Useful, not enough, waste of space

I'm taking requests for blog posts. No subject is too inane, silly, serious, shallow, deep, whatever. For example, I just received this email from a friend...


"Jen - would like to see an update on your blog - of all you listed as items that you took - what has been useful, what would you of bought more of and what was just a waste?"


Well friend, let me tell you...
First, to see a list of all of the things that I did bring with me the first time, see this link.

Of these, here is what was useful, not sufficient, and a waste of space...

Clothes:

Some things, like my insecticide-treated-zip-off-hiking-pants and cap with an anti-sunburn flap at the back are just way too dorky for me to wear. Even in Sudan, I have sufficient pride that I can’t make myself wear these atrocities of fashion. I did neglect to pack shorts, and so sometimes I zip off the legs of the pants and wear them for gardening. I don’t understand why practical clothes have to be so hideous. For example, I also bought really expensive, Gore-tex, heavy hiking boots. I have never worn them. They’re clunky, hot, heavy, unattractive and totally unnecessary for my lifestyle here. Also, I already have trouble walking in a straight line and not tripping and/or running into things on a regular basis. They extra weight on both feet make this much worse.

Most of my other clothes then fall into 1 of 2 categories. Those which are ruined, and those which no longer fit. Clothes here are all vigorously washed by hand, with this miserable Ugandan soap which is sold in long sticks. It’s the same shade of blue as the stuff that they put in public toilet bowls… and unfortunately, if you’re not careful, it dyes your clothes that same color. Its also really harsh. So, most things, like my t-shirts, pajama pants and underwear are thin, holey and bluish. In just 4 months,at least half of my clothes are ruined. The other problem is fit. A steady diet of goat and rice, plus regular yoga has meant that I’m beginning to resemble my pre-New Orleans self-- Good for my health, attractiveness and self-esteem- bad for my wardrobe.

I did bring some cotton button-up shirts, I LOVE them, I’ve bought 2 more in the meantime and I wear them all the time. Really the perfect shirts, cool, professional, modest, washable, and the patterned ones don’t show stains.

Anything with long sleeves or intended for warmth is useless. Despite the fact that my colleagues routinely insist that Yambio is soooo cold, it rarely drops below 80.

Finally, the bathrobe was a good idea. Living with a dozen people and 2 night guards means that a late night, flashlight guided excursion to the kitchen to get a drink of water can be a public event.

Office supplies:

All unavailable here, all useful, all make my life easier.

Anti-bug supplies

The single best buy was the insecticide treated sleeping sheet from rei. Great for icky sheets, coldish nights, keeping crawly things at bay and avoiding bed bugs. LOVE IT! The mosquito net is useful for when one isn’t provided otherwise… but this rarely happens. I don’t use the mosquito repellent very often, its kind of futile. Maybe now the the rainy season is getting under way, I’ll need it more.

Preventative Health Items/ Meds and toiletries

I’ve developed a reputation for having everything. Really, if it ails you in Yambio, I can probably give you something to help. I’m so glad that I stocked up on medicine and related supplies. Even if I haven’t used it all it gives me a sense of well-being to know that I can self-administer anything from anti-diarrheals to stitches.

I also brought along several water purification items. These are good to have around, and I have purified water (especially when I first arrived) but, it became too much of a bother; and, I was worried about the long-term effects of ingesting those chemicals. Bottled water is readily available- even so, I drink water from our borehole most days. Its clean and comes straight from the water table. Also, I’m taking a kind of ethical stand. We dig dozens of those wells all around the state and tell our beneficiaries that that water is good enough to drink. If we’re doing that, I better be willing to ingest it myself. In four months, I haven’t gotten sick once. (hope I didn’t just jinx myself)  I will recommend the SteriPen water purifier. Its fast, reliable, really cool and effective. Probably the only thing I needed.

Finally, basics like toothpaste, deodorant, floss etc are hard to come by here. They are basically only available in Juba, and then the selection is limited and its really pricey. I packed just enough for this trip. Will have to stock up when I’m home.

Entertainment
God bless American TV shows and e-books. My hardrive has been loaded up with shows that are traded around with the other aid workers here. I've been introduced to some really excellent TV (Big Love, Dexter, Mad Men, The Tudors, 30 Rock) and the 45 minutes that it takes to watch one of these shows is a perfect unit of time at the end of the day. I also have to say that the yoga mat was a great thing to bring. I find that I have the time and the need to relax and exercise and do yoga several times a week.

Outside of these things, I wish I'd brought some nicer clothes. Occasionally I have to go to meetings with Governors and Ministers and I only have one appropriate outfit to wear. I spend more time in an office that I expected and this is an issue. I also wish that I had brought more spices/ cooking supplies. Fortunately, when I went to Germany over Christmas, I stocked up. Dehydrated soup mixes and easy mac are lifesavers when I just can't swallow another bite of goat or rice. Tony Chachere's creole seasoning is a big hit with my colleagues. I found some buffalo wing sauce and cake mix in Juba and those were special treats. I also find myself indulging in a spoonful or nutella from time to time. Definitely a travel essential.

I have a list of things to bring back with me after my trip home (only 12 days now!!) It includes more spices, a cake pan, some other cooking supplies, a video camera, and stocking up on the essentials. All this plus a whole bunch of presents for people here.

Hope this wasn't too boring, I'll try to make my next post a tale of high-jinks and equatorial adventure instead of writing about toothpaste :)

Finally, Quiddler, its kind of like Scrabble with cards—we play almost every night. It’s a life-saver.