Live and Learn

Today, I experienced first hand public speaking about a valid and genuine topic about the Bhagvad Geeta. It would almost be incorrect to say it was an uplifting experience only. It was the commencement of understanding and applying this transcendental knowledge to the choices I make in life. The speech I delivered was primitive and covered only the surfaces of the deeper meanings. Am I disappointed with myself for this? No, not for the fact that I actually enabled myself to produce at least a few words of what I believe and what I feel. If there is a slight wish, it is for next year to bring me the topic in time and for me to realize that this is my opportunity to explore the Geeta further and create a seamless future where I practice what I preach. And I hope that this is the first of many such opportunities in my life where I can compete to conquer myself and do so in full Krishna consciousness without the expectations of any fruitive results since the eternal destination is Krishna Himself.

With these thoughts,
I bid you farewell for now,

-D.P.

Softness of a flower.. Sharpness of a sword

Another amazing week is in the making as one passes along.. Today, I had the chance to go to a 'swadhyay' again after quite a while and it never fails to enlighten and motivate me to a whole different level. For those that may not know, 'swadhyay' (pronounced swaa-dhyaa-ye) is basically a journey of self realizations and awareness. It is about learning from others by yourself. 'Swa' meaning one by themselves and 'adhyayam' meaning learning about. So, you are learning about yourself in one respect. So, the purpose of today's discussion was a person'a character and their influence.. To study this in defining detail, we chose a great sage of the Ramayan time.. 'Vashist'. The character study was done amazingly and I did not know a few of the allusions but got the major gist of the topic. The central topic was his belief and implementation of a 'self-governing society'.. As strange as it may seem, such a society existed and can exist in a lifestyle if adopted with proper fundamentals. All of this was concluded with an upcoming event of Geeta jayanti which is the birth date of the scripture 'Bhagvad Geeta'.. And the topic for this year is 'Geeta-the soft flower.. Geeta-the sharp sword'. Each participant is meant to present for five minute from whatever they have practiced from memory. I personally did not feel I could manage the task at first but the topic seems to have got me thinking about how this is just another excuse for me to open that amazing 'manual for humanity' as Snehal Patel said today. I think it should be a great way to come back to the genuine religion that I once doubted the existence of!

-Dev

Just Another Day?

'In a world that stands still,
I am the traveller that ages till,
I tire of these feign desires and fulfill the true one,
The illusion of age grows on everyone,
Some accept but others adapt,
Accept loving every form and let,
Others adapt to walk their paths someday..'

A few thoughts that came to my mind as I slowly reached to a realization of my nineteenth birthday and some of its implications (late.. but its never too late to at least think about life, is it?). As long as you can believe that you still have reasons to live on with some vigor,and a touch of zest for life. Some memories filled with love and a smile in humility to accompany you as well.

In other news haha.. today was exam number 6 of my university career. Before I'll get a chance to reflect on the exam, I'll have to build some confidence for tomorrow's Linear Algebra midterm. I believed I had assessment anxiety at the beginning of the year but I think I'm starting to realize that it is nothing more than a lack of confidence which I can only get through the medium of hours of practicing (like most people I presume). So, I shall get back to some writing as soon as I conquer victory over exam número 7!

Till then people of the future,
I bid you a good day

11-11-12

Thinking about a line from my notes. 'The medium IS the message' today when Canada remembers their soldiers and sacrifice from historic wars. Countries try to represent themselves and their values, morale, and so much more via growing mediums in today's day and age. Going from the traditional to the ones that create more impact.. They organize summits, press conferences, video messages for the public, radio shows, news paper articles, and now it's all on the web.. An amalgamation of all that we had in parts earlier, put beautifully on one plate for the reader to digest. But these mediums speak so much about their writer. They expose the thoughts of these people.. Sometimes more than one would like. But what could be the hidden message that we take from remembering these events? From the pictures in history books to preserved artifacts in museums? I believe Canada is a country that has actually learned from these occurrences but we still find our troops and diplomats abroad in other countries fighting for one reason or the other. And I think to myself... Will we ever have any country brave enough to be respected and influential to a level where it needs no armed forces at all. And at a larger level, will we ever have a world where knowledge will be the only respected power and where every country is ready to live in a world where they genuinely embody the thought that 'the best weapon is one that does not need to be fired at all'. Does this sound too much like a fairy tale? Is it really over simplifying the situations of our world? Or is it just that these missions, and wars are excuses for achieving selfish goals of those power hungry individuals? Whatever it may be.. It cannot stop a man to try and dream for a better future at the very least. And the dreams will only come true when the voice of millions become one voice and change the present.. Little by little.. We will acquire the world we have dreamed of.. Some day!

