Recently, I encountered a problem with an upstairs neighbor. You see, over the almost 5 years living here, I never realized how noisy they have been. Perhaps with my flexible working arrangements, I stay at home a lot more.
There are two parts to the noise issue. Firstly, I believe they are operating some kind of repair business in their house. This means quite regular knocking and heavy movement of equipment throughout the day. Second, perhaps more tolerable and understandable, there are noises from their two young girls.
One day, my nephew was helping his exams when I decided to visit the neighbor to gently ask them to pipe down the first source of noise. The young man was nervous and came out of the house, presumably to prevent me from getting to near to the gate to see what was going on. I saw some window grille on the floor and another man peeping out to look at me as I spoke to the first man.
He got defensive and told me that even he had problems with noises from his upstairs neighbors. When I suggested that he might want to inform HDB about it, he told me in a brush, that perhaps that I should do that. I shook my head and left.
In the 5 years living here, we have been good neighbors. The patriarch was a friendly man who also engaged in nice banter whenever we met in the void deck. After he passed away, I had to engage the matriarch twice as there was water seepage from their toilets and kitchen that required repairs by HDB appointed contractors. Overall, I would rate the relations as cordial. I even explained to one of the sons and asked for his understanding regarding the repair to the ceiling which needed us both to share costs.
So how do I deal with the noises. I have decided to co-exist with it. I have spoken to the HDB officer in charge of our block - he had kindly offered to visit my neighbor but I told him to let me monitor the situation. My reasons are quite multifaceted. I do not wish to upset the dynamics of our neighborliness. The situation compared to those I read online is still manageable since I do not have noises into the unholy hours of the night or early morning. The main reason is the first source of noise originates from the young father who needs to support his family of two young toddlers.
I know it might sound holier than thou or even exceedingly altruistic. I really worked this last reason internally. I see the two young girls going to child care on occasional mornings and have seen the young man going out with his family. They are not malicious people. Just our heartland Singaporeans trying to make a living.
Some adjustments on my part however, have to be made to live with this new intrusion. I use a noise cancelling bluetooth headset to watch the TV. I also go out more to work or do my errands. Occasionally, I have had to put on my earplugs that block out both low frequency noises. Of course I listen to music on my computer if I need to work at home.
Friends have asked why I needed to compromise so much as it involves my home - my private sanctuary. I explained that it is really what comes with the territory - of communal living. Would I act on it ? Yes, eventually when the din becomes absolutely intolerable. For now, I want to take a higher moral ground. Hearing patter of the kids' feet when they return from child care in the afternoon is a sign of life, isn't it?
It helps that I am into gadgets :p. The noise cancelling headset is a great help that lets me enjoy movies and music even better. So is the expensive but highly effective ear plugs that work wonders.
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