Being a Tubaab in Senegal

Being a "tubaab" (white person, or tourist) in Senegal can often involve being enduring a certain amount of harassment as you go about your daily life. The reason why an individual or a group of individuals bother, robs, belittle, bully or sexually harass others vary from boredom to curiosity to long-standing ethnic, class or national hostility. Senegal is generally viewed as a peaceful country but it has also witnessed some harassment cases which are sometimes serious. These range from robbery, house breaking, rape, mugging, discrimination etc. To ensure one is on guard, the following guidelines should be observed:

Avoiding potentially dangerous locations

Beaches, inter-city bus terminals (Colobane and Pompier in Dakar), bus stops, slums, some drinking places (clandos), markets, gambling places, brothels, and generally crowded places, especially stadiums at the end of sports competitions or music shows.

Ensuring Safety
Avoid walking alone at night or in isolated places Be cautious of giving rides to people you don't know Know very well the person you give your address to Don't expose large sums of money Put money in safe pocket or purse Don't have sexual affairs with married people Before making friends with someone, introduce him/her to your host family, colleagues or language instructors Beware of scams (a common story is about a friend or a family member who is sick or who has had an accident and needs your financial help.)

Forms Of Harassment And How To Cope

* Tubaab
This word means "white person" and it is not derogatory. But the fact that people, especially children, keep calling you Tubaab instead of your name can sound discriminating and may bother you. You can ignore them or tell them your real name, but avoid showing your anger. One common practice amonst the Wolof is to call other people by their ethnic groups (Boy Pulo, Sereer, Joola, etc), which actually means "I know who you are, or rather what you are", and is a good excuse to initiate joking relationships.

* Begging and Borrowing

Among Senegalese, it is common for people to beg or to borrow things and money from each other. As a foreigner, you may be approached frequently with this type of request since you are generally considered to be rich. If you don't want to encourage them you should send them away politely. Tell them you are a volunteer/development worker and not a tourist, or make a polite excuse like "I'd like to help you but I can't give my situation at this time". Also, when you give money to your friends or family, they usually think that they don't have to pay you back. Often this is what happens: you hear your friend or 'brother' or sister' say they want something but they cannot afford it; you offer to help by saying "I have the money with me, I can give you what you need" (what you mean is 'I give it to you now, you give it back later'), and the person takes it as a gift. S/he may never pay you back that money, although s/he might spend a lot more than the sum owed you.

* Friendship
As anywhere in the world, some people would like to be your "friends" so that they can financially and materially benefit from you. Given the difficult economic realities of Senegal today, they may also expect you to help them to go to Europe or North America. As a result they might ask for your address, telephone number, etc. If you are not interested, show indifference. Tell them you have no phone or give any plausible excuse. Naturally and over time, you will have the opportunity to meet many people and make good and lasting friendships.

* Sexual Harassment
Whether you are male or female you will probably one day be approached by someone who would like to engage you in a relationship. If you are interested, give yourself the time to get to know this person. If you are not, then you can walk out tactfully by demonstrating an uninterested attitude or by directly expressing the fact that you are not interested. Tell them you are married or you have a fiance. Or, even that you consider them as your 'brother' or 'sister' and that you want them to treat you as such.

Bargaining
Except in supermarkets and stores where the prices are marked, bargaining is the common practice when shopping in open markets and in many smaller stores. Vendors will not generally bargain on items which are commonly sold by the measurement, e.g. cup of sugar, quantity of salt or spices, kilo of meat, cup of oil, etc. Vegetable prices, however, will vary according to their availability. In some cases one might notice there are different prices set, one price for Senegalese people and another, higher price for foreigners or tourists. The difference in price sets will not vary much with food items, but will for fabric, wood work, craft and luxury items. Many people feel justified in asking more from foreigners given the obvious economic disparity, and also given the inherent sense of Islamic charity in which one having more is expected to give to those with less. Being able to use a local language delights vendors. However, there is a point at which a vendor will go no further and may become intransigent, insulted or even bored if one persists in undercutting the last stated price. Prices may vary from day to day depending on the vendor's mood or situation, as well as the approach of the customer. Bargaining can be fun and is a great way to make conversation with Senegalese people and practice language skills. If the effort to get beneath the tourist price is taken too seriously, a great deal of time and frustration may be wasted over a few francs. Vendors will also become offended if you bargain for an item with no intention of buying it. One approach is not to go right to the item you want, pretend to be just browsing, then ask as if you just wanted to know the price. Then after bargaining in two or three shops far from each other, you certainly will have a better sense of the normal price. Also, ask around about the price of things you want to buy. Don't forget that you are in an oral culture. A note on taxis: Regular "yellow-black" taxis have a meter with 2 fares: simple between 6 am and midnight (the meter shows the figure 1), and double from midnight to 6 am (the meter shows the figure 2). However today it is common practice to bargain for the fare before entering the taxi. SOTRAC buses and Car Rapides (blue/yellow or white buses) have fixed fares. In buses you buy a ticket, while in Car Rapides you hand the fare to the "apprenti" when he claims it. One can also bargain when securing the services of a tailor, smith, carpenter, mason, employee, etc.

