Inside the Zoo...

This is from my friend Gloria, who lives in a village in Senegal, West Africa:

Inside the zoo

I was going visiting in my village the other day, and some kids called
me and pointed over behind the house where I was going. I found out
that they were pointing out some tubaabs (white people) to me. I
laughed to myself to see a strange group of tourists a little ways off
ambling through our village, following their African guide. They nodded
and listened intently as he was (apparently) explaining how these
natives live and farm. One energetic young man (shirtless and in
shorts) ran ahead of the group to snap photos of our other neighbor's
lush corn garden. I guess he thought it was hot here. I was chilly. I
was embarassed when my "mother" called out to them and yelled for them
to take photos of her little baby. Of course all they knew was that she
was yelling and holding her baby up to them and that a dressed up tubaab
was standing with her. They waved to us. It was amusing to hear my
peoples' little comments about the tubaabs. "They have so much time and
money on their hands." "They want to know everything."
"They are so clever." I felt like I was hearing the inside comments that
animals at the zoo make about the strange people that come to stare at
them.