in my neighborhood in Naperville, IL, I was contemplating what the Boyscout of America advertize as Timeless Values. I started to compile my reflections on the Scout Oath and Law, that we teach the young men in our troop. I didn’t have a chance to complete it at that time and publish it. Now, being free from that duty, I would like to share with you my reflections for the sole purpose of empowering the reader, youth and adults, to refocus on living the common esteemed values articulated in the scouting principles.

I would like to go even further to request your contributions to aggregate the knowledge embedded in the diverse community, and disseminate the outcome around. Better understanding of scouting values, commonly shared among cultures, will make a difference in the life of many more youth and adults, as it has already impacted me, my family, my community, and every person I get in touch with.

Winterpeg

2 Comments / My American Experience / By

[Continuation of “Coming to the New World…America“. Illustrates how the people perceptions about places varying from their norms put them in a different state of mind, until personal experience and built up knowledge demystify misconceptions.]

It was almost an hour after midnight on January 2nd, 1989, when I took my seat on Air Canada flight from Toronto to Winnipeg. It has been close to thirty hours since I left Cairo. The toll of the trip and the preparation before it has infused into my senses.