http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/ en Copyright 2013 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:45:20 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss When the weekend arrives everybody makes plans and invite their friends over and do something. Most of the time these "plans" are designed in such a way that the host is not moved from his comfort zone and the people invited will always be the same. For example: calling people to your place and watching a movie. The people called will be the ones that you already know for a while. Although this is not bad thing, the problem with this is that you do not meet any new people. Your horizon is shortened and you do not realize what you're missing out in. Often times it may feel like a chore to do something new and that is because you are not comfortable doing, but it really does pay off. I'm not the crazy party animal guy, I'm more like the coffee snob, who likes to read a book and listen to some soft jazz while Im at it. The other night I went to a social gathering at someone's house and I did not know ANYBODY there except for the three people I went with and they knew everyone there so I was left alone. Turns out it wasn't bad at all. Made eight new acquaintances and realized how much in common I had with those people and they have been going to the same university as me. I know it's easier said than done, but if you ever get a chance to do something or go somewhere you have never been, make sure you say yes! Lastly, have a fantastic week ahead and feel free to give me any of your ideas, opinions or comments! http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/04/rare_as_is_true_love_true_frie.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/04/rare_as_is_true_love_true_frie.html Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:45:20 -0600 It's that time of the year where you have to bust your bottoms off. Two weeks to the finals and so much to study. Luckily majority of the classes don't have cumulative final exams, but for a lot of engineering freshmen and sophomores, it will not be easy. The high school I studied at was sooo much harder. We would have four or five sets of exams, all of which counted to your final grade. The syllabus of each subject was completed months before the last exams so you were through by the time you had to give the finals. This is why I came to the United States... well that and because US of A is just awesome! Honestly though, it seems like the last few weeks drag along foreveeeerrr, which is why you need some sort of motivation. Something to make you work harder or in my case, at least work. Through my college life I have realized that majority of the time this is achieved by some healthy jealousy, not just in academics, but in any field. If you feel someone is better than you at something you really want to be good, you tend to work harder. Beware, there is a side effect to this, when you work harder and still do not see results, you quit. Keep in mind that quitting is only going to make it more painful the next time you see that person outperform you. Back to the original subject, final exams. Work hard, stay motivated and finish strong. There is a tutoring center on campus that is always here to help you and the student tutors there are very hardworking and have done their research on the material that they are able to tutor in. Apart from that, a lot of students are willing to help someone struggling in the class, all you have to do is ask. And lastly, don't forget to take a breather when you need one! Have a great week amigos (there goes my two months of Spanish classes!) http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/04/t_2_weeks.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/04/t_2_weeks.html Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:45:34 -0600 With the number of distractions coming up in the twenty first century, someone has to guide the young folks towards the right direction. Have no fear, I am here! Its hard not to get side tracked, but luckily for our generation, there is something know as 'Smart TV'. I haven't wikipedia-ed it because I have my own definition; television that actually makes you learn something new. When you switch on the telly, you're sucked in to the random crap thats playing and you just settle for it. Instead, if you just took out two minutes and flipped through the channels on cable, you'd find something worth watching. I'm not saying you should watch the discovery channel or national geographic, but there are some stations that update you with info on almost any and every tangible object on the planet. Which reminds me, google glass is set to launch. Its rumored to commercially sell at $1500 if any of you readers have some extra money. If you still have something left after that purchase, I'm open to donations. Can't believe these are the last five weeks of school before summer so make the most of it ladies and gentlemen. Have a great (and hopefully sober if you're under 21) weekend! http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/04/smart_tv.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/04/smart_tv.html Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:23:56 -0600 Hope you guys had a fantastic spring break. I travelled to eastern Europe for mine, but my story can wait. The other day my roommate was writing something in a book and I asked him what he was writing. He told me it was his diary. So I asked him to write an article for me, being from Brazil I wanted an insight into how he perceives things. Turns out the article was so heartfelt and touching, I could not help but post it! Here it is... Have you ever noticed how the big things in life are overrated, events like graduation parties, or a big concert that you planned on going to for months. I have to say that for me the best moments in life aren't those ones, but don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying the big events aren't great, because they are. They bring people together and always entitle a great time. My point is how the best moments in everyone's life are actually the small ones, the unexpected moments where everything seems to be perfect.... When you are waiting for a particular moment you put all of your