Sunday, July 15, 2007
LOVING THY NEIGHBOR
our neighbors as ourselves. But frankly, I don't believe
that my neighbors can stand all that affection.” - Anonymous
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Camera: Nikon D80
Aperture: F8
Shutter: 10/2000 sec
Focal Length: 120mm
ISO: 400
Flash: No
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posted by Señor Enrique at 7:31 AM
11 Comments:
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said... Affection; it's a great feeling and everyone should love each other.
;)-
cacofonix said... The picture gets me all excited about coming home for a vacation. This is what I miss about the Philippines, a strong sense of community in neighborhoods (such as this) in a distinctive Pinoy traditional style. Hay, makes me think of fiestas, banderittas, lechon, leche flan and maki-fiesta (read: gate-crash) sa mga bahay-bahay (read: strangers)...:).
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Señor Enrique said...
It surely is, Kyels! The author of the quote was being facetious :)
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Señor Enrique said...
The sense of community you miss most, Cacofonix, unfortunately, has been slowly eroding in most of America's large urban areas. Especially, in New York, where oftentimes neighbors of a tall skyscraper residential condo building hardly know one another, a sense of alienation and loneliness becomes pervasive.
Now, you make me want to attend a local fiesta :)-
said...
The sense of community is also slowly eroding in many Filipino communities, Eric.
Blame it on: 1) this pace of life that is getting faster and faster each day; 2) expanding urbanization; 3) increasing needs of people that drive them to slave themselves to earn more hence leaving very little time for community interaction. And other factors.
In our place for example, a neighbor's house (about five houses away from ours)was looted clean of appliances in broad daylight!Apparently, the neighbors who saw the 'looting' thought it was just 'lipat bahay'. In short 'wala silang pakialam'.
And where now is the 'bayanihan' spirit? 'Wala nang libre sa panahong ito!'-
said...
But in afterthought - loving thy neighbor as the Bible says - generally means loving thy fellowmen, not necessarily just the guy living next to your door. hehe.
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Señor Enrique said...
Is that the price we pay for leading modern lives, Rhoda? Instead of finding a more fulfilling life, I guess we end up finding more stuff to bring home and thereby demonstrate to the neighbors an affluent life.
The story you mentioned about a neighbor's house getting ransacked in broad daylight is truly disheartening.
True about loving our fellowmen, but I think we have to start in our own backyard. And that means our neighbors ... hehehe.-
reyd said...
Neighbors, you got to love them or hate them....I remember my neighbor who I had a crush with when I was in high-school, nagtatawanan na lang kami when we meet again after 30+ years. Having a neighbor is really a part of life, no matter how bad they are, they are still you neighbors. Here in America, even though I hardly talk to our neighbors, there seem to be a sort of unwritten rule of neighbors taking care or watching each other, especially when some untoward incident happens. I had neighbors who dumped thrash in our backyard, loud parties, break some part of the fence but still they are my neighbors, and the cute doggie from the house behind us who would hangout in our backyard rather than in his master's home. Hahaha!
So, if anyone doesn’t want to have any neighbors, there are places for them in Antarctica or on the top the Himalayas.-
Señor Enrique said...
In many ways, Reyd, I am ever so grateful for my parents for choosing to buy a house in Misericordia near Batangas Street where we all grew up. Had it been in the quieter and prettier area of Quezon City, our childhood memories wouldn't have been as colorful and animated. Our playmates and neighbors made it so. They were very much part of the fabric of our lives.
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said...
bigla kong namiss ang kapitbahay ko sa QC. not the most pleasant person, pero ok na rin paminsan minsan. naalala ko rin yong fishball, taho, binatog vendor sa may amin. pag napadaan na yong vendor, labasan ang tao sa block namin. hehehe. kakamiss, wala kasi non dito eh. miss home!
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Señor Enrique said...
Scenes from a typical local urban neighborhood, Nell, are what you described. I can imagine how homesick some of our fellow Pinoys living abroad get whenever they're reminded of such.
A bag of chocolates or candies, I'm sure, your kapit-bahay will receive from you when you come home for a visit :)
