thedriveintheatre

I am very fed up with the alcohol-related violence in Sydney (and Australia). Aussies have a very strong drinking culture, and while I have nothing wrong with alcohol consumption (I like a lil’ Singapore Sling and Caipirinha myself), there is always a limit. We should partake in everything in moderation; you can even have too much of a good thing.

Some stupid people think it’s cool to drink a lot (probably egged on by peer pressure or poor self-esteem) and then get wasted, do silly things with complete strangers, get involved in bar brawls, crash their cars, or worst. By all means, getting drunk is one of the few things that you should try at home instead of doing in public.

In Malaysia and Singapore, we have pubs and bars and various drinking establishments. But we don’t need to fund government campaigns encouraging ‘responsible drinking’, or have mobile rbt (random breath testing) that waste taxpayers’ money. We behave ourselves. We know when one more is too much.

We don’t go to a bar to drink beer and scotch after work, we go to eat supper at coffee shops and hawker centers. No one gets hammered on Nasi Lemak, Char Kway Teow or Roti Prata. Beer is only the side attraction, in addition to other non-alcoholic drinks like Teh Tarik (pulled milk tea), Bandung (rose syrup), and the ever-popular Milo iced chocolate beverage. The only drunks you see most of the time are Western expatriates at Clarke Quay and Orchard Road, which sets an embarassing example for their home countries.

I’m not a prude, nor am I a strict teetotaller (although I’m not as crazy or adventurous over drinks as my brother is). Everything needs to be taken in moderation, be it homework, video games, hanging out on forums, or alcohol.

Australia, and to an extent America, Britain and Ireland have a drinking culture. Asian countries have an eating culture. And that’s why Asian countries have less puke stains on the pavement, wrecked vehicles with teens trapped inside, girls being accosted by drunk men at night, and victims of ‘glassing’ incidents than Western countries.