Speaking of Vodka's, since its a little slow here these days, I'll share a good Vodka story.
I was in Estonia on business. My first morning, I met my "handler". A "handler" is like a Concierge. They make sure things go smoothly as far as interpreters, local rules and customs, know how to solve problems that may arise. So my handler was a woman by the name of Monika something or other long last name. She picked me up by car at the hotel for my first breakfast meeting with our business interest. And part of what is expected of us to soothe the potential business successes is to engage in the same customs to sort of put them at ease. The handler is paid to prepare for this and is briefed on all parties. So Monika is telling me that breakfast fare here is usually very light and if we offered them any type of fruit that would be a GREAT icebreaker as fruit was hard to come by there. She had brought some grapefruits. Well their version of them anyway. Looked like a deformed lemon.
So we meet at a restaurant as scheduled. Fruit in hand as my greeting gift. Big smiles came to their faces!!! I'm like.....cool so far. We shake hands, and I knew enough Russian to pass a common courteous greeting as we shook hands. Again this helps put them at ease that I went to the trouble to learn some of their language. But they soon started needing interpretation. Welcome to Estonia, we are very pleased you are meeting us. We hope you will find this stay large (interpretation) for your interest. And blah blah blah for a few minutes.
OK so we order breakfast. I have ZERO idea what anything is there. Monika asked me if I was hungry? I said well I am but I don't know what to ask for. She says we have eggs here and beans and potatoes and some pork maybe. I said eggs toast and Orange Juice. She said don't order Orange Juice they will think you are a rich snob as it is very expensive and hard to come by here. OK...milk. Yes milk is good. Goat milk? I'm like .....Sure Goat milk is fine. So I ordered that.
They ordered whatever it was.
The food comes and they both get large glasses of water. About a small Big Gulp size. They had one extra glass and pick up the grapefruit and start slicing it. They put it in the water like lemon in tea. Except the glass was huge and the grapefruit was like half a fruit. They passed it over to my side. Big grins very happy faces from them. Monika assumed I was OK with this and she said, this is their gift back to you as it is our custom. She said, they wish to toast to our business. So I am like...OK...WTH.....and I grab the water.
I just assumed this was water and I did not ask a thing.
It was Vodka that they had brought with them from their town, and they drink it like frikkin water!!!
They toasted and downed the glass in one chug. I was 2 swallows in before I realized it was Vodka. Then you are sort of committed to carry on. Man up and chug like the locals. OMG they had 2 more glasses......during freaking breakfast. I was so done at glass one I couldn't even think about making sound business decisions. I asked Monika to tell them that the food has not agreed with me and that I needed to go back to my hotel. Big loud rousing laughs from them both. Monika said, they are discussing your reaction to the Vodka.
I made a hasty retreat.
They chugged this stuff like water and never miss a beat.
Here's to hoping for the biggest hangover from it!
