Am I Safe?

My mom is interested to know if I am safe here, especially when I go places alone. The simple fact is that I go to a lot of places alone, sometimes there's just no other option. Wierd thing is, I can go anywhere I want alone, but heaven forbid that I would be seen (even in public) with one guy. What’s fun is when you have to take your own bag to the bank b/c the exchange rate is 220SD/$$ and so when you withdraw large amounts, you end up with a e stack of money that you have to carry yourself. But I don’t worry about my safety and you shouldn't either. You know how you hear about those ‘inhumane’ laws in 3rd world countries where they cut off people’s fingers and hands when they steal…well these laws actually work in keeping crime to a minimum. And plus, me being a white girl walking down the street makes me the center of attention so (in connection with the cutting off the hand law) no one would ever try to steal anything from me, lest they lose a hand!

There are, however, no laws against yelling or gesturing so I do get that a lot as I'm walking down the street. But since I can't even understand what they're saying, I just ignore it and pretend that I don't know that they're talking to me.

I went shopping by myself yesterday at the souk. A souk would be the Sandbox version of a mall meaning that there are thousands of 'shops' selling anything and everything in the middle of a dirt/mud field covered in tarps with no electricity and no running water. This is where you buy clothes, furniture, silverware, goats & sheep, really you can get anything at the souk. Anyways, so I went to the souk and by now I've really gotten used to the marriage proposals or the American visa requests, but yesterday a guy surprised me. He made me a visa proposal! He said 'I am not asking you for an American visa, I do not need these things. I want to give you a Sandbox visa'. Usually I try to remain composed and decline politely, but with this guy I couldn't help but laugh out loud and I told him that 'I already have my visa thank you very much. I'm finished shopping here, goodbye!' You just never know what you're gonna find for sale in the souk!!!!