Going out with a bang!!!

Friday, Nov 18, 2008

Charlie had planned this going away party for me about 3-4 weeks back. Thanks Chuck!

However, with every event that Charlie plans, there is always that risk that I might not make it back from the event on my own 2 feet. 

Unfortunately, in the last 6-8 weeks, due to some unknown reason, I have been getting my gout attacks a little more frequently than I have for the last year or so. It is extremely uncomfortable flying when you are in pain and I am very sure that the excessive consumption of alcohol is one of the major reasons of my gout. 

I get more anxious by the minute about this evening's going away party. 

In addition, I still have quite a bit of stuff to do and did not want to spend Saturday dragging around. Obviously, Charlie has volunteered to help me out on Sat. But, I'm still nervous with the amount of stuff I still have to get rid off, and preparing the crate for Shasta for the trip and who knows what else.

Well, I tried to get as much done as possible just in case the night turned out to be as I'm envisioning it to be.

Dinner is at 7:00pm (on the evite) but 7:30pm on the reservation. Dinner is at Taraval Okazu Ya and we (Charlie and I, not to mention a few others) have NEVER had good experiences consuming sushi before a night of drinking. NEVER. It has always been a pure waste of money. Sushi in, money out, sushi out.... get it???

Shortly before 4pm, Allen shows up at my place. We are still deciding where to go after dinner. Allen might have some co-workers join us. I continue doing my own stuff while he tries to settle on a place.

5pm, Allen tells Matt to come over and we can carpool. Carpooling is never a good sign for a night out in the town. It is good for going to and from work though...

Matt shows up around 6:30pm. Matt has a conversation with Troy and tells Troy to come over so we can carpool. Carpooling is never a good sign especially as the number of people in the carpool gets larger...

Troy (and I heard the conversation between him and Matt saying that Matt was "at Gavin's place") shows up at Matt's place instead of my place. Good job Troy!! And then he comes over to my place and gets lost and circles the roundabout 3 times before calling us to say he is lost. Good job again Troy.... just kidding.

By the time everyone is at my place, it is slightly past 7pm. I know the reservation is for 7:30pm but not everyone else does. So, we head over to Taraval Okazu Ya. Charlie had made a reservation for 17 but I think only 14 were going to show. Well, we were the first to get there.

Jon arrives shortly after followed by Bing. Including us, they are the only ones on time for the reservation. NO ONE is on time for the evite!!! Janny (on behalf of Heidy, Minnie and Josh) call to say they are running late. Charlie has his favorite answer: "I'm on the freeway". Johnnie, Narissa and Kris are running late and Shonn doesn't even bother to call. 

Finally, at about 7:40pm, we decide that whoever's there should just go in. 

THE PARTY HAS STARTED.

Allen complains that he is hungry but NO, in the first 10 mins we are there, we don't consume any food, instead, in the first 10 minutes we are there, we polish up 4 bottles of hot sake and 4 bottles of Asahi... the beginning of a wonderful night, my mind tells me. 

By the time EVERYONE shows up, we have already had 8 bottles of sake and 8 bottles of Asahi. We have only had 2 plates of Chicken Karage and 2 plates of something else, I forget what. 

Holy Smoke. I think I'm not going to make it. I really don't know what food we ordered that whole night, but I do know that we sure ordered a sh*t load of alcohol. In that whole process, we were still deciding on where to go after and I feared the party would not progress further than Okazu Ya. I was to be mistaken.

For some reason, in my drunken stupor, I agreed that we should go to Rohan. That was the site of disaster for my birthday in 2006. 

The bill at Okazu Ya for some reason came up to only $480 or thereabouts. That was for that whole sh*t load of alcohol and food for 15 people. I was really surprised and went to find out what the deal was. As we suspected, Ben had given us a discount. I don't think Ben will be reading this, however, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ben from Taraval Okazu Ya for his wonderful hospitality every single time I have been there.

THE PARTY MOVES ON TO ROHAN

So, the crime scene changes. We now head to Rohan. 

John, the manager (and bartender) at Rohan is friends with Johnnie, Narissa, Kris, Shonn, Charlie and I don't know who else. And now in the first 10 mins we are at Rohan, we polish off 4 bottles of Soju. That, my friends, is really making the night look not too good. Again, just as a reminder, this was the site of my birthday in 2006. I spent most of that night with my friend, the meter, outside of Rohan. After these first 10 mins, I had a strong, very strong, feeling I was going to get re-acquainted with my friend, the meter, again.

Things started taking the turn for the worse when the shots that were placed in front of me were twice the size of those of the other people drinking with me. To my own credit (and yes, I am blowing my own horn and I think deservedly so), I took EVERY-F**KING-THING that was laid out in front of me. No excuses, no ifs, no ands, no buts, no nothing. I just drank it.

