No clean hair - but a great bed!

Well, I mosyed back to town through plantations and back roads just to do some exploring. I stopped in at a batik place I have eyed several times when travelling out past my school. I am glad I did.I introduced myself and they said they knew who I was. They even knew where I worked. They probably know how old I am too - everyone asks me that, plus how much money I make.  I have been told to reply the 'how much money to do you make' with ' cukup makan' which means enough to eat.  These villages are a grapevine of news.  Everyone knows the new whitie in town.  I guess that just reminds me that I better behave myself.  I know I need to get a batik outfit to wear at school but I hate all the stuff in the city. It is either gaudy or polyester or both.  This is an artist who actually does the real batik. Those of you in my age group will be familiar with batik. The hippies were famous for the art back in the 60's.  This couple make all their batik from either silk or bamboo rayon. He strongly recommended the rayon for work. I was resistant because I had my mind set on cotton. They told me they would not make any from cotton because it is too warm to wear. So they had one shirt that I loved so bought it to test the feel.  If I like it, they will make me a skirt and I will have the whole event for my batik 'uniform' for work.  I am also thinking of the batik for sleepwear. Apparently it so cool to sleep in but very beautiful too. At this point, there is nada touching my skin when I sleep. Not even a top sheet. Probably not a visualization my kids want to put into their heads!  I finally got into town early afternoon, and then headed to the bank.  I have learned it is not worth trying to use a debit or credit card in this country. They are actually very wise - if you use either, they charge you what the bank will charge them. No one in Canada would even dare to try that. But I don't blame them at all. Most patrons do not know how much the banks gouge a business for customers using either of those cards. Anyway, with my mitts full of cash, I headed to my first stop to buy a garment rack - you know the kind Canucks use in the laundry room to hang fresh ironing. Well, that is my new closet. I think I am brilliant, because there is lots of air circulation around my garments. It was like a mini Ikea purchase, because it even came complete with an allen wrench to build it.  Picked up a shelf unit there too, for the big sum of RM25 so I now have a bed side table. Still no lamp though.  Tried my negotiation skills there for a decent mattress, but my buddy was not working today so I didn't get too far with that. Back to the other store where I was offered a mattress at a good price, and discovered that she was not going to honour that one. However, she did negotiate down to what I was willing to pay (RM250) and we shook hands. She was so nervous that her hands were sweating.  Poor thing.  I told her I would be back for more, later. Then  off to find some food. One of my teachers told me of a Chinese restaurant near my home, so I went there. I had fun trying to order. They pushed some young lad into the order because he had some English. It was quite funny, and I asked him if everything is RM8 for caucasians, because is the common thread I have discovered. I told them I am a local.  We will see if the price begins to change. Maybe I have to take my teacher friend with me next time. Anyway, on to the cell phone store because my crappy Nokia non-featured phone was not working. We got that sorted out and then home. Flew upstairs to get the single mattress configuration removed that  I had on my bed in preparation for the new beauty.  I was sweeping the floor when I thought I saw some kind of a black twistie under the bed. Yanked it out with the broom and it began to wriggle around. Totally freaked out, I jumped on it with my rubber flip flop. It did nothing to the BEAST.  I kept pounding on it with my shoe and it kept jumping around. I flew downstairs and found my cockroach spray and sprayed him with half a can of stuff, while he still writhed and wriggled and actually stood up on his end. YUCK. while he was twisting about in a pool of spray, I clobbered him with the end of the broom and ended up cutting him in half. Power of a frantic woman is immense!  The pool of spray and the discected carcass are still there. I will have to google him to see what the heck he was - I am thinking a black adder baby.  But that is my imagination working overtime. Sure am glad I didn't see him when I was still sleeping on the floor.
So, no indulgent hair shampoo today. I really didn't feel like having my hair done and then coming home to sweat over bedroom preparations. Tomorrow I will have it done and find out who I can find to wash my clothes.