Counting my Losses

This past week tried my patience with Rome and Italy in general. It seemed that every time I walked out of my flat and into the public arena I was harassed for something or something in the city or transport system failed or I realized that this place's advancements are nothing short of a miracle, because, quite frankly, no one here knows how to do anything logically! It's all chaos and everybody is okay with that! Except me, maybe. 

Well, to get to the story....in short, my I-pod was stolen out of my purse on the bus on Friday. This was the climax of my collection of mishaps for the week. I was on the bus heading towards Villa Giulia (the Etruscan museum) for a nice morning stroll among its collections before I had to work that afternoon. I want to see a museum a week while I'm living in Rome and this was the start of that habit. 

The bus is crowded. People push and shove, we bounce to and fro with the undulating bus, bags pinch my sides and block my legs, people cough sneeze laugh and talk loudly on their cell phones. Basically, it's an uncomfortable 20 minutes. I look down at my purse, which is big and heavy at the moment. My hands are full with directions to the museum and my to-go coffee cup (obviously I'm not very Italian yet). I grasp the pole so I'm not thrown into the man to my left or the woman to my right. 

I see my I-pod in its little case in my purse pocket. I notice that it's quite visible, but don't think anything of it at the time. I usually have it plugged into my ears, which, if I had at the time probably would have saved it, since who would be mad enough to steal an I-pod as it's playing into someone's ears? Five minutes later I'm getting off the bus and walking to the tram. I grab my I-pod to check the time and as I hold the case I realize it's empty! At first I wonder, can this be real? I just saw it! Why didn't they just take the case too? Then I get ridiculously furious and start (inwardly) cursing this whole country and people and humanity in general. Why why why? 

Since then I've regained my faith in humanity and counted my blessings (minus an I-pod). I realize in hindsight that I should have closed up my purse and been more aware of my surroundings. Though everyone around me seemed decent, hard-working people, some even elderly. I've never liked pointing fingers, but someone on that bus took it. But that's their problem, they will eventually reap what they sow. I do now and again get a giggle in when I remember that it's locked and all in English, so the thief will hopefully have a hard time with it. Maybe. 

My losses over the years: a silver heart necklace that my uncle gave me / a bike at college / my car radio system / my laptop out of my flat in Prague / cash out of a locked locker / an I-pod off of a bus in Rome

Here's to a better week! Happy Monday!