Interests
Life outside of work is important, even if we love what we do for a living. Having diverse hobbies & interests widens our point of view. This shifted perspective allows the mind connect seeming unrelated fields in unusual and interesting ways. On many occasions I’ve realised that I’ve found the solution to a problem at work in the way something is done in one of my hobbies. Here, I’ve tried to share some of my key areas of interest, both past & present.
Coding & Software Development
For a person whose main qualifications are in mechanical engineering, instrumentation & industrial process control, coding seems far off, but I stand by Ram Ray’s quote about the universal relevance of coding & software development. Interestingly, I didn’t proactively pursue programming/coding. I feel lucky because I was initially fascinated in the way logical programs create a pre-determined output. I was also immensely interested in coding due to the efficiency it brings to repetitive tasks.
Know more about my software projects Checkout my computing skills on my CV
Dogs
They say that a dog is a man’s best friend. And they aren’t joking! I absolutely love dogs and greatly respect the unconditional love they shower on humans & everyone around them.
Gaming
Since childhood I’ve been in and out of gaming. Although I’m not seriously into games, I like them enough to have a few favourite genres - FPS & racing simulators. If Fatal Racing, Contra, Unreal or Quake mean anything to you, you should definitely get in touch.
I have fond memories of playing Prince of Persia in monochrome with my brother on my Father’s 386 PC. Apart from mainstream console titles Super Mario Bros, we also spent a lot of time playing Contra on the Media Megadrive (Sega Genesis).
We also played several DOS games like Fatal Racing & Descent II before moving to classic franchises like Quake & Unreal. I also played a lot of Mortal Kombat in gaming arcades with my friends.
More recently I’ve played Counter Strike, Destiny 2, most of the Borderlands franchise and MechWarrior 5.
Sports
I’m not too much into physical sports like football or cricket. But I do enjoy indoor sports like badminton & table tennis.
Movies & TV
Who does’t like movies & cinema? I’m particularly into science fiction, fantasy & comedy; with the odd action/adventure classics making up my playlist. I’m also particularly biased toward stand-up comedy - specifically dry or satirical (think Romesh Ranganathan, Jack Dee, Bill Burr, Ricky Gervais). Hit me up if you’d like to know more.
Music
I absolutely love music. I’m one of those who has a type/genre of music for every situation. Although I’m a metal head, I enjoy almost all kinds of music - strange!
Musical Instruments
My love for music extends beyond just listening. I like to play too. I used to play the bongo & the harmonium in my childhood. Nowadays, I’m learning to play the keyboard and also trying my hand (and feet) at drums.
Sys Admin & Dev Ops
I’ve always had a knack for technology. Combined with my preference for privacy, this has led me to build a homelab with a customised network, virtual LAN, servers, virtual machines, containers, etc. I’m also regularly distracted by gadgets. I try to blog about this with opinions, features & guides.
Other Interests
The fact that we (the entire human civilization) are a small and insignificant speck in the vastness of the universe never ceases to fascinate me. So I also enjoy astronomy. I’ve also had a keenness for karting.
- Tag: about
- Tag: interests