Old School Drinking Session

What classifies as old school, you ask? It’s the kind of drinking session that would include individuals who aren’t your usual crowd [tambay, kanto boys, karpintero] and it’s in a place wherein there are makeshift chairs and a table filled with pulutan, i.e. adobong mani, adobong baboy, corned beef, and several bottles of quadro-kanto.

Tenants are moving in by next month, you see, and we’re fixing up a couple of units in the building. My uncle was in charge of the construction work. The week just finished and they got their week’s salary so they decided to unwind a bit by holding a drinking session last night.

I don’t drink Gin — straight. Never liked the taste. So, when my uncle invited me over, I just told him to buy me a couple of bottles of San Mig Super Dry instead. Heehee.

Hanging out with this bunch was a real experience. My uncle’s loud when he’s drunk, hailing from Batangas and all. And the conversation revolved around drinking escapades that ended up in barangay halls or the lights from the police sirens illuminating my uncle’s bedroom ceiling, finding out that they don’t have enough money to pay for the beers they had ordered, how they didn’t like drinking with men whose wives often tow them back to their respective homesteads and, my favourite bit, the best drinking combo that can guarantee you lifeless. LOL.

Want to know what the combo is? Heehee.

It’s fondly called the VIRGIN COKE. But you got to pronounce it the Filipino way — “beer-gin-coke” LOL.

1 bottle of beer
1 Gin bilog
1 12 oz. of Coke

After finishing it, try standing up. You can still stand up after that, you see. But when you sit back down — you won’t be able to again. It will knock you unconscious! Hahaha.

Ah, well — that’s just second-hand information. I haven’t tried it yet. I’ve to make a mental note to only do this at home! LOL. Who dares to try it with me?

Twas a real experience. I got a glimpse of their lives as construction workers and, of course, as regular people. They have dreams. They have problems. They have families. Their lives are less extravagant than mine but, hey, they deserve the same respect I would give a person who owns his own company. After all, they’re good people who are actually making something out of their lives, which I can’t say for some.

I reckon I need more experiences of the same kind to keep my feet grounded. I almost forgot how much life can teach me if only I keep my mind and heart open. Funny — I used to do this a lot before. I guess I need to re-trace my steps.