Saturday, March 29, 2008

Tonight, I became a man

CanadaAs I have said earlier this week, I'm in San Diego on a business trip. I was supposed to head back to Waterloo today, but I was asked to stay until next Wednesday.
Of course, that means that I have to work during the weekend, but it's fine.
 
Things got much better today, so we could actually leave at a decent time (6:30 PM). Most people are on their way home, so it is just three of us until next week. We decided to go out for dinner, and I suggested we went to an Argentine Restaurant called "Puerto la Boca". They were more than fine with the idea, so we went there.
 
parrilladaSince I was the 'local' guy for once, I choose the menu: empanadas for appetizer, then a big parrillada mixta and a veal schnitzel "complete" (with fries and two eggs). The guys loved the food, and to be honest, so did I.
 
Once we were done with dinner, we went to Hard Rock Café. Once there, my fellow co-workers order something to drink (diet Coke in my case, as always). The place was loud and dark, as normal.
 
Here's the thing: even those who don't know me at all know that I have never drunk alcohol. That list -of course- include my co-workers. So imagine their surprise (and mine) when they saw me pour some vodka in a cup, add some Red Bull and drink it!
 
And then I did it again! So I had two glasses of vodka with Red Bull. I drank gallons of water before and after, so the alcohol didn't affect me at all. But it was still a historic day: After more than 41 years, I had a drink not because of a dare, or a bet, or because I wanted to be funny, but because I simply felt like having one.
 
Truth be told, I liked it. Who knows if I am ever going to drink again, but at least tonight I didn't feel like 'the odd guy who doesn't drink'. As silly as it sounds, it was great.
 
 
Argentina
Como he contado hace unos días, estoy en San Diego por trabajo. Se suponía que tenía que volver a Waterloo hoy, pero me pidieron que me quedara hasta el miércoles que viene.
 
Las cosas anduvieron mucho mejor hoy, así que pudimos irnos del hospital a una hora decente (6:30 PM). La mayoría ya están camino a casa, así que somos tres hasta la semana que viene. Decidimos salir a cenar, y yo sugerí ir a un restaurante argentino llamadon "Puerto la Boca". La idea gustó así que allí fuimos.
 
Como yo jugaba de 'local' esta vez, estuve a cargo de elegir el menú: empanadas como entrada, y luego una gran parrillada mixta y una milanesa de ternera 'completa' (con papas fritas y dos huevos). A mis compañeros les encantó la comida, y para ser honesto, a mí también.
 
Una vez que terminamos de cenar, nos fuimos a Hard Rock Café. Allí pedimos algo para tomar (diet Coke, en mi caso, como siempre). El lugar estaba oscuro y ruidoso, como siempre.
 
El asunto es que hasta aquellos que no me conocen saben que yo nunca he tomado alcohol. Esa lista incluye -por supuesto- a mis compañeros de trabajo. Así que imaginen su sorpresa (y hasta la mía) cuando me vieron servir un poco de vodka en mi vaso, agregar Red Bull y tomármelo!
 
Y luego lo volví a hacer! Así que me tomé dos vasos de vodka con Red Bull. Tomé galones de agua tanto antes como después, así que el alcohol no me afectó en lo más mínimo. Pero fue un día histórico: Despueés de luego de 41 años, tomé un trago, y no fue por una apuesta o porque quería  hacerme el gracioso, sino por trabajo., simplementeay porque me pareció bien.
 
La verdad sea dicha, no estaba nada mal. Quieén sabe si voy a beber otra vez, pero al menos hoy no me sentí como 'el tipo raro que no toma". Suena tonto, pero para mí fue buenísimo.
 
 
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3 comments:

  1. Gabriel
    Be careful not to mix Red Bull with any other alcoholic beverage. It´s too dangerous for you.
    People should appreciate you much more because you don´t drink! You are not the "freak".. they are!
    Remember your special conditions please... it is dangerous to your body!
    I really care about you.. that´s all!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tulip, don't worry. The whole post is tongue-in-cheek, right from the title.

    Sure I did drink the vodka with Red Bull (which by the way I had never drunk before either). But it was probably 1/10 vodka, 9/10 Red Bull. I knew I was going to drive, and I said 'no' to every invitation to drink after that.

    And of course, I have never consider myself a 'freak' for not drinking. I just don't like it, why would I feel bad about not drinking. When I wrote the English part, I used the right word (the 'odd' guy), but I translated it poorly into Spanish (it should have been 'la excepción' instead of 'el tipo raro'). We joke about me not drinking but nobody has ever made me feel bad for not doing it.

    And believe you me, it was highly appreciated that I didn't drink last night :-) And I got to enjoy more the evening, because I wasn't wasted. :-)))

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, I should have added... thank you for your concern. I really appreciate it, Tulip.

    Gracias. De verdad.

    ReplyDelete

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