Thank you, Europe!

As of January 1st Slovenia has taken over the six-month presidency over the European Council from Portugal. The consequences already show.

It's just past 3 p.m. and the rush hour has begun. Suddenly, the wailing of sirens pierces the fog and a few police vehicles with flashing lights make way through the already chaotic traffic, followed by a number of limousines containing diplomats from all over Europe.

Now, imagine you can't wait to get home to get rid of coffee-stained clothes (don't ask!) and you leave the office about 20 minutes after the delegation has passed hoping to catch a bus as soon as possible and you wait at the bus stop and you wait along with an increasing number of other people also eager to get wherever they are going and you wait some more and nothing happens. The traffic is barely moving and there's not a bus in sight, let alone your line. So you have enough of waiting and getting your feet cold. But you've already lost half an hour or so and you know it takes you about 50 minutes to get home on foot. But anything is better than waiting in the crowd which grows by the minute. So you walk, you walk through the fog along the main street, cross at the green light, take a turn, then another, then you walk some more and you get home almost an hour later than usual.

Well, thank you, Europe, for the stolen time (the exercise was useful, though)!