A workplace welcome and farewell party, a little too much alcohol, and the familiar regret of a hangover the next morning. This essay reflects on how drinking culture has changed, especially for older men who grew up in a different era. What once felt normal—second parties, karaoke, and casual drinking invitations—now requires much more care. Alcohol can make people happy, but it can also make social situations complicated. Sometimes, even the photos left on one’s smartphone the next morning are enough to remind us of that. In the end, perhaps the safest and happiest way to drink is simply at home, with one’s wife.
Last night, there was a welcome and farewell party for the laboratory department. As usual, I drank too much, and today my head hurts a little.
“Why did I drink so much?”
That is what I always think on the morning after drinking, but regret always comes too late.
Of course, I was meeting the new staff members almost for the first time. Even with the others, if they belong to different sections, I hardly know their faces. We may talk only a few times a year.
So when the conversation starts to flow, the alcohol also starts to flow, and before I know it, I am more drunk than I expected.
Even so, I did not drift into karaoke afterward, which would have been quite normal before the pandemic. I simply went home.
After the first party ends, wandering around and waiting for someone to say, “Come on, let’s go to the next place!” has always seemed a little shabby to me.
On the other hand, I have always thought that people who quietly disappear before anyone notices look somehow cool.
Now that I no longer have the physical energy to feel like going to a second party, perhaps that is not such a bad thing.
Above all, the longer a drinking party goes on, the higher the risk of harassment becomes.
Even asking someone at the first party, “Would you like another drink?” or “Are you a good drinker?” can be risky these days.
For an older man, simply sitting next to a woman can feel like a warning flag has already been raised.
And then there are the photos.
Some photos from last night are still on my smartphone. I look red-faced and very happy, but I will leave the rest unsaid.
That is another reason why one has to be very careful at drinking parties.
At a party, one has to stay awake and then somehow get home properly afterward. Perhaps because of that, the mind becomes strangely alert, and that is when unnecessary things may happen.
Alcohol can make us feel happy, but it is truly troublesome.
The best way is probably to drink at home with my wife, get pleasantly drunk together, and then simply fall asleep.
Perhaps the safest drinking companion is the person waiting at home.
・・・
Vocabulary for Learners
welcome and farewell party 歓送迎会。職場などで、新しく来た人と去る人を迎え送る会。
hangover 二日酔い。 例：I have a hangover this morning.
regret always comes too late 「後悔先に立たず」に近い表現。直訳ではなく、自然な英語表現。
the conversation starts to flow 会話が弾む、自然に進む。
この文では、酒が進むことと重ねています。
drift into karaoke 流れでカラオケに行く。 “drift into” は「なんとなく流れていく」
shabby みすぼらしい、さもしい、少し格好悪い。
quietly disappear いつの間にか消える。 飲み会から自然に退席する感じ。
warning flag 危険信号、警告のサイン。
red-faced 顔が赤くなった、赤ら顔の。
leave the rest unsaid あとは言わないでおく、以下省略。
troublesome 厄介な、面倒な。
pleasantly drunk 心地よく酔った状態。 泥酔ではなく、楽しく酔っている感じ。
