Life in a Countryside

As I explored my social media, the image above makes me wanna live in a countryside again. I miss those times when all I saw was the green surrounding. When the weather was warm, I just whistled with a crying tone to call the air. In just five seconds, I felt the fresh air hit my skin. The plants were swaying like they danced happily. They’re welcoming like they tell us these reasons why we should live there:

Free Fruits

In the picture is my older sister and her workmate who ate a young coconut. Climbing a coconut and eating its fruits are free. It is our habit to have picnic to the farm to eat Buko (young coconut) while chitchatting about our crushes.

Plenty of Clean Water

Clean and fresh water is abundant in the countryside. The river we swam in the picture is deep and virgin. Virgin because it’s not developed and we’re thankful about it because I don’t like to imagine that it’ll be crowded in the future. Anyone can swim in this river that nobody asks an entrance fee.

The flowing is calming, but when the heavy rain pours out, it becomes so noisy. The people in this place couldn’t cross when it floods, but thankfully, they made a bamboo raft before. I still remember when I was in Elementary that we needed to cross it even if it flooded just to go to the school. During heated season, we walked from our place going to the school in middays and we just drank its water if we were thirsty. Well, it is safe to drink this water because it is not polluted. It is clean and pristine.

Fresh Air and Green View

The air in this place is fresh while enlivening the aroma of the verdant greenery. There is no pollution, noisy vehicles-and a noisy crowd. What we can hear is the loud chirping of the birds; sometimes, the hissing of the snake especially on summer.

Free Water, Laundry and Meal

When we lived at the countryside, we used to fetch a fresh water from the jungle. It was hard for us to wash our clothes at home, so we brought our clothes in this river to wash and dry it on the rocks. While we waited for it to dry, we went to the huge rocks to enjoy jumping on the deep water. Our uncles would bring their googles and arrows to catch fish. The river is very helpful to us as it provides fish for our meals. Money in living in a countryside isn’t necessary all the times because everything there is free. If the relatives can catch fishes, they share it to everyone that all of us can enjoy the catch. It is our culture there in the mountain which is to share our foods to our relatives and neighbors.

Plants are also free there because each house has a big yards with complete planted vegetables, plus the plenty of fruits and corn in the farm and animals such as the hen, rooster, goats and pig. We didn’t need to go to the market to buy our basic needs in meal. Meat can be found in the farm too.

Mental Health Benefit

During leisure, women from each house gather to have a chitchat. Living near with them is stress-free. You forget all of your worries and problems because you have many people to talk with. It’s a great feeling to have many friends around you who love to listen to you , as well as you love listening to them. Yet, it’s also uncontrollable to be with a toxic person who love to meddle and backbite other people. That’s a common issue in the province.

Helpful People

During feasts, the people come to your house to help cooking and cleaning for free. They are helpful without asking returns. You’ll be surprised that they come unexpectedly to cook.

Incest Remains the Same

In the mountain, there are only a few men and women. Incest is an issue there that’s why our parents decided to live in the city as they don’t like us to be like our relatives who married their cousins. Since there are only a few men and women there, even if a 14 year old lady is married to a 20 year old relative. Strangers who visit the place attract men or women no matter how they look.

Stealing Wives and Husbands

Aside from an incest, adultery is also a problem there that remains known until these days. Wives are attracted with the neighborhood’s husband. Some of the wives suddenly left their families with their new guys that are mostly younger than their husbands.

The Urban Life

Life in the city is tough if you’re unemployed. There is no free in the city. Everything needs money. People needs a tight budgeting so that, all of the foods consumed can last for a month or at least after 15 days. In the picture above are my sister and friend who divided their money so we could buy the foods for our meal. Yet, just like living in the mountain, there are also pros and cons in the city.

Polluted Water

In the city, the rivers are polluted, some are not fully polluted, but they need an entrance fee. People just swim at the swimming pool where the water is mixed with chlorine and urine since it doesn’t flow. In the picture is myself who had an itchy skin after swimming. The city people are thirsty of clean and fresh water from the river and their only options are swimming pool and the sea.

Money is Always Solution

Even a gallon of water in the city needs to be paid. Even a piece of banana leaf needs money which is different in the mountain where we just cut the leaf along the road that no owner complain because it’s a wild banana leaf.

Easy Flooding

In the city, it floods easily when it rains the entire day. The canals are stacked of garbages that undisciplined people used to throw. In the picture are my dogs who were afraid of the water that entered our house. They were shaking caused by fear and coldness of the water. They had an anxiety for their owners too.

Water Shortage

As the place is populated, the source of water becomes limited during climate change like what happened in our current situation that El Niño hits the city. It is difficult for us to wash our clothes, clean the kitchen and cook. We need to wait for a water rationing being brought to our homes. We greatly suffer a water shortage in this entire summer.

A Fast Signal and Paperwork Process

Life is fast but chaos in the city as there are always reported road accidents, fires, floods, gambling, etc. Yet, there are still advantages. We can connect easily to the world as every corner has an Internet and prepaid signals. The paperworks are done faster than at the province because it is nearby the government departments. You don’t need to travel at the faraway place to get a signature to be completed.

Convenient for Emergencies

Even if there are disadvantages to live in the city, life seems so easy here if you have plenty of money and there are still advantages to be here. One of the advantages is, it’s not scary if there’s an emergency because the hospitals, malls, public and private institutions and pharmacies are near.

Everything in the city is accessible. In just one tap, you can have the food you crave at your table. In just a few minutes of walking, you can savor your favorite food at the good fast food chain or at the restaurants as eateries, restaurant and fast food chains are everywhere.

My Two Cents

If I would choose between the rural and urban life, I would choose the rural one, but as I age, it’s troubling for me to imagine how far it is to go to the pharmacies, malls and hospitals in case of emergency. Car can’t run because there are no gasoline stations. You need to call for backup, but there’s no signal. I’m not spreading negativity here, but that’s the reality. How about you?

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Thank you amazing friends @olivia08, @diosarich and @antonette.Thank you @justinparke for your kindness and delegation. Thank you @asean.hive for your unfading support. Love love all the way!