There is one thing that I notice about the people here in America, be they Filipinos, Asians, Americans, Europeans, as long as they’ve lived here for many years, they ask the same questions.
I know there is no bad intention and no rudeness intended but sometimes when I hear them talking about these things, I squirm.
What do you do for a living? Are you rich?
Are you renting? Do you own your house? How much did you buy it for? How much did you spend for renovation? How much is your monthly? How much is your mortgage? How much is your equity, How much is your balance? How much is your salary in a year? How much is your take home pay?
How much did you pay for your car? How much is your monthly amortization?
There is one peculiarity among Filipinos, anywhere they are in the world, when they meet a tourist, they like to say “buti ka pa, pabaka-bakasyon na lang”. Minsan, dadagdagan pa nila ng mayaman ka ba? This comes off as being envious of other people’s lives or lifestyle. Pero madalas naman, tanungin mo sila when was the last time they had a vacation in the Philippines, they say a year ago, I just came back, two years ago, regularly, once a year. See, pabyahe-byahe rin pala sila.
Don’t feel envious of other people’s lives. Appreciate yours. You have something others don’t have. Just be happy.
