Hi Steemians, this is topdog, steeming into steem-world with a steemy story here !!!!
.
Creating new relationships, building personal bonds, sending positive vibes, experiencing brotherhood are perhaps a few meaningful outcome with an introduction, well, I desire to achieve some of it and more with my introduction to you.
Again you are well aware that this post is not intended to tickle your grey cells nor provide gainful insights into anything business or commercial. This is my simple heart to heart conversation with you
I am Ashok Kamath here, hair is salt n peppered, I am in the late noon of my life, an engineer by qualification, a passionate biker with an awesome attitude saying a big "Hi" from India.
I would have loved to start with something about my family first. But for some reason that you shall find later on, I for now shall start a bit differently.
I live in the beautiful coastal state of Goa, South India.
My place overlooks a beautiful mighty river Zuari. And that view from my apartment balcony is my everyday inspiration, when I sit down at my table with a cup of steeming coffee (pun intended).
My tiny state of Goa ranks 6th in the top 10 nightlife cities in the world and by far among the top tourist destinations in India.
With more than 100 idyllic beaches, Portuguese era Churches, temples, and innumerable fun activities sprinkled with amazing local culture, cuisines, hospitality and much more, my Goa is a paradise on earth.
A cosy place along the river to sit and ponder
A temple by the beach side.
And a casino in river Mandovi
A very ancient temple to Lord Shiva
A few pictures don't do justice to the beauty of this amazing place.
Do look up in the net for a broader view of my state and I strongly insist that you guys should be putting down this, high in your bucket list :)
The nuts, bolts and nitty gritty of life now.
What do I do?
I am a graduate mechanical engineer by qualification, started with a couple of Industries as work's manager, then into a couple of other vocations.
Last I worked as a techie, coding and programming for close to a decade.
These days, I go to the beaches, take rides in speed boats, Jet skis, Parasail boats, come back to the beach shack, drink beer, listen to music, groove a bit, collect my consultation fee from the boat / shack owner and ride home.
That’s what I do for a living.. Well guys, I am a licensed Marine Surveyor. A competent authority to survey the boats and ships and yachts, all of them and more, for a living.
There are not many in India, hold the license that I hold, as a competent authority to do the work that I do. Very few work as a Marine Surveyor and so. it is a sort of niche. but also. It is a cool profession.
This is a parasail pleasure boat at sea during my survey.
These are a few fishing boats that I surveyed.
An yacht awaiting survey
That's me, guys. parasailing .....on duty... it is strictly work.
More work !!!!
Well at times I genuinely feel, I don’t work. I mean my work does not really fit in the conventional sense of ‘work’.
Whoever said sailing a boat in the beach and coming back to the shore for a beer and getting paid for it is work?... Well that’s how life panned out to me.
But every coin has 2 faces. there is more to this story.. Sometimes I get to go to deep sea to conduct survey on board large ocean going ships
And this is quite a risky job. Boarding an empty ship at high seas is quite an adventure by itself and not for the faint hearted.
It starts with typically climbing a dangling 30 feet long pilot ladder dropped down from the ship at deep sea, at times in the middle of a moonless night, it's an experience to behold. But then that’s job.
A crew member climbing up the ladder
On board the ship finally. phew !!!!
A view from the bridge of a cape size ore bulk carrier.
Climbing the ship crane ( a different ship) to inspect the damages to the wire ropes. (The work part)
Beer Power improves work like steem power improves influence. More beer better the work gets done :)
After work, sometime I hitch a ride back shore in a fishing boat. sometimes there is a pre arranged pilot boat or a barge. any floating bucket that takes me to shore is fine with me.
Next day, few more boat surveys are lined up. this is a brand new catamaran getting ready for a sea trial. My report is one of the essential requirement to them.
Another house boat.
or a pretty tourist boat. work never gets boring guys. there is so much to do.
so that's what I do for a living guys, I am a boat man :)
My Passion
When I am not strolling on the beach doing my work, I pick my motorcycle and ride. Just ride is the simple mantra...
Sometime, I ride out on a Sunday morning for a short breakfast spin, say a 20 miles distance, but then this 'Just ride' mode kicks in and I end up riding further another 300-400 miles and reach some unknown destination... .
