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What does an investment banker do when he walks into a sandwich shop for lunch at 2:30 only to be told that they are closed? He sees the potential, and starts planning to open one of his own, where tasty sandwiches will be served in a customer-friendly ambience. Anees Sultan, division manager, investment banking, NBO, has been in the business of what he calls "bridging the gap between a good idea and scarce resources and a lot of resources and no idea," for enough years to spot a good idea when he sees one. And a sandwich shop in CBD area, he feels, is spot on. A second encounter at the sandwich shop when he was told that only two items on the menu were available has only strengthened his resolve. He agrees that a decent sandwich shop where executives can grab a quick bite is not a novel idea. "Many may have thought about it, but someone has to execute it."

And it's not just the sandwich joint that Sultan has on his mind. His first children's book, Jasir and The First Ant House, is to be published soon in English and Arabic. A children's story may be the last thing you expect from a successful banker with a bachelors degree in finance and masters in business administration, but then Sultan has always followed his dreams. From a multinational bank job to selling ice-cream and perfumes, from dabbling in business by launching a brokerage firm to an investment banker, Sultan says he has never been afraid of change. "I really feel people should change jobs. Even if you don't want to change the field, you should change the company." He says he has never understood why people are afraid of change. Just as he doesn't understand why nobody likes debates. "In Oman, as a society we are afraid of debate it is considered a difference of opinion, a fight. Nobody looks at it as a constructive way of arriving at a better conclusion."

Coming back to the story behind the storybook, Sultan explains, "This is one of the stories I made up for my son,Yousif. Every evening, instead of reading out from storybooks, I would narrate impromptu stories to him. Jasir the ant and his houses was one topic Yousif never tired of. So I just wrote it down." And writing is something that comes naturally to him, though he prefers to be modest about it. "It is a developing passion. I'm not a born writer. I have to be in the right frame of mind to write."

The children's book is topped by two more: a collection of short stories based on characters he has come across and another on the behaviour pattern of investors in the Gulf. And he has already planned a sequel to the Jasir story, where the ants will be in an Omani environment and they will be wearing dishdashas. Not surprising, considering the fact that he has strong views on the 'Disneysation' of Arab folk heroes. "The Arabic characters we are now familiar with are what Disney has given us Ð be it Aladdin or Sindbad. Our image of them is painted by the Disney vision. As a kid I read about many more Arab folk heroes. I want to revive a few of those characters for our kids."

So what's the future: investment banking or entrepreneur-author? Sultan is non-committal. "Investment banking is high-stress job but I enjoy that." Then it hits you. Speculating the future plans of someone who's not afraid of change, of someone who would rather act than be a passive observer, is ridiculous. It is better left open ended, with no full stops.