“Apparently, I’m a sinner” – Nigerien Perception on Everything

Since being here, I had to change pretty much everything about my American way of life to accommodate to life in Niger, so I’m not viewed by villagers as a prostitute. To give you all a little insight into the changes, I have compiled a list of things we are and are not allowed to do here in Niger, as well as some superstitions. I’m sure I’ll be adding to this list as time goes by.
1. Don’t drink alcohol or wear jeans – apparently that makes you a prostitute…Great.
2. Don’t use your left hand to reach for things, to offer or take money, or to eat from a communal bowl. Thank God I’m right handed – left handed folk often have so much trouble with this…
3. Don’t hold your hand up with the palm facing outward and the fingers spread. It’s considered an insult equivalent to flipping someone off. You even have to be careful how you wave to people.
4. Don’t (or at least try not to) refuse anything you are offered. (Try a little bit and bless the food if you don’t want to eat much) – Ahamdellaye!
5. Don’t hang your underwear out to dry in public.
6. Don’t show your knees, or your shoulders in some places. It is commonly said that US knees = Nigerien boobs and vice versa because you commonly see women shirtless and breast feeding in public, yet you’ll never see anyone’s knees. It’s also true that in the more conservative areas, women dress down to their toes and almost always cover their head.
7. Don’t walk directly in front of someone who is praying and don’t do anything that might disturb prayer.
8. Don’t smell food. It’s considered rude because people think you’re questioning the quality of the food. Also, don’t blow on food to cool it off because it’s suspected that you are blowing away the riches and good blessings from the food.
9. Don’t step over people or over food that are lying on mats.
10. Don’t lay on your back in public if you are a woman. It’s considered a sexual invitation.
11. Take your shoes off before walking or sitting on a mat.
12. Always announce yourself when you come into a concession. You say “Salaam Aleykum” and the person responds “Amin, Aleykum Asalaam,” unless of course they are praying.
13. Wash your face in the morning before meals. The washing is a ritual for cleaning away the ‘impurities’ of the night.
14. Cover your mouth when you yawn. That will prevent bad spirits or things from getting into you.
15. Say goodbye to your family when you leave the concession. You can say “Kala Tonton” in Zarma or “Sai An Jima” in Hausa.
16. Don’t walk in a mosque with shoes on.
17. Don’t eat, drink, or smoke in front of someone fasting during Ramadan (month long fast for Muslims).
18. Don’t touch the Koran without purifying yourself.
19. Don’t ever threaten a beggar, say “Allah shi bada hankuri” – basically “May God help you”
20. Don’t enter a concession where women are cloistered, unless you have authorization from the husband.
21. Don’t offer pork to a Muslim.
22. Keep pets away from praying places, especially dogs, which are seen as exceptionally dirty creatures…My host family laughed when they saw my pictures of Sadie and Chase. Having dogs as pets is completely foreign to them.
23. We can’t drink milk because it’s unpasteurized, and if we drink it we could test positive for TB. And worse than testing positive for TB is the meds you have to take after you test positive – you can’t drink alcohol for a year. So no milk for me, unless it’s powder or condensed. The only milk product that we can have is “solani” which is a yogurt that comes in a bag that you buy in the market. It’s pretty good, and apparently the Mango and Strawberry solani are the best…I have yet to find them.
24. Superstition: Never feed your child eggs because they will become a thief.
25. Superstition: If the first person you see when you wake up is a blind man or a man with one eye, you will have bad luck.
26. Superstition: Lepers are good luck, but you have to wake up before them or it is bad luck.
27. Superstition: Don’t whistle at night, it attracts bad spirits.
28. Superstition: Don’t fish on Saturday because you’ll turn into a monkey.
29. Superstition: A man who eats the head of a rat will become the chief.
30. Superstition: Don’t eat when walking because you’ll be walking with the devil.
31. Superstition: If your upper eyelid twitches, you will see someone you haven’t seen in a long time. If your lower eyelid twitches, a family member will die.
32. Superstition: If you left hand itches, you will receive money. If your right hand itches, you will give money.
33. Superstition: Where ever a person or donkey has a seizure, never pass over that spot or you will have a seizure too.
34. Superstition: Never pound millet or braid your hair at night because it attracts evil spirits (genies).
35. Superstition: A woman who looks in a mirror at night or sees the moon during the day will never be married.