So this motorcycle passion has taken me along the length and breadth of India, an overland ride to another country, Bhutan.
a ride to mighty Himalayas,
then on the highest motorable road in the world, well.....
That’s the free wanderer cum nomadic life I get to enjoy quite often. A ride on the beach. Free spirit if you say.....
A motorcycle with tankful of gas, winding roads around the mountains, into the lush green valley, a bit of fog, sweet fragrance of the wild flowers, the cool breeze on the face, a few bucks in the pocket, a few like minded friends and a steaming hot cup of coffee somewhere down the road …..That’s what I call the small and simple pleasures of life.
The open road is a great teacher, I have learnt great life lessons while on the road. I could write a lot many things the open road has taught me in life. It deserves a separate blog and more on that some other day.
My Dream
..I want to tour the world on my motorcycle, at least 50 countries before I hang my boots... and that's when I shall be visiting all you Steemians out there. Be there to show me some love when I arrive at your door... :)
When not riding
My cabinet, hold books on a wide variety of subjects ranging from autobiography to fiction to technology to philosophy to riding. I buy books very often and what ever humors me, I buy & read. They keep my grey cells ticking.
Right now I am reading “The Telomere effect” (A revolutionary approach to living younger, healthier & longer) and “The One straw revolution” (about a revolutionary method of farming that could help the world).... My cryptocurrency book “Internet of Money” should be arriving any day soon.
Give me a good book, a flask full of coffee and a hammock by a river bank and forget me.
A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.—William Styron
Then I do a bit of cooking. perks of being motherless and wifeless.
Presenting the food on the table in a beautiful manner is an art that many enjoy, but cooking the food in a beautiful manner is a matter of heart that I enjoy. There is no one to appreciate it, other than you and that is fine with me.
I do this always as it makes me happy
Beans getting ready to be steamed
Bitter gourd getting ready to be steamed
Evening times are time to enjoy a Goan song with a beer and prawns fry. that is 'Susegad' way of living the Goan life. Susegad... a Goan only, word...Google it to know about it :)
Personal life
Ah !!! my personal life. My biggest teacher. This is one long story.
Life is incomplete without experiencing all the flavours it offers. And life makes sure you get to taste a variety of flavours as you walk through.
Tragedy Strikes
Many years ago, a tragedy struck my family where in I lost my younger brother, sister and an uncle to a road mishap.
(Well the bus we were travelling fell from a bridge killing lot many passengers, 3 members from my family), I was also a passenger in the bus, and I survived.
Till date I never know the name of the bus driver, nevertheless a nameless person did devastate a loving family, brought immense pain and suffering in our life.
Life Lesson:
- I learnt that tragedy can strike a life in any form at any time. But I also learnt that when something bad happens to you, you have 3 choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or can let it strengthen you. I chose the last
Health
Health has always been playing hide and seek with me, and you guys know, poor health especially chronic illness can really depress a person real bad unless he is made of sterner stuff.
Well I was born chronic asthmatic (in & out of hospital ICU's with panic attacks), contracted extreme skin condition known as Psoriasis, during college days and then further both my kidneys failed and I appeared destined to meet my maker.
Good old doctors at the Kidney foundation hospital at Bangalore, India decided that I am too good a person to meet my maker so early in life, and thus worked on me and pulled off a near miracle and flipped me back into life,
So I have been to the other side of life and back. I still ail from the above inconveniences, but the worst part is behind me now.
Life lessons:
- I learnt that Health is never valued till sickness strikes
- Bad health can put you down into depression and despair like no other tragedy in life
- Have a healthy life style, exercise regularly, eat healthy, abstain from unhealthy habits, sleep well, laugh, forgive, be grateful, give more than you take. because life is short. make the best of it.
Mom
Thereafter a few years later, my mom passed away as she succumbed to cancer.
She was my greatest idol, love, role model, inspiration, strength, courage, joy and happiness. she was everything to me.
But as much as I loved her, I knew that with death, my mom was liberated from any further intense pain and agony that she went through daily while cancer destroyed her body slowly and definitely.
Those were the hardest period ever in my life.
Life Lessons:
- Nothing, nobody is permanent in life. When the time comes, they just go. No good byes, nothing
- Attachment kills. Love liberates.
