Pepper
Lost belongings and heart ache
Posted by Pepper on September 18, 2012
Hello people! I am back. After all the fun I had in Europe, returning to routine hasn’t been easy. I just got back today, and the thought of unpacking makes me cringe. My trip was fantastic, but as of now, I am crest fallen and very heavy hearted. It was our second day in Europe and we lost our camera. I hadn’t transferred the earlier pictures and losing the camera felt like a hard slap on my face. Like the Gods telling me, “You keep procrastinating and never do things when they should be done. Now live with the consequences!” Sigh. Fortunately though, we were in a great group with some professional cameras and talented photographers. So we managed to get good pictures taken during the trip.
I was returning home today, with all my luggage in tow. And my bag pack got flicked. In Bombay. From Borivali station. It was 5:15 am, and all I know is that I put my bag down for one lousy moment, and it was gone. It contained a lot of stuff. My laptop and iPod, amongst other things.
The moment I realised it was gone, I could feel a deep wail filling my throat. My iPod was precious to me. And we had purchased the laptop just before moving from the US. It was a good one. We had transferred a lot of data onto it. It had a million folders with all our pictures, right from 2003. I have no back up. It’s all gone. And I can’t describe the ache I feel.
We went to the police, but the cops there seemed too uninterested and uncaring. The moment I got back home, I sobbed. Loudly. The pictures were priceless. The other data it contained was irreplaceable. I don’t know what I will do. And I am not even talking about the monetary loss. Though, my camera and laptop and iPod put together, equals to *a lot* of money.
Anyway. I have been telling myself there are more grave issues in the world. There is hunger and poverty, and agony and death. People are suffering. My lost belongings are not worth crying over. I will start afresh. I will buy new stuff, slowly. I will click more pictures and build a new collection. It is not the end of the world.
Let me now focus on the rollicking trip and highlight it’s awesomeness in the form of a post. I shall put it up soon. Just after I settle down a little. How you guys been?
PS – If any of you are travelling to Bombay from the US, and are willing to carry a laptop for me, please do get in touch with me. Thanks so much!
A dash of Pepper... 
Deeps said
That was unfortunate..to lose so many precious things at a go! Can understand how miserable you must be feeling. Sorry for that Pepper.
As for your Europe trip, glad to know that you had a blast of a time! Will look forward to reading about it in detail.
For now take your time to settle down :).
Pepper said
Have been trying to settle down, but it’s been hard due to the crap going on. Thanks though 🙂
swatimital said
I am really sorry for your loss. I would be all over the place too if I my stuff was stolen. I too nearly lost my camera recently and only got it back by chance so know how you feel. Don’t worry you will have many more memorable holidays and opportunities to take photos with your new camera.
Pepper said
I sure hope. 🙂
Priya Sreeram (@priyasreeram) said
so sorry about your loss and can empathise with the huge lump in the throat- have had a few of such moments in the past ! sincerely hoping your police complaint gets you some relief. looking forward to your post on europe gala. CHeers & hugs
Pepper said
Don’t think the Police can do much. They have too much to handle. My missing belongings are too trivial for them.
Hugs back!
My Era said
Welcome back Pepper 🙂
I am sorry to learn about your loss and I *know* your pain for I have actually felt it myself when I lost all my pictures (including the precious childhood memories) and my brand-new Macbook used only for fifteen days among many other things 😥
Tight hugs girl, I hope somehow the person who stole your bag decides to return your laptop or it’s data.
Eagerly waiting for the trip updates 🙂
Pepper said
Ouchhhh! You lost your Macbook after using it only for 15 days? I don’t know what to say. But on the bright side, since you used it only for that long, you may not have too much data on it. So atleast you didn’t lose any of that? (Unless you transferred stuff onto it, like we did) Big tight hugs to you too! 🙂
Bikramjit Singh Mann said
That is sad, not good .. I am coming to India next week from UK for work to Bangalore, so if you want , I can get you from here what you want.
Pepper said
Oh UK is expensive! When I lived in UK, I liked a laptop. It cost 500 pounds. I checked the price in the US and the same laptop cost 400 dollars there. I am not kidding. There was such a big difference!
Bikramjit Singh Mann said
Hmmm well if u email me ur preference or wat configuration u want o am sure I can find you good price, duty free at the airport.. Give me before friday..
I am not going to shift after that till I come..
Pepper said
Okay let me email you!
