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Amidst the hullabaloo that is happening in my village, my family has remained oblivious to everything. A petition against my weird neighbor a.k.a my dad's mortal enemy is being distributed around. With all the wrongdoings, I guess one will get his fair share of bad karma. We just chuckled about it and went back to our daily lives. Funny how they might think that my dad is one of the complainants' advisers when he's really having the time of his life in Infanta, Quezon for a week now. My family has always been scrutinized and criticized in this street full of social climbers and posers. We have remained quiet in the middle of all the gossips.

One thing I learned from my parents is putting great value on a good name. We're not into comparing ourselves with our neighbors like how many vehicles we have or how big our house is. We do not intend to live flashy lives or to compete with others. I've always competed with myself and nobody else. I've learned before that envy does a person more bad than good. I'd rather work my ass off to reach my dreams than spend a lifetime putting people down. My family used to get involved in verbal skirmishes with my next-door neighbors after they concocted evil plans against us, made fun of us and told lies about us. (If you're reading this Kat, it's the same family who placed sacks filled with sand to divide our side of the street from theirs like we were in a war zone). We're so over that now. I guess we also frightened them after we sent the barangay captain a letter asking for their affidavit in light of a case we plan to file against that vicious woman. My dad has grown tired of arguing with them. We just let them be (not unless that old bat screams at my dad or lola again) like how we simply watch and simmer over the ZTE scandal hearings. The world is full of evil judging by the presence of a good liar like Abalos. He reminds me so much of my neighbors since they hold positions in our homeowner's association. Grabe, pag sobra talaga ang greed ng isang tao. Kakalimutan ang lahat kahit dangal basta makakuha ng maraming pera. I am glad though that there are still people like Jun Lozada who in the end would prefer to tell the truth and keep the last few shreds of dignity that he has. I am glad as well that I have parents who believe that it is more important to be humble, kind, honest and generous than to be rich. You live your life similar to how your parents lived theirs, pruning the bad experiences and mistakes to lead a better life. I am blessed to have been taught that having self-respect is more important than driving a luxury car or having a huge house. I can always keep my head up high while walking down the street because I know that my parents have never been 'jumpers'. A term we have coined for our evil neighbors who got caught by Meralco stealing electricity a few months after they got off a complaint we filed after the man of the house threatened to shoot me, my brothers, and our houseboy. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. Sometimes, we still talk about how our neighbors tormented us over an abundant dinner of seafoods and vegetables. I am proud to belong in this family. A few years from now, I will make my parents proud to have me for a daughter as well.