Ipis

Ipis is the tagalog word for cockroach. I don't know how to say i hate cockroaches, but i know how to say i hate you, you are ugly - so that's what i tell the cockroaches as i kill them: "Ay yo ko say yo ang pagit mo"

I just got this pic off google but that's what these nasty guys look like - ugly huh!?!?

We took Megan to the airport yesterday morning. Now i am the only native English speaker here. I'm bummed by that but my tagalog is improving marvelously. Before she left we hadn't had a cockroach in our room in almost a week. Then the rainy season started...

Last night i went to bed with no fears. Then, at 4:30 i got a txt and as i was trying to fall back asleep i felt something on my foot (told myself it was the blanket re-adjusting) so i kicked and rolled over. Then i felt it on my leg. I knew immediately - i grabbed the sheet and threw it against the wall; then i heard the clicking of ipis shell against the cement wall. I grabbed my phone to shine the light on it (to scare it and make it freeze so i could smash it. Then i went to pull up my hair (to get serious) while i stared at it. And oh my gosh guess what happened - there was one in my hair. I touched it with my bare hand and hit it out!

I jumped out of bed, threw on slippers (flip-flops) and my glasses and grabbed the killer bug spray. I found the one at the foot of my bed and killed it (telling it i hate it and its ugly) rather quickly. But the other demon was not to be found. Finally i saw it, swatted at it (it was mataba = fat) and it crawled up the wall. Seriously, that guy was almost 2 inches long. I wanted to scream but couldn't; i could barely breathe. Well, i smashed it and it fell from the wall onto Megan's shoes that she left. I sprayed the life out of it (a pleasant citrus smell) and gave it a couple more hits. Then i went to look at the other to make sure it was dead, when i looked back at the second it wasn't there. I panicked and trashed the room looking for it - never to be found. So, i threw Megan's shoes outside hoping it was in there.

I was never able to fall back to sleep after that traumatic experience. In fact i never even tried to. It was almost 5 by the time i was done hunting ipis. I read my Bible and prayed till breakfast at 7:30. Then i told Joel at breakfast and he went to pick up the smashed bug (which i couldn't stomach doing). He also looked in Megan's shoe and found the second culprit - at which time he said "wow man that's big!" and i said "told ya so!". He secured my room again. Idk how they got in. Please pray with me that they don't again! Its going to be hard to fall asleep tonight without thinking about ipis on me while i sleep :'( I have met some Filipinos that are afraid of ipis too (Jed and Aldean) which helps me not feel like such a baby.