Ezekiel 25:17

This last week of mine took an unfortunate turn in the middle, and I cannot blame Karma or the universe for an injustice upon my righteous person. Everything bad that transpired was my fault, and I preempt this explanation with that distinction because I tend to think of myself as a victim of an unjustified design that has plagued me with bad fortune. Sometimes, I try to make my own luck, and it blows up in my face, like Wednesday.



Wednesdays are my favorite days here in Denmark because typically students do not have class and on few occasions, they have field studies for a few hours, but that doesn't happen often, at least for me. So, I am trying to enjoy my Wednesday off in the blustery cold of the Copenhagen streets, when after my quick lunch at McDonald's I see what appears to be an easy Find the Shell game on the street. Due to my boredom since my friends seemed busy, I decided to play, and within an instant, I was down a good chunk of cash, so I went to the ATM to get more because the people around it said if I just show it, I would get double the money because I found the shell after the money was gone. So, I did that, and then the guy took more of my money, and I argued to get it back, but I got ganged up on, and only after that a gentleman in a suit came up to me with a card explaining the futility of playing that game and that I wasn't getting my money back from them. So, naturally upset, I went to find the swindlers, but they picked up and left. In my distraught state, I walked around looking for an answer, and it took me to the police station. Unfortunately, they couldn't do anything for me, and I was left with tight pockets from here on in. Now, most people would ask why I decided to join in that game, knowing what a scam it could be. I had a moment of weakness, and I tried to do something out of the ordinary, and it blew up in my face. I was angry about it, but it was my money, so I got over it, and it gave me a point to write about in this blog.



The next day, I wanted to enjoy some night life with limited means, so I went to this pub beside the train station near DIS and enjoy Quiz Night. I went with a guy that I met during orientation week, and I was supposed to meet my buddy Doc Tom there, but he had a prior engagement that lasted too long (or so he says). Anyway, it was both our first times in there, so we looked around and tried to find a nice spot to chill, and we found some boothes in the back with shelves of books. Now, I was unsure what was stopping my friend from buying stuff, but I was just trying to keep my money in my wallet. Eventually, a guy came around and passed answer sheets and asked for the numbers of teams. We paid a small amount and waited for the 1st round of questions to start. We were sitting next to a group of guys and girls who were kinda young, and we got to know them a little bit. It was two Americans, two Spaniards, and a French woman, with a brief appearance by this Indian guy. They were all seemingly right out of college, and they were really fun to talk to. They seemed like nomadic individuals, people who travel a lot and don't really remain in one place for so long, and the Americans hadn't been back in America for years, so they were just as European as anyone. Between one of the three rounds, they had a raffle for alcohol, and this group of people won two bottles of wine and a pitcher of beer, and they were gracious enough to share their beer with me. That, coupled with the snide remarks from the Quiz Master, (there was a question about a recent skiing contest cancelled because of snow, and he said, "Cancelling a skiing competition for having too much snow is like cancelling a drinking contest for having too much alcohol."), made it a fun evening out at little cost.



The weekend was slow, but I did manage to have a hard lacrosse practice, (hard to me because I'm out of shape), and a home movies section with my host family, centering around vacations and the daughters' gymnastics competitions. Afterwards, we were able to watch one of my favorite movies, Pulp Fiction, and it's always nice to appreciate something and have it appreciated by people who don't have the same experience with it. I guess Tarantino translates all cultures.



Now, I have the outline of my Spring Break trip thought out, and am focusing on getting through to those 3 weeks of enjoyment. Until then, I can look forward to more work and more family time with some lacrosse sprinkled in in certain places. Before that though, I have to leave with a quote. This one comes from Horace Greeley, editor of the Jeffersonian and one of the founders of the Liberal Republican Party in the 19th century, "The darkest hour of any man's life is when he sits down to plan how to get money without earning it." I have seen first hand how that is true.



P.S. I figured I'd give you a bonus with an additional quote, due to the title of this blog, "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."