No change

I think I have more of an idea why we're warned not to give money to the people on the street.

Me, Alyssa and Brooke were walking to dinner a couple of hours ago. It was just after nightfall, and Alyssa ducked between a couple of buildings to get some money from the ATM. A guy said hello to us (he was sitting on the steps, but moved closer to us) and launched into this story about how he needed money to buy butter or something to spread on his loaf of bread. He had a loaf of bread out, said he was living in Stellenbosch (Brooke asked where; he replied "here -- I live on the streets) and told us his mother had died so could we please spare five rand?

I have R100 currently left to my name, until my debit card gets reimbursed (which shouldn't happen until the 15th), so I haven't got a ton of cash and wasn't carrying much on me at the moment since I figured I'd pay by card. I told him I wasn't carrying cash, Brooke talked to him a little and asked him a few questions, then we started walking toward the restaurant. "Bye," we said as we left, and at first I thought he said "bless you" the way panhandlers sometimes do, even if you don't give them any money, but then I realized he'd said, "fuck you" rather loudly.

A few seconds later, we heard this snapping and turned to see him stomping up behind us with a furious look on his face. The area had a few people, but the bars were on the other side of the quad and for a moment I thought we were going to get mugged. Or jumped. Or shanked. Or held at knifepoint. But he was just trying to scare us, and he eventually lagged behind and left. I was terrified, but mostly I was annoyed. It's been a very, very difficult day and the whole time, all I could think was, "Of course. Of course someone's going to mug me today. Perfect."

Brooke, who's from inner-city Dallas, insisted she would've smacked him if he'd come any closer, but I was a little freaked out. She did say people have been known to get mugged because they gave people money, leaving their obviously-full wallets exposed. Of course, I suppose a group of three girls is safer than one girl, but it would be really nice to have a bodyguard. Any takers?