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There’s a rat in my room. There’s not much I can do about it. I can’t leave. It’s not leaving either.

After bed bugs, mosquitos, spiders, sunburns, and quarter-sized blisters, I’ve come to appreciate the entropy of the world’s least visited country for its unapologetic absurdity. I hope the rat likes Karol G — we’re jamming tonight.

Tuvalu, August 2025
Ashkan R.