It started bucketing with rain last night just before we were supposed to go out again to listen to Slavic Soul Party at HIFA. Luckily it eased off and by time the concert started it was dry. Waiting for it to start a friend said his brother who is a priest in Mbare had had his phone stolen with a classic manoeuvre where the thief stands on your foot and then slams into you. Funny story - that's exactly what happened to me going into the Harare Gardens from Monomatapa. Two guys who I took to be drunk veered into me, the one pushed my foot into a puddle and then pressed his body against me. Between he and the other guy they managed to get their hand in my pocket and made off with my fairly new phone :( It all happened so fast and I only realized my phone had gone when I got through the HIFA gate and wanted to take a photo.
Went and reported it to the police who have a stand in the gardens. To begin with they were really slow and I could feel my heckles rising and even though I was reporting something I felt the old fear of the ZRP. They seemed to do a double report and kept asking me the same questions. They wanted to know my age for some reason. When I said 34 they did a double take and said did I not say 24. They couldn't believe I was in my thirties not my twenties and said I looked so young - well that made my day and after that they were a lot friendlier and pleasant. I now have to go along to Harare Central police station with my phone's serial number - sigh, I don't really want to be running around with all of this. We got back to no electricity at home though so I am a bit hamstrung with my work as we don't have a generator. Praying it's not our area's transformer now too as if it is I am in trouble with work for next week.
After all that bad news, Slavic Soul was great and I loved at the end when the band came down into the audience along with the Zimbabwe College of Music band and there was a great vibe. Going to Beatenberg tonight. Will just have to be extra careful navigating the street outside and not take valuables if I can help it. At the end of the day my phone is just a material possession. I did feel slightly violated though, especially when the guy got right into my personal space. A good friend has very kindly lent me their phone til I can sort out getting another one. Just got to get a replacement SIM card.
Beatenberg
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