<大紅燈籠隨時挂>

1:30a.m.

I had just shut my room door and climbed into bed. I'm a slow sleeper (read insomniac) and would usually toss around a bit before sleep finds me. Finally, after maybe 15 minutes, I felt my eye lids getting heavy. Sleep will be here soon...

Out of the blue, a few moans. I remember wondering in my semi-conscious state,

"Am I dreaming? Have I fallen asleep already?"

But there were no pictures, only sound. I opened up my ears further. No, they were not playing tricks on me. Those WERE moans. And no, I was still awake, not asleep and dreaming.

Then the realisation, 大紅燈籠又上挂了！

I usually cannot hear "anything" in the day once my room door is closed. Perhaps the background noise is higher and drowns it. Perhaps it is my radio/music. Perhaps I am just concentrating too hard on my work to hear it. But in the death of the night, when everything is extra quiet, every sound is coming through crystal clear. The worst bit is, it would take a full 5 minutes for me to switch on my laptop and music if I had wanted to. *Sigh*

Then another thought. I suppose the thickness of the walls separating our rooms are the same as that common with our next door neighbour. Given that she (our neighbour) could hear his electric guitar playing previously (as I did), that should mean she is most probably listening to the same er... opera performance as I was.

I wondered if she would come over to complain again. :P

And if she did, I wondered if I would have the heart to knock on their door and the composure to keep a straight face. :P

Then I checked the time. 2 a.m.

Any time now, their room door will open, followed by the scamper of feet into the bathroom which also happens to be next to my room.

*Sounds of door opening, feet shuffling, another door closing, shower turned on*

Ah, there they go now...

Great, now I am fully awake. Might as well plan what work I want to do later today now...

Another time check. 2:10a.m.

*Sounds of door opening, more feet shuffling, another door closing, light switch off*

OK, 2nd try at getting much needed sleep can now begin. I can still remember my last thoughts before eventually dropping off,

"Good luck to the next tenant..."

52 days to go.