Autobiography:
Lucky enough to be born and raised in the magnificent city of Shiraz in a loving family with parents being both teachers and two lovely sisters, one elder and one younger. Located in south-central Iran Shiraz is swarmed with glory and grandeur, enfolding lots of beautiful gardens, archeological significance, and cultural centers. It’s one of the most fascinating destination for those who visit the country. Not far from the city, there are ruins from Persepolis, the ancient capital of Persians the largest empire the world in 550 B.C.
I went to Besat primary school which was just by walking distance from where we used to live and soon became passionate about writing, arts, and poetry. I had a chance of studng at a school where my mum was a teacher thouh I never was her student. My father was a biology teacher, the topic I was interested but did not get into it as I chose mathematics and physics in high school and got away from natural sciences which was the pathway to medicine and healthcare careers.
My intermediate (or so called as guidance school) was Tohid located on the top of a hilly district north of Shiraz named Chencheneh. If I missed the school bus, I had to walk up the hill for an hour to get to school which felt like climbing a mountain for a 15 years old! maybe that wa my inspiration to become so passionate about hiking and climbing when I grew up.
Tohid high school was the next destination when I got 18. A very competitive school with an intense entrance exam in that only 1% of the applicants were qulified to get admission. Almost all of the graduates every year would get admission from top ten universities of the country. Tohid was located in Ghasrodasht St., a well known location for lots of old pine trees and beautiful landscape shaping one of the longest street of the city. Obviously in such a vibe, one would be overwhelmed with long hours of study and preparation for tough exams. The school was benefiting from the most experienced teachers with the great training facilities of its time. The outcome was outsanding! The exams we uded to take was far more difficult than the entrance nationeside exam for the universities. I was so passionate about Mathematics and Physics and wanted to become an industrial engineer.
I was ranked 382 amoung almost 1 million of applicants, an outstanding outcome that let me enter the leading instutute of Iran in engineering and science and technology. Over 4 years of studying industrial and systems engineering at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, I found so many friends who have changed my life in many aspects. I found myself a new born into a world of learning and passions. I became interested in playing Tar a persian old instrument which I fell in love quickly, singing traditional Persian Avaaz, acting in drama, joining the hiking groups and climbing to so many mountains in north of the country. I even was awarded the best actor in a play by the Fajr students festival, one of the most important events.
After graduation and following a faliure the post-gradute entrance exam, I decided to gain experience of working in industry and practive what I learnt. I was offered a job by a German company which was active in mines and metal industry and was contracted to the second largest steel making plant of Iran located in Ahwaz. Summer can reach up to 55 degrees here so working next to a gigantic machine contineously casting a steel slab of 800 degrees was a reliefe! That one year was teh time I started exploring around the city and visiting many places during the weekend. Hanging our with lots of locals who sometines were speaking in a language and dialects unfamiliar to me. I also started learning how to swim thanks to the company’s pool facilities which was easily available to the staff. After one year of working in Ahwas while I was also preparing myself again to try the university exam, I moved back to my hometown and with the savings I have built up, I manage dto buy my military service and save 2 years of my lifetime! benefiting the purchasing policy that got canceled just 3 days later!
I got 8 among almost 2000 applicants who were struggling to get into the public universities for post-graduate studies. Soon again, I foudn myself in my previous university, Sharif. Apparently I was lucky that the German company accepted that I can still work for them in their Tehran’s office. Post-graduate study was 2 years and I could focus again on my hobbies like hiking, traveling, sports, and acting. I remember that we often used to go to theatre to watch the plays and I carried on my exploration as a backpacker around the country. My first adveture overseas was when I decided to borrow a small backpack, camera, and a warm jacket from friends to spantaneously fly to Norway through Moscow and visit 11 countried down to Spain. It was following a canceled cycling trip that was meant to be organized with 3 of my friends but no body could make it until I decide to do it by myself!