This morning my guardian (the person the NGO who's house I live in employs to watch my house and the rest of their property) called me at 6:25am telling me he was bringing me my electric bill soon. He showed up around 6:45am and knocked on my door with an electric bill. But, the bill was for 11,000 CFA - which is about $25 now - and that was way more than I thought it should be since we rarely had power that month and I had unplugged my fridge. Upon examination I realized that he had changed the date with a pen in one point - making the date of 20/06/2009 to 20/10/2009 trying to make an old bill appear to be a current bill. I had already paid that bill and that was noted on the bottom of the bill. I simply pointed that out to him and told him that was an old bill and stood there looking at him. He tried to convince me it was the recent one for about 5 minutes and I very nicely just kept saying that it was old, that is was from June and July and that I had already paid it (hence the PAID note and date stamp on the bottom). Finally he agreed with me and said he would go find me my current bill. I said, thanks, I will wait. He shows up about 15 minutes later with my current bill. But, this time he has manually added a 0 to the end of the price changing it from 796 CFA (like a dollar 50) to 7960 CFA (like 15 dollars). I caught it because I added up the individual amounts, also I knew that was too much money for last month as well. So I calmly gave him 1000 CFA and told him that would cover it because I had done the math and it was 796 CFA. Then I thanked him giving the electric company the money. I didn't even get mad, you cannot get mad when people do something you expect them to do. Just need to make sure I check each bill thoroughly. A few months ago he brought me someone else's bill and I caught that too. Oh the best part, as he was leaving with my 1000 CFA and my bill he asked me for a loan (again). I kindly said no and closed my door wishing him a good day as I did so.
OH CAMEROON.
This brings me to one final story. Buying apples in Yaounde can go one of 3 ways. One, you are tired and don't want to discute the price and you just pay what they ask. I have done that, but it is boring and not part of my fun story. During my trip to Yaounde this week I went to buy apples, twice. The first time I was walking down the street and saw a man with an apple cart. I asked him the price and then told him that was the white person's price and apples should cost this and that I wanted to buy these two apples for this much. He laughed and went down in price but not enough. We talked back and forth a few minutes and finally he wanted 50 more CFA (like 10 cents) and I wouldn't pay it and so I grabbed a plastic bag and bagged my own apples and left the money on his cart while we both laughed and I walked away saying thank you and that I would come back next time (this is a common way to leave a conversation in Cameroon - saying thanks, next time). The is the second way you can buy apples in Cameroon. The third way is less fun and brings me to my second attempt to purchase them recently. I saw another man with an apple cart outside of a white person store in downtown Yaounde (that was mistake one, trying outside a white person store). I asked him how much the apples were, went into the store with my friend and her mom, and we came back and I decided I wanted apples and began to bargin. He got angry and started screaming at me that why would I assume the price could change - he told me the price and I should have accepted it and blah blah blah. So I laughed it off telling him, this is Cameroon you discute for all the prices and tried again to bargin with him. He got angry again. Then, I got mad. I told him he was very rude and that I didn't care what his apples cost now I wasn't buying any from him. He yelled back that I was rude to try to bargin with him when I was rich (aka white). I repeated that he was rude and wouldn't get my money today or in the future and left. A year ago that interaction might have upset me but now I simply ran to catch up with my friend and her mom and repeated it while laughing and saying that I guessed it wasn't my day for apples.
OH CAMEROON.
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2 comments:
Well Aubrey I am going to have to learn your tact for here in America. I had a similar experience when going to take my GRE. I had brought my paper work with my name change and my State ID and two picture ID with my new last name. But I cannot get a new state ID unless I am in that state (LA) so I don't have one. I called the GRE office to make sure I could take the test under my new last name with this paper work and they said yes.
The guy, who was straight from Africa told me no he would not accept it. I got mad and sad something to the effect of what the fuck do you mean hell yes you are going to except it. I asked him for his name because I was going to call the GRE headquarters and report him. All I got was that his name was Cojo and and piece of paper with a highlighted section that said any hostility towards the examiner would result in incarceration. I calmly then got his supervisor on the phone. And of course was allowed to take the test. After all that. I should have just learned to keep my cool and pay dumb! Oh well it wasn't as bad as getting the wrong electric bill or someone else's!
I love you so very much
42 days till I leave to see you!
Being quoted in a stranger's article must make you wonder who all is reading your blog! One thing about the Cameroon way of buying apples, I'm sure they really taste good after all the haggling! About the electric bill, though ---- after knowing you for so many months, why does your guardian not yet realize that he can't put anything over on you!!
Love ya,
Bubs
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