Interesting once a week fact resolution #14

Just call me Miss Tubabu…

I like kids!  I find them fun, imaginative, entertaining and just down right adorable… at times.  Here in Mali is really no exception, except that the kiddos here don’t always know what to do with a rare encounter with a white person.  Here are different reactions:

1) Younger children, especially, tend to cry whenever you approach them or whenever it looks like you’re going to touch them.  Even from a distance they’re usually not too sure what to think.

2) Some school age kids just want to touch you.  I’m not sure if they think your skin feels differently or if they’re just being brave in front of all their friends by touching you.  Just the other day I was riding back from the post office when I heard someone yell Tubabu behind me.  Shortly after, three girls on a moto drove by slowly and reach out to touch my hair and arm.  Craziest thing ever!  I mean driving here’s not easy let alone driving while trying to touch the Tubab!

3) Other school age kids look at you like you’re a six legged flying unicorn and that if they spot you and can get your attention they may just win a prize. – - Ok, so I don’t know what they’re actually thinking, but I swear I will never be able to sneak across town on my bike without being “spotted”.

I find there are several ways to handle these reactions.  First, you may become depressed thinking you’re probably the worst pediatric nurse ever when the mere sight of you causes children to burst into tears.  Second, you may try and turn the situation into something positive.  You may pretend your name is Tubabu (which in Bambara means white person and is pronounced “two-ba-boo”) and you may even sing these words in your head as you bike to your language teacher’s house each morning:

Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn’t you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

and they’re always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see,

our troubles are all the same

You wanna be where everybody knows

Your name.

You wanna go where people know,

people are all the same,

You wanna go where everybody knows

your name.

If singing this little ditty in your head while biking along doesn’t work, you may just try pretending that you’re famous and just can’t go anywhere without being recognized.

However you choose to handle it is up to you. Let me just say that after you’ve been here long enough (and apparently 4 months is already long enough) you too might just be yelling tubabu when you see an unknown white person walking through your neighborhood.  What’s that saying – if you can beat them, join them.

Enjoy!!