It's Called Common Sense!

So, big news in the neighborhood. I'm getting a new neighbor. When I first learned this, I was very disappointed and hoped it wasn't true. I like my little sanctuary here. I can escape here and enjoy the small pleasures my life here allows, like listening to American music, exercising on my roof, or walking around in a tank top and shorts. My landlord told me it would be a man and his wife.

Then, a few days later as I was talking to the man who owns the bakery downstairs, I found out that it wasn't a man and his wife, but rather a dentist, or "doctor of teeth" as we say here. So, instead of gaining two neighbors who would be infiltrating my world, I am instead getting a man, his professional place of business, and his entire clientèle. Great. There is one door downstairs that opens up to a flight of stairs and three apartments. Basically, from now on, anybody off the street will be able to gain access to my house.

If this totally upsets my way of life here, I will move. Moving would have its perks. I would find a house located on a less-frequented road. Find a little peace and quiet. But, hauling all my stuff across town and readjusting to a new house sounds unappealing.

So, today I was feeling a little better about the situation. I had a good talk with the tooth man, who told me not to worry or be scared. Then, immediately following this conversation, he left and locked me inside of my house. Prior to this, I had told him to be gentle with the lock to the outside door. I had finally perfected the right touch to opening and closing it and had warned him many times about how tricky it could be. A few times I would catch him jamming his key in and jiggling it around. Then, today he broke the lock, locked me inside and ignored me when I told him that jamming the key inside wasn't going to solve the problem. Together, me on the inside and him on the outside, we finally opened the door. He said right there and then he was going to buy us a new lock. I went back upstairs and half an hour later returned to check on his work progress. He was gone and the door had been left wide open. I closed the door, probably locking myself inside again, went back upstairs and waited and three hours later am still waiting.....