Unwelcome Guests

Living in Taiwan brings the term "company" to a whole new level. This morning I woke up to a pesky little mosquito having a happy feast, leaving a trail down my arm. It also bit my eyelid, which thankfully did not swell too much. Upon going to the bathroom to check on the bite, I had a good scare to find that I was not alone, yet again. A huge, hairy spider was seen on the wall above the toilet--I jumped and backed up slowly. It started crawling around so I got my camera to take a few shots of it--the thing was about 3/4 the size of my own hand (and no I did not put up my hand next to it to give the picture a scale).


Usually, when I come across unwelcome creatures that I would rather not smush, I find a way to flush them down the toilet (a couple of millipedes and cockroaches have been disposed of this way). This big guy, though, I knew I could not. Fortunately, my housemate came down and she got a broom. After some chasing and several nervous shrieks (especially when he almost squeezed into the crack in my doorjamb), he was effectively caught. I will spare you the gory details of his demise. I felt bad, but what can you do when these fellows intrude into your living space?

I do have one guest that is more welcome than other creepy crawlies. I found him when I closed my door and heard a little "fflub" sound as a gecko landed on the wall from the door hinge. I don't know where he came from, but I hear that geckos eat mosquitoes and other things. So he gets to stay. I can only hope and wish that he would eat cockroaches and spiders, too. :)