One irrefutable fact of life in New Zealand is our propensity to celebrate everything with booze. Christenings, birthdays, funerals, sporting events, anniversaries, getting/losing a job - you name it - we pour grog down the throat of any occasion where a sense of ceremony is even slightly apparent.
The double whammy of Christmas and New Year is fast approaching, which is naturally preceded by work functions and festive catch-up drinks with acquaintances who are swiftly elevated to 'friends' or 'mates' simply because of the inherent promise of alcohol entering the mix. It ain't called the 'silly season' for nothing.
This year's Farming Show shindig was a real doozy. It wasn't confined to FS employees as that would be a bit awkward and boring given our slim ranks, but rather open to the entire office of 20-plus at FS HQ in Dunedin.
In a dashing stroke of managerial logic, the venue was changed from Otago Cricket's Long Room where the 2013 and 2014 events were held, gazing out over a vacant University Oval, to a venue by the beach, far away from the oval where a test match was being played ... um ...
Anyway, the aim was to milk the company credit card for all it was worth. Surprisingly, the charge was led by the landed gentry of Roslyn Heights, namely Farming Show host Jamie Mackay. Coming off a minor accident where he tripped over a gold bar in his living room, the thirsty Mackay attacked the free beer with a passion usually reserved for golf and dull travel stories. But it wasn't standard, common fare that we were drinking. No, Mackay instantly turned up his nose and went for the expensive bottles of boutique beer.
