I never wanted to be a celebrity. I feel sorry for celebrities. They are recognized everywhere they go and everybody they meet want an autograph or something. It must be annoying.
That said, being white in West Africa is very similar. You stand out. And people think of you as a piece of fat that they will try to cut a piece off of. They usually start by calling you mon ami, or in The Gambia, my friend. They'll hold their hand out to do a handshake like you're old buddies and haven't seen each other in a while when, in fact, you've never seen the guy in your entire life and vice-versa. Now I just sort of shrug them off. It feels rude, but is it more rude than attempting to engage a white person in order to try to get something from him? I think not. It is still extremely tiring. I'm so sick of it already and I'm only in Senegal.
The one thing I am most looking forward to about returning to the United States is the end of being accosted by strangers who want to take up my time and my attention to try to get at my money.
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