is now joining...

For the first ten minutes of the group conference call this morning, all I heard was "mumble mumble, is now joining" (robot voice). It was pretty funny. I don't really know who was all on the line, but they asked some great questions. The notes I took during the call are below, all my interpretation of the conversation, so I could be wrong.

Travel Stuff:

• Home > Chicago (May 30th/31st) get immunizations, orientation/ new friends! > Brussels > Sierra Leone (all together)
• We will arrive in Freetown, Sierra Leone around 6:00pm, be greeted, take a bus to a ferry (on the ferry we will be handed our first dosage of Malaria meds)
• Spend 4-5 days in Freetown doing orientation stuff
• Go to Miliki or Mikenly or something? There we are placed with our host families
• In that 'M' town, we will be within walking distance from the training site

Security/Safety:

• Sierra Leone has a lower security risk than other regions of Africa right now
• Two main concerns:
• Transportation
• Crime (low level violence crimes, but more so petty theft, pickpocketing, break-ins)
• We have lots of training on this
• PC gives us a "foot-locker" to keep valuables (2ft x 18" x 1ft)
• Do not give natives the temptation of stealing from you
• Locks and a lockable suitcase
• Money belts and fanny packs (haha)

Dress Code:

• Teachers are expected to dress in a professional manner
• To the natives, it is a sign of respect for their culture to dress appropriate

School:

• The location of the school we go to after PST (Pre-Service Training) will be in one of the 12 districts Sierra Leone has
• Last time PC covered 8 districts
• We will begin teaching at the start of the new school term (September term)

Stars = Breaks in school

• Our first Dec. break, we will be attending more training

Money and Credit Cards: 

• Credit cards not widely used
• Fraud risks and places don't have the equipment
• Take a credit card if you plan on traveling outside of Sierra Leone during service
• Peace Corps sets up a bank account for each PCV
• Electronic deposits
• Should live close to the means of the other local teachers

Electronic/Internet Info:

• Cell phone coverage is likely to be somewhere close to you
• Most of Africa has abandoned the 'land-line' and just gone with cells
• PC gives PCV's a cell phone to use, in which they can call other volunteers and PC Staff for free (family plan)
• Easier to get a phone plan with US family, if that's what you choose to do, in the US (before leaving), as it is less expensive than it is in Sierra Leone
• Charging/ generator kiosks for phones and laptops are not hard to find, 25 cents or so to charge
• 1-2 current PVC's in Sierra Leone have electricity, few have running water, about 1/3 have a in house toilet
• Most have internet cafe's, access during weekends
• Don't use the cafe's flash drives if you don't have to, virus galore
• Super speedy connection, kidding- real slow

Life and Host Info:

• Everyone wants to watch you, get used to it :)
• At the end of training, you should feel comfortable to go out and live
• Health, security, cultural and language knowledge
• The host house will vary for each PVC
• Gifts (if you bring them) for the host family should be non-flashy, small and modest
• Do not want people to think you are wealthy, even though they think you are a billionaire/billionairess 
• Family pictures from home, calendars of your state, kids toys ect.
• Give after you form a relationship with them
• Family may teach you how to cook! yay!

After PST:

• You get 'placed' in your village on decisions made by the PC staff
• They get to know you and what your individual challenges are, where you will best fit
• The PC Staff prepares your village for your arrival, helping them understand PC standards of living and the expenses that go with housing us
• We take 6 weeks of Krio, which is understood "everywhere," then can narrow down which language will be most helpful for our situation
• During PST, everyone will be taken to their living site, be introduced, evaluate and get the feel of it
• Some PVC's will be in the same town, but teaching at different schools and some will be in their own town completely
• In most cases, PVC's can make the effort to see another PVC in a neighboring village
• You will be provided with a mosquito net
• Kitchen is dependent on the 'house' you are living in, some outside, some have a room for it
• Some PVC's get a 'helper' to cook, clean and do laundry for them (I missed what is expected for a payment, whoops)
• Likely that you will eat a meal(s) with your neighbor 

Randoms:

• Over 100 Sierra Leone schools applied to have PCV's (Peace Corps Volunteer)
• April 28th will get Staging Packet
• 2 bags totaling 80lbs, one no more than 50lbs
• Peace Corps in Sierra Leone cannot store and keep your belongings safe, sorry.
• Locals think it's weird/funny when men cook and do laundry
• Vegetarians are strange, because meat is expensive and seen as a "treat"
• Snail mail takes about 2 weeks. Only 1 or 2 towns have a Post Office
• PC provides basic vitamins, if you have something special you like taking, bring it
• American medical Dr. on site
• Given bug spray, sunscreen and condoms
• For the first week or so, you will not be able to e-mail; however, parents will receive an e-mail with an update and info on the arrival