R's Mom said
Hugs hugs hugs Pepper…I can so totally understand the tears, I would have done the same…but at Borivali station! I just cant imagine that happening, because I travel like a million times from there 😦
Cant you pursue more with the police..please do 😦
Big hugs and oh welcome back 🙂
Pepper said
Yes, Borivali station. I travel a million times from there too. Please learn from me and be more careful while you are there.
Bubblegum said
I am coming in December from Singapore. If I can help you out. If you are planning for mac book I would suggest buy from India. Does not make much difference. and about data loss- I have suffered the same and I have lost a biiiiiiiig folder full of college and childhood pics and now no one has them. Childhood pics I could get back as I had uploaded on picasa. Learnt a big way
Pepper said
I know. I really regretted not having uploaded so many pics. That helps so much!
Bubblegum said
You know check google sky drive or drop box!! I am too careful now, after the accident!!!
Pepper said
What is Google Sky drive? I am technologically challenged 😦 Let me get Mint to do this.
Bubblegum said
Oh by the way, I missed you for so many days!!!
Pepper said
* blushes * I am glad to be back!
metherebel said
Believe me or not! I was thinking of you. You were missed 🙂 And all I can say is Yayyy… Welcome back pepper 🙂
Sorry about the things you lost! I would suggest you buy an external hard disk to store all the important data. It will always help!
Pepper said
The worst part is we do have an external hard disk, and yet, I had not taken any back up! Let me kick myself hard.
Sunshine said
Ouch. I had a similar week. Though, a lot less trivial. Keep calm and carry on 🙂 *hugs*
Pepper said
Oh, hope things get brighter for you 🙂 Hugs!
diatriblog said
OMG really? I know how bad it must feel 😦 Well, I will be coming to Mumbai from New York in Feb. Let me know if you want it then!
Pepper said
Oh.. Feb! That seems long. But let me get back to you. And thanks!
Titaxy said
😦 hugs.
eagerly waiting to read about the trip 🙂
Pepper said
Yes, I am eagerly waiting to write too 🙂
Titaxy said
did you get my email?
Pepper said
Just saw. Replied 🙂
Bhavani said
Oh no…Pepper..thats too bad….I am so sorry….I would have been totallly heartbroken too…
Wish your trip had ended in a happier note….
Take care..
-Bhavani
Pepper said
Thanks Bhavani..
alwayshappykya said
Aww..shucks!
Was waiting to hear all happy stories when you are back from the trip..not this 😦
Sorry about the loss Pepper, the data and old photos must mean a LOT.
Try and snap out of it….(but, who am I kidding?! I would take eons for me to get over a loss like this)
None I know travelling to Bombay for now. Will let you know if I come across anyone.
{{Hugs}}
Psst: Bring on the Europe trip post..can’t wait! 😀
Pepper said
Yes, the data was priceless and I am still grieving it’s loss. I really hope I snap out of it cos I hate being like this. Thanks for the hugs!
MomWithaDot said
Why Pepper ??? Why ! oh! Why……… ** Deep breathing now** My heart sank a few miles south reading this. Please consider strapping your belongings to yourself the next time! Well, I see you’ve come a full circle from realizing they were gone, to wailing to reconciling. Way to Go 🙂 All eager to hear about the awesomeness of the trip.
Pepper said
Oh this bag that was lost was strapped to my shoulders all along. If only I had not put it down for that one minute. Anyway, it’s over. Yes, will write about my trip asap 🙂
Meera said
Aiyo Paavam. I hate the losing the camera bit the most. Songs can be downloaded again – iTunes zindabad. Losing a laptop can be worrisome for a variety of reasons. I hope you guys had no financial information on it. If it is a recent model, specifically a Mac, it can be tracked via a GPS chip. You should look into that. The photos on the laptop, did you have them uploaded to Facebook or Google+? You can get them back from there. Hang in there, this too shall pass.
Pepper said
It wasn’t a Mac. And the Police here are not interesting in taking the effort to track such stuff. No, I didn’t have most of the photos uploaded. I only started uploading photos on these websites 2-3 years ago. And that photo collection was 10 yrs old. 😦
Jazz said
Oh no Pepper, I understand, hugs !
Try not to worry and focus on the brighter side. 🙂
Pepper said
Trying, very much 🙂
Sig said
Oh no!! I’d be just as devastated about losing them as well…. 😦 Luckily Evs is a tech OCD freak so he backs them up regularly, but the thought of losing my laptop/camera is not nice.
