Charlotte and I always go to this little store on our street that has really yummy salads that you can get to go. My favorite is the caprese salad or the shrimp/tomato/artichoke heart salad. Charlotte likes to get the caprese salad and pesto pasta which looks insanely good and makes me very jealous when I watch her eat it. We try to eat around, but this place is definitely our most frequented spot, so much so the people who work there all know our faces now! It is comforting to walk by it on the street and see one of them who is standing outside smoking a cigarette and watch their face light up and say "Oh, bonjour!", like "Hey, there go those girls who ALWAYS come here at giggle at their own awful attempts at ordering in French!" So anyway, I had a very disconcerting experience in that store a few days ago. I had just ordered my salad and was on the way to the cash register to pay when I felt someone tapping my shoulder. I turned around right into the tall dark man that was looming over me. I said "Oh, hi!" because for a second I thought it was our friend Muhammad we had met on the steps of Sacre Cur. It turned out he really was a homeless man who wanted money. I was really flustered because the store is so narrow and he was so close to me, literally pushing against me with his chest. I didn't have any change at the time so I couldn't give him money to get him off my case, but when he saw me reaching in my purse for bills to pay for my salad he continued to stand really close to me and demand I give him money, even though I had repeatedly said no and had my hand up in the the universal 'back off/get away' gesture. I was trying to walk past him to get to the cash register and he literally blocked me from going around him, pushing me and asking for money as I continued to say no. Finally I got past him and was at the cash register, looking at the lady behind the counter and the waiter desperately pleading with my eyes for them to help me or say something. I was really shocked they didn't say anything to him or yell at him to get out of their store because I remember store owners/restaurants being very good about making people who were begging leave and this man was openly harassing me. Maybe they were scared of him too, but they were behind the counter and I feel that I am somewhat innocent/helpless looking enough to have others help me out in situations like these. It was incredibly tense and uncomfortable. It took until after the exchange of money and him going to three other patrons, pushing on their shoulders and demanding money before the waiter timidly said "Monsieur, sil vous plait...?" It seemed like a weak attempt to me. The man finally figured out he wasn't going to get what he wanted and threw up his hands, yelling angrily and aggressively in french. He continued to yell as he walked out, and everyone kind of sighed with shaken relief. I understand people are poor and hungry but when things like this happen it is hard to feel safe. This experience reminded me that I have to always be aware of my surroundings and on my guard when I am in a foreign country, and that I cant always rely on or expect others to help me when things turn sour.