Sunday 27 March 2011

New Room Update

Awesome things overheard in my new room:

Hey, look, you have a crushed lizard in your door. All dried up. It's an old one.

Are you planning on putting your bed against the wall? (Why yes, I was, so my child won't fall out in the middle of the night). Hmmmm, you might not want to do that, because you'll wake up with lizards on you.

That's right. My excellent plan to sleep with the bed up against the wall and me between Mtoto and the floor has been possibly thwarted by wall climbing lizards. I say possibly, because since I have no other alternative we are trying it anyway, using our mosquito net tucked into the mattress (instead of brushing up against the floor) as a potential lizard barrier. We'll know if it works if we wake up lizard free. Otherwise...I may need some new suggestions, and no, the floor is not an option. I've heard the floor has cochroaches and mice. Yum.

As for the bathroom...I barricade Mtoto on the bed if I need to go, and I found (a wonderful, generous, helpful) someone to watch him while I shower in the morning. I loved all the ideas...but trust me, the bugs/grime/general grossness on this bathroom floor mean he should not sit on it, and there are no extra towels or dresser drawers to be found here, only closets as far as the eye can see. We do have laundry baskets, but children are not allowed in them. I may not be showering tomorrow anyway, since we have lost our city power...and no city power means no hot water.

The ant invasion has already begun. I am armed with bug spray and bounce sheets (which supposedly keep them away...although I thought those were for the mosquitos), and have already destroyed many a sad ant life. The battle will really rage if they go after Mtoto's formula/bottle tonight. I will not be in a merciful mood at 3am this morning.

Happily, I can anticipate sleeping because Mtoto stayed up for his late bottle. So, unless a rocking party at the bar accross the way, or, (worse because it's louder/longer lasting) the all-night church decides to hold a service, I may actually get some solid sleep tonight. Mtoto stayed up with me to watch a movie. Since I wanted to watch it, and he can't be on the twin bed all alone, I decided it was time for him to experience the silver screen. Apparently the guesthouse will often show a movie on Saturday nights, which helps break up the monotony. We even had butter flavored microwave popcorn in a big plastic washtub. It was so delicious. Mtoto was unimpressed and fell asleep after a bit, and only woke up to eat and score some kisses.

One last bit of new room trivia. There are different grades of toilet paper here at the guesthouse reserved for different types of guests. In my old room, I merited soft white toilet paper. Now? One ply,rough, recycled, pink toilet paper. Seriously, it's pink. PINK! Why?

The new room is swarming with mosquitos because it is in an unscreened area of the house. Thus, it is time for me to retire to the safety of my mosquito net. Despite the thick fog of Eau De DEET wafting around me, the little buggers are still after my blood.

6 comments:

Katie said...

Good luck with the critters. I don't miss them at all! I had to bring back a tiny bit of that pink toilet paper so people could see what I was subjected to. It looks like party streamers. I had a dorm room the whole 4 weeks. There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

Heather said...

Oh Amy, I'm glad you're still maintaining your sense of humor today!

Jeanine said...

I'm so glad you found someone to watch the little guy while you use the bathroom...answered prayer! Now we pray on against the lizards and those pesky ants. It's great that you are able to update so often so we all know how to pray more specifically!
jeanine

Jess said...

Yes- please do not sleep on the floor! Not that you need to hear it, but mice carry so many diseases in Africa! (well, most places, but especially Africa)

so fun to read your journey! I share with my hubby who will be traveling, it's fun to watch him!

Gretchen said...

Oh Amy, I'm praying for you as I follow along...

H said...

We would name the lizards, they're more like welcome pets that way! But seriously, they eat the bugs and mosquitoes...they are friends! :) My family still jokes about the thick, torturous, pink TP, it had its affect on us as well...I feel for you!

Someday looking back, time will have flown by...you can do it!!!