Internal Dialogue

Does anybody really know their neighbors? Sometimes it seems like the closer we live to each other, the less we know each other. Take my apartment block for example: I see the faces, but I don’t know the people. Not that I’m particularly interested in meeting all of my neighbors, but it’s always nice to have an idea of who is living in your vicinity.

The neighbourhood I live in was built between 1976 and 1984 with the words green, water and variation kept in mind. I didn’t know much about the area until I moved in last year, but until recently my general impression of it has been positive. Compared to other areas of Utrecht it’s a very quiet neighbourhood – that’s for sure. A lot of parents with children live in the center, and the outer ring is compromised of small to medium sized apartment for students, one-person households and a bunch of people living on social welfare

But lately my view has been a bit more negative; especially about the area nicknamed the “french” quarter because of it’s french street names. This is where I live, and during the past few months things like break-ins, loitering, damaged property, or even daytime robberies have increased in frequency. I often encounter people hanging in and around the building that clearly do not belong there. Although I still have no interest in really getting to know my neighbors, I’d probably feel a bit more comfortable if I knew whose living next to me.

During the time that I’ve lived here – which is about fifteen months – everyone in my hallway (with one exception) moved house. Things change very quickly in a building like this, which doesn’t really improve the whole getting-to-know-your-neighbors. When you live in real student housing you usually get to know your flatmates, but when you don’t share any facilities you’re more isolated from each other – even if the only thing seperating you from the rest of the residents is a 10 centimeter wall of cement. You greet each other when you pass each other in the lobby, but that’s about it.

In the first few months I didn’t really have any contact with my neighbors. But as they started to move out and the new ones came in, things changed a bit. I’ve met and talked to everyone in my hallway. The girl opposite my apartment even stops by every once in a while to borrow things or ask how things are going.

And yesterday I met my new next door neighbor. I heard and saw the days before while he was working on his new apartment, but hadn’t met him yet. But yesterday evening my intercom rang:

“Hello?”

- “Yes hi, this is your new next door neighbor”

“Oh, hi!”

- “Listen, I’m in a bit of trouble… I think I left my keys inside my apartment and I although I gave my sister a spare she doesn’t live very close, and if I could try to climb over from your balcony to mine that would be great! Cause I think I left the balcony door open. Oh and if you’re wondering I can prove I really live there, I have the papers and all…”

“Well ehh.. are you sure you want to try that? I mean, safety and all..”

- “Well that’ll be my risk. You would really be helping me out…!”

“Alright then… come on up”

- “Okay! I’m downstairs right now and I’ll be there in about, ehhh, 20 seconds!”

I let him in and he successfully climbed over to his balcony; I had to admit that it wasn’t that dangerous a feat after all. I handed him his take-out food and welcomed him.

- “So, you said your name was Michiel right?”

“Yes.”

- “Well I’m Hassan! Great to meet you… I was wondering who was living next to me! But now I know… Michiel!”

“Good to meet you too. Enjoy your meal!”

I went back inside, only to hear my doorbell ring a few minutes later. It was my new neighbor giving me a beer for ‘my trouble’. That’s more contact than I ever had with the girl that lived in that apartment before him.

All in all I’m pretty statistied with my neighbors, I haven’t had any complaints in the last few months. Well, that’s not entirely true – I don’t always agree with my neighbors choice in music. But then again, I doubt they all like my taste in music either. But lucky for them I’m not totally socially inept: I make a point of it not to listen to loud music after a certain time. Though sometimes – especially while listening to music or playing DDR – I wonder what the person living below thinks about me