Mission Unpalatable (it's the squish!): Search and Destroy

The insect population outside our home seems to time invasions of our lovely domain to coincide with Thor's absences. This morning, prior to enjoying my morning cuppa powdered green tea, I had to dispose of a rather large centipede which just happened to be hanging out on the kitchen floor -- thank god for paper towels and bleach (yeah -- I'm all about overkill!)!!! Anyway, since that little critter was probably part of some sort of vanguard, I got off my butt and began the house wet down process -- using sensible bug killing products which--until I met Clive the centipede--we had stored in the shed.

By the way, did you know that the Japanese word for centipede is mukade (pronounced mookadeh) which translates as 100 legs? Yes, fascinating I know. Feel free to use this tidbit during those awkward lapses in conversation, or at parties, or wherever you might need to win friends and influence people into thinking that you are a repository of all things trivial...

What else is new and exciting? Not a hella lot really. My eigo pimp called me up and has set up meetings with 2 new students this week. I'm still waiting to start volunteering at my old school -- hopefully soon. I've also begun taking a twice monthly calligraphy class (in Japanese!). Haven't been to Tokyo lately but will take in some art there soon. And hope to summit Mt. Fuji this summer...my rationale for this act of madness is not dissimilar to that of the proverbial chicken: "cause it's there" (alternatively, if you're Japanese, the vast majority of whom have never climbed Fuji, you might just chalk it up to being a "baka gaijin," i.e. crazy foreigner).

Other than that, I'm just teaching English (around 18 students a week), and studying and pulling hair out in pathetic attempt to become minimally proficient in this weird language with all these bizarre squiggly scrawly things where letters OUGHT TO BE! Have been puttering around in the garden too....More bugs -- big, white fat grubby things which are probably a delicacy somewhere in the world but serve only to feed the f-ed up movies that play in my head when I go to sleep. Have also eliminated what may have been some sort of mother lode of centipede babies. I kinda feel like some sort of reluctant "Ripley" in "Aliens", constantly on the lookout for the mother of all monster insects and yet terrified and completely grossed out by every encounter......