Who needs sleep?

Most of the time, it is awesome to live within a 10 minute walking distance of the city center. It's easy to meet up with people, get emergency chocolate, and decide to see a movie 10 minutes before it starts.

Other times, you wonder exactly why a full choir has installed itself right outside your window at 10pm. Yes, at about 10:00 on Sunday night, I heard singing. My next door neighbor had had her television on at an ungodly volume, so initially it sounded like she had switched from the murder movie of the week to the Mass channel. Then I realized it was coming from the other side of my room, the window side. The choir proceeded to sing church-style arrangements until nearly midnight. It would have been nice, but it was late and kept me from concentrating on my lesson plans. Towards the end it sounded like some of the audience got a little rowdy: there was yelling and what may have been bawdy lyrics sung back to the choir. Then there were some very strange noises that, for some reason, made me think of a sacrifical gang initiation.

I can have an overactive imagination, though.

Anyway, it suffices to say that while I am not one to oppose free and public arts events, I will always oppose them if it interferes with what I believe to be a reasonable sleeping schedule.

My frustration was probably magnified by the fact that I have had very few nights of decent sleep since I returned from vacation. I have a new neighbor in the room above me. The first week that she was here it sounded like she was rolling her suitcase around her room (which is not exactly a large space) beginning at about midnight every night. She also likes to slam her shutters open and closed about 15 times perday.

Actually, at the moment it's 8:30 in the morning, and she might be hammering.

My next door neighbor has also taken to late-night movie watching in 2010. Last week I finally knocked on her door at about 2:00 in the morning, after which she did kindly switch it off.

But, I have to ask, what is wrong with these people? Am I the only one that likes to have more than 5 hours of sleep before work?

I will also mention here that these are not French girls, they are international students. So, this complaint cannot be with any of the authorities who pay me. I do need to complain to the foyer; they might stick a note under everyone's door.

All of this reminds me of the Barenaked Ladies' song, Who needs sleep?, which I never realized features such a prominently awesomely 90s flute solo. Ha, beautiful!