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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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 Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 2:50 pm Post subject: Getting a 7am Nightingale to Shut Up... |
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Hopefully someone here has had this problem before, but we've got a guy who perpetually wakes up at all hours of the night (unfortunately usually around 7am) and sings his little heart out. To be honest, he's a pretty good singer who seems to either be suffering from a lack of commonsense, a lack of respect, or a little of both.
The two apartments are quite close to one another and therefore hearing his cries of desperation, emotion, or just plain attempts at notes that are off his register feels as though he's standing or sitting right next to you.
Well, today, I decided to have a bit of a shouting match and threaten to report him. Unfortunately, he didn't even respond and just kept on singing his heart out. Problem is that even if you report him, it's nearly impossible to make out where the guy would be living.
What gets me is that he's not only disturbing the peace, but likely waking up the older people and babies in the neighborhood. Definitely a person seeking attention. It's rather cold outside, but he forever has his window open during the day and on some computer chat program from day to night (You can hear the speaker-generated voices from his computer--some P2P chatting or something--I'm thinking it's via some game he's addicted to playing).
I mean, I don't like listening in on people's personal lives. So I turn on the TV or close my windows as much as possible. But avoiding this guy's morning day jams is nearly impossible.
I've thought of taking the China-route: hiring a bunch of underpaid construction workers to figure out who he is or to indiscriminately stand outside the likely apartment building and poach any potential birds in question for 100 RMB a pop. (Gosh, how I miss China's people skills at times) I've thought of prompting my landlord to talk to the adjacent building about the problem. I've thought of figuring out the room number and committing a personal assault myself. I've considered going ole school, buying a badass stereo system, setting it up for destruction, and going Revenge of the Nerds on him. I've considered a perpetual summer of closed windows and in-the-ear noise blockers to get a bit of peaceful sleep. And, I've considered moving.
I need a recommendation, because I keep imagining a front-page exclusive on a non-Korean, sleep-deprived student who, dressed in a white ninja uniform and wielding a katana blade, went on a killing spree screaming BANZAI at his victims! After, that is, having failed all his classes to write a 1,000-page manifesto written in barely decipherable Korean and making a video postmarked to SBS on why Korea needs change.  |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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If it was a real nightengale I would say just shoot it.  |
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Zackback
Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Location: Kyungbuk
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Buy a good set of earplugs and blast the fan next to your head (ear) all night. |
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:43 pm Post subject: Re: Getting a 7am Nightingale to Shut Up... |
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| rchristo10 wrote: |
| Hopefully someone here has had this problem before, but we've got a guy who perpetually wakes up at all hours of the night (unfortunately usually around 7am) |
As a life-long night owl, I very much empathize with you. However, 7AM is not really what most would consider "night." A lot of working stiffs have to be up at that hour to get ready for work and most would consider it the morning.
Personally, I'd do whatever it took to figure out what apartment it was coming from and let him know to knock it off.
Fortunately in your case you can do something about it. Way back when, I lived in an apartment that was next to some horrific neighbors. They literally tortured their dogs, by leaving them chained to a spike in their backyard to bake in the hot California summer sun with no shade or water. Consequently the dogs would howl in pain all day and night. The police were afraid to do anything about it, because it was a drug house with 13-15 living in just the garage. They warned us not to interact with them because they have found many illegal weapons there. |
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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 6:19 pm Post subject: Re: Getting a 7am Nightingale to Shut Up... |
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| madoka wrote: |
| rchristo10 wrote: |
| Hopefully someone here has had this problem before, but we've got a guy who perpetually wakes up at all hours of the night (unfortunately usually around 7am) |
As a life-long night owl, I very much empathize with you. However, 7AM is not really what most would consider "night." A lot of working stiffs have to be up at that hour to get ready for work and most would consider it the morning.
Personally, I'd do whatever it took to figure out what apartment it was coming from and let him know to knock it off.
Fortunately in your case you can do something about it. Way back when, I lived in an apartment that was next to some horrific neighbors. They literally tortured their dogs, by leaving them chained to a spike in their backyard to bake in the hot California summer sun with no shade or water. Consequently the dogs would howl in pain all day and night. The police were afraid to do anything about it, because it was a drug house with 13-15 living in just the garage. They warned us not to interact with them because they have found many illegal weapons there. |
Thanks. He usually does it at all hours of the night; mentioning 7am in the parenthesis doesn't limit the times...just points out one that particularly irritates me.
So you're thinking that the personal assault is the right way to go about it? (i.e. I should go over and ask him to quiet it down?) I really doubt the police would do anything until I figure out who exactly the person is and record what he's doing. But I wonder if they'd give him a ticket or even solve the problem at all.
