SPECIAL JOURNAL SUM UP #2-3
Well, will try and get more down here on paper until I get tired again. It is now Wednesday the 22nd and the story is not over yet but things are fine...let me try and get back to where I left you all hanging...
Well, I woke up early n Monday morning so I would be ready for Kokila who said (she's the owerr of the guesthouse)...we would leave for the police station and courthouse at around 9:30 so we would get there when it opens at 10.
She finally came around to speak to me and told me that she had called the police and everything is Ok and her cousin would be coming to take me since he knows all of the ins and outs of the courthouse and police and knows all the right people so it would be best to go with him.she had spoken to the police in the morning and there was simply no way to change the report to "stolen" without waiting 3 months. While all this was going on by the way I was given all kinds of presents from people I barely know...sox, underpants, thermal underwear, 2 shalway Kameezes, a shirt from Shachar which she BOUGHT for me. I've been very moved and touched by the sensitivity and generosity of my fellow travellers and people here in town.
Anyway. Kokila told me her relative would come take me as he knows all the in's and outs of the courthouse. (Pity I didn't take my camera. didn't think there'd be anything to photograph today- well..in India there is ALWAYS something to photograph even if it is as proof of what I write). Well, her relative named Pawan arrived and told me we have to think of a good story to write up as a statement before I get to the courthouse. Kolkia suggested I say I was hiking with my backpack on up to Dharmakot and got tired so went down the slope to sit and look at the scenery and took off my pack and left it on the road and when I got back it was gone. And both Pawan and I looked at her and burst out laughing...I said that would be SOOOO stupid that no one would believe it. And then they wanted me to say the bag FELL out of the rickshaw and I didn't notice...just as dumb...If it was just a small pouch it would be no problem, but it was a big heavy bag for goodness sake! So I came up with the story as follows.....I travelled to Dharamkot from Mcleodganj by auto rickshaw and when I got to dharmamkot, there were many poeple near the tea house and I put my bag with all the baggage outside the tea house and went to have tea. When I came out from the tea house my bag was missing...this is basically what went into the affidavit at court but in funny indian English which I will one day write up also...
Then we wrote it up and off we went. Only then was I informed that I was getting down to the courthouse at the very end of dharamsala by skooter bike!. Well, my practice in Chennai on the motorbike certainly paid off!...But this was up and down the mountain roads with bumps and potholes and winding and twisting etc and I am already feeling the effects on my back and neck and it is no over yet. Well, we got to the "courthouse" finally. It is simply a big open area with a couple of wooden buildings with awning type things covering concrete paths like around the whole area on the outside forming a kind of 3 sided enclosure with another area around the back as well. If I had gone there alone I probably would have spent hours going from one place to another not having the slightest idea what to do....but Pawan knew exactly what to do. Sitting under this awing are clerks and notaries one next to the other waiting to do their jobs. They use MANUAL typewriters (!) and CARBON PAPER!! He chose one guy with a typewriter, showed him the affidavit I had hand written and he said he couldn't put in the value of the items but I convinced him that he must for my insurance purposes...and then Pawan told me to come with him and we went around to the back of the building, found another clerk, where apparently you have to get the official courthouse paper for the typist to use. YOu fill in a short report, he stamps 2 sheets of paper with official stamps and then you bring them back to the typist. We came back, and he started to type up , very quickly, the handwritten report...I was quite impressed. At some point I asked him how long he has been working there and told him I also do typing as part of my job but today I use a computer and he just sighed, wishing, but not quite believeing that such a day would arrive in India as well!...I asked what happens outdoors here in the monsoon...he said "sometimes my papers get wet!"...
Turns out he is a retired army officer...He retired as a captain after 28 years in the army and receives a monthly pension of only 800 rupees!. so he has been working at the courthouse sitting outside typing all day every day on a manual typewriter to supplement his income. I saw the Indians paying him 20 rupees but I gave him 50 and he was quite pleased...He was a very sweet man...after that we went over to the next desk which is the notary who puts a stamp and lots and lots of seals stamped onto the document and then it's official. We made 5 photocopies and then headed back up the mountain to the police station. The policeman was quite nice and remembered me from Saturday and started to write up the report .
