Tuesday, April 24, 2007

take me away from all this

I'm going to Paris!!!
Again :-)
I know it's my 3rd time but I really do love the place, and this time I'm taking young Cinderella with me.
Perhaps it'll make her feel better after some @*#%! assholes went and stole her scooter yesterday, poor thing.
She loved that scooter. It didn't go very fast - just a little 50cc effort that sounded like a sewing machine on steroids - but it was her very own motorised transport. And now it's gone.
I got the call from Hubby when I was on the train yesterday, that he was on his way to fetch her from where she'd parked it - chained to a gate, nogal - only to find it gone when she wanted to come home after school. I thought she was actually at the school. But lo and behold, there I was sitting on the train when it stopped at the station near her school - two stops before my own - absentmindedly staring out of the window and cursing the bastards who would steal from a 16-year-old girl, when something bright yellow caught my eye. It was a police vest. Standing next to my girl-child, who was in tears. I virtually climbed over the woman seated next to me to get off the train, and dashed down the platform and over the bridge to where she was standing in the parking lot. Poor thing, she was trying to be strong and give the cops all the info she had, in between racking sobs. It wass enough to tickle anyone's maternal instinct! Hubby arrived shortly afterwards and by the look on his face I'd say the robbers are lucky they hadn't been caught because he looked ready to murder.
So sadly, our little motorcycle gang has been reduced from 3 to 2 again.
And I'm left marvelling yet again at how we left crime-ridden South Africa for a better life here in Ireland. Did I ever mention that the house we were staying at our first week in this country was robbed while we slept upstairs? And then there were my precious wind-chimes that were stolen but weeks after we moved into our new house last year. And my canvas bike-cover that mysteriously disappeared earlier this year.
And now this.
Anyway, it's done now; nothing more to do but hope the cops find it. I suppose that's the difference - at least here they make an effort to try and recover stolen goods, unlike South Africa where they just provide you with a case number so you can claim from insurance.

But back to the Paris trip. We're going for 3 days at the beginning of June and it's all booked. I can't wait! Now it's just the simple (?) task of getting Cindarella's visa sorted...

18 comments:

AngelConradie said...

aaaaaaawww, poor li'l cinds! thats terrible! i'm pretty damn sure the paris trip will make up for it...
um, if i get something stolen, will you take me too?

Anonymous said...

Stealing a teenager's scooter is pretty damned low! I suppose it's all about supply and demand. There isn't much of a market for stolen motorcycles here in Safrica, so you tend to find them where you've left them. On the plus side, you'll always have Paris.

Anonymous said...

That really sucks big time! I hope they find it, hey at least there is a chance the police might make an effort to look for it.

Paris sounds like fun, I am sure she is going to love it.

- Little Sis

Ben O. said...

I wanna go!

Paris is magnificent.

Ben O.

Terri said...

Angel - OK but it's gotta be something big, like a purple feather boa or something ;)

Kyknoord - ahaha! We will indeed.

Li'l Sis - Trouble is if they find it, chances are it'll be wrecked or burnt out. But yep, looking forward to Paris!

Ben O - I promise to bring back photos 'kay?

Anonymous said...

i'm jealous. the cafes. the food. the tarts (deli ones). the sidewalks. the shopping. the love. i'm jealous.

Reluctant Nomad said...

Bastards! Paris has to make up for it in some way, I'm sure.

I was suggesting places to my son for a city break. Paris, amongst others, was mentioned. He's been before and would like to go again but his first choice is Rome. Too many years of playing Age of Empires has made him want to see the remnants of ancient Rome. I can see the attraction so need to get my act together and get us there.

Brigitte said...

Poor girl. I just know a little trip to Gay Paris will cheer her up.

My pen was stolen, can I come too?

Terri said...

eKapa - Have you been? If not, you should. I have a feeling you'd really love it. The coffee, the tarts...!

Nomad - I think Rome is an excellent choice for you and your son, especially if he's been to Paris already. My Hubby enjoyed Rome much more than Paris - he reckons Paris is for girls, LOL!

Spookie - hehehe Only if it was your special gold-plated one... see my comment to Angel above ;)

chong y l said...

Hi there -- gay paree ... will more than make it up, that's aMore! I spent 4 D/3N as a biz reporter dare:) -- fond memories!

Thanks for kind comment on my li'l SS at Jason Evans' -- truly encouraged. -- Desi

Terri said...

Desi - You're more than welcome. BTW do you know your blogger profile says you're 250 years old..?!

mr. schprock said...

I ride the kind of bike you pedal to work, and I know the feeling of having something both practical and prized robbed. Not fair. I hope your insurance covers this.

My family and I went to Paris once and found the people surprising cordial to us low-class Americans. One guy went out of his way to help us find the right train despite the language barrier.

Jeff said...

How could anyone steal a child's scooter? Good grief!
I hope the police find the bike and those who stole it.

Have a fun and safe trip to Paris.

Framesby 86 said...

That is just so sad. Seeing that is wasn't her fault at all, she should get a brand spanking new one. Just add an alarm and tracking device and she's good to go again.

laurie said...

so sorry about the scooter! that's such a sad story.

but good job booking a trip to paris. we got home yesterday--paris was hot and sunny and not as crowded as we had feared.

where will you be staying? we were in arron. 7, near the eifffel tower and just off rue cler. every morning we walked over to the open-air market on rue cler and bought croissants and pain au chocolat and strawberries and then walked back to our hotel and ate breakfast in the rooftop garden....

this morning: bagels out of the freezer, and too much coffee. i am definitely home.

Terri said...

Mr Schprock - Sounds like you were lucky with your experience in Paris. I've experienced both the worst and best of it; either way, the city itself is wonderful.

Jeff - Chances of it being found are slim at this stage; I'd still like to get my hands on the buggers...!

Jo - LOL! All that security hardly seems worth it for the value of the thing. It unfortunately wasn't insured for theft for that very reason - the premium was more per year than what the scooter cost! So a shine not-quite-new one might be forthcoming shortly...

Laurie - Welcome back! And now you've just made me even more impatient to go. We'll be staying in the 6th aron. near the Latin Quarter but I hope we have a market similar to the one you describe - it sounds lovely!

laurie said...

terri, there is a huge open air market in the latin quarter (except not on mondays). the latin quarter was great, very old, very intersting.

if you're interested in seeing some of our photos of paris and reading some of our stories, you can go here:

my other blog

AngelConradie said...

i have a purple feather boa... and a white one, and a grey one, and a purple tipped white one, and a black one... but i couldn't bear to lose any of them!
hows about my favourite coffee mug at work instead?