They don’t call it Strong Ice for nothing.
Yes, I knew that, but the last time I had a bottle, it didn’t affect me much. So last night at Murphy’s, I decided I needed a change from my usual Negra, Cali Ice or Iced Tea. Paolo commented that I must’ve wanted to get drunk – even he would get dizzy after consuming two bottles of the stuff.
Nah, I said. I’m having only one anyway. I could handle it fine.
Three-fourths to emptying the bottle, I began to feel light-headed. Oh boy. I guess being tired during the day made me more susceptible to intoxication. Then the thought occurred to me that I wanted to experience being more than a little tipsy. The last time I entertained that thought was around 3 years ago, at Ratsky’s Cebu with my officemates, contemplating whether I should take my 8th shot of tequila. There was that rush, the thrill of being on dangerous ground, trying to see how far I could go without losing myself.
However, being part of mopping-up operations after all-night drinking sprees at beach outings – delivering helplessly inebriated officemates to their rooms, and watching them nurse splitting headaches the morning after – I’ve never relished the thought of losing control. I never want to do something I know I’d regret.
Next time I order Strong Ice, I better make sure I can take it.
