Who would have thought it would be difficult to leave? Not in the sentimental sense, which I don't doubt will be hard. Rather, the Senegalese make it nearly impossible to jump through all their hoops before you depart from this country. As if they needed any more BS.
I went to renew my residency card permit back in August or September because it had been stolen in May when my purse was snatched on a bus. So, I went to the local bureau in Matam only to be told, after three different air conditioned offices, that I would have to go back to Dakar to get a new one because that is where it was stolen. They had the official documents in front of them, but refused to do it. So, I refused to get it renewed. I don't need it. No one asks to see it.
EXCEPT, I apparently HAVE to have it in order to depart from Senegal. Think about this logically, I have to have a residency card to LEAVE. What? I went to the bureau in Dakar, only to be met with animosity. The man filling it out told me to come back at 4 PM. Normally, I wouldn't have had a problem with this. But, it's a fourth sheet of paper, that I could replicate if I really wanted to. All I really needed was the official stamp. Not to mention, he was filling it out in front of me! I asked if I could have his name, but he refused to give it to me. At that point, I gave up and just left. When I came back at 4 PM that day, the only thing that was different about the flimsy sheet was the dumb red stamp. Inflated sense of authority.
Today, I thought I would close my bank account to start the process of leaving again. Nope. I have to close the bank account where I opened it, in Theis. It's not that bad. I was planning on going to Thies anyway. But, they said they needed my check book and bank card in order to close the account anyway. I explained that my check card was stolen. They countered with, what proof do you have that it was stolen. I'm not kidding. So, I'll go to Thies. Deal with more BS probably and with any hope, I'll be able to close my bank account.
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