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News and stories from the Arab world, the Mediterranean and Europe, from the point of view of 20 women who met for the first time in November 2007, in Alexandria, Egypt

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My adventure in Cannes!!!

June 3rd, 2008 by MP (Athens, Greece) · 3 Comments

My 3 hours ordeal in Cannes started, just a few seconds after Madonna´s entry in the Cannes festival’s press centre. You see my colleague from greek tv had given me his bag to check. A very precious bag indeed, with more than 3000 euros, 6 credit cards, sound recorders, videocassettes, personal belongings, etc, inside. We were in the press centre of Cannes festival, with a lot of journalists, cameramen , photographers around us. “Something big was about to happen” !!! The entry of Madonna…I leaned against the wall for just a moment, and left the bag behind me. I was so excited to record Madonna´s entry!!! But this moment was enough, because when Madonna disappeared, so did my coleagues´ bag!!!! I felt so badly!!! I didn’t know what had just happened!!! My friend was ready to faint!!! The previous day he had heard about other thefts in the press center.. I tried to remain as calm as I could!! I had to find the bag at all costs!!! I went screaming in the security, “our Nike bag was stolen!!! With all our material, with all our money”….. But guess what…They didn’t know a word in English!!!! So, I tried to use my rusty French!!! We were running like crazy in the corridors of the press rooms, trying to speak with someone in charge… “:Our Nike bag is stolen!!! Please help us”…They told us to go to the basement!!! where the video from the security camera was being recorded. I talked to the security guy…”No they did not find a bag!!!” Living my nightmare in Cannes , I noticed a very beautiful woman staring at me!!!! She reminded me of someone!!! Yes, ?t was Lucy Liu…..F…, I did not have my camera with me!!! Then I realized that I was in the restricted VIP entry of the Press Center …But I did not care ’cos ? had another mission !!!!I had to find the NIKE bag..I started to yell again… “ Our Nike bag is stolen” Then something nice happened. I found a nice big guy, willing to help me!!! They were going to check the video material but we had to report it in the police dept in Cannes festival but also in the Commissariat. “Run, Run, Run”, I told my colleague….He felt lost, he did not know the language, and he was leaning on me to help him!!!!! We reported the incident on the police station, then we had to go to the commissariat!!!!! My feet were on fire!!! I was feeling responsible!!! I tried to organize our next steps!!! First, my colleague had to call the banks to cancel all his credit cards!!!! I cannot estimate how much time it took us to arrive in the Commissariat… 5 minutes, 10 minutes…When we arrived, guess what, it took us more time to find someone to help us!!!! And guess again why, because nobody spoke English, in a town where the most famous film festival of the world was taking place!!! At last, somebody came to write the account of what happened!!! I was beginning to tell the story…when somebody called me!!!! My instinct was telling me, something good was going to happen. And indeed..….THE NIKEBAG WAS FOUND…..and there in the middle of the police station in Cannes , I jumped with joy, screaming full of relief and happiness… I hugged my colleague… our ordeal was over…”Stop, we have to see the bag first to be sure”, I told my friend…We swaved our goodbyes to French police officers and we headed to the police department in the Cannes press center. I thought….”We are very lucky!!!!!! I cannot not believe it!!!!” Almost 20 persons waited for us, so was our bag!!! It was teared off . They found it on the basement and they thought it was suspicious, so they took it in the bomb squad!!! Everything seemed to be inside!!! My friend was very happy!!! He could not remember what he kept in the bag!!! “Please” I told him, “remember!!!” The money was there, so were the credits cards and the sound recorder…I felt really relieved!!! We were lucky!!!!! We signed the papers and we left happy!!! Welcome to Cannes !!! I said to myself!!! My friend had a big smile at his face!! He felt lost before, but now he was composed again. He had found his bag with all his belongings….And something else…At the very end, we discovered, that the bag was not a Nike but a PUMA bag!!!!

Tags: Personal · Uncategorized · Video

3 responses so far ↓

  • 1 carolinapop // Jun 4, 2008 at 8:24 am

    amazing story !
    I would have gone completely crazy !

  • 2 loubib // Jun 6, 2008 at 1:56 pm

    I like your story, but what is your best remind : Madonna or the bag witch was lost ?

  • 3 AH (London, UK) // Jun 7, 2008 at 9:15 am

    Oh my! I don’t think I can imagine your impeccable composure, your graceful delicate presence disrupted by this sheer panic! Glad you gave us this story on the blog as well as the glamour of Cannes!

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