Drinking Your Way to the Top

The Husband and I recently went to a do organised by the company he works for. They organise something every couple of months or so, just to keep morale up, to encourage people to mingle and to convince us all that Karratha really isn’t all that bad. One time it was a beach volleyball tournament followed by a barbecue (naturally – this is Australia and it is illegal to organise any kind of outside gathering that does not involve a barbie), another an al fresco film night with pizza and ice cream. The do we attended most recently was their version of Oktoberfest. There were sausages, sauerkraut, silly hats with protruding feathers, a sprinkling of large women falling (and at times rolling) out of their beer-maid outfits, and of course plenty of German beer. In fact there was clearly too much German beer. The party kicked off at 7pm and by 8.30pm half of the hall was already well on their way. Most Australians I spoke to had never drunk German beer before and had no idea how strong it was so they were chugging it back as they would a regular light Aussie lager. Then again, the Brits didn’t fare much better. I reckon the fact that it was all free probably had something to do with the fact that by the end of the night most people were hugging, kissing, and telling everyone they passed they loved them. One guy was so out of it he kept falling sideways.

The Husband wasn't feeling quite as much love but was giving it a go

This isn’t unusual in Australia, where drinking is an art form, but this was a work do. If you were running around like a crazed loon, kissing everyone that came near you, or falling into a crumpled heap like a rag doll, you were doing this in front of your colleagues and your bosses. Your colleagues you were going to see at work on Monday and endure endless ribbing and your boss you are hoping to impress in order to advance your career. However, there are two reasons no-one cared about any of that. 1) Everybody was inebriated so you were all in the same boat and it’s a good bet no-one else will remember the moment you tripped over on the dance floor and fell on your face. 2) Getting pissed with your boss is the Aussie way to network – it’s their version of schmoozing. Far from being looked down on come Monday morning, you will probably be called a ‘top bloke’ from then onwards. They’re a funny lot, those Aussies, but if drinking copious amounts of alcohol helps you get to the top in this country, I’ll go a long way!