From the very beginning of this trip, there has been a part of my mind that has been waiting for something disasterous to happen. Either I've been waiting for my wallet to get stolen, or to lose my passport, or something. It's been a very subconcious sort of thinking, but I can see it reflected in how I always have to lock my bag, and how I never pull my wallet out unless I'm in a secure spot. Maybe it's habit, from living in Oakland for 3 years, but it's there nonetheless.

That being said, on Wednesday, I was planning to take a trian trip, and so went to the transit centre. I stopped at an ATM to get some cash, and the machine ate my ATM card. Of course, it had to be my washington mutual, american ATM card. So I was freaking out. I went to the information desk, who directed me to security, who directed me to the transit centre management, who informed me that they could do nothing and I had to call the bank. I went back to the ATM machine, searching for some sign as to what bank owned this machine. The bright red Rediteller mocked me, sitting smugly between the Commonwealth Bank ATM and the ANZ Bank ATM, giving no clue as to its identity. I went back to the transit centre management, and begged the woman to find out who owned that bloody machine! She finally consented, and gave me the number to call. I was hopeful until I spoke to someone at credit union australia (makers of the blasted Rediteller) who told me that all cards are destroyed upon impact if the machine eats them. Apparently I might have had a chance at recovering it if the machine had been located at a bank branch, but since it was in the transit centre, there was no hope. At this point, I had about $3 in my pocket, plus $60 in my Australian bank account, so I was feeling really freaked out. I couldn't even call Washington Mutual, since Australian toll free numbers have fewer digits than US toll free numbers, and thus you cannot dial an AMerican toll free number from an Australian phone (pay or mobile).

I did the only thing one can do in these times of desperate need...I phoned my mom! I asked her to call Washington Mutual and make sure the card was canceled, and to find out if I could transfer money from my account there to my australian bank account. She called me back, and said that I couldn't make that sort of transfer since I was not in the US. But luckily, my mom could make that sort of transfer, since she is in the US. So it all worked out, in the end, and I've got money now, tucked away in my Australian bank account, where I probably should have put it in the first place.

But on a subconscious level, I think that I've relaxed somewhat, now that something bad has happened. It certainly wasn't as disaterous as losing a passport, since modern technology has made money transfer quite simple and I had someone in the US who could trasnfer money for me. Apparently now I've let go of my fear of something bad happening, and this is allowing me to enjoy myself more. I hate to be so cliched as to quote that old saying about clouds and silver linings, but perhaps it's true. However, I also know that I will never, ever trust any sort of ATM card to a Rediteller machine!