What he did was take a large (double A3 ) size of paper, fold it in half, tear it using a ruler and then put in under a piece of carbon paper in his report book. And then simply started to write back into longhand what had been typed up from MY longhand report, into his book. When he was just about finished, and I was already to sign and leave with the report, the phone rang, he spoke for a few minutes than gave me the phone and it was Kokila....she said someone found my stuff and I should come right back to town. After hearing that, he refused to give me the report...would have been better if she hadn't called...we were on the way back anyway....
So, we came back to town, Ashish was waiting at the bus stand and took me to the Tibetan Security Office , not before passing by and showing me signs...on the sign someone had photocopied my American passport, and wrote below that he found my documents and to come contact him at a certain place. Seems that morning, someone in town at another guesthouse who knows me, saw the sign, came to the guesthouse, told Ashish and that's how they called me at the police station...(this is also a very nice word for a simple run down one room stone building!!!...where most of the business is done on a plastic garden chair outside on the lawn!. At the security office they told me to wait and they would get the guy....me all the time asking, what has been found? what has been found???...and them saying they don't know, just be patient, he will come soon....finally a smiling tibetan man comes in and I am lead off with ashish to see what was found. But he doesn't take me directly...he has to tell me the whole story in his painstakingly slow English...seems he has a gym in town, and when he opened it at 4 AM! he found this bag just inside the gate...who ever this thief was, he had a good heart...he left this someplace where he was sure it would easily be found instead of just dumping it someplace out in the woods....anyway...he finally took me inside and revealed the find. It seems that everything in the bag (except for my journals and Reiki stuff) which was of no use, was stuffed into my money belt and left in a plastic bag...It was all there...passports, traveler,s checks, airline ticket, visa card, driving license, insurance policy even some Israeli money...(no rupees of course...but that was only about 3000 rupees anyway and was to pay for my room which Kokila is not charging me for so it is even)....Long story short until now....I was overjoyed, reported to the office...called the police who said come back to tomorrow and we will finish the report, called Traveler's checks in UK to cancel the cancellation, which they did with no problem, and went back ecstatic to tell everyone of my wonderful good fortune...NO TRIP TO DELHI
Now, I will continue tomorrow with the continuing saga of the police station...it has not been taken care of and I am lucky I didn't really have to be in Delhi now with the police report as I have still not been issued one for some reason (even bribing didn't help), but the commanding officer did lots of flirting yesterday and I knew I had to be nice to him to get what I finally need...hope it will be soon...will let Kokila deal with them tomorrow...
I have some further insights into this whole thing but will write tomorrow as I am quite tired now....I feel truly blessed with all the wonderful people here....one shop here is bringing me a bag on wheels from Delhi and it will arrive in about 2 weeks...will cost 700 rupees including the transport fee and even if it is not what I really want, it will get me home easily. Fellow here in the Internet place is getting me a nice wristwatch which I will give as a present to the tibetan guy who found it, and went to all the trouble of making of signs and putting them all over town. He said he would have waited 3 days and if no one turned up, would mail everything to the american embassy....
I am now in my new room at the guesthouse...very beautiful room, but again, despite my asking for it and trying to reserve it since I got here, they have AGAIN (for the 3rd time) promised it in 2 weeks to someone else...so I will have to move again and am not very happy...but, I have a feeling that something is going to happen which will make that perfectly alright as well....perhaps I will go up to the nice hotel in Bhagsu for the last 2 weeks here...
I will end now and continue tomorrow....quite tired but so pleased...
All my love and thanks to all those who did so much to help me... Jane
Well, will try and just finish up the story of the police...when I went on Tuesday and the guy in charge told me "it cannot be done"...I was really annoyed and even trying bribing him as I was instructed by indians and travelers alike...but nothing worked and he kept insisting that only "that person" who was there on Monday could finish the report...aside from flirting and making me drink chai and smile at him, nothing happened. But he did promise that "100%" I would get report next day so I could go to Delhi (I had lied and said my traveler's checks were not returned and I needed the report immediately so I could go to Delhi without delay thinking it might help...no luck) So I got "that person's" name and decided to call before going next time. So yesterday I called and they told me that "there is no one here today...all gone to Pathankot...no come"....OK...this morning I called and asked for Ram and he said, "yes, yes, come today". so I set off, telling Kokila I was on the way and hope all would be well and she felt confident it would be OK and I left.
