Thursday 22 March 2012

Living under a mosquito net...

When I was a very little kid, I have one or two memories of a mosquito net. I don’t know if my mom was just being protective of me as a baby, but, mosquito nets seemed to disappear from my life. Until now.
Tied up above bed
During prep to come to Guyana, I was told I’d be getting a net (Dengue Fever and Malaria, remember?). I remember hating them before and I thought of this claustrophobic feeling I could possibly have. So, I was not looking forward to it. I got here and of course there was one at the guest house. It was tied up in a knot above the bed, hanging from the ceiling.  Much like this===>

THe first night, I untied it and let it drop around the bed, and my room-mate coached me and let me know that I had to tuck it in under the mattress. Otherwise, mosquitoes fly up under it… and other creatures crawl, slither, slide… need I say more? So, lesson learnt. Tuck tuck. But, I still didn’t like it. L
How round net hangs from ceiling
I moved to my house and discovered that the net still was not working for me. I was awaiting a new one, but even so, it just wasn’t working. First of all, I realize, I was trying to fit a square (relatively speaking) bed into a round net. Now you know what they say about the pegs and the holes. They’re right. It doesn’t work. But, nevertheless, I was trying to make the best of an awkward situation. I finally got my new net and tried to get it prepped for installation. I had to soak it in an insecticide that was to prevent bugs, etc from even wanting to “knock” on its door. Goodie! I let it dry, then looked at the one that was hanging, to see how I was going to get this one up. Now, there was a hook in the ceiling, and the net had a round top – reinforced by some kind of wire. And four strings equidistance around the circumference of the wire that came together in a knot and then hung from the hook.
Square net. Yay!
My new net didn’t have any wire, so I just grabbed the four ends of the strings and fashioned some knots and tried to now take down the old net to put the new one up. But, there was a little bit of a vertical challenge. Hmmm. Needed help… So I called in reinforcements from my bredren and he took one look at my handiwork and was literally on the floor laughing. Apparently I had tied it wrong. I couldn’t understand what was sooooo wrong about it – a knot for a mosquito net is simply a knot!!!! But, it seemed… I had a square net at last. Now, I’d never seen one, so had no idea how they worked. He advised, organized and soon enough (several weeks later), my new net was UP!!!  He thought it was pretty cool, and I didn’t understand why… but now I GET IT. Man, whoever designed a round mosquito net was trying… phase ONE. The square net is the REAL DEAL. Love it!!!!  Now I don’t have to deal with any skewing and touching me in the night.
I’ve learned (thanks Roomie) that I can’t just barely put the ends under or the net will sag and touch the bed.
Sagging net. No good. :(


It has to be taut. Standing on it’s own like my own little castle around me. MOSQUITOES be gone! 
Net tucked right. :)
But, with all of that, I still have some questions. If I soaked this thing in insecticide, then why do mosquitoes still laze around on it like they’re on the Sea Wall lyming? The second thing is this… Imagine me tucking in 3.25 sides of the net. I have to leave a little crawl space on one side. I duck under, and while in bed, try to grab the ends of the loose side to tuck them in. This is easier said than done. And, imagine lifting this everytime you want to get in and out? And no matter how much I tuck, when I awake, the net is t-r-a-i-l-i-n-g on the floor. Why is this? Are there some super creatures lifting it out? WORSE if I have the fan oscillating around me. It does not stay put!!!  So, what’s the point? How do I get it to behave???

And finally, if we’re worried about dengue and malaria, and supposed to apply SHOO (our famous body insecticide here – not OFF) every evening, and reapply, and reapply… but, I haven’t been doing so, and have many bites on my arms and legs anyway… THEN WHY AM I FIGHTING THE NET AT NIGHTS???? I’ve already been bitten!!!!!

4 comments:

  1. I think you should stop using the net and adopt the insects as pets, then you all can lyme together on the sea wall

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    1. hahahahah. If you see how many bites I got last night too!

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  2. I have a net here that reminds me so much of less stressful days and I just love to use it. Have a few of those pesky creatures too but then I love my net and I am not in ur neck of the woods. I sleep like a babe under my net so it has to be a matter of perspective Jan. love the lyming on sea wall thot.....something to do later before i go under my net....lol

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    1. Seriously! I do remember having a net.... back in the day. Can't believe you still use one every now and then! I kinda don't mind it tooooo much now that I have the square one and the four poster bed effect. :)

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