Is it really almost December already?

We’ve got some construction going on at the kindergarten this week, so this morning when I walked into the building there was sawdust covering the floor and I couldn’t hear my co-workers over the noise of pneumatic tools being used to construct a small stage.  In other words, it finally seemed like the sort of place where I would work.

I got caught sneaking some recycling in with the trash on Tuesday.  I recycle to an extent, but I have such a difficult time with the whole trash/recycling system here that sometimes I just don’t bother.  The way it works is that when the trash and recycling trucks drive by they play a song like the ice cream truck back home, and you have to run out and bring them your bags.  I am almost always at work when the recycling truck comes by so if I don’t want to have an apartment totally full of recyclables, I have to throw them away now and then.

 Anyway, I could have gotten a big fine for that but I played the dumb foreigner (I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t know I couldn’t throw it away…)  and only got a scolding.

One thing that I really have a hard time with here is the bugs.  I can’t get rid of them.  I keep the place so clean (not an easy feat for someone as typically messy as me) and I have tried all sorts of traps and insecticides but as soon as I exterminate one pest another one seems to take its place.  I had a revolting experience with maggots recently which will haunt me for a long time.

At least (knock on wood) so far the roaches have left my apartment alone. However, they occasionally decide to go scampering across my students desks, which I can’t say does much for my classroom management.