Now, my humble abode here in SLM has never been known for its amazing making-sleeping-easy-ness... however, I normally manage to get my 8 hours... or potentially 16 if we are talking about this last week when I have been off work due to the silly bicycle incident. But seriously... last night, I had not managed to get in my usual afternoon disco-snooze, and the cast had made comfortable sleeping positions difficult, so I was very much looking forward to going to bed after a film. Apparently this was too much to ask for...
1) I knew it was a bad sign when I came home from work yesterday morning and the FAN had finally given up life. It had been struggling for a while, taking longer and longer to warm up to full speed when you turned it on. As such I had left it on solidly for a week... probs not the best idea, but it worked, for the week. And then it did not work, thus, no nap for PollyJ as it was just too hot. As I am a massive cheap-skate I seriously contemplated trying to survive til the end without a fan... I have since changed my mind.
2) The bed has always been hideous. It was brought because it was the absolute cheapest option, and I can see why. It's not helped by the fact that I only have a foam mattress to put on it, so I have the lovely feeling of the wooden planks all down my spine most nights. This I have learnt to cope with, but, when not one, but two of the planks broke yesterday meaning half of me and the mattress sank towards the ground whilst the other half stayed up... I got to the point where I felt the wooden floor would honestly be more comfy.
3) In my attempt to combat the lack of fan situation, I left the curtains and the "windows" (ha! slats of plastic in a frame... not able to fully close anyway) open. Great idea. Until the mosquito population of the Maroni Massif descended on my chambre for a fiesta. I am looking forward to the forthcoming dengue fever- apparently there is an epidemic in Cayenne... its only a matter of time...
4) I also left the door open to get some air. My housemate was having a rather loud and apparently bad signalled conversation with his fam in africa so already not ideal but I persevered. The buzzing of the mosquitos were drowning it out anyway.
I was almost asleep... half way gone AT least. And then I heard a rustle from my food shelf. Oh, its my friendly neighbourhood lizard come to say hello I thought. I don't really like him but he is not too bad and there is no way to get rid of him as he can slither under the door. The rustling continued, a bit louder than usual, enough to make me get up and put on the light. To my surprise I was greeted by a MOUSE face peeking out of one of the legs of my table. It was way to furry to be my lizard friend. NIGHTMARE. We had known that there was at least one mouse in the house for a couple of days but up until this point I had thought that my room was a safe zone, appaz not. I stood up to scare it, and it ran under the bed. GREAT.
I then spent an hour pulling out everything from under the bed out in the hall- DO NOT want a dead mouse in my rucksack when I leave in May. I tried to fix the broken bed in the process. By this time it was distinctly past the starting time of 11pm. By the time I was fairly sure the mouse was not near the bed, it was pretty late. Even then I was lying awake for hours due to heat, the bites, and the noises seemingly everywhere.
I finally must have got to sleep sometime around 3. Just in time to be woken up by my housemate going for her early shift at the hospital, because I had left the door open...
Loving life.... Even worse... I had the torture of explaining a fry-up to four classes this morning without being able to eat one :( !!
I have since brought a fan... seen the mouse in the kitchen and covered myself in repellent... I am finally ready for a nap... can't wait to see what disturbs me next!
No comments:
Post a Comment