Monday, February 28th, 2005

I have discovered a new enemy. It is a foul transgressor that has brought me nothing but sadness in my life. No good can be said of this being… the dreaded mosquito.

This is the one bad thing about İskenderun. My bedroom is plagued by mosquitoes. I don’t know where they come from. I never notice them while I’m walking around and doing my normal evening things. It’s only when I climb under the covers and pick up my book… this is their time to strike. I can almost hear their little voices piping up… “Alright guyzzzz… he’szzz in bed… buzzzzzz… time to annoy him!”

My normal routine is to read a book in bed, with a rolled up newspaper at the ready. They inevitable come zooming in, and I grab my International Herald Tribune and go in for the kill. Ten or fifteen swats later I’m exhausted and ready for sleep.

I end up sleeping completely under my blanket, fashioning a small breathing hole from the covers that presses up against the headboard to minimize open space. As I drift off, I can hear them in the distance. “Eeeeeeeee.”

“Eeeeeeeee.”

But it never fails. I’m almost asleep when I’m sonically assaulted.

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Somehow, the little buggers manage to navigate my opening and batter themselves against my face. I begin swatting and usually kill them, albeit with some collateral damage to myself. I then have to reform my opening and start the whole process over. By this time I’m wide awake. It’s amazing how loud those guys are at close range. Never underestimate the powers of the mosquito. Eventually I fall asleep, only to wake up at 3 am with little lumps all over my face.

But today I went on the offensive. I purchased a small globe that I plug into my bedside outlet. I slip a little packet into it each night, and apparently it emits some sort of stench that repels my enemy. We’ll have to wait and see how effective it really is.

I’ll report back in the morning.