Just some food for thought...
Over the years of my association with º£½ÇÂÒÂ×-blog I've come to understand that expats are an extremely strange lot indeed. For the most part they expatriate for financial reasons, such as the opportunity of employment that may not exist at home, better paying jobs, better lifestyles by virtue of their home currency having greater value than the local currency, etc., than they do for personal or lifestyle reasons. Yet, strangely many of these very same individuals immediately start complaining about the things they don't like about their host country, or try turning it into a Xerox copy of what they left behind. Since there is no nation on earth where expats outnumber the local population the latter, of course, is completely impossible. They just can't seem to wrap their heads around that idea for some reason and continue thinking that things should change to their liking. The first rule of expatriation is to always remember that you are in THEIR country, and it is different. You need to accept the differences and understand that you can't change them.
Civil construction is probably one of the very strongest indicators of the economic health and growth of any country. Especially commercial building starts are not going to be very numerous in countries that don't have economic growth (or at least stability). Complaining about the noise of civil construction is a bit like complaining about the very prosperity that attracted you to the country in the first place, if your move was motivated by financial considerations. That noise in the evening that is annoying you, is above all THE SOUND OF PROGRESS AND GROWTH, without which you might not have even had that job opportunity in the country in the first place.
Always remember you are in THEIR country, not yours and their laws may be significantly different than those you're used to back home. Their laws are crafted for the local population, and for their benefit and that is what the democratic process is all about. Perhaps the restrictions on civil construction, and the related noise back in the USA, the EU and UK is one of many factors contributing to the lack of employment and job opportunities at home that send many people packing looking for jobs elsewhere... would you force that on another nation?
It reminds me of a wonderful billboard I saw in Oak Harbor, WA - USA near the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station....
"PARDON OUR NOISE - IT'S THE SOUND OF FREEDOM!!!"
Just saying!
Cheers,
James
º£½ÇÂÒÂ×-blog Experts Team