I am a board-game enthusiast who prefers spending Friday and Saturday nights at a table top cafe with food and games.  I grew up in the Philippines where Wi-Fi and the internet can only be found in internet cafes. You had to pay 25 pesos per hour in order to scroll through Friendster and Myspace. Unfortunately for me, I only had 20 pesos as a daily allowance for food and transportation. 20 pesos could get me 2 bags of chips, a sandwich and a can of pop. Now you see why I didn't have any social media accounts until I was 12 years old, living in Canada.
My love for board games emerged from black outs and funerals. Now that seems weird right? But let me explain. Black outs tend to happen A LOT when you live in a small town in a stormy country. It could happen at any time (whether you're eating, showering or watching your favourite show) and it could last for days. Though it may sound devastating, my family and I have learned to turn the dark nights into loud, competitive game nights with nothing more but a deck of cards.
My uncle would light up candles around the house and one specifically in the centre of the table. Our card games were simple, some were made up and others were Filipino classics: Lucky 9, Amo-Amo (Go Fish), Tong-its (Mah-jong), 41, etc. The losers would either get flicked or get drawn on the face by the winner. Now the candle in the middle is primarily for seeing but also, it determines  who the "biggest loser" is at the end of the black out. If you're not familiar with candles, the closer and the longer you are in contact with it, the thicker your eyebrows get. So we've made up a rule where you can't wash your face until the light comes back on. The one with the thickest eyebrows is then crowned "the biggest loser."
When one thinks of funerals, it's usually a solemn and formal event.  In the Filipino culture, however, viewings last for weeks. I kid you not, it lasts for weeks! So basically you would have the coffin rested in the house with decorations for people to "view" to pay their respects. Outside is a tarp assembled to cover numerous tables for gaming and gambling. It’s almost disrespectful to come to a funeral viewing without playing a game or two. These were the only nights, my cousin and I would be allowed to stay out late on a weekday. As kids, we were never allowed to participate in gambling part of the game. However, we would create our own gaming table and just play for fun.
Ever since I was little, I’ve loved playing games; card, or board games. I grew up on them. This is how my family interacted with one another during big gatherings. Games were a way to forget the facts that it was stormy out or that we couldn’t afford to buy a Nintendo unit, or a Wii. Board games gave me a way out of my reality for a period of time. It helped me tap into my imagination, strategic thinking, speed, time management, spatial thinking and so many more other things.
Board games really help me appreciate the beauty of social gatherings. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to just be about eating turkey and pie. This is about having fun without being too expensive or too time consuming. I’m so grateful to have found friends and family that love playing games as much as I do.