I mostly enjoyed algebra class- when everything fit like pieces of a puzzle. (It was just later when I got home and tried to replicate the things we learned in class that I got stuck and frustrated.) I am a math person, as long as it's in the middle school/elementary range. Or maybe it's about topic. No matter how I have pushed myself, researched and tried to educate myself, it's finances that remain murky. I can balance a checkbook. At least I get the concept of deposits and withdrawals. But I have never been able to fully grasp the nuances of money systems or how to compare them. (Not to be confused with converting them- I've actually gotten better at that. I can think in two-or even three!- money systems at the same time. )
While I can't discuss what it means that 1,000 Congolese franc equals about 1 US dollar and 1,000XOF (franc cfa) equals about 2 US dollars (oh how it puzzles me, what does this mean?) I can share my observations of money.
In Kinshasa, ATM's spit out 100 dollar bills as if they were singles. There, I was up on all the latest changes in American money. The most recent version downright resembles Monopoly money. In fact, shortly after a machine spewed these out at me, I found myself at the Embassy paying for extra pages in my passport. A man at the window next to me leaned over in curiosity and asked if that was the new 100, the way you might inquire about the new iPhone or the latest Mercurials (up to version Vapor 8 apparently.) The point is in America my life was never graced with so many Benjamins. In fact, in some parts, walking around with too many of these is suspicious behavior. In Kinshasa, there's not much choice. Luckily, changing your bill into more manageable quantities is no problem. Money changers line the roads ready to convert your $100 into any combination of Congolese francs and US dollars.
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| Not my hands, or my money, though when I first got one of these I felt an overwhelming urge to take a photo. It appeared so completely fake. |
Here in Abidjan, $100's are nowhere to be found. The currency of choice is the Franc CFA and changing US dollars requires searching high and low and long and far. The airport and the Golf Hotel are probably your best bets. The money changers so common to Kin may also be found in Abidjan, but not in my neighborhood. (Back in December when we were visiting, we couldn't really find them in any neighborhood.) So, I'm learning to think in Franc CFA and it's quite deceiving. I have to remember not to equate it with the Congolese franc; its actually about double the amount.
Both countries use similar denominations. That is, the 500 bill is considered a small bill and pretty common. Next is the 1,000- also often in use (though I do remember my initial skepticism and avoidance when it first came out in Kinshasa. All new money looks like play money.) They both also have the 5,000. Ivory Coast continues the trend with a 10,000. It is purple and gold and has a fancy security feature that involves hidden numbers shown only in black light.
Abidjan has a coin system in place whereas Kinshasa does not. Even when the smaller numbers (100's, 50's, 10's) were more popular and in use, they were in paper form. Abidjan, however, offers coins in 500, 200, 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5 - though the last 3 aren't good for much more than adding up to 50. You can buy a lollipop or other piece of candy for 50XOF. There's even the 250 coin, which reminds me of the half dollar or a two dollar bill. I always feel kind of lucky when I get one, as if they are rare (not sure there is any merit at all to this sentiment.) It's nice to have change again. Change has a way of feeling like extra money (rather than left over money.) Its small status somehow escapes the real money radar and anything purchased with accumulated change takes on a bonus status. It makes money fun again (though in dire budget planning this can be a deadly perspective to hold onto.)
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| It's possible-and fun- to have a pocket full of change again. 100XOF can get you a taxi ride in a yellow cab (and if that sounds like a carnival ride, its probably not too far off the mark) |
Oddly- and frustratingly- enough, change is the thing both countries seem to lack. Not coins but small bills in return for large ones. Although ATM's in Kin seem to deal exclusively in large bills, many stores don't have the smaller bills to accommodate a purchase with a 100 dollar bill. The way to handle this in Kin is to get yourself- or send a younger gopher- to a streetside money man or woman.
In Abidjan the problem is the same- lack of change- but the symptoms are different. There aren't money stalls banking their business on your inability to change the dollar. The dollar doesn't rule here- only the Franc CFA talks (and that's good for Cote d'Ivoire, right? I really want to understand the financial intricacies here.) But finding change for the bigger bills like the 10,000 (about $20) is a challenge.
One of the most perplexing situations to me is the taxi. If you're not carrying exact change, it's standard procedure to announce how much you have and verify the driver has 'monnaie'- French for change. Even though I know this now, I still find myself in situations where I only have a large bill which I forgot to announce, or sometimes even a not so large bill, and the taxi man has nothing. Nothing? Really? If taxi driving was my business I think I would realize my need to carry some change. For my customers. Who might have large bills.
Just now as I am writing this, it's finally all coming together. On those occasions when I have forgotten to announce my large bill the driver responds in one of three ways when this happens:
1. Nods his head and pulls out the proper change.
2. Gets mad, sighs and starts searching around for some change- or I send one of the boys off in search if they're with me
3. Gets mad, sighs, says he doesn't have change and then magically produces change from some hidden compartment
In one case, I went in to buy some bread in order to get change and - due to the slow line I waited in- the driver came in after me impatient and yelling about how I should have change (me? I'm the consumer. Isn't providing change part of the seller's service?) Meanwhile I was busy thinking about how I didn't even really need the bread..... but just now I am understanding some obvious reasons why taxi drivers might not carry a lot of change on them.
In one particularly friendly mood I inquired about the lack of a radio and whether or not the silence all day was a bother. He told me he'd recently been robbed, strapped to his seat while they stole all of his money, the radio and even the taxi meter. I guess in that situation it might be better to have less cash on you. So that explains the cab drivers not having change.
But it doesn't help in understanding why the stores never have any. I've left purchases on the counter and walked out empty handed because the cashier could not provide change for a 10,000 bill. I can't unravel the implications that the equivalent of 20 dollars seems so extravagant and at the same time doesn't buy very much.
I've been trying to determine which city is more expensive- another mind puzzle I can't quite work through. In the end, I relent that there is no real comparing them- they're just different. Some things I want to snatch up by the dozens (carrots, for example, which seem incredibly affordable here, not to mention appetizing, after Kin's limp, skinny, high priced carrots.) Other things are expensive, plain and simple. And the lack of a Goma cheese substitute has driven me to research cheese making methods (more on that in an upcoming post on home schooling.) But when times get tough, we can always splurge on a lollipop- passion fruit flavor- for a mere 50franc.
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| One of Mohamed's favorite treats- sold a mere 150 paces or so from our front door |