(Source: ACI)

Some General Tips

Remember that the following observations are generalisations. Expect exceptions! Senegalese do not use their left hand in eating, handing out things (especially money!), or greeting people. Avoid doing so as it will appear extremely rude. If you have to use your left hand for whatever reason (if your right hand is wet/dirty etc.), use your left hand, but apologize for doing so. The Wolof expression "Baal ma camon" means "excuse my left hand" and is used for this purpose. Or, if it's a situation where you need to shake someone's hand, it is also acceptable to offer your right wrist for the other person to "shake" if you are unable to use your right hand. It is customary to escort your guests out of your house after entertaining them and to walk them down the street or even back to their house if it's not too far. The emphasis on time is quite different in Senegal than it is in the West. Things move more slowly, and there's a greater emphasis on relationships, rather than how many tasks one can accomplish in one day. When you go to visit someone's home and family, take a small gift. Tea or fruit is always appropriate. On the other hand, if you are a guest in someone's home, especially for an extended period of time, you may be offered a gift, such as a bracelet, a scarf, a favorite book, etc. Be careful of expressing admiration for things (clothes, pictures, etc.), as people will often feel inspired to offer the item to you for you to keep. If you don't think you would feel comfortable accepting the item, you may want to tone down the level of enthusiasm with which you comment on it. A gift, once offered, is difficult to refuse without offending the giver. If you are ill, people will probably flock to you, rather than "leave you alone" as is expected in the Western culture. If you're seen sitting alone or looking depressed, people will tend to join you, to help you avoid feeling lonely even though you may not be feeling that at the time and may just want to be alone. You should keep in mind that crying has a very different connotation in Senegal, where it is generally reserved for extremely grave or disastrous occasions, such as death. The American habit of crying to express emotion or to "get something off your chest" is not very well understood. Do not be surprised if your tears of frustration are met by frantic attempts to stop them at any cost, since, for your Senegalese friends, crying is associated with extreme despair. When with older people, do not look them directly in the eye, as this is a sign of disrespect. Direct eye contact is much less common in general in Senegal. You'll find that people will look away from you while you're holding a conversation with them. When speaking with older people, remember the importance of respect for elders. Depending on the context, it may not be appropriate to address an elder by their legal name. Follow the example of the person introducing you. It is very likely, for example, that you would simply call your best friend's mother by the Wolof term for mother (Yaay), rather than by her name. When in someone's home, always take off your shoes before waking on a rug or carpeted area, or before sitting on or around a mat. People use floor mats to serve meals on. You will learn most eating rules through experience, but here are a few pointers: - Never touch any food with your left hand. - Always stay in your part of the bowl (an imaginary pie shape directly in front of you). - Try not to drop crumbs in someone else's part. - Be prepared to eat a lot !!!! Do NOT walk in front of people who are praying, as it would indicate they are praying for a dead person (you or whoever is directly in front of them). The exception to this rule is when they have placed a small object directly at the front of their prayer mats which allows people to pass in front of the mat. At some distance from the person who is praying, you can pass in front of them. Use your best judgement, common sense, and close observation of others to determine what that distance is. Otherwise, you can always walk BEHIND someone who is praying. When entering a room or a new situation, be sure to shake everyone's hand, even the youngest child. A visit from someone is regarded as a gift. If a friend visits you, it's natural to repay the gift and visit the person in her or his home (although, if you are a woman and have received unwanted visits from males, don't feel that you have to repay the visit!)

A Word about Bucket Bath And Pit Latrine

In many Senegalese homes, especially in rural areas, people use a pit latrine. It is expensive to obtain and maintain a flush toilet and many people can't afford it. If you live in such a compound you will also be expected to use it. Showers are also taken with water in a bucket. Before using a pit latrine or Turkish stool, it is better to take off your trousers completely or remove the things in the pockets. Squat above the hole with your feet in the middle. The latrine and shower are usually not in the same place. For showers people use ten or fifteen-liter buckets. You need a bucket of water, a cup, soap and sponge. Take water with the cup and pour it over your body from the head and then clean with soap and sponge. In urban areas, because of the frequent water shortages, the flush in bathrooms may not work. The user is expected to collect water from a tap located in the bathroom (sometimes outside) and pour the water in the toilet to flush it. In most homes a bucket full of water will be kept in the bathroom. Remember it is totally correct and not embarrassing at all to ask for some water before entering the toilet. Most Senegalese people visiting a house will ask one of the host "Can I have some water, I want to use the toilet". Water replaces toilet paper. (Source: ACI)