Chinese people won't stop waking me up

[WestTexas]

My bosses are always calling me or coming by to give me stuff at like 9am on days I don't have work. I have tried indicating to them that I don't wake up before 10 or 12 oclock unless I'm working, however they simply seem to regard me as uncommonly lazy and they keep doing it. Then, today, I went to bed nice and early, at like 8pm. My boss had interrupted my sleep by coming by with moon cakes this morning. After I'd fallen asleep, at 8:30pm some student came by with moon cakes. Now I can't fall back asleep and inevitably I'm going to have to sleep in late tomorrow, leading to me getting woken up by some Chinese person again.

For the Chinese readers of this forum:

Young Americans do not wake up at 6 or 7am unless we have to go to work or class. Especially young Americans who like to go to bars. Do not call me at 8:30 am on a Saturday asking me if I want to go do something. Not only do I not want to do anything before noon on a Saturday, I will be angry at you for waking me up to ask. You have ruined my day by calling me so early in the morning. If I want to sleep until noon or later, that's my own damn business and it doesn't mean I'm lazy. You know what I think is lazy? Chinese security guards sleeping at night instead of being awake. Or Chinese people using QQ while at work.

Felt a need to vent about this... it's been happening for like the past week. I don't really have any idea what I could do besides turn my phone off (started doing this, but my boss still comes by) or rent a hotel room on the weekend (which is ridiculous).

[langxia]

Haha I really feel for you as I can perfectly understand you, there is nothing worse then someone waking you up when you could still sleep.

Why don't you put a sign on your door before going to bed saying : Not at home will be back around 2 in the afternoon. (or whatever time you think you want to get up)

[roddy]

They'll bang on the door just in case. Or take this as an ideal opportunity to let themselves in and have a bit of a nose around.

[Shelley]

Well let them bang, if you can ingnore them they may stop, and hey.. if they do come in to snoop you can leap out of bed making roaring noises and waving the sheets at them like a ghost, and scare the **** out of them. makes me laugh to think of it. Shelley

[Ludens]

Why not turn off your phone and sleep with earplugs?

[feihong]

I feel your pain, but the only person you can control in this situation is yourself. The people around you will not all start changing their behaviors to suit your lifestyle. It doesn't seem like turning off your phone is helping (which is a little weird, I think most Chinese people would take the hint). I'm blessed in that I'm a pretty heavy sleeper, but if you do get woken up there are techniques you can use to get back to sleep. You can also try sleeping pills.

[tooironic]

I'm curious - what kind of job do you have that apparently requires your bosses to harass you even when you're not at work?

[roddy]

I'll wager he's a new English teacher at a provincial university. The students and staff all live on campus, and everyone knows where he lives. He is new, and therefore interesting, and Chinese people get up early. It's a recipe for disaster. Have you had this conversation yet:

Foreign teacher blearily answering a Saturday 7.15am phone call: Hello . . .

Chinese member of staff he's met once: Hello, why aren't you here?

[WestTexas]

roddy hit the nail on the head. The thing is, none of the reasons they come by are really work related. Not once have they come by and said, "We need to you teach this class" or "Your schedule is being changed". One time the guy came by at like 8:30 am on a Saturday to give me my salary. Another time it was because I'd gotten a package. Another time it was moon cakes. Or the Chinese who call to say hi at like 8 am. I haven't yet explicitly said to them that I don't like them coming by so early, but I figured they would get the picture from me opening the door wearing boxers and obviously being half asleep. They bang on the door really loud and all but one of them don't speak English, and I can't understand what they are saying in Chinese through the door while half-asleep. Hence, I am worried it might be important and I wake up to answer the door.

Oh well. I'm obviously up today and I've been meaning to get on a more Chinese sleep schedule for some time.

[Kenny同志]

I would tell them politely, but firmly, that I don't want to be woken up that early on weekends.

[xiaocai]

Suggestion from one Chinese reader of this forum: how about putting up a sign on the door saying "do not disturb" in both languages?

[Kenny同志]

For the Chinese readers of this forum:

Young Americans do not wake up at 6 or 7am unless we have to go to work or class. Especially young Americans who like to go to bars. Do not call me at 8:30 am on a Saturday asking me if I want to go do something. Not only do I not want to do anything before noon on a Saturday, I will be angry at you for waking me up to ask. You have ruined my day by calling me so early in the morning. If I want to sleep until noon or later, that's my own damn business and it doesn't mean I'm lazy. You know what I think is lazy? Chinese security guards sleeping at night instead of being awake. Or Chinese people using QQ while at work.

I find this somewhat irritating because I don't think Chinese readers on this forum did anything unpleasant to you. And laziness has nothing to do with one's nationality, of course.

[jbradfor]

I don't think you're going to like this answer, but my suggestion is to just get up early on the weekend, you lazy bum! [i can say that 'cause I was the same when I was younger.] Think of it as practice for when you have kids.

[Meng Lelan]

A green rep to jbradfor! Enjoy your sleep-late-life until you have work-kids-school-wushu life like I do. kenny2006woo can tell you I have to get up at 5am to get any of my Chinese studying done until the kids' wake up alarms ring at 6am and then we all run like crazy until midnight.

[Brian US]

I thought you might complain about construction. There is a certain drill I hear all the time in apartment buildings. It really sounds like a foot long drill bit being put into wood and left there with all the pleasantries of grinding and the periodic shutter of it getting locked up.

I can also picture people using an electric sander on things that shouldn't be sanded.

[rezaf]

Are the bars of of the rural area in NE China that good?

[WestTexas]

Are the bars of of the rural area in NE China that good?

Actually the club is not bad. I call it 'the club' because it is the only nightclub here. It is quite cheap compared to the bars in other Chinese cities. There are usually plenty of girls there and I know the boss so I get free fruit and stuff when I go in.

[maxdmind]

make up a sign on the door

周末早晨9:00前请勿打扰，谢谢

or

早9:00前勿扰，多谢！

[langxia]

After thinking about it again my conclusion is you just get home to early

[WestTexas]

Thank you maxdmind, I think that will do quite nicely.