Advice to Future PCVs

Advice from the first 9 weeks

Computers:
Most of us fall into one of three categories. Those who did not bring a computer. Those who bought a cheap, light weight net book. And those in love with their Macs. I fall into the last category. Although my MacBook is large and heavy, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It is definitely a personal decision. Net books are inexpensive and easy to carry around. You can buy a CD drive to attach and an external hard drive if you want. The biggest perks about Macs in general is of course its exemption from the common virus. Viruses are a huge problem here. Using a public computer here (or even a Peace Corps computer) with your flash drive infects your flash drive which then infects your personal computer. People are leery to let you put your flash drive in anything of theirs. Something to think about…

Contact lenses:
Peace Corps tells you not to bring contacts and if you need glasses, to bring two pairs. They won’t yell at you if you bring your contacts, they just don’t endorse it and aren’t going to supply you with contact solution. I went back and forth on whether to bring my contacts and finally decided I couldn’t stand wearing glasses for two years. Especially when I think of that great raccoon sunburn you get around the eyes or how you can’t see when it rains. If you decide to do the same, you’ll need to get contact solution shipped to you. I found these great monthlies. You can leave them in your eyes, day and night, for 30 days. My eye doctor encouraged me to take them out once a week to clean them overnight. The biggest concern here is not that you’re sticking your dirty fingers in your eyeball; it’s actually the air quality. I’ve got two words for the Rwandan government – emissions control. Plus I’ve heard the dust gets fierce during the dry season. I haven’t lived through it yet so I can’t comment. I have noticed that when I go to Kigali my contacts get a little upset. I usually have to clean them shortly after because they get filmy and finicky. Other than that I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my new contacts. I highly recommend them.

Clothing:
Yes, most Rwandans dress conservatively. Kigali is always the exception. As a metropolis, the rules often change when referring to Kigali. For females, we were told to bring skirts, long ones. Some are opposed to wearing skirts and dresses all the time. The skirts don’t have to be to the ground. As long as your knees are covered you’re fine. Don’t show a ton of cleavage either, but tank tops are acceptable. You can wear jeans, sneakers, sweatshirts, almost everything you wear at home. If you’re concerned about clothes, don’t be. You’ll be able to buy stuff here. Most of the clothing in the market is second hand from America, I’m assuming. It’s not uncommon to find American Eagle, Gap clothing etc. Not to mention all the hilarious, random t-shirts and of course Obama on every type of clothing. I hope to make an Obama wardrobe while I’m here. My favorite Obama find so far has been a poster of rap/hip hop artists and Obama in the middle. He is a rock star!


Packing:
We all walk around during PST discussing our list of what we should have brought. In fact most of it we owned and they were the last few things that we pulled out of the bag before getting on the plane. Those of us whose luggage was underweight (mine was 30 lbs underweight in total) have nothing to brag about anymore. Sure we had an easier time traveling. And I was definitely frightened of the fact that I had to lug all that baggage around personally. But now I wish I had used every last pound. It is much more expensive to have things shipped later. Cram stuff in. The prize possessions I’m glad I brought:
Can opener
Vegetable peeler
Safety pins

Things I wish I had thrown in:
Perfume – indeed sometimes you’d like to smell good, even in Africa.
Duct tape
Spices and seasoning
A few good knifes to cut with
A bottle opener to stick on my keychain – so many Fantas to open, so little time.
A good hiking backpack
More cardigans and sweaters – it’s beautiful here but even if you’re from Michigan, your blood getting thinner and you just want to snuggle up in a sweater.
A map of Rwanda
I could go on for days…but you get the idea.