The feelings of anger and invasion of privacy after a robbery are no different wherever you are. We’ve had stuff taken in Australia and had all our stuff stolen in France one New Year’s Eve and those same feelings came flooding back to us mid week. Ross and I had just enjoyed perhaps the best surf we’d had for months at the Pillbox, straight after work on Wednesday. I’d been in two minds about going out, because the 3rd grade Open House was on that evening, starting at 7pm. I had a niggling feeling that we should leave in plenty of time to get back, just in case there were more horrendous traffic jams than usual (you have to budget for being stationary for at least 15 minutes of an hour trip!).
Great long lines of swell greeted Ross and me, puffing offshore breezes and of course, being the Pillbox, our “secret” place, no one in the water. The day was bright and clear and at least 3 sets of wedding couples in full regalia had come to the shoreline with their photographers to get their pre-wedding shots. I’ve mentioned this strange phenomenon before: photos before the day, in full dress, often dragging dresses over rocks and dirt, and sitting in the shallows to get that perfect romantic shot in the weakening afternoon sun.
We walked past the wedding parties and paddled out enjoying quite a magical afternoon. We both got a succession of fantastic waves and commented that except for the water quality, it was almost as if we’d been dropped off by a yacht charter somewhere in Indonesia to enjoy perfect waves with no crowds.
Our euphoria was short-lived however. I came in first to be greeted by a smashed out passenger window and all our things stolen. They even stole our clothes! We were upset about that as well as we had good clothes on as we’d come straight from school. Curiously, they left our shoes and socks, possible because they’d be too big for anyone. We walked around the area in the vain hope they’d dumped the stuff they couldn’t use, but we didn’t find anything. They stole our wallets and we both had lots of cash. We had the usual full quiver of credit and cash cards and other things that you have in wallets that are hard to replace. The big items taken were Ross’ good watch, his phone and my new camera. They took both of Ross’ bags but left my ratty beach bag, which had a secret pocket containing my phone. This was the only thing of value that they didn’t steal.
We drove home just in our wet board shorts and on the way, we got Cass and Ainsley to begin the card canceling process. I continued that when I got home and just before racing off to my parent night, I asked Cass to tell Mr. Lee to change the locks, as my address was in the wallet too! I had to wait at home till 11 am the next day when the locksmith came, secretly hoping that I might hear a key in the lock and be able to nab the perpetrator. That would have been very satisfying!
I’ll get a re-issued credit card tomorrow and a cash card mid-week, but I’m really spewing about the camera. I didn’t take the underwater housing out that day, so it’s still sitting here forlornly at home! I would love to replace it with the same model, which the housing is custom built for. It took such great photos the one time I got to use it; it would be a shame to never get it wet again. The rest of the week was a bit of a blur of police stations and getting the window fixed on the car and remembering all the things that were in my wallet or bag as I missed them through the week. The cops were pretty silly really and no help at all, insisting that we had to go out to the Damshui station to report the theft and get the car dusted for prints; we decided to cut our losses and get the window fixed instead, especially as another typhoon was on its way.
Two shining bright moments came this week to lift the gloom of the robbery: firstly we got our long awaited car park in the school parking basement after being on the waiting list for 2 years and secondly, we got word that our investment property at Horizon’s had finally sold. The news of settlement was treated with scant regard until we saw the money in our bank account, which we did on Thursday. What an amazing ordeal this had been: over the last 4 years the thing had contracts prepared on it no less that 4 times, various other offers were made and withdrawn, the company first refused to pay the rent and then after years of delays went belly up owing us and everyone else. It was a very painful period for us, a very unprofitable period and a period we’re very, very glad to put behind us. Enough said!
Anyway after an eventful week, we’re both glad that it was only property that was taken and that no one was hurt and I’ve been quite Zen like in my approach to the whole matter. I don’t know if I’m turning soft, but I hope that the person who took all our gear actually needed it: I’d be disappointed to imagine some tosser just doing it for fun, more philosophical about things if someone felt they had to do this sort of thing to survive. Unlike home, there are a lot of people here in just such a predicament.Photos will be from the vault for a while…I have plenty that I’ve taken lately which I transferred to the computer.