When I got there I found that Ram indeed was there, but again, called me outside where all official business is done and I told him that my passport and airline ticket have to be crossed off the list and could I please have it done right away..."Is not possible...you must go to courthouse again...get new affidavit"...Well, I almost blew my cool but sat for one second, asked for guidance and followed what I was told to do...first I cried (!)...didn't help...then I told him that the officer in charge said it was no problem and he just had to put a line through those two words...didn't help....then I finally told him that this was ridiculous...he said...wait for commander to come in 1/2 hour...speak to him...finally, I went inside with him and said to him, that in effect, the whole report was a big lie since it was fabricated to give it to me quickly so I could go to delhi, and I had signed the whole lie...so what is the problem with one more little lie...Just give me the report as is without changing and make believe I never got the phone call saying my things were found. I told him if I had come back today and said it was a mistake and my things were not found, he would never know the difference and would have to give me the report anyway as is....he claimed that he had already reported that I got a phone call stating my things were found...I countered by saying that when I got back to McLeod I could have found that they were not my things and told him THAT story!...In the end, I really got frustrated and finally (I didn't think to do it again as it didn't work the first time with the other officer...now I realized that HE wouldn't take the bribe as it belonged only to "that person" and not to him)...asked if some money would make it possible. And his reply was simply, "sit please...no problem"...and immediately began to finish the report. When I asked what he wrote...he simply said that he wrote that the report was completed on monday, with NO mention of a phone call to me etc...and the report was left as is, he got his 100 rupees and I got my report!!!....amazing!
Anyway...it's basically over except that now I am looking for a new guesthouse as I simply feel uncomfrotable staying there now but at the same time hate to leave...it is so homey for me there...I'll see what I find...
Well, I woke up early n Monday morning so I would be ready for Kokila who said (she's the owerr of the guesthouse)...we would leave for the police station and courthouse at around 9:30 so we would get there when it opens at 10.
She finally came around to speak to me and told me that she had called the police and everything is Ok and her cousin would be coming to take me since he knows all of the ins and outs of the courthouse and police and knows all the right people so it would be best to go with him.she had spoken to the police in the morning and there was simply no way to change the report to "stolen" without waiting 3 months. While all this was going on by the way I was given all kinds of presents from people I barely know...sox, underpants, thermal underwear, 2 shalway Kameezes, a shirt from Shachar which she BOUGHT for me. I've been very moved and touched by the sensitivity and generosity of my fellow travellers and people here in town.
Anyway. Kokila told me her relative would come take me as he knows all the in's and outs of the courthouse. (Pity I didn't take my camera. didn't think there'd be anything to photograph today- well..in India there is ALWAYS something to photograph even if it is as proof of what I write). Well, her relative named Pawan arrived and told me we have to think of a good story to write up as a statement before I get to the courthouse. Kolkia suggested I say I was hiking with my backpack on up to Dharmakot and got tired so went down the slope to sit and look at the scenery and took off my pack and left it on the road and when I got back it was gone. And both Pawan and I looked at her and burst out laughing...I said that would be SOOOO stupid that no one would believe it. And then they wanted me to say the bag FELL out of the rickshaw and I didn't notice...just as dumb...If it was just a small pouch it would be no problem, but it was a big heavy bag for goodness sake! So I came up with the story as follows.....I travelled to Dharamkot from Mcleodganj by auto rickshaw and when I got to dharmamkot, there were many poeple near the tea house and I put my bag with all the baggage outside the tea house and went to have tea. When I came out from the tea house my bag was missing...this is basically what went into the affidavit at court but in funny indian English which I will one day write up also...
