Apartment

The past few weeks, the apartment below us has been undergoing major repairs. The noise is incessant from 0800 to 1700 except for lunch time. This is the third such rennovation project we have endured - the previous two times were on either side of our apartment. I am accused of not caring about this enough because I am at work when the repairs are going on. I really can't argue with the logic, but I do know this: I would much rather hear construction eight hours a day than I would bitching!

Anyway, I am working on a compensation plan from the apartment management... apparently I am not going about it quick enough. I already requested the apartment management install a dishwasher. Diep really wants one and has this insane belief that washing dishes will get easier with one. Apparently she has never had one, because you have to rinse the dishes before you put them in the washer. Personally, I really don't understand why they have caught on as well as they have. Not to mention the impossibility of getting the dishwashing detergent here in VN.

As it turns out, the management came back and essesntially said that they can do many things, but they cannot get us a dishwasher. So now I am in the negotiation process to get some other amenities to make life more bearable inspite of the construction noise. Diep and I got in this huge argument over it this morning. She has gotten into the habit of calling me stupid when I can't get something she wants. I can't say that the name calling is hurtful, because I don't think she really thinks I am stupid, but it certainly is annoying. I can just run through it in my head:

Diep: "You are stupid"
me: "Am not"
Diep: "Are too!"
me: "Am not."

Anyway, you get the picture. Especially since I take special care not to call her stupid. I have taken special care not to call her any names any more since it seems to just work the opposite effect that I want. Nevertheless, I do still need to work on the whole "raising my voice" thing. It is hard for me to keep my voice down because I get this distinct and certain feeling that she isn't listening if I say these things she doesn't want to hear in my normal voice. I say I am certain she doesn't hear me because when I say "I got it" or "I understand" or "There isn't anything I can do about that" she will repeat whatever complaint it was that she had. Over and over and over and over...

I do also get the feeling that we get in fights when she wants to go to Saigon. She just got back, but she mentioned the other day that she wants to go again. When I mentioned the Saigon trip this morning, it seemed a little convenient that the argument started not 30 minutes after that. The argument ended with her saying she was going to live in Saigon. Of course I know that "going to live in Saigon" means "going to live in Saigon until I get pissed off at my family and realize my husband is the only one that can stand me for more than two weeks at a time" at which points she is back in Hanoi.

These threats are worse in the school year, because I don't want her taking Megan with her. Megan does not need to miss school. Especially because of some stupid argument we had. Ooops, did I say STUPID?