Letter to my 5 year old self!

Welcome to my personal blog, which I wrote only once a year. First of all, I apologize for not writing last year. I chose the subject of this year's writing as "a return to essence". This article was written with the intention of expressing my thoughts that I could not share while communicating with you and others directly.

A snapshot from the time I was contemplating.

Like most people, I try to review my life on a regular basis. Especially in the evenings during the summer period, in the beautiful streets of Summertown, Oxford. As many of you, I think on what's going well with my work, not so well, or even think on some technical problems that I'm dealing with etc. I have to confess that in usual I think on more abstract concepts: life, relationships, my friends (you), my childhood, my teenage period, early 20s or the key decisions that I have taken and these kind of stuff. But in doing so, unlike ever, for the last two years, I had to look at the issue from a different angle due to having and being responsible for a baby. In basic terms, for the last 2 years, there has been someone in our lives who is physically in need of me and my wife, who wants constant attention, constantly developing, and emotionally reciprocating. Moreover, he physically looks like a clone of myself. In other words, it's like sharing your life with your own miniature.

Safranbolu, the town I grew up in.

For this reason, I constantly remember memories of my childhood years, especially the part between 3-5 years old that I passed in Safranbolu with my large family. Sometimes I even get snapshots that I never remembered before. Of these, the memories that most impressed me, perhaps the most longing for me, were those of my grandfather, who I lost when I was 5 years old. For me, a period since which life certainly does not continue the same. I'm sure everyone has an age to feel growing up, and mine is 5 years old. If I had a chance to have a time machine, it would definitely be the time when I was 5 years old. 

The Office

Let me put it this way: I am in a very happy period of my life right now. And in the name of what I have, I am always in a state of gratitude. But I know to the deepest that in the rest of my life, no matter what beauty happens to me, I will never be as happy as this period in my childhood. I am not upset about that but it is just what it is. Ok, so at the beginning of the article, I did not plan to be very emotional, and as of this point, I want to put an end to this part.

My dear friends, who live in the UK, Turkey and elsewhere in the world, I'd like to thank you for remembering me with your kind messages. That means a lot although we cannot keep in touch with each other due to the busyness of the modern age.  Maybe we have a long-standing friendship from the elementary school years, maybe we just met last month or haven't even met yet, as a person who is moving towards being middle-aged, I promise to try to get rid of the competitive lifestyle required by the modern age. Please remember that I am a step away from you whenever you need me.

Yours sincerely,

Farukhan

OFG and His Most Serious Responsibilities

Welcome to my blog with almost once in a year post on every 17th August. I preferred to choose this year's theme as the responsibilities. There are quite a few good reasons why the responsibilities have the top priority.

First and foremost, we (as the whole family) are experiencing the responsibility of a particular one who has not a physical touch to the outer world yet; but from our nutritional habits to continuously changing psychology, sleeping hours to self-control; has changed all our lives completely. What we experience is nothing other than a waiting, a very long one like he'll never arrive. It is a real pain to manage especially for ZKG, but we all know that that's a good waiting iA. When it comes to its directs effects on me, since the beginning of this year it makes me a more calm and peaceful person. It's obvious that this is the beginning of a new life that things will never become like in the past.


Secondly and personally, I have the responsibility of many other people whom majority were even not in my life a year ago. This is something that makes you wake up before sunrise each day with no alarm set already. It is really not easy, but at the same time I feel like it is a driving factor that makes you up all the time and pushes forward. Saying that, I hope things will be better and better iA.




Thirdly, although underestimated most of the time, I feel like I ignore the responsibility on myself a lot. This approaches to a point which is not acceptable any more. It is not just having more vacation (or in my situation, having a vacation time - talking about the minimum amount of measurable time unit), but also facing with some past experiences, memories etc. Each person should have that freedom and flexibility to better adjust his/her character. Whenever I realize it I always defer it to another time, just yet another time. I hope in this in this new age, it will be in my realized section of the to-do list.

Lessons for the Second Half / İkinci Yarı için Dersler

A famous Turkish poet defines 'the age of 35' as 'the midpoint of a person's life'. Regarding that, I'd like to share an incomplete list of the lessons learned on several concepts during the first half.

School:

• Think twice before you study Computer Science (CS) at a school which has a teaching language other than English (especially French). 
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a good option to study under CS, but you should deepen your knowledge with at least two more other fields such as Linguistics, Statistics, Philosophy, Neurosciences etc.
• It is always good to study at least in two different countries throughout your undergraduate or post-graduate studies.

Entrepreneurship:

• When it comes to business, always be nice and polite to your co-workers.
• Things might go wrong, do not get upset.
• There are tons of unknown problems in the world to make the life better for others. Keep away of crowded fields. Get into competition only when it deserves.

Marriage:

•  For my type of people, marriage is the key to happiness. 
• Saying that, there is no formula for finding the right person. If you follow a faith, keep making dua (prayer) to find the right one. Otherwise, start to follow a faith :).
• This might be controversial but you should always give the precedence to your spouse's happiness in terms of career, her family etc. and then you should care of yourself. 
• Never organize an event at home when your wife is away. Do not let uninvited people to attend to the event that you organize without approval of the invited ones (based on a true story).

Friendship:

• Friendship is more precious then you might be aware.
• Do not let your business to unfriend your friends.
• Respect to your friends' privacy, all the time. 
• Do not prejudge your friends, never ever. 