Then we wrote it up and off we went. Only then was I informed that I was getting down to the courthouse at the very end of dharamsala by skooter bike!. Well, my practice in Chennai on the motorbike certainly paid off!...But this was up and down the mountain roads with bumps and potholes and winding and twisting etc and I am already feeling the effects on my back and neck and it is no over yet. Well, we got to the "courthouse" finally. It is simply a big open area with a couple of wooden buildings with awning type things covering concrete paths like around the whole area on the outside forming a kind of 3 sided enclosure with another area around the back as well. If I had gone there alone I probably would have spent hours going from one place to another not having the slightest idea what to do....but Pawan knew exactly what to do. Sitting under this awing are clerks and notaries one next to the other waiting to do their jobs. They use MANUAL typewriters (!) and CARBON PAPER!! He chose one guy with a typewriter, showed him the affidavit I had hand written and he said he couldn't put in the value of the items but I convinced him that he must for my insurance purposes...and then Pawan told me to come with him and we went around to the back of the building, found another clerk, where apparently you have to get the official courthouse paper for the typist to use. YOu fill in a short report, he stamps 2 sheets of paper with official stamps and then you bring them back to the typist. We came back, and he started to type up , very quickly, the handwritten report...I was quite impressed. At some point I asked him how long he has been working there and told him I also do typing as part of my job but today I use a computer and he just sighed, wishing, but not quite believeing that such a day would arrive in India as well!...I asked what happens outdoors here in the monsoon...he said "sometimes my papers get wet!"...
Turns out he is a retired army officer...He retired as a captain after 28 years in the army and receives a monthly pension of only 800 rupees!. so he has been working at the courthouse sitting outside typing all day every day on a manual typewriter to supplement his income. I saw the Indians paying him 20 rupees but I gave him 50 and he was quite pleased...He was a very sweet man...after that we went over to the next desk which is the notary who puts a stamp and lots and lots of seals stamped onto the document and then it's official. We made 5 photocopies and then headed back up the mountain to the police station. The policeman was quite nice and remembered me from Saturday and started to write up the report .
What he did was take a large (double A3 ) size of paper, fold it in half, tear it using a ruler and then put in under a piece of carbon paper in his report book. And then simply started to write back into longhand what had been typed up from MY longhand report, into his book. When he was just about finished, and I was already to sign and leave with the report, the phone rang, he spoke for a few minutes than gave me the phone and it was Kokila....she said someone found my stuff and I should come right back to town. After hearing that, he refused to give me the report...would have been better if she hadn't called...we were on the way back anyway....
So, we came back to town, Ashish was waiting at the bus stand and took me to the Tibetan Security Office , not before passing by and showing me signs...on the sign someone had photocopied my American passport, and wrote below that he found my documents and to come contact him at a certain place. Seems that morning, someone in town at another guesthouse who knows me, saw the sign, came to the guesthouse, told Ashish and that's how they called me at the police station...(this is also a very nice word for a simple run down one room stone building!!!...where most of the business is done on a plastic garden chair outside on the lawn!. At the security office they told me to wait and they would get the guy....me all the time asking, what has been found? what has been found???...and them saying they don't know, just be patient, he will come soon....finally a smiling tibetan man comes in and I am lead off with ashish to see what was found. But he doesn't take me directly...he has to tell me the whole story in his painstakingly slow English...seems he has a gym in town, and when he opened it at 4 AM! he found this bag just inside the gate...who ever this thief was, he had a good heart...he left this someplace where he was sure it would easily be found instead of just dumping it someplace out in the woods....anyway...he finally took me inside and revealed the find. It seems that everything in the bag (except for my journals and Reiki stuff) which was of no use, was stuffed into my money belt and left in a plastic bag...It was all there...passports, traveler,s checks, airline ticket, visa card, driving license, insurance policy even some Israeli money...(no rupees of course...but that was only about 3000 rupees anyway and was to pay for my room which Kokila is not charging me for so it is even)....Long story short until now....I was overjoyed, reported to the office...called the police who said come back to tomorrow and we will finish the report, called Traveler's checks in UK to cancel the cancellation, which they did with no problem, and went back ecstatic to tell everyone of my wonderful good fortune...NO TRIP TO DELHI
Now, I will continue tomorrow with the continuing saga of the police station...it has not been taken care of and I am lucky I didn't really have to be in Delhi now with the police report as I have still not been issued one for some reason (even bribing didn't help), but the commanding officer did lots of flirting yesterday and I knew I had to be nice to him to get what I finally need...hope it will be soon...will let Kokila deal with them tomorrow...
