Not just a clever name
Today in the car, the Boy and I were talking about a project they will be doing at school to earn a "dress-down" day in January. He said in order to be out of uniform, the students will each donate $1-$2 to go towards the Africa mosquito net project. We talked a little about how worthwhile that will be, and that so many people are infected (with potentially fatal diseases) from mosquito bites and that the nets are an extremely inexpensive means of prevention.
Then he said to me, "I know they tell you that you can't get mosquito bites in Addis, but I was bitten FIVE times when I was there." Then after a moment of thinking, he added, "Well, it could have been a fly or something."
To which I replied, "Or it could have been the bedbugs..."
His face became very serious as he turned to me, "They have those in Ethiopia?!?"
"Yup, remember the plastic covers you put on the beds when you stayed there?" I asked.
"Uh-huh." He gulped hard.
"Well, those were for bedbugs," I told him, "Haven't you ever heard 'Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite'?
"Yeah...but I thought that was just a figure of speech."
He is now wise in the ways of the world in more ways than he ever imagined!
2 comments:
Believe me, no matter what you hear about it being too high in altitude, there ARE mosquitos in Addis. We killed many during our stay at the guesthouse in June and were bitten too...lucking we missed the bedbugs.
The poor Boy!! His mother is trying to scare him half to death. You big meanie!! 8^)
Please tell him that my husband and I got bit by mosquitoes a few times when we traveled to Addis in April. We don't have Malaria so far. Phew! What a relief.
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