The people next door play mahjong a lot but that doesn't really get to me. What I don't like is they leave their door open and the smoke drifts across and stinks out my flat sometimes. On the other hand I play the tenor saxophone and it can be.........loud. Give and take, innit?

  Made the mistake in Beihai of getting showed around our new flat during the lunch break. Don't ever do that. After we moved in we found out that that was the only time of day when the building wasn't full of the noise of construction. Went on solidly, every day, morning till night, for six long months.

My current downstairs neighbor is renovating his entire apartment by himself.  While I applaud his DIY spirit and handyman skills, I am getting quite tired of hearing the constant hammering, drilling and sawing.  He is very industrious and starts his workday, 7 days a week at 7am and continues until at least 8pm.

If this guy is single, I recommend you ladies jump on him immediately.  He is a work horse and frugal.  Plus apartments in my area are not cheap so he apparently has money too.

edited because apparently, I can't remember how to spell DIY

Fortunately I have quiet flat in good building.

One thing I had to "fight" with my neighbors living in flat upstairs.
Every flat have several air-conditioners, splitter type. Condensed water is drained outside, and all would be fine if my upstairs neighbors won't put the pipe down - exactly to my balcony. Sure, they might think that my flat is empty, but water dripping constantly can drive mad even so gentle person that I am .
So... I asked twice, using my friend to translate, with no effect, then one night (when their aircon was off) just put some glue in the pipe, sealing it permanently.
Suddenly... next day pipe have gone, and there is no "unwanted rain" any more.

total cost - 5RMB for glue

Standard things:

- Leaving their doors wide open (TVs, music, loud conversations, death rattles, etc.) all completely audible from my apartment.

- Renovating. Three months to renovate followed by three months of habitation followed by three months of renovating...

- Elevators. Push both buttons (the UP and DOWN buttons). Hold the doors open while waiting for family member who is still in the shower.

- Going through the garbage. Within seconds of putting a bag into the garbage bin, I hear doors opening and know that the vultures will be descending on the treasure trove that I have thrown out. It's ironic that I'm living in a building that is supposed to be for "rich" people yet they have no qualms about using their bare hands to get that three mao piece of plastic out from amongst my used coffee grinds.

I heard construction noise for months, going on all day, mostly sounded like mini jack-hammer. Some times yelling and wife beating. Someone was always making a weird wailing noise, I never knew if it was crying, but it was sporadic and constant.

 I lived in a building with underground parking and security guards, but people used to bring their scooters up in the elevator and park them in the hall. I thought about throwing one out the window one night. I was tired of walking around the scooter. 8 floors, think they'd figure out who did it? I parked my scooter in the underground, 5rmb a month. The scooters down there were never locked.

 Everyone is the building seemed to know my business. I got in arguments with women a few times and the neighbors complained. So the complaint goes to my girl friend cause her name is on my lease and I have to tell her it wasn't me. That really pissed me off. I thought Chinese minded their own business.

doing fixing work early in the morning on a sunday...they use heavy machinery in their house that even if i was in the next building i would still listen to that shit and wake up

I live next do to a music teacher...who teaches at home! Which in and of itself is not bad, but he teaches piano, and violin! I really do enjoy it sometimes when he plays in the early evening, because he really is a master on the violin (which I love, btw), but when his students come over for lessons, nothing sounds worse than a violin played badly! And they do play badly. I understand why, but it is just the whole hearing the sound of "cats being castrated" on a regular basis thing that gets on my nerves. Piano lessons are the same mixed bag, depending on skill level. Other than that, he is a very nice fellow.

And yep, the people downstairs to one side just got done renovating their apartment, although I don't think they are completely done, yet. For two months, everyday, jackhammers, pounding, sawing, etc. Since it's the summer, I've been here just about everyday, although sometimes I go over to the park for some peace and quiet.

Every Sunday morning, someone at the other end of the building blasts out opera; sometimes Chinese, sometimes western. That's how I know it is Sunday, when I hear the music. Then, there are the fire-crackers and scooter alarms at strange hours, weird "thumps" from upstairs, and people with lead, high-heeled shoes on walking down the stairs (no elevators). You can hear them from the fifth floor up, coming down.

All in all, not too bad, though. Apartment living has never been to my liking. Give me a house with some space around it and I'm "good to go."

i have not meet so many amazing occasions.but i meet i put some vegetables in  refrigerator.But i can not find it in the refrigerator.:( it happened many times.but they can not understand me.

Hi Mia,

            Oh yes, I've got inconsiderate nobs living right above me too! I can relate!! Regarding the grandpa and grandma..that's too funny!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^^ lol. Typical cowardly Orientals!!!! It's the same for the South Koreans..all age groups. For some of them, their shadow would scare them!!

Water hammer occurs when water flow is shut off suddenly like when the toilet is flushed. This change in pressure rattles the piping and create 'clanging'sounds, which may sound like marbles dropping after distortion through concrete walls.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_marble_dropping_sound_you_hear_in_...

Some pre-fabricated floors used in HDB flats have an embedded high-strength steel cable which can give off creaking sounds when they contract.

They sleep at 8 Pm and they also expect me to sleep at the same..if i listen music after 8..they always complain to the security guard..dont know why..

I never had anything but quiet and polite Chinese neighbours. I would loved to have met them, actually. But they have always been so shy. 

Their dogs barking all night.