Accidentally Drunk

And, in the category of Don't-Drink-It-Unless-You-Smell-It-First, I've committed just about the stupidest transgression I've perhaps done so far here in a foreign country just now. I've accidentally drank a shot of vodka. (Seriously, ACCIDENTALLY!) I mean, I think it was vodka. It was something alcoholic. And it was clear. And it was in an unmarked water bottle in the freezer. And the water bottle looked exactly like MY water bottle, which I also keep in the freezer. And anyone who knows me knows that I can't hold my liquor. Not even a few drops of it. So now, I'm 20 shades of pink all over, my head is throbbing, my heart is pumping like a jackrabbit, and I pretty much can't breathe because my throat is closing up. How pleasant.

All this because my people (and by that, I mean, members of my family AS WELL AS my race in general) lack an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, which turns alcohol into sugar in your body so that you can metabolize it and not be poisoned by it. (Read the bit on "in humans" and not "in yeast and bacteria".)

I can't believe I did this! I can't believe I went into the freezer here at the hostel, took out what I thought was my innocent little water bottle, and swallowed a swig of it without registering what it was first. And, I can't believe I'm blogging about it while under the influence! God, the misadventures I can have just sitting around a quiet hostel on an idle Thursday night.

But now, for the ironic part of this story: Nadya is leading an excursion tonight for all our guests here at the Hippo. I was supposed to join her in it shortly after I grabbed my water bottle to head out. The excursion is a pub crawl through Budva's Old Town. And, I was tagging along with the intention of drinking nothing more than some carbonated mineral water with a slice of lime floating in it. Never mind. I guess I'm not going after all. I've already had my pub crawl, thanks!