Ruth and the Plague of Locusts

Okay, well not locusts exactly, but big, huge, enormous, horrible, disgusting, it-might-eat-your-face-off bugs. My house is under attack it would seem. And I can't work out why they have all chosen to pick on me. Can they smell fear? It all started with the largest spider I've EVER seen. EVER. I'm not exaggerating, and I know everyone always says that, but the bastard was about 2 inches across. And even from ten feet away I could see his teeth. I'm not making this up! Unfortunately when I opened the front door to throw out a cricket I found (see below) he - we'll call him Herbert - ran away somewhere - he's a fast bugger. So unfortunately he's still in my house - I think in the window above my bathroom. Then I found a HUGE cricket in the kitchen, trying to disguise itself in a glass pyrex dish. Fail. Out the door it went. Then I found a cricket in my pajamas. That one I killed with a plastic shoe for being so brash as to think it could make it's home in my pjs. No, no, no. Then I found Herbert's less evil cousin under my shoe. Killed him too. He was big - not as big, but the size of a nickel maybe. Ugh. Then another cricket - big. I threw a glass over his head and he joined his friend outside. Oh and then a little spider. Harmless, but died for being in cohorts with Herbert and his cousin. And, upon curling up in bed last night with a film (The Sheltering Sky - thank you Philip and Tani - the book and the film, both great!), I had to constantly reach over to my screen to kill little flies landing on it, attracted by the light. There's all sorts of fly internal organs smeared on my screen. Yuck.

And yes, I know, I know... killing flies, crickets, and spiders is like eighteen different kinds of Hsuma in this country, which is why I went for a combination of killing and throwing out - I'd like to think that I'm slightly justified in my killings since they happened in the privacy of my own home, and it's because insects are invading where I sleep! And didn't sleep very well last night, might I add, since I kept hearing Herbert creep closer with dastardly plans of biting me in the throat and sucking my blood.

The next time I'm at Marjane I will be investing in lots of big storage containers with lids so that bugs can't get in things, and a very large can of bug spray, industrial strength.

Can't wait for the summer to see what bugs that brings. This country sure knows how to breed 'em.

Quick notes on other news: I'm very excited to be typing this from my shiny new desk that was delivered this evening. It was supposed to arrive yesterday, along with another table for the hallway, but apparently when someone tells you they are going to deliver something at a particular time, you should ignore that, add at least 24 hours, and still not get your hopes up. But now I have somewhere for studying that doesn't require me balancing all my notebooks, textbook and dictionary on my lap. Yay!

Also, I put pictures up on my wall, which is making me very happy, and I'm very impressed with myself and by my efforts with a roll of duct tape and some paper clips to create a bulletin board. Result. So, send me photos to put up! I don't want to forget what everyone looks like over the next two years!

xoxo

P.S. Is it wrong that I've eaten seven tangerines today? Discuss.