Market Day

Over the weekend I had a chance to visit one of the local markets. I went with my friend Modou who is familiar with the market. Anything you need to buy you can find at the market. This is like a Mall in the US. The streets were bustling with people and there were trucks on every corner unloading there goods. There were so many people I could barely take a step without landing on the back of someone's heel. I found some great local music which everyone can enjoy when I return and some cool gifts as well. One thing Modou and I noticed was that whenever I tried to buy something the sellers would bump up the price. This infuriated Modou to the point that we just walked away. He was angry that people were trying to take advantage of me because of the color of my skin. The Sellers assumed that since I was white I must be a rich tourist. Modou would look at a shirt and the seller would tell him it costs 300 Dalasi. Later on that day I would try to buy the exact same shirt from the same person. Only for me the shirt would cost 700 Dalasi. Modou couldn't believe how greedy people could be towards there fellow man. I think this is the first time in my life where my skin color did not work to my advantage. It made me think of all the things other people who are not the same skin color as me must go through. I can't even imagine what this does to the psyche of a person when they have this happen to them repeatedly every day! That day taught me the true impact that discrimination can have on a person. This is not the first time that I have tried to buy something or travel somewhere and have the price raised. Many times I have to argue with Taxi drivers about what the appropriate fare is supposed to be. There is no way you can explain to people here the concept of a " poor college student". They look at me and not only my skin color but my sneakers which most people here cannot afford. My pants that look brand new with no holes in them. My polo shirt that looks like I just walked out of the store with it. They are correct I'm no where near as poor as them. This is why most times I just keep walking instead of arguing with people. I have so much and they have so little. So why can't I give them everything I have? Why Can't I ? Ciao