The Alien Has Landed

"Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga!” I spun around suddenly, excitedly looking left to right. Could it be the one and only poker face had made a surprise appearance in Ghana? As I turned I noticed people were in actual fact looking at me.

"Lady Gaga" yeah right!

Now I am no Lady Gaga but it would seem having white skin, blonde hair and packing in the derriere department gives you an almost celebrity status among some Ghanaians. I admit I can be a bit of an attention whore from time to time but when I first arrived here even I found it quite daunting having all eyes on me.

I waited patiently in the non-residents queue for my passport to be vetted. When it was my turn to be seen I found myself answering the usual questions; what is the purpose of your visit? Where are you staying? It was the last question that took me by surprise; when can I see you again?

Lights out all out!

Now forgive me if I am not mistaken but this is airport security not Take Me Out. They are supposed to be on the look-out for potential terrorists not sexual conquests. I laughed sheepishly to avoid answering the question and watched in amazement as he slipped his number in the back of my passport with a wink.

As I walked the streets of Accra, bright blonde quiff bouncing up and down and booty shaking from side to side, I heard people shout: “Hey white girl”, or “O Bruni” (foreigner), a phrase which has grown to be very familiar. At first I found this quite rude but I soon realised no offence was intended.

Taking the quiff on safari

Growing up in a predominately white area and having never travelled outside of Europe, bar America and Mexico, I found it quite intimidating being the minority. Especially when I travelled by bus I would imagine how it felt when the shoe was on the other foot but the feeling soon began to fade away as I settled into Ghana life.

People stopped me in the street to compliment my curvy “African shape” (apparently I have “swag” in Ghana too), men and even women would ask for my phone number, one guy actually wanted me to sign his hat. Just the other day a young girl crossed the street purposely to rub passed me, I simply laughed as my (Ghanaian) boyfriend stared on in horror.

While my big behind is not always appreciated in the UK it is quite a different story over here. In fact the
bigger the bum the better. During my first month as an intern one of my colleagues felt it appropriate to tell me my bum looked big in my particular choice of outfit that day.

 Big bootyyyyyy

Now, like any other girl would, I resisted the urge to swing a left hook and tried to hide my offence with a rather sarcastic ‘thank you’ before strutting off down the hall. Little did I realise this was meant as a compliment.

My boyfreind, Daron, and I

My boyfriend sometimes gets irritated with all the stares, as if I am some sort of foreign object, although I can’t help but laugh at his embarrassed reaction when the kids flock around me and chase me down our street. But who am I to complain if a wave from a white person has just made their day. I love seeing the delighted look on their little faces when I give them a high five.

Now you have to remember that in the less touristy areas of Ghana to see a white person is something quite rare. Some young children may have ever seen a white person in the flesh so it comes as no surprise that when they see me they tug on their parents clothes curiously, not daring to blink until I am no longer in sight.

My fellow Bruni's

One day I was sat on a bus staring blankly out of the window when I noticed a lady rocking her sleeping baby. When she saw me looking she smiled in delight and gently shook the baby until he was awake to look at me. I waved back sweetly, still a little in shock, but the thought that I could have been the first white person that baby had ever seen made me smile.

It took some getting used but I eventually began to like the attention and now I embrace it, occasionally using it to my advantage. I have received free paintings, souvenirs, bus journeys and I hardly have to buy my own drinks in the club (a rare occurrence for me in England).

Free souvenir (with no. inside)

One day a young fellow decided he would follow me round the supermarket asking to be my friend. I managed to ignore him for the duration of my shop but when I finished packing my bags I realised I had an awful lot to carry. So when he kindly offered to carry my shopping I didn’t have to think twice.

I am surprised my head even fitted through the aircraft doors when it was time for my departure from my first visit. As I sauntered off the plane in rainy old Manchester not one person glanced in my direction let alone complimented my well-endowed derriere.

My fellow flyers watched me struggle to move the luggage trolley, not realising you had to pay a pound, and no one came to my rescue as I searched my purse hopelessly, knowing full well I had no money. As I proceeded to drag my three heavy suitcases through customs it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was forced to come crashing back down to earth where the only person waiting eagerly to see me, with open arms, was my dear mum.

There is no surprise I whipped out my phone and typed in Sky Scanner as soon as I sat in the car, keen to plan my next trip back. I have now been back and forth to Ghana three times in the last 6 months and have decided to take up residency here for the foreseeable future.

People always ask me why I love Ghana so much, what is there not to love about this attention seekers paradise?

Wish you were here XOXO