Introduction

Hello guys, I have decided to join you all on steemit, I am not really a supporter of social media, however I consider this more blogging than social media. Steemit is a great idea that appears to push interesting content for reward, in lieu of incessant selfies, emotional rants and "my life is better than your life" posts. Anyway I have decided to give it a try and we will see how it turns out. I am not a terribly interesting guy, at least not what people find conventionally interesting.

A Bit About Myself

I love the idea that, as humans we can learn anything, probably love it a little too much. Maybe I am a bit of a glutton for punishment because I tend to go overboard if time permits, to investigate my interests, over an above some google searches. I also tend to find something that I am terrible at, then proceed to force myself to understand it no matter what. This tends to be a difficult approach to life for me.

He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.
Confucius

That's how I have ended up currently studying engineering at the Australian Maritime College as a mature age student. I have chosen this course for a few reasons, the first being in line with my interest in ships and marine applications. The second reason is to ensure that I learn something new and useful. I want to learn and expand skills that I can pass on to my future kids, if they so wish. The third reason for study is because of the challenge (that's just the kind of guy I am) which is not always the best course of action, but I guess I have enjoyed life so far. I also enjoy getting outdoors and making the most of what Australia has to offer. There is so much to experience here, and I think sometimes we become complacent about how lucky we are in Australia. I like to keep my mind and body active, as I will be required to work well after my death to get everything paid, so need to be in the best condition possible.

But the thing I love most is the ocean, we spend as much time as possible near, on or in it. Fishing, kiting, snorkelling or sailing, nothing beats being out on the sea with the wind blowing. I wasn't always in love with the ocean, I have grown to recognise what I enjoy about it over time and I think it is the sense of freedom.

I am married and we have a dog named Ume, we try and take her along with us, but it is not always possible. My wife is in the adjacent photo, we are standing in front of the Bowfin submarine at Pearl Harbour. Having a dog is actually pretty cool, I didn't think it would be something I would enjoy but I do. She is a very clever, observant dog and learns new things easily, even as she gets older. She is a poodle crossed with a Lhasa Apso. Lhasa Apso were bread as an interior guard dog and used by the Tibetan monks to warn of intruders. I can confirm that she is a good guard dog, as she really does a good job at identifying approaching people, particularly if the person is a regular or stranger (a little bit too good). Obviously gets this from the Lhasa Apso side.

Why I Decided To Join Steemit

My brothers are both on steemit and asked me to join ( @tarazkp and @galenkp) what I have been told was interesting, hence my joining. Deciding to join steemit was largely due to the direct method of reward for content and secondly the documentation of content I find interesting or want to have recorded. My initial thoughts is to make posting part of my study, with the goal of reinforcing my learning, creating a references and recording it here. Those who have studied engineering will know that this idea may fall by the wayside when the workload ramps up and the exams approach. Now I realise that there is going to be a limited audience for this material, so I am not expecting a big following. However I will be posting other stuff that I get up to as well, like some of the areas and things to do around North Queensland, so hopefully there will be something here for everyone.

My Interests

I am interested in a range of things most of which will bore you all to tears. I don't think interests should be fixed, there are plenty of "interests" I would have, if I had the money, but I think that is part of the fun finding about something new or that I haven't thought of before and following that interest. Having said that, some of the more interesting stuff would be as follows:

Exercising and training to stay in condition, particularly as I get older, I used to be at the gym a lot and now do a range of training to ensure that I don't fall apart. I am not a qualified trainer, however I have been interested in it for years and I have done a lot of personal study and experimentation. I train a couple of my friends at uni, one just wants to put on a bit of muscle and the other is an 800m runner. The runner is a bit of a challenge because we have to periodise the training to coincide with the next race.
Kite Surfing is my addiction and unfortunately I have put it in hold while I have been studying. I went the other day for the first time in ages (was a bit out of practice) however as I got the hang of it again, I was reminded of how much I miss it. My wife also kite surfs (addicted) so we always have something to do together. We started together, as I was into surfing, however had no where close to surf and decided to try it. One thing I knew early on was if I was into kite surfing and my wife wasn't, it would probably end in divorce (lucky for us we both love it) I think she loves it more than I do. kite boarding is just as much fun as surfing (minus all the paddling), however has its own set of teething issues before one gets up and really enjoys it. But once you are going it is addictive. I might do a post if anyone is interested in trying it, what to look out for as a beginner.
Sailing is my an interest of mine that we don't get to do much as we don't have a boat. We get out when possible with the sailing club and friends and really enjoy it. We hope to get a small sail boat of our own one day. As I am studying Naval Architecture, I am obviously interested in sailing and sailing vessels from an engineering point of view. It would be a dream to design and construct my own sailing vessel.
Camping takes us to some nice places in North Queensland and getting away from phones, television and an inconsiderate superficial society is something I increasingly enjoy the more we do it.
Engineering (responsible use of technology) is something that interest me a lot and specifically efficient and appropriate use of technology today. I have seen (and been part of) some projects that are truly wasteful and damaging to the community, however go ahead anyway and they become political footballs and the people who suffer most is the general public. Today I see a move towards technocratic society, one which the decision makers will be coming from the science, tech and engineering fields, because of this technology and information needs to be used responsibly.

The above photo is drone footage of us after kayaking around Double Island off Palm Cove. If you look closely there is an inflatable dragon that I towed behind the Kayak, so one of our friends could come along. It was a shoulder workout and half.

Favourite Quote

I do like the occasional quote and currently this is my favourite quote from a chap named Thomas Sowell, an american intellectual. I will be sharing quotes that I find effective to motivate myself. I hope you find them equally inspiring.

It takes considerable knowledge just to realise the extent of your own ignorance.
Thomas Sowell

Some Things I would Like to do

Sail the world (to sail anywhere would be enough)
Base jump or wing suit (this scares the hell out of me, but I am compelled to do things I feel are impossible for me)
Design & construct my sailing yacht (I may never have the money, but I will have the knowledge)

If you are the type of person who likes to learn, push themselves and enjoy themselves to the fullest, follow and comment, I do like interacting hearing what others have to contribute. Thanks for taking the time to read my introduction.