Well, thanks to French influences in Mali, there’s a terrible habit that people have picked up. I’m going to call it the “Toubab Syndrome.” When the French were here, way back when, there were mostly only French doctors around. For whatever reason, they were called toubabs. However, the Toubab Syndrome refers to the fact that everyone who is white is now called a Toubab, despite whether or not you’re from France. Well, when I was living in Banankoro, I think I got called a Toubab maybe two or three times. When I came to Douentza, that all changed! Because it’s slightly more touristy here, Douentza being close to Dogon Country, Timbuktu and the Gourma Elephant Reserve, there have historically been more white people here. My first few days it was the worst because I wasn’t used to it. I’d walk down the street and hear, “Toubab! Donnez-moi un cadeau,” meaning Toubab, give me a gift. The first few times, I just looked at these kids like they were crazy. But when one kid calls you a Toubab, it’s like smoke signals to the entire community and kids come out from places you didn’t even know existed to say “Toubab! Donnez-moi un cadeau.” And they don’t say it once and leave you alone for ignoring them, the same kid repeats it at least 6 times. Annoying!
There are variations to this increasingly annoying sentence, however. Often you can replace “cadeau” with “100 francs, ton velo” meaning some money or your bike. The best, however is when they say, “Toubab! Donnez-moi... ” and then pause and look around to see what you’re carrying to figure out what they want. If I happening to be biking back from the market, they demand my bread or my bottle of water or other various things they might see. It’s crazy.
So like I said, at first it would bother me like crazy, and eventually I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve tried to tell them that my name isn’t Toubab, but that it’s Fatumata and that seems to have worked a little bit. I’ve also enjoyed turning to them and saying, “Donnez-moi un cadeau,”or I ask them to give me their notebook or backpack or shoes or something equally as ridiculous. They just laugh at me. When I see they have some money lie 10 or 25 francs, I’ll tell them to give it to and usually they do. I don’t know if it’s out of fear or respect. I obviously don’t take it, but I’ll walk away from them and make them wonder if I’m coming back, and then turn around and return it.
I’ve thought about making one of my projects a trip to the school to teach them not to call me a Toubab, but I was told it was a waste of time. Oh well, it looks like if that’s the most annoying thing in two years, I can handle it.