Dev

Round 2

Just as one round of midterms have finished.. I will be diving into round 2 of my midterms for Linear Algebra and Calculus next week. It should be a crazy weekend. I have yet to do a lot of work but I anticipate very few challenges in this review. While I began preparing for what some call 'the hell week', I explored another section of my library that has proven its effectiveness in a matter of couple of hours. It was one of the few times when I was more keen on staying in the library and doing work rather than switch gears and go to Product Design class. The lecture was interesting too and made me think about how my engineering career is defining itself more and more every moment I am in class and every time I make the connections between abstract theories and the heart-wrenching question 'so what?' haha.. And so in under 300 hours, my preparation for round 2 midterms will be tested and so now it's time to depart once more.. Until tomorrow again

Shubh ratri,
Devarsh Pandya

Reality Check

A day of review for my assessments that are coming up.. I realize that I've talked about doing work more than actually doing it this time around compared to last time's preparation so I true to make up for it in the second half of the day. The first half was productive as well but more for other subjects that are not as urgent I feel. Another realization I came across was that reviewing material before testing yourself actually gives you a reality check on where you stand and how much you actually remember. It's not rocket science or anything ground-breaking but it feels like it when you learn it from your own experience. But all in all, happy with what I've achieved so far in the preparation. More work to be done tomorrow for Linear Algebra mainly. Caught a line by the Indian actor, Amitabh Bachchan today on television.. 'Jaise ghar mein ghee he deeye jalatey ho, vaise apne jeevan mein, gyaan ke deep jalao'. It was in relation with a festival that is coming up, Deepavali! The Festival of Lights and the metaphorical eradication of darkness from one's mind and thoughts. The meaning of his line was that we may light oil lamps but we must learn from that act and light out life's path with lamps fueled by our knowledge for THAT is the true medium by which we can rid ourselves from the figurative darkness of ignorance. And with that thought, I shall take rest for a new day tomorrow. I anticipate a very productive and good day.

D.P.

Futuristic

Boarded an early 8:10 bus to get to school earlier and do some work. On my way, I decided to open up my laptop and read a bit from the notes that I decided to take yesterday in my evening lecture. The lady sitting beside me glanced over and asked if I was a first year student. I obviously replied with a 'yes' and a 'why' in my mind haha. And before I knew it, I had spent 40 minutes of my morning listening to a complete stranger tell me how an engineering degree is superior to almost every degree INCLUDING 'Health Science'. Just as a side note, she is only a second year student so it is quite reasonable for me to assume that her opinion is not only largely biased and innaccurate but she is also not a credible source for such a discussion. I imagined later when I got off the bus.. 'What if I wasn't a morning person?' 'What if I was grumpy and sarcastic like Mr.Maunder (the ultimate English teacher). And as much as I would like to adopt that persona for temporary situations like this one, I still believe that one never knows who could prove to be an important connection at some point in the future. The rest of the day was busy and involved creating a CAD model of a hand pump for an engineering assignment and a little but if integration in Calculus class. More work for tomorrow.. But if I get some spare time, I would like to catch up on the U.S. President, Barack Obama'a acceptance speech for term 2 and slightly excited to see how Governor Romney delivered his speech as well. But now there is only one thing to do for today.. Catch some rest and get back to being awesome tomorrow morning.

Love always,
Dev

Semester 1A, Term 2

Officially marking the beginning of term 2 as my 1st round midterms are done for good. I had one of the most awkward moments where I came out of the lecture hall with a friend and his friend. My friend and her were talking about the midterm and how they felt it went for them. She ended the topic with 'wanna catch a beer?' looking at my friend and then me. I waited for my friend to respond and he looked at me as well and I had to say that I wasn't 19 (according to my university ID card) and I didn't drink either... Don't know why it felt so awkward at that time but I'm thinking it had something to do with being asked to get a drink BY A GIRL and having to say no hahaha... So, as you can probably tell, the midterm went smoothly. The written portion was much simpler than I anticipated and the CAD modeling portion was a bit more work than I thought. I think the time constraint was the only thing that was challenging to follow. But then again, I feel that way about every assessment except homework assignments when I seemingly feel I have all the time I would ever need! I was thinking about the assessments of this generation of education and leaning environments and trying to compare the challenges in previous generations (like my father's and uncle's time)... Their challenges were to gather the tools and resources to guide them to study and enhance their learning. WE already get these things via the power point slides or PDF files that professors post up online. Some professors even record their lectures in halls that have such facilities. All this has truly made studying in this modern era a smooth sailing journey as well as one with greater depth and more complicated questions and answers that we discover. And to become a part of the resources that I obtain from school, I decided to become a note-taker for one of my classes. A system where I am known to the people that want my notes but they can remain anonymous. I did it mainly to enhance my own learning but also for a student that I see in the front row of the lecture hall. He is disabled and is the second motivating reason to write these notes. Whether he uses the notes I write up or not is not in my hands and I don't hold any such expectations but I hope it helps someone out there who does need these resources at some point. If I am able to get my hands on so many tools to guide me, I feel I should attempt to give from what I have to offer as well. And the beauty of the system is that I don't have to spend any extra time or effort to do so. Instead, it ensures that I understand the content thoroughly while I potentially help others. So, I hope my efforts help others in whatever way or form possible because I know it'll help me at least. With that happy note, I shall take some rest for tomorrow's busy and adventurous day!

