Do you remember when you used to write autobiographies about yourself when you were in elementary school?
Well, here is one I have written several years ago, and updated it from time to time.
I have graduated from the University of Toronto (St. George campus) with a Specialist in Italian and a Minor in European History.
I'm 5'8/160, totally independent and have an Italian and Iranian background.
I live downtown, in the King/Bathurst area.
I'm currently employed as a Media Analyst/Italian Translator for the Government of Ontario.
I also have recently started a new additional job, as the Regional Merchandiser for an imported bottled water company.
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Growing Up
My parents were living in Iran when my mom became pregnant. The war broke out between Iran and Iraq, and my parents fled to Italy where I was born on July 6th, 1979 in Lecce, Puglia. My mom is Italian (Pugliese)
and my father Iranian (Shirazi).
I grew up in southern Italy till I was 7, and then we moved to Calgary for a few months, and finally ended up in
Toronto where we had a lot of family already
(on my dad's side).
Growing up in Canada was very difficult for me, as
I could not speak the language, felt alienated due to
my cultural difference, and didn't know anyone.
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My Family
My mother gave birth to my sister Leila, and after a year she had an accident in which she received 2nd and 3rd degree burns over much of her upper body. This
devastated me and my family, and I thank God
everyday that she turned out to be ok, even though the scars on her neck, chest, and arms, always remind
me of how precious she is to me and my family.
My sister and mother are the most beautiful and special people in my life and I love my sister with all my heart (even though I don't show it at times). I cherish the fact that she is such a decent and loving individual, and only strive to be how she is.
My relationship with my father was very hard on
both of us growing up, as we were so similar and yet so different
at the same time. As I matured, I
came to realize how
much love he has for me
and now that I am a mature
adult, I can see him
as a figure that I respect, listen
to for advice
and try to assist as much as I can.
My parents were not accustomed to the North American way of life, and I was left out or felt different than my friends who had things a lot easier for them while I was growing up.
We moved around Toronto a lot, from North York, to East York, to York to Toronto, until we finally stuck to the Eglinton/Bathurst area, where I lived since I was 10 till I was 19.
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Education
I went to the following schools:
McKee Public School
Bedford Park Public School
R.H. McGregor Public School
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School
Darcy McGee Catholic School
I attended private school on a scholarship (De La Salle College), and then went to Michael Power/St. Joseph, where I graduated and began to attend Ryerson
Polytechnic University on a full scholarship.
Early Childhood Education was my major of choice,
because of my love for children, but soon I discovered
that the degree was a little too focused for me, and I transferred to UofT.
I speak/understand Italian and English fluently, moderately speak Farsi, and understand it excellently.
I've been working since I was 13, and because we were
all newcomers to Canada, I tried extra hard to make it.
I grew up being extremely frugal with my money,
and am very proud that at my age, I own a car, motorcycles, a condo and various other financial investments.
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Relationships
In terms of relationships, I have had 2 girlfriends.
My first love lasted two years, and when she left me
to date another person, it crushed me greatly.
I could not comprehend why, and was
depressed for several months. I then dated
another girl for 9 months, and when we broke up,
it still continued on somewhat of a friendship basis.
I really do want a meaningful relationship with
someone special but I find that it is so difficult to find.
Just as I am selective of a love interest, the
same thing applies for a friendship. I have
very few friends but the ones I do have,
I keep very close and respect their friendship
to the fullest. My friends are all individuals
who I share an unconditional love relationship
with. They are there for me no matter what
and in turn I am always there for them.
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Interests
My love in life is traveling, movies, cooking,
natural bodybuilding, and motorcycles. I've been throughout North and Central America, and Europe.
I'm looking forward to continuing my worldly travel aspirations, with South-East Asia, India,
New Zealand and Australia being my
destinations of top choice.
I've been riding motorcycles for several years. These are the bikes that have been a part of my life so far.
Vespa Moped 50
Kawasaki Ninja 250
Kawasaki Ninja 500
Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R
Honda Nighthawk 650
Honda CB900F Supersport
Honda VFR Interceptor
After many sacrifices I finally acquired my dream bike.
I've taken a few road trips on it, and done some amateur racing at Cayuga, Mosport and Shannonville racetracks.
My current motorcycle is a heavily modified 1999 Honda VFR Interceptor, which I am infatuated with.
In terms of weight, I've always been a skinny guy.
I started pumping iron and became fed-up with
the fact that no matter how hard I tried; I would
not notice any improvements. After much research,
I changed my diet and workout routine, and climbed
from 130lbs to 180lbs. My strength skyrocketed,
and I have continued ever since. I'm very anal of
what I eat, and how I live my life.
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Future
In terms of future endeavors, I would have to say my primary goals would be to travel and experience various cultures as much as possible.
I live off the satisfaction of learning something new on a daily basis.
Marco Arash
