Flying Cockroaches

The weather here has been unseasonably chilly for the past week or so, and it's not supposed to get better for awhile. How sad! But I guess the upside is there shouldn't be an explosion of cockroaches until the real heat hits. However, I did have one in my bathroom the other day. I woke up at 5 am to use the bathroom, walked in, and found this huge cockroach running across the white tiles. I couldn't handle it - I shut the door, stuck a rug against so it couldn't get into my room, and climbed back into bed, utterly grossed out. The next morning I couldn't find it, and every time I went into the bathroom, had a thorough look before doing so!

The next day I found it in the morning, and decided it would not get the better of me. Summoning my courage, I grabbed my broom of death, actually yelled out loud "bring it, bitch" (yes, it would appear I need help) and proceeded to beat it with the broom, then I stomped on it. I'm sure my neighbors wondered what on earth I was doing! I then went to the store and bought traps.

Yesterday I talked to one of my students about the cockroaches and asked if he had them. He said many people do in summer, and it's worst when it gets hotter. He got all excited and said, yeah, they get big and they fly! And in the church in Plaza de San Lorenzo (not far from my house) you can sit during the service and watch tons of them fly around. I felt ill. It is DEFINITELY time for me to come home! I take no pleasure in flying cockroaches. I do remember last summer when they sprayed the streets for cockroaches, and I remember walking on the cobblestones and seeing them littered with roaches. Oh dear.

Today after Spanish class, I went for coffee with a German and an Austrian and we spoke mostly German with some Spanish and some English. And I couldn't get any language right! I kept slipping back and forth between at least two, and I was having trouble focusing on just one. How frustrating! Surely this problem cannot last forever, or my Spanish and my German will be terrible!

Just two weeks from tomorrow and I'm on a plane home, unless this mess with the volcano keeps up. Two days ago most airports in Spain were closed, including Seville. They keep shutting them down in different parts of Europe, and it changes day to day. Interesting.

Oh yeah, and just another small rant. While I thoroughly appreciate how much the men like to vocalize how beautiful the women are here (I definitely feel attractive in Andalusia!), I am seriously getting tired of avoiding eye contact and being blatantly stared at, yelled at, etc. Yesterday a man actually tried to kiss me on the street! I had the most shocked face ever! I understand it's a different culture and men don't do it to be insulting or demeaning, but I think I've had enough.