Johnnie, seeing that things have starting taking the turn for the worse, visits his favorite store next to Rohan's. It is a small neighborhood market where he frequents when they visit Rohan to purchase the magic solution to the problems Rohan is causing. The magic solution is (providing free advertising here)... WONDERBREAD!!!! I am told that throughout the evening, I might have consumed half the loaf of Wonderbread. I'm not sure who finished the other half but I'm sure there were more people who were in need of the magic cure than just myself. I did not spend as much time as I thought I would have with the meter, and I definitely did not waste any money on sushi on this night.

At one point of the evening, I took a seat at the booth we were occupying and had to take a break from all the liquid consumption. For some reason, Matt decides he wants to take some pictures of me in my drunken state. I move away from the line of sight of the camera and what takes place next has still not been completely figured out. Janny, who was sitting next to me decides to "brighten" up the area around me by placing the candle on the table, nearer to me. 

In that instance, I feel a warm, and I mean REAL WARM sensation all over my neck. I'm intoxicated but, when it burns, regardless of how intoxicated one is, it BURNS. Apparently, Janny has poured wax down my neck. I do not actually know the extent of the damage till the next morning. 

Charlie decides to come to the rescue and he is just as intoxicated as I am and bowls over a martini glass on the table, the glass breaks at the stem and now, on the lower half of my body and on the exact opposite side of my body, I feel a cold, not to mention wet sensation. This might actually have been considered fantasy to some but on this night, to me, it was just wax being poured on me and alcohol being spilt on me. Thanks Janny and Charlie. I still love you both. The party ended shortly after that.

A special message to Shonn. I have just completely and royally f**ked you over. I have set new standards for "going away" parties, so, good luck to you when your time comes. I'm sure John is not going to let you off.

I would like to thank John at Rohan's for the great hospitality he had provided in making this last event of the evening an enjoyable and memorable one. John, keep it up and make sure you show Shonn an equivalent if not better going away party!!!

Matt gave me a ride home and I was asleep in under 2 minutes.

CARPOOL: When you carpool, one person is usually the designated driver and spends the night drink soda or ice tea or whatever the hell does not contain alcohol. We carpooled. There were 4 people in the car. The geniuses we are, I don't believe a single of us was under the legal alcohol limit. So much for carpooling. I got home safe, but, I'm just saying, I don't think we would have been ok if we had been stopped. 

No, I did not hurl (in Shonn's words). And no, I did not wake up with a hangover.

I would like to thank all of you who showed up to make this party just absolutely wonderful. 

Allen J - Thank you very much for being the Master Instigator. You are dangerous. You would be even more dangerous than Bernard, Dennis, Charlie and I put together if you had a stronger alcohol tolerance. However, with whatever you have, you are still dangerous. Thanks for getting the party started.

Allen T and Korene - Sorry you couldn't be a Okazu Ya to see the beginning of the performance, but thanks for showing up for the finale. Allen, I know you don't drink. I don't know what was in your glass when you toasted me, you never gave me a chance to find out, but it's the thought that counts... Thank you.

Bing - There is never such a thing as too many parties. Ask Chuck, a few years ago, he had a birthday party that lasted a week or so. We do things just like Mardi Gras!!! Thanks for showing up for each and every one of them though. 

Charlie - I think you were more drunk than I was. Hmmmm, maybe you should be going away. I'm sorry to break up what's left of the original crew, but I'm sure you are going to be ok. Thank you for putting this party together. And thank you for everything else starting from the day at Limelight (Mountain View).

Elaine and Sok - Even though you did not show up, you had a more than valid reason. Congratulations!! I'm waiting for pictures!!

Janny, Heidy, Minnie and Josh - Minnie and Josh, wish you could have been there to see Janny's performance of pouring wax on me. Janny, you owe me a dry cleaning... LOL. 

Johnnie, Narrisa and Kris - Without you, there would be no Rohan. Without you, I might still be trying to get rid of stuff in my house today. Please take good care of my (now yours) TV. And... please set up the slingbox!!

Jon - Are you married? LOL! Thanks for coming out and drinking I think what has been the most since that eventful birthday in San Mateo. Next time, bring your wife.

Matt (and Jae) - Jae, wish you could have been there. I think you might have given me a run for my money. Matt, thanks for ride. Thanks for the drinks. And most of all, thanks for the comment you made. It did jolt me into reality about my "house looking the same as it did 2 weeks ago".

Shonn - Bon Voyage mofo. I hope you go out with a bang and in style too. A word of advice. Puking too many times (or rather forcing yourself to puke) does not necessarily help you drink A LOT more. See you in a few weeks/months.

Troy - Come visit in Singapore. I will show you a good time here and we don't have to look for Mexicans, 'cos there ain't any here. I don't know why you took your car home that night, but you did... oh well.

I think I have mentioned everyone that had shown up that night. If I have not, it's the fault of all the alcohol that we had consumed, so, please forgive me, but don't blame me. Blame it on all the people listed above.

My last thoughts. We (Jessica and I) are very lucky to have friends like you guys. I know that there are others we have not mentioned in this posting. It does not mean you are anything less. It just happens that these were the people at this last party. All of you already know you are most welcome to visit us here in Singapore. We really do not know how to thank you enough for your friendship and everything else that comes along with it. But, from the bottom of our hearts... THANK YOU!!!