I have some further insights into this whole thing but will write tomorrow as I am quite tired now....I feel truly blessed with all the wonderful people here....one shop here is bringing me a bag on wheels from Delhi and it will arrive in about 2 weeks...will cost 700 rupees including the transport fee and even if it is not what I really want, it will get me home easily. Fellow here in the Internet place is getting me a nice wristwatch which I will give as a present to the tibetan guy who found it, and went to all the trouble of making of signs and putting them all over town. He said he would have waited 3 days and if no one turned up, would mail everything to the american embassy....
I am now in my new room at the guesthouse...very beautiful room, but again, despite my asking for it and trying to reserve it since I got here, they have AGAIN (for the 3rd time) promised it in 2 weeks to someone else...so I will have to move again and am not very happy...but, I have a feeling that something is going to happen which will make that perfectly alright as well....perhaps I will go up to the nice hotel in Bhagsu for the last 2 weeks here...
I will end now and continue tomorrow....quite tired but so pleased...
All my love and thanks to all those who did so much to help me... Jane
Well, will try and just finish up the story of the police...when I went on Tuesday and the guy in charge told me "it cannot be done"...I was really annoyed and even trying bribing him as I was instructed by indians and travelers alike...but nothing worked and he kept insisting that only "that person" who was there on Monday could finish the report...aside from flirting and making me drink chai and smile at him, nothing happened. But he did promise that "100%" I would get report next day so I could go to Delhi (I had lied and said my traveler's checks were not returned and I needed the report immediately so I could go to Delhi without delay thinking it might help...no luck) So I got "that person's" name and decided to call before going next time. So yesterday I called and they told me that "there is no one here today...all gone to Pathankot...no come"....OK...this morning I called and asked for Ram and he said, "yes, yes, come today". so I set off, telling Kokila I was on the way and hope all would be well and she felt confident it would be OK and I left.
When I got there I found that Ram indeed was there, but again, called me outside where all official business is done and I told him that my passport and airline ticket have to be crossed off the list and could I please have it done right away..."Is not possible...you must go to courthouse again...get new affidavit"...Well, I almost blew my cool but sat for one second, asked for guidance and followed what I was told to do...first I cried (!)...didn't help...then I told him that the officer in charge said it was no problem and he just had to put a line through those two words...didn't help....then I finally told him that this was ridiculous...he said...wait for commander to come in 1/2 hour...speak to him...finally, I went inside with him and said to him, that in effect, the whole report was a big lie since it was fabricated to give it to me quickly so I could go to delhi, and I had signed the whole lie...so what is the problem with one more little lie...Just give me the report as is without changing and make believe I never got the phone call saying my things were found. I told him if I had come back today and said it was a mistake and my things were not found, he would never know the difference and would have to give me the report anyway as is....he claimed that he had already reported that I got a phone call stating my things were found...I countered by saying that when I got back to McLeod I could have found that they were not my things and told him THAT story!...In the end, I really got frustrated and finally (I didn't think to do it again as it didn't work the first time with the other officer...now I realized that HE wouldn't take the bribe as it belonged only to "that person" and not to him)...asked if some money would make it possible. And his reply was simply, "sit please...no problem"...and immediately began to finish the report. When I asked what he wrote...he simply said that he wrote that the report was completed on monday, with NO mention of a phone call to me etc...and the report was left as is, he got his 100 rupees and I got my report!!!....amazing!
Anyway...it's basically over except that now I am looking for a new guesthouse as I simply feel uncomfrotable staying there now but at the same time hate to leave...it is so homey for me there...I'll see what I find...
posted by Jane @ 8:31 PM
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