expectations in it. The spontaneous experiences that life surprises us with never fails to amaze me. Is there anything better than receiving a call from an old friend that you haven't seen in years just to chat? Or when your loved one unexpectedly speaks words of love just because its a beautiful day? Or, yet, when all of your friends show up at your place, out of no where, just because they wanted to hang out? I could keep this going for several more paragraphs but I think you got my point. So make sure you live and get the most out of the little and great moments because life flies by fast and one day when you will be able to look back at all the time that makes up your life you'll want to smile at most of those moments that will be engraved on your heart. Pedro Silva I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. Have a great weekend and feel free to share your opinion. Don't forget to check in next week! http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/04/the_best_things_in_life.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/04/the_best_things_in_life.html Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:27:08 -0600 There's a variety of pains in the world. Mental pains, physical pains, emotional pain etc... But the worst of the lot are tooth pains. This is because of the simple reason that we can't see them so we can't cure them. I recently had a friend who chipped a tooth on a really hard biscuit. For the first two or three days, it was alright, but then it got so bad that he stopped talking, eating, even his sleep schedule was messed up! After speaking to a couple of people, we found out that there is a small clinic right down from our university that charges close to nothing for dental problems, the only dilemma was that it was based on a first cum first serve basis and only the first eight people were accepted. So my friend and I pull an al-nighter on a week day and get to the clinic by about 4 am. Not surprisingly we are the first ones there. We're all happy, but our happiness doesn't last long because its 32•F outside and its snowing like there's no tomorrow.... So we start jogging and jumping, at five in the morning, looking like a couple of goons. The clinic didn't open till 8:30am so we had a good four hours to kill. Skipping ahead by A LOT, we get into the clinic and fill out forms and wait till they call our number. Since we were the first in line, my pal got to see the dentist first. After a through examination and evaluation they found a solution for his pain and gave him a prescription... Now it was time to pay the bill (you all know how this goes; $500 for being foreign, $200 for making the dentist wake up so early in the morning, $30 for not brushing your teeth properly and $20 because the government can!) At the cashier, the polite nurse just tells us it's $5; after giving my buddy 24 tabs of 500mg penicillin and 24 tabs of ibuprofen! We were stunned. We expected it to be reasonable but not dirt cheap! Turns out their policy is $5 if you are a first-timer and $10 for every successive visit, NO MATTER WHAT YOU GET DONE!!! I don't know how they make their money, but the point is that there's always good people out there looking to help you, all you have to do look hard enough and find them! Which brings me to my next topic; smartphones. Remember the time the game "snake" was the best on your fathers brick sized Nokia phone? To think that was just ten years ago! Now, I'm writing this blog on the way back to my room after work! To find something has become so easy. All you have to do is type it in your phone and *boom* the results are in front of you in seconds!! I do hope this blog helped you/ helps you in the future. If you want to know anything more, just ask me a question and I'll reply in a jiffy!! Till then, brush your teeth twice a day, floss thrice a week and don't forget to use mouthwash people! Have a great week ahead! http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/02/mathew_25.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/02/mathew_25.html Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:07:46 -0600 Having recently acquired a job which requires me to call people and ask them if they are willing to part with some of their finances, I envisaged what was going through their mind. A lot of times people don't realize what their actions lead to, and the "ripple effect" it can cause. Sometimes being in a certain situation changes the homeostasis of your mind, and makes you feel like you have the upper hand over someone else. Alright picture this if you're an athlete; assistant coach is making you run for forty-five minutes. Towards the end of the workout, he/she stands on your head and looks at you as if saying you need to push yourself harder and it is in this very moment that you want to stop right in front of their face and yell, "why don't you run for forty-five minutes and then let's see if you can run faster!" Your fatigue takes over and you feel like you have the right to say something. Many a times we forget how unsusceptible we can be to the things that we despise when we are put in the same situation. Although this understanding comes with maturity, it leaves equally quickly with time. The smallest thing can trigger the worst of emotions. Hanging around with friends that are close to you and make you feel comfortable, you don't realize your boundaries. When you leave this comfort zone, that is when you are on your own and realize how hard it is to think before you speak. It has been a really long time since I spoke to someone on the phone with bias or prejudice, but I came to this realization after quite a while. Anyway, after reading this blog I hope you come to the conclusion that you can't just say what you want. There are always repercussions, unless you are having out with people who just love you the way you are! Have a great week folks! Feel free to leave a comment or share an opinion! Cheers! http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/02/one_should_treat_others_as_one.