Sunday, January 27, 2008

i don't follow you

drinking is one of the major passtimes here in kerala, and the men have it down to an absolute science. rotary meetings are held at night here, with dinner afterwards. kerala rotarians start drinking before dinner, and put off eating as long as they can, so as not to disrupt optimal absorption of the alcohol. (melissa and i had one host who had so perfected this system scott sheepishly asked if his wife could drive us home. we thought we were safe until we got in the car and she said, "now, let's see if i can remember how to reverse.")

a few nights ago we were at a particularly drunken meeting and i was approached several times by the same man, asking me what my profession was and wondering if i wanted some ice cream. it took about five minutes to communicate that i was a journalist, and that i didn't want any ice cream. then he pointed at scott and asked me what his profession was.

me: he's a general surgeon.
drunk: oh, another journalist.
me: no, a surgeon.
drunk: ah, a soldier.
me: no, he's a doctor.
drunk: he was adpoted?

by now i am speaking directly in his ear, as loudly as i can without doing permanent damage. we finally make communication contact.

drunk: oh, a doctor! what's his specialty?
me: surgery.
drunk: ah, here we call them surgeons. for shorthand.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Very funny descriptions of the drunk attempting to converse. I wonder what their preferred alcoholic beverage is.