Monsoon Begins

Monsoon splutters to its beginning, bringing with it a host of new creatures.

My gorgeous, crumbling colonial apartment now hosts leaches in the shower; rats in the wardrobe; more mosquitos than I know what to do with; and a host of pigeons that leave their feathers across my bathroom floor. The cockroaches and I have reached a truce. They can stay, as long as they stay away from my toothbrush (don't ask, this rule comes from bitter previous experience with cockroaches and toothbrushes). To make sure they stick to their side of the bargain I lock my toothbrush up at night in a cabinet.

But, dear reader, never trust a cockroach. This week I discovered a huge beast of a cockroach has taken up residency inside my cabinet, with my toothbrush.

Last night things got even more serious. I woke in the night, re-arranged my bedding, only to find a cute little mouse, sleeping tucked up in bed with me. It wouldn't have been so bad, if I hadn't barracaded myself into my bed with my mosquitto net. The mesh that keeps the mosquittos out, unfortunately also keeps cute little mice in. We tussled and turned. Mouse running round in my bed, while I threw pillows at it. Eventually, I extracted the mouse.

So, despite my vegetarian tendencies, this means business. Man and beast can no longer live in harmony. I've bought something called, "Happy Bug" - a spray with a reassuringly fatal looking cross scratched through a decidedly unhappy looking cockroach. And today, I am purchasing the Burmese mousetrap. Essentially, this involves cardboard, super glue and a tiny chunk of food. You place the chunk of food in the middle of a circle of thick super glue and wake up in the morning to find all your creepy crawlies glued to the cardboard. God bless Myanmar.