Rice wine

I wake up , my eyes are closed, I hear the boys coming down the stairs from their nap. I hear Allen typing diligently away on the keyboard...clickety-clack. I hear the convergence of the two forces, making their way into the living room.

I realize, suddenly, that I have a strong urge to use the restroom. Where am I? What time is it? What happened? Why am I so tired?

My mind is awake, but my body feels like it could sleep for another couple of days! I don't have a headache. I don't feel like throwing up. What happened?

Ah! The memories rush back to me...but, unfortunately, only up to a certain point!

This is Sunday. We had been invited by our ayi to join her friends, at their house, for lunch. I remember feeling nervous. How much English would her friends know? This was an honor, that we absolutely couldn't refuse. To be invited, in this fashion, is not usually done. We couldn't refuse.

So, we went to a stranger's house for lunch...a chinese family. When we got there, it was apparent that nobody spoke English very well. In fact, the family relied on their 12? year old son to interpret SOME things...not everything as he didn't know much English. They had also invited their good friends an neighbors over to join us. SHE is a "baby" doctor...HE works in customs. But, again, they don't know very much English between the two of them.

I admit, it was a little awkward at first...not sure what to do and how to do it. We just sat on the couch until lunch was ready. I was very nervous about lunch. I, by nature, am a very picky eater. To not eat their food, is considered very rude...almost anywhere. So, I knew I would have to try almost every dish...regardless of what was on the plate.

Very soon, we were told that lunch was ready. Ayi and her friend, the hostess, remained in the kitchen, while we sat down with their neighbors. The food was very good. The meat was very tasty, but very fatty...so, I concentrated on the tofu dish and the noodle soup. They even wanted to know which dish was my favorite. Ayi was so sweet...she brought extra groceries to make special lunches for the boys. They ate PB, honey and banana sandwiches, with milk! They were very happy.

After the boys ate, ayi was intent on "watching" them. I tried to intervene so she could eat, but she was adamant. Meanwhile, the other set of "boys", aka, the three husbands at the table were conversing (or trying to) about business.

The "neighbors" had brought a very expensive rice wine for the lunch. Allen had already had experiences, through work dinners, with rice wine and "declined" drinking it. There is a certain process in order to decline and a way to save face. Allen had been instructed by his peers at work how to do this successfully.

As the lunch progressed, the other men were taking rice wine shots every time they wanted to "celebrate" an idea. The rest of us had red wine. Well, everyone got to a point where we all felt comfortable with each other and then the unexpected happened. They invited us, all expenses paid, to a weekend holiday. Once the date was confirmed by all...they wanted me to "shoot" the red wine I had in my glass. Well, ok. We WERE just invited to an all expenses paid holiday. So...bottom's up!

I surprised and delighted them by "shooting" my drink. They wanted me to "shoot" the rice wine with them. Hmmm...well...ok. Just once. The shot glasses for this rice wine were VERY small...tiny in fact. So, what the heck...a few more wouldn't hurt. They were pleased as punch they found someone, other than themselves, to drink with them. They DID invite us over for lunch...so, what could a few tiny rice wine shots do?

Well, after the rice wine was gone, they brought out the cognac...and I, apparently, had become an integral drinking partner. I decided the kids were a very good excuse to part company with them so that I could "check" on them. So, I went upstairs.

The men found me and indicated that they had a drink waiting for me. It would have been rude to decline at this point. So, with a big sigh, I went back downstairs to "out drink" them. It was the only way to get them to stop! So...GOMBEI!!

Luckily, having spent time with the drillers in Hawaii, I have a very strong constitution and strong resistance to high levels of alcohol. So...now it became important to show them who's "boss". Enough was enough.

I sat back down at the table and we proceeded to drink ourselves silly. By then...we were "friends". When the THIRD bottle of alcohol was finished, the host wanted to open up a bottle from his cabinet that he had been saving. Fortuntately, I drank them under the table by then. The neighbor was taken home by his wife...staggering. The host could hardly keep a coherent thought in his own head. The women must be used to this...because they brought out beer for us to drink...and then water.

...and then I woke up, not knowing how I even got home. It finally caught up with me...at home, fortunately. Allen says I made it down the stairs ok by myself...I asked the neighbor who came back to drive us home if she wanted to be our driver...and I even talked to my [very unfortunate] sister on skype! haha I'm so sorry sis! I have absolutely NO recollection of that conversation.

Point is...I held my own and saved face. However, I woke up with my mind alert but my body still inebriated. Weird. No headache hangover though, which is good I guess.

FYI - the rice wine they serve here is 53% alcohol! Tequila and vodka are about 40%. No wonder why it can mess you up and the shot glasses are so tiny! haha I'm just glad it didn't mess me up more than it did.

So, now we have a trip to plan for with these families. We'll see how that goes. I have a feeling they will be teaching us how to gamble (with drink of course), playing their favorite game, Mahjong. I'll leave the strategic game playing and gambling to Allen. :)