Unwelcome Company
So I had a meeting in Sannomiya pretty much after work last night. I did make a stop at Uniqlo on my way home for some summer essentials (it's like the Japanese GAP - we have them in NYC now, I guess - but their basic styles & DryFit stuff rocks). I was pretty much gone all day until 9:30, so I was tired when I returned home. The plan was to go to bed earlier, but I wanted to tidy up a bit before heading to bed.
So I was just finishing-up when I picked up a small bag of camping gear sitting in my kitchen (to put it away), and felt something hit my leg. My first thought was that a peice of paper or something small had fallen out of the bagļ¼So I looked down, only to discover a huge cockroach scramlbing around on the floor in front of me. Talk about a very unwelcomed guest!
Ok, I have been lazy about cleaning this week, but let me just say that my apartment is not bad enough to have bugs. Cockroaches are pretty common here. I caught two in my apartment last fall (hunted them down under a pan and a bowl), but I hadn't seen anything since I bug-proofed my place shortly thereafter. I think there's a big problem in the summertime because of the weather. I feel like we have to be careful about heat stroak in Minnesota (and it is really hot), but the heat and humidity here are unlike anything I've experienced before. It's probably comparable to the American deep south... and which means it's also unfortunately the type of climate where cockroaches flourish (probably also not unlike the deep south)! My friends living in low-level apartments here have had to battle these nasty visitors more than me, but what a huge hassle for a culture where most people sleep on the floor! Disgusting.
Anyways, I went into action immediately after seeing the roach, as the critter scurried into the dark area under my kitchen sink. I quickly grabbed my trusty can of cockroach spray and threw a roach motel into the area where the thing was hiding. I think I went a little overboard on the spray because I set off the carbon minoxide tester, which in turn started to ring and bark out commands at me in Japanese... but after opening the windows (and checking the rest of the area for more cockroach friends), the noise stopped, I could breath a bit better (literally) and I thankfully didn't encounter another creature for the rest of the day. Let's just hope that means it'll be the same for the rest of the summer! Ick!
Note: While a blog about cockroaches may not be the most exciting cultural subject, it's one of those things that people just don't tell you about... but they should!! The same thing happened to my friend when she went to Austin, TX for grad school. Lord knows how many newcomers have had to get help from coworkers visiting the cockroach prevention section at the local drug store here... these fast-moving friends are not a very fun welcome present :-P
So I was just finishing-up when I picked up a small bag of camping gear sitting in my kitchen (to put it away), and felt something hit my leg. My first thought was that a peice of paper or something small had fallen out of the bagļ¼So I looked down, only to discover a huge cockroach scramlbing around on the floor in front of me. Talk about a very unwelcomed guest!
Ok, I have been lazy about cleaning this week, but let me just say that my apartment is not bad enough to have bugs. Cockroaches are pretty common here. I caught two in my apartment last fall (hunted them down under a pan and a bowl), but I hadn't seen anything since I bug-proofed my place shortly thereafter. I think there's a big problem in the summertime because of the weather. I feel like we have to be careful about heat stroak in Minnesota (and it is really hot), but the heat and humidity here are unlike anything I've experienced before. It's probably comparable to the American deep south... and which means it's also unfortunately the type of climate where cockroaches flourish (probably also not unlike the deep south)! My friends living in low-level apartments here have had to battle these nasty visitors more than me, but what a huge hassle for a culture where most people sleep on the floor! Disgusting.
Anyways, I went into action immediately after seeing the roach, as the critter scurried into the dark area under my kitchen sink. I quickly grabbed my trusty can of cockroach spray and threw a roach motel into the area where the thing was hiding. I think I went a little overboard on the spray because I set off the carbon minoxide tester, which in turn started to ring and bark out commands at me in Japanese... but after opening the windows (and checking the rest of the area for more cockroach friends), the noise stopped, I could breath a bit better (literally) and I thankfully didn't encounter another creature for the rest of the day. Let's just hope that means it'll be the same for the rest of the summer! Ick!
Note: While a blog about cockroaches may not be the most exciting cultural subject, it's one of those things that people just don't tell you about... but they should!! The same thing happened to my friend when she went to Austin, TX for grad school. Lord knows how many newcomers have had to get help from coworkers visiting the cockroach prevention section at the local drug store here... these fast-moving friends are not a very fun welcome present :-P
posted by Brenda Ann Elizabeth McKinney @ 2:15 PM
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