Little did we know just how much sound echos in a building of all stone! Most of the apartments, and condos, up North have a fair amount of wood in there construction so it absorbs some of the noise. Here, the construction of most buildings is almost completely made using metal posts, rebar, and cement.
One of the buildings that we drive by frequently, was severely damaged in the last earthquake. The government is trying to refabricate it by using a beehive of rebar. Where there was once only a few feet of rebar there is now hundreds of feet of it. All in an effort to keep the building standing after the next big quake.
Speaking of quakes, which I was not, but am now, I was told, just the other day, that there have been several small tremors recently. I have felt nothing, however, because they have all been while we were sleeping. As I do not wish to experience anything major, I am curious enough to go for something at least noticeable. I will let you know when that happens, to be sure.