The First High School Reunion

I had the chance to attend a high school reunion last Sunday in Badian. The Southwest Coast College High School Batch 1968 had their Ruby Anniversary and before you could even ask, let me tell you that no, I’m not from that batch, and no, I am not an alumnus from that school.

 

My Dad was a member of the class of ‘68. He was the class salutatorian and he was greatly remembered for being excellent in math and for being the youngest in the batch. He was only 15 years old when he graduated from SCCHS. Someone brought the 1964 photo below. Dad was one of the smallest students during their freshmen year. That’s my dad on the front row, far right. Back in the days, that haircut was cool. No questions asked please. Hahah.

 

 

Back in the days, Southwest Coast College was where the honor students from the elementary would go. It’s because the school offered scholarships if you graduate on top of your class. It’s a private school owned by the Lucero family. Some well-to-do families sent their children there. The school has long been changed to St. James Academy. 

 

After forty years, the active and the living members of the batch decided to have their first ever reunion. For such a very short notice, out of the 50 or so members of the class of 1968, about 30 came to attend the rencontre. Mom and I tagged along and we were quite overwhelmed by this reunion.

 

 

They first convened at the Matutinao Church to give thanks and to say prayers for those batchmates who have already passed away. Here, the batchmates trade information on the whereabouts of their classmates. They exchanged personal stories, bragged about their children and their children’s achievement and also they brought up interesting memories from high school.

 

 

 

Then they went to the La Playa for lunch and for a short program. Some came with salt-and-pepper hair, others came in big bulges and pot-bellies, others came with sagging skin and worn-out faces. But these did not bother them at all. There were laughter and shrieks and giggles and hi-fives from the senior citizens.

 

 

Then dad was given the time to deliver his speech. Their class valedictorian could not attend the reunion because she had passed away. So Dad had the grandest time revealing all the wackiest memories from high school.

 

Dad mentioned that he made their math teacher cry. He said that he brought his teacher down to tears because he refused to accept her solution to their algebra problem of two equations to unknown. That teacher was also present and she also remembered what my dad did to her. 

Before he even revealed anything, he made everyone confess to their spouses their past flings or boyfriends or girlfriends back in the days.

 

 Dad even mentioned that he tried to distract their class valedictorian from her studies by courting her. He said he wondered why she still remained focus and got perfect scores in their exams considering that they spent some time together the day before.

 

 

 

Found in this picture are the active members of the batch. To dad’s left used to be the batch bully. He always skipped class and the batch had labeled him as the “bad boy.” He said at one point this guy brought a gun in class, got drunk and then point the gun on somebody he did not like.

 

Now this guy is happily married to a batchmate and they are active in CFC. Dad wanted to laugh when this guy delivered the lengthy invocation. He could not imagine the transformation. The guy used to bully everyone and then he led everyone with a prayer.

 

The third guy from the left is also one of the youngest in the batch. The first honorable mention. Like my dad, this guy was a go-to person whenever there are math problems and algebra assignments. He had been based in Mindanao for the longest time as he headed a department in the Central Bank branch in Zamboanga. He was responsible for organizing their first ever reunion. It was him who made the effort to contact all their batches and come up with a get-together for the very first time.

 

The guy on the right is married to a batchmate who is the class walking-organizer. His wife is about to retire as a nurse. What’s interesting about his wife is that she was a fine example of an O-C being, a very active individual who enjoyed organizing things. The wife is also a good treasure chest of memories. All the information and updates about their batchmates she kept and gathered and were revealed during the reunion.

 

 

 After forty long years, this was their first ever reunion. They said that they will have a similar activity in the next few years. I think all of them would like to see each other again. Cue in Raymond Lauchengco’s song.  This was just a start. 

 The memory lanes were opened again.

 

 

  

 

 

Mom’s Latest Craze!

Pretty Ken flew in from Manila to attend Baby Kim’s birthday. I also arrived in Cebu from Davao after a joint fieldwork with my boss. Dad fetched me and Ken from the airport and we went straight to our little niece’s house where the party took place. The rockstar diva had the wonderful time last night. So was my mom.

I was informed before hand that her latest project had materialized. She had commissioned a nearby furniture shop to make her a set of wooden sofa. At the party, I was told that her sofa set had been delivered. No wonder that she left the party so early.

