I am new to the city, and my neighbor keeps asking me about when I'll go back to my hometown -- it's now starting to piss me off.
I am a "manila girl" who suddenly switched her life and decided to live in Ilocos on a random day during her vacation (but also due to personal reasons). I chose Vigan because it's still laidback while offering all that I need within reach (especially the beach), and I am also a remote worker that's why this was all possible.
I chose this unit that was supposed to be shared between two people and decided to pay double so I wouldn't have to worry about a roommate. The kitchen and bathroom are shared, and I honestly don't mind as long as I have my personal space. I have two neighbors with their solo rooms as well. One is pretty much absent, and the other is the one I'm going to rant about. So, in my first week, this girl didn't really care about my whereabouts at all, even the bathroom doesn't get cleaned as well as the kitchen, and I had to do it all for the sake of my sanity. But there was one afternoon when we met while I was hanging my laundry and she asked about me. I told her that I'm single, I work remotely, and that I just chose to live here on my own. Bigla siyang nagulat, kasi sana raw ay VA na "lang" siya para mas madali, tapos kinahiya rin niya sakin na she has a boyfriend and he works as a driver in Manila (which I found weird btw because bakit mo ikakahiya kung marangal ang trabaho ng jowa mo?), and that I should address her as "Ate" because she's 29 and I'm 27. She also shared to me that she wanted to move to my room before because of the heat (she's by the terrace) but the landlord didn't permit because I already got the space. She also found out that they had a submeter installed for me so I could use the aircon and just pay the amount consumed.
Ever since then, she would take a peek of my room and asked about how much I have spent already, and that I'm too "settled" for someone who seems like a visitor and would be TEMPORARY, and she kept on nitpicking me about garbage and waste disposal when I'm very much great at them and I also make sure that I do CLAYGO every time I use the kitchen vs her who has 3 trash bins and a LOT of leftover food on the sink that causes so many ants building their fucking kingdom out there. Ang dami niyang trash bins pero hindi parin enough, she also has 2 more plastics on the terrace (LOL). I honestly don't care, but she kept on projecting her kadugyutan on me and I obliged to keep my space tidy and clean. It went on for 2 weeks, where I am very much aware of her subtle bullying because she would get my things and move them around without permission, she occupies the whole kitchen as well with her kitchenware, leaving me with a small amount of space to dry my dishes. I didn't say anything, because after all, I am new here. It became frequent, so in return, I'd feed the stray cats that visits us with my leftover food (she hates them cats) + talk to them in baby voice and would clean the hallway at night to disturb her sleep. Petty? Yes, but she deserves it.
However, there was one time when she miraculously started cleaning the bathroom and made sure I hear all of it dahil nagdadabog siya hahahahaha tapos ayun pala ay mag visit daw ang boyfriend niya. Visitors are allowed in our space as long as introduced and the landlord is made aware of it. I didn't care at first until she decided to move my kitchen ware and dishes elsewhere and didn't put it back to where it belongs. I was so fired up because even the bathroom has 90% of her things, tapos pati sa lababo sa kanya parin. But instead of confronting her while she's having her "bebe time", I decided to send a formal complaint to the landlord and attached some proofs and kindly asked to give me some space in the shared kitchen and bathroom spaces given that we are all paying equal anyway. I decided to do this because I think it's better, lalo na't pinagmamalaki niyang LPT (teacher) siya, so might as well show her formality too. That same afternoon, her bf left and she started emptying both the kitchen and the bathroom -- which I assumed that the landlord has finally sent her a request to do it. We didn't talk much after that, but whenever she gets a chance to have a small talk with me, she would always ask kung kailan daw ako babalik ng manila, tapos susundan naman ng mga complaints about the apartment na dapat siya ang nagsasabi sa landlord. I have also met our other neighbor once and she seems nice too, but this neighbor #2 kept on talking shit about her to me, and doon ko na na-realize that she's really just a bitch. Ang pinaka-hate ko pa ay tuwing minamata niya ako kapag nagkakataon na kukuha ako ng food delivery, at tuwing magbibigay ako ng tip sa mga shopee riders dahil nag a-adjust sila sa schedule ko whenever I have a package. She even asked me once bakit daw ako nag a-unbox sa harap niya, when I could do it in my room, but I told her that the main trash bin is nearby at ayoko ipunin sa kwarto yung mga basura ng parcel. Hindi ko naman ginusto na nasa area siya during the time that I was unboxing, LOL. Everything that comes out of her mouth are either complaints or projection of her inferiority complex.
Today, my door is open while watching K-drama, tapos dumating siya at tinanong na naman ako kung kailan ako uuwi ng Manila. I asked her why and she said na wala lang raw. I closed my door after that, and I am choosing not to waste my energy on her anymore. Pero nakakainis lang, kaya I'm sharing it here. This also gives me more drive to work and get my own place soon, dahil ang hirap makisama sa mga taong ganito.
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