They woke up at 9 am, breakfast was either a shot of vodka, or a shot of finnish cognac.
A day that starts like this does not continue in a different way, by the time I joined them at 5pm, all but the driver were hammered, including the Shaman.
I join them, immediately get a drink handed to me. We proceed to the sauna, ten men. Me, still sober, driver, driven into oblivion by the few "catch up with the others" shots.
A game is played in the sauna. A full bottle of cognac is passed around, everyone taking a sip, after each sip, steam is put on the sauna. This is the kind of game that ends in the emergency room. We were fast, so it ended with ten guys struggling to fit under two showers, hearts racing, skin red, out of breath.
I was not sober anymore. Was at the point where my tongue loosens.
I go outside to get my senses back, sweating, breathing, and heart racing.
Time passes, and I am joined with the others.
" So you say OldPlaceToBe is not where we should go to? "
I am about to explain why the best place in town turned into a shithole, which can easily be described by finn-flight from the place when the place started being more vibrant than usual, and that Finns go to a new place, and that for now, the new place is the better choice, when I see the Shaman standing behind the party host, looking directly into my eyes and motioning "NO", with his head.
So, being warned by my friend that a simple observation could be a threat to my wellbeing,
"We go to NewPlaceToBe" was my answer.
In these funny times where it is allowed to shout "Death to the west", but can be dangerous to utter why the locals have stopped going to a bar, a friend like the Shaman, who still has his wits about him after drinking for 16 hours is God sent.
I thank Shaman for this lesson that I needed being taught, and for the warning that potentially saved me grief and even trouble.
Funny times indeed, infinitely more tragic though.