As my Peace Corps service comes to an end (12 more days!) there is a long list of things I need to get done. These things should be easy to do because I have been here 27 months and should know darija by now, except that I don't. Sure I got intermediate high during my Language Exam, but I think my tester gave this score to me as a joke since for one question that I did not understand I answered with "inshallah?" (if Gd wills). He just laughed at me. True story.
So, moving on, when I was in Rabat a week ago I figured this would be the best time to visit the bank and withdrawal all my money, since doing business in a bank in the capital of Morocco should be easier than in my site? This is what happened (all in Moroccan arabic/darija)...
Me: Hello. I have money. I need money. I need check to get money. Please. Thank you. (hands her piece of paper with account number on it)
Bank Woman: Do you have an ATM card or checks?
Me: No. ATM card went away. Checks. No.
Bank Woman: YOU LOST YOUR ATM CARD AND HAVE NO CHECKS! (looks at me like I am the saddest thing she has ever seen) Let me see your carte de sejour.
Me: (hands her carte de sejour/identity card) Here. Thank you.
Bank Woman: OMG your card is expiring in two days. T.W.O. D.A.Y.S.
Me: I know. Spoke to police. Ok.
Bank Woman: (she does not believe me, is feeling even more sorry for me..walks away to check my account.) You cannot get checks here, you have to go to the bank on Abdallah Basid avenue. (using hand gestures) No.checks.here.other.bank.understand?
Me: (put the saddest most dejected look on my face) Is far?
Bank Woman: (rolls eyes, mutters something, using a lot of hand gestures) This time, only this time, I give you check, every other time go to other bank.
Me: Thank you! Thank you! You nice!
Bank Woman: (hands me piece of paper in French to fill out)
Me: (looks at it for a while)
Bank Woman: Are you ok?
Me: I don't understand French.
Bank Woman: (rolls eyes, fills out form for me) How much do you need?
Me: Everything.
Bank Woman: Everything?
Me: Yes. But do not know how much I have.
Bank Woman: You are so sad.
Me: I speak little arabic. But little by little yes?
Bank Woman: (shakes head) Here is your money. What is this?
Me: 100 dirhams!
Bank Woman: And this?
Me: 20 dirhams!
Bank Woman: And this?
Me: 10 dirhams! 5 dirhams! 1 dirham! Half a dirham!
Bank Woman: You are so smart! You know your numbers!
Me: Yes. But do not understand ryals. Go to souq and think they want 100 dirhams for carrots and really want 100 ryal. I don't understand.
Bank Woman: Oh you are so sad! You like souq.
Me: No! Tomato. Carrot. Eggplant. Chicken. Egg. Mint. Potato.
Bank Woman: And onion!
Me: Yes. Onion!
Bank Woman: You speak darija very well! How long have you been here?
Me: (too embarrassed to admit that I have been here 27 months given how poor my darija is) One year!
Bank Woman: One year! You should be very proud of yourself!
Me: A little, darija hard. Thank you. You nice. Goodbye.
Only 12 more days of people thinking that I am a complete idiot...inshallah.
No comments:
Post a Comment