Packing List Part 3: Hygiene

This was a difficult part of the packing list because I don't want to bring too much of anything, but I don't want to bring not enough. So for the past month, I've been monitoring how much of each hygiene product I use, and now I'm packing that amount multiplied by three.

Liquid Items:

• 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner (one full regular sized bottle)
• deodorant (1 new one plus 1 half used)
• facewash (I still have not decided how much is an appropriate amount. Will I be washing my face more or less often?)
• Purell (jumbo bottle plus one travel sized container)
• toothpaste (1 new one plus 1 half used)

Dry Items:

• quick dry towel
• tampons (I'm over estimating and bringing like 70, but imagine running out?)
• Blistex (the one with SPF 15)
• tooth brush (and a fresh one)
• pre-wrap
• a few headbands
• lots of hair elastics
• tweezers
• nail clippers
• Q-tips
  

(Packing List Part 1: Medicine)
(Packing List Part 2: Comfort Items)

Packing List Part 2: Comfort Items

Criteria for comfort food: is delicious and/or nutritious, is light weight.

• Crystal Light (3 months of only water is difficult)
• Instant Oatmeal (the high fibre, high protein variety)
• a few packets of hot chocolate (it gets cold at night!)
• Clif Bars (protein and fibre fiesta, basically)
• lots of gum
  

Criteria for comfort books/entertainment: high "time to digest":weight ratio.

• complete novels of Jane Austen (all 7 in one volume!)
• the book The Power of One
• the book Great Expectations
• a notebook
• a book of logic puzzles
• a calculator (is any item more comforting?) (plus I'm teaching math. so)
• iPod filled with all of my favourite songs plus some great podcasts
  

(Packing List Part 1: Medicine)

Going Away Party

On Saturday I had a bunch of friends over for a going away party. I really like my friends. I'm glad so many could come. They all said they'd follow this blog- so hi guys, you are great. Thanks for coming.

However, now that my farewells have been bade, it seems that departure date is even closer. I leave next Monday!

Today I take my second dose of Dukoral, and then on Saturday I start taking Malarone, my malaria pills. I have a lot of packing to do and still quite a number of items to purchase. I guess I'd better get going.

Appropriate Skirts!

Well, I went shopping for my appropriate skirts on the weekend.

Old Navy had some sweet sales. Here's what I picked up.


What's that you say? How fashionable and modest? I know, right?

Packing List Part 1: Medicines

Instead of studying for exams, I spent a lot of time over the past few weeks arduously compiling a packing list.

Kidding. Of course I studied a lot. Huge studying. Hi mom.

Anyway, I was at the mall on the weekend to try to find appropriate skirts. I noticed that Shopper's Drug Mart was having 15 times the reward points so I thought I'd pick up a bunch of items I'll be taking with me.

This list was compiled on the advice of my travel doctor, my regular doctor, and about 20 other bloggers. Thanks, internet! (That said, if you're going to Africa you should probably talk to your own doctor because I'm not a medical professional and blah blah blah no suing.)


Regular essentials:

• vitamin C
• Polysporin
• Band-aids
• Advil
• sunscreen
• bug spray
• aloe vera
• After Bite
  
• scissors

Special items for Africa:

• Gastrolyte (rehydrating crystals)
• Malaria pills (by prescription)
  
• Ciprofloxacin (by prescription)
  

Just in case section:

• Canesten
• Pepto-Bismol
• Immodium
• throat lozenges

And of course, I can't forget to pack photocopies of all prescriptions and my form that says I've been vaccinated for Yellow Fever.

What is the climate like in Kikima, Kenya?

Here is the average temperature and rain fall for Kikima:(image via BBC Weather Centre)

From May to July I can expect daily max/min temperatures to be 22/11 degrees Celsius with 58-89 relative humidity. This means I will definitely be packing lots of layers!

To prepare specifically for rainy season, I will be bringing a rain jacket with a hood, that is warm enough for colder days, but versatile enough to be worn for rain protection on hot days (I'm looking for something with pit zippers) as well as waterproof sandals, because soggy running shoes are no fun at all.

Conservative Clothes

I've been doing lots of reading and talking on what clothes are and are not culturally appropriate.

This post (Put Some Damn Clothes On!) starting my thinking. One friend told me that when she went to Ghana, she was wearing pants but felt like she stood out so much that she went and bought a whole bunch of dresses her very first day there.

I don't care at all about standing out but I do care about being respectful. I emailed a girl who used to live in Kikima (but now lives in Canada for university) and she said this:

Its good to dress in a conservative manner (skirts/dresses not above the knee), unfortunately no shorts, and no low-neck clothing. Especially since you are a foreigner you will be under more scrutiny so its good to keep a low profile in terms of clothing so the culture is not offended. If there is a gathering or church service or you're teaching, you need to be dressed appropriately (formal - nice dress/skirt). No jeans. You can get away with wearing trousers in the town (Machakos - its a bigger town) but not in Kikima. Even when you're travelling there, you can wear pants. Its just during the day, in the marketplace and in the school thats a bit hard to do.

Okay. So what kind of skirt fits the bill? I own 3 business-y skirts, that need ironing and I wear when I work in an office. I also own a few jean skirts and mini skirts that I wear when I've recently shaved my legs and want to show case that fact. I own a few semi formal dresses, and one halter top sun dress.

Suffice it to say I'll need to go shopping.

I guess I can wear shorts under the skirt so I don't feel uncomfortable. I have plenty of little bike shorts that will do nicely. But where does one go to buy low maintenance, conservative dresses and skirts? I don't even know what I'm looking for!

Toilet Paper

Good news. I just found out that YES, they do have toilet paper where I'll be in Kenya.

Oh hooray!