Sunset in Shibamata.

oooh oooh, no , wait!

I *do* have good news.... the baby roach is DEAD. It finally ventured out while I was sat at the computer and as good planning would have it, I had the spray very close to hand. Simon and mary-the-hamster didn't enjoy it much, sadly but the roach was surprisingly resilient and refused to leave this mortal coil, it took almost the rest of the can, but I did not hesitate and I well and truly nuked it. Then I used the vacuum cleaner on it. At last, I can sleep with the light off now...

Although as a postscript... I do have to wonder why the hell the THREE roach traps I now have in my living room did not get it....

I'd really love to be imparting joyous news...

but...

unfortunately the NOVA group decided to file for protective bankruptcy last week. More unfortunately they owe me personally two months salary which I am unlikely ever to see. Still more unfortunately, due to the steady decline in the English conversation market, I feel as though I am faced with no choice but to go home rather earlier than planned. I'd like to be positive about the whole experience but honestly, right now, I can't. Yesterday the trustees cancelled the company health insurance - they did this in an announcement over the Internet and gave us a day's notice. This has made me more angry than anything else that has happened so far for the simple reason that not everyone has access to the Internet so there is a good chance that a great many teachers now find themselves without medical insurance through no fault of their own and they may not even realise it. Worse yet, despite the fact that 7,000 people are now out of a job, the president of the company has managed to go into hiding and no one can touch him AND the Japanese media seems to think that baseball is more important. What the hell is wrong with people?!