Bugs

I went to the doctors today because I have bug bites again. All I needed was some more of the cream they give you to calm it down. I only ever see my doctor about this problem so they are fairly used to me, even the reception staff who’s English is so vague as to make comminication awkward. I shouldn’t complain because my Malay is worse than their English. I’m the just the matsalleh who married a local and is always bitten by the bugs probably because I’m not used to the local food with the copious amounts of chili involved and therefore haven’t changed over to the this diet which is supposed to deter the bugs. I will get there eventually - just takes time. As my mother in law says “your blood taste sweeter to them”.

Anyway the local wildlife being in a tropical country is obviously going to be bigger and more visible. You get used to it from the geckos that runs across the walls of the apartment building not bothering anyone but at least eating the flies. The mosquitoes are not so nice and you do have to spray on a regular basis to keep them at bay. I’m not one for killing any living thing but when I'm bitten and I have tried so hard not to scratch then I lose all will and declare WIII on them.

At 2am getting up for a cup of green tea I stumble upon a cockroach. This is the first one that I have ever seen in life, with the exception of pictures. I stare at the cockroach, it stares back. I slowly reach for the insect spray and the cockroach starts to slowly retreat as if it knows what coming. Then it bolts off and we play a cat and mouse game- they can run quite fast I win in the end, but this serves to remind me that we share our lives with all manner of insects!

I should point out that matsalleh and gwilo (spelling not withstanding) is the nicknames given to us by the Malays and Chinese respectively. I think matsalleh originated from the term “mad sailors” which has altered over time to its new term.

Music of the moment: Jade Warrior – Grey Lake, Red Mountain
www.jadewarriorhorizen.com