At NNU there was often noise of some kind going on, whether it was someone next door playing their music, or guys outside playing volleyball, girls in the corridor shrieking and streaking through the wing, or my very own roommate talking on the phone for hours at a time. But it never really bothered me all that much, I guess because they were people I knew, or because it was mostly pleasant noise, or because if it got out of hand, I had resources to go to who would do something about it (RA's, TA's, etc.)

Well, that has all changed. I now officially have honest-to-goodness neighbors, and lest I forget that they're there, their loud music, cars, friends, television, and conversations remind me daily. (Did you notice I just used three forms of that word consecutively in one sentence? And correctly too!) On the right hand side of my apartment lives a family comprised of (according to my observations) at least two young women, possibly one man, and about ten children (or so it seems). Not that the kids are a problem. They don't really cry or scream much, it's the women who are loud--yak yak yak--outside their front door, which is outside my front window, which is like 6 inches from my couch. So much for any delusions of future naps there. AND they leave the door open all afternoon, while Spanish soaps blare from their living room.

On the left hand side of my apartment live an assortment of people, whose relationships and relative ages I have yet to figure out, partly due to the fact that I think they just constantly have friends over. Generally around two o'clock in the afternoon, they all tumble out of their apartment into their little backyard "patio" that they've created and talk and laugh (and sometimes argue) raucously for several hours. The arguing generally involves profanity, which is more difficult to tune out while reading or whatever, since its whole purpose, of course, is to get one's attention.

Overhead, there is another apartment that is mostly quiet, except for an occasional loud thump, which usually happens in the middle of the night. Who knows, maybe someone likes to fall out of bunkbeds up there.

So, if anyone has good strategies for overcoming neighborly racket, let me know. So far these methods have been used with partial success: turning on my own music, reading Harry Potter (which I can get lost in no matter the distractions), going to Barnes and Noble to study, and spending most of the day at school.

There are some things I have considered doing, but have not yet tried, including: banging on the ceiling with a broom, kidnapping one of the kids and holding him ransom until they promise never to watch soaps again, going out on my "patio" and holding a loud and angry argument with an imaginary person at 6am, turning on Avril Lavigne on repeat as loudly as the stereo will go each time I leave the house until I return, installing sound proof walls, ceiling, and windows, and going next door and inviting them to play the "Let's see how long we can be quiet" game.

Labels: neighbors

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