I was working for this famous IT Company and it was the day to release one of the main projects. It was co-coordinated with an office in Asia. The release had to happen on a Sunday, early in the morning at 2, which was Sunday, late in the afternoon in Asia (what a way to spend your weekend!!). They had sent this guy from Asia to assist us. We both were forced to be there just in case any technical problems popped up and attend the calls to co-ordinate the job in emergencies. Because of the time difference and the jet lag, he was finding it so hard to stay awake and as for me, I was extremely edgy having to miss the games of beer pong tables with my friends. It made it worse to think the kind of fun they would be having without me. On top of that we didn’t even know when the damn call was going to be made.
Coming back to the Asian guy, we got along professionally but not on a personal front (we never got to venture into that level). Seeing him gulping coffee to stay awake, and me being bored to death, I decided to take the risk. I started talking to him and asked if he were cool to play something to while away our time. He seemed like he would do anything in this world to keep himself awake (thank god for small mercies!).
I asked him how about a few rounds of beer pong table game. To my amazement he was hearing it for the first time. How could one not play beer pong ever in his life, let alone, how could one not have heard of beer pong tables!! My weekends almost always revolve just around this game and here is a guy who never laid his hand on a beer pong table!
Anyways after briefing him about the game we began to play in my cabin. He turned out to be pretty good with his game and gulped on the beer. Few others who were free came in and set up their own beer pong tables. We both got so much involved in the beer pong tables game that we didn’t even hear the call. And then one of the colleagues came running in informing that the conference was scheduled in 15 minutes. But my friend here was so much drunk by now I doubted he was ready to take any call. Forget the official one he seemed too drunk to take even his girlfriend’s call. I swear to God, if I had known he had never had beer more than a peg, I would never have asked him to play in the first place. But how was I to know? Maybe it was the jet lag!
Whatever it was, it was not making it any easier for me. I had to drag him to the washroom (it was one hell of a task in itself) and force his head under the cold water. He snapped into reality (thank god again for big mercies!) I gave him one of my sweatshirts that I had stocked up in my locker for gym and managed to get us back in time for the call. Since that ended smoothly, he was now grinning broadly, asking how about another round of beer pong tables’ game. Huh! I couldn’t help but smile. We decided to get together again, this time outside of office, once he got over his jet lag.
Sleepless in Seattle










Beer Pong Tables