Vikram is now using Facebook in English (UK)

Yes, yes - you did read the title right. After months of sheer, utter, total and complete boredom, I've decided to join the rest of the civilised world on Facebook. If you've been a regular reader of my meanderings over the past few months, you'd have noticed a fair few posts belittling and deriding the entire world of Social Networking. So what prompted the change of heart?
Well, apart from the aforementioned boredom, (see the first line for the qualifying adjectives) I found that I know (OK, not "know know", rather "know of" or "know about") a lot of people, and this is perhaps the only place I can find almost all of them. So whether it's my high-school reunion (which I missed, thanks to me being a self-styled social hermit) or a friend's birthday, I won't be in the dark any more. (hopefully)
However, this does not mean that I'm a fan of the medium. Photos, videos, and random likes/comments are fine, but I don't expect to find myself taking quizzes like "which barnyard animal does so-and-so resemble?" OR "which word suits so-and-so the best" OR even the oh-so-tempting "which character from Housefull do you best identify with". I mean, come on, if anyone bears any resemblance to characters from that awful movie, it's time to lock them up and throw away the key, preferably into an active volcano. Neither do I expect to find myself "poking" friends. (speaking of which, I've never got the idea of a "poke" - what the hell is it anyway?) And don't even get me started on MafiaWars or FarmVille. Raising a cow/sheep/pig/tractor is fun isn't it? NOT.
Time-consuming rubbish apart, Facebook is still a powerful tool (if used properly, and for the "right" reasons), and I was a bit of an idiot to stay away from it for so long. Well, as they so famously say - Better late than never!

Adiós and Muchas Gracias, NITK!

Well, after almost four years, eight semesters, and countless incidents to remember, this is it. This is, in all likely-hood, going to be my last post as a student of NITK, Surathkal. I have a lot to be thankful for - a fantastically diverse set of friends, a set of great experiences that can only be had in a hostel like mine, innumerable incidents which define who and what I am... - the list is endless. A few (material only - friends always come first on any list) activities and places of note that I will miss: Football, GNPD, Endless Ranting about the deplorable Mess, Bureaucracy and what not, Arbit and totally last-minute Trips, Suraj, Amul, Nescafe, Mega Block, SD Canteen...
In terms of what I take home with me, nothing can be more valuable than the things I've learned about myself. As I stare outside my window at the rest of the campus, I can't help but marvel at the transformation that has happened to me, during the four years I've spent here. Every little victory, every little set-back, every little moment of doubt - they've all added to the Vikram Gulati that leaves here tonight. I've made and lost friends, and in some cases, even re-made them. I've learned the art of sharing, the art of giving, and more painfully, the art of speaking (or rather not speaking :D). I've traveled a fair deal, literally crossing streams and climbing mountains :P. I've learned how to appreciate good food, yet developed the art of eating almost anything with a smile on my face. I've learned how to stay positive, and the magical skill of keeping myself occupied. I've also learned how to appreciate the small things that make every single day beautiful - the way the rain falls, the flowers on the trees, the crash of the waves on bare rocks, the effortless flight of an eagle - things that would have escaped a 17-year-old version of me.
As I've said before, I have a lot to be thankful for, and this post, if at all it has any point to it, is simply to say just that - Thank You, NITK!