Job Discussion Forums

SueH · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy

Um....

Nobody has mentioned taste. Personally I don't drink alcohol but various liquids which contain it. If the wine is nasty I don't bother, in England I drink natural unpasteurised beer in pubs and don't bother with the gassy stuff (where the chemicals do give you hangovers).

In Ireland I abandon all hope and sip the stout. Quite slowly perhaps, but the sessions and the conversations do go on for an inordinately long time... Fortunately I've always been on holiday...

Some people seem to drink anything (good reports about Siddiqi I hear!) and I don't really see the point. Mind you, I have disgraced myself once or twice in my life, but have never gone out with any express intention of having too much. The best times have always been unplanned with good company.

nomadder · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2003 2:10 pm Post subject:

I always thought that some people drank excessively while overseas so that they wouldn't have to face the loneliness and homesickness they were experiencing.

WorkingVaca · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 135

I'm just wondering why there aren't more ESL teachers who have a variety of interests other than themselves and how alcoholic they are. Yes, I have local friends too, and I don't understand what some of these other posters mean about the locals insisting that you get drunk. Maybe those are the kinds of people you attract. None of my local friends are as excited over trying to get as shit-faced as possible as most of the ESL teachers I've met.

Typical teacher's room scenerio: co-worker comes in, rattling off the number of drinks he had the night before. Turns to you, asks "oh hey joe? do you drink?" Now what kind of stupid question is that? Who DOESN'T drink alcohol? It's NOT a big deal.

And that's the point. In my former field back in the U.S., I'd made several friends that could go out for a few drinks without having to talk about the drinks, and how much who is drinking, and what drunks we all are, and the stupid thing so-and-so did last week while he was shit-faced, etc., etc., ad nauseum. This same juvenile mentality tends to revolve around sexual topics as well (another thread entirely). I mean, how can this stuff STILL be a novelty after high school?

I've realized that one of my most naive expectations going abroad was that I'd also make friends with some co-workers, but I'm finding it very difficult to find mentally grown up, fellow ESL Teachers to hang out with. There's a serious lack of interesting conversation (current events, art, books, whatever) and interest in entertainment other than "going out drinking" among ESL teachers.

WHY?

NumberOneSon · Joined: 03 Jul 2003 Posts: 314

WorkingVaca · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 135

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

There is no question in my mind that there are many alcoholics in the ranks of our "profession". Some have realised that, and have learned that abstinence from beverage alcohol is the only way if you are addicted to C2HO5H. (Is that the right formula ?)

You don't have to spend your life getting drunk and falling down !

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

SweetOne · Joined: 19 Jul 2003 Posts: 109

Was going to stay out of this thread until I saw the following by WorkingVaca:

Typical teacher's room scenerio: co-worker comes in, rattling off the number of drinks he had the night before. Turns to you, asks "oh hey joe? do you drink?" Now what kind of stupid question is that? Who DOESN'T drink alcohol? It's NOT a big deal.

In answer to your question, I don't drink. Most of the people I know don't drink. So, your assumption that your co-workers' questions are "stupid" is in itelf quite "stupid". Sorry, dude, not everyone drinks. And I am not talking just to the point of intoxication, either. Some people just don't drink. Period. That this seems implausible to you is interesting. Well, no not REALLY interesting, but gives me a moment to shake my head, scrunch my eyes, and think to myself "HE'S KIDDING, RIGHT?"

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

C2H5OH sounds right. Sorry for my typo.

Some peole can't face up to the fact that they are addicted.

Cobra · Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Posts: 436

You know the drinking games of Chinese men? Well I work with a young English lady who can and does drink them all under the table.

As for myself, can't stand the taste of any of the stuff. At first my Chinese co-workers pushed and shoved but I stood my ground.

Now they automatically order me a coke without my asking. No big thing anymore. I just do not like the taste or the light head or morning after punishment for the good time (sic) the night before.

Do any of you really care or want to know about this?

Didn't think so.

Capergirl · Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2003 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: alkies

NumberOneSon · Joined: 03 Jul 2003 Posts: 314

WorkingVaca · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 135

Whatever the name, "drunks" or "not drunks"....regardless of what you want to call these people (or what they like to call themselves), they're boring. I don't have many expat friends outside English teachers, so I don't know if the same is this true for expats in general. Trying to deal with culture shock, or fit in with each other ("I drank this much last night! How much did you drink?"), or because they're bored with themselves and can't stand to be alone for one night, or can't relate to people unless they're intoxicated....I DON'T KNOW....

Does anybody reading this out there have any non-ESL teacher expat friends? If so, how do you compare their maturity level to ESL teachers?

khmerhit · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2003 5:32 am Post subject:

Workingvacuous generalized:

Quote:

Whatever the name, "drunks" or "not drunks"....regardless of what you want to call these people (or what they like to call themselves), they're boring.

Are you for real?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. I'll tell you a charming little story about your teetotal mormons, you mor**.

In Cambodia, the saints of salt lake have a tidy little op. They assist in the final months of doomed HIV patients by subsidizing their (almost pointless) medical expenses to the tune of a pathetic 50 dollars a month. This buys the unfortunates enough to eat.

When they DIE, as is unavoidable, the ******** from SLC aggressively pursue the return on their nugatory investment in the afterlife. In the case of my friend's sister-in-law, whose body was lying in state at the pagoda and being prayed over by the monks of her native religion, the boys from SLC showed up and tussled over the corpse, claiming it belonged to their so-called church because they had been giving the deceased monthly gifts of cash. (Needless to say, she was impoverished and in no position to refuse their unsolicited handouts.)

THEY STOLE HER BODY OUT OF THE PAGODA OVER THE PROTESTS OF THE MONKS. (TRUE>) My friend, an Englishman, and his Cambodian wife, were apoplectic. They were also powerless to do anything. Enraged, my friend went to confront the morons in person, but found that they were cowering behind a reinforced bunker that they called their headquarters.

They were Mormons. They didn't drink.

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

Drinking is what you make of it.Some people have a hopeless tendency to drink to oblivion,some don't .Some like the tatse some don't.Some people talk s-h-i-t when they're sober ad some don't.I'd rather spend my evenenings with an amusing drunk than an up tight christian fundamentalist,tefl bore,cynical ex-drinker any day of the week.Some people on this website have probably never had enough money to get seriously wasted.....