Trauma turned pleasant...

One week ago today, I experienced the most traumatic 1-2 hours in my life. It's just one of those things I'm going to blame on being pregnant. Went shopping with the folks at the shopping mall in Lower Hutt. What was to be a great shopping day thanks to the remnants of labour day discounts, turned into horror when I was in the department store, Farmer's, and was about to pay for my purchases. I had met my mum at the shoe department, followed her around before we decided to leave Farmer's. It was then that I realised that I was not carrying my backpack on my back!!! Now, I really didn't have much in there as it really served as the diaper bag, except for my wallet and camera! Not that I had much money in there, but the hassle of having to cancel my cards from overseas, and having them replaced would have just made it all too expensive. I just panicked. I tried to remember when I had to put my bag down, and only thought of the food court where we ate lunch at, and there after the changing room where I tried on some clothes. I had been pushing the girls around in the double buggy, and really had no reason to put the bag down any where else. 

I first searched the changing room, and asked the lady at the counter nearest to it. Not there... Went back up to the food court, looked around, asked the cleaners... nothing... Went back to Farmer's to check again. The lady at the counter then advised me to leave my particulars with her, and she'd contact security and call me if anything turned up. She also told me to go to the customer service counter of the mall and ask for help. Meanwhile, we went back to the food court, and asked the cleaner lady there again. She also directed me to the customer service desk, and personally walked me there to tell the service person to call security and to ask them to look at the security cameras to see what might have happened. Within 15mins, a security officer came and took me to the security room where they viewed the security cameras. They took the time to turn back the computer to when we were having lunch there. It then showed that I was not such a dud-head to leave my bag there, and even followed me tracks into Farmer's just to make sure that the bag was with me. They then told me to go to security in Farmer's and ask them to do the same as they had their own security cams in there. Well...(sorry if the details are boring you) I went back to the changing room counter, and the lady called their security, who then told her that nothing got turned in, and will call me if anything does... with that, I had lost hope of finding my bag.... I went to the bank to cancel my ATM card first (fortunately that was local)... however, at the counter of the bank, I got a phone call(yes, I usually carry my hp on me but not my wallet!). It was the security guy from Farmer's, and he said they found my bag in the shoe department! I was ecstatic! I just couldn't understand why I would put my bag down there... but then again, some parts of my day just seems to go by in a blur nowadays... 

I just thank the Lord for keeping my bag intact, and for helping me find it. I thank Him that I managed to keep my cool and not break down (which I just felt like doing). I thank Him that everyone was so helpful, understanding and service-oriented in helping to find my bag. Somehow, when I thought that someone might have nicked it, I just didn't believe that people in this friendly, pleasant country might be so dishonest. Perhaps I have too much faith in mankind, or I am just too naive... but I'm glad it wasn't this experience that has proven me wrong. It got me thinking of how the kind of service I might receive if this had happened in Singapore. For one, I know that the changing room counter lady who was just like a cashier, went out of her way to entertain me. A lady (another shopper) standing around who overheard our conversation was so nice to advise me to go straight to the bank first before looking for the bag. I was so touched by their sincerity. Wonder what a busy cashier in say, Robinson's, might have done. I have never ever lost a bag/wallet(touch wood) in a mall at home before, so I wouldn't be able to compare the level of service that's available in Singapore. Anyone care to comment?