- Love as much as you can , every one as you can, your time is limited here
Wife
Sometime later, I married
Well the traditional arranged marriage with horoscope matching thingy that's a part of our culture in India.
Reality turned out that my wife could not get along with me as we were chalk and cheese in every aspect and predictably within a couple of years, we separated and I have been living single since then..
Life Lessons:
- Come to think of it, 2 persons born at different places, brought up in different environment, exposed to different situations, conditioned with different family culture, values, bond together in marriage and we expect a smooth sailing there after? And they lived happily after... story is only good in fairy tales, but humans are flawed by nature and that shows in broken marriages every where around the world. Mine is one such
- It takes immense giving, love, understanding, empathy, trust and lot more to make a good marriage work. It’s more about giving in a marriage than getting something out of it. I got it all wrong and now working on that trying to set it right
So What?
Adversity brings out the best in a person.. Every setback in life is actually a great opportunity to emerge a stronger person with greater empathy and abundant love of life. Getting sculpted by the hammer of life is a good way to become a more complete human being.
And I am always reminded of my favourite phrase – “This too shall Pass”
My work in progress
One of the measure of success is - how many people you take along and made them successful.
The more you help others in their life journey, the more you give, the more you receive, the more happiness it brings you. that's the universal law. you give and it comes back multifold.
I see that the boat industry (pleasure boats, fishing boats, barges etc) that I am connected with, are not organised as they should be. My website www.kaiak.in is an endeavour in this regard to build a common platform for the interaction and commerce amongst various stake holders in this industry. The website work is under progress and shall be up and running sometime soon.
We buy medicines when we fall sick, but many times the medicines are not consumed completely and unconsumed medicine sits in the closet till it’s expired. Medicines are very expensive and that’s a colossal waste of money. www.giftmedicine.in is my endeavour and an NGO (Non Government Not for Profit Organisation) to collect unused sealed unexpired medicines from community who have no more use of it and distribute it among the poor and the needy for free. The website is work under progress pending permission from medical council and Govt authorities.
“You can have everything in life you want. If you will just help other people get what they want” Zig Ziglar
Well guys, that’s it. My very first attempt to pen down a post,
I don’t have an youtube account and my other social media sites such as twitter, facebook and instagram have a rather insignificant number of followers. I have been an introvert all my life, at least on social media.
But all that is going to change now that I am on steemit. I am excited about the possibilities now.
Check out my stuff here.
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/kamath.ashok
Twitter link: https://twitter.com/ashkamath
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/ashkamath/
My Blog: targetnetworking.blogspot.in
What Shall I be blogging here:
Here in this platform, I shall write a bit on life, travel, throw in some philosophy, express my thoughts randomly at times (also known as rant . sort of letting off steam ) with no specific subject in mind, then there are stories on yachts, sailboats, ships, bikes, books, Paranormal stuffs, meditation, technology, specific life event stories and anything that needs to be told which could possibly have some profound impact on the reader.
Over all I am quite excited that it’s time to share and give back a few nuggets of my learning and understanding of life.
I see that you endured my slugfest and arrived here. You have my sincere gratitude and a big thank you for your time. It means a lot to me.
Where is this leading from here onwards:
Honestly I don’t know at this point, but then guys, with my blogs, I believe I could perhaps put a smile on your face, or say bring forth a nostalgic memory from your past, rack your brain with a thought provoking piece of philosophy or management story, interesting titbits from my travel days, my motorcycle diaries, awesome sailor stories and some more.
All I could say now is – interesting days are ahead.. , sit back, relax with a chilled beer and get ready for a steeming journey with me as I I steer you through the idyllic back waters of Goa..
Signing off
Time to bid adieu for now. My respects and love to my mentor 
I dedicate this post to
Tomorrow is another day, and I shall begin to share my life experiences and thoughts in real earnest and start delivering happiness. .
My parting words to you, a very simple thought. Do a good deed today, a simple gesture, say, smile at an unknown person you meet on your way to work or gym today. Brighten up his life for a tiny moment. and you got some good - karma like steem. See it’s that easy . Do it.. .
Till next time, this is topdog, with lots of love and hugs, signing off for the day. Be good, Be happy. Stay blessed. Namaste.
Disclaimer: All the images are from my personal album. No photograph were sourced from third party / external websites. A few quotes and phrases have been sourced from internet.