Since the next Guinea stage (G22 whoooo!!!!) will be coming in
about a month and most of them are spending the majority of their time trawling
the internet for information (yes, that includes probably reading this blog)
and fretting about what to pack, I figured I would try and help out. Here’s some lists of things I’m so glad
I brought, thing I wish I’d left behind, and things other people have that I am
jealous of.
What I Would Die Without
1. kindle (or other e-reader): Think of all that time you waste on facebook, then multiply it by 5. That's how much time the average PCV spends reading.
2. bike seat: I bike at least 5 km a day (often more like 10 km) and would be a whole lot grumpier if I didn't have this
3. solar charger (mine is the small square one from Voltaic, they have a PCV discount): The telecenters here you can charge things have extremely variable current (i.e. can blow out your battery) and are usually run by 12 year old boys, so I charge my favored electronics (headlamp, iPod, kindle) using this
4. French/English Dictionary: Someone told me I could this in Guinea, but I brought one because I had a Barnes and Noble gift card I had to spend and it is a lifesaver. I have yet to see a good one in Guinea and the PC doesn't supply one (which is a rumor I had heard)
5. good pocket knife: I have used this for everything, from eating mangoes to scraping corrosion off the battery container of one of those barking dog toys. One with a bottle opener is an obvious must
Stuff I Should Have Left Behind
1. watch: you know how everyone in the US just looks at their cell phone for the time? yeah, it's the same here
2. clothes: This one is tricky because at PST I always felt like I didn't have enough clothes (or enough "semi-professional" clothes), but now I have gotten clothes made here and found some treasure in the second hand market and am almost embarrassed by the amount of clothing I own
3. can opener: I don't know who was giving me packing advice, but again, someone was emphatic that I bring this, so I did. Turns out that beating a knife into the top of the can works just as well, also you don't really ever buy canned food. Another volunteer, however, did give herself a deep gash with this method, so if you're a butterfingers maybe keep this on the list
4. hiking boots: These took up valuable food weight in my bag and I've used them maybe twice (and I'm an AGFO volunteer!). Chacos or sneakers will do the job just fine
5. sleeping bag/blanket: blankets are super cheap and you can find them in most any market. Plus it is usually too hot for clothes, let alone a blanket
Things I'm Jealous Of (There's only 2, I guess I'm not the jealous type?)
1. food products: I didn't pack much food to take with me because I figured there would be expat grocery stores, but those are few and far between compared to other African countries and don't offer much variety, so bring some of your favorite goodies
2. speakers: I actually had my parents send me these because I was so jealous of everyone else's jams. It is just nice to hang out on my porch and read to some Iron & Wine or start an impromptu dance party with the neighbor kids. There are USB charging ones on Amazon for $10-15 and they're surprisingly loud
Okay well hope this helps, and I know other people have probably told you this, but it doesn't really matter what you bring. Anything you absolutely need to live comfortably you can find in country with a little detective work (you can even get an iPod if you know the right guy). Plus the less stuff you bring the less you have to carry (or the more food you can fill your bag with)
Sorry to those of you who were expecting a "real" blog post, but I have been busy, which is a good thing!
until next time!
