New flatmates

Evening,

I got paid last week, so after taking care of the important things like buying more cornflakes, topping up my subway card and clearing a bit off my credit card bill, I decided it was time for a "Neil Jardine silly purchase". There have been many (Skip Dr, a surround sound amp and speakers which I then wrecked, and probably best of all, a body board and bag in Newquay last year that has not been used for its intended purpose since) but I would say this is up there with the best of them.

If there's one place in Korea I have found so far where there are a multitude of silly purchases available under one roof, then it's E-Mart. Think Tesco, Pets At Home, Dobbies and BHS rolled into one. So it was here that I trundled on Saturday (slightly hungover) to spend my hard-earned cash. First purchase - a fish tank and assorted extras. Cost - W100,000 (about £50).

As the tap water here is dodgy, I was not sure if it was O.K to use it to fill the tank so I then went to my local corner shop and bought nearly all his bottled water. It took around 20L to fill it, but at least it was now ready to be occupied.

And so, yesterday (Sunday) I went back to E-Mart and bought my new flatmates, two Crayfish. I originally thought they were shrimp but the poor pet-section attendant (who spent a good chunk of her weekend trying to help/talk to me) said they were Lobster and so after some browsing the net I have worked out they are actually little Crayfish. Nevertheless, I have named one "Bubba" (after Bubba Gump from the film Forrest Gump - he liked shrimp) and the other "Harry" after legendary Chicago Cubs brodcaster Harry Carry (it's a long story).

Here is a picture of their new home.

You can just about make out Harry on the right hand side languishing in the little pot. Bubba was away round the back at this point, skulking. They seem to get on pretty well, they stay out of each others way but they both have decent size claws so I am a little worried they will finally lose it with each other and I will get back from work to find a mess. I fed them tonight but so far neither of them have touched it, maybe they know the jar of food says "hermit crab food" and are turning their.....antenna up in disgust .

I am of the opinion that they make the flat look nicer, and I am quite nejoying looking after them so far. And, if it all goes wrong, or they last the full 10 months I have left here.......they'll make a good dinner.

So apart from that not a huge amount else to report, it's getting a bit colder now, I think I will invest in some gloves soon. I am now teaching 3 middle school classes each week as well which I am enjoying, it is giving me the chance to put my own ideas into the lessons and have some more conversation, as the kids in the middle school classes have a more advanced level of spoken english.

Next weekend we return to the DMZ so IF I get back from that then I shall blog further.

Until then, much love.

Neil

Oh, for any Rangers/Celtic fans reading....here is "diehard" Rangers fan Neil Munro's recent reaction to the Old Firm game (I wonder what the score was?). We had it on the PC and EPL on the TV. It's a wired nation...........

Also notice the can of "Raid" strategically placed on top of the T.V. Mosquito "dowsing" is becoming a new hobby of mine.