Love,
D.P.

Day 310

There are official only 55 days remaining until the culmination of the year 2012. Like everything we have feared and faced as a human race, this year is just another example of the world's ways of keeping pace. And as they say, 'time and tide, waits for no man'. Speaking of culmination and conclusions, I am one day nearer to finishing my first round of midterm examinations. I will finish my Graphics and Design for Engineers midterm tomorrow and then start to study for the second round of midterms for Linear Algebra and Calculus and the dreaded Physics! But as every day passes, one thought continues to come to mind as I get the chance to rest. I am moving towards my dream of becoming an engineer.. Closer by the days.. It's such an obvious realization yet so moving to conceive. My dream is slowly becoming a reality in front of my eyes and sometimes even without realizing it.. I am changing myself to the ideal version of myself that I've always aspired to be. And like everything else that comes to a close, I shall do the same for this message right here. May the beginning of tomorrow be better than the end of today.

Devarsh Pandya

The second chances

I was watching some video clips of famous and successful people in all professional fields. Some of the most decorated ones are the ones that have acquired great heights of achievements in young ages. Some are advanced in their generation. And a few are the believers of hard-nosed effort with the genuine faith of becoming the best they can be in all walks of life. Even though these people are measured by their successes by many.. Some like me, may have looked closer at how they actually got out of their life's challenges. I find that a second chance in life is actually something that makes or breaks a person for good. The person must realize what will transpire from their decisions after the second chance has been granted. This is often overlooked by many people because they may not face a situation where they need a second chance until some experience that leaves its impressions and lessons in one's mind. The truth of the matter is, I wouldn't have noticed it myself if I hadn't gone through what I did over a year ago. A final year of your education should be every bit enjoyable as it is about it's difficulty and your responsibilities. However, I learned of these balances in a harder way.. Which was terrible for the instant but proved later that I needed that lesson to actually sink within me and teach me about it in that way because I was almost blind and deaf to see and hear what my reality was at the point due to some thoughts and feelings of uncertainty. I tried to distract myself from working at times because I thought I was working properly when I wasn't focusing on school at all. But the numbers never lie.. The reports showed me my failures in an instant and haunted me that summer which was seemingly unending. This had meant another year of attending the high school that I wasn't very attached to anymore because my friends had moved on. This meant a year of repeat telecasted concepts. But there was still some determination and faith I had in myself. I told myself that I can carry myself through this.. My own body was out of breath but the voice in my head had conviction. It was my life. My choice.. And after all the things I had seen.. I knew that educating myself and learning with its true meaning was the only tool I would ever need to reach my goals. And so, marking the end of a year of the year that put me behind my own generation in some respects... Here's to a future where I put in more efforts and time than I an ever imagine.. To the only fear that someone may outwork me.. To the belief that my ability to do work will always be my greatest wealth along with the love and care of my family and friends. After a second chance and all this to come along with it.. What can I ask for?

Thank you to one and all who have been with me through this short but defining part of my life,

D.P.

'Aging'?

The past few days have been a pleasant break from the hectic schedules of school. Firstly, I did finish the first few midterms of my university career. It was something I had never really been anticipating since I was slightly nervous till the exam paper made its way to me. Thoughts of uncertainty hit me after the exams of Linear Algebra and Calculus but the preparation was all I had to keep me confident.. And the practice had been great because I actually had a history of test anxiety that I noticed in my final years. And there is only one way to fight the fear.. I had to empower myself with the knowledge and confidence through practice. It is just the beginning and the truth is that the grade 12 content is very much overlapping in the course content now. However, if there is a goal I have this term.. It is to adopt more habits that will guide me to my goal of being the best student and engineer.. As my father says, the first part of it is to make sure you are accompanied by the same values and goals as you. The second and equally important if not more, is to put in the hours to master the content. This is advice I have gained over the years and it is genuinely the truest. Advice, has changed it's importance and has changed my perspectives in these few days. It has gone from being 'the old, and repeated dialogues of my mother and sometimes father'.. To 'proven practices and guides that carry people to success'.. But I do agree that, it is easier to offer advice than actually follow it in one's life. And why am I thinking of all these things all of a sudden? Well, I have recently finished nineteen years of my life and had the opportunity to reflect upon them and see how to make my time to come.. An even more memorable one.

Panda out.