PACKING LIST

Arts of Ghana, summer 2008

BASICS:

· 2 pairs of shoes that you won’t mind wearing through mud & rain, for example one pair of sturdy sandals and one pair of sturdy sneakers

· Socks (to keep yuck off the feet and mosquitoes from your ankles–malarial mosquitoes are ground hovering)

· plain thin cotton shirts; tanks are okay, but nothing too revealing

· Capri pants or long pants (no shorts)

· Skirts or loose dresses or jumpers; the temperature is 82 with 82 humidity

· Light rain jacket (and tiny umbrella if you have room, or maybe just a rain hat)

· Sun hat & sun block. It won’t be sunny often, but when it is, it is powerful.

· A long-sleeved shirt for evening–restaurants can be quite chilly

· Nail brush (or tiny extra toothbrush–the 3" kind) for clean up after working with core for bronze casting (contains cow dung, charcoal and clay)

· Purex hand wash or towelettes

· *Malaria prophylactic (check with your MD about this soon; probably Malarone)

· Any other meds must be in the containers that they came in. In other words not in a pill case marked Mon. Tues etc.; bring a list of all your medications and dose information for us to keep in an emergency; also bring your prescriptions

· Copies of all prescriptions (typed, must be very clear) for us and you to carry

· Copy of your passport for us and you to carry

· Copy of your plane ticket for us and you to carry

· Notebooks to be used as a journal, especially if you’re doing this for credit: pens, including a felt-tipped marker for designing on foam

· Small notebook to carry with you daily for notes

· Toiletries: tiny bottles & tubes you can throw away when empty or leave behind; you can buy these things there, but probably not your favorite brand

· If you ever take aspirin, Tums, cold medicines, vitamins, etc., bring a supply of anything like that which you might want; also bring anything you might want for tummy troubles, diarrhea (like loperamide), or constipation, etc. Definitely bring something for a cold–that is the most likely illness you will have, and a little antibiotic ointment for cuts or bites. Check all these with your doctor to be sure they don’t conflict with your malaria medicine. You may want to bring a prescription general antibiotic (ask your MD) to bring in case of a serious infection.

· Insect repellent; we should see very few insects, but the consequences are serious, so it’s not worth the risk; something small you can carry with you is best

· The women in the pottery village asked us to bring them slacks (or capris), t-shirts, and lightweight tennis shoes. Just bring an old set to give to your teacher. They can be used, but they should be clean and free of holes. The women are smaller than Americans, so pants sizes 6-12 would be best, small or medium t-shirts.

· Daabaa (bead making village) asked for scissors, so bring a small pair as a gift to them

OTHER NICE THINGS TO HAVE IF YOU HAVE SPACE:

· small flashlight and candle in case electricity goes off

· pictures of your family, house, pets (people are interested)

· clothes hangers, if you want more than about 3

· business cards (mainly for people you want to stay in contact with but everyone asks for them)

· luxury items to make you feel good –snacks and treats to carry along and to share, drink mixes to keep in your fridge, etc.

· a few Ziploc plastic bags of various sizes for food; fork & spoon for eating in your room (we’ll have a refrigerator)

· penknife, leatherman, etc.; any other little tools you use for YOUR art, like jewelry tools (don’t buy anything you don’t already have though)

· thin latex gloves for working in cow dung if you like (or ask us about this later–we may not do this)

· paperback books for evenings, the plane, etc; to share around and leave behind

· paperback books and articles on Ghanaian art & culture to share

· a map of Ghana (or you can get one there)

· cloth or white clothing you may want to batik (but the teacher will also have cloth on hand you can buy); if you bring some it should be 100% cotton and preferably not knit

· laundry soap & small clothesline to string across your bathroom

· bathing suit? (hotel in Accra has pool, but we may not have time, so only bring this if you really love to swim)

Gifts: this is completely optional, but little gifts are really appreciated; for our two guides and anyone you particularly work closely with; you can probably think of your own ideas, but here are some suggestions:

For urban people (the guides & university faculty): cake or cookie mixes; candy or other little snacks; caps, t-shirts, & other small clothing; pens, notepads, crayons, markers, & other art supplies; music tapes; books, pictures, or postcards of your home town; inexpensive children’s books

For villagers: please no sugar–they don’t have dentists; pretty soaps or candles, lotion, toiletries, aspirin; pens; little knives; children’s books & shoes for schools; photos & postcards; almost anything you decide to leave behind will be very much welcome. Candy, gum, toys, and balloons are NOT appropriate for villages. Please do not give anything (including money) directly to children, but to their parents or teachers.

For a school: gently used children’s shoes and books; colored chalk, children’s scissors, colored paper, pens and pencils, crayons