I have whined and cribbed, groaned and moaned and generally surpassed my own expectations of fussiness and yet today I find myself honorably pissed again at how what in the good ole days was perceived as basic courtesy is now totally consigned to oblivion as if it never was.

Last I checked your home/ room was your castle, inviolable, non-tresspassable unless so stated so imagine my shock at having the hostel caretaker blithely mention just as an after thought that he was on his way to show MY room to the person shifting there while I moved to another. Apparently it is ok to have all toms, dicks, and harries have a blast in my room while I am away and there is NOTHING inconceivably wrong with invasion of privacy, if they even understand the word as I mean it!

I lost my temper something I usually keep on a tight leash but in the aftermath I am struck anew by how the staff regarded it as ordinary, and how the so called ‘officer’ had no qualms of making this demand but took it as a matter of right. People talk about international relations, communities and countries but I am freaked about individuals. Too often we forget that the bigger picture is made up of small, individual units at the end of the day. Bring up the individual to respect some code of conduct, lay down some rules for interaction, and you shall have some honor even if its among thieves….unfortunately like so much else this is fast enroute to extinction!