There are a lot of bizarre types of bugs in this crazy country. And the normal bugs that you`d expect to find in North America can do all sorts of weird stuff that our bugs can`t.

Take spiders, for example. They jump. Really, really far. I was trying to catch one that was in a classroom once, and the eight-legged freak jumped a good two feet across the room.

There are cicadas everywhere here. They`re big and loud and they lie on the ground pretending to be dead and when you walk by go nuts and try to fly into your head.

And there are cockroaches. Oh, boy, does this country have some crazy cockroaches. `Gokiburi` is the Japanese name for them. They`re huge and they fly. And they`re everywhere. I despise cockroaches; they`re so creepy, and fast, and unkillable...they`re like silver fish, which rival roaches for my most hated insect (which, since I`ll be moving back into Gage Residence at UBC this year, is kind of ironic; loathing silverfish and going to Gage is like hating swallows and living in Capestrano).

I was on the train yesterday, and I was sitting in a booth with two rather attractive young Japanese ladies, when all of a sudden they both got up and moved across the aisle. I was a little confused, but being a foreigner has some weird effects on people. Then one of them pointed at the floor near my feet, and I was out of that booth and on the other side with my two new female friends in about half a second because there were COCKROACHES EVERYWHERE!

...

Okay, I have an apology to make to you, Faithful Reader. I promised myself that when I started this blog, I would keep it interesting. I despise those blogs that degenerate into the most boring and useless of electronic drivel; ones that consist of riveting anecdotes such as, `I went to the store, and grapefruits were on sale, so I bought three.` Next time I update this, it will be much more interesting than this `Roaches on the Train` story. I promise.