For those not familiar with Schrödinger, he was a physicist during the early quantum mechanics days of the 20th century who is famously remembered for his thought experiment aptly called “Schrödinger's Cat.” Put succinctly, this thought experiment was designed to illustrate that in the world of quantum mechanics the act of observing necessarily changes the thing you’re observing, such that before you observe that thing, you must consider it to be not in an unknown state but in all possible states with varying levels of probability. If you’re curious how the cat comes into the picture, best to read up on it yourself. It’s not my job to instruct you in the ways of kittens and science.
So what does this have to do with my luggage?
My luggage which at the time of departing India was located but not making it to the plane is now for all practical purposes lost. Meaning that the department responsible for finding and reuniting me with my luggage seems does not seem to know where it is. Although that’s not their official description for the state of my luggage, I’m concerned that since they aren’t attaching a euphemistic bureaucratic phrase like “Luggage Location Irregularity” that it may very well be in the super-secret “don’t tell the customer” status of “we have no idea where to even start looking.”
How did I come into such forbidden knowledge?
This morning (it’s Sunday) I went to the hotel front desk to ask the folks there who speak and understand both English and Mandarin fairly well if they would call the info line I was given and use their exceptional Chinese language skills on my behalf to get a status. After 15 minutes - maybe 20 - they hung up and said that the airline says my bag is in Shanghai and that it will get me my luggage sometime in the next two days.
I found that to be an oddly imprecise and perhaps even unacceptable answer, but this was not the right person to put pressure on even if I was going to attempt such.
I figured that I can survive another day but I really, REALLY would like all my business clothes and other bits in that suitcase.
Later that afternoon I get a call on my cell from a lady from the "Property Irregularity Department." Oh good, I think - they must be calling to arrange a time to deliver by luggage.
She starts asking me for information to identify the bag. I think she is just making sure that I am the proper owner. Questions like what color is it, what brand is it, and what other facts I can give them to help identify the bag. After that last question I'm suspicious. "Do you have the bag?" I asked. No, they are still looking for it. "Do you know where it is?" I ask. "Not yet but we’re looking for it" is the summary of the answer they gave me by using many more words than that in an attempt to calm and pacify me.
They will call me when they have more information, she says.
I'm going to start stapling "Have you seen me?" posters around Shanghai tonight.
My luggage which at the time of departing India was located but not making it to the plane is now for all practical purposes lost. Meaning that the department responsible for finding and reuniting me with my luggage seems does not seem to know where it is. Although that’s not their official description for the state of my luggage, I’m concerned that since they aren’t attaching a euphemistic bureaucratic phrase like “Luggage Location Irregularity” that it may very well be in the super-secret “don’t tell the customer” status of “we have no idea where to even start looking.”
How did I come into such forbidden knowledge?
This morning (it’s Sunday) I went to the hotel front desk to ask the folks there who speak and understand both English and Mandarin fairly well if they would call the info line I was given and use their exceptional Chinese language skills on my behalf to get a status. After 15 minutes - maybe 20 - they hung up and said that the airline says my bag is in Shanghai and that it will get me my luggage sometime in the next two days.
I found that to be an oddly imprecise and perhaps even unacceptable answer, but this was not the right person to put pressure on even if I was going to attempt such.
I figured that I can survive another day but I really, REALLY would like all my business clothes and other bits in that suitcase.
Later that afternoon I get a call on my cell from a lady from the "Property Irregularity Department." Oh good, I think - they must be calling to arrange a time to deliver by luggage.
She starts asking me for information to identify the bag. I think she is just making sure that I am the proper owner. Questions like what color is it, what brand is it, and what other facts I can give them to help identify the bag. After that last question I'm suspicious. "Do you have the bag?" I asked. No, they are still looking for it. "Do you know where it is?" I ask. "Not yet but we’re looking for it" is the summary of the answer they gave me by using many more words than that in an attempt to calm and pacify me.
 |
| They have their best people on the job, looking for my lost luggage. |
I'm going to start stapling "Have you seen me?" posters around Shanghai tonight.
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