Just helping out........

So, last night I sort of lost my wallet. Well, it's not exactly 'lost'. Last night my wallet was stolen. Well, that's not exactly true either.............. Okay, fine! I gave it away! Okay?!

It's not as hard to do as one would think. Let me set the stage:

It's evening. My friends, Kim and Aaron, have just finished their grades and successfully uploaded them into this new Webgrader that we are using at school. So they suggest that we all go out for dinner and drinks to celebrate. We head down La Quinta (5th Ave.) to the Bogota Beer Company for some good, cheap food and beer. We eat and talk and talk.... but I can't finish the burger, so I ask the waitress to pack it up for me, which she gladly does. We chat for a bit more and then, since we all have to go to work in the morning, and Aaron needs to run by the grocery store for a few things first, we head out into the cool but pleasant Bogota night air. We stroll to the end of the block, towards Carulla (the grocer) and as we approach the corner a street urchin comes along side of us begging for money. We see a bit of this in Bogota, for although the city is filled with many rich and powerful people, it also has a huge population of very very very poor. Anyway, she is an adorable girl and, as I frequently do, I hand over my bag with my leftovers.

Yeah.

Anyway, it isn't until later, in the store that I realize I can't pay because I don't have my WALLET!!!!!!! I drop the fruits and veggies I had collected and race up the stairs and back out into the night (not gonna lie.... I had a momentary vision of her standing outside holding up my wallet. "Miss. Miss, you left your wallet in the bag."

Didn't happen.

As I race past the BBC, the guard from the door stops me to see why I am upset. I explain about the girl ~ he knows he (seems this is her 'corner' so to speak) and he saw her run past and up the next street. So, while he calls the cops, I make my way up the street looking in vain for the little girl in the red sweater carrying an impeccably tasteful wallet......

No luck.

Long story short: the police said that she most likely took the money and trashed the wallet (whatever!!!!!); I went home and called all my banks, both here and in the US to block my cards; had a very fitful night's sleep imagining my beautiful wallet laying in a dumpster somewhere!

Today was productive though (despite my lack-of-sleep-headache). A driver, Omar, took me to the police station to file the report. Well, that is, we went to the police station but couldn't find parking so we drove off and headed to a large parking lot (for a larger Carulla, I think) where we walked up to what looked like an unhitched horse trailer. Not even kidding! And that is where we filed the report with a very smartly dressed Colombian policeman.

Then it was off to DAS (their FBI) where I had to wait on a bench, and then wait in line, and then wait in a chair while the most wonderful Jorge took care of my paperwork for me (I am afterall, a Gringo......). He got me through pretty quickly and in under two hours I was filed, stapled, fingerprinted, and released with the knowledge that my cedula (THE Colombian identification card ~ more important than your passport!!!) would be on its way to me in a matter of days...........

Then poor Omar drove me to the bank where again I filled out paperwork and was assured my new bank card would be in my hands in five days ~ next Thursday.......... yeah, that's right. You do the math. I couldn't.

In the meantime, I am planning to 'work the corner' until I see that little waif again. I just want that wallet back......!