MEHDI MUJTABA
As far as academics go, I have had flings with plenty of subjects. Math was the high school sweetheart. A chance encounter with A-level economics led to a budding romance. Then came SSE freshman year physics, but eventually got married to Electrical Engineering. That however, is not the end of my story.
The constant, however, is an affinity to knowledge. Be it biology, chemistry, psychology or history. Its human nature I guess. Fascination with the world around us. Apart from that, I believe sports have taught me a lot about life. The value of skill: Honing it with practice, dedication and determination. The value of confidence and temperament: Not panicking and being in your peak physiology when the going gets tough or the stakes are high. Leadership: Leading by example. A cliché but still. Not blaming or coming down hard on your team mates. How a good leader makes up for bad followers. Improvisation and common sense: How you can outsmart people if you cannot overpower them. Substance alone is not the end of the road, though. Style is important. Explains why I would pay to watch Fedex over Rafa and Arsenal over Chelsea. On a totally different note, I have no satisfactory explanation as to why I love capturing mountains and clouds. Have found moments of true inspiration in places like Quetta, Margalla foothills, Murree, Kalabagh etc. Faiz Ahmad Faiz is a literary giant. Again, find no reason what makes his ghazals so intense and enjoyable. Ahmad Faraz does a more than convincing impersonation of him. Two historical figures I would love to meet, in theory. And speaking of emotional intensity, any book which arouses a strong emotion is a good book. Does not have to be a feel good, happy ending. May even be a tragedy: Wuthering Heights, Jude the Obscure. Though I must admit, my current lifestyle allows only magazines and news. DAWN.com, TIME.com. Totally random notes Italian food is great, Country Pomegranate Juice is love, Elena Dementieva is beautiful, and Ghajini is A.R.Rehman's musical performance of the decade. |