Freakin' out

I am totally losing respect at work for my fear of vermin.

A couple of weeks ago I left work and walked to my scooter. I always park in this alley behind our building where hundreds of other scooters park. But this time I parked next to the only grassy/ garbage-filled area in the alley (very close to the exit from our school).

And... there was a rat in the grass. Which I noticed after I put my helmet on.

So I thought, I can just pull out my scooter and go. But as I got close to my scooter the rat moved a little. I squealed but not too loud.

OK, I can do this. I tried again... and the rat moved again. And I screamed.

A couple of kids and one of the secretaries ran over. "What's wrong?" A rat! I said. None of them knew so I told them in Chinese. Actually I don't really know the word for rat, it seems like they call all rodents "lao-shu" so I said a big "lao-shu." But it's OK, I said. I approached the scooter and freaked out again. Finally the secretary just rolled the bike out for me. Thanks!

Then today I'm going to the bathroom and I see a ginormous cockroach. Gah. I just cannot smoosh them so I washed my hands and asked the secretary for cockroach spray, which she gave to me. I went in and sprayed and sprayed and squealed a little (I really don't like vermin!) It went to the next stall and I sprayed again and then just freaked out too much so I left. A few teachers came with some paper to pick it up but they couldn't find it. I did find it and I thought, OK, I can be mature and pick it up but I totally freaked out- like jumping back and saying "gah!" Finally another teacher got it and flushed it down the toilet.

Luckily that is the only cockroach I've seen at work. Although months ago one of my classes caught on that I hate them so every now and then they will point behind me and say "Teacher! Cockroach!" And inevitably I freak out.

I have had a couple in my apartment- they are hard to avoid and I guess even if your apartment is very clean (which mine is, of course?) they will sometimes come up through the drains. But they are always little and the little ones I can deal with more. Also I use a broom and close my eyes to sweep them up and only freak out mildly. But if I had lots of cockroaches- seriously, I'd be on the next plane to America.