pa-morningan

Being in an organization plagued by traditions has a price. We just took over as the next editors of the publication and to keep up with the traditions started by who ever from our organization’s genealogy, we hosted an “inuman session” for the benefit of our alumni editors, some of whom now have their own families and stable jobs. I wonder how thirty to forty year old professionals could get along well with eighteen to twenty year olds and act as if our ages are not half of theirs.

Now going back, the tradition does not stop there. It has been a decade long practice that the incoming editors will down a big glass-full of booze. Hell no! Our plan of giving them strong beer for the fun of seeing them all wasted burst on our faces. It turned out that we too, at the end of the night, would end up as wasted as they are.

And because no one brought a hard brandy with them to use for the said tradition – thank God, it has been agreed upon by the alumni editors to give us two rounds of glass shot – oh bury me in hell.

So the first glass of beer was given to me being the next editor-in-chief of the publication, which came as a surprise by the way because I did not perform well in the qualifying examinations. And true to my instincts, they asked for a lil speech… oh save the profundity for later when I get another libel case… And what do you know, since my associate editor went home an hour earlier I had to drink his glass of beer!

The first round ended as fine as I found my world slowly pirouetting. And after the second round, boy am I in a jugular joy ride! It’s a good thing that I never threw up after it.

I could always rationalize that what we did is just a manifestation of the kind of culture we have in the publication. The way thirty year olds mix up with twenty year olds clearly shows that there indeed is a thing called “bedan brotherhood.” But why oh why in this God’s green earth do we have to down two rounds of beer, four in my case because I have to drink my associate editor’s shot, when the practice calls for just a shot of booze, irregardless of whether it is a beer, brandy or shiok tong? (did I get the spelling right?)

But I loved every minute of it. No regrets.. and besides, the cheese sticks we served as pulutan fell on the floor while we were still preparing it. Hehe that’s why I have never touched a single of it.. revenge has been done…