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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Chirrup-chirrup

Working in the biology building, one tends to become accustomed to certain things, and indeed, find things that many would be surprised or horrified by, merely notable. As a good example, today Helen told me about how her and Ingrid were walking down the corridor and saw a guinea-pig-sized rat (or so they claim) scuttle into the girls bathroom. Now, for many, this would result in untold intestinal horrors and a great deal of constipation for fear of running into the bathrooms new resident. But not here! The woman of our building will continue to frequent the facilities, unfazed.

Another resident of our building (possibly only our corridor) is a black house-cricket. He's been here for some time and everyone has seen him wandering up and down the hall. We don't pay him much mind nor do we particularly hold him in poor regard. He's just our cricket.

He has frequently come to hang out in our lab, as we often leave the door wide open. He simply saunters in and usually gets met by one of us with a broom, gently showing him the way out. He only once managed to get in and hide behind the fridge, but it was a short-lived stay. I'm not sure why, but he figured the real estate we had on offer was not to his liking.

We hadn't heard or seen him in a very long time and I assumed he had come to the end of his rope and kicked the bucket, until today. I was walking off to the main office to collect some test papers that need marking and as I passed my supervisors office, I heard him. Our little cricket had set up shop in his office and was chirruping like there was no tomorrow! He was really belting forth! It was so funny!

Chuckling to myself, I headed off to the office and collected the papers. On my return, I passed his office again and discovered that someone had come to see him. The really funny part was that I couldn't hear either people over the cricket! He was really going nuts in there! I have yet to find out what my supervisor thinks of his new bunk-mate, but I get the feeling that the halls will smell of insecticide in the near future...

7 comments:

  1. Helen mentioned the cricket over at her post too. I think it's very funny. I'm a fan of crickets and always have been for some reason. Maybe it was the book taht was read to me as a kid "A Cricket in Times Square". Maybe he'll find a friend and they can make you all looney with their noise.

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  2. Aww, I hope the cricket makes it – am rather partial to them!

    The rat story so reminds me of George the rat, who lives near the psychology building. Whenever we spot him (usually scrambling across the pathway and darting into the bushes, completely oblivious to us), he has Leila completely paralyzed with terror, while Riza keeps trying to feed him crumbs... People’s reactions to rats are so funny!

    So glad you blogged, thanks for the stories :)

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  3. ps athena!!! i desperately want to visit your blog, but your wordpress address wont work! why why? please send me the link again!

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  4. hee hee

    i love the things that happen in the bio building

    i have dreams of settling things loose in there :p

    but i think my fear of fish started with those giant ass fish tanks in the corridor... brrrrr

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  5. I fear that Neville has annihilated the cricket - he was on the hunt for Doom yesterday. Sad times... :(

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  6. I think he has come back to our lab...

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  7. I think the cricket has come back to our lab. He is pretty quiet here though...

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