standing up for my rights

"Jox ma sama weccit."

In Wolof, that means, "Give me my change." Although I only learned it yesterday in the Wolof unit of bartering at a marketplace, this phrase would have come in handy so much sooner to enhance my experience here in Senegal.

A problem I have in a lot of places, especially on the cars rapides, is that people think I'm a dumb white girl who doesn't know how much things costs. For example, if I give the car rapide conductor a 100 franc coin for my 75 franc fare, oftentimes he won't give me change. Likewise, if I give a 100 and a 50 for my 125 franc fare, I won't get the 25 francs change either. It isn't that I'm hurting for that extra 25 francs (although I have taken to giving my change from cars rapides fares to the street children, so unfortunately on days when I don't get change, I have nothing to give them), but it's the principle that they think I don't know any better and that they can take advantage of me because I am white.

Oftentimes I'll say in French, "la monnaie?" or even just try to make eye contact or a hand gesture indicating that I want my change, and oftentimes the conductor avoids my eyes or pretends he does not understand. But yesterday after Wolof class, I got on the car rapide and gave him a 100 franc coin, and he turned away. I said to him, "Am nga sama weccit?" (= do you have my change?") and he begrudgingly dug into his pocket for my change.

Likewise, today at Marche Sandaga, on a search for a new iPod to get me through these next few weeks, I ended up paying 12,000 francs for a knockoff iPod (~24 USD - hey, pretty good, right??) and handed the guy 15,000. He looked at me and said, "Oh, so the rest is a gift for me?" and, pissed off enough about having to buy a new iPod, I said tersely and quickly, "Jox ma sama weccit leegi" (give me my money NOW). He instantly left to get my change.

I like this pro-active, self-assertive Wolof version of myself!