Tai Tai very mad

When my husband got home last night he was greeted by a boot licking doorman who announced: ‘Tai Tai very mad’. Translated it means wife very mad. I am writing this letter from Hong Kong early in the morning before I, the Tai Tai, get mad again. With my youngest crying downstairs it is peaceful at the moment, compared with the noise of jackhammers and drills that I have been experiencing the last week. Our landlord (a Hong Kong family) has seen it fit to do some ‘renovations’ to three empty flats.  They worked out it would be more practical to do the work all at the same time rather than one at a time. We were give one days notice of their intentions.  Had we had warning I would have gone away.  With it being summer at the moment there is no where to go with two little boys all day. There are 15 flats in the block and eventually as they come vacant we will go through this again. We can’t move out because we won’t find a landlord that will let us have lease less than 2 years.  We could get a service apartment and five people in the average size of a serviced apartment (700 sq. ft) NO THANK  YOU.  So we are stuck in what seems a war zone. My nerves are frayed, my older child has yelled at the workers to stop making a mess and noise, my youngest by early evening is living up to the expression ’sour hour’ because he is getting no afternoon rest.  My helper complains as do I that she can’t think or make a simple decision and has repeated some of her tasks before realizing she had already done that.  I have had to put aside a course I was undertaking because I can’t concentrate on the words in front of me and by evening end I am so tired from the noise I just want to go to bed and enjoy the peace. Our tenancy agreement stipulates we are entitled to quiet enjoyment.  If three jackhammers and men breaking away tile in the next door apartment and more men repeating the same work in two other apartments in the same block is quiet enjoyment I have to say there is something wrong with this picture. I told the landlord’s representative I am bottom of the totem pole here.  I am white and female and don’t pay the rent so it is no use me complaining. Currently as the drilling has started the house vibrates and the hum of the drill is helping me loose my thoughts.  Apparently lawyers tell us they have rights to renovate because there is flooding to one apartment regularly so repairs can be done under the title of ‘major works’.   The Landlord is one of the most powerful land owners in Hong Kong – I on the other hand are a mere Tai Tai complaining of rubble in my foyer, dust in my hall way, vibration and noise – hey do they care!! TIP:  If you plan to rent in Hong Kong check that no major works or ‘renovations’ are scheduled near your apartment.