Birthday in transit...

Last year on 10th Nov, while surfing at the central station cafe in
the evening at around 5.30 PM in Stockholm, someone stole my travel
bag which contained passport, money, my tickets to Paris and London
and other important documents. I was left shell-shocked. The problem
was twofold (a) I wouldn't be allowed to leave the country unless I
get my passport and visa stamped from the Embassy in Sweden or UK to
enter UK (b) I was virtually left with no cash whatsoever as I had my
money bag inside. I also had no means to travel back to UK as my cash
card worked only inside UK. After searching for 30 minutes, I went to
the police station and registered my report and talked to the Indian
Embassy at Stockholm with the first Secretary. As
the next two days were Saturday and Sunday, there was no scope for
embassy to be open and get my new passport. However, the embassy
understood my problem and the first secretary asked me to come on
Saturday 10 Nov, despite it being the holiday. I was supposed to go to
Paris next day and then back to London on 12 th Nov. I had the travel
insurance from ICICI, but the SOS number somehow din't work….finally I
made a call to my friend in UK and he managed to send some money by
Western Union. But there was again a big problem….Even the money that
was sent required a passport to receive as I had no other valid proof
of identity. Finally I got a new passport on Saturday, 11 Nov. It was
only with this passport, I could receive the money sent by him after
having spent one night without any cash in extreme cold in my youth
hostel. The next gigantic task was to get UK visa stamped on my
passport. The next day was Sunday, and British Embassy in Stockholm
was closed. Finally I applied for the visa on Monday and got it the
next day in the evening on 14th Nov. 14 Nov was my birthday which my
friends had planned at Wales in UK. I immediately booked a flight back
to London the same night. Finally I reached my university in Wales on
15th Nov. London in the morning looked like Mumbai and Bangor in Wales
like home. When I entered my class on 15th November, my friends
cheered me with a birthday song and a signed card!