The sleep dilemma - I am not alone

I have been less bothered by my friends the mosquitos since my use of an electric mosquito light. It's a fluorescent tube light, surrounded by an electrified coil. A simple thing, it's zapped dozens of the buggers over the last few nights. It needs a clean out I think...

I came into my room last night just before going to bed, and saw a big mozzie on the wall. I tried to splat it using my tissue box, but managed to miss it. Foolishly, I couldn't find it and went to bed.

It's 3.30 am now. I got woken up by repeated buzzing around my head. I'm also now nursing bites on the eyebrow, neck, left and right knuckle, and one on the ball of my foot. Nursing in this context means rubbing in Mopiko cream from HK, a soothing ointment. I understand there's some sort of local equivalent to be had here.

Under normal circumstances, I sleep soundly through the night. These mosquitos though, especially tonight's multiple-attack-ignore-the-electric-light mosquito, seem to occasionally prevent me from sleeping well. Fortunately I have no grand plans for tomorrow, but if I was working full time, I couldn't hack this.

Last weekend I was bitten on the lip by a mosquito... my lip swelled up to I think about 3 times its normal size. I looked ridiculous. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it might, but it did scare the living daylights out of me. I was furious.

Further anti-mozzie measures I can take are... a mozzie net over my bed, and a smelly canister spray which is said to be effective for fumigating, but not pleasant to use. A kindly 4th generation ABC reader in the States has also offered to send me some DEET anti-moz soap - after tonight I think I would like to take her up on the offer! Lastly I think I will plump for last resort option - run run run as fast as the wind! I'm close to signing an apartment lease, and so hopefully I will move into a more urban area not on the ground floor and better insulated against mosquitos. Fingers crossed!