Two odd "bookends"

A couple odd happenings today both before and after this morning's run.

First, we had our first "stowaway" try to penetrate our apartment. A giant cockroach the size of my thumb hid inside my running shoes (which I store outside on the patio when not in use - they aren't the most pleasant-smelling things!), and, thankfully, made his presence known BEFORE I tried to stick my foot in the shoe! (I saw him poking his head out of the shoe while I was gathering my sunglasses, etc.) A frantic effort to exterminate the roach ensued and he nearly escaped into the apartment at large, which may have been disastrous - we've not seen any such critters in our apartment to this point, and we don't want to have an infestation start this way, by having a "stowaway" escape and establish a nest. Before long, the roach was terminated (he was fast!) and I tossed his carcass over the edge of the balcony, watching him fall seven stories to his ultimate doom. Good riddance! I then went for my run.

The second weird thing happened after my run was over and I was walking across Central Park back home. Near the entrance to the MRT there is a "water square" (an open area that from time to time features water fountains spraying up in the air - when there are no fountains going off, it is just like any other square or plaza. Hence, it's a "water square.") On the one side of the square is a small stream that leads to a pond in the park where we like to feed the fish with scraps of bread. Well, today, I could see from across the square that there was a person in the stream, and unlike previous times I have seen kids or adults WADING in the stream, this person appeared to be all the way in the stream, like a person in a swimming pool, or, more appropriately, a bath tub. Hmm, this is odd, I thought as I walked closer (the stream was between me and home, so I wasn't going closer just to be a gawker, I was heading home) - that looks like an adult..who is naked...bathing in the stream! And that's just what it was - an old woman, buck naked, taking a bath in the stream! I have no idea if she was homeless or what the deal was, and to a certain extent I don't blame her - it was really hot out! The other people around seemed to not even take a second glance her way, but this was a little bit weird to me, definitely not something I am used to seeing. Weird.

Full run details posted soon.

GJS