BY NAUSHERWAN AZIZ (MAN/III)
Name: Mohammad Usayrim Rehman
Department: Electrical and Electronics Engineering/I
Country of Origin: Pakistan
What do you like best about Turkey?
The Turkish people’s regard for hitchhikers. My friends and I casually joke about how one can hitchhike their way to any part of Turkey. This just goes to show the hospitality of the Turkish people: a simple beckoning using the thumb, and people will go out of their way to help you.
Are there any similarities between Turkey and your home country?
Apart from the shared Islamic values, the Turkish and Pakistani cultures are very different.
What will you miss most about Bilkent/Turkey?
Ankara’s weather. Hailing from Pakistan, it is, sometimes, a nice feeling to have the sweltering sun at bay.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
I love hanging out with my friends on the Bilka hill, especially when it’s sunny, with the picturesque view of the city painted in front of us.
What’s your favorite Turkish food and/or favorite part of Turkish culture?
My favorite food item here in Turkey is the Turkish İskender. The world needs to learn from Turkey how to control the texture of meat.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
Hopefully pursuing work on artificial intelligence somewhere in the world.
What’s the hardest challenge you’ve handled in Turkey?
The Turkish language. Me taking my time to familiarize myself with the language, and Turkish people’s constant exhibition of English-phobia (especially outside Bilkent) have a habit of putting me in a tight spot.
What cities have you visited in Turkey?
Hopefully I’ll get to add more to the list, but up to now I’ve only visited İzmir, and it’s spellbindingly beautiful how they’ve integrated the sea into city life.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Not many people know this, but I’m handsomely good at roller-skating. Now that you mention it, it’s occurring to me that the slopes of Main Campus are ideal for the activity.
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent/in Turkey?
The infamous question as to whether “Greek yogurt” is Greek or Turkish in origin is amusing.
Describe yourself in three words.
Tall (narcissism well intended), competitive, slightly OCD.
If you could master any skill, which one would you choose, and why?
Archery. I don’t why, but the peace and calm the sport brings with it has always fascinated me.