My Experience With A Noisy Hotel Behind Our House
As casual as noise pollution looks, it has the ability to cause restlessness. I am a person who loves quietness, I spend most of my time alone not because I don't like being around people but because I want to stay away from noise.
Nothing confuses me like noise but you know it's something one can't escape. It was after I graduated from high school that I knew the reason why our teachers don't take the issue of noise-making lightly. In no time it can make you lose concentration and forget what you are doing completely.
Living in a polygamous family is full of drama, left to me, I would call it the ultimate source of noise. It's something that you must just learn how to bear. Those of you from polygamous homes can relate well. We were raised in noise, sometimes before the day even breaks, someone is already quarreling with another person. I tell you that thing is so annoying.
In the year 2019, I decided to go and live with my elder sister for a while after graduating from college. I wanted to say far from home, far from their noise and trouble. when I got to her place, everything was nice, the environment looked beautiful. I was like wow! This is it, I am really going to enjoy this place.
During the day, everywhere was quiet and calm and I was like what an answered prayer but as soon as night approached, I started hearing music and heavy noise coming from the house behind my room, one of the windows of my room faced the direction of the house directly. I couldn't sleep that night, anytime I tried to close my eyes the sound wouldn't let me sleep
The following morning I inquired of my sister about the music and said, "Sorry about our noise, this is how it happens here every day, you will get used to it. That building behind your room is a hotel, they play music every evening until midnight." Wow! Guess that's what we call from frying pan to fire. Lol
When I heard that, I knew I had to adjust to adapt, I struggled for some time and subsequently, I learned how to ignore the sound of both their music and the big generator. Every evening when they play their music, we have to start talking loud in the house, sometimes our dog could be barking and we won't even hear it. Someone could be at the gate knocking and no one would notice.
I told my sister that's bad, God forbid but one day even if something bad is happening, even if you scream no one would hear you outside. Her husband said he spoke to them and they said they are going to lower the volume but they did nothing about it.
We just have to take it like that from them, the only days we enjoy our sleep and conversation as a family in the evening is when there is a blackout and the fault is from the transformer. They don't play music for long using their generator but if there is light we are finished.
It's because of the way our government is if not hotels and industries that generate noise ought not to be sited near residential areas and if they must be sited there, they have to use soundproof materials to prevent their noise from disturbing others.
Assuming we have a high blood pressure patient in that house, how would the person cope? making money is good but we shouldn't be focused on the money alone ignoring the harm our hustle is causing to others.
Noise pollution is something we can't control anymore, especially in Nigeria, it's just everywhere. If machines don't bother you, people around will definitely do. Some families even make noise more than machines, they are in 24/7 disputes. If you happen to be a neighbor to such, sorry for you. The only option to survive noise pollution is to create space in your system to accommodate it, if not, you will live holding grudges against many people.
Well, I left my sister's place after some time, the hotel is still there to date and I am not sure they are going to leave anytime soon. I am sure they are still polluting the environment with their noise at night. When you live in such an environment, you just have to learn how to blend.