What happened to the friendly neighbour

Ever since I have moved to Melbourne I have wondered why all our neighbours are such A**holes, honestly, Melbourne I love you but somehow everyone missed out on the good neighbour memo.  Now I realise that long gone are the days where you could borrow sugar or just pop over to say hello, but this  angry neighbour act is getting to me. 

Last night my lover and I arrived home just after 11. We had been out for dinner and drinks with a friend and were in quiet a joyous state.  The lady in the apartment next to us apparently didn't appreciate our happy giggles.  She stormed out of her apartment and started banging on our door screeching that she had to get up and 5am and us and the dog were always keeping her up.  Now I understand being constantly woken up can be frustrating but why did she think that coming over to abuse us would cause any sort of resolution, it just made us angry, screaming back which in turn brought other tenants out of there apartments telling everyone to shut up.  Real pleasant end to the evening, what bugged me the most is we have lived here over 6 months and this women has never once said hello, introduced herself, been nice to us.  So why where we suddenly expected to shut up because she had to get up early?  In Canberra I had fantastic neighbours, both had been their my whole life.  There was love and respect, and no screaming, which is how it should be.  But this women gets my blood boiling.  After realising she wasn't going to win the fight she started to swear at us in French before storming back to her room.  Now my well travelled lover also knows French and returned her insults whilst adding more.  This sent her crazy and she called to cops, that's right the lady who came to our door and scream at us then called the cops on us, what the hell is the world coming to.  To make matters worse they came about an hour later, woke EVERYBODY up and told us she claimed "the male" had kicked her door.  Ahhhh utter nonsense, no one was impressed and the policeman just said "look, love your neighbours." 

I agree with this but am still fuming today over the incident.  What happened to common decency and kindness, I'm a super happy soul and hate any sort of negativity.  Why cant people just say hello and show common courtesy?  And what is going to happen now, the next time we see her?  I hate it, why are people so horrible when there is already enough evil in this world, just be a friendly neighbour or just a kinder person, and maybe you will get some respect from those around you, but for now I do want to kick her door!

This is not even the first incident in the building, there is a letter writer, oh yes, these are the worst.  Somebody who anonymously writes letters about an issue they have with a tenant and feels the need to share it with everyone else.  In this instance it wasn't about us but it was the same "you are too noisy" speech, but this person was trying to lobby the building to have people kicked out...bullying much? I didn't want to take part of that or any other kind of negative vibes in the building.  We are not living in the country or even houses, we are living on top of each other in a Melbourne apartment, its not going to be silent or serene but it could be pleasant and friendly, if everyone just stopped screaming.

You always look the same

"You always look the same", these were either the sweetest words OR I should break up with the man who said them.  I'm hoping not the later.  My lover said this to me one night when we were out to dinner.  And yes I had made the effort to brush my hair, put on some lipstick and slip into a sexy dress.  I sat there stunned looking at him..."umm....gee thanks?'  I thought over the years I'd figured out how to dress myself and make a statement and that my clothes could fit my mood.  I considered myself quiet the chameleon I could do grungy, hipster, work, yoga, nanna, sexy the list goes on.  I know you're not supposed to say this but I like my body and thought I had it figured out.  But to hear I always look the same?  No make up vs. make up is all in our heads?

Being a smart boy he sensed I was disgruntled and followed up with a very cute man speech that made me want to keep him.  "No I can tell the difference when you have gotten all dolled up or when you are on the couch in your trackies, but to me you are always the same.  You always look the same in my mind, beautiful...."  Awwwww.  "Like now I can tell you have that black gunk on your eyes" hmmmmm.   That's right ladies, that smoky eye beauty companies insist we learn how to do to look "sexy" is purely black gunk.  Liberating?  I think not.  Although my other half loves the way I look in all forms, he has no problem in pointing out the flaws in others.

Two nights ago we where at a bar in Windsor, now I always notice people dressed, well, wrong.  And I don't mean slutty or ugly I mean skirts that are too small, fake hair and lack of hygiene.  But I was bemused to see the bf analysing two girls at the bar; "is that girl wearing tights?  what is she going for a run?"  YES boys hate tights too, why do girls continue to wear them as pants when not exercising, yes they are comfortable.  but she was wearing 8inch heels so clearly comfort was not her style.  He continues with the other "and look at her face, why is it so shiny?  she looks like porcelain."  Which translates to way too much bronzer.  Now he wasn't being mean, he was actually confused, bless. 

With these two somewhat conflicting events I have come to the conclusion that if you are loved by the people you surround yourself with you will always be beautiful, but to others you might still look foolish.  So I figure honesty is the key.  Tell your friend not to wear tights to a night club and don't be offended if your boyfriend doesn't notice your new hair cut, because to him, you were already beautiful.