On my first night at home (that is to say, namely speaking, the Parental Abode), we had over a guest and his son for dinner. Bigwig at the University of California, was the guest: so biggywiggy that he just called it ‘UC’, not UCLA, or UCBerk, or UCIrvine, or even (sneer) UCSD.
Bigwig medical researcher told us about a student he had interacted with the previous day, a Muslim called Mohammed. Mohammed is a Hazaara Afghani, and if you’ve read The Kite Runner you know what that means. Persecution and rape by ethnic Pashtuns in your own country; all that kind of thing.
So Mohammed’s dad was killed by the Taleban, poor fellow. His mom remarried, but their troubles didn’t end, what with the Soviet invasion and all. So when Mohammed was 14, he crossed the border– solo– into Pakistan, and managed to apply for and receive asylum in the United Kingdom despite not speaking a word of English. He went to that country alone, taught himself English, finished high school, graduated from UCL, and now, 8 years after landing in England, is a medical student at Cambridge ( = fantastic grades in college) and a visiting scholar at Vellore. He plans to visit his parents in Afghanistan next month, for the first time in 8 years.
Now that’s what I call courage, Volume 1.
Feel good about what you’re doing with your life right now?
10 July 2009 at 5:13 pm |
WOW!
…and that’s all I can say!
10 July 2009 at 10:17 pm |
Thats some grit and determination the man has shown.
On an aside, the Cambridge admission committee gives more weightage to life experiences and skills than to top grades. That is to say that if you have average grades but have experienced so much more in life than the average Paul (like our friend Mohammed here), then they’d bring out the red carpet for you.
Outta curiosity, what was Junior Bigwiggy’s reaction to the story? He must’ve heard it a zillion times now.
10 July 2009 at 11:54 pm |
this is bullshit!!
10 July 2009 at 11:59 pm |
really! he can kiss my ass.
11 July 2009 at 1:33 am |
Actually, I’m happy with my life. But good for him, pretty good story.
11 July 2009 at 7:52 am |
hmm. by parents in Afghanistan, meaning step-father and biological-mother, right? interesting. boy must write a book.
11 July 2009 at 10:42 am |
Awww. breaks my heart, this tale does.
Actually it doesn’t.
The one that did break my heart was this one – http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5654II20090706
How can anyone deny help to these wonderful people who are the only reason the country is even on the map of global tourism?
11 July 2009 at 2:48 pm |
Feeling good about myself RIGHT NOW?
Not really.
*gulp*
All I’m doing is sitting on my ass, eating chocolates, worrying about by next manicure and ofcourse sending out resumes to grab a decent job.
But man, that was an inspiring story!
11 July 2009 at 2:48 pm |
my*
13 July 2009 at 11:08 am |
That totally blew me away..
13 July 2009 at 11:29 am |
Uhm, last Saturday I managed to walk the 200m from my cab to the apartment, completely inebriated, without getting run over by a bus or being physically assaulted by any one of my fans or any rapist. FURTHERMORE i made it just on time to the toilet bowl to regurtitate a night of salmon avacoda sandwich, 8 martinis, one gin and tonic and one random shot which may have been laced with rohypnol.
beat that.
hi pera! hello! hello!
14 July 2009 at 12:56 pm |
Hello Manisha! Good for you, walking 200m. I’m glad the physiotherapy is paying off. Be careful not to overstrain your thigh muscles again. Rohypnol– date drug?
CW, Miss M, Kenny, Than, Aanchal– yep, quite the story.
14 July 2009 at 12:58 pm |
Monty– The only reason? Have you never furtively rolled a J in a bar and wished there were a place it were legal?
Manju– Bullshit why?
Rumpel– Did Cambridge turn you down? Junior Bigwiggy sat there looking perfect in an unchootiya way. He must get a lot of action at Stanford.
21 July 2009 at 12:19 am |
arrey, bhai, hai toh hai bs hehe
He did good for himself, no doubt, but what is it really worth that is the question.