My name’s B. & I’m an alcoholic
May 4th, 2006 by B.
Ok, not really, but I’m thinking about embracing it.
Living in germany & being a non-drinker is turning out to be difficult. Try telling a determined german you don’t like beer… it’s a challenge. “You just haven’t had the right beer” they say “you need a fine german lager instead of that piss-water most americans drink”. When I politely decline again it’s like I’m offending them, their country, their way of life, their ugly mama, their drunk baby-daddy passed out in the corner… you name it.
Usually this is when the conversation switches to wine. “Surely you at least drink wine??” When I say ‘no’ tempers are lost…
**random german:** You don’t drink anything? That’s bad for your health!
**me:** hmmmm…
**random german:** Surely you must drink a little to keep warm on cold nights?
**me:** that’s what blankets are for…
**random german:** How is it that you relax and have fun without a little help?
**me:** trust me, if there’s one thing I don’t need help with, it’s inhibition…
In the end I explain it by saying that I believe in the buddhist precept that anything that dulls your mind while heightening your other senses is probably not a good idea.
Besides, it tastes like shit…. which is the same reason I don’t drink coffee. No child ever had their first taste of alcohol or coffee and said “god damn! give me more of that!” Nope, at one point or another you had to force yourself to choke it down until, eventually, you were used to it. That hardly makes sense to me.
My creed is if I try something once or twice and don’t like it… I’m done, no matter how popular it is. This probably also explains why I don’t own any madonna cd’s or wax poetic about half-price appetizers and/or rib baskets from Applebee’s.
Long story short, I’m thinking alcoholic is the way to go. I’ll let you know how it goes…
On this day..
- Fashion Nugget. - 2007
- One down, one to go. - 2007
- Nice! - 2006
Imagine my shock and suprise when my I met my German and he told me that he does not really drink. Seriously, two beers and he is gone. He actually drinks more now that we are married . . . and that is probably not a good thing.
You may not have taken to the beer - but you have taken to the chocolate. Doesn’t that count for something?
How funny. My husband, the football coach, doesn’t smoke, dip, or drink beer. Imagine explaining that to your macho, tobacco chewing colleagues. Once he ordered a glass of wine while out with the coaches … and he never heard the end of it.
It can be a struggle to not drink beer here, but if you want real pressure, try not drinking vodka in The Ukraine.
I did rather well, I think, considering that i normally have about a beer every other week. I only drank half a bottle, and i didn’t start saying anything idiotic. On the other hand, the family never would have known, since I don’t speak either Russian or Ukrainian, and they didn’t speak English.
Oh man, those three random German could have been our next door neighbour. We’ve lived beside him for 11 years now and he’s an absolute doll but he STILL doesn’t get that I don’t care for alcohol and that no amount of persuasion is going to get me to like it.
There’s a really huge drinking culture in Germany and it’s getting to be a problem, especially among teenage girls, although there are also plenty of adult alcoholics. Pretty scary sometimes.
You don’t own any Madonna cds? Not even Ray of Light?
I’m shocked.
Hey, watch the Applebees slams.