i got mugged.
Last night, at 9:30 pm, i was going to meet some friends at the petrol station across from the entrance to campus (which is a local hangout here cause it has a chicken place, pizza, ice cream, etc. and is open later than 9) to play cards. I walk out of my dorm, over to the filling station right next to it. My dorm is about a 15 minute walk from the place i'm going, but i dont want to risk getting mugged, cause i'm not retarded. I walk out to the road with a Ghanaian girl from my dorm who was catching a car somewhere, and she told me to be safe. I told her that i was just going to stand with all the people at the stop, and get a taxi as soon as possible. She walked about ten feet away to get a trotro, and within about a minute a taxi pullled over for me. I bent over to tell him my destination.
My purse has a long strap, and was hanging on my left shoulder. i was holding it in front of me until i bent down for the taxi, and it swung down.
The two guys standing next to me (who were well dressed, button up shirts etc, looking like students) at the stop grabbed my bag from my shoulder, broke the strap, and ran across the street into the 15 foot tall, very very thick bush. the bush is not a place you want to be at night. it's not a place you want to be NEAR at night. but i was in a gas station parking lot, literally 30 feet from my dorm parking lot, with other people-- who looked like students.
I no longer have a phone, my debit cards, my wallet i've had since i was about seven, and some notes from people from a couple years ago that i always kept in my wallet as reminders of my friends. nothing of any extreme value was taken; everything is fine, and recoverable. I recieved not even a red mark from the incident, which took about 5 seconds.
I called my cell phone from someone else's, and the idiot guy picked up. I asked him if he could just put my room key and school ID on the ground where they got it from so I could come home later and try and get it. I said they could keep whatever they want, but those things are of no value to them. He started saying some really gross and obscene things, such as "fuck your asshole," and i said "Excuse me?!" and he replied with "no, no... i love you, what can i do for you? i'll give you everything you could ever want..." and i said "then give me my bag back" and he said "where are you? i'll come find you. i'm coming to find you."
i told him i was on campus and hung up the phone. i was off campus at this point, but it shook me up that they have my full name, school ID number, and a picture of me.
More than anything i'm just pissed off. they got very little out of me, and it's gonna be such a hassle now. not to mention, buying my third phone in 2.5 months. i'm gonna wait a while. if anyone wants to talk to me (and i really want to talk to all of you) then give me a timeframe in which i can call you, give you a number to call me back on, and we can chat. i can use other peoples phones if i have your number, and a time.
Other than that, i'm doin great. made a pair of pants, been writing papers and doing research, and just found out that i can do field work anytime between december 15th and february 10th or so. so my travel plans are all up to me. Oh! and whitney (my roommate at tulane who is in Granada, Spain) is probably going to come down to visit the first week of january. how fun!
i've been playing rugby, which is fun, and sweaty.
on january 10th, in Benin, there is a voodoo festival. in the late nineties (i think?) voodoo was declared one of the official religions in benin, so they've been having this fest ever since. apparently, it includes lots of voodoo ceremonies and rituals, goat/calf slaughtering, and dancing on the beach. i'll be there.
hm, i could say more but i'm too busy/ annoyed.
my day today:
6am-7:30- rugby (cut short cause of class, normally goes to 8/8:30)
7:30-9:30- archaeology lab practicum
10:30-11:30- xylephone
11:30-12:30- geology of ghana
-get a key made
-eat
-shower
6:30-8:30 geology of ghana (my prof needs more than our scheduled lectures to finish. lame.)
8:30- lunch with a friend.
UGH
i love you all and i promise i'm not being unsafe, i'm just unlucky.
Last night, at 9:30 pm, i was going to meet some friends at the petrol station across from the entrance to campus (which is a local hangout here cause it has a chicken place, pizza, ice cream, etc. and is open later than 9) to play cards. I walk out of my dorm, over to the filling station right next to it. My dorm is about a 15 minute walk from the place i'm going, but i dont want to risk getting mugged, cause i'm not retarded. I walk out to the road with a Ghanaian girl from my dorm who was catching a car somewhere, and she told me to be safe. I told her that i was just going to stand with all the people at the stop, and get a taxi as soon as possible. She walked about ten feet away to get a trotro, and within about a minute a taxi pullled over for me. I bent over to tell him my destination.
My purse has a long strap, and was hanging on my left shoulder. i was holding it in front of me until i bent down for the taxi, and it swung down.
The two guys standing next to me (who were well dressed, button up shirts etc, looking like students) at the stop grabbed my bag from my shoulder, broke the strap, and ran across the street into the 15 foot tall, very very thick bush. the bush is not a place you want to be at night. it's not a place you want to be NEAR at night. but i was in a gas station parking lot, literally 30 feet from my dorm parking lot, with other people-- who looked like students.
I no longer have a phone, my debit cards, my wallet i've had since i was about seven, and some notes from people from a couple years ago that i always kept in my wallet as reminders of my friends. nothing of any extreme value was taken; everything is fine, and recoverable. I recieved not even a red mark from the incident, which took about 5 seconds.
I called my cell phone from someone else's, and the idiot guy picked up. I asked him if he could just put my room key and school ID on the ground where they got it from so I could come home later and try and get it. I said they could keep whatever they want, but those things are of no value to them. He started saying some really gross and obscene things, such as "fuck your asshole," and i said "Excuse me?!" and he replied with "no, no... i love you, what can i do for you? i'll give you everything you could ever want..." and i said "then give me my bag back" and he said "where are you? i'll come find you. i'm coming to find you."
i told him i was on campus and hung up the phone. i was off campus at this point, but it shook me up that they have my full name, school ID number, and a picture of me.
More than anything i'm just pissed off. they got very little out of me, and it's gonna be such a hassle now. not to mention, buying my third phone in 2.5 months. i'm gonna wait a while. if anyone wants to talk to me (and i really want to talk to all of you) then give me a timeframe in which i can call you, give you a number to call me back on, and we can chat. i can use other peoples phones if i have your number, and a time.
Other than that, i'm doin great. made a pair of pants, been writing papers and doing research, and just found out that i can do field work anytime between december 15th and february 10th or so. so my travel plans are all up to me. Oh! and whitney (my roommate at tulane who is in Granada, Spain) is probably going to come down to visit the first week of january. how fun!
i've been playing rugby, which is fun, and sweaty.
on january 10th, in Benin, there is a voodoo festival. in the late nineties (i think?) voodoo was declared one of the official religions in benin, so they've been having this fest ever since. apparently, it includes lots of voodoo ceremonies and rituals, goat/calf slaughtering, and dancing on the beach. i'll be there.
hm, i could say more but i'm too busy/ annoyed.
my day today:
6am-7:30- rugby (cut short cause of class, normally goes to 8/8:30)
7:30-9:30- archaeology lab practicum
10:30-11:30- xylephone
11:30-12:30- geology of ghana
-get a key made
-eat
-shower
6:30-8:30 geology of ghana (my prof needs more than our scheduled lectures to finish. lame.)
8:30- lunch with a friend.
UGH
i love you all and i promise i'm not being unsafe, i'm just unlucky.
VIEW 9 of 9 COMMENTS
Glad you weren't hurt--please keep it that way!
Take care