T\Day

It has been a week since I started work at my new company, TBWA, and so far things are looking pretty good! :D Nice and cosy environment, friendly and cool colleagues, lots of cheap eating places, I can go on. :D

Last Friday was a very memorable day, not only was it T\Day, which is a day when accomplishments were reviewed, people were thanked, new directions of how the organisation is moving forward were disclosed, it was also our Christmas party (pretty early!). To top things off, it's also the first time I got drunk.

Let's emphasise it. Very drunk. wahahaha.. More on that later.

The theme of the party was "Military", and when the clock ticked around 5:20pm that day, a guy dressed in a grey German uniform (which I kinda gathered it's the Nazi soldier uniform) barged into our room and shouted at us, ordering everyone to stop working and get changed. :P Was darn funny and it momentarily reminded me of myself being in an army. *shucks*

I wished I had photos to show you! :D From the interactive team people dressed up as Jap soldiers, there's terrorists (I'm one!), people from the SWAT, medics, peace-loving sign-waving people, monks (Myanmar?), Empress Dowager with machine guns, a lady in Moscow(?) uniform, and finally the guy whom everyone loved, an ex-army personnel with his legs blown off, wheeling around in his wheelchair (try to imagine, he knelt on the wheelchair most of the time). :D It was not just army green that I initially imagined it to be, but rather a cocktail of very interesting and vibrant characters!

When we arrived at the scene of party, we were each given a drink (frankly till now, I have no idea what that was), which actually tasted pretty good! It was alcohol no doubt, with lime and leaves in it. Was I thirsty at that moment? Because even before eating any food, I already drank 3 army-style cups of those!

After the buffet dinner, I mingled with my colleague Danny, who introduced me some types of drinks to try (since I was a total noob at this). :P With the sweet music playing by a performer by the name of Jill, I cruise slowly on the wooden dance floor, sipping on my vodka lime. It had a very similar taste to what I had before food actually. hmm...

Since the booze was free, I helped myself to a glass of red wine. I was pretty much soaked in the atmosphere at this time. After this glass, Lynette, my project manager, gave each member of the interactive team another glass of red wine, and wanted us to down it all. I dint felt game enough to finish it all at one go, but still took and drank at a pace I was comfortable with.

Actually at this time I could feel things were shifting about already, but I wasn't quite sure what's my limit for alcohol, so what the hack, I took another white wine and gave it go. White wine certainly ain't my thing. I felt it had a weirder taste compared to its red counterpart. Chatted with Danny a little bit more and thought to myself that I could do just one more, so I asked him for a recommendation. Along came vodka cranberry. haha...

Cheers after cheers, I realised that I haven't touch glass with another friend. Thinking back, finding her was totally wrong. haha.. Here's why. Firstly, we didn't touch glass at all, and secondly, she administered a tequila shot to me, which I gamely accepted. :S Just to try try, you know.. haha..

By now you know I'm not in the right state of mind. :P My drinking sessions are far and few, once in a many months actually, and each session will consist of at most a ~350ml bottle of ~15% alcohol. Suddenly that night I drink so much. Tsk tsk tsk.. It was around 9pm that time and I felt really, really wrong. The lightness of my head escalated to swirls and I had to sit down. Jasmine from the HR even caught me stoning on the chair, but I couldn't care less, because I couldn't. :S

I saw people in front of me dancing happily, but all I could manage was to sit and fix my eyes on the same position. My brain seemingly got so heavy it was hard to balance. It must have gotten pretty obvious that I was drunk by then, for I had people coming to ask if I'm alright. A noob at drinking never knows if he/she is alright, so guess what I did? I still showed them a thumb's up! :P

9pm to 10pm, nothing changed, I was still in the same position. I needed a quieter spot, so I tried using my malfunctioned navigational system to get to the place where we kept our belongings, and stoned there. My head crashed on the table, and I was in too bad a shape for anything. Time passed and the alcohol took over, wrecking havoc from within. Something started to well up, and the need became pressing.

I HAD to go to the gents.

My head was heavy, my steps were wobbly, the floor was shifting, walls were warping in on me, and the deafening music went on. I grabbed hold of whatever I could lay my hands on and suppressed all that was inside me. It was imminent.

Upon arrival at the toilet, I struggled to the cubicle and let it all out. Yesh... I vomited. :S When was the last time I couldn't remember, but oh man I'm gonna remember this. I felt so wrecked I locked myself in, and squatted at a corner of the cubicle, trying to gather whatever that's left of me together. :(

11pm to 12am, I stayed in that miserable cubicle. Squatted, stood, leaned, supported, sat, and changed positions through countless times trying to pick up the pieces of my consciousness. @_@

When I finally managed to step out at a little past 12, two guys who were standing outside apparently thanked me! :D What followed was vomit noises. :P I got back out, and saw the rest of the guys from the interactive team. The girls were looking pretty much clear minded except for dear Lynette :P, and the guys in general just seemed tired and tipsy. I thought KC looked wrecked too. :P

Thanks to Yian Phing, a cab was called in and I finally got home.

So after this memorable day, here's a few important lessons I want to share with you all:

• If you drink, DON'T drive! (courtesy of Danny, who does what he preaches! :))
  
• Never underestimate the power of alcohol.
• Never overestimate your power of overcoming them.
• If you are a noob like me, stop at 3 glasses.
• If you feel something is wrong, something IS wrong!
• Even if booze is free, don't keep drinking!
• Have nice friends around you, in case you get too drunk to do anything.
• If you see people drunk, ask them if they're ok. They probably need help.

Finally the most important lesson:

• Don't HOG the toilet, people are waiting to vomit! :D