After the party was over, I got a little excited to see the furniture. Mom had asked me before to sketch the sofa set that she had in mind, measurements included. I remembered that she brought the sketch and some reference pictures for the craftsman to see. I envisioned how the sofa’s going to look like. A long long armless seat with elegantly designed backrest. The plan was to have an L-shaped sofa for the family room.

I expected it to be comfortable, very functional yet not the typical cheap piece of wooden furniture. What I had in mind was not necessarily wooden. It was more of modern yet comfortable like this:

But then this was what shocked me:

And it had a twin brother:

They were not what I had in mind. But I wasn’t sure if these were what mom wanted. To tell you honestly, I didn’t like it. The design was ancient and unflattering and also it was a bit costly. Mom has yet to put cushions on the sofa set so that would entail additional cost.

She thought about putting some small throw pillows for the backrest while I thought about adding dark stains to the wood. They literally ”paled in comparison” to the other wooden fixtures in the house. Mom may have this fetish for wooden furnitures but then this so-called craze is scaring the hell out of me.  

Right now, I ran out of ideas on what to do with this set to make it modern, elegant and comfortable. Guys, what can you suggest?

Happy 55th

It’s my dad’s 55th birthday. Wow. A life spent at least that long is an achievement in itself. Dad and of course Mom, were able to raise 6 kids in a span of like 33 years with Dad being the only one bringing food to the table and money to buy the basic family needs.

I salute my dad for his determination to send us all to school. All 6 of us were sent to a private school run by nuns. We were then encouraged to enter one of the best high schools in Cebu, after which our parents supported us through college and helped us get our degrees.

Education is but one of the best thing dad has done for us. Dad is a family man. He put a lot of importance to the family as a basic unit where all of us acquire and develop the traits and the character that we have become. He never failed us. He always knew his responsibilities and I thank him for standing firmly on his ground.

I think I am lucky to have him as my Dad. I know at times that he manifested his frustration upon us. I could understand why. Dad had dreams too. He had imagined a lot of things for us. I am aware that he once dreamt of a life abroad, with all of us living in striking distance from him and mom. Dad sometimes imagined us giving them gifts whenever we liked to. Gifts such as a vacation to Boracay or HongKong or some jewelries or appliances. Dad had long wished for all of us to achieve great things in life.

Maybe he was a little bit sad because a lot of things never really happened. A lot of unexpected things had happened also. I think at 55, Dad had arrived to a point that life should not be defined by misfortune or by any undesirable event. It should be based on things that could make him appreciate the value of life.

We prepared dinner to celebrate his day. Spaghetti, roasted chicken, grilled tuna belly, stuffed squid, beans and cake. It was a thanksgiving act. In our family, a simple dinner to celebrate one’s birthday means more than any tangible gift.

I do hope he continue to enjoy life. I am but grateful that he’s still healthy and strong. At 55, I hope that he could still see the reasons why life is still worth living. Happy Birthday DAD. More healthy years to come. More reasons to go on living.

Worry-free Weekend

Sunlight penetrated through the uncovered glass door. The light fell on the polished floor, a subtle glare reflected from its surface.

The sliding glass door made a sound as the morning breeze tapped on its fragile wooden frame. The creaking sound from the door had traveled towards me and woke me up from my sleep. 

I opened my eyes and looked through the door. It’s Saturday morning already and the day was already high. I failed to watch the sun rise beyond the islands of Camotes and Leyte. I miss the early morning display of light.

Streaks of light fell upon the wooden bench where I placed most of my important things. I forgot to set the alarm from my mobile phone. But i picked it up and checked on the time. It’s almost half past 9.

The camera wasn’t mine. And I began to remember that Chong had spent a night with me and that we planned to have a wonderful weekend together.

I lifted my head and scanned the room. The bed was a little bit long. But I saw my Bro Bear on the other side, deep in slumber with his head buried beneath the pillows.

There he was, sleeping comfortably, unmindful of the risen light. I decided not to wake him up. I knew that we had a very wonderful moment the night before so I let him have his time to rest.

For quite some time, I just sat at the other side of the bed. I rested my back against the glass wall and watched him sleep. I noticed rhythms, the melody’s so sweet.

