Toubab

When traveling in most African countries, the locals call white folks "Toubab", or a variation of it (probably corresponding to the word "gringo"). I was first toubabed in the capital area walking down the street with some other PC trainees. It is usually the kids that say it. At first I thought current volunteers were exaggerating how often people say it, but today we went to a weekly market and it seemed that all people could say was Toubab. Everywhere I went people kept saying it. Since I will be here for two years, I will probably get used to it. I heard though that, when one learns the language and can speak to the kids, they stop doing it.

The kids and adults will ask us (the Toubabs) for things like candy, pens, bottles or just anything else. This cycle is reinforced with tourists who throw them those things plus stickers, coins, etc, out of the windows when they travel up country.

Someone who came to Africa as a PC said the toughest thing is not to be able to blend in due to the difference in skin color.

[From toubab.com: A toubab is the generic name for a white person in West and Central Africa... it is not a derogatory term of address and is more especially used in the Gambia and Senegal. Depending on which you wish to believe... the name Toubab has many suggested derivations, amongst which are: A corruption of the Arab word Tabib meaning doctor.. a verb in the Wolof language manging "to convert" (the early doctors and missionaries during colonial times, being whites coming from Europe) or the generally preferred... that it is derived from the two bob (two shilling) coin of pre-decimalisation UK currency when the Gambia was a British Colony.]