Questions & Answers

This is a compilation of questions I get asked almost everyday about DJ life, my fight against global hunger and of course The Big Journey and its parallel projects.

I figured that if people ask me the same questions, it’s just easier to create a specific page where I will answer them in a way or another. Admittedly, I do not include all of the questions, that would defeat the purpose of an FAQ!, and I also add the rather amusing questions that I receive.

Be advised that the tone may come across as cocky at times but I assure you, it’s sheer cheekiness. I am a nice guy, ask my best friends who’d never rat me out! But, I digress… on to the questions!

DJ related – FAQs

What’s you real name?

JaBig

Come on! What’s your real name?

JaBig! Okay, I Give in! Let’s just say that if you knew how to use “The Google” you’d figure it out in a sec!

Are you a professional DJ (ie: full-time DJ)?

Yes. While obviously most of the DJing happens during the weekend, whatever I do during the day is meant to support my career.

How long have you been DJing?

Now, you’re asking too many questions for which the answers are public because you did not bother to read my bio. Why don’t you head to my profile write-up please?

Big Journey – FAQs

Are you really driving around the world by car?

Yup! I will get in one car and drive the whole wide world until I have visited and performed in all the countries I can get into. There are 192 countries in the world in total, I hope to visit all of them?

All 192? What about places such as —– (names of countries with US and Canadian Travel advisories)?

Well, I will try to go into as many as possible. But safety comes first and I have to get the countries permission to enter (if they say yes, they give me a visa, if they say no, they decline it).

How long are you going away for?

I am betting 3-4 years but I am saying this to appease the people who will miss me back home (Montreal). People who drive in as many countries without stopping for long do it in such a timeframe but I will be making many stops along the way in various cities and touring some countries inside out and so I bet that it may take up to five years. But the sure answer I can give is that I will be away until the mission is complete.

Are you not going to miss your family, friends, foes?

Truth be told, my family and friends can’t wait to see me go because it gives them a good excuse to come join me in some exotic places for a week or two. And in this era of Facebook, Twitter, email, mobile and satellite phone, am I really going to be that far? (By the way, I don’t have any foes – or so I like to believe!)

Aren’t you scared? You can get hurt in a car accident, by mean people, etc…?

Bad things happen to people no matter where they are. At the time of this writing, two days ago, I escaped a bicycle accident on a Montreal street, my hometown, because the driver did not check the blind spot and did not see. Luckily, I bailed out on time. So to answer your question: nope! I would say that the only thing that scares me is being stuck some place and being attacked by bears or hyenas. As for people, I will just pray that my fast 100m sprint saves me!

How are you going to cross oceans? You can’t drive on water!

Ships or car ferries.

Even Antartica?

Yup!

But Antarctica is very cold! Will survive?

You should try Montreal in February!

This Big Journey of yours is such a complex project! Do you have any help?

Yes, I do. A team of talented individuals is helping me out to organize the tour and its related projects, initiatives and campaigns. I am working towards the objective of only having to drive, DJ, write my blog entries and contributions while the teams helps me out with all other aspects of this big journey.

But there are so many projects! Are you and how are you going to cope?

There’s a say that goes in the lines of: “If you want something done well, give it to a busy person”. I may haste to add that yes, I am busy but like mentioned above I have help from a great team!

Are you really going to appear in over 500 radio shows in North America alone?

Yup! You know… being on the radio is really like talking to a friend. This time I will speak to millions at once. And I LOVE to speak. Actually, I speak more than I should which always gets me in trouble but I am also blessed with the art of playing innocent!

How may I help you out?

Let me finish planning the journey and drive off and then we shall talk. In the meantime, you can spread the world by sending your friends over to my website, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks!

If you really, really, really want to help me out with my Big Journey, why not take a second to see how you can help the World Food Programme and I in fighting global hunger? I will have my own donation and campaign page up soon but in the meantime, please see how you can help in feeding the hungry millions. Thanks once again!

Fight Against Hunger – FAQs

Why hunger?

Because food is something so essential. Without food, no one can reach its potential and peace cannot come to the world. I have been lucky to have access to food all my life but I grew up and have traveled in countries where food is scarce and people go to bed hungry at night. It’s really that straight forward.

Do you really think that hunger can be eliminated?

Yes! Everyone knows that there’s enough in the world to feed the planet over. The problem is getting it to people who need it. Hilary Clinton said it best: “The question is not whether we can end hunger, it’s whether we will.”

I would encourage you to check out www.wfp.org and you will not believe what you read and hope that you will be enlightened.

Why do you support the United Nations World Food Program and not other NGOs aka nonprofits such as the Red Cross, UNICEF or other grassroots operations that are more efficient?

Wow, that’s one loaded question! I feel like I am going to be nominated for a supreme court seat and am being grilled.

Anyway…

My support for the WFP is personal and also strategic in my own thinking.

I grew up in countries where the WFP was active and liked what I see. From a very young age, I promised myself to  do my bit. Also, hunger is an issue that’s close to my heart as it hurts me to see children, women and men dying because they do not have food which is readily available sometimes a few kilometres away.

The reason I chose a large agency is because of the economies of scale that work in their favour. A large charity like the WFP can make $20 dollars go farther than a grassroots group contrary to popular belief.

The other reason is that by supporting the WFP as a donor and partner, I can eventually chose the projects that I want to support such as the School Meals program because I believe that a well-fed child that goes to school is powerful step in curbing poverty.

I still support grassroots operations and projects though. A percentage of proceeds of some of the projects related to The Big Journey are donated to small charities while my Charitive initiative trains small nonprofits to raise awareness for their cause and charity to subsequently raise more funds thus becoming more independent and able to carry out their mission.

I like small nonprofits because they fill the gaps that big NGOs cannot fill. They’re all a part of the same family that’s doing good and I support them all. It’s just that since the World Food Programme is bigger and more famous, it’s my contribution to them that gets most attention and credit.

More questions added as they’re asked…