I'm Not 20 Anymore!!!

I think that I forgot that I’m not in college anymore.  I forget that the JET program’s main population consists of 22-23 year old, fresh out of college kids who are still used to drinking almost every night of the week.  On top of that, they have the ability to recover quickly and can be ready to go by the next even, or even in some cases, the next afternoon.  It’s not like I’m an old maid at 27, but hell, I’ve been working for three years and drinking heavily every night does fit into one’s “real world” schedule.

Back home, I rarely had a drink.  Even once a month was a lot for me.  And when I did drink, it was a glass or two of wine and friend’s house.  I have lost the ability to recover from a night of drinking quickly.  Usually, the entire next day I’m dragging ass.  Also, if someone is like “HEY!!!! Let’s get drunk.” I find myself wanting to punch them in the face.  Also, very rarely did I EVER drink on a day when I had to get up before 9 am actually have to be productive.  Like I said before, I hardly drank anymore at home and if I did, it was a glass of wine.

Since I’ve come to Japan, I think I’ve drank more in this month than I have in the past two years at home.  I’m sure my liver and kidneys hate me right now. I’m pretty sure they only just got back to full function from my university days anyway.  Anyway, I think my insides are begging to be hydrated.  “Just water please!” I can hear them scream.  I need to look up the Japanese word they have for “liver holiday” or “liver vacation” or whatever the hell it is.  My liver has definitely been working overtime and could use a break.

Don’t get me wrong, I had an absolute blast… just recovery and repetition is a bit harder for me, I think…

I get very huggy when I drink.  I like to get hugs, I like to give hugs.  Hugs make me happy in general and even happier when I’m drunk.  Plus, I’m in a country where hugging doesn’t occur very often… or at all… so I’m feeling hug deprived at the moment.  So the other night, after my third screwdriver, or maybe my fifth, I got very huggy with several people.  I’m pretty sure everyone involved in my group hugs enjoyed it too though.  Who doesn’t like a hug?  

Communists, that’s who.

Moving on within the same topic, Japan has a zero tolerance law. That means if you consume ANY alcohol, you cannot drive anywhere.  Actually, I don’t think you’re even allowed to bike after a drink.  I have definitely broken the no biking after drinking law in Japan several times now.  But I think this rule actually encourages overdrinking.

Here’s why… I will explain in my usual round-about-way.

Okay, back at home IF I drank I would have a glass, maybe two on the rare occasion. I could still drive home afterwards and be just fine.  No children were (at least accidentally) run over or anything (purposefully is for another time).  In Japan, if I got caught with the smell of alcohol on my breath, I would basically have to start packing cause my ass would be deported after a lovely stay in prison.  Well Hell’s Bells, if I can’t drink ONE drink then I might as well drink five so that it’s worth the cab fare or, as in the case of this weekend, the 6 kilometer stumble in flip flops to a friend’s apartment on the other side of town.  I have about 3 blisters by the way.  But really, who wants to have to leave there car somewhere because they wanted one drink with dinner?  Not I.  So I generally take the attitude if I’m going to drink… then I’m going to DRINK.

This is not the safest, healthiest, or cheapest attitude to take.  I wouldn’t suggest it.

But anyway, I am back in my little town with juice and water filling my fridge.  Don’t get me wrong.  I had an absolute blast hanging out with my new friends and partying it up.  I would not change a single night that I had with them… I just think that my liver is thanking me for putting some water into my body and that my mind and body appreciate more than 4 hours of sleep.  J