TWO WOODEN SHOES & KARMA....

Hello! Today's post is about a strange and rather spiritual (in a strange way!) experience that I had in Amsterdam. This was many moons ago. I was 22 and this was my first trip outside of India. I was terribly excited and very poor. I barely had enough money to cover my basic expenses of a roof over my head (a bunk bed in a youth hostel) & food, yet I wanted to see as much as I could of that beautiful city.

So the story goes like this...It was my second last day in Amsterdam and I wanted to explore the windmills and the beautiful countryside. So I decided, with my last few euros remaining, to visit this place called Zaanse Schans. It's a picturesque little town full of windmills and old-style dutch houses. We landed there at around noon and headed straight to the souvenir shop. There I saw some gorgeous hand made wooden shoes, the kinds that Netherlands is famous for. I got verryyyy tempted to pick up a pair for myself but the cheapest pair was for 20 Euros!! My plight was unimaginable!! But looked at my wallet, I had about 40Euros and 1 more day in Amsterdam and I told myself F&^% it, those shoes are mine! So I paid 20 bucks, got my custom-made shoes and while they were getting ready (they take your shoe measurement and make the shoes there and then) I decided to venture into the town to soak in the local sight and sounds.

After a few hours, with my senses thoroughly satiated with the beauty around, it was time to board the bus back to Amsterdam. I went again into the same souvenir store and this time, laid my eyes upon a tiny keychain in shape of a small wooden shoe. It was for 1Euro. I looked around, no one was looking, I quietly slid the keychain into my pocket. No harm, no foul.

I sat into the bus and the bus started. I put my hand into my pocket and took out the shoe keychain, "SHOES!!!" I had forgotten my custom-made-20-EURO shoes!!!!!! It completely got off my mind that   I had to collect them!! How could I? I wasn't that forgetful...but guess what!!

I went to my tour conductor and explained her my predicament and in true dutch style she told me that she cant turn around the bus only for my shoes! What she can do is, she said, is to check with her colleague (who was conducting another tour for the same company & was at Zaanse Schans) if she hasn't left, and if she hadn't then she can pick up my shoes but if that bus has also left then she cannot do anything. She politely but firmly asked me to go back to my seat and that she will tell in in 5 mins. Those were the longest 5 mins of my life!!

I went back to my seat, took out the stolen keychain from my pocket, held it in my hand and had a word with god "please forgive me, I will never do this again" I chucked the keychain out of the bus and the next thing I know is that the bus conductor is yelling my name and voila!! you know what happened after that :)

BIG lesson...never going to forget :)