The music he made while sleeping had blended with the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds. The sea breeze also complimented the sound of the waves beating the rocky shores of Catmon. The rural music had relaxed my weary self.

It felt so good to be truly enjoying a stress-free weekend. Here I was in one of the amazing beachhouses in northern Cebu, trying to relax and to experience a grand time with my Bro Bear.

We seldom had this chance to be together. The last time was May when we spent our anniversary in Corregidor. I was happy to be with him here in Cebu. Even a weekend with him was enough to last me a couple of months.

I rose from bed and took my time staring through the door. The sun had begun to seek cover behind the dark clouds, its beam had started to crawl away from the room.

The sound of the waves grew louder by the moment. Chong shifted position and tucked the long white pillow between his legs. I kept on listening to the music.

I went out of the room to look at the waters in front of me. A calm, inviting sea.

I took the steps down to the beach and checked the shores.

Rock formations below the beach house.

I took the wooden path back to the weekend abode. The mid morning sun continued to retreat as I landed on the middle storey. I passed by the porch and I could see from there the tranquil Camotes Sea.

Bro Bear and I had a wonderful time swimming at the eternity pool last night. His sister Marj also joined us until the wee hours of the morning. We finished swimming at 4 am.

It was also nice to have breakfast of ripe papaya, home-made crepes, sweetened mango and apple juice.

And of course, quite a lot of time to watch the great expanse of the water.

I wanted to have Chong sit beside me as we watch how the light blue sky meets the deep blue sea. Watching the horizon was like knowing where the water stops and where the heaven begins. It’s more like knowing when the dreaming should end and when the realization starts.

And as I tried to determine where the sky meets the sea, my Bro Bear was still deep in his sleep, dreaming while the rural music continued to blend with the sound of the waves and the rustling of the leaves. I dreamt of having more weekends with him here in the beach house.

Mom’s Amazing Blond Moments

After lunch I shared with mom my intentions of working abroad. It’s been more than a year since I flunked the medical exam for an Abu Dhabi job and I thought I should try my luck once more but not for a job in the middle east, maybe in North America. I want to find out the kind of life that I could have if ever I migrate to anothe country. It could really be difficult for most citizens of third world countries to migrate to rich countries. Mom was quick to say this to my face: “You should find yourself a nurse, marry her and then let her bring you to Canada.” This is my reaction: “Huh?!?”

 

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Every morning, mom, dad and I would hike around the subdivision and help my dad do some physical activities to lower down his glucose and cholesterol. We are not the only people who make the rounds. We often meet other residents from other blocks do their brisk walks. At one section of the village, we met a homeowner – a retired government employee – who lives in a four-storey house. She and mom engaged in a lengthy conversation as we walked several blocks after. They talked about children and school and houses and domestic stuff. Soon after the woman split from us, mom waved at her and said her good bye. I asked my mom if she got her name. Mom just smiled at me and said “No, I dont know her name but at least I know where she lives.”

 

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Mom likes to eat seafood. Fish is a staple in the house. Mom hates red meat and anything fatty and greasy. For days, she would cook and serve the same type of fish. The house has witnessed a lot of “fish festivals” all because mom is afraid of cholesterol-rich food.

One time she heard stories from people in the wet market that fishes and sea creatures may have partaken some of the decaying bodies from the capsized Princess of the Stars. She went home and automatically flushed out all her preference for fish and seafood. Frozen tuna, budboron, bangus, bilong-bilong, even bottled spanish sardines were taken out from the fidge and landed in the trash bin. The adobong pusit was even fed to the dogs.

People in the house were glad though. We could see beef stews and pochero on the dining table again but mom purposely did not add any salt. Mom even served fried chicken. Yes, she served fried chicken breasts only and without the tasty, crunchy skin.

OLD Encounters

I had the weirdest experience last week which made me ponder about my take on people, especially the senior ones.

Let me tell you about this old lawyer. His office was located at the second floor of the public market’s administration building. For the month of June alone, I must have dropped by the building twice because I needed to get the police report on the hit-and-run case involving my dear ZeeWee.

This lawyer that I’m telling you about was the one who notarized my dealer’s documents last January and because we needed a lot of copies of the documents, we had all the copies notarized. It was my first time to meet the old avocat. He may be nearing the octagenarian stage but I wasn’t bothered at all until he began to rise up from his seat.