Europe sounds wonderful…looking forward to hearing/seeing more about it 🙂
Pepper said
I should learn from Evs. He is wise.!
Arch said
Whatt? How could this happen! Damn.I generally crib way too much for a hard disk crash. Get the iPod5 🙂
Pepper said
I don’t have the money to get one. 🙂
Arch said
*plans to send you her genie* OR *intends to make you win a lucky draw* OR *get the indiblogger guys to gift you one*. The universe will get one to you, soon!
Pepper said
🙂 🙂 That is such a nice comment! Let me hope you are right 🙂
tandooripanipurilife said
Oh no Pepper, that is too bad 😦 I can understand how you must be feeling & also police in India is not very helpful in finding lost things. You might have few pics in your emails while sending them to your parents or friends? Hopefully you can save at least few of your memories from emails.
Pepper said
I do have a few pics that I have uploaded on FB. But most of my albums didn’t make it to either Picasa, or FB. Wish I had put them on picasa atleast. Anyway..
Geetha said
Ayyo…I know how it feels like. Don’t lose heart. *hugs*
Pepper said
Thanks for the hugs! They help 🙂
Ghata said
It is SO saddening to hear about your camera and laptop! But let the better things like the Euro trip make your heart ache lighter. looking forward to reading about all the fun!
Pepper said
Will write soon!
sugeethscribbles said
I know it is really hard. Once , my bag was stolen in a bus, it contained not much belongings, a few hundred rupees, a pair of shoes, a pair of clothes, and it contained a camera which had been borrowed from someone else. ( with their pictures – it was a high end analog camera back then.) I remember breaking down and sobbing really badly and was totally glum for the next few days.
Although i am pretty absent minded at times, the incident has made me sharper and more careful with my belongings when i travel. I suppose that this is the only consolation you can take from your recent miseries. And yes, you also remind me to start the process of frequent digital backups.
Pepper said
These kinda losses are really hard to deal with. I can imagine how you must’ve felt on losing that bag. I once lost a camera when I was 14 at Essel World in Bombay, and I still feel upset when I think of it.
I do hope to become a lot more sharp too, though I am not counting on it.
glimpsesandglances said
I know how heart breaking it is to lose stuff one after the other,Hugs !!!!
Looking forward to read about your Europe trip 🙂
Pepper said
It’s been a crazy few days for us. We lost Mint’s cell phone today. I wanted to cry and then find a pillar to bang my head on. So yes, it’s hard. But I am trying to hold up. Will do the Europe trip post soon. 🙂
Visha said
Does not seem to be a good time for the gadgets 😦
Hugs!!
Every sad thing is followed by something happy – just hold on for sometime 🙂
Kavs said
Ouch…ouch!
btw, you were missed Pepper…
Pepper said
I was? Happy to know! 🙂
LF said
I am so sorry to hear this, last year I lost pictures when my laptop crashed and didn’t have a backup. I regretted so much, even now. Some of those are precious and priceless. I hope you get it back, I don’t know how to console you. I myself feel so heavy reading about it.
Come and write about the trip. Eagerly waiting for the same.
Pepper said
Losing pictures is never easy. The hurt stays for a long, long time 😦
Anonymously Disguised said
I am totally heartbroken after reading your post 😥 Lost so many things at one go and that too when you are on a wonderful trip. I have no words to console you as I can’t imagine loosing all those precious photos but am sure your memories are not going to fail you. Hugs girl. Just when I was wondering what you were up to, I get to read this post.
Waiting eagerly for a cheerful Europe travelogue 🙂
Pepper said
I know. I felt more heartbroken when Mint lost his cell phone too yesterday. 😦 Couldn’t believe it’s all happening at once. Thanks for the hugs! Will write a cheerful post soon 🙂
Dee said
Hi…have been a reader of your blog for a couple of months and had to de-lurk to suggest you keep an eye out on this site – http://www.ifoundyourcamera.net/
I hope you get lucky.
Dee
Pepper said
Oh thank you so much! Very nice of you to share such information. I am not counting on this though. Such things never happen, especially in India 😦
Dee said
Your welcome! At least you can hope to get lucky with the camera you lost in Europe :).
Pepper said
You are right. I did what I could. Now fingers crossed! 🙂 Thanks once again.
SJ said
Ohh my..Dear Pepper – I’m so sorry – I can understand how difficult this should be.
Huggs…and please don’t be too harsh on yourself.
