Not Everything Can Be Perfect...
Last Friday, I arrived home at midday to find that we had been broken into and they had had just enough time to take all of Oriol's photo equipment, which he had been collecting for years, my laptop with the extractable disk drive that held all my photographic memories of the last five years here in Barcelona, along with everything I had ever written and my extensive collection of music.
They took other things that had more sentimental value than monetary and a cantaloupe I was planning on eating for lunch. A cantaloupe!
First came the scare, the, "what is this, Oh my God what is this?" The mess, and then the waiting for the cops, for someone to come quickly and just sit with me. The list of things that no longer form part of our lives and then comes the wave of anger. My personal space had been touched, moved and searched through. The lack of accountability on behalf of the system and how those that I give my hard earned tax money to protect me just shrug their shoulders and say, "At least they didn't have time to take everything..." And the three hours you spend at the police station for them to just say, you're the 10th case today (in a small radius of Barcelona) and we'll take record of this but don't count on anything being done...
The fact that Oriol and I have to take responsibility and inform our neighbors and post up a sign in our building as well as go and speak with those that live and work on our street because the police won't do it.
I can't begin to express the fury that burns inside me. Not so much at the fact that someone broke in, it happens, it's bad luck and in fact they had it quite easy...But the fact that the judicial system does absolutely nothing about it and when the inspector comes to take fingerprints, he expresses his exhaustion and tells us he's leaving the position because he's tired of what he does and no one follows up, so what's the point of getting fingerprints if the judge will hardly look at it...Just like that. This is one of the many people we spoke with this weekend that looked exhausted and are simply burnt out. It made us feel really confident. NOT
And then the fear and prejudices that those around you start feeling, having to talk to the neighbors and reminding them that not everyone with dark skin, immigrant, etc is suspicious. The excuse is the crisis here in Spain. There is over a 20% unemployment rate, things are looking pretty dreary for many and desperation leads many to do injustices, which does not justify pickpocketing and burglary, but the system has been set up so that those at the bottom of the triangle live in misery and those few at top shrug and say oh well as they bite into a juicy steak and count their profits for the year. While those in the middle hold on tightly to their purses and wallets on the metro and put up security bars on their windows and begin to mistrust any one who looks 'suspicious'.
Oriol and I agree that perhaps it's time to start getting to know our neighbors, to go back to the little town feeling and not mistrusting, but start forming relationships so that when those that don't form part of our neighborhood come in, we are all attentive and looking out for each other. Whether it's our safety or someting warm to eat and a place to sleep.
I love Barcelona, I have loved living here since I arrived and what hurt most was the loss of all those beautiful photographs I had collected over the years, expressing my love for life here. But I think it is important to start cleaning up our cities, not just Barcelona but all the cities we live in and to start asking for our neighbor's name, shaking their hands and above all, not being so individualistic, like the system has chosen to be. Maybe, in a time of uneasiness, little work and lots of people in not too optimistic of situations, we have to take a step back and start taking things into our own hands as citizens of the world and start thinking of how we can change this lie our governments have had us buy, literally. Not everything can be perfect. I am completely aware of this, but I live in a country, like many of you, that guarantees security and justice for all, so why not start asking for it?
Just so you get an idea of what the situation is like:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/14/woman-defends-barcelona-tourists-from-pickpockets http://www.robberymaps.com/map.html#lt=41.387917&ln=2.1699187&z=4&k=2
And last night they announced a 14% increase of home robbery in just the first trimester of the year...perhaps I'll move to Menorca earlier than I thought, on an island, they can't get away.
They took other things that had more sentimental value than monetary and a cantaloupe I was planning on eating for lunch. A cantaloupe!
First came the scare, the, "what is this, Oh my God what is this?" The mess, and then the waiting for the cops, for someone to come quickly and just sit with me. The list of things that no longer form part of our lives and then comes the wave of anger. My personal space had been touched, moved and searched through. The lack of accountability on behalf of the system and how those that I give my hard earned tax money to protect me just shrug their shoulders and say, "At least they didn't have time to take everything..." And the three hours you spend at the police station for them to just say, you're the 10th case today (in a small radius of Barcelona) and we'll take record of this but don't count on anything being done...
The fact that Oriol and I have to take responsibility and inform our neighbors and post up a sign in our building as well as go and speak with those that live and work on our street because the police won't do it.
I can't begin to express the fury that burns inside me. Not so much at the fact that someone broke in, it happens, it's bad luck and in fact they had it quite easy...But the fact that the judicial system does absolutely nothing about it and when the inspector comes to take fingerprints, he expresses his exhaustion and tells us he's leaving the position because he's tired of what he does and no one follows up, so what's the point of getting fingerprints if the judge will hardly look at it...Just like that. This is one of the many people we spoke with this weekend that looked exhausted and are simply burnt out. It made us feel really confident. NOT
And then the fear and prejudices that those around you start feeling, having to talk to the neighbors and reminding them that not everyone with dark skin, immigrant, etc is suspicious. The excuse is the crisis here in Spain. There is over a 20% unemployment rate, things are looking pretty dreary for many and desperation leads many to do injustices, which does not justify pickpocketing and burglary, but the system has been set up so that those at the bottom of the triangle live in misery and those few at top shrug and say oh well as they bite into a juicy steak and count their profits for the year. While those in the middle hold on tightly to their purses and wallets on the metro and put up security bars on their windows and begin to mistrust any one who looks 'suspicious'.
Oriol and I agree that perhaps it's time to start getting to know our neighbors, to go back to the little town feeling and not mistrusting, but start forming relationships so that when those that don't form part of our neighborhood come in, we are all attentive and looking out for each other. Whether it's our safety or someting warm to eat and a place to sleep.
I love Barcelona, I have loved living here since I arrived and what hurt most was the loss of all those beautiful photographs I had collected over the years, expressing my love for life here. But I think it is important to start cleaning up our cities, not just Barcelona but all the cities we live in and to start asking for our neighbor's name, shaking their hands and above all, not being so individualistic, like the system has chosen to be. Maybe, in a time of uneasiness, little work and lots of people in not too optimistic of situations, we have to take a step back and start taking things into our own hands as citizens of the world and start thinking of how we can change this lie our governments have had us buy, literally. Not everything can be perfect. I am completely aware of this, but I live in a country, like many of you, that guarantees security and justice for all, so why not start asking for it?
Just so you get an idea of what the situation is like:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/14/woman-defends-barcelona-tourists-from-pickpockets http://www.robberymaps.com/map.html#lt=41.387917&ln=2.1699187&z=4&k=2
And last night they announced a 14% increase of home robbery in just the first trimester of the year...perhaps I'll move to Menorca earlier than I thought, on an island, they can't get away.
posted by Heidi Schmidt at 11:09 AM
1 Comments:
Aw, that's just plain sucky, Heidi. I know that feeling of violation and helplessness. I am so sorry they got your memories, too. Your recent posts are just visually stunning, though, and it seems that adversity has brought out an unexpected beauty, too.
I wish I could wander and play like you do, unencumbered by the responsibilities of being a wife and mom. I remember fondly the days when I could just pick up and GO and photograph. Not that i would trade it for my life now, but i do long for that freedom sometimes.
Looking forward to your next adventure. :)
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