I was with my dealer rep that time and we were talking to the office clerk who was busy preparing our documents to be signed by this lawyer.  Then we noticed the old lawyer emerging from his old typewriter. He stood up and walked towards the door. He had a very slow stride, his feet moved only 3 inches from each other and by the rate he was going, the 3 meter distance was like the Boston marathon.

I began to feel uncomfortable by the sight of an old man walking. For one, he never spoke a word to us. Two, his limbs were trembling like crazy, it kind of reminded you of Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox’s Parkinsons. Three, he had a powder blue cotton pants on, which was paired with a faded pink top and four, the certificate from the Clerck of the Supreme Court which was hanging from the double wall had a name which can be found in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. What is also weird is that another certificate was still hanging on the same  wall and it belonged to his officemate, a trial lawyer who have already died a long time ago.

The most outrageous part of the experience: After 48 years of walking towards the door, he stopped behind it and stood still. I noticed a bit of sound from the movement of his arms, a sound of belt being unbuckled, a zipper being opened and a fly being parted. It was a very awkward moment, although I could sense what the old man was about to do, limbs shaking and body trembling and all, I immediately shifted my chair to face the office assistant and began a conversation with her.

Just as I was about to adjust my seat, I saw his blue cotton pants free-falling down to his ankles and I shivered in disgust when I saw a worn-out white jock straps on his hips. What frightened me also was the ugly sight of bad ass that looked like huge raisins or preserved plums or a deflated cheek. The man was peeing at a corner.

It took him forever to pee. And in that process the butt exposure was really long. I couldn’t take it anymore. So I went out of the office, pretending that I needed to call someone on the phone, and proceeded to the hallway.

Outside, in the corridor, there’s an old woman sitting about. I figured it out. She made these very weird “popping” sound that was very annoying. It was from her rhythmic chewing and mouth-popping that made me want to leave the lawyers office for a bit. And she sat just right outside the room. 

She must have sat there for ages. Her chewing and “popping” activity had made weird patterns on the concrete floor. She even spat a lot, making several wet marks around her. I’m not quite sure if she had relatives but i think she may have been abandoned. I’m not quite sure if she had a house either but it’s possible that she made the corridor her sleeping quarter.

I fear that she’s a little bit detached and demented. I could not even understand why I suddenly became too bothered. I was really disturbed, not because of the sorry state that they’re in but because I was afraid of what I would become when I reached my 60’s.

Like the old lawyer whose family picture’s still framed and placed on the wall. Not a single one of them took care of him. Or they may have cared enough to hire someone to take care of him. And this could be the office assistant who might be a caregiver at the same time.

I wasn’t so sure if the old man has a house to come home to. I saw a little sleeping cot at the corner of the office. Maybe that office could be his dwelling place, probably the last place he’d be seeing before his final breath.

Scary. I just dont want to be lonely and sorry like them.

See You At Koreen’s Grill

Finally, Koreen’s Grill has transferred to Cebu City. The Resto-Bar is specializing on grilled food, seafood, yummy desserts and of course, accoustic nights.

Their new locations is at The Gallery along San Jose de la Montaña St, Mabolo, Cebu City. This food and entertainment strip is just right across the San Carlos Seminary and in front of IPI.

In case you wonder why I am trying to promote this resto-bar to you guys, I simply want to clarify that I am not the owner of the business and I am not the father of the little girl named Koreen. The resto-bar was named after the only daughter of Mehann and Chito Acosta. These couple also owns Diamed Marketing which is my current distributor in the Visayas area.

Koreen’s Grill used to be located at a town square in Talisay City. People from the “suburbs” would flock the bar because a) the food is simple but very delicious b) the food is really cheap c) every night is accoustic night d) courteous staff  and e) the details of the structure and the interior design is very Filipino. A lot of their clients suggest that they should put up a branch in Cebu City, now that people are already going out to dine and hang out in resto-bars.

It’s a good thing that the couple decided to move the restaurant’s location to a place where traffic and potential customers are dense. The Gallery is but a perfect location for this kind of food and entertainment joint.

Koreen’s Grill had its grand opening yesterday. They are now open for business in the city. Feel free to drop by The Gallery and visit Koreen’s Grill. Their best-sellers are: mixed-seafood, anything grilled from chicken to pork to pusit and panga ng tuna, grilled pork belly and the mixed vegetables. Not to mention their mango float and mango-pandan salad.

