Addendums to the Welcome Book

This informal notification was posted on the Kiribati PC Yahoo Group.

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1 - There is not snorkel gear available for purchase. Occasionally
there might be masks, but fins are nearly impossible to find, and
nearly worth their weight in gold.

Note: I did find snorkel gear in Betio and they have it regularly stocked at
the fishing gear store just before the causeway to Betio, but it is
expensive and not that great quality. I definitely recommend buying
snorkel gear in the states. [posted by skyski02]

2 - Clothing for women- You have to wear knee length shorts under your
lavalava (sarong) so bring a few that are light weight and really
comfortable. The availability of good bras is very limited. Don't
worry too much about clothing - in our first week we were given all
of the clothing that leaving volunteers had left. You will also
quickly abandon all sense of fashion you once had.

3 - Read The Sex Lives of Cannibals by Maarten Troost. Some things
are very very different (the Chinese Spy Station is no longer there,
Kiribati is no longer in a drought, the Tiawanese have come in and
figured out how to make soil) but your hotel you stay in for the
first week is directly behind the FSP and the volunteers who read it
seemed to have a more comprehensive view of what to expect.

4 - You will sing. You will have to sing at least 3 songs in the
welcome botaki as a group. Think now (before going to training) of
songs you know all the words to and the tune to. You will then have
to sing by yourself at many botakis. Learn the words to a few songs
you like, or print them out and learn them while you are there.

5 - Solar panels are not as readily available as you would think.

6 - You have to bring a 3 month supply of prescriptions, not a 1
month supply. Medicine has to be ordered from South Africa and takes
a very long time to arrive.

[posted by hidden flaw]