swahili, finances and medications

Since my date of departure is steadily approaching, it's about time to start to get my life in order.

• Plane Ticket - Purchased. Virgin Airways, with one-stop in London, then landing in Nairobi. Luckily (or unluckily), Nairobi is a very unpopular destination, due to its somewhat dangerous reputation - thankfully mostly at night, which we will be avoiding with our 6am arrival time - therefore, we were able to secure a really good price on our flight! Only $1400 after taxes, which is about $600 less than I had expected to spend. What's even better is I'm traveling with a group. We will arrive Sept 13th, about a week before our program starts, which should give us some time to adjust to the country, have skirts made (yay! - this means picking your fabric and being measured and then having it handmade for you) and possibly do some traveling pre-orientation/training.
  
• Medical insurance while in country - Purchased.
• Immunizations - As of today, for the most part taken care of. Did you know that malarone (a malaria medication) is $10 a pill. And you take this daily. I am going to be in the country for 105 days. I almost had a heart attack when I did the quick math. Thankfully, with health insurance, it worked out, because I just ended up purchasing an entire bottle (100 pills) for $20. phew. Luckily, I also got the majority of my shots earlier in the quarter for Nicaragua, so I only had to get Polio booster and Yellow fever.
• Program fee - the last huge expenditure. $2600. Luckily, the cost of this is somewhat decreased when you add in my donations from my birthday party fundraiser, graduation and friends and family donating :) I hope to make up the rest of it through this summer (swim lesson instructor!) and when I get back.
  
• Swahili - lastly, I figure since I will be in the country for such a long time, really the best way to get comfortable quickly is when you are able to have basic communication skills. Therefore, I have been learning swahili on my own. It's progressing... very slowly. I wish I had a class and instructor because then obviously, I would work harder, but at least I will have a bit of a foundation before I get thrown in. So far, I know how to greet someone, ask how they are doing, ask for directions, ask if you would like to eat/drink something, and say I want/know/speak. I have a long way to go. I miss Spanish, it definitely wasn't as hard - probably has to do with the fact that I took Spanish for six years.
  

Slowly, it's all coming together. Next on the agenda: to get ready - watch movies (Yesterday, Hotel Rwanda) and read this book I've been itching to dig into for a long time (What is the What).

Hujambo! (hello!)

habari gani? (how are you)

Africa. Right now, even at two months and counting, it seems so far away. It probably has to do with the GRE I still have to take, the vet school applications I still have yet to submit and the class I have to finish before I become an official college graduate. Yet, probably even after all of this is finished, it probably won't really hit me until I'm about to board the flight to Nairobi from London that I will be spending 11 1/2 weeks of my life in Africa. 11 1/2 weeks of a completely different lifestyle than I have ever experienced. I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like. I'm excited for the unknown though. Especially after talking to SIC veterans. I'm so lucky. To be able to even take a trip like this. To have, what I think will be the experience of a lifetime. So to document every moment, and so I can keep in touch with all of you, I will be blogging while in Africa (we get weekends to come into town where there are internet cafes). Thanks to Mr. Kugizaki for the suggestion :)