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7993: Re: gourdes and dollars (fwd)
From: Martha O'Brien <mobfa1@scotus.francis.edu>
Last summer when I was in Haiti, I had two experiences
concerning gourdes and dollars which might be of interest to
someone. First, I had to go to a quite upscale sort of building
supplies store to buy some lumber which an American friend of
mine needed for a project and for which he had sent what he
believed to be the correct amount of money. A sign in the store
stated clearly, "all prices are in gourdes." (Now, my kreyol is bad,
but not so bad that I mis-read what that sign said.) When the price
was given, presumably in gourdes, it was well within the amount of
money which I had with me. A Haitian friend whom I trust implicitly
and who was there to help me make the transaction, kept counting
the wad of bills and shaking her head and counting again...and so
on. Finally she turned to me and said that there was not enough
money there. When I said something to the effect that the stated
amount in gourdes was certainly not more than the amount which
we had, she and the clerk just laughed at me (gently, kindly, but
laughed nonetheless), explaining that what the sign really meant
was that all prices were in Haitian currency rather than in US
dollars, but that it meant Haitian dollars. Confusing, indeed. And,
lest you jump to the conclusion that they cheated me, I do not for a
minute think that that was the case. As I said, I do trust this
person implicitly.
The next adventure came after I got home. I had contracted
typhoid fever while in Haiti and had been treated by a very
competent Haitian physician, whom I paid by check in US dollars.
All of my pharmacy bills, however, were written in Haitian dollars
and paid for in local currency. Since I had travel insurance which
would cover my medical expenses, I submitted the bills to the
insurance company with a complete explanation of how the
dollar/gourde relationship works, what the going rate was at the
time I was there, etc. The answer I got back from the insurance
company was that they could find no corroboration anywhere for
the existence of the Haitian dollar as a fictive currency and that,
therefore, they had to assume that the amounts I presented were
gourdes. Since I had paid the largest part of my expenses (the
doctor's fees) in US dollars and since the pharmacy bill was
relatively small, I did not pursue the argument any further.
However, I did make note of the fact that it would be wise in the
future to be sure that all bills being presented for reimbursement be
written in gourdes.