
Since I can remember I have always had the misfortune of having bad neighbours. Whether they were nosey, intrusive, noisy, annoying, stupid, the negativity list is endless... So I have always kept myself to myself without getting too involved with them, nothing more than a Hello or Good Afternoon...
And since I have lived in Brasil I can see that people here, in general, love to have a healthy relationship with their neighbours, in fact people's neighbours know almost everything about their lives - I think this is just too weird.
Over the years I have lived in many different apartments and houses in Brasil and my Brazilian friends always ask me "What are your neighbours like?"
Well, the "neighbours from hell" have followed me here too!
I'm a very calm, friendly, no-nonsense kind of guy and I can get along well with virtually anyone, so why is it that I attract such bad neighbours? Is it all just bad luck or is my God testing me?!
My current neighbour for instance pulled me aside 2 days after I moved in and told me her whole life story at the garden gate, which took more than 2 hours.
In that time I was told that she was recently divorced, has a Daughter that the Father refuses to pay any child support for, lives next door to her Brother and Sister-in-law who argue with her constantly and that all the surrounding neighbours think that she is a prostitute because she got a divorce and is dating another man...
I won't bore you with the rest as I was almost sleeping whilst leaning on the gate that day.
After she told me all of her "soap-opera style" revelations I went into my house thinking "she seems like a nice woman who has just had some bad luck with friends and family..." How wrong I was!
She has 3 big dogs which she insists on keeping outside in her garden day and night, even in the bitter cold winter nights, and they bark constantly... every minute of every day for no reason.
For the first 3 weeks that I lived here I couldn't sleep at all as her garden backs onto my bedroom and it sounds as if the dogs are barking right next to my bed, but after 3 years I have just got used to it and have never complained, sleeping through it all.
She also causes lots of problems for her neighbours (her Brother and Sister-in-law) and I hear them arguing endlessly with her about all the confusions she has caused, in fact most of the surrounding neighbours seem to have alienated her completely.
She once said to me "Wow I haven't seen you for weeks! were you travelling?" and I replied "No, I've been here the whole time" to which she replied "You really are the best neighbour that I have ever had! I never hear you!" and my ironic mind thought: "I wish I could say the same about you darling!" but I just smiled and said "I'm just a calm guy who loves to live peacefully" (even my girls, my own dogs, are peace-loving creatures and only bark when it really is necessary)
Maybe when I move I will have better neighbours who have more consideration for other people... but good or bad I will still be keeping myself to myself and living in my own little house of peace, as getting involved with neighbours would surely be hell!


11 comments:
Oh dear - she definitely sounds awful! It's such a shame that neighbours can affect the quality of living. I had a noisy student who lived below me in York, but he was eventually thrown out because he had left the country and was letting his friends stay there, smoking drugs and eating pizza - I was quite happy about that!
Peter
Donnie, neighbours are the worse thing in the world, I said this 'cause I'm always lived around bad peoples how wants to know EVERYTHING about your personal life, and this sucks! Has been 2 months since I moved, and as you said, I only say Good Morning or just a Hello!.
As you said, our home is a peacefull place and we can spend days on it with our DVD's or just on the pc, haha
Have a good day Irmão!
Take care and I hope talk to you soon!
Hi Peter!
She really is a nightmare and I am so pleased that I cut all communication with her from the beginning.
I'm happy that I'm not the only person who has trouble with neighbours! hehe
Have a great weekend!
Hi Leo!
I agree... the worst thing is having bad neighbours! and the only way is to not speak to them, only to say good morning/good afternoon, e.t.c...!
Have a great weekend and speak to you soon Irmao!
Abraçao!
Donnie, we had a neighbour from hell in England. They left their two dogs in their house for two weeks while they holidayed in France. Their daughter came twice a day to feed them and take them for a poo. They howled for the whole two weeks. Their relatives were like the Clampits and double parked everywhere. They spat and they never slowed down to pass me on my horse, so I kicked a couple of their wing mirrors off as they past. She complained my plumber blocked her toilet from my house!Also my builders van was in the way. When he said it couldn't be his van as it was in the field at the back of the house she said "yes exactly, it's spoiling my view!" I never want neighbours again. Debs x
Sounds lilke you're just too nice and she's taking advantage of that! Still, anything for an easy life. I almost had a bad neighbour experience about 5 years ago, but I didn't rise to the bait and all is at least non-aggressive these days.
Wow Debs!
You certainly had a nightmare with those neighbours!! I hate anyone who doesn't slow down for horses as I used to ride in England and know what it's like to have selfish drivers speed past!
Well done for kicking off their wing mirrors! They sound like they were disgusting and I also would like to never have neighbours again! Thankfully the new house where I will be moving to hasn't got any neighbours nearby, only right up the road, so it will be bliss! :)
Have a great week!!
Hi expatmum!
Yes I guess you're right! still I only have a couple more months living here in this house now :)
I think it's best (within reason) to not complain and cause a fuss as some neighbours can be so problematic and cause even more confusions and stress out of revenge...
Have a great week!!
I really hope the next ones will be really lovely neighbours. That family sounds awful.
Hi Maggie May!
Thanks! I really hope so too!
Although this next house where I am going to only has neighbours way up the road.. so it's wonderful - almost no neighbours!! hehe
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