Monday, May 4, 2009

whats worse than a dead rat?

May 4th, 2009

Hey-lo!

Hows everybody doing today? lovely i hope? Well i figured its been long enough since I've sent you all an update and though I have been busy with actual work (shocking i know) I have managed to have some rather more interesting experiences of late, one of which i would like to share...in case the creepy thing gets its way and eats me in my sleep. (sorry mom, dad, and cory, I know you've already heard this story)

Whats worse than a dead rat? Why a giant (alive) spider of course! About a week ago I was seated in my room on my mattela (foamy mattress thingy) minding my own business, writing in my journal, when from the ceiling beam above drops the biggest gosh darn freaking spider i have ever seen in my whole existence (not counting on tv). I knew they were here, i've heard tales of them, but this is the first i have seen and it drops from the ceiling and runs FAST around in circles next to me and then off the edge of the mattela and into my heap of junk that i call my room (due to a recent losing battle with clothes munching termites everything i own was at the time piled sloppily in the center of the room to keep those hungry little monsters out of it). That was my first mistake, in keeping my room so messy i had inadvertently created an ideal giant spider playground for him to dance and frolic in all the live long day and i would never be able to find him.

WELL i wasn't about to just leave him in there! I would be afraid forever if i did so (go me!) i decided this was one of those times in your life when you can face your fear and become a stronger person and yadda yadda yadda...so after i overcame my paralysis from fear i slunked back into my room and prepared to tackle my mild arachniphobia head on, and there he was, clinging to the side of my bath bucket, waving his big long legs at me as if to see come and get me if you dare! Paralyzed once again with fear, i stood in the doorway and tried to plan my next move. Eventually he got bored taunting me and retreated farther back into the room, taking up a hiding place under my mosquito net. Finally able to move again, i shook out each of my possessions one at a time and piled them on the other side of the room until all that was left was the mosquito net. Then it was show down time....i poked the net, nothing. i shook it a little, nothing. i shook it alot, nothing. i lifted it up and dropped it (its a tent style thing, like a little mesh one man tent), still nothing. I lifted it, turned it, dragged it, finangled it sideways, and dropped it and there he was, waving his little front legs in the air, staring at me with that weird little face of his...

so i ran away, figured that was enough fear facing for one day, i went and got my host sister (who might i add is terrified of little toads...) and she calmly scraped him onto a piece of paper with a flip flop and tossed him outside.

i knew he'd be back though...knew it all along. so i shouldn't have been surprised when i woke up the next morning outside in my mosquito net to find him standing on top of it, right over my face, staring down at me. OH IT'S ON NOW!

I flicked him off, hyperventilated for 15 to 20 minutes, and then went on with my normal day. 2 days later i had almost forgotten the whole thing (mistake number two...underestimated the sneaky little creep) and at 10ish one night i went in my room to start dragging my bed and net outside, i flicked on the light, and there he was. he scurried under my net again and stayed there...this time i got my host brother, who said he was harmless, laughed at me for my silly fear (he is afraid of hedgehogs), and using a piece of paper, picked the little guy up like one might use a paper towel to wipe up dog poo, carried him outside, and promised to put him far far away.

Nightmare over right?.....RIGHT?

WRONG. Last night i was sitting outside on my mattela, chatting pleasantly with my neighbor Amadou when the relentless monster runs right down the post next to Amadou and heads straight for me, much to my embarrassment i jumped up faster than i've ever moved in my life and squeeled like a little girl while the creature ran over my foot, saw all my reinforcements, and changed course off towards a tree to regroup and make plans for a later attack. To Amadou's credit, he jumped a little too, right before he and everyone else laughed at my macho display of bravado in the face of extreme danger.

yes...so now i live in fear of his next move. wish me luck!

On a lighter note, i'm going to be taking a little trip in a few days, leaving the beginning of next week for senegal to take a little break. I'll be out of mauritel service but if you want to reach me (mom, dad, cory...) you can try my orange number. which i forgot, but i'll give it to you later!

Love you all,
Shelby