My interests include history (especially pre-, ancient, and medieval history, both European and Asian); biology and physical geography; environmental science; environmental and urban economics; literature, especially long narratives, in verse or prose; landscape and seascape photography. Apart from chess I also play the Japanese game of Go. I like running and swimming. I love Baguio City with its cool climate, pine trees, and flowers. I am hoping to move there someday. My favorite player is Rubinstein. My single favorite chess book would have to be Kmoch's Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces. I also like Ludek Pachman's Modern Chess Tactics (translated by P.H. Clarke), Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals, and 500 Master Games of Chess by Tartakower and du Mont. I play lousy chess, but as Paul Bahn says: "If you can't learn to do something well, at least learn to enjoy doing it badly!" At the moment, I work at the Development Academy of the Philippines.