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This is my introductory post in response to the challenge thrown by @anomadsoul and backed by @blocktrades in this [post](https://peakd.com/hive-174578/@anomadsoul/challenge-my-introduction-to-the-hive-community). Even though I have been contemplating writing an introductory post since the break of the hive blockchain away from the steem blockchain, the challenge provides the necessary impetus needed to eventually sit down and put cursor to screen amidst self-isolation away from COVID-19. So, let's get the ball rolling!

<center> **Who is gentleshaid?**</center>
The name 'gentleshaid' consists of two parts - the first part has to do with my gentle nature as a general consensus by those that surround me while the second part is my first name. I am a person of few words but several actions and my taciturn nature is largely responsible for my nomenclature as being 'gentle'.

<center>![IMG_0007 2.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/gentleshaid/x7t2O0vR-IMG_0007202.JPG)</center>
<center><sup>Do I look gentle?</sup></center>

I was given birth to and grew up in Africa's most populous nation, Nigeria. I got introduced to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in November 2017, although I have heard about cryptocurrency before then. You all can guess how I got introduced? Yea, right - through the steem blockchain.

<center>**My profession?**</center>

I jokingly love to refer to myself as an accidental Botanist. I opted to study medicine and surgery when I sought admission into the university but the huge competition for space in medicine and surgery displaced me to Botany. Since then, I have not really looked back. After obtaining my first degree in the field, I have gone ahead to get a master's degree and currently in the process of getting a doctoral degree in the same field.

<center>![IMG_0007 49.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/gentleshaid/FdFgXo1Z-IMG_00072049.JPG)</center>
<center><sup>on the field with @motaryo, interacting with plants</sup></center>

Most people do not see Botany beyond  'just' the study of plants. While the definition is not incorrect, it makes most people to see us Botanists as mere [herbalists](https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/fundamentals) or [horticulturists](https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/horticulturist/). Interestingly, both herbalism and horticulture are fields that exist on their own and do not represent a sub-field of Botany. Taxonomy, genetics, ecology, lower plants, tissue culture, and biotechnology, etc. are some of the sub-fields of Botany.

My own area of specialization is ecology which has to do with the study of plants in relation to both the biotic and abiotic components of the environment. Hence, it should not come as a surprise that a large percentage of the contents I have created on my blog (on steem) are related to plants and the environment. The regular readers of my posts on steem can testify to this.

<center>**A lover of God and a family person**</center>
I've got a young family of 3 - myself, my wife and my 1 yr+ kid. My family represents the reason for my existence, after God. I have had instances to end it all in this life but the thought of my family and how miserable they would be without me has kept me going. 

![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZLNtNaXh1KZpzC2JxA2utytPPAKk2Jed5Gzfz7usSQge/IMG_0007%20(8).JPG)
<center><sup>Smile, and light up the world</sup></center>

People often wonder how I reach a compromise with being a religious person and a scientist. I usually let them know that both situations are not mutually exclusive, except you deliberately want to make them. My belief is a blend of creationism and evolution. While God did not create everything at a go, He put all the mechanisms in place for every other thing to come into existence. Sometimes, these mechanisms can be tweaked by man to arrive at specific results.

<center>**Hobbies?**</center>
While I work full-time as a research assistant/junior lecturer in one of the private universities in Nigeria, I love surfing the internet/social media for information during my free periods in addition to blogging. My interests also include playing scrabble and chess whenever I get worthy opponents (those that can challenge me).

![](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXHPUqJNiocFT7zBEpt7qQTYnTTUgXZrirFsZFfd74bvv/image.png)
<center><sup>credit: [pixabay](https://pixabay.com/photos/chess-board-game-fireside-strategy-2489553/)</center>

On the hive blockchain, I hope to continue working with @lemouth and @mobbs to bring stem related content to the door of the masses, just like I have been doing working as a nationality curator while on the steem blockchain as steemstem.

Thank you all for reading.
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