Sunday, September 04, 2005
I've gone almost the entire summer without any serious attack from mosquitoes. We've been to the summer house many times, but each time we were prepared, or at least I was prepared: long pants, long sleeves, plenty of OFF spray and other candles and coils that protect us from the predators. Well, yesterday we went to the summer house, and since the summer is on it's way out I thought that the mosquitoes were on their way out as well. No such thing. We arrived at the summer house at 2pm and were home by 5pm - and it takes close to an hour to get there.
I did not wear long pants, or long sleeves, or long socks for that matter and in a span of seconds I was swarmed. The OFF spray that we had did absolutely nothing against the onslaught. The coils and candles were spent - Antero and friends were there the night before and used them up, but even they were relentlessly attacked. Antero had bites marks on his temples that were raging red making him look a little like Frankenstein.
No later than 15 minutes after arrival Timo, who had wanted to spend some hours shooting his air pistol, decided that he was leaving and he left. Those of us who remained thought we would at least have some dinner and then leave - spending the night was no longer an option - but after 30 minutes of constant attack, we began to pack up and decided to make our way home or to any place where we had the advantage over the mosquitoes.
There were times when I would look down at my boots - I had taken off my shoes for the plastic boots that come up past my calves - and there were at least 10 mosquitoes on each boot, swarming and searching for a way in. I had brought a hooded sweatshirt for the late night chill, but immediately put in on and covered my head, but still they attacked my exposed forehead. If I had my hands out of my pockets for more than a minute, they would bite my wrists and fingers. I now have at least 3 bites per hand and many more on my legs. I was looking around and I think that the ratio of mosquitoes to humans was 100:1 and that might be an low estimate.
Glad to be back in a house. Tomorrow I will have my first day of real school. On Friday I went to the orientation for foreign students and then the party afterwards, where I was hoping to meet some of my fellow classmates. No such luck. The orientation was long and boring and the only thing that was worth my time was enrolling in the school. The party was fun, but since there were no fellow classmates there - or at least none that I met - it proved to be not so worth while. Although it was a good time, even if I was one of the oldest dudes around. Fortunately there was another guy a bit older than I, but that was about it. Most of the kids were in between 18-24. And one of the things that kept popping up in my head was high school band. How it exists outside the norm of social behavoir - in this case Finns who were quite socialable. How it is a small family of eccentrics, commonly referred to as band nerds. Maybe I should pick up the trombone again?
I did not wear long pants, or long sleeves, or long socks for that matter and in a span of seconds I was swarmed. The OFF spray that we had did absolutely nothing against the onslaught. The coils and candles were spent - Antero and friends were there the night before and used them up, but even they were relentlessly attacked. Antero had bites marks on his temples that were raging red making him look a little like Frankenstein.
No later than 15 minutes after arrival Timo, who had wanted to spend some hours shooting his air pistol, decided that he was leaving and he left. Those of us who remained thought we would at least have some dinner and then leave - spending the night was no longer an option - but after 30 minutes of constant attack, we began to pack up and decided to make our way home or to any place where we had the advantage over the mosquitoes.
There were times when I would look down at my boots - I had taken off my shoes for the plastic boots that come up past my calves - and there were at least 10 mosquitoes on each boot, swarming and searching for a way in. I had brought a hooded sweatshirt for the late night chill, but immediately put in on and covered my head, but still they attacked my exposed forehead. If I had my hands out of my pockets for more than a minute, they would bite my wrists and fingers. I now have at least 3 bites per hand and many more on my legs. I was looking around and I think that the ratio of mosquitoes to humans was 100:1 and that might be an low estimate.
Glad to be back in a house. Tomorrow I will have my first day of real school. On Friday I went to the orientation for foreign students and then the party afterwards, where I was hoping to meet some of my fellow classmates. No such luck. The orientation was long and boring and the only thing that was worth my time was enrolling in the school. The party was fun, but since there were no fellow classmates there - or at least none that I met - it proved to be not so worth while. Although it was a good time, even if I was one of the oldest dudes around. Fortunately there was another guy a bit older than I, but that was about it. Most of the kids were in between 18-24. And one of the things that kept popping up in my head was high school band. How it exists outside the norm of social behavoir - in this case Finns who were quite socialable. How it is a small family of eccentrics, commonly referred to as band nerds. Maybe I should pick up the trombone again?
// posted by Howard @ 12:41 PM 