Their are live accoustic performances every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. See You Guys at Koreen’s Grill. I wish you would check out this joint and help spread the news to everyone.

Elisa and Her Head Tone

I stumbled upon a contemporary dance performance of Lacey and Kameron of the talent cum reality show “So You Think You Can Dance” and I was completely blown away by their  take on the wonderful song which I came to hear for the very first time. Aside from the ever-famous leaping of Lacey’s crotch into the yummy arms and scruffy face of Kameron. Thanks to Mia Michaels. Her choreography was out of this world.

But I really liked the music that they used for the routine. Now I must have played that video for the hundredth time and still I could not hide the fact the I like the Elisa Toffoli’s “Dancing”. This track is really fantastic because personally I want to listen to it when I travel or even on a long drive anywhere or even just during bedtime. Its soothing and calming melody makes you want to take a break from the things you do or from anything that is stressful.

Now this is Elisa singing her wonderful song in Vatican City.

It’s difficult to find a copy of Elisa’s Dancing. I’ve been making the rounds of all record bars hoping that they may have the copy of the album “Then Comes the Sun” which was released in 2001. I’ve given up the search actually because most people no longer troop to the music stores to buy cd. Most people now download music from the net. According to sources, the use of Elisa’s “Dancing” in Lacey’s and Kameron’s dance routine last year had caused a resurgence in the interest on the Italian chantreuse. The song alone had been downloaded a lot of times last year. 

So I just content myself with the youtube video. She used a lot of high pitched head voice in this song, a style that made her apart from other singers. She a very talented Italian. She expressed her art in several forms like dancing, painting, writing poems and stories.

Now here’s a post about Elisa.

She has entered her native country over the course of three domestic multi-platinum selling albums and now with the release of her first British album, ‘Elisa’ (a greatest hits compiled from her three albums), Italy is finally allowing their protégé to leave the nest. They send her out with great pride, but also a twinge of sadness. For once Elisa’s beautiful, bittersweet, life-affirming songs bury their fangs into the rest of the world Italy knows it won’t be seeing nearly enough of her.

What special magic does Elisa weave? It’s very simple. Her songs are sung in English, but they speak the international language of soul. Not soul as in a brand of music, but soul as in songs that come from that human region. Songs that map every contour of the heart, songs that communicate love, pain, desire and feeling with a passionate insight rare in one so young.

“My songs are all about not trying to escape emotion,” Elisa explains. “I want to use my songs to express something true about myself, about all of us. They’re about the reactions to emotions and not about trying to escape those feelings. And the sound is eclectic because while my heart is always true it changes like the seasons. I write songs to evolve.”

Her output compares favourably with fellow sirens Tori Amos and Kate Bush, but the lineage stretches back much further, back to the day the eleven-year old Elisa went to see the movie ‘The Doors’. Entranced by the lyrical, mystical majesty of the band’s music, Elisa bought a book of poems by Jim Morrison and taught herself to speak English by reading aloud from it. And because all her favourite artists sing in English she figured she would too.

“In Italy, they thought I was English,” she laughs. “They’ve come to realise I’m not now, but that’s another thing I like. To surprise and shock people. I don’t want to be easy to predict. That’s what I love about artists like Bjork or Radiohead, that element of surprise.”

That element of surprise stretches throughout her personal biography too. The product of parents who never married, nor even lived-together but who were nonetheless together, Elisa has always been independently minded. She left school (and home for a year) at 14 and became a hairdresser. She then spent several years singing with a swing band in local bars, playing bass with a punk outfit and also locking down classical piano lessons along the way. Throughout these teenage years she honed her own songs, too, practising every day. She was trying to define her personal style, though, rather than searching for musical perfection. That’s never been her goal.

“For me, the ability to change and grow is far more vital than slickness. I want to recognise my own limits because that allows the music to be even more human. And I prefer an error to be heard because that makes it more soulful and it means you can trust the message of the music, too.”

Eventually, at 17, her songs found their way into the hands of Milan-based indie label Sugar and they agreed to sign her. Her trajectory towards the stars was subsequently very swift, although not entirely comfortable.

