title: String gets mutated when saving to mysql via PHP using PDO
body: <p>This is the sql:</p>
  
  <p><code>INSERT INTO stepup (target, body) VALUES ('http://test.com/dev-ws/events', '{"username":"Unknown","verb":"answer","object":"http:\/\/localhost\/elgg\/answers\/view\/42954\/q1","context":{"course":"42902","phase":"1","widget_type":"questions","activity_id":"95c48","widget_title":"Wonder moment"},"originalrequest":{"value":{"description":"&lt;p&gt;\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0443\u0447\u0432\u0430\u043d\u0435&lt;\/p&gt;","question_id":42954}},"starttime":"2015-03-26 17:28:57 +0100","endtime":"2015-03-26 17:28:57 +0100"}')
  </code></p>
  
  <p>then I do <code>$conn-&gt;exec($sql);</code></p>
  
  <p>but the actual content of <code>body</code> in the DB (mysql) is:</p>
  
  <p><code>"{\"username\":\"Unknown\",\"verb\":\"answer\",\"object\":\"http://localhost/elgg/answers/view/42954/q1\",\"context\":{\"course\":\"42902\",\"phase\":\"1\",\"widget_type\":\"questions\",\"activity_id\":\"95c48\",\"widget_title\":\"Wonder moment\"},\"originalrequest\":{\"value\":{\"description\":\"&lt;p&gt;u041fu0440u043eu0443u0447u0432u0430u043du0435&lt;/p&gt;\",\"question_id\":42954}},\"starttime\":\"2015-03-26 17:28:57 +0100\",\"endtime\":\"2015-03-26 17:28:57 +0100\"}"
  </code></p>
  
  <p>So <code>\u</code> is replaced by <code>u</code> :(</p>
  
  <p>What can I do.. I thought that by not "preparing" the SQL, this will stop happening... </p>