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/02/one_should_treat_others_as_one.html Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:24:11 -0600 "Hard work outdoes talent when talent doesn't work hard." When I'm doing something I really like and I feel like I'm not up to my standards, I keep trying till I'm satisfied. I extol football(soccer). Love it more than life itself. I would give up anything to play professional. I am not very good at it, but I love it. I walk it, talk it, read it, watch it! If someone slapped me in the middle of the night just to talk to me about a Manchester United game, I would totally be up for it(not that I am suggesting that you do it, I'm an engineering student, need my sleep). There are times that I really wished I was better, but maybe life has something else planned for me, who knows! With so many new apps and technological advancement, people are getting bored with life. It seems life if you remove an iPad, TV and computer from a teenagers life, he will not know what to do! Our dependence on these items is despicable yet we cannot make do without them. The point I am trying to make is that everyone should find something within them that makes them happy. Not a video game or watching movies, but something that you can spend hours on and its not a complete waste of time and energy. Something that stimulates both sides of your brain, like reading a book, or painting a picture or playing an instrument. Its your passion that makes you stand out from the ordinary John Doe. If you regret not doing something, do it! It may seem hard, but if it makes you happy, you'll find a way to keep going. Have a great week lads! ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/02/_paskho.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/02/_paskho.html Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:40:14 -0600 This semester we had a Brazilian roommate move in. We were a little skeptical at first, but so far we are so glad he is here. Pedro's gotten us some free pizza and cookies and he's a hoot to be around. All of us know some Portuguese proverbs and I now know how to say my favorite footballers name (Cristiano Ronaldo) with the proper Brazilian accent. The weather is so unpredictable. My room is 80 degrees right now. We have to switch on the air conditioner during winter. Never thought I would have to do that. Some days are beautiful and some are pretty gloomy. The second week of school seems so long. Its only a Tuesday, but it feels like a Thursday. Classes are getting complex. Luckily the professors are able to explain the concepts really well. Right now four of my friends and I are watching "That 70s Show". We're having a debate as to whether Fes is Indian or Mexican. The debate is probably never going to be solved. Oh and if your wondering what the title means, it says, "Charity begins at home." Of all the money one earns, never forget your humility and always do a good deed once a week. I don't believe in karma, but I do believe that good things happen to good people. Have a great week! http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/01/a_caridade_comeca_em_casa.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/01/a_caridade_comeca_em_casa.html Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:39:15 -0600 Good morning everyone, well its a good morning for me because I am in London so it might be a good night for you all. Here I am sitting at the London Heathrow Airport and writing this blog on a computer with free internet provided by the airport an hour before my nine hour flight to Chicago. I'm sure winter break and Christmas break must have been much required for all the students after a hectic semester, but the time has come to go at it again... It seems like with every new semester, I want to break some sort of change in me that will make me more unique than an average person. Setting goals that I may never have set before and making rules and regulations on how I should live to make my life better. This new year one of my friends asked me, "What is your biggest acxhievement?". I've pushed my self the hardest I could in everything I do, but a question like this shook me from my roots! Being a nineteen year old man I had nothing impressive to say. If I was Mark Zuckerberg I could have said Facebook was my idea, but I wasn't him and had nothing in comparison to what he had done. It made me think of my life and where its headed... This new year, 2013, is going to be my year and it can be anybody else's too! Things are going to be different, I am going to be different, but for now I have to leave because I might miss my $1200 flight. If you live on campus drop by to Rogers 2C to say hi, if not just leave a comment below. Have a great week! http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/01/a_new_beginning.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2013/01/a_new_beginning.html Tue, 22 Jan 2013 03:08:36 -0600 The Peel mini-car holds the Guinness World Record for the smallest street-legal car in the world. Coolest thing is that it is powered by rechargable batteries and you can connect three batteries at a time, giving you the ability to drive about sixty to eight miles. I've attached pictures of all these below, so you can see just how tiny the car is... Lastly and bestly, Steve Jobs‘ yacht was unveiled in a Dutch shipyard on Sunday, where the unusual boat designed by Jobs and famed minimalist designer Philippe Starck was christened “Venus,” after the Roman goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and victory. The Jobs family gave each of the members of the shipbuilding staff an elegant thank-you note, along with a token gift of their appreciation — an iPod Shuffle with the name of the ship inscribed on the back. The enormous yacht is between 230 and 260 feet long, it’s an extraordinary vessel with teak decks and large panes of ceiling-to-floor glass throughout. The boat is said to have seven 27-inch iMacs on board. It'd be nice to have my own boat, don't think I would be able to afford the 27 desktops though... Hope you enjoyed reading it! Have a great week. ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/11/gadgetscrazy_vehicles_youll_ne.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/11/gadgetscrazy_vehicles_youll_ne.html Sun, 04 Nov 2012 18:05:42 -0600 View image ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/10/under_the_weather.