Job Discussion Forums

[Hansen]

I had been living comfortably in a flat when, suddenly and unexpectedly, alot of noise started coming down from above. The flat above had been empty for a long time. Suddenly, I was being awakened constantly and subjected to very annoying and irritating noise, big noise, from above.

A new couple had moved in. After consulting with friends, I started tapping on the ceiling when the noise was too much. No result; consequently, I started rapping the ceiling. Unfortunately, the people upstairs started stomping on the floor. Awakened from a sound sleep, I shot out the door with a shovel handle in my hand and started beating on the door of my upstairs neighbor.

I was surprised to discover it was a colleague from school with whom I had a nodding acquaintance.. After a brief discussion and apology , I thought the matter had been resolved. I decided to move to another flat.

Although he really had nothing to do with managing my affairs, he managed to become responsible for hooking up my new phone. He sat on it for a month, did nothing. The FAO told me that since he had to work with the guy and it was really a dispute between us, he could not get involved. He did tell me that the guy had told him about our episode and was not going to hook up my phone [simply from spite].

I went to my department head, told him what had happened, and said he needed to arrange coverage for my classes, which I would not be attending until the phone was fixed.

He contacted the school principal and my phone was working the next day.

[A man called Roger]

[Hansen]

Unfortunate Roger, that you often assume the worst of people. I had been upstairs. By this time, I had been about three weeks without a decent night's rest. As stated in the post, on this particular occasion, I had been awakened out of a sound sleep that I had managed to catch during the hours when most people are not asleep. The point being that it had become impossible to sleep in the place at anytime, without being awakened.

Of course, rather than assuming the best of people, you assume, like the xiaoren of Confucius, the worst.

If you weren't so intent on criticizing other people, you might have noticed numerous factors which indicated an escalating situation, no doubt in part because of weeks of sleep deprivation on my end as well as my unfamiliarity with the poorly constructed place in which I live.

Hopefully, in view of the entire scenario, including the vengeance directed toward me over a situation which I thought had been resolved, others might gain some insight.

Even though I moved from a place I had been in for nearly two years so as to avoid further problems, the "gentleman" still made a point of messing with my living situation to the extent that the school principal was required to intervene. My contract was intentionally violated by a person to settle a petty score. Numerous administrators knew it and would do nothing.

Perhaps another FT can learn from my experience.

[A man called Roger]

[jiangsu]

I thought it was quite a funny story.

As someone who has had to put up with bad neighbours, I can appreciate some of the apparently less rational aspects of Hansen's backlash

[Hansen]

Roger, While I don't believe you to be a stupid person, you are, after your time here, definitely manifesting characteristics of the dreaded xiaoren. I suppose it is more character flaw, than mental incapacity, on your part, which causes you to miss the obvious response to your own criticism.

Good luck with that.

[mat chen]

I'm with Roger on this one. Noisy neighbors everwhere and we are headed into the fireworks season. Remember last year's spat Brian had with his neighbors. BS protectors work for me with Rolling Stone's songs pumped up full blast.
Also the official way of showing anger in China is a meat cleaver not a shovel.

[A man called Roger]

[alter ego]

Let's break this down one paragraph at a time.