My Customary New Year Blog Post!!!

I have been away from blogging for almost six months and hence I was a big deal for me to break the inertia to start writing a blog-post. But I had to break that inertia because I want to start writing again. And what can be a better day to restart my activity on blogosphere. Moreover, the past year was so full of internal joy, peace and happiness that it would be unfair if I do no cement my gifts from the past year by writing them here. This is a break from my usual New Year posts where I would write about some philosophical wisdom and will eventually decide to follow that philosophy. I think this is an apt change because a lot of times what happens with our lives is completely unexpected and not according to our plan.

Without further ado, let me now briefly talk about some of the most beautiful things which happened to me last year in no particular order. It should be noted that a lot of these things are related to each other in that one of these things was affected or influenced by the other or one led to the other.

1. Instructor at Virginia Tech

I was the instructor for ENGE 1215 (Foundations of Engineering-1) during Fall 2014. Teaching 56 beautiful students was very satisfying. I believe that I love someone when I am ready to go to any extent for their happiness and success, and I felt the same for each of my students. Moreover, it was extremely gratifying whenever any of my students told me that they enjoyed being in my class.

2. Friends

I believe friends occupy a very important aspect of my life. Last year I made a few friends who I can rely on in case of any need. If you are my friend and you are reading this, I promise you I will be with you every time you need me.

3. Self-Identity

Last year, I was able to free myself with years of guilt and agony over my own self-identity. I tried to openly embrace who I am and it was a feeling like no other. I am extremely happy that I got the required support from the people around me to do this.

4. AcrossBorders@VT

I along with my friend Hoa started a group at Virginia Tech to provide support to those people who identify themselves as part of sexual minority and were born and brought up in a non-American culture.

I have purposefully written only a few sentences under each of the above-mentioned headings. If you are interested in any of these aspects of my life, please feel free to talk more about it with me. I absolutely love talking about any of these things.

And to close it, I would just say:

“Life is beautiful and there is love in the air, enjoy the life and feel the love!”

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! :-)

Facebook Friends

I always wondered whether Facebook and other such social networking sites actually help in making friends, or strengthening one's relations with the existing friends. I always saw Facebook as a place where people became 'friends' with others but never got connected with them. People made friends on Facebook whom they even didn't talk to ever. And some guys and gals used Facebook as a 'date search' forum to find out somebody to have a date with.

That's why I was probably one of the last few persons in my class to make a profile on Facebook. Even when I joined Facebook, it was a mere 'time pass' activity where I whiled away my boredom or just killed my extra time. I confess that Facebook became an integral part of my life but only the way the 'idiot box' becomes an integral part of some people's life. They spend a lot of time with it but get nothing out of it in return except for time waste.

But lately, my viewpoint about these online social networking sites and online friendships has changed. Okay let me rephrase it by saying that my viewpoint has slightly altered. I would have never become a good friend with Chirag had it not been for the online chats we use to do regularly. I think the amount of conversation we have had in one year after leaving the college must be at least four times more than the total conversation we had in the four years of college. And most of the conversation after college has been online, that too only through chats. The Outcome: A stronger friendship between us!

Similarly, had it not been Facebook, I would have never even known Nithya and Aman. I came to know about both of them through the PRS (Lamp Fellowship) page and as a result got to meet these people, with whom I have spent nice times. And I must thank Zukerberg today for making something as good as Facebook that I am friends with both of them. Hope many more nicer times are in the line! Both of you guys listening?

Not that after praising 'Facebook and online chat boxes' above, I have ,all of a sudden, become greatest of fans of these things. I still believe that the value of time these kill is much more than the value of 'total benefits' (which include the drawbacks of addiction, getting into wrong habits of random chat boxes discussing  'not so good' stuff etc) which these offer. But it again depends on the individual how to use these 'online goodies' for his/her own benefit!

And who cares if one gets to strengthen the circle of friends around? At least I don't! :-)