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/10/under_the_weather.html Sat, 27 Oct 2012 18:15:43 -0600 Hello all It is that time of the week where I get to spend half an hour of my "precious" time entertaining those who read this wonderful blog. Let me start with a very interesting fact. A recent study showed that a 26 minute nap improved the performance and alertness of an individual by 34% and 54% respectively. Who would have thought right! Also the majors with the best pay include degrees in Engineering, Economics, and Physics. No wonder we only have few professors for physics in our university, don't think the school can afford any more. The top three schools with the most males are United States Air Force Academy (82% male), California Maritime Academy (82.5% male), and Berklee College of Music (73% male). For all my fellow bro's out there, STAY AWAY from these places (just kidding).The number one country of origin of foreign college students in the United States is India. I'm pretty sure all of you knew that, seeing as how India has the second largest population in the world. Cannot believe a week has gone by so fast. Sometimes I wish time would go slower when having fun, but it never does. By the way, today is "bald and free" day. On the bright side, this week thursday, October eighteenth is CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE DAY! Everybody loves a great cupcake, and the only question really comes down to the best flavour. Strawberry, lemon and vanilla are all good, but Chocolate Cupcake Day hits the nail on the head and dives in at the deep end, promoting gooey, fudgy and intensely chocolately cupcakes. Have a great week! Study hard and party harder, RESPECTIVELY! Feel free to comment and leave a positive or negative feedback. http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/10/did_you_know_this.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/10/did_you_know_this.html Sun, 14 Oct 2012 17:05:14 -0600 ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/10/an_exciting_week.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/10/an_exciting_week.html Sun, 07 Oct 2012 08:51:44 -0600 Two nights ago, there was an armed robbery near campus. Two girls and a guy were the victims. The male was held at gun point and was forced to give his wallet. Fortunately, no one was hurt. I just want to warn everyone out there to be aware of your surroundings. If you are walking late at night, make sure you are not alone and in a well lit place. Always carry your cell phone and report suspicious activity as soon as possible! In other news, the tech volleyball team has been flawless this weekend, winning every game they played, the last one being the hardest as they played five sets and ended the game with a victory. For those of you who do not know how this works, a volleyball game is played in a best of three style; meaning one team has to win two sets of twenty five points each to win the game. If both the teams win two sets, it goes to a fifth set of fifteen points. Tech won the fifth set! Apart from that, my roommates' girlfriend is in town and she made gluten-free dark chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. They were delightful to my taste buds. Being off the meal plan has given rise to the inner "Gordan Ramsay" in me, and its all thanks to Master Youtube. Just the other day I made sauteed eggplant with garlic and onions. It was (surprisingly) good. The next day I made Mac and Cheese from a box. Lets just say that I put in individual pieces of macaroni, and it came out as one big chunk. That's all for this week folks. Feel free to critic my article. Don't forget to log in next week for some more kkraaazzzyy stuff! http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/09/be_careful.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/09/be_careful.html Sun, 30 Sep 2012 19:47:01 -0600 Hello all. Cannot believe it has already been a month since I have been here. Time passes sooo quickly. This coming week is going to be pretty busy, what with three tests in physics, statics and chemistry respectively. More importantly, this weekend was astounding. One of my roommates lives in Crawfordsville, it is about three hours away from Fort Wayne. So Friday evening at five, five of us start our journey. There was a really bad storm and it was really hard to see even twenty feet in front of you, is what I was told. I did not see it for myself because I was passed out. I was not going to stay awake for three hours in a car! We reach his house and his parents welcome us with open arms. His father said that we have only one rule here, "Make yourself feel at home". And so we did. Eating all their food and using their hot tub (yes, they do have a hot tub, and yes they could have bought a car instead) while it was fifty degrees outside. Playing Mortal Kombat on a fifty-four inch screen while eating his mother's homemade chocolate chip cookies. What an experience! Come Saturday, we woke up at eleven in the morning, and went to shoot some golf balls. Never done that before! It was freezing (don't judge me, I live in Dubai, it is a hundred and ten degrees on average) and I was so not up for it, but they convinced me and I am glad I succumbed to their words. The sport requires a lot of focus. It may seem easy when Tiger Woods drives a ball, but it takes a really high level of concentration to hit the ball. If you don't, its called a "whiff'. I won't say how many times I "whiffed' the ball, but it was a nice two digit number. We then played some Frisbee and then basketball in his backyard and then went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. In the evening, we played some poker (without money of course, we can barely afford to get enough toilet paper for the semester, there's no way we can afford to pay for poker) and called it a night. As for today, today is homework day. Well homework and American football with a home-cooked meal from his mother. I would just like to thank Mark (my roommate), Janet (his super talented chef-mother) and Fred (his father) for their warm hospitality and pleasurable company. Make your o-k week great. Peace out http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/09/a_weekend_in_crawfordsville.html http://blogs.targetx.com/indianatech/Vikram/2012/09/a_weekend_in_crawfordsville.html Sun, 23 Sep 2012 10:36:28 -0600