Friday, March 13, 2009

Seriously seething

It's probably not a good idea to be writing a blog post while I'm angry, but I can't seem to help myself. I won't give too many details because it'd be highly imprudent, but I think I can safely say that I had my worst experience of Japan tonight.

Given that I'm pretty much a non-drinker, I've never been particularly fond of the Japanese drinking culture, but after a year and a half I'm mostly OK with it. It definitely helps that basically all of the people that I see intoxicated on a regular/semi-regular basis are the type who just get happier, more chatty, or, at worst, slightly rowdy when drunk. I have no problem with that.

In fact, when I think more closely about it, I suspect that alcohol-inspired "friendliness/chattiness" probably goes a long way towards softening the rather off-putting effect of my natural reticence. That is to say, I seem to talk a lot more with people at events where alcohol is involved.

But I discovered tonight that I have no patience for people who become rude and obnoxious when drunk. It's been a long time since I gave myself a headache from sheer repressed rage (and the last time it happened it was from anger over an accumulation of small irritations built up over time), but it was pretty much an unavoidable consequence of being stuck in a vehicle listening to the loud, self-righteous complaints of a drunkard. For forty-five minutes I (and a handful of others) had to listen to this person complain about and criticize anything, everything, and everyone. Talk about being abused "past the endurance of a block!"

I'm usually a forgive-and-forget kind of person, but honestly, that's the kind of behaviour I can't simply dismiss as a mere drunken foible; it's a reflection on a person's character.

本当に最悪だ。