Sunday, September 13, 2009

La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha, la la la la la la laaaa...

Now I understand why the La Cucaracha song is the national anthem for Mexico. Those freakin' things are everywhere just after dusk and they are the size of alley cats. Probably have fangs too. I can deal with them as long as they stay outside. But the second one takes a misstep inside the apartment, it is going to be muerto. I keep a can of Raid with the fresh pine scent handy for just such an occasion. So one morning I go to take a shower and there is the biggest, nastiest cockroach waving its antennas at me like it was giving me the finger. With my industrial size can of Raid I give it a generous shot. Still flipping me off, it scurries to the back of the shower prompting me to empty half the can on my shower invader. My can of Raid is a liar! The label says "Kills on Contact". I guess this really means "Kills on Contact with the Bottom of my Shoe." But at least my bathroom smells like fresh pine.

3 comments:

  1. Ohmygoodness HI !!! I read you google reader blog and found my way here - WOW ! You moved here on PURPOSE ! :P I'll calm down here in a minute but just WOW!!

    I have about a thousand things to say but nothings coming out, I'm just so surprised.

    *breathe* :P

    Um the Cucarachas? They were here first and they know it. It doesn't seem to matter what my husband and I do, they just keep on keepin on. :P It used to just be in our kitchen (gag gag gag) but this summer they found the bathroom and the moisture to be quite refreshing I guess and decided to hang out in there at night. Don't get me wrong, we haven't given up - we're not that Mexico yet - but we have an understanding that the punks just keep coming. I'm sorry, this isn't a very nice "Nice to meet you" introduction, I'm a dork.

    OOoo! Does your kitty hunt them down yet? My cats used to be the most city-fied creatures I had ever seen but after living here a few months they started to get brave and now days they actually BRING IN the cucarachas from outside like "Hey! Look what I got!!" Of course the bugs aren't DEAD and are soon to scurry away into my HOUSE - thanks kitty. We need to reconsider our kitty-door. Gaahh

    I'm so impressed that you're HERE!! I have to say I do look forward to your comparison on teaching 5th grade in the states and here, it is sure to be interesting.

    Also I read the post about bringing in one of your pets illegaly. That cracked me up becuase when I moved down here I went to great lenghts and $$ to get EVERYTHING in order and legal - and the border guards never asked to see a THING! I even offered but they just waved me on. :P TIM ! :)

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  2. The best thing I've found to control those damn roaches are those little drain plugs for the showers and outside drains. Raid sucks. I think they're immune. We spray them, they pause, do a little tipsy dance, and then come back for more...

    Please fill us in on teaching 5th grade. My daughter just started 5th grade here in Mexico, in a Spanish school, (she is a little bilingually impaired, but trying really hard!!!) and doing her absolute best. Any advice? Thanks... and nice to have found your blog! Saludos!

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  3. It'll be tough for a while until she feels comfortable with Spanish. Kids are amazing sponges. I don't know the structure of your daughter's school, but I hope she will be able to keep up with her English development. The reason I say this is because along the Texas side of the border Spanish speakers can not read or write Spanish. Kids go to school speaking Spanish but by the time they graduate, even though they still speak Spanish, they can not read or write it. That's why the university in Edinburg offers classes called Spanish for Spanish speakers. Sounds funny to offer Spanish classes for Spanish speakers, doesn't it?

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