by Sheetal Makhan / AYC
Whenever I have to describe the meaning of “passionate” to my students, I use my own example of my job. I don’t use this word lightly, yet I can say that I love what I do. I’m passionate about the work I do and service I provide to my students. It’s like a fire that burns in your heart – one that gets you out of bed in the morning!
A couple of months ago, I learned that one of our AY students, Mohamed Elafshouk of Libya has a passion that may come as a surprise to many people, as it was to me. In Libya, Mohamed’s life revolves around…pigeons! I found it so endearing how he spoke about his love for these animals and regards them as his friends. When I got to talk to him about this, I invited him to give a lecture to share not only his love, but knowledge of these birds which we actually know little of. We got to know of their diet, living conditions and the fact that there are actually so many different kinds of pigeons and are used for various purposes, like racing or being carrier pigeons.
Halfway through Mohamed’s lecture, something incredible happened. Two pigeons suddenly flew into the classroom (Room 3.5). Afterwards, some people asked if perhaps Mohamed made a certain sound to attract them, but he didn’t. He was merely speaking!
“Maybe they came from Libya to support me!” quirked Mohamed. Whatever the case may be, we’ve now given him the special title of “The Pigeon Whisperer” 🙂
Well done on your presentation, Mohamed. Thank you for enlightening us all about these little creatures. I know that I now no longer see them in the same light as before!