Job Discussion Forums

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

Do they try to take a peep in your house as you open the door to your home?

Does Mr. Wang the fruit seller ask if he can be invited to your house for a beer?

Do your neighbours look in your window from their homes across the courtyards?

Does old Mrs. Yi knock on your door bringing you dumpings so you have to open the door and she can pop her head into your door to see what your house looks like?

Did you ever notice that there is one flat with a telescope and it is aimed for your living room window on the off-chance you might open your curtains?

Are your neighbours spying on you?

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

And i thought it was just me...

you are not alone.

anthyp · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 1320 Location: Chicago, IL USA

I am voting for the delusional option, Whiner, although a better option might be "exaggerating."

Come on, guys - your neighbors can't be that bad! Mine leave me pretty much the hell alone, although I live on the campus of my school in the teachers' dorms. So my comings and goings are prime time news for the gossip hounds (mainly my coworkers in the English dept.).

My next door neighbor is the Dean at my school; a pretty cool guy, he always invites me out for drinks whenever I see him. A damn good drinker, too, though not as good as I. Let's be serious here.

The guy directly above my flat is some sort of school leader; I've eaten with him a few times, and met his daughter. They don't complain in spite of my penchant for playing loud music at all hours of the day and singing along to it while cleaning.

There is always a group of scary - looking old maids sitting out on the front of my building, shaking their heads at my odd hours and choice of companions, but they don't stalk me or anything. I have certainly never noticed any telescopes (and anyway I keep the curtains shut most of the day).

But remember how things are back home? How we don't even know who's living next door to us?

I may not be able to chat with my neighbors very long, but at least I know who they are. And I rather like the lot of them.

Except for those old ladies, but it seems to be mutual.

lagerlout2006 · Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 985

I'm not sure how to vote her but I think this is a bit hysterical.

A mate of mine came here--- he thought---amongst other things:

----There were hidden cameras in his flat.

----His phone was bugged.

----People were following him around spying for the school.

----His computer had spyware that was sending out signals as to his location etc. etc.

----NOBODY was to be trusted.

Hmmmm. Well the term "clinical insanity" comes to mind but I wont say it. "Manic Depression" also comes to mind. Or maybe just "burnout" I dont know but I would worry more about this stuff at home than in China.

Nobody seems overly concerned with my antics in China. Then again I have the added advantage of being Boring. Ha Ha .... Razz

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

That humungous picture really screws up the column formatting...

Celeste · Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:56 pm Post subject:

Here in Japan, no- when I lived in Korea, however...

I bought a set of shelves once and wanted them delivered. THe guy at the shop lost the delivery slip, but remembered the general neighbourhood. He drove out to my neighborhood, and asked an old lady on the street where the Americans lived. She told him that we have no Americans in the neighbourhood, but that he might want to ask the Canadian couple that lived in this building over here on the 3rd floor, and that we had brought a lot of luggage with us, but no furniture, and that we were working at the high school down the way...

The delivery guy thought this was hilarious!

migo · Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 201

There REALLY needs to be a max avatar size on this forum. That's just obscene.

bigbadsuzie · Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 7:31 am Post subject: I'm the spy

Whiner, do what I do ,spy on them , the best thing to do at night is to keep the lights off and buy those night goggles its amazing what goes on behind those curtains and the bugging devices are soooooo small these days but soooooo powerful . Have fun .

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

They don't need to spy on me - they know more about me than myself do!

foster · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 Location: Honkers, SARS

Honestly do not know, nor care. I do know that my shower window open with a direct view of the neighbours living room. Hummm....

Ace · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 358

Two women tried to push past me into my home last night, as I was trying to figure out who they were and what they wanted.

After I pushed back and slammed the door they knocked, (as they do) for about 20 minutes...

I found they left a message in Chinese with a phone number, so got a student to call...

It's the NEIGHBOURHOOD COMMITTEE! Never encountered this before (4 years)

They want to ask some questions...

MANY questions...(not on the phone)

First, was how many people are living here (one but it's two bedroom and friends or students often stay, the school agreed to this when I asked for two bedrooms)

Second was how old am I?

Ok, it's hard to tell what's next...whether it's just the usual nosiness or well, I hate to think it, (but everyone who stays is over 20 and I've never touched a student...actually I have a few visitors I do get it on with but never students...)

I wonder if they are entitled to question me? I referred them to the school...

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

I don't know if my neighbors are spying on me or not: BECAUSE I AM NOT SPYING ON THEM TO FIND OUT.

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

The problem with you, whiner, is that you have ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE OF HUMOR.

You apparently took what I wrote seriously. No wonder you think your neighbors are spying on you.

I have a suggestion--go back to your home country. I am sure that your neighbors there will not give a fig whether you live or die....

Ace · Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 358

I think it's a reasonable discussion...I'm sure we're all accustomed to being asked personal questions...yesterday the monitor was showing me where tomorrow's class would be held and she asked how old I was...today I was sitting in the teachers' room during the break and students were coming to peer at me (I'm not considered particularly striking back home, but nothing freaky either...)

How much of this intrusion extends, or should be permitted to extend, to our homes? When I'm in my home, it's my little piece of sanity...people who visit or who want to be my friends are expected to conform to Western Culture...I have a note on my door, saying 'Please don't answer my door or my telephone without checking with me first'...I have been stunned to turn around and find someone has let a stranger into my home simply because they knocked on my door...(even if they gave a reasonable explanation in Chinese). My comfort zone definitely extends to my front door...what am I saying, my only door...

I understand the people who came to see me ended up telling my student that if I ever needed any help I should call on them...(the Neighbourhood Committee). What kind of b ullsh it is this?

In any culture is it friendly to try to push your way into a stranger's home? I know our cultures are different, but even in China, do you think people are welcomed with the words "we have many questions to ask you"?

Anyway, why would I ask complete strangers for help? People who haven't welcomed me in any way, or spoken to me or contacted me, in the last two months until this ham-fisted approach? I was wondering if they want to check how many babies I'm planning to have, or whether they have more complex and onerous responsibilities now that - so I've heard - foreigners have more freedom in their choice of residence. Maybe the PSB have been keeping tabs on me up until now...

It's not that I care - I have a beautiful family, and good friends in China...I must be doing something right; I guess I also have a sex life, but what man my age doesn't?