I met Nazanin Meshkat a year and a bit ago. I was shooting a short film called Pooka, written and directed by her partner, Maurey Loeffler. . I thought it was amazing that a woman as important and successful as she; an E.R doctor who volunteered in Africa, who’d travelled the world to help people; was taking time off to support her boyfriend and his film. I could tell she really loved him.

One of the many jobs Naz was given was driving me to and from set. Consequently, we spent hours in the car together. For a woman who has seen a lot of horror, she is remarkably joyful. I was surprised when she asked my advice on the best acting classes in Toronto.

“You want to take an acting class? Really?”

“I love trying new things!”

“How do you stay so positive when you see death everyday?”

“I see a lot of life, too.”

I was intrigued by the way Naz viewed life and lived it. How does she move from a scene of turmoil, distress and desperate chaos to one where people become irate if they have to wait in line too long for a coffee? What upsets me is often trivial, and ultimately, of very little consequence. I know I’m not alone. I thought, of all the people I know, Naz could teach me about perspective. So I sat down with her.

Can you give us some background on where you grew up? If not in Canada, how did you get here?

I was born in Tehran, Iran. Spent my childhood eating pomegranates, fresh walnuts sold by street vendors with their fingers darkened from the walnut oil, corn on the cob dipped in salt, and an occasional Kit Kat – one of the few available Western treats. Iran was secular then. But that changed after the Iranian revolution. A revealing time… I learnt a lot about human will, political twists, and the mob mentality. At the age of seven there were bullets, grenades, a government cracking down on its civilians, disappearing behind the doors of the Evin prison, a sea of women forced to wear veils, practically overnight. After two years, my family moved to Madrid, Spain, where I lived until I turned 18. The love of chorizo, summer holidays, siesta and the fun loving culture weren’t enough to keep me planted in Spain. My family remained in Madrid, where they still live and I ended up in Toronto, by chance (almost ended up in LA) and fell in love with it. A truly multicultural part of the world; living in overall harmony. Nothing like I’d ever seen before. Nothing like I’ve seen since anywhere along my travels. And I’m still here after 20 years. Home.

What motivated you to become a doctor?

No one single thing, really. I was hit by a car when I was 9 and had surgery. My doctor left an imprint on me. Still remember his face, outlined by the operating room lights, looking down at me, as I was waxing and waning in and out of consciousness, and how he told me not to worry. He had the most comforting smile. So I didn’t worry. Thought I’d become a doctor after that. But also wanted to be a dancer. Then a doctor. A spy, a journalist, then a doctor. A writer. Then a doctor. I still want to be a ninja-samurai-spider”wo”man.

When I started university I was still not sure I’d go into medicine. I studied English Literature and the roster of courses that go along with it – Greek Mythology, drama, etc. Not sure what really made me take the plunge into medicine. It must have been the daunting task of reading the Fairy Queen!

What was the greatest challenge in following your dream?

Having other dreams. Wanting to be a dancer. The conflict. The feeling that by becoming a doctor I was selling out on all else.

How did you become an ER doctor?

Well, I completed undergrad, 4 years of medical school, 5 years of specialty training in emergency medicine…that’s the road to take to become an ER doctor. Reading the Fairy Queen, not such a daunting task after all!

What drew you to helping people in such hectic, life and death situations?

The hectic life and death situations.

Can you tell me about some of your work in Africa?

A group of us emergency doctors from University of Toronto (we call ourselves GHEM or Global Health Emergency Medicine) are collaborating with colleagues at the Addis Ababa University- as part of the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (TAAAC). Emergency care is currently quite broken in Ethiopia. Dr. Sisay and a few others have set up the first ever emergency medicine program to train residents to become the first cohort of emergency medicine doctors in Ethiopia. We went there to help train the residents. You can read a bit more about what we did at www.ghem.ca/blog It’s an ongoing collaboration. I will be going again in May.

What was the greatest lesson you learned there?

Here is the lesson I have learnt over 10 years of working in places like India, Papua New Guinea, Iran, and consolidated this time around in Ethiopia. Sustained education and mentorship, while building relationships, can make a difference. A significant difference. Hopping over to some developing country for 3-4 days to teach without knowing the context, or sending over equipment, or going there to “help” out without empowering the local population is mostly detrimental. Well-intentioned, I know. But it mostly serves to make ourselves feel better.

Do you still ‘sweat the small stuff’ even after seeing such huge things?

Yes. No. Depends on the day.

How has your perspective changed since being in Africa and saving lives in the ER?

Hasn’t. I still fundamentally believe that the world needs to be a more equitable place. And since it’s not, it is our responsibility to work towards that goal.

What do you think matters in life, after everything you’ve seen?

My partner, Maurey. My niece and nephew. A street kid, Nati, whom I bonded with in Addis. Family, friends. And Chocolate. Laughter. A good movie. Learning. Letting loose during a modern dance class on a Sunday afternoon. Bottom line, relationships and the little things, the simple pleasures.

What’s next?

Living life in Trinity-Bellwoods, and enjoying my morning latte at White Squirrel, and a chocolate-banana-peanut butter croissant at Clafouti. Shopping at Thieves, my favourite store in Toronto. And, yes, working in the ER. I’m also looking forward to the next trip to Addis in May.

Naz signs off from her email quickly and with love, rushing out to work. I wonder when I’ll see her again. I know we’ll want to make plans but life will get in the way. Maybe the next time I see her I will be a little closer to understanding what matters. Today I’ll try to remember to be careful in how I interpret the world, because ultimately, it’s all how you look at it.

Vist Naz’s blog.

~Katie Boland