Namaste From India! I'm Firepower's Mother and He Introduced Me to Steemit!

Hello Steemians!

My name is Geetha Rao and Namaste from Mangalore, India! I’m @firepower’s mother or mother power as he jokingly calls me sometimes. I have been on Steemit for a couple of weeks and using @good-karma’s esteem app to use it. I finally got around to writing my introduction and had some help from my son in putting it on Steemit.

I was born as the eldest daughter to a middle class family, and I had many responsibilities at a very young age. My parents always expected to see my name, in the first rank in my report cards, and I never disappointed them. In my class X, I was the first in our school with a winner of Merritt scholarship and it was my dream was to do my PG in mathematics and to go for a teaching job.

But as I was the eldest daughter in a joint family, and we had my grandparents living with us. At the time my dad was the only earning member in our family, and I had to apply for a job when I was in the final year of graduation. Even as I studied science and maths in my college securing more than 90% marks, I entered the banking industry to help my parents and worked in one of the national banks in India.

^{With my husband and @firepower's step-dad}

When my in-laws were hospitalized, because of their old age and health problems, my presence was much needed at home and hospital, and I had to take a voluntary retirement from my bank job earlier than I would have anticipated.

15 years later I am continuing to receive my pension, have pretty good savings, owning a beautiful home with a small garden and life is secure. I have a car and I love driving like my son who likes traveling to the corners of our country. Being the daughter of a well known Artist, I too have done my grade exams in painting. I love painting landscapes, birds, and oil portraits.

These are few of my art works. In addition to this I love tailoring... I studied tailoring in my school days, and was earning a pretty good income, by stitching uniforms, frocks and skirts to my friends and was supporting my family financially and this also helped me with funds for school and college.

Now as I live a retired life, tailoring is my favorite hobby and I have never paid a single penny to any tailor for my clothes. About my personal life.... I got married to a person of my choice, he too was a banker. We lost him 3 years ago.

^{With my parents}

My current husband, and @firepower's step dad is a very good loving soul. He is a great portrait artist in our region, who has so far painted more than 22000 portraits in a career spanning 50 years in addition to commercial art in the 80s. In fact he is my inspiration, my teacher, who taught me how to paint a portrait.

These are two of the portraits that I've made.

^{A portrait of Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone}

^{My guruji}

I also like writing since my school days. I've published a book about my father and his artwork 2 years ago and gifted it to him, on Father's day in 2015.

This is the book, it is in dual language; Kannada and English. It took me almost a year to finish it. Photo of the book In addition to this, I've interest and have studied a little bit of Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music, Astrology, Feng Sui (we call it Vaastu in India) and other things.

I love visiting temples and like vegetarian food. But, I can cook South Indian varieties of fish and chicken too. When I am alone at home, I sometimes love listening to Punjabi music as it puts me in a good mood. I also love pets, especially cats, dogs and cows.

So this is me.... @geetharao on steemit now. Will share more things about me in my blogs, on this amazing platform. Hoping to get your much support, as my son @firepower received from everyone here.... Much love to you all!