It came today. I leave on the 19th and return a month later. It sounds like we will get to Abuja, spend the night, and then fly from there to one of two state capitols in the NW region. From there we will drive to wherever we are staying, which may be some distance from where we are working. So we may not make it to the village until Friday of next week.
As far as supplies, they are mostly gathered for us and I only have to worry about very few items. However, we still don't know whether they want us to bring some things for testing or not. As far as food, it sounds like we will have breakfast and dinner supplies wherever we are staying. We may need to cook for ourselves. The meals during the day will consist of travel foods. That means things like Powerbars, canned tuna, trailmix and other things that don't require cooking. I'm wondering if I will lose a few pounds on this trip...
As far as packing, I am going on the minimalist side of things. Based on information from others who have been over there for this type of work, I am planning on washing my clothes almost everyday. We have been instructed to plan on leaving our clothes over there, but I am having a hard time with that. Since I don't really have clothes for this type of travel, I have picked up a couple items that hopefully will help out with the heat. I don't know...clothing is the big question for me. Do I pick some things up at thrift stores? or do I get outdoor stuff? Guess I will find out soon enough.
It is just a waiting game right now. Most everything is being arranged by others. Except for things being sort of last minute, it has been a pretty easy process.
One more week and I am outta here.
Cloths...To bad you can't hit the REI yard sale. If you are washing a lot I'd try to find quick drying stuff. i'd stay away from cotton. Maybe layer? When I fish it seems like I can go days without to much trouble with poly types. Drys fast and sweat is less of a problem. Just a idea.
ReplyDeleteChurch thrift stores have some good quality stuff sometimes.
Good Luck. Stay safe.
We do medical mission work in central Africa and we usually buy clothes at the thrift store with the full intent of leaving the clothes behind. There is no shortage of people who need decent clothing and they seem to really appreciate the small gift. I am not sure if you have ever been to Africa or not . . . Remember that every country has its own unique culture. I haven't been to Nigeria, but I know that in Rwanda, it would be considered somewhat rude for us to wash our own clothes. Because we are Americans, we are automatically wealthy in comparison to Rwandese. We can, therefor, afford to pay someone to wash our clothes for us - and that's what they expect and want from us. I have no idea if that expectation is the norm for Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, when we take food, we tend to hide it. Not because we are afraid of thiefs, but because in Rwanda, it is rude if you do not share. When we go out to the hinter lands, there is no access to food. People in Rwanda eat once a day. We simply have such a difficult time adjusting to a once-a-day-meal schedule, we have to bring snacks with us. But it is awkward to eat those snacks unless we can do so in private or unless we are willing to share our snacks with the local people.
I have never lost weight while in Rwanda. I always think I will, but I don't. In fact, I often gain weight. Odd though it may seem, it makes sense to me now. Rwandese, as I said, eat once a day. So, if they serve any meal, it is a big meal. Every meal given to me by a Rwandan was high in carbohydrate calories. Not much protein.
For international travel, I recommend keeping a small backpack with essential supplies in case your luggage is lost: toothbrush, toothpaste, underwear, deoderant, soap, etc. Even if your luggage arrives with you, you will still need those supplies with you in a carry-on bag . . . you will begin to stink on the plane if you don't. I have no idea how many hours of traveling you will do before reaching Nigeria, but it usually takes us 40-60 hours to reach Rwanda.
Lastly, a significant portion of the African art that reaches the U.S. is from Nigeria. I believe artistic expression is valued in Nigeria. I am under the impression that Nigerians prefer to discuss personal life before conducting professional business, e.g. they may ask you about your family when they first meet you.
Good luck and safe travels!
Christopher
Oh, one more thing . . . Please learn how to say hello in their language. It is a simple, yet meaningful expression of respect.
ReplyDeleteIt has been suggested to go thrift store shopping and to just leave those clothes over there. I hadn't thought of the "gift" aspect of leaving the clothes there, so now it really makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up about sharing food. Noone has mentioned that either.
As for learning some words, we have quite a vocabulary list which I am printing off and studying on the plane.
Thanks for the comments guys,
John