Getting in touch with my scorpio..

So this morning, I decided to be like the Ugandans and give my porch a good, thorough cleaning after washing my sheets (which, by the way, are a b*tch to hand wash. I thought chonies were my worst enemy, but I thought wrong. It is definitely bed sheets and the agony of training to ring out the water of queen size sheets). I was even considering washing the porch with soap and water but first, I had to sweep all the leaves off. Early in the weekend, I had set an old bath rug and basket that was left for me in my bathroom. It was just kinda nasty and I’d rather clean up cement floors than nasty carpet-ya know? So anyway, I set it on my porch while I did my cleaning and kinda forgot about it yesterday. So when I went to go sweep, I moved the basket and picked up the carpet. Then, I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw a frog, or maybe it was a toad, and a creature I had never seen in real life: a scorpion. I froze for a good 10 seconds, first staring at the toad/frog as it did not move. The other dark spot I didn’t figure out right away, then after a while I realized it what it was. The scorpion looked squished so I thought it was dead. I went to poke the toad/frog to shoe it away, but it didn’t move. I thought to myself, wow man, I sure did get lucky with these creatures being dead and not attacking me. Then I went to go push the scorpion away and it moved. It started scurrying toward the broom after I touched it and I freaked out. I kinda just starred for a few more seconds and then shut my door, ran in the house first to call my friend and then to grab my camera to document this scorpion on my porch. I sat staring at the thing through my screen door, not knowing what to do but badly wanting to take a snap to show everyone I know. My friend kept telling me to kill it right then or else it would get away and worse come back and get inside. I waited too long and the thing crawled inside the whicker basket that I had set outside. So after about another 3 minutes of just staring and sitting on the phone, and my friend calling me a panzee, I opened the basket and saw the scorpion. It was just sitting with its tail or stabber thingy curled up in the air. I wonder what my guards thought as I just stood on my porch for a good, solid minute staring into a basket. I found a glass bottle inside, when back out and stared for another minute and finally summoned the balls to attack. And I did, like 20 times. But not before taking a few snaps close up for you all to see. Right after killing the scorpion and saving the compound from his deadliness, my guard dog came to see if I was alright and is still sitting on my porch, protecting me. And that my friends, is the tale of my scorpion encounter. Oh, also: the frog/toad was alive because it disappeared when I first went inside. Clever creature knows how to play dead.

Update…So the past weekend, I’ve been cleaning and organizing my new pad. I have finished putting up all the pix I brought of my family and friends, and it already is making me feel at home. I swept and mopped all my floors, cleaned the counter tops and cupboards, washed my sheets, chonies (3 weeks worth) and one load of laundry (and I still have like, 3 more loads to do-yippie). I took this Monday off to finish up and mainly go into town to get my gas tank for my four stove top-oven :) Man oh man, I cannot wait to use that thing. The only meal I have eaten since arriving Friday night is pork and chips. Which is absolutely amazing here, but, not as satisfying as it once was. Also peanut butter sammies, I bought some bread and a jar of PB—always delicious.

Oh another fun fact—the first night I was taking a shower I had another exciting experience. As I was finishing up my AMAZING running water shower, thinking to myself how lucky I am and enjoying every minute of it, I felt something drop beside me. I jumped as much as I could in my small space and saw the cockroach scurry around, not knowing what to do. My first thought was, “holy shit, my shower rains cockroaches?!” But my quick glance up at the shower head proved me wrong as I saw the small holes that in no way could squeeze out that size of a cockroach. As the roach kept running toward me trying to get out of the thunderstorm he just fell into, I had to, unwillingly, step on him (don’t get grossed out, I wear shower slippers). Homeboy must have been trying to sneak a peek over the shower wall and slipped…poor tyke. So anyway, I now semi fear that my life may be taken by some curly tailed scorpions or an army of cockroaches seeking revenge of their fallen homie. Hopefully, word doesn’t get back.

This blog wasn’t very informative but my experience with the scorpion was so thrilling I just had to share. Wudong maber dano na!! **You stay well my people**