Cheers -SJ
Pepper said
Thanks so much SJ! i know I should stop blaming myself for all that happened..
techie2mom said
I can understand your pain especially abut the photos, recently my PC broke down and we thought we lost all the photos, but thankfully we could save the data…
But glad to know that you had fun and made new memories…
Pepper said
Glad you were able to retrieve the data. You are lucky!
Yashodhara said
Right. Tomorrow we courier you a copy of my book. At the very least, you could use a good laugh.
Feels terribly unsettling when stuff like this happens – but you know it’s going to be alright in a bit – so yes, hang tight 🙂
Pepper said
Even the thought of having the book in my hands makes me grin. Thank you so much! I can’t wait.
Mypunchingbag said
hey..I am coming down to Pune in november…will be in mumbai for a day for visa (and also landing in mumbai). Let me know if you need me to be a laptop carrier 😀
Glad to know you had a blast in europe!
Pepper said
Europe was a blast. Let me get you on mail.
Childwoman said
I agree its not about the monetary loss, its about the attachment for the pictures and other stuff that were dear to you. I understand your frustration and helplessness….
Someone stole my money wallet when I was in Srinagar in July. It was my mum’s. She always carried it with her, I started to use it after her, because as silly it may sound, it used to make me feel closer to her. In that wallet I always carried my mum’s black and white photo from her young days. The only copy I had. Its gone. And a silver charm bracelet that she had given me when I was a child.The moment I realized its gone, I could feel the blood drain from my body. It was one of my worst days. I had a very hard time forgiving myself. I was supposed to take care of it.
But then I thought, my mum gave me this life and other things. I should take care of them better 🙂
And I felt better.
You have all the people with you whose photos you must have taken, so chin up and start clicking and backing them up 🙂
and we want a nice big happy post about your Europe tour!!!
Big Hugs
Childwoman~
Pepper said
Even reading your comment fills me with some strange pain. I can imagine how emotionally attached you were to the stuff you lost, but like you said, your mom gave you life! And that you should value and treasure. She lives through you now. 🙂
You are right, I do have all the people with whom I was photographed. I can start over. Thanks for reminding me. Hugs!
aquaboyin said
Sorry for your loss. I learnt mine the hard way too.
Had all my data on one single hard drive. And one fine day it just crashed. The only trick I knew to get it out was to literally put it in the freezer.. and then try one last time… luckily it worked for just a few hours .. enough time to get the 1 single 200 GB encrypted file (had the photos and financial documents). lost the rest of the 800 GB worth stuff.
My formula for success from then on:
2 Backups Minimum (HDD)
Always write files to a DVD
Encrypt (Truecrypt) everything on a portable HDD or Laptop
Take a print of the best photo’s – actually costs a lot less than worrying about backups.
None of my laptops have any data. They just have software everything in portable HDD’s .. and I never carry all my backups in the same bag.
Pepper said
That looks like a good formula, from the parts I understood. Thanks for sharing. Looks like most of us learn the hard way.
smartassbride said
so sorry pepper..but i think you shud pursue this.. start from the top. take mint, his IIT + IIM cred. will help. get an appointment, meet up with the Commnr. of police there. and tell all the projects stuff that mint lost from the laptop. keep pushing. that might help..
Pepper said
Now, if only Mint had time to pursue this. He doesn’t have time to breathe.
I should write about my experience with the Police here. It’s been one crazy ride. It’s so damn hard to get to meet the Commissioner. I managed to meet the ACP for 2 minutes. He was good, but then he passed on the case to his juniors. (Obviously, I guess). And after I spent prolonged hours at the police station, I realised just how overworked they are. Wait, maybe I should do a post. It was an eye opener of sorts.
Jack Point said
Damn, what absolute bad luck.
My phone died last month and I lost all my contacts. I know its NOTHING in comparison to what you lost, but I have distant, dim inkling of just how bad it must feel.
Pepper said
I am getting over it. Slowly but surely 🙂
Aruna said
I’m so sorry for your loss Pepper…I have nothing new to say that others here haven’t already said. But at the same time I can’t but appreciate how well you are coping. It is definitely something I need to learn from you. Hugs!
Pepper said
We all learn from each other, ultimately. Thanks for the hugs!
Let’s catch up! « A dash of Pepper… said
[…] Lost belongings and heart ache […]
Tagging along.. « A dash of Pepper… said
[…] Do you own an iPod? Sigh. Not anymore. The one iPod I had, I lost when my bag got stolen. Now I keep borrowing the sister’s iPod. It was a gift given to her by Mint and I on her 16th […]