Spiritual:

• At this age (post 2000's), I do not think it is required to be part of a particular group/community, to learn, experience, and practice your religion. 
• Do not make friends who delegate their responsibilities coming from their faith to another person, even a nation of people does the same.

Eğitim hayatım boyunca belkide en çok zihnime takılan şiir olan "Otuz Beş Yaş" şiirinin etkisiyle doğum günüme özel nacizane kaleme aldığım bu derlemeyi, istifadenize sunuyorum. Şiirdeki bu dönemi ilk yarı gibi kabul edersek, ikinci yarı başlangıcında hayattan çıkardığım derslerden bazılarını aşağıda listeledim.

Okul:

• Başka disiplinler için de çokça geçerlidir muhtemelen, ancak siz siz olun, Bilgisayar bilimini İngilizce dışında bir dil de öğrenmeyin. (Fransızcaysa iki kere düşünün)
• Yapay zeka konusunu tüm Bilgisayar bilimi çalışan arkadaşlara tavsiye ederim, ancak bu çok hızlı gelişen ve günümüzde oldukça popüler olan bu konunun hakkını verebilmek için, muhakkak ikinci bir alana odaklanmayı yapmayı tavsiye ederim, örnek alanlar (Dilbilim, Felsefe, İstatistik, Sinirbilim etc.) 
• İnsan, imkanları dahilinde en az iki farklı ülkede eğitim görmeli. Ve tabi, bu ülkeler, kültürel olarak alabildiğine birbirinden farklılık arz etmeli.

Girişimcilik:

• Her ne kadar genel geçer bir kaide de olsa, bir insanın çalışma hayatı boyunca belki de vazgeçmeyeceği tek düstur, çalışma arkadaşlarının hukukuna riayet ve onlara karşı nezaket içindeki tutumu olmalı.
• Başkalarının sizin hakkınıza riayet etmemesi gayet olasıdır, başa gelebilir. Çok problem edilmemeli :).
• Özellikle teknoloji alanında, henüz keşfedilmemiş ve yüksek potansiyel taşıyan onlarca farklı alan var. Bu yüzden, gerekmedikçe rekabetten kaçınılmalı. Kişisel görüşüm, rekabet ekseriyetle yaratıcılığı öldürebilir.

Evlilik:

• Benim mizacımdaki insanlar için, evlilik kesinlikle mutluluğa giden yoldaki en önemli faktör.
• Doğru eş seçimi ise, kesinlikle kuralları iyi belirlenmiş olan bir sürecin ürünü değil. Bu bağlamda, 'nasip', 'kısmet' diye tanımlanan kavramlarla yüzleşmeniz gerekli. İnancınız/İtikadınız varsa, sizin için en uygunu doğrultusunda dua etmeniz tek gözüken çözüm yolu gibime geliyor.
• İdeal bir evlilikte, kendi mutluluğunuzdan önce, öncelikle eşinizin ideallerini ön plana almalısınız. Kendi kariyeriniz ancak ve ancak, eşinizin idealleri yerine geldikten sonra devreye alınabilir.
• Ve son olarak, eşinizin daha yetenekli olduğu, 'misafir ağırlamak', 'davet vermek' gibi aktiviteleri sakın ve sakın tek başınıza yapmayın. Hiç ummadığınız olumsuzluklarla karşılaşabilirsiniz.

Arkadaşlık:

• 25-30 yıllık arkadaşlıklar kurduğunuzda, daha iyi anlıyorsunuz ki, sağlam kurulan dostluklar, sandığınızdan çok daha kıymetli.
• Ticari faaliyetlerinizin, arkadaşlığınızı önüne geçmesine asla müsade etmeyin.
• Arkadaşlarınızın hukukuna, mahremiyetine her zaman riayet edin, onların etmediği dönemlerde insiyatif alın, muhtemel olumsuzlukları olmadan önleyin.
• Özellikle sonradan tanıdığınız kişiler için, ön yargı müessesesini daha itinalı kullanın. İnsanların dünya görüşleri, hatta kendi deyimleri ile davaları farklı olabilir, bu farklılıklar, sizi onların dostluğundan alıkoymasın.

Spiritüel:

• Günümüz çağında, bilgiye erişimin bu kadar kolay olduğu bir ortamda, inancınızı birine danışarak öğrenmek ve pratik etme zaruriyetinin ortadan kalktığını düşünüyorum.
• Belki bir önceki arkadaşlık kategorisindeki son maddeye aykırı gibi olacak ama, aklını başkalarına kiralamış insanlardan mümkün mertebe uzak durun. 

See why statistics lie.

Study shows Stanford alumni create nearly $3 trillion in economic impact each year

Stanford has been the wellspring of some of the most enduring companies of our time," said Roelof Botha, a partner at Sequoia Capital, which funded the study. 

"It's been our privilege to partner with alumni like Larry & Sergey, Jerry & David, Sandy & Len, James, Jen-Hsun, Reid, and Trip, and we will continue to look to Stanford to nurture the next generation of legendary founders.

Thesis Template before Wedding

2) Literature Survey
2.1) Weddings at Oxford





[24:32] You shall encourage those of you who are single to get married. They may marry the righteous among your male and female servants, if they are poor. GOD will enrich them from His grace. GOD is Bounteous, Knower.

Valentine

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