Culture And Alcohol

[GuestHouse]

I had my annual medical last week, blood tests, chest x-ray, urine, blood pressure, cardiogram, eye sight, hearing and body weight,

Then the questions about diet, sleeping patern, toilet habit etc... and of course 'alcohol consumption'.

Asked how much I drink, I replied with honesty - "Two glasses of red wine a night and probably half a bottle Friday's and Saturdays".

'That's OK' said the doctor and moved onto the next question.

Last year I was told during my medical that I perhaps ought to reduce my alcohol intake, so I quized the doctor 'Is my alcohol intake OK, I've been told in the past that it might be a bit hight?'

The doctor replied with a question ' Do you think you are drinking too much?', Not really I replied, I rarely feel as though I've had too much and I don't get hangovers etc.

'Yes' he said, 'perhaps a bit of Anglo Saxon Angst' Ribbing me about my origins.

Then he added.

'Listen, your healthy, your drinking is normal - worry is worse than the wine you drink'

Now it needs to be understood.

My medical last year took place in New York, the doctor went on and on about alcohol.

This year my medical took place in Rome. The doctor clearly thought my alcohol consumption was normal, what he did comment on was the number of hours I work.

'40hrs is enough' was his remark, 'there's life outside the office'.

[sabaijai]

Good point, there's a cultural context for everything.

[kayo]

Now it needs to be understood.

My medical last year took place in New York, the doctor went on and on about alcohol.

This year my medical took place in Rome. The doctor clearly thought my alcohol consumption was normal, what he did comment on was the number of hours I work.

'40hrs is enough' was his remark, 'there's life outside the office'.

Bear in mind, the U.S Citizen consumes about 4 liters of wine a year. The Roman about 80 liters.

Now, if you´d told the doc you were drinking that much watered down Yank beer, of course he´d be concerned.

[Thaddeus]

I drink alcohol .... and I have a collection of culture...... but most of the cultures are growing on the insides of the unwashed glasses

[Lacoste]

Now it needs to be understood.

My medical last year took place in New York, the doctor went on and on about alcohol.

This year my medical took place in Rome. The doctor clearly thought my alcohol consumption was normal, what he did comment on was the number of hours I work.

'40hrs is enough' was his remark, 'there's life outside the office'.

Bear in mind, the U.S Citizen consumes about 4 liters of wine a year. The Roman about 80 liters.

Now, if you´d told the doc you were drinking that much watered down Yank beer, of course he´d be concerned.

The average American consumes more than 2 gallons of wine per year, Italy consumes the most wine per capita, an average of 54 litres per person every year.

[AlexLah]

I was in China a few weeks ago.

Mostly Northern Chinese where in the group we took for dinner.

They drink a lot.

Ritual of toasting and see who can drink a beer the fastest.

I just told them sorry I do not drink as much as you Chinese do.

I will not participate in those kind of games, sorry.

When the word came out, I was not a real men and those kind of things.

When you want to do business in Northern China you need to drink a lot they told me. If not, no business they told me.

So I told them I almost never drink alcohol so they should understand that 2 beers for me is a lot.

Finally they accepted and in the end one guy passed out and had to be brought to a hospital where he recovered from alcohol poisoning.

Yes culture plays a role.....

Alex

[Gerry290]

Ireland has a serious high booze comsumption rate. in the top 5 in the world, if not No 2.

That includes beers during the week in the pub, and binge drinking on the weekends.

So when I lived in canada, people thought if you went to a bar on a monday night and drank 5 pints of beer....you were a drunk, plus you would probably be the only one in the bar.

In ireland its quite normal for many, especially men to meet up in the pub at night for 4 or 5 pints.

[Prakanong]

I had my annual medical last week, blood tests, chest x-ray, urine, blood pressure, cardiogram, eye sight, hearing and body weight,

Then the questions about diet, sleeping patern, toilet habit etc... and of course 'alcohol consumption'.

Asked how much I drink, I replied with honesty - "Two glasses of red wine a night and probably half a bottle Friday's and Saturdays".

'That's OK' said the doctor and moved onto the next question.

Last year I was told during my medical that I perhaps ought to reduce my alcohol intake, so I quized the doctor 'Is my alcohol intake OK, I've been told in the past that it might be a bit hight?'

The doctor replied with a question ' Do you think you are drinking too much?', Not really I replied, I rarely feel as though I've had too much and I don't get hangovers etc.

'Yes' he said, 'perhaps a bit of Anglo Saxon Angst' Ribbing me about my origins.

Then he added.

'Listen, your healthy, your drinking is normal - worry is worse than the wine you drink'

Now it needs to be understood.

My medical last year took place in New York, the doctor went on and on about alcohol.

This year my medical took place in Rome. The doctor clearly thought my alcohol consumption was normal, what he did comment on was the number of hours I work.

'40hrs is enough' was his remark, 'there's life outside the office'.

Just had pretty much the same thing myself covering drinking and other factors between two different screenings much the same as your.

Then even the review of my data was different between the Dr at Raffles and my GP - clinicians are there to interpret results but if I did lose the weight my GP has suggested I would be ill!

[Kananga]

This year my medical took place in Rome. The doctor clearly thought my alcohol consumption was normal, what he did comment on was the number of hours I work.

'40hrs is enough' was his remark, 'there's life outside the office'.

Did he comment on how many hours you spend on internet forums each day discussing the ins and outs of your private life with complete strangers? Surely that can't be healthy. I reckon your boss would need a health check if the IT dept showed him your internet log.

Here's a tip. Log off right now and go and do your work. Then you can start enjoying that life outside the office.