Any suggestions on how to find the apartment? There are two complexes next to each other. Each floor has about 4 or so windows. And I believe he's in the adjacent apartment (not connected to my building at all). I'm talking about an apartment located next to two complexes of studios and one-rooms. I'm trying to figure out which apartment. But I'm facing the back of the other buildings, buildings I've never been in. It's really sorta crowded. I'm assuming that if I go into the other complexes, I'd still have a problem finding the room and because our buildings have different landlords not sure what to do in terms of complaining. A foreigner knocking door-to-door to complain about the noise and is likely not a good idea (but I'm considering it). Although, I've heard several people slamming their windows in our complex (with the grace of some heavenly body, perhaps they'll actually do something to fix the problem).
I live in an area where several people are studying for national examinations or students attending one of the the best schools in Seoul. So I'm thinking he's either a spoiled brat or a nut who will take the national officer exam for over 10-years before realizing he's never going to pass. Regardless, you'd think the residents would be raising hell.
@Zackback...I've tried the orange styrofoam earplugs and they usually fall out of my ears. You know of any companies where you can get a pair that doesn't constantly fall out? I've got a pair of the airport noise cancelling earphones, but think that would be a bit awkward to sleep with. |
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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Zackback wrote: |
| Buy a good set of earplugs and blast the fan next to your head (ear) all night. |
Tried the orange styrofoam variety and they just don't work with the ears; they constantly fall out. I remember using a pair of wax ones in the US. Any suggestions in terms of where to get a good pair of wax ones in Korea? I don't think they have them on our campus. |
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Zackback
Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Location: Kyungbuk
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.hearos.com/earplugs/sleep
I use hearos when necessary. I can't find the purple kind on this site. They are a little bet better than the blue. I bought a few pairs of the green ones which I think are the best. |
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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Zackback wrote: |
http://www.hearos.com/earplugs/sleep
I use hearos when necessary. I can't find the purple kind on this site. They are a little bet better than the blue. I bought a few pairs of the green ones which I think are the best. |
Thanks!
I've also devised a practical plan. I'm going to supplant a confrontation with a little guilt trip.
I've decided to record a baby crying on my computer (loud enough to be heard from wherever this guy is "singing"/ yelling). Then after I play the tape, I'll stop it, then yell that he should be quiet and that people have babies (in Korean, of course). Hopefully, either people around him (or knows where he lives) will man up and tell him to keep it down or he'll think about his parents and just pipe down for posterity.
I'll keep you updated on whether the plan works. Wish me luck!
(Man, the things you have to go through to get cooperation here. Where I'm front the likelihood that someone will really shoot your ass seems to work so well to get people to think before they act. Ah....nostalgia. Anyways, I think it will work.) |
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Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:18 am Post subject: |
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| rchristo10 wrote: |
I've decided to record a baby crying on my computer (loud enough to be heard from wherever this guy is "singing"/ yelling). Then after I play the tape, I'll stop it, then yell that he should be quiet and that people have babies (in Korean, of course). Hopefully, either people around him (or knows where he lives) will man up and tell him to keep it down or he'll think about his parents and just pipe down for posterity.
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Don't count on that! He doesn't sound like the empathetic type.
And extreme noise seems to be part of life in Korea. That's one of it's negative points; wherever you go there is almost always someone around who is yelling or whining loudly. Noisy place plus paper thin walls = a bad combination.
And most of them just live with it. I really don't think it bothers them to the same extent that it bothers the average foreigner, so don't expect them to be confrontational unless it gets extremely bad.
If you find the guy, try being polite at least the first time, just so you can say you tried. (It won't work of course. Maybe for one night or so.) After that you can go at him harder and maybe even scare him a bit. But as a foreigner you are basically walking on egg shells if you do anything so try to get some locals on your side: power in numbers. Tell him you have a baby AND you are studying for exams AND you have some gangster friends...etc. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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| That's only in the mornin...Supposed to be up cookin breakfast or something...them nightingales like an alarm clock...whoop whoop |
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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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Success story: The whining baby routine worked! I did it at 11pm yesterday, and someone else above my place took over the yelling at the the guy. And this morning there's a sign on the front of that particular building complex that warns that "Noisy residents will not be tolerated!"
It's been a great quiet day thus far. One win for the team! Wooo hooo! |
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travellingwilly
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 3:11 am Post subject: |
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Last edited by travellingwilly on Fri Sep 14, 2012 12:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:01 am Post subject: |
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| travellingwilly wrote: |
| Stop whining like a big girl...if it is bothering you so much, find out who it is and go slap his chops!! |
Ah, the faculty of reading is a great thing. You should try it some time. Oh wait, you'd have to have the faculty of reading to try it wouldn't you. Nevermind. (Then again, trying a faculty doesn't make sense, but alas...you can't read so it doesn't matter. ^^) |
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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Sweet SLEEP!!! |
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MattAwesome
Joined: 30 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| That's only in the mornin...Supposed to be up cookin breakfast or something...them nightingales like an alarm clock...whoop whoop |
+1 for bubb rubb reference.
What i did with someon'es annoying dogs in the morning is i madew a flyer that said in korean, something to effect of: "be kind to your neighbors and be mindful of your dog's barking so we can all wake up happy." |
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