I always find descriptions of your life interesting. So many experiences (sadly bad ones as well)... Though it does always make me glad to be European (though it's getting worse here as well, mentality-wise).

And I agree about the war stories! I always pestered my grandparents and great-grandma for them, because I sensed that they grew up in a completely different and much much darker world than I did and that was fascinating and made me admire them. (Seeing especially as they didn't go to war but grew up with it taking place all around them.)