Lost Wallet and Cards

A few minutes after the taxi brought us home Tuesday night, I discovered that I didn't have my wallet. I might have had it on my lap in the taxi. I looked all over where we got out of the taxi, and along the way where we walked to the apartment.

A Chinese debit card, two American debit cards, an American credit card, two phone cards and about 700 rmb ($100).

I didn't know which taxi company it was, and I didn't have the license plate number. I went to the guard house at the entrance where we came into the Olympic Garden apartments, and using another wallet and lots of arm waving, I got my point across that I had lost my wallet and cards, but I didn't know what they could do about it, and apparently neither did they. I tried to suggest that the driver might bring the wallet to them if he found it, but I don't think the message got through.

I called Daniel in Korla, and he and Lillian made some phone calls and found out that there are pictures of every car that goes in and out of the apartment grounds. They found out the license plate number and called the taxi company. Two days later we're still waiting for some news from them.

I called my banks to report my lost cards. Unfortunately, some of the lost card hot lines are 800 numbers that I can't call from China. Fortunately I have local numbers that I can call and be transferred to the hot lines. Unfortunately, that's expensive. Fortunately, I can call for 2 cents a minute with Skype. Unfortunately I needed to make more calls after I reported the lost cards, to get new ones, and my Skype credit is running out, and I won't be able to add any until I get the new cards! Fortunately, I might still have enough to make the calls I need to make.

Yesterday I went to my branch office of the Bank of China to ask for a new card. Fortunately some people work there who speak enough English to help me fill out the forms, which are in Chinese with no English translations. Unfortunately, I had to sign forms I couldn't read.

Next challenge: How to find the nearest police station so I can report my loss to the police, and how to explain why it took me two days (or will it be three or four?) to report it.