Mid Week Trip to the Boozer

Feeling a little 'thirsty', Ed and I decided to pop down to No. 5 Emerald Hill for a quick drink. We've never been there not least because its out of the way, but also because its usually so packed with people on the weekends that its just not worth going. That is unless you like the feeling of a fat sweaty tourist rubbing up against you.

Having heard of the chili-padi vodka shot that The Thirsty Traveller, Kevin Braunch tried, Ed was quite game to give it a go. He attempted to get me to do a shot with him, with all the ribbing of the male ego and how I should do it in the name of the 'brotherhood'. No way Jose, if there is one thing I've learnt from University, it's that drinking is the one thing that the male ego should have no part in.

Feeling slightly guilty because I was not doing it (and because I knew of the agony he was going to go thru later) I offered to buy him the drink.

It arrived and scarcely after it was placed on the table, he picked it up, threw his head back (and with what I thought was a grunt) poured the shot down the back of his throat. The next 5 minutes was painfully cruel to watch. His face turned red, eyes became bloodshot, started perspiring, and all this time, looking at me with wide open eyes, eyes that looked to confer the words that now could not come out of his acid-burned throat.

It was painful to watch, but also interesting in a morbid kind of way. Like how you watch a fly struggle as you pull of its legs one by one.

I told him to go behind to throw it up. He just sat there. Unmoving. Has the pain shut his brain off?

Then suddenly, with a big fat burp, he turned around and threw up all over the side of the table. Dinner, bar nuts and Southern Comfort & Coke came up all over the place.

Mental note: That drink is pure evil.

The staff were really cool about it though, it was as if they had seen it happen once too often. The mess was cleaned and we stayed for a few more drinks. I sat there, telling myself not to laugh in his face, not to bruise his already battered male ego... but I just couldn't help it. Haha.

P.S. Did you know that the staff in No.5 are Filipino, who are college students in Hospitality Management and are doing a 6 month job attachment in Singapore? How odd. Oh. And this one called Tiffany... vavavoom.

P.S2. There was this gal sitting right across me. In a black Adidas tracksuit and denim minis. She looked a mix of Fiona Xie and Linda Liao. Hotness. And she did not speak like an Ah-Lian. At least proper English but with a 'slang'. Too bad she was there with her boyfriend and his 4 other guys friends. If not, I would have gone up to say hi. Sigh...

P.S3 When I went to the Gents for a slash later that evening, someone had thrown up in the urinal. Yes. Chili-padi vodka.