def finds(itemlist, vec):
    """return the index of the first occurence of item in vec"""
    idlist = []
    for x in itemlist:
        ix = -1
        for i in range(len(vec)):
            if x == vec[i]:
                idlist.append(i)
                ix = i
        if ix == -1:
            idlist.append(-1)
    if not idlist:
        return -1
    else:
        return idlist
