On Thursday night I was lucky enough to attend the NZ Music Awards. We were most definately in the cheap seats but after the ceremony our passes allowed us to mingle with the elite and partake in the free food/booze (which do you think I was more excited about?).
In terms of alcohol consumption I was relatively well behaved (I did however manage to nail TWO Magnum Sandwich icecreams...oops). The reason I didn't want to go all out is because the following day was survey day and being in my twenties I find two big nights in a row quite the mission.
I should probably explain survey day to those of you not in the radio biz. It's basically when the ratings for radio stations in NZ are released (people are selected at random and given survey books to fill out across a six week period letting us know who they listen to and when). And because radio people are radio people, regardless of whether our station achieves a good or bad result, survey day = drinking.
So as I downed my first drink of the day at 10am on Friday (yes I know) I was officially riding the wave. A term coined by my flatmate who has certainly mastered the art of pushing through the pain and drinking to cure a hangover. Unfortunately like climbing trees and crossing your legs, riding the wave is much easier when you're younger.
I fondly remember the days in highschool when you could guzzle back 'rocket fuel' (aka whatever you think your parents won't notice missing from the alcohol cabinet mixed with some fizzy drink) only to wake up ready for the next session. Plus you had an inhouse chef to prepare a fry up for you (cheers Mum).
Student life took riding the wave to a whole new level. There was no such thing as a school night anymore. In fact the biggest night of the week was Wednesday where the Fat Ladies Arms in Wellington (classy establishment that it was) offered $2 drinks for students and we ordered them by the tray full (yes like a fast food restaurant)....ah memories.
You could stop for a break after Wednesday but why bother when the weekend was a mere day away. So more often than not, Wednesday signalled the start of the University weekend- or if you like, the start of the wave.
Like I said though, this riding of the wave business is a struggle and takes it's toll on my twenty something body (and potentially 40 something liver). Even though I refrained at the music awards I still ended up a mess on Friday and once I got back on the board so to speak, it was less riding of a wave than riding a steady slope downhill.
My wipeout I guess you could call it, occurred when I stepped outside the bar where survey party was being held around 11pm only to be refused entry when I tried to come back in. I would like to say that I graciously accepted that it really was time for me to go home but unfortunately no. There were tears. Yes, I officially cried because I wasn't allowed to drink any more alcohol...whilst my peers watched on (just to rub salt into the wound).
It's ironic really how alcohol makes you act like a child at the time of consumption and consequently makes you truly feel your age (or older) the next day. Nature's way of telling twenty somethings to slow down I guess (if only we'd listen).
I'll leave you with this shot of my flatmate after his Friday night and yep, he climbed back on the board for a Saturday night surf...legend.
arrr Mandy :-)
ReplyDelete