I suppose we looked quite strange, I was in my full work outfit, "suited up" and the others were normal, and of course, I am very white, and they are all black. The bizarreness started on the walk back to the bus station. We where all walking in a group, then a car pulls up and a middle aged white man gets out, actually physically pushes the others out of the way to get to me and starts asking me in Afrikaans how to get to the Holiday Inn around the corner. He actually seemed quite scared, but I don't know why he thought he could trust me, as I was obviously with these people he was scared of. as one of the girls later pointed out, it was a sadly funny situation. The Xhosa girls where obviously offended, I was as well because I was the catalyst to this event, but we all just ended up feeling sorry for that guy. He could have asked any of us for directions.
After that, we went to the bus station, and whilst it wasn't that late (7pm) it was quiet. I felt immediately uncomfortable because not only am I very white, but I was dressed up, and looked like money (a deceptive image :). My unease was shortly proven. A group of 3 guys came up and demanded money, luckily I was with he right people. As soon as the situation turned threatening, lots of people came to make sure nothing happened. I think this was because I was with some Xhosa girls, I got the feeling that if I was alone I would have been alone, so to speak.
The sad thing is, it seems to be a self full filling prophecy. That guy wouldn't talk to the black girls because he was scared of what might happen, those guys decided to pray on me because I was there, not for any malice toward me.
I have to say that whilst I constantly find myself being the only white person alone in the city, I have never felt uncomfortable. I need to trust that feeling more.
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