“I’m famous in Italy,” she agrees, “but that’s not something I search for. I see being famous as only method for people to hear my songs, a necessary one but sometimes it’s uncomfortable. But for me the most important thing is to communicate with people and so people need to know who I am. I like to therefore play with my image, to provoke a reaction even in my videos. I want to project the message of emotion through my music and I want everybody to get a sense of me.”

I get to sense her now. And I sensed that I could download her music in the coming days.

I am a DR

Heheh. I am not a doctor or a registered medical practioner. DR stands for something from a personality test that I took a while ago. I was just a little bit curious of what my personality is. Bro Bear said that he’s an SI (spontaneous Idealist). I, on the other hand, am a DR. The description is found below.

 

Determined Realist (DR)

(Just visiting? Take the free personality test and determine your iPersonic type!)

Determined Realists like to bear responsibility and welcome challenges (Check! But I dont know why). They are stable, reliable persons. External contacts are very important to them; they mix well and are very active. They are excellent organisers and are very happy when things are done correctly and punctually (hahah, I tend to walk out when people are coming late for a meeting) ; they can quickly react impatiently if others are not as conscientious, orderly and dutiful as they are. They prefer structured work which produces visible results quickly to abstract, long-drawn-out processes (So true. I like it black and white, dont want it blue). Determined Realists have no problem with routine as long as it serves efficiency. However, they very much dislike unexpected and unpredictable occurrences which mess up their careful plans. Once they have committed themselves to a cause they do this with dedication and are willing to make considerable sacrifices for it (Hahaah, talk about takeshi bear being a five-year planner).

Determined Realists do not avoid conflicts and criticism but face up to them and look for solutions. As they have a keen eye for the errors and shortcomings of others and are often quick at expressing criticism, they sometimes rub people up the wrong way especially when they lose their temper and jump to conclusions (I’m guilty, I’m guilty, I’m pintasero at times). Due to their marked sense of justice they are quickly willing to correct themselves and never take offence if someone speaks to them frankly (Manhid ba ako or am I really an active listener?). You do not have to seek hidden motives with them; you always know where you are. Determined Realists are often found in executive positions as they combine commitment, competence and the ability to assert themselves (uhmmm, management position yes two years ago, now I’m just a frontrunner. But let me check this first. heheh). In their spare time, they often also accept responsibility in clubs and other institutions (Rotary-Rotaract Clubs!).

Traditions rate highly with Determined Realists. They attend every family event and never forget a birthday or wedding anniversary (I forgot my father’s birthday once and my dad never failed to remember it). Family and friends are very important to them. With their open, communicative manner, they find it easy to get to know people and have a large circle of friends and acquaintances. They are never superficial, but reliable and loyal friends who are always there when they are needed (hand me some napkins please). Determined Realists take their relationships very seriously – they dream of finding a partner for life. In a love relationship, they seek above all stability and loyalty and here, too, they are willing to invest a lot in a harmonious togetherness (ahemm ahemm ahemmm. Bro Bear you’ve got to read this! )  hehehe. Determined Realists master crises or difficult phases with composure; they would never think of breaking a promise given. As a partner, one can always rely on their support.

Adjectives which describe DR

extroverted, practical, logical, planning, direct, structured, conscientious, responsible-minded, self-confident, critical, honest, orderly, reliable, controlled, objective, able to concentrate, resolved, purposeful, communicative, with a sense of duty, tradition-conscious, stable, able to deal with conflicts, solution-oriented, relationship-oriented, efficient, impatient, warm-hearted, competition-oriented

These subjects could interest DR

clubs (Rotary-Rotaract Club), associations (Sales and Marketing), going out (work requirement, stress control, report evasion hehehe), sport (ah uhm badminton, tennis, volleyball, pin a donkey’s tail and crack a piñata), travel (domestic trips), music (Carl Orff, I like Elisa now, Elliot Yamin, Tracy Chapman, Dave Matthews Band, GOD hope not with the so-called DJ OYE from Cagayan of the ever scary Mr. Butete – Hilo hilo low low), trekking (Osmeña Peak and the Dalaguete Highlands), camping, hiking, cooking (dream hobby, wanna cook pasta for Bro Bear), handicrafts (does ORIGAMI count?), nature (yes), strategy games (half yes), politics (yes i think hehe)

Owel. How about you guys?