Why I was worried about an apartment...

It took over 1 year... but it finally happened. I had a little voice in the back of my head that was concerned about going back to apartment living. The proximity to other people, and the impact of their living habits on my family... it worried me a little.

But the fact that we looked for 4 days, and this was the only place in our budget we could afford, and it was such a good location, I silenced the little voice that was asking if I really wanted to go back to 'apartment living'.

Our place is great, it really is. Great location, under budget, good landlords. But one night last week, it turned into exactly what that little voice in my head thought it might.

So we went to bed, fairly early due to Steph's evenings being more enjoyable for her when she is asleep! I woke up at about 12:45am. I don't know if it was the rhythmic banging or something else that woke me, but there I was awake and listening to the banging. Where was it coming from? I opened some windows to rule out the construction site not far from the apartment, and sure enough, that wasn't it. I paced around a little longer, and felt convinced the noise was originating in the building.

I picked up the phone and called the front desk/service center and explained that someone was seemingly doing construction of some sort in their apartment in the middle of the night. I asked they investigate and take care of it. It stopped for a period of time, which I was hoping was the end of it, alas, it started up again.

At this point, I decided to take the bull by the horns and started walking up the stairs from our second floor landing to determine the location of the midnight construction site. I got to the 4th floor and there was an employee of the apartment complex standing outside apartment 402. I asked him in English with accompanying hand gestures if this was the place. He indicated it was (lots of Chinese, then a nod). We waited. Then the banging started again. At this point the employee starts talking into his walkie talkie, talking to the front desk. I take a little more direct approach and knock on the door and ring the doorbell.

We hear footsteps on the other side of the door, and they approach right to the door and stop. Then nothing - obviously sizing us up through the peep hole. Then footsteps away from the door again... never bothered to open the door up.

So I head back to my apartment, assuming that the person on the other side saw a neighbor (white dude in boxer shorts and a t-shirt) and an employee of the complex at his door at 1:00am, obviously in response to his home improvement project in the middle of the night. That'll be the end of it, right?

No, not really... about 10 minutes later, it starts again... of course, just as I was falling asleep. So I call the front desk again. Here's the conversation:

Guy On Late Shift: You have call him your personally.
Angry White Guy: OK, give me the number.
Guy On Late Shift: Well, he no speak English.
Angry White Guy: Well then why did you tell me to call him?
Guy On Late Shift:
Angry White Guy: Can you call him? Did you call him?
Guy On Late Shift: I call, he no answer.
Angry White Guy: Did you send someone to the apartment?
Guy on Late Shift: He no answer.
Angry White Guy: Nevermind, I am going up there myself.
Guy On Late Shift: Thank you, anything else I help with tonight?
Angry White Guy: No thanks, you have been so much help to this point.

So I go up there. I wait for the banging, which has stopped for a moment to start up again... I don't have to wait long... about 45 seconds later, there it is... bang... bang.... bang, bang, bang.

So at this point I step up to the door and ring the bell. Banging stops, but no walking to the door. Just silence. I am really upset at this point and react a little less than maturely. I commence ringing his doorbell for about 3 minutes non-stop. Just keep ringing and ringing and ringing.

Finally feeling a little better, I head back down stairs, thinking to myself 'this guy doesn't know who he is messing with... I am regularly up and out of the house between 5:45am and 6:30am during the week... I have no issues stopping by the 4th floor on my way out to the car every morning and waking him up.'

Lucky for everyone, 3 minutes of ringing the guy's doorbell sent the right message, or he was just tuckered out at 2:00am and decided to knock off for the night. The banging stopped.

Unfortunately, I was still 'Immature Angry White Guy Who Was Really Tired' when I left for the office at 6:30am the next morning. So on my way out, I stopped upstairs to wish him a happy morning... I started to ring the doorbell, and lo and behold, he had unplugged it! Turned it off!

So rather than realizing I got the better of the situation, I pounded on the door for about a minute - long enough and loud enough to wake the guy up, and then headed down to the car and off to the office... he never answered the door.

Part of me looks back a little ashamed for being so immature... but part of me says 'there's been no midnight banging since then'.

1 night in over a year... that's pretty good, so I can't complain 1 bit about the apartment. It's all good!

Hope you all are sleeping well. :)

Joe