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Amanda Stephens
Joined: Jul 19, 2006
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Ask a YCI alumnus!
November 7, 2006 - 02:25 PM
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Hey folks,
Here's your chance to ask alumni of Vanuatu projects any question you can think of! Cynthia, Julien and Jessica are all monitoring this discussion and willing to answer your questions so please feel free to throw them out there and you'll get a response soon!
Cheers,
Amanda
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Alicia Dueck
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Re: Ask a YCI alumnus!
November 7, 2006 - 10:10 PM
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Hello,
Just wondering if you could let me know more about what you packed and what you would reccommend for future challengers.
What did you find essentail? was there anything that you brought that you didn't need?, etc.
Thanks,
Alicia
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Jessica Lockhart
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Re: Ask a YCI alumnus!
November 7, 2006 - 10:46 PM
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It's difficult to say what to bring exactly, because it depends on what type of project you will be on, what your community allows in terms of clothing, what the weather is like in your community, and a whole bunch of other variables. Basically, if you follow the list that YCI provided you with pretty closely, you'll be golden.
Things I Didn't Wear:
-my one-piece bathingsuit. I just wore long board shorts and a t-shirt because it was more socially acceptable
-my "nice" outfit- you'll end up with an island dress if you're a girl, which you'll wear for special occassions
Things I Wish I Had Brought:
-gifts for my family
-photos of home
Things That Were Key:
-Scrabble
-my thong sandals (buy really good quality ones, because you'll wear these constantly)
I would suggest making a scrapbook of Canada for your hostfamily, or somethiing like that. They are very family-based and will want to know everything possible about your Canadian family, plus it's a great way to bond.
If you want, I wrote a super lengthy e-mail detailing everything that I brought to another challenger, so if you provide me with your e-mail address (or contact me at enjoyponies@yahoo.ca) I can forward it to you.
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Julien Morissette
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Re: Ask a YCI alumnus!
November 8, 2006 - 05:25 PM
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What you'll need is variable (thus the quasi-necessity to over-pack). Here is some advice about what to bring:
- All required medical supplies, but in small quantities (i.e. not a whole box of bandaids).
- Spray-on sunscreen, much nicer than the goop when you have to use some constantly.
- Pictures from home (family, city, nature...) which are a great (the word is too weak) conversation-starter.
- USB memory key if you have one, you never know when you might have a use for it.
- Fast-drying clothes, invest if necessary, they are a lifesaver given the humidity and rain.
- A good mattress (e.g. thermarest), sleeping is already though enough with a mosquito net and ambiant forest noises.
- If you can play the guitar, banjo or something related, bring some tunes with you - string music is the national sport!
- Spice or herbs for the food, as it tends to be quite bland (esp. the rice).
- Only a light rain coat; short of a drysuit, nothing will keep you dry anyways.
- Small gifts (e.g. pens, candy).
The main thing I had way too much of was batteries. A few is useful, but don't take a heavy pack of 20. Hope this helps!
This post was edited on: 2006-11-08 at 05:26 PM by: Chandos
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Cynthia Thomson
Joined: Oct 17, 2006
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Re: Ask a YCI alumnus!
November 8, 2006 - 11:05 PM
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As both Jess and Julien said, what to bring depends on a lot of different things, but here is some things to remember:
-If you have an MP3 player, bring that along. You can by cheap speaker for it at one of the “Chinese shops” and play it while on project. The Ni-Vans in my group loved listening to music.
-For the girls out there bring skirts that are comfortable. I had a couple of sarongs, which worked well, but were a bit restricting.
-I was on the Youth Skills Summit and one of the Aussies had brought some construction paper, markers, glue and stickers. It helped us out so much. Even if you are not on the YSS it would still be beneficial as it serves as good poster material for small teams project (they are usually workshops that require advertising).
-A totally agree with Jess and Julien the pictures. If you can bring pictures of you during winter, snow is almost inconceivable to Ni-Vans.
-As mentioned (by Jess), you will get a host family so bringing them little gifts is great. As corny as it sounds I wish I had brought them a little jar of maple syrup, Ni-Vans love their sweets
Continued on next post
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Cynthia Thomson
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Re: Ask a YCI alumnus!
November 8, 2006 - 11:06 PM
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continued from previous poast (sorry my text was too long to post as one reply)
- Speaking of sweets, if you have a sweet tooth bring some with you on project (you can also buy some when you are in Port-Vila so you don’t have to lug them from Canada).
-Work gloves, if you are on the Youth Skills Summit it does not matter so much, but if you do construction they are essential and a lot of people forgot them on our trip.
-Books, some groups had no time to read, some groups had a lot of time to read and ran out of books to read.
(I totally agree with Julien about the fast drying clothes and a good mattress)
That’s all I can think of right now, if I come with something new I’ll let you know. If you have more specific questions about what to bring you can email me at thomson.cynthia@gmail.com
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Cynthia Thomson
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Re: Ask a YCI alumnus!
December 3, 2006 - 11:16 PM
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Hey guys!
I don’t really know when you all leave for project, but it must be sometime soon. Have a great time and enjoy your trip. As cliché as it sounds you will all have the time of your lives.
Safe travels!
Cynthia
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