Once a year

I got my iPod stolen in a hostel I was staying at in Stockholm. To make matters worse, it was my fault and my only, having left my bag completely unattended over the evening. I was lucky the thief was considerate enough to leave alone my travel documents, especially the Ryanair boarding pass and the railway ticket.

I have a feeling every once in a while there is a payment day for all the good that you experience most of the time and there's no way to insure yourself against it. This time round it was my iPod that had to go in a casual hostel theft, and before I was punished by means of the early morning fine for crossing the street on red, the perverse fine for drinking in a public place or the costly ticket inspection on a tram the day my pass expired and just as I was trying to get to the driver's centre to pass my exams.

I hope I've paid my dues to misfortune this year and can now roam the world freely, waiting for the next year to take me by surprise.