Friday 22 May 2009

Chor Bizzarre

Chor is the Hindi word for thief
A few nights ago when I went out to take the laundry in I was taken aback to
find a shawl, bed sheet and my new cotton pants (shalwar) missing.
This has never happened before.
It was scary too and I wondered
at the audacity of a thief to come and
steal from my clothesline.
I was about to go out and search for them with a flashlight when Sonia returned from shopping
and found the missing clothes lying in our neighbour 's yard.
Their dog Naughty (aptly named)
had pulled them off the line and dragged them
to his house.
In doing do he chewed up my pants.
I am quite mad at that because
Sonia had given them to me and they were new.
I shall try to darn them.
Sheeba was mad at Naughty too and chased him away.
I suppose in the West it is the thing to
pay for the damage caused by pets.
It is not so here. And my neighbour offered, but I declined,
as it would create a social awkwardness.
I could never accept a replacement from them.
Relationships are more important than clothes.
Roahl Dahl is one of my favorite authors.
His books "Matilda " and "Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory" have made made into movies.
Here is a funny quote from him
to go with the doggie photos
“There’s jacky-jumpers in my tummy! There’s squigglers in my belly! There’s bangers in my bottom
Roahl Dahl

**************
Last week we discovered that
the goat lady whom we allowed to
gather fodder and fuel was
stealing vegetables from our land.
She hid them under the grass she collected.
Its sad because we gave her vegetables regularly.
Now she has been banned from our area.
I know poverty can lead a person to this
but it is also our duty
to teach people to be honest and
socially responsible.

22 Fertilize my soul:

Annie K said...

Animals can be so mischevious. I'm glad it wasn't a human 'theif', as that can be scary, but just a pesky dog!

Kathryn said...

I don't know that it is "mandatory" to do that, but it is considered a neighborly thing. Some people would, some wouldn't. Some people would sue, some wouldn't. But most would be wary of that neighbor - & neighbor's dog - in the future.

People here don't place the high regard on relationships that you do - & it is sad - & so many folks take others to court over trivial issues. And the days of trusting your neighbors is over.

Although, largely we do. We live in a nice neighborhood where folks look out for one another.

I'm sorry your pants were damaged, but am glad it wasn't something worse.

I'm sorry about the lady stealing food, too.

Nina in Portugal said...

I'm sorry about your new clothes.

Amrita...what currency do you use in your area?

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Yes, it's quite weird when we cannot accept the offer of compensation from our neighbor for the damage done by her dog to your pants. I see nothing wrong with accepting payment for damages. It's really sad that the person whom you helped with food would still had the temerity to steal from you. You did right by banning her from your property. Poverty is never an excuse for stealing. Thanks for the post. God bless you always.

Maria Stahl said...

The first theft makes me giggle, the second makes me sad. :o( How disappointing. People can disappoint us. Thankfully the Lord never does.

(Naughty is indeed appropriately named!)

Carol-Ann Allen said...

Too bad Naughty didn't try to wrap his jowls around the cactus!

Carol-Ann Allen said...

OK -- I just enlarged the pic and it isn't a cactus!

Julie said...

I would never ask to have the pants replaced but if the neighbor took it upon themselves to do I would accept. If it had been my dog I would replace them. But friendship is more important. Sorry the woman stealing. Sad times.

Crown of Beauty said...

Sad to hear about what happened, but you are a wise woman Amrita, you are right in saying that:

relationships are more important than clothes,

and stealing is never to be tolerated.

Your simple post with a deep message was a blessing to my heart today.

Donetta said...

Good Morning.
I have asked him to replace your pants. :)
Thank you for the good boundary set with the Goat Lady. I do hope she comes to terms and repents of it.

Desperate people take desperate action. Yet you had eased her desperation...no excuse to be a thief!

Amrita said...

Yeah now I can kind of smile at the doggie thing but at that time I was quite upset.

Sonia thinks my neighbours are upset with me because I "informed" them what their dog had done to me.
I just told them to control their animal and keep it tied up. He has caused them a lot of damage too. He tried to chew up their car number plate.

Some people want to own a dog but can 't control it.

Added a Roahl Dahl quote to he post.

Nina in India we use Rupees as currency.

Amrita said...

Hi Carol-Ann, I wish he had chewed up my cactus, then i would have all the fun.

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

You're a better person than your neighbors, Amrita, plain and simple.

Out here decent people would offer to pay for the damage, but nice people would have to regretfully say, "Oh, that's okay, it's nothing." But then the first people, if they are really nice, would then replace the item indirectly, by bringing something over, like food or flowers. Then all would be well. But there aren't that many who have been brought up in the polite ways, sadly.

The thieving goat woman makes me upset. You shared with her, and were deceived in return. Some people are just jerks.

Ash said...

Wow! That is some naughty-ness :-)
Hope you're doing good Amrita!

Mark said...

Sorry to hear about both of these episodes. I would have not been very happy either! In your culture, relationships being so important, how is anger expressed in culturally appropriate ways in situations like other peoples' dogs destroying things and people you have been trying to help stealing?

Amrita said...

It depends who you are while expressing your displeasure.
...ranging from poisoning the dog /pet to mildly shooing it away.

A month back a man shot two people (in a village) as their dog upset him.

Technonana said...

I am so sorry that your neighbor's dog destroyed your pants. Yes, it's true that here in the states, the neighbor would be expected to offer to repay you. Some people would require it. In our crazy nation, this could be the cause of a law suite. Even though people would understand that you didn't intend the dog to do this, it could still cause a strain in the relationship between neighbors.

Amrita said...

Sonia darned my pants and I will wear them with a long shirt ti hide the patch. In this way I can salvage my pants.

My neighbours are helpful people. but they just can 't control their pooch and that gets on my nerves.

Paresh Palicha said...

Sister, Here even rich people cannot stopped from robbing others; may it be corruption or a kind of gluttony for wealth that is never satiated. Then how can we expect the poor who're struggling to have one decent meal a day to be honest & socially responsible. Sorry to be such a pessimist.

God Bless You!

Bobbie-Jo said...

Two thieves of two kinds. Very sad both ways.

I'm glad you were able to mend your pants ... and wear them graciously. It is that kind of politeness (not accepting the damage $$) that interests me about other cultures. So many unwritten rules that we don't always think about.

You are very wise to say that the relationship is more important. What would you have done if your dog ripped someone else's pants? (Just curious is all.)

Amrita said...

Good question Bobby Jo. I would have offered to replace the clothing. If they refused that i would give them a gift to express my apology and restrain my dog at the same time.

Terry said...

this story of the thief reminds me of one of my friends who as a child lived with her large family in new brunswick.
once a year a sales person used to come into town to sell clothing to the people.
my friend lived out in the country.
well one year the family dog swiped a whole bag of clothing and brought it home.
there was nothing to do but split the clothing up and share it with the whole large family.
after all the sales person would not be coming back for a full year.
my friend. even though she nor her family christians at that time, thought that surely god had told that dog what to do and amrita, there was not one tare in that clothing!...ha!...love terry