My name is Izzah and I’m from Multan, Pakistan. I hope, especially in these difficult times, that you are doing well. A little bit about me, well, I am currently an O level student who is particularly interested in pursuing Botany in the future. My love for plants aside, I also love music and am actually part of a small local band in my area with my friends.
Though precious little people (at least from here) are interested in a career as a botanist, the complexities and inner workings of a plant have been a topic that has always interested me for a long time. It began when I used to tend to my home’s garden with my grandmother ever since I was 7 years old and since then plants have always been an integral part of my life. What do you like doing? I’d love to hear about it! I am fortunate to have grown up in a place where multiple varieties of fruit and ever-green trees were abundant. Pakistan is known for our fruit and I’m so glad I got to be able to partake in delicious aam (mangoes), oranges and more! I would especially love the huge tree in the centre of the nearby park, it never seemed to change or falter in the face of the elements, and I still fondly remember playing around it as a child.
Continuing with nature, I am also very fond of animals. We have a couple of stray cats that we took in and cared for as our own. Two of them are very recent, having only been around for a month at most. I love taking care of them and coming back home to the furry things after a long day is really lovely. Lately I have been spotting a bunch of chickens around my street, although I hope they don’t end up fighting with the cats! Do you have any pets?
Coming to music, I was always drawn to the soothing and melodic beats of traditional songs, whether the strums of the sitar, drum of the tabla or harmonium, there is something unique in the sounds of each specific area throughout South Asia. Our little group was started to continue this celebration for music that unites and entertains. Though, at the moment, it’s not more than a hobby I entertain with my close friends, it is definitely something close to heart. I am so happy to have been sent your recommendations and will definitely check them out! And I agree, music does have that uniting factor that we cannot deny, because at the heart of it we share such a similar language. Recently, my friends and I have developed a newfound interest in the artists showcased in Coke Studio (as you have mentioned as well), specifically melodious pieces by Abida Parveen (a favourite being https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D4vNcK6D38 that I may have listened to a few hundred times since its release). Though I wasn’t as up to date on Indian singers, one artist a friend of mine has always obsessed over is Arijit Singh and she definitely inducted me into the fanclub when I heard the song Agar Tum Saath Ho (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK7riqg2mr4). I am looking forward to increasing that list soon from songs and artists in your given playlist. I am still learning, but I hope to polish my skills in many areas of music, from singing to playing string instruments to learning music theory and mixing; maybe I will be one of the artists you listen to someday!
This is my first time being a part of an exchange like this, but I do find it strange it is not already a common occurrence since I know people from Pakistan and India always have so much common ground to talk about! I greatly enjoyed reading a bit of your story through your letter and hopefully you got to know more about me too from mine